Page 59 of Mr. Kelly

“I want to find that one day,” Kennedy says with a hopeful smile, but Delaney stays quiet with a polite smile on her face.

“I’m sure you will. You were just busy building one hell of a career.”

She smiles bigger from my compliment, and I mean what I said. They’re beautiful women. I don’t play like he does, but I understand why Andrea took Delaney.

“Everyone,” Andrea yells. “We’re moving the party into the other room. Follow these two men.”

Andrea walks in our direction, and I assume he’s looking for Delaney, but he holds out a hand to me.

“Come, River. Let’s have a word.”

I take his hand, and he moves me in the opposite direction of the crowd. “You look lovely. I’m glad you wore the dress I picked,” he says with a smile.

I’m still not used to him smiling at me, so I go with a joke. “I don’t know if you know, but you have a reputation of being…persuasive.”

Andrea laughs as he grabs both of my hands. “Thank you, River.”

“For what?”

He sobers back to his usual self. “For showing my brother what a real relationship looks like. For loving him as he loves you.”

I start to tear up and giggle a little. “I have a few too many hormones for heart-to-hearts right now.”

He nods. “Fair enough. Let’s rejoin the party.”

Tucking my arm in his, he leads me to the next room. He stops just outside the door and turns me in another direction. My dad is standing there, smiling at me. I pull him into a big hug, happy to see him. I’d invited them to Teddy’s birthday party, although I thought it was a longshot. They don’t travel much.

“You came,” I whisper.

“Of course we would, sweetheart. We even brought your sister.”

My eyes must mimic saucers because my sister gets nervous easily. I can’t believe they got her out of her home. I don’t talk to her as much as I should because my life lately would stress her the fuck out.

“That’s amazing.”

“Yeah,” he agrees. “She’s in there with your mother. Sorry, we’re late.”

I shake my head. “You’re here, that’s all that matters. Teddy really is a great man. I want y’all to get to know him better.”

My dad nods and hugs me as we walk towards the room. We round the corner, and it feels like everyone is waiting for us, but that wouldn’t make sense. They are already with Teddy. I glance at the clock. It’s after midnight, but it’s still his party.

“Why is everyone staring?” I ask Andrea.

He turns and addresses the crowd. “I know people have asked why I’ve postponed my wedding that would have beenin about twelve hours, and the simple answer is that there was something more important that needed to be done first.

Teddy shakes hands with my dad, then turns to me. He grabs both of my hands, much like how Andrea did in the other room.

“River, you already know that I love you…” He pauses and looks around the room. “But I’d like the world to know I love you. Will you marry me?”

I open my mouth, but the words don’t form. Overwhelming happiness floods me and releases the tears I’ve been fighting for the last ten minutes.

Teddy squeezes my hands but patiently smiles at me while I get my thoughts together.

“Yes. Yes. Of course!”

Breaking out in the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on him, he kisses me. Once he pulls away, he slides a magnificent engagement ring onto my ring finger, but aside from the brilliant shine for the diamonds, I don’t have time to study it before Teddy puts my hand in my dad’s and walks away.

I stare at his back, confused for a moment until he stops next to Andrea, then turns to smile at me. My dad tucks my hand in the crook of his arm and starts walking me towards Teddy. The moment my brain catches up, I stop walking in shock.

---