Page 26 of Promised Love

AUTUMN

“Are you seriously saying you got married because of a promise someone in your family made a decade back?” Confusion flickers in Connor’s gaze.

“Not immediately.” Lukas grabs the back of his neck and then goes silent.

When he doesn’t speak for several beats, Connor looks at me, still wide eyed. “When did you two first talk?”

“I sent him an email.”

“It wasn’t an email. It was hate mail.” There’s a teasing grin on Lukas’ face.

“It was.” I grin remembering the moment. “I was so angry that day and so many days later. My father thought it would be good if I talked to Lukas. He knew the circumstances around which Lukas had agreed, and Dad had a feeling that Lukas wouldn’t go through with his promise.”

My lips twitch as I remember the day after I’d sent Lukas that first email.

* * *

Six years ago

“How’s my favorite daughter?” Dad walks into the storeroom where I’m checking the new deliveries from our local candle and soap shop, Kiss My Candle.

“I’m your only daughter, favorite or not.”

“Still upset, chipmunk?”

“What do you think? After the bomb you all dropped on me last night, of course I am.” I set down the pretty glass candle with a loud thump and regret it immediately. It smells amazing, a perfect mix of crisp red apples and warm clove spice. It’s fall in a jar.

“Talk to me. I’m your friend, remember?”

“Friends don’t keep secrets, Dad. I cannot believe you of all people hid such a big thing from me.” I hate the way my limbs and throat tighten and my voice gets all wobbly.

“Hey, kiddo.” Dad grabs the frosted glass candle from my hand and turns me around.

When he holds my face, I can’t stop the tears rolling down my cheeks.

“Know that I don’t support this. Neither does Mom.”

“Then why did you agree to give me away?”

“We didn’t, tums. Uncle Tommy had just died. When your grandparents went to see the Spencers, they were two sets of grieving parents. To make them feel a bit better, we said we’d think about it. That’s it. This is the reason we never told you.”

“But Grandma said she signed some papers.”

Dad’s mouth twists, and I catch a rare glimpse of anger on his always smiling face. “It’s not your grandmother’s responsibility to sign anything on your behalf. Did you use the email address I gave you?”

I nod and then bite back a smile, remembering my previous night’s email.

“I actually went ballistic on the poor guy. With lots of exclamation points and cursing in caps.”

Dad raises an eyebrow. “I don’t know how I feel about you swearing, but I guess I’ll let it slide this time. How did he respond?” Dad picks up a candle and smells the harvest pomegranate, which smells like a fruit basket, and nods appreciatively.

I take the candle from his hand and give him the one I had previously set down.

“He said he doesn’t want to marry me at all and also that he already talked to a lawyer. The paper our grandparents signed means nothing, as we were both minors at that point.”

“Anything else?” Dad looks inside the shipping box.

“No. But he seemed…nice. Do you know what he does?”

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