With This Click, I Thee Wed (Click and Wed.com Series, #1) Page 13

  When the first check came for a week’s worth of sales, I had a reason to chip at the wall between us. I waited for him to get home from work that night on the couch, but I couldn’t relax into the cushions.

  I was so excited. My legs jostled up and down with jitters and my hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I had to stop touching the envelope because I didn’t want it to be sullied. Would he be excited? Would he be as excited as I was? I still hadn’t even gone through a third of the belongings on the bottom level of the house.

  With that first check alone, he was fast on his way to getting out of his debt.

  I hadn’t even had a chance to tell him I wasn’t going to be monetarily in debt to my ex. I hadn’t had a chance to talk to Logan about much of anything. I hoped he would consider spending more time with me, so we could work on our marriage.

  It was okay we didn’t know each other very well, and we were still getting to know each other. Yet, I desperately wanted to keep our marriage together. As small and young as it was. I needed to give it an honest shot. I had to.

  When he came in, he looked even more tired than normal. The weeks were catching up to him of working more hours than he had. Hopefully, he would take the opportunity and help me sell everything instead of leaving the house and burning himself out more. Once we got everything sold, we could talk about what he wanted to do or, hopefully, what we wanted to do.

  I pushed up from the chair, my palms damp. “I’m glad you’re home. I have something for you.” Did he hear my longing in the waver of my voice?

  Logan turned, even as tired as he was, he still had a special smile for me. “Hey, you stayed up.”

  We hadn’t slept in the same room since the night we agreed it was too hard for us. Logan had pulled back, and I understood his reasoning, but I was done with all of it. I didn’t want him to pull back anymore.

  I retrieved the envelope from the short table and approached him with my lower lip between my teeth. Please, be happy. Please, be happy.

  “I’ve been selling the things we agreed on and your first check came. I wanted to make sure I handed it directly to you.” I was rambling, I’m not even sure I made sense, but my words tripped over each other as I tried to share my excitement without seeming to be codependent.

  His eyebrows raised just a bit and he stifled a yawn. “Oh, yeah? Is it enough to take us to dinner? Because I’m thinking a big ole steak would be really good about now.”

  Dinner. That’s what he thought I was able to get him. Dinner. I couldn’t wait for him to open it.

  I handed it over carefully, and watched as he ripped open the flap. He pulled out the light blue check and smiled at me before he looked down. When he registered the amount, his body froze and his other hand reached up to clench the other side of the check.

  He glanced at me and then back at the check and then back at me. “Is this for real? Are those the real numbers? How much did you sell?” He softly shook his head as if in disbelief. Logan scanned the living room then returned his attention to the check in his hands. “You didn’t do anything illegal, did you?”

  “Those are the real numbers. I haven’t even gotten through a third of it, maybe a quarter, maybe a little more? I still haven’t gone downstairs or the garage. When I do, that number will get significantly higher. This is just the first payout. I’ve been working hard so you get this.” I paused and refused to pick at my finger even though I desperately wanted to chew on the inner part of my cheek.

  I lowered my voice and tried not to seem too needy. “Are you happy?” The answer was significantly important to me.

  He glanced at the check again and nodded as he stared at the numbers. “Yeah.” His voice was a whisper and then he gazed at me again with those dark eyes that held so much emotion and caring in their depths. “Why did you do this? You didn’t have to help me, not like this.”

  Logan didn’t understand me, yet. Not if he thought that was how I worked. “Yes, I did. That’s what wives do for their husbands. I wanted to help you. I want to help you.”

  “But, we decided that we aren’t going to be married. Technically, we’re getting a divorce. We can’t consider ourselves married. You’re not my wife.” His face tightened and his eyes shown as if with unshed tears. “This is just one more thing to add to the pain of when you leave.”

  It was now or never and I couldn’t give up. I had nothing to lose and nowhere to abandon him for. My heart was a thousand percent in, I just had to leap. “Well, I was going to ask you about that. What if we decided not to end it in six months? What if we tried to go even further? We could. I mean, my ex isn’t gonna win. I’m actually going to be able to get the money from him instead of him getting it from me. I don’t need the money back. I’d be happy with not getting any money. I just don’t want to pretend anymore.”

  “If I can make even more than this, I don’t need the money either. I would give all that money up, all of it, if I knew...” He studied me with his dark eyes and the room seemed to fade except for what was directly around us.

  I wanted to stop, I was so nervous about his answer, but I pushed on. “I love you. It’s been really painful the last few weeks since you pulled away from me. I know you said that you don’t want to go through this because being attached is hard, and I feel the same way. I don’t want to lose you. I know how much I love you now will never be as much as I could love you next year, or the year after, or the year after.”

