Page 38 of Landing Love

He watched as realization dawned on her. “Oh, Bill. You can’t mean…”

“Ann Prince, will you marry me?” He’d meant to ease into it, but the words tumbled out. And now his heart hung by a thread.

As she pondered his words, he could practically see the gears of her mind turning. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes, and she tried to blink them away. “Why would you marry a widow with a child and not a cent to her name—a woman who would be nothing but a burden to you?”

He took both her hands in his own and looked in her eyes. “Because I care for you, Ann. Deeply. And Junior too.” To tell the truth, he loved her, but he knew better than to say so.

She frowned at him and shook her head, blinking back more tears. “I’ve told you I’m not ready, that I may never be ready. I care for you, but my heart still belongs to Roger.”

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. It wasn’t easy to hear she loved a dead man more than him, even though he knew it was the truth.

“I’m sorry to put it so bluntly,” she said. “I don’t want to hurt you. It’s beyond generous of you to offer your hand. I can see how that might seem like a solution to everything, but I need you to understand the state of my heart. It is bruised and battered and bleeding. I don’t have the capacity to return your affection as you deserve. Are you truly prepared to marry a woman who is still in love with another man?”

It was no use pretending her words didn’t wound him to the core. He wanted her love, needed it, but it didn’t change his mind about what he had offered. If she was his wife, hopefully she would grow to love him in time.

“Ann, I can’t say it’s easy for me to hear that, but it isn’t a surprise either. You’ve made yourself clear ever since we first met. But I know my own heart and mind, and my offer stands. Please marry me, Ann. Maybe someday your heart will heal, and you’ll learn to love me too. I’m not asking you to forget Roger, just to be open to a future with me.”

“And what about your dream of starting a passenger air service? Wouldn’t supporting a family eat into your savings?”

It was touching that she cared. The truth was that it wasn’t easy to put off his dream like this, but he knew it was the right thing to do. And she was absolutely worth it. “Don’t worry about that. It will just mean deferring things a while. But I would do it gladly for you.”

She looked at him long and hard, gritting her teeth. “I’m not so foolish as to think I have any other options. Marriage to you is a far better fate than being destitute on the streets with a child to care for. I know you’ll be a good father to Junior.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “For his sake as much as mine, I have no choice but to accept your offer.”

Bill closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of relief. It wasn’t the enthusiastic, romantic moment he dreamed of with her, but he knew it was the most he could hope for under the circumstances. “I promise to be a good husband to you and a good father to Junior, come what may. We should go to city hall today. We can plan a religious ceremony for a later date. It will have to be a Methodist ceremony unless you want to convert to Catholicism.”

She shook her head.

“I assumed not. We can make the necessary arrangements with your minister to do this properly. I want to marry you in the eyes of God, not just the law, but for now, the law will have to do. You and Junior need my roof over your heads tonight. I’ll ask my mother to take you shopping so that you and Junior have something to wear. Then we can go to city hall. Does that sound all right to you?”

“Yes, all right,” she said dully.

While Ann went shopping with his mother, Bill kept himself busy to avoid the clamoring thoughts that plagued him. Was he doing the right thing? Would she ever love him like he loved her? Was she ready for this? Was he?

Shoving his thoughts away, he took his suit and her dress from the night before to the cleaners and paid triple to have them cleaned immediately. He needed them wearable again within a few hours.

Next, he went to a jeweler and bought simple gold bands. He had to guess at the size of Ann’s finger, but the jeweler assured him he could come back and exchange it if it didn’t fit.

Lastly, he went to the barber for a shave and haircut. He wanted to look his best, despite the rushed circumstances. A man only got married once, after all. And he was marrying the woman of his dreams, even if the feeling wasn’t mutual. Yet. He had to hold out hope that she would come around in time. The thought of living beside her every day without winning her love was too much to bear. He had to find a way.

As he returned to his parents’ house with the clean clothes and rings, he stopped in the shop to speak to his father about flowers. It warmed his heart to think of Ann clutching a bouquet assembled with love by his father.

“Don’t you worry about a thing, son. I’ve already picked out the most perfect of my roses for her bouquet.”

Good. She deserved all the beauty he could give her. “Thanks, Da.”

As he turned toward the door to his parents’ home, his father caught his arm. “How are you feeling, son? Are you ready for this?”

Da always saw the truth beneath the surface. Mum might have been the general who directed everything in their home, but Da was the beating heart of their household. His love for his family was a vibrant and tangible thing, and his keen perception in difficult moments never ceased to amaze Bill.

“I love her, Da. I want to be everything she needs. I want to soothe her pain and make it better. But I don’t know if she’ll ever feel the same about me. She’s been through too much. What if she never loves me back the way that I love her? What if she always resents me for not being the husband she lost?”

It was difficult to admit his fears aloud, but if anyone would understand, Da would. “You’re doing the right thing, son, and she’ll come around in time. If you ask me, she’s already halfway there. She just hasn’t admitted it to herself yet. I know it isn’t easy to be patient, but you have to give her time. She’ll come around. Mark my words.”

Bill swallowed down a well of love for his father. He was a lucky man to have such a family. “Thanks, Da.”

Ann and his mother returned with bags and bags of purchases as he turned to go inside. Following them up the stairs, he tamped down the nervous excitement and worry that churned in his gut. The moment they were inside, Bill took their packages and set them on the dining table.

“Thank you, Mum. Just let me know what it cost, and I’ll reimburse you for everything.” He opened his wallet, but his mother waved him away.