I nodded. “She threatened to tell Jack and plaster it over the newspapers if I didn’t break up with him. She had plans for him to marry someone else, form a merger of their companies.”
“That damn barracuda!” Nigel jerked to his feet.
We both rushed over to him. “Nigel, it’s okay. Jack handled everything.”
“Sit down, Pops.” Jack ushered him back to his chair. “We’re all fine now.”
“Nigel, we didn’t want this coming at you or my parents somewhere in the future,” I told him. “We all know how convoluted it would turn out by then. The newspapers like things scandalous.”
“Those pests damned well do,” he grunted.
When Nigel was seated again, Jack said, “Anyway, Ray told me the truth after I confronted her. I realized then there was only one way to stop Grandmother. Last week in Vegas, Ray and I got married in a civil ceremony. No one knew about it until today. Well, Grandmother first for obvious reasons, we had to get that out of the way. And now you. We waited because we didn’t want to disrupt Ila and Max’s wedding with our news.”
“How did the battle-ax take it?” Nigel demanded.
Jack shrugged. “She knows not to interfere. I won’t stand for it.”
“Good,” he muttered.
But I was too aware of how silent my parents were. The knot in my stomach intensified, nausea churned. “Mom? Dad?” I whispered.
Jack’s arm came around me, and he drew me into him. “Just so you know, I love Ray, and I’m not giving her up.”
Nigel gaped then, probably just realizing the enormity of what Jack had just revealed. Mom didn’t even blink.
My father rose from his seat, his gaze searching, shifting between Jack and me. “Well, then, welcome to the family, Jack. As long as my daughter is happy and safe, that’s all that matters to us.”
Dad shook hands with Jack while Mom tried to get up. Dad hastily stepped back and helped her to her feet. Hugs and well-wishes followed. Nigel wore a pleased grin.
“I had wondered when I saw the ring on your finger,” Mom said with a soft smile as she sat again. Tears glinted in her warm gaze.
“What?” Dad blinked.
“Blinders…” She sighed. “You’re too busy wanting to know who hurt our girls. You don’t notice details.” Mom patted his knee. “It’s okay, love, it’s why you have me.”
Dad snorted but cast her a wry smile. “Thanks, Maya love. Don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Ila and Max don’t know,” I told them.
“It will be a nice surprise for when they get back,” Mom agreed, a glow of happiness on her face.
Relief swamped me. Thank God, she’d taken it all in stride. With Mom’s illness, we never knew what could trigger a setback, another stroke.
“By the way, Mr. and Mrs. Logan—”
“Jack,” Mom intruded, “we’re family now. Call us by our names, Sean and Maya.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you. Since we had a Vegas ceremony, there will be a wedding after Ray graduates.”
“That will show the old fossil,” Nigel said, a smug smile taking shape. “And, Jack, just so you know, I called it before you did.”
“What?”
“Ask Ray. I told her earlier—we need champagne!” He disappeared into the house.
Jack frowned at his grandfather’s cryptic comment when I remembered something else. “Dad, thanks for paying my uni fees. You—”
“I didn’t, sweetheart, not yet. You were quite adamant that you wanted to do it yourself.”