  Logan closed the distance between us and took my face in his calloused hands. He rubbed his rough thumb gently across my lower lip and shook his head. “No. No. I was just going through with our plan because I thought that’s what you wanted. I don’t want to pretend anymore either. I need you. I love you, too. I know it’s just the start, and I’ll love you more as time goes on. I want that time...”

  Could it really be that simple? Could I really have found happiness so far from home and with a man that I had never met before we got married? Part of me whispered that it wouldn’t be easy, and another part of me, a bigger part of me, agreed and said it would be worth it.

  Chapter 19

  Logan had promised me a surprise, so I’d promised him a special dinner. The recipe was new and involved a twist on spare ribs and pineapple. Logan loved trying new dishes. He loved trying anything I made him.

  Summer had arrived and our six-month deadline was that day. We had to write up a report and send it to Colin Davis. All of our steps were completed and we had sent in all the pictures we needed to.

  We weren’t going anywhere.

  I plated our dinner with brown rice and vegetables alongside the dark brown spareribs. The sweet-and-sour sauce was something I hoped he’d like. I knew he loved my buttery garlic rolls, so I gave him three and I took the plates outside onto the deck.

  Logan had built me a hardwood picnic table, so we could eat together and look out at the fields. I was right when I arrived and guessed the entire place would be covered in green. I didn’t think I’d ever seen so much green in all my life.

  I smiled at Logan as I took a seat across from him, setting our plates in front of us.

  “I hope you like it. It’s a new recipe.” I picked up my fork and waited for him to grab his, but he didn’t. Instead, he shifted to the ground onto one knee.

  He took my hand in his and smiled his amazing side-smile. “I love everything you cook. I love everything about you. And now that our six months is up, I want to do things the right way. Rachel O’Neil Kyle, will you marry me?” He pulled out a ring I’d found in the attic in a small box pushed back behind the vanity.

  “Your mother’s ring? Really?” The flutter in my chest only raced faster. It fluttered every time I was around him, even after all that time.

  He slipped the delicate turquoise and diamond ring on my finger and kissed the palm of my hand. “Is that a yes?” He arched his eyebrow as if in challenge.

  “Yes. Yes. Absolutely I do.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close. It wasn’t the la
st time I was going to say I do, but I would never say it alone again.

  I wasn’t the failure I’d thought I was. Not with Logan by my side.

  Epilogue

  Colin Davis

  Colin glanced up as her email dinged. She lived in beautiful Sandpoint in the northern flute of Idaho. Her office looked over the Pend Oreille Lake.

  ClickandWed.com was her pet project and one she was very proud of. It was slow starting, as she hadn’t had anyone successfully complete their six months. Judging by the email, she just had her first one.

  She clicked on the email and smiled as she read, tears coming to her eyes.

  Rachel and Logan, are opting out of the refund as they have decided to stay together. Message from the bride:

  Thank you for your terrific service. I would never have found my husband without it. I’m so grateful to have caught your commercial late on New Year's Eve night. Thank you again.

  Best wishes,

  Rachel Kyle.

  Colin’s heart soared. She may not be able to find happiness. That was okay. But there was no reason she couldn’t help others.

  She glanced at a few of the open profiles on the website, coming again to look at Jeremy Akers. She thought for sure Rachel would pick him. She was glad that Rachel had chosen Logan, watching every match as they happened. There was something about Jeremy, something in his eyes. He needed to find happiness.

  So many of the people on her site needed to find happiness, and she needed them to, for her sanity.

  She tapped her pencil against the screen, and spoke to the empty room. “I just know someone special is coming for you. Stick with me, Jeremy, we’ll find you your love.”

  She made more than enough money with the advertising on the website, so the two-thousand dollars she got from each couple would actually be doubled and returned to them. Their prize for choosing love and marriage would get them an eight-thousand-dollar boon for their marriage.

  Colin was so excited to send it to them.

  She made a note to her assistant, Carlisle on his voicemail, “Please, prepare a traveler’s check to go to the Kyle couple for eight grand so they’ll have something to start their life with. Please, be sure to enclose a box of chocolates or something nice like that. Remember our brand of ever-lasting romance.”

  She wasn’t a hopeless romantic herself. Everybody had a certain amount of romance left in their life, but Collin believed hers had expired.

  And there was nothing wrong with that.

  That didn’t mean she couldn’t help others find theirs.

  ***

  IDo.com is NEXT in the ClickandWed.com series and you won’t want to miss the match made for Jeremy Akers!

