I watched as my dad’s mouth opened and closed as if he was starting to say something and stopped himself. “This isn’t a funny prank.” He looked between me and Drew, waiting for the punchline.
“It’s not a prank. Nora and I are getting married tomorrow. I asked her last night and she said yes.”
“Y’ALL HAVEN’T EVEN BEEN DATING!” Dad shouted and I balled my hands into fists at my sides. He was in shock and didn’t know what the hell was going on. I had to remind myself not to react to his tirade.
“Dad. Sit down, and I’ll explain.”
He didn’t sit down, instead he started pacing the length of the family room. “You’re brother and sister. How will this look?”
“We aren’t siblings, Dad. Nora was almost fifteen when you married Evelyn and I was eighteen. We weren’t raised as siblings because I left as soon as I graduated.”
“She calls me Dad,” he pointed his finger at his own chest then aggressively swung it over toward Drew, “and him brother.”
“As she should. You are the only Dad she’s had and Drew is her brother, but she has never seen me as a brother and I have never seen her as a sister.” My jaw clenched. “Please give me a chance to explain.”
“No! This isn’t happening, Dean. You aren’t doing this to this family.”
“Dad.” Drew got up and tried to interject.
“YOU TOOK HIM TO GET RINGS? YOU KNEW THIS WAS HAPPENING AND YOU DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING?” Dad’s voice bounced off the walls and he didn’t hear the front door opening and closing.
“Dad, give him a chance—”
“NO! MY GOD. WHY HER? OF ALL THE GIRLS IN THE WORLD, WHY DID YOU HAVE TO MESS WITH HER? HAVE Y’ALL BEEN INTIMATE?”
Nora’s gasp pulled everyone’s attention to her and Mom standing in the hall leading toward the front door. I went to her side and put my arm around her protectively.
Dad’s eyes swung around the room, noticing no shock on Evelyn’s face either. “DID EVERYBODY KNOW BUT ME?” he roared, and Nora flinched, pushing closer to my side.
“Dad, stop,” I said calmly yet forcefully. “Sit down and we will explain. Yelling at us won’t get you answers and it’s only going to piss me off.”
He grudgingly fell back onto the chair he vacated when he’d stood up to confront me about who was getting married. I guided Nora to the couch to sit between me and Drew, figuring she needed as much emotional support as possible.
I sent Evelyn a grateful smile when she sat on the arm of the couch beside me, showing her support as well. She really was an amazing woman. It was no wonder Nora turned out to be one as well.
“After you and Evelyn married, things between us got worse. We were fighting more, and I was angry all the time. It took me a while to figure out exactly why I was so resentful of you, or at least to recognize the root cause of it. You married Evelyn, which made Nora off limits to me, and I really liked Nora. Those feelings weren’t going away, so I enlisted and stayed away.
“I expected the feelings I had for Nora to diminish. Lord knows I tried my best to shake the feelings I had for her, but it never happened. I’ve spent the last four years running from the woman I loved because I was afraid of losing my family over my feelings for her.”
“And obviously you aren’t afraid of losing your family anymore,” he replied with his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“I am afraid Dad, but I’m more afraid of not having a life with Nora, just to keep from pissing you off.” I squeezed Nora’s hand.
“I’ve felt the same way about him too, Dad.” Her voice was soft yet sure. “The dates I went on never went anywhere serious because I already loved Dean. About a year ago, I drove into Savannah and got a PO Box so I could start sending him letters. I catfished him, hoping that someday he would look at me and love me as more than a stepsister, not knowing he already did.
“Like I told Mom when I explained all of this to her this morning. I know all of this is sudden for the three of you, but for Dean and me, this has been a long time coming. And we don’t want to wait anymore. We’ve waited long enough.”
“Writing letters is not a relationship. It’s not the same as getting to know one another over time. Did either of you—any of you—” he looked toward Drew and Evelyn, “—think about what would happen to me and Evelyn if things went badly between the two of you?”
“I did, Dad. That’s why I fought it so damn hard and stayed away for so damn long, but I’m tired of running. I want to come home to Georgia and start a life with the woman I love.” I stood up and pulled Nora up with me. “I hope you will approve and give us your blessing, but it won’t change the fact that tomorrow morning we are getting married.”
CHAPTER17
NORA
The house was tense for a while after Dean and I went upstairs to his room. He was leaning against his headboard, and I was leaning against his chest as he held me in his arms.
“Did you find a dress?”
