The Bourbon Thief(40)

Judge Headley stood up and came around his desk.

“You take care of my little girl,” Judge Headley said, holding out his hand to Levi to shake.

“I will, sir. Thank you. I know this is a mess, but we’ll get it all straightened out.”

“That’s what I want to hear. Tamara, you be a good girl. Don’t talk back too much to your new husband.”

“I promise I’ll talk back just enough.” She put her arms around his neck and hugged him, hugged him a long, long time. He was her father, after all, not that Judge Headley knew it. Levi looked for the resemblance and saw it. They were both rich, both attractive, both white.

“I’ll call your momma tomorrow,” Judge Headley said. “You call me as soon as you’re settled.”

“We can do that. Thank you.” Tamara kissed him on the cheek.

“Drive safe, you two. It’s cats and dogs out there.”

“Rain’s good luck on a wedding day,” Tamara said. “Didn’t you know that?”

The judge leaned back and looked pointedly at the rain coming down like God was emptying buckets the size of mountains.

“If you survive the storm, you’ll have all the luck you need,” Judge Headley said.

Tamara and Levi left the office.

It was all done.

Over.

Levi was a married man. That was an unanticipated turn of events. He’d gotten used to the idea of never getting married, but he’d done it now. He’d married a rich white girl and he wished right then he believed in God so he could say, “God help us.” But they were married and the judge was on their side like Tamara had said he would be. All day from the time he woke up to the time he got in his pickup to the moment he saw Tamara standing in the foyer of the judge’s office building in the prettiest lacy white off-the-shoulder dress he’d ever seen, he’d thought something would stop them. Logic. Good sense. A bus plowing into him for his own sake. It seemed like such a crazy idea for them to get married that they wouldn’t blame Mother Nature herself for sending the rain on their madcap parade. But nothing and no one had stopped them.

So here they were.

Married.

“Levi?”

Tamara’s voice broke through his panic. Levi had stopped to lean back against the wall. His hands were on his face and his breaths were short and shallow.

“I’m all right.”

“You don’t look it.”

“I got married.”

“Hey, me, too.”

He laughed, but it wasn’t a happy laugh.

“I am the village idiot in a city of fools ruled by a mad mayor in the service of a lunatic king.”

“Levi, you married into the Maddox family. You are the mad mayor. Consider it a promotion.”

He lowered his hands from his face, lowered his head to meet her eyes.

“You look beautiful, Rotten.”

She grinned broadly.

“I know I do.”

“That is not what you’re supposed to say when someone pays you a compliment.”

“Am I supposed to pretend I don’t know what I look like? Look at you. You look so handsome I can’t even look at you straight on. I have to catch you out of the corner of my eye or I’ll go blind. It’s like looking at an eclipse. I need special glasses.”

She turned her head left and right, pretending to see him only out of her peripheral vision.

“The village idiot takes a wife.” Levi sighed. “And they were idiots together. The end.”

“Good story.” She put her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Ready to go? It’s our wedding night.”

“It’s five thirty-seven,” Levi said, glancing at his watch. “It’s our wedding early evening.”

“We can still go to bed, can’t we?”

“First we’re going to my aunt and uncle’s house so you can meet them.” He took her by the hand and opened his umbrella.

“Do I have to?”

“They’re the only family I have, and it’s bad enough I got married without telling them. They’ll never forgive me if I don’t bring you to see them.”

“But after, can we—”

“Not tonight, Rotten,” he said. “It’s been a long day.”

Her face fell and she stopped talking. They headed out in the rain, Levi still holding her hand, but only to keep her under the wide black umbrella with him.

“Where’s your car?” he asked.

“Leave it. We’ll take your truck.”

“Leave your car? It’ll get stolen.”

“I don’t want it anymore.”

“We’re not leaving an expensive car behind to get stolen because you’re bored with it and too spoiled to take care of your own property.”

Tamara put her hands on her hips. Not a good sign. “I’m not bored with it. It’s registered in my name, Levi. And it’s the only one of its kind in the state. People see that car and they remember it. And we’re going to have to hide for a while and that car might as well be a big neon arrow pointing right at me. The cops will probably see it and call Momma and it’ll get back to her. If it’s stolen, fine. Someone who needs it more than I do can have it. Let them have it.”