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  Love this book and you want to read more? I’m so happy to oblige! I have all sweet romances some westerns and some contemporary. All FEEL GOOD with BOLD TWISTS

  Contemporary Romance

  ClickandWed.com series

  With This Click, I Thee Wed (book 1)

  IDo.com (book 2)

  DIY Vows (book 3)

  eHoneymoon (book 4)

  Keyword: I Do (book 5)

  Let US-B Wed (book 6)

  The Right Click (book 7)

  Made For Love series

  Made for Me (book 1)

  Made for You (book 2)

  Made for Love (book 3)

  Downshift series

  Downshift (book 1)

  Full Throttle (book 2)

  Block Pass (book 3)

  Standalones

  Odd Man Out

  Western Romances

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  Spurs and Lace (book 1)

  Secrets and Lace (book 2)

  Sorrows and Lace (book 3)

  Boxset (all 3 books)

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  Riding for Redemption (book 2)

  Resisting Redemption (book 3)

  Regretting Redemption (book 4)

  Rewarding Redemption (book 5)

  Boxset (all 5 books)

  Broken Trails (book 1)

  Forbidden Trails (book 2)

  Unbridled Trails (book 3)

  Hidden Trails (book 4)

  Forgotten Trails (book 5)

  Endless Trails (book 6)

  Forsaken Trails (book 7)

  Lonesome Trails (book 8)

  Lost Trails (book 9)

  Untamed Trails (book 10)

  Boxset – Books 1, 2, 3

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  Full Boxset – 1-10

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  Bonnie R. Paulson

  www.bonnierpaulson.net

  Copyright © 2017 Bonnie R. Paulson

  Cover Art - M.R. Polish

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  Did you love With This Click, I Thee Wed? Then you should read IDo.com by Bonnie R. Paulson!

  A bride leaves her fiancé...

  At the altar...

  Only to elope with a man she’s never met!

  Alex Reeves is sick of jumping through hoops to make everyone but herself happy. When her courtship with a man chosen by her family comes to a surprising proposal, Alex leaves him at the altar in defiance.

  But she has nowhere to go until her friend sends her a link and a demand to marry who you want!

  Before she knows it, she’s on her way to Jeremy Aker’s ranch to discover the true blessings of family and just how much she needs to leap in faith. Can she trust her heart enough to find happiness? Or is she doomed to follow other people’s biddings?

  ***Books by Bonnie R. Paulson***

  Clearwater County Collection

  The MONTANA TRAILS SERIES

  Broken Trails (book 1)

  Forbidden Trails (book 2)

  Unbridled Trails (book 3)

  Hidden Trails (book 4)

  Forgotten Trails (book 5)

  Endless Trails (book 6)

  Forsaken Trails (book 7)

  Lonesome Trails (book 8)

  Lost Trails (book 9)

  Untamed Trails (book 10)

  Boxset – Books 1, 2, 3

  Boxset – 4, 5, 6

  Boxset – 7,8,9

  Full Boxset – 1-10

  LONELY LACE SERIES

  Spurs and Lace (book 1)

  Secrets and Lace (book 2)

  Sorrows and Lace (book 3)

  Boxset (all 3 books)

  REDEMPTION SERIES

  Romancing Redemption (book 1)

  Riding for Redemption (book 2)

  Resisting Redemption (book 3)

  Regretting Redemption (book 4)

  Rewarding Redemption (book 5)

  Boxset (all 5 books)

  Contemporary Romance

  CLICKANDWED.COM SERIES

  With This Click, I Thee Wed (book 1)

  IDo.com (book 2)

  DIY Vows (book 3)

  eHoneymoon (book 4)

  Keyword: I Do (book 5)
>
  Let US-B Wed (book 6)

  The Right Click (book 7)

  MADE FOR LOVE SERIES

  Made for Me (book 1)

  Made for You (book 2)

  Made for Love (book 3)

  DOWNSHIFT SERIES

  Downshift (book 1)

  Full Throttle (book 2)

  Block Pass (book 3)

  STANDALONES

  Odd Man Out

  Read more at Bonnie R. Paulson’s site.

  Also by Bonnie R. Paulson

  A Clearwater County Romance

  Spurs and Lace

  Secrets and Lace

  Sorrows and Lace

  Riding for Redemption

  Resisting Redemption

  Regretting Redemption

  Rewarding Redemption

  Redemption Complete Series, Books 1 - 5

  Lonely Lace Box Set, Books 1 - 3

  Clearwater County, Redemption series

  Romancing Redemption

  Click and Wed.com Series

  With This Click, I Thee Wed

  IDo.com

  DIY Vows

  eHoneymoon

  Keyword: I Do (Coming Soon)

  ClickAndWed.com books 1 - 3 Boxset

  Downshift Series

  Downshift

  Full Throttle

  Odds and Evens

  Odd Man Out

  Watch for more at Bonnie R. Paulson’s site.

  About the Author

  Real people, real loss, real love.

  This USA Today Bestselling author, Bonnie focuses on the emotional thrill of the romance, the discovery of self and the dynamic forces at play to both pull and push love growth.

  With 6 children and her own eternal romance at home, Bonnie lives her own dream every day. She's spoiled with blessings and wants to share the joy of ever-after possibilities with others.

  Whether it's a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now, the emotions will leave you story drunk for days, if not years.