Page 90 of Fight for Me

He kissed her knuckles, then stood. “I didn’t plan on giving up.” He glanced down at the ring. “Do you like it?”

“It’s amazing. Gorgeous.”

“No,” he said, caressing her cheek. “That’s you.”

“Cheesy,” she chastised him.

“I’ll try harder.” He paused. “How soon can we marry? I know it takes some time to put a wedding together.”

Anne couldn’t help but laugh. “You haven’t met my mother. If anyone can do it, she can.”

“Ah yes, we have to meet the parents. Lucky for you, mine aren’t around anymore.” He said it lightly, though it dismayed her.

“I-I’m so sorry,” she stammered.

“It’s okay,” he said with a small smile. “I’ve had some time to come to terms with it.” His tone was wry.

“Still.”

“I’ll need to send out a press release, so let me know once you tell your parents.”

A politician’s wife. Life would include press releases. She’d need to get used to it.

He frowned at her non-response. “Is that okay? I’d rather be the one to mold the news cycle rather than have the talking heads speculate.”

“No, I agree.” She trusted Blane to handle it. “Now I have to go break the news to my father. He’s not your biggest fan.”

“Then I’ll have to work on that.” His grin was high school quarterback again. “I’ll see you tonight. I’ll come meet the parents and do the wholeFather of the Bridething.”

Anne liked the sound of that.

* * *

“I absolutely forbid it!” Her dad’s voice thundered through the family’s reception room.

Ah, the Irish and their penchant for drama.

“Daddy, I’m a grown woman,” she said mildly. “You can’t forbid me to do something.”

“She’s right,” her mom added. She was sitting on the sofa next to Anne, unraveling yarn. She’d lately taken it into her head that she should be more “domestic” and taken up knitting. Unfortunately, she wasn’t very good at it and spent most of her time undoing what she’d already done.

“Blast it! I don’t need the both of you ganging up on me!”

When her dad was in this mood, he started putting exclamation points on the ends of all his sentences.

Anne sighed in exasperation. She hadn’t dropped the other bomb yet. Might as well. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“I’m also pregnant.”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence. Then her mother let out a little scream, attacking Anne with a hug that cut off her air supply.

“Oh honey! That’s amazing!” When she pulled back, Anne could see she was smiling from ear to ear through her tears. She turned to Anne’s dad. “We’re going to be grandparents! Gerald, can you believe it?”

“He got you pregnant out of wedlock!” Her father was still on a rampage, just with new ammunition.

“Oh Gerald, stop.” Her mother’s sharp scolding seemed to finally do the trick. It was rare that Gerald did anything to displease his beloved wife. She turned back to Anne, flashing a brilliant smile. “Let’s talk wedding. Oh sweetheart, I’ve been waiting to plan your wedding since the day you were born. I’ll make an appointment with Vera tomorrow. What colors were you thinking?” Her mom dropped Vera Wang’s name like it was nothing.

They spent the next couple of hours planning and Anne felt herself getting caught up in the excitement of a beautiful ceremony to marry the man she loved.

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