AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He blinks, then slowly shakes his head. “I’d prefer we get married right away.”
“It’s settled then.” I turn to G-Pa.
His eyes glisten with tears. He raises my hand to his face and kisses my fingertips. “You’re an angel. I’m aware how all of this must be a surprise for you. I thought I had five grandsons. After my wife’s death, I read a letter from her that told me about Edward. Our daughter-in-law swore her to secrecy, but my wife wanted me to do right by him. When I learned I had another grandson—my oldest—I realized a part of me always knew. I wanted to ensure he got his share of the inheritance. And when I met him, I could sense how deeply unhappy he was."
Edward makes a sound deep in his throat, but G-Pa ignores it.
"My son and his wife want nothing to do with me. I hoped they’d attend his wedding, but as you can see, they're not here."
"Neither are mine, by the looks of it," I say softly.
"I'm sorry. Your mother said it was too last-minute and too far to travel, and they had other plans. I suggested changing the time but…
"…but she declined…"
He nods sadly, then brightens. "But I'm here." G-Pa’s eyes, more grey than brown, yet so much like Edward’s, turn intense. "And I want to thank you for already changing him."
"Me?" I look at Edward, then back at his grandfather. "I’ve done nothing."
"By simply being who you are and being here, you’ve set events in motion."
"O-k-a-y?" I’m sure he’s mistaken, but I guess this is not the moment to argue with him.
"The two of you have so much in common, my dear."
"We do?" I burst out.
"No, we don’t," Edward says at the same time.
"Your stubbornness, to begin with." G-Pa smiles.
"Look who’s talking," I say lightly.
"It’s a family trait, which is why you’ll fit right in."
Tears prick my eyes. I’ve never felt this welcome before. He’s the patriarch of the family, and when Edward spoke about him, I sensed that he might be much more aloof and standoffish, but I was wrong. G-Pa, for all his faults—and I’m sure he has many—has opened his arms and his heart and made me feel at home in a way my own father hasn’t done in a very long time.
I pull my hand from his, then throw my arms about him and hug him. "Thank you," I whisper.
I sense him clearing his throat, then he pats my back. "I should be saying thank you for your agreeing to marry my grandson."
I sniffle, then lean back and look up into his face. "Actually, he should be the one saying thank you to me.
Edward growls.
G-Pa laughs.
"I assume you took care of the paperwork needed for the marriage to go ahead?" Edward cuts in.
G-Pa snorts. "The Registrar General is my golfing buddy."
All right, then.
Karma smiles, then places her hand on my shoulder. "Shall we get you dressed?"
20
Edward
