Page 90 of Oblivion

“Last night, Evan asked me to marry him, and I said yes. I’m engaged.”

“To the boy who came to the house?” her mom asks.

“His name is Evan, Mama, and yes. He and I are engaged.”

“Hello, Mrs. Hartley,” I say loudly.

“Oh, my goodness,” her mom gasps.

“Is Daddy there?” Sammy asks quietly.

“Oh. Well. Yes. He’s in his office. Let me get him.”

The phone goes quiet except for the sound of heels walking across the floor. When I turn my head to glance at Sammy, her skin is pale, and she’s gnawing at her bottom lip worriedly.

“Hey,” I say, pulling her attention to me. “It’s fine. They’re shocked, but they’ll be excited. They’ll be happy for us.”

“I don’t think any parents, especially mine, would be happy about their daughter getting engaged to two different men in the space of a week.”

“Samantha?” her dad’s voice comes through the speakers.

“Hi, Daddy. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. You know me. Still sick of the rabbit food diet the doctors are insisting on. I want a good single malt and a steak.”

“You have to reduce your cholesterol, Daddy.”

“So, you and your mama keep telling me. But you didn’t ring just to talk about what I’m eating, did you? Your mama is practically itching to tell me, but I told her any news you have needs to come from you.”

As she exhales, some of the tension leeches from Sammy’s shoulders, and I reach over and take her hand, placing it on my thigh as I try to split my attention between driving and making sure she’s okay.

“Evan asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”

“And you know who his family is, and what that’ll mean for you and any children you have together?” her dad asks, his tone measured and calm.

Sammy’s eyes shutter for a minute, but she sounds normal when she speaks. “I’m hoping I’ll be able to bring some normal to the gene pool if we decide to have children.”

My eyes dart to her stomach, and I internally whisper, “That might be happening sooner than you think.”

The sound of her dad’s laughter vibrates through the car. “There’s nothing normal about you, sweetheart. Is this what you want?”

“Evan is right beside me in the car,” Sammy says, obviously warning her dad.

“Your mama said as much, but I’m happy for him to listen. Is this…ishewhat you want?”

This time, instead of glancing at her, I pull the car to the side of the road and turn to face her.

Her words might be to reassure her dad, but she’s looking and speaking to me. “Yes. He’s what I want. My life will be different. But I love him.”

Her dad stays silent for a long moment, then eventually speaks. “Then that’s what I want for you. He seems like a nice enough boy, a little highhanded, but he’d need to be to handle you.”

I chuckle, glad that he has no idea exactly how highhanded I’m being with his only daughter.

“Daddy,” Sammy protests.

“Congratulations to you both. You mother would like to meet him and his family properly. Perhaps we could arrange a meal or the like?”

“Actually, I was hoping that you and Mrs. Hartley would be willing to fly out this weekend? We’re going to be having an engagement dinner at our house. It’ll give you a chance to meet my family and see where your daughter and I will be living. We’re planning to get married on the first of the month, and I know Sammy would love her mom to be involved with the wedding planning.”

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