Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(73)

“Don’t be so sure,” Todd countered.

“Todd, please. Nothing you have to say is going to change my mind. We’re done; actually, we were a long time ago. Can’t we just leave it at that?”

“I can’t,” he insisted. “I love you.”

“You heard Lauren,” Rooster said, his voice low and cold.

Todd sighed, and rather than speak to Rooster, he continued to talk to Lauren. “Are you going to have your Hells Angels boyfriend drag me outside again?”

Lauren tried to hide her smile. “You’re already outside.”

“You know what I mean.”

“And Rooster isn’t my boyfriend.” Todd’s face relaxed, and he started to smile before she continued, “He’s my husband.”

For one crazy second it looked as if Todd’s eyeballs were about to bulge out of his head. “Your husband,” he repeated, and then he said it again as if he found it impossible to believe. “Your husband?”

“Yes. We were married over the weekend.”

He shook his head as if to say he didn’t believe her. “You were with Elisa in Las Vegas over the weekend.”

“Yes, I know. That’s where Rooster and I were married.”

For the first time since he arrived, Todd turned to look at Rooster and then back at Lauren. “This is a joke, right? It has to be. The two of you don’t belong together. Good grief, Lauren, look at this guy. He’s … he’s …” He scrambled as if he couldn’t find the words to describe the man standing behind him. “He’s a … grease monkey.”

“He isn’t, but it wouldn’t matter if he was. Rooster Wayne is my husband.”

Todd didn’t seem to know what to say. “You’re not making this up? You really aren’t joking?”

“No.”

“This can’t be true,” he said as his gaze dropped to her left hand. “You aren’t wearing a wedding band.”

“I plan on giving her my mother’s ring,” Rooster supplied, his voice deep and rich compared to Todd’s shocked, high-pitched squeak.

“You are?” Lauren asked, looking to her husband. Like so much else, they had yet to discuss wedding bands.

“You can have it reset if you like,” Rooster said, “but it would please me a great deal if you’d wear it.”

“Oh, Rooster, of course I will,” she whispered.

Todd’s gaze went back and forth between them. “You aren’t kidding, are you?”

“No.” She couldn’t understand why Todd kept asking the same question.

Her former boyfriend studied Lauren as if seeing her with fresh eyes. “Were you so desperate?” he demanded. “I would have married you if I’d known that.”

“Todd!” She wouldn’t allow him to insult Rooster. “I think it’s time you left.”

“I knew you were serious about wanting to get married, but I never believed you’d lower your standards to this.”

“The lady asked you to leave,” Rooster said, his voice cold enough to freeze alcohol.

Todd raised both arms. He stepped away from the table and simply shook his head. “I never would have thought you’d do something so out of character … this is unworthy of you, Lauren. Okay, so I kept delaying the wedding, but, sweetie, you could have done a lot better than this guy.”

She was tempted to tell him that she’d done a whole lot better than if she’d married him, but resisted. No matter what he said, she wouldn’t lower herself to his level.

Lauren reached for her coffee. “I believe you’ve said enough. Goodbye, Todd.”

“It’s because I wouldn’t marry you, isn’t it?”

Sadly, she shook her head. “The entire world doesn’t revolve around you, Todd, and actually you did us both a favor. We really weren’t suited, you know.”

“And you’re suited with that … that Neanderthal?”

“Oh, yes, he suits me just fine.” She stretched out her arm to Rooster, who clasped her hand in his own.

“I’d congratulate you, but I don’t give this so-called marriage a month.” With that, Todd spun around and hurried off.

As Todd faded from view, Rooster sat back down.

“I apologize for Todd,” she felt obliged to say. “No matter what he thinks, I’m grateful you’re my husband. You’re the one I love.”

Rooster shrugged as though he remained unaffected by Todd’s remarks. “It’s hard for me to imagine you ever being hooked up with someone like him.”

Lauren had to agree. “I have my man and I’m not letting him go for anything.”

“We are different, Lauren.”

“Sure we are, and that’s the best part.”

“The best part?” Rooster challenged. “I can think of other parts that are far better. Parts we’re only beginning to explore.”

Lauren smiled, too. “So can I.”

“See, already we’re starting to think alike, just as if we’re an old married couple who’ve been together for fifty years.”

“Will you still chase me around the bedroom in fifty years?” she asked.