EVAN EATON WAITED IN his office for the arrival of the mail-order bride. Today was the day. He really didn't want to be married any more than he desired to have his left nut snipped off in a cigar cutter, but life didn't always give you what you wanted. He knew he didn't necessarily want this, but he'd given it the old college try, by doing things the old fashioned way- courting through his words. Meticulous word choices were selected to avoid the misuse of clichés and oversexualized language. As a matter of fact, he'd intentionally went out of his way to write as asexually as humanly possible to avoid leading her on to believe the marriage would anything more than what it was.
He needed a wife and an heir in the upcoming year. Evan didn't want to romanticize the marriage, but the match was scientifically calculated which increased the probability that he would be able to share the house with another person without wanting to run a hot poker in his own eye. Twice, he'd offered to pick her up at the airport and twice she'd refused. This, of course, made him all the more nervous.
"Hell, I just hope she has all of her teeth," he grouched, picking up her last letter. He sniffed the linen stationary, inhaling bits of hyacinth and jasmine, hoping she smelled the same way. One last look into his computer, he clicked on the image, pulling up her smiling face. Long blond tresses hung down the side of her face and baby blue eyes stared back at him. She was a pretty woman with fetching eyes.
He'd had a lifetime of pretty and really wanted sustenance, but at this point, he was a beggar, and he really couldn't be choosy. Four candidates. Evan had been through four candidates who either wanted to chat, meet up and spend hours on the phone. That wasn't his style. This was his last chance to lock this one in, get hitched, produce an heir, and hopefully, she would want to return to her life and he keeps the kid.
"At least that's what I hope," he said looking at his watch. "Any minute now. Any minute now."
The bride to be would come through that door. A couple of signatures on six sheets of paper, a walk across the hall to the judge and by 3:15, he would be a married man. He could keep his land for at least another six months as long as his wife conceived. He was the last Eaton. Technically, he needed an heir and a spare, but he'd take what he could get.
In a few sweet moments, he would be getting what life had sent him to get. If nothing else, Evan hoped for a bit of Gemutlichkeit, a term his grandmother used to express a cordiality or friendliness between two people. If they could be cordial, the marriage could work. Besides, they lived in a small town covered in snow most of the year. There’s wasn’t much to do in winter other than make children and eat chili. He looked forward to welcoming her to Meredith.
MEREDITH WASN'T A BIG town. During summer hikers, men who called sitting by the lake taking a nap to be fishing, and other tourist flooded the area. Having one or two more unknown cars in town wasn't that unusual as the black SUV pulled up in front of City Hall. Evan watched the tall, statuesque woman leave the car with just one bag, walking with purpose into the building. The way she moved with such confidence drew him to the private show, as long legs marched her right into the building and the front desk.
His heart rate increased as he got to his feet walking towards the door, spying her, wanting to know more about the stranger, and hear the voice which he knew was going to be melodic. Chastising himself for sounding like a smitten kitten with a ball of yarn, he stood behind the counter. Uncertain if he were holding his breath or simply had stopped breathing, the door swung wide as she entered. Her presence filled the room and he nearly sucked in all the air his lungs could hold.
"Hello Evan," she said. "We had a bit of delay on takeoff out of Hartsfield, but I'm here and ready to be your wife."
"I've been waiting for you," he said with squinted eyes as his secretary watched with interest.
"Let's see the paperwork, I know I have to sign a few things, then you said we'd go across the hall and see the judge, have it all notarized," Leta said, with a wide smile.
Evan's thoughts ran amok as he flipped the folder around. There were lots of blanks on the page. Leta asked for a blue pen, writing as she spoke. "Okay, Leta Feldman, bride to be, goes here," she said looking up at her soon to be husband in approximately 15 minutes. "Yes, your name is in all the right spots. Excuse me, shall you be the witness?”
"Yes ma'am, I'm Magda," she said. "I'm Evan’s, I mean Mr. Eaton's secretary. I guess you city folk call us administrative assistants."
"Magda, both Evan and I appreciate your help," she said, looking at her about to be husband whose facial expression hadn't changed. "Evan, again I apologize but we're almost out of time. The Judge's office closes at 4 and the time is 3:45. Today is it, right?"
"Uhmm, right," he said, looking over the paperwork ensuring everything was in order. Stepping out from around the desk, he offered her his arm, leading her to the judge's chambers, where they stood side by side, declaring to the town of Meredith, New Hampshire to love and honor each other in sickness and in health, until death.
"I now pronounce you man and wife, Evan, you may kiss your bride," Judge Harriman said.
Leta's cheeks warmed under her husband's intense gaze. The gold wedding band, inlaid with three diamonds she'd picked up to represent the three children she planned to give to him over the years, but she'd explain that part to him later. Intense brown eyes met hers as he lowered his head, their lips touching briefly as sparks shot through his body. Leta clung to him as if he were providing much-needed puffs of oxygen to sustain her life as his lips slanted over her mouth. The Judge clapped, Magda sniffled, and it was nearly a done deal.
"Sign here, and here," Judge Harriman said, turning the papers around. "Get those across the hall and have Magda stamp them before 4:00 son!"
"On it," Evan said, handing the documents to his assistant who slid them into the time stamper, recording for history and prosperity the marriage of Leta Feldman and Evan Eaton. The forms were added to the safe and sealed for the weekend. The time seal on the safe made it impossible to open again before eight on Monday morning, leaving husband and wife to head home. "Honey, I'll ride with you to the house, then in the morning, I'll show you around town."
"Sounds like a plan," Leta said with a smile, waving farewell to Magda and shaking the Judge's hand once more. Even held her elbow as he guided his blushing new bride down the stairs to the rental. He too waved at onlookers who gawked at the attractive African American woman as he closed the passenger door and trotted around the front of the vehicle to the driver side. A few toots of the horn, after he started the vehicle and drove around the corner, he made way for the pass, exhaling softly.
"Well wife," he said looking over at Leta, "there is so much I want to say, and can't find the gentle words needed so I'm just going to come right out and ask."
"Ask me anything husband," Leta said holding up her hand admiring the simple golden wedding band. Only one question came to mind for Evan Eaton as he looked at his very content wife. He centered his breathing, careful not to let the words come out too fast.
Evan wasn't smiling as he asked, "Who the hell are you?"
- Fin –
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Did you love Blind Copy? Then you should read Blind Luck by Olivia Gaines!
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