Shirley Jump - The Mckennas - Finn, Riley and Brody

They went up the few stone steps to the entrance, with Finn stepping in front of her to open and hold the heavy courthouse door for her, too. “Thank you.”

“It’s the least I can do for my future wife.”

She faltered at the word. She’d heard it twice already today, and still couldn’t believe it was happening. “Are you planning on carrying me over the threshold, too?”

He paused. “We hadn’t talked about that detail.”

“Which one?”

“Where we’re going to live after this.”

The mirth left her. Oh, yeah.

She hadn’t thought that far ahead. In fact, she’d just gone with this insane plan, clearly not thinking it through. The adoption agency would undoubtedly do its due diligence before signing off on Ellie’s adoption. At the very least, they’d want a report from Linda on the living conditions.

It wouldn’t take a genius to realize her marriage was a sham if she and new “husband” were living in separate homes. Ellie had never been much of an impetuous woman. Until today and now, she could lose it all by not thinking this through.

“We should live together,” she said, all the while watching for his reaction, “or no one will believe it’s real. We’ll need people to believe we’re together for more than just a business deal.”

“We’ll have to make it seem … real,” he said.

“Yeah. We will.”

Finn turned to her in the bright, expansive lobby. People rushed around them, hurrying to courtrooms and offices, their shoes echoing on the marble floors, their voices carrying in the vast space.

But Ellie barely noticed. She stood in a world of only two, herself and the man who had agreed to marry her and in the process, change her life. And Jiao’s, too.

“Maybe if people find out I eloped, it’ll change their image of me as the Hawk.”

She laughed. “And what, turn you into the Dove?”

“I don’t think so.” He chuckled. “I could get married at a drive-thru chapel in Vegas with Elvis as my best man and that still wouldn’t be enough to do that.”

“You never know. Marriage changes people. Relationships change them.” Her voice was soft, her mind on one person a world away.

“Yes, I think it does. And not always for the better.”

She wanted to ask him what he meant by that. Did he mean the ex-fiancée who had ruined his reputation? Or was he talking about something, someone else?

He cleared his throat. “You’re right. Our marriage is going to need a measure of verisimilitude, and being in the same residence will do that. In addition, we can work on the hospital project after hours.”

Even though Finn’s voice was detached, almost clinical, the words after hours conjured up thoughts of very different nocturnal activities. Since the first time she’d spotted Finn in the ballroom of the Park Plaza, she’d been intrigued. She’d liked how he bucked convention by having a beer instead of wine, how he’d been so intent yet also charming. From a distance, she’d thought he was handsome. Up close, he was devastating. Her heart skipped a beat every time he smiled. Her traitorous mind flashed to images of Finn touching her, kissing her, making love to her—

Whoa. That was not part of the deal. At all. Keeping this platonic was the only—and best—way to ensure that she could walk away at the end. She didn’t want to chance her heart on love, or risk her future with a relationship that could dissolve as easily as sugar in hot tea. Falling for him would only complicate everything.

And marrying him on the spur of the moment wasn’t complicated? All of a sudden, a flutter of nerves threatened to choke her. Ellie opened her mouth to tell Finn this was crazy, she couldn’t do this, when the door to the courthouse opened behind them and a slim, tall man hurried inside.

“Sorry I’m late. My day has been crazy.” He chuckled. “As usual. Story of my life. And yours, too, huh, Finn?”

Finn patted the other man on the back and gave him a grin. “Charlie, how are you?”

“Just fine. Not as good as you, though. Running off to get married. You surprise me, old friend.” He grinned, then put out a hand toward Ellie. “Judge Charlie Robinson, at your service.”

Ellie gaped. “You said you had a friend in the courthouse. Not a judge.”

“Charlie and I have been friends since we were kids. We roomed together at Harvard,” Finn said, then shot Charlie a smirk. “To me, he’s not a judge. He’s the guy who sprayed whipped cream all over my room.”

“Hey, I’m still pleading innocent to that one.” Charlie raised his hands in a who-me gesture, but there was a twinkle in his eye.

Again, Ellie saw another side of Finn. A side that intrigued her, even as she pushed those thoughts away. She refused to fall for Finn. Now or later. She was here for a practical reason and no other.

Finn chuckled. “Well, we should get to it. I know you have a hectic day.”

“No problem. I can always make time for a good friend, especially one who’s getting married. So …” Charlie clapped his hands together. “You two kids ready to make this all legal and binding?”

Legal. Binding.

Now.

Ellie glanced at Finn. She could do this. She had to. There was no other way. Besides, it was a temporary marriage, nothing more than a piece of paper. But a union that would bring Jiao home and give Ellie the family she had always craved. She could do that, without getting her heart tangled in the process. “Yes,” she said.

“Great.” Charlie grinned again. “Okay, lovebirds, let’s head up to my office and get you two hitched.”

Finn turned to Ellie and put out his arm. “Are you ready to become Mrs. McKenna?”

Was she?

She lifted her gaze to Finn’s blue eyes. She barely knew this man, but what she knew she liked. Respected. Trusted. Would that be enough?

She thought of Jiao again, and realized it would have to be. In the end, running WW would be fulfilling, but not nearly as fulfilling as coming home to Jiao’s contagious smile and wide dark eyes.

“Why, Mr. McKenna, I can’t think of another thing I’d rather do in the middle of the day.” Then she linked her arm in Finn’s and headed toward the judge’s chambers.

THE whole thing took only a few minutes—including Charlie’s beginning jokes and closing quips. They called in his assistant and a court clerk to serve as witnesses, the two of them looking like they’d seen more than one impromptu wedding. Charlie thought they were getting married out of love, and in typical Charlie fashion, strove to make the event fun and memorable. Finn stumbled when Charlie asked him about rings, which Charlie racked up as bridegroom nerves. “I can’t believe you, of all people, forgot a major detail like the rings,” Charlie said. “No worries, but be sure you make it up to her later with a lot of diamonds,” he said with a wink, then in the next breath pronounced them man and wife.

Man and wife. The words echoed in Finn’s mind, bouncing around like a rubber ball. He’d done it. And no one was more surprised than Finn himself. He, the man who hadn’t operated without a plan since he was writing his first research paper in fourth grade, had run off in the middle of the day and—

Eloped.

Holy cow. He’d really done it.

“And now for the best part,” Charlie said, closing the book in his hands and laying it on his desk. “You may kiss your bride.”

Finn stared at Charlie for a long second. Kiss the bride? He’d forgotten all about that part. He’d simply assumed a quick civil union in a courthouse would be devoid of all the flowers and romance part of a church wedding. “Uh, I don’t know if we have to—”