She bit her bottom lip and murmured the sweetest words I’d ever heard.
“Okay, if you’re sure.”
“Positive.”
****
Jessica
Did I really just agree to marry Alan?
What alternate Universe had I just wandered into?
But I realized that the soul-crushing pit that had been sitting in my stomach since Mama dropped me off had dissipated.
Alan was a much better husband and father candidate than Kevin.
But now what?
I mean, I’d never been engaged before.
Even sayingengagedin my head was freaking me out.
In a good way.
“Soooo… should we just go to the town hall or…?”
The corner of his mouth lifted.
“No, you’re not getting married in jeans. You’re going to have a dress and flowers and a ring and whatever else you want. I also need to talk to your dad. We’re going to do this right.”
Kevin had talked to my parents, and they’d basically leapt at his offer.
I wondered how they’d react to Alan’s visit; especially if they’d already promised me to Kevin, like I was some puppy being reserved for a buyer.
I guess we’d find out.
“I’m not sure how you’re going to justify wanting to marry me. They know you’re not from here, so it’s not like we’ve known each other a while or anything. They’re going to be very suspicious.”
He gave me a wink that made me catch my breath.
“I’ll just tell them it was love at first sight.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Alan
Jessica gave me her dad’s number, and I managed to catch him on his lunch break. After a brief chat, he was surprisingly receptive to meeting with me and even invited me to dinner at his house that evening.
My future wife seemed surprised. “He invited you to dinner?”
Holy shit I’m going to have a wife. And baby girl.
I fucking loved the idea.
Jess had just finished nursing Ruthie, so I took the baby and gently patted her back as I swayed back and forth on my feet.
“Yeah, at first he said to be there at six—apparently he thought Kevin was giving you a ride after work tonight. But after I let him know I was bringing you and Ruthie home, he just said he’d see me then.”
