Page 69 of The Accidental Wife

“I remembered it not long after you told me about this being your parent's song. Maybe it’s nothing, but I’d like to think it was a sign that your father was there watching over you.” I tell her, reaching up and wipe the tear that rolls down her cheek. Her eyes close, and she leans into my touch. The moment is interrupted by the sound of glasses clinking.

“What’s going on?” She asks, opening her eyes and looking around. I smile and lick my lips.

“They want us to kiss,” I tell her, and she peers up at me a little startled, her cheeks turning pink.

“In front of everyone?” I nod, gazing into her eyes.

“May I?” I ask, and she hesitates for a moment but nods. I smile and brush my fingers along her jaw before I curl my fingers at her neck and draw her in for a slow sensual kiss while we continue to sway. Shayla reaches up and strokes my jaw as she kisses me back, and I swear to everything holy that her touch sent electric shocks through me. That’s the first time she’s actually touched me on her own account since Vegas, without me coercing her, and it felt incredible.

We pull back from the kiss when everyone around us applauds. I press my forehead to hers as we continue to dance till the song came to an end. “Tristan, your grandpa would like to see you both.” My father tells me as he walks past us. I nod and look at Shayla, who pulls away averting her gaze.

“He probably wants to meet you. Come on.” I take Shayla’s hand, guiding her through the crowd of people in the garden to where my grandfather sat under the patio. He smiles when he sees me walking toward him. “Hey, Grandpop,” I greet him with a smile, and he nods.

“Ahh, Tristan, come here, my boy.” He holds his arms open, and I hug him. My grandfather gave the best hugs growing up, and it still hasn’t changed.

“Grandpop, I want you to meet my wife, Shayla.” I place my hand at the small of her back, and Shayla kneels beside his wheelchair and takes his trembling hand in hers, smiling warmly up at him.

“It’s so nice to meet you, Grandpa Joe.” She says tenderly, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I now see where Cole gets his good looks from.” My grandfather chuckles and lifts his hand; his trembling fingers touch her cheek affectionately, and Shayla leans into his touch, closing her eyes.

“You remind me of my late wife, Maisie, when we first met.” He tells her, and Shayla looks up at him. “I was a dashing young man just like my grandson, and my goodness, she had me chasing her all around town before I finally got to court her.” He explains. Shayla grins and looks up at me. I watch them both interact with one another, and I felt my insides go warm. She’s always surprising me.

“Tristan, despite your galavanting, you’ve managed to catch a good girl. Keep hold of this one because she’ll change your whole world just like my Maisie did mine.” He pats Shayla on her head gently, and she sits like a five-year-old girl would by her grandfather’s knee, listening to him eagerly while he tells her about his youth with my grandmother. I chuckle and shake my head—she’s even got my Grandpop twisted in her love web.

I take out my phone and discreetly snap a photo of them both. It was such a beautiful moment I wanted to remember it forever. I took one of Shayla too because the look on her face, the warmth in her eyes, while she listened to my grandfather talk, was something that rendered me speechless. “Now, dear, would you be so kind as to let me have a little talk with my handsome grandson?” He asks Shayla and kisses her knuckles. Shayla nods and stands up, leaning over, and drops a kiss on his cheek.

“I’m so happy I met you. I want to hear more about Grandma Maisie. I’ll come to see you soon, you can finish your story, and I’ll read you that book as I promised.” She tells him, and my grandfather nods, smiling up at her, his green eyes watching her fondly as she walks away. Our eyes meet as she passes by me; she smiles as she walks off toward the crowd of people.

“Tristan,” I tear my eyes away from Shayla and look at my grandfather who motions me to sit next to him. “Thank you, son, you’ve made a dying old man incredibly happy. I only wish your grandmother were alive to meet your beautiful bride. She would have adored her.” I smile sadly at the mention of my grandma. She died ten years ago of a stroke. “Son, there’s an expression, I don’t know if you’ve heard it. When a person’s heart is pure and beautiful, that beauty radiates to that person’s face, and they glow brighter than anything you’ve ever seen. Nothing is more beautiful than a person with a pure heart, just like that young lady right there.” He explains, taking my hand into his trembling ones and pats it gently.

“Grandpop, you just met her. How could you possibly tell?” I question curiously, and he chuckles.

“I’ve been around a long-time, son. That girl’s soul is that of an angel. Take the advice of a man who was lucky enough to endure a great love some could have only wished for. Hold onto her for dear life, and don’t let go.” I feel my heart swell at his words.

“It means a lot to me that you approve of her Grandpop. She’s incredibly special to me.” I affirm, and my grandfather smiles with a sigh.

“You’re very special to her too. I could sense the connection you both share from where I was sitting, watching you dance like you were the only two people in the world.” I bite my lip and look over at Shayla dancing with my cousin. “A bond that strong is hard to come by, son, don’t take it for granted.”

I sigh, “I won’t, Grandpop.”

“Good lad. I wanted to tell you that I will sign my shares over to you in the morning. I’m immensely proud of you, you and your father took the little company I started and made it what it is today, and I couldn’t possibly thank you enough. Hopefully, one day, you will have a son of your own who will make you just as proud as your parents and I are of you.”

I sigh and force myself to smile, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach, tightening from the guilt I felt lying to everyone around me. I swallow thickly. “Thank you, Grandpop.”

“Go on, go back to your blushing bride.” He says, patting my back lovingly. I smile and drop a kiss on his cheek before I walk off toward Shayla.

I’m done with this party now. I’m mingled out. As I reach Shayla, I take her hand, and she looks up at me bemused. “You all right?” She questions, following me closely.

I nod, licking my lips, “Yeah, I’m just anxious to get out of here.” I smile at her, and she bites her lip and drops her gaze, a nice blush touching her cheeks. God, I’m going to ravish you.

“Tristan, where do you think you’re going?” My mother asks in a flurry catching us as we walk through the foyer of the house.

“Uh, we’re going to go home. Thank you for the party mother, it was incredibly special, and we appreciate it.” I say, dropping a kiss on her cheek, and she looks at me with a scowl.

“You can’t leave. It's so late, plus you’ve been drinking, so you shouldn’t drive. Spend the night here. I’ve had the girls prepare your old room for you both.” I frown and look at Shayla, who stares at my mother, her eyes wide and unblinking.

“Mum, I’ve had a couple of glasses of champagne. I’m perfectly fine to drive, okay, don’t worry,” I assure her and notice her face drops and her shoulders slump in disappointment.

“Oh, I thought it would have been nice to have you spend the night, and we could have had breakfast together tomorrow morning as we used to every Sunday before you moved out.” She sighs dejectedly. I feel Shayla squeeze my hand, and I look down at her; she’s peering up at me with those big green eyes, all sad. Fucking hell!

---