I saw him smile. “Yes, ma’am.”
She told him, “Don’t ma’am me. It’s miss, thank you very much,” then breezed past him.
He looked handsome when he walked into the room in his bespoke charcoal grey suit and black-white-grey striped tie and matching pocket square. His left hand was over his eyes.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to cover your eyes.”
“No, I want to. I don’t want to see you until you’re walking down the aisle.”
Well, that was a good sign.
He did, however, drop his fingers from his eyes, but kept them closed when he held out both hands and continued, “But will you come here?”
I crossed the room and took his hands, and he pulled me into an embrace, kissing my hair as he said, “I’m sorry, babe. I shouldn’t have been so pushy. My only defense is I want to make sure Ruthie’s always taken care of—no matter what. But you’re her parent, and you make the decisions when it comes to her, and I need to respect that.”
I was glad Jade hadn’t started my makeup because a tear leaked out of my eye.
“That’s not what I want. I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a say in how she’s being raised. I just don’t want you to be able to take her from me if we get divorced.”
Alan grabbed my shoulders, and his eyes were wide open when he took a step back and held my gaze.
“That wouldneverhappen.Never. I wouldneverdo something like that to you.”
More tears escaped down my cheeks.
“You say that now...”
“I’ll say it always. I’ll put it in writing. We can add an addendum to the prenup if you want. Or I just won’t legally adopt her. It’s not important.”
But it was important. I wanted Ruthie to be Alan’s daughter. She deserved that.
Hedeserved that.
Alan lifted my chin, then wiped my tears with his thumbs. “I just want to marry you and be a family.”
“I want that, too,” I whispered.
His mouth turned up in a grin. “Good. So, whaddya say you finish getting ready and meet me in the backyard in…” He pulled the sleeve of his suit jacket up to look at his fancy watch. “An hour and ten minutes, so we can get hitched.”
“I’ll be there.”
He stepped closer and dropped a soft kiss on my lips before murmuring, “I can’t wait.”
With a wink, he turned on his heel and left.
I plunked down on my full-size mattress and realized, I was in love with my future husband.
Oh no.
Chapter Sixty-Five
Alan
A late afternoon breeze rustled through the Southern Magnolia trees, sending a hint of the fragrance through the air when Jessica stopped at the end of the aisle. The white runner rippled slightly while her hair lifted off her shoulders, and her white princess dress swirled around her ankles. The tiara on her head twinkled in the sunlight.
She looked perfect.
My heart had swelled with love when Carol had brought Ruthie, dressed in a lacy white dress with ruffles and matching bow on her head, down the aisle. But looking at my future wife holding her dad’s arm, about to close the distance between us, I worried it might burst in my chest.
