AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’m pleasantly surprised that his handshake is firm and confident. Not insecure about being smaller than me. You’d be surprised how skittish men get if you tower over them.
Harvey and Felicity walk over to their seats at the table, glancing awkwardly at each other and giggling instead of taking their seats.
They whisper to each other, and finally, Harvey clears his throat. “Before we sit, we actually have an announcement.”
Felicity bounces a little, showing her excitement. “We’re getting married!” She blurts, then the room goes into chaos mode. Everyone’s standing, ushering toward the couple for hugs and congratulations, asking to look at the large diamond we all hadn’t noticed until now. So, she must’ve been hiding it in her pocket. My parents and Farrah, seem genuinely excited, so Harvey must be a pretty good guy. Unlike Connor. None of us were excited when Farrah and Connor announced their engagement. Sure, we put on a happy face for Farrah. But I think we all had a bad feeling about him.
Once everyone sits back down, the questions roll in: How did he propose? When’s the wedding? How long will you wait to have children?
Yes, my mother really asked that. At least it’s not just my life she meddles in.
When the room finally calms down again and everyone starts eating again, I feel my spine relax. I don’t always realize I’m uncomfortable, not in the moment. But when everyone talks at once, it puts me on edge.
Amber studies me from her seat beside me. She lays a hand firmly on my shoulder, probably sensing my stress somehow. Nella is looking at me too, with those wide green eyes that match her mother’s. I smile at her, my hand coming up and pressing lightly on her nose. Her face morphs into a drooly grin, and damn if it doesn’t just melt my heart right inside my chest. How does she do that?
When I turn away from the adorable baby to focus on my plate of food, I meet my mother’s sympathetic gaze. Her eyes move from me to Felicity and Harvey and then back again. My father follows suite. They’re looking at me like I just told them I’m dying.
Since when does being single earn so much sympathy?
CHAPTER
NINE
AMBER
Once dinner is over, Ford asks if I’d like to sit in the backyard. Mrs. Remington is happy to hold Nella for me since it’s chilly outside. I need to leave soon, it’s supposed to snow later, and I don’t trust my car to drive in the snow. But I can’t resist a quick walk in the Remington’s backyard, a place that brings so many good memories. And I’d rather focus on those memories, than the fact that my appointment on Monday confirmed that I do need the procedure.
I look over at the man next to me. He sits on the bench near the rose bushes that bloom during the summer. A small wooden cross has been hammered into the ground next to the roses, and Ford stares at it.
Moose’s grave.
I’m sure he’s sad thinking about his old friend, but there’s something else too.
He looked so happy when his baby sister announced her engagement, but soon afterward, something shifted. He’s barely uttered a word since. He won’t even make eye contact. Sure, eye contact has never been his favorite, but he usually does pretty well, especially with me. Something unspoken happened at that table, something that took the wind out of his sails, but I don’t know what.
I allow the silence, sitting next to him on the bench and making myself comfortable before I try to get him to talk about whatever’s bothering him.
He sits there stoically, hands interlocked on his lap. He might as well be a garden statue.
When he finally speaks, it’s startling. Speaking is actually too soft of a word, because his voice sounds solidly determined when he says, “I think we should get married.”
I blink a few times before bursting into laughter. “Oh, my gosh. Ford! You were so serious. You really had me there for a second.” I can barely speak through my laughter.
“Amber, I’m not joking.”
Still chuckling, I look at him. His soulful brown eyes meet mine, looking ever the little boy I met all those years ago. He looks completely serious, his expression unchanging as I watch his features for some clue that he’s teasing me.
“Ford,” I bring my hand to my chest. “What?”
He finally breaks eye contact, ruffling his hair with one hand. “You asked me for my help, for your procedure. Well, I have excellent insurance. Marry me, and you wouldn’t even have to pay me back. My insurance will cover most of it.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Ambs, think about it. It makes sense. I could help you with Nella, I could replace your stupid car that’s barely running, I could give you insurance and security.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. “It makes sense?” I scoff. “What about the fact that we’d be married? And we’re not in love with each other.”
He flinches. It’s barely perceptible, but he flinched.
