AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I motioned for Bryson to draw in a deep breath and exhale. When he blew out all his breath, I patted him on the chest and whispered, “Good luck.”
“What?” he whisper-shouted and grabbed my hand. “You are not making me do this alone!”
“I am. I don’t know how my father will feel that you asked me before you asked him.”
Bryson’s eyes went wide. “Holy shit. Does he expect that? I mean, I told him months ago what my intentions were for you.”
I shrugged. “Don’t know if he really expects it.”
He stumbled back a few steps. “You don’t know!” he whisper-shouted. “You. Don’t. Know?”
“Don’t know what?” my father asked, causing us both to jump and let out a scream. Bryson’s scream must have been a little too girly for Dad because he frowned at him.
“Get in here, both of you. The longer you stand out here and argue, the longer I’m being kept from my pizza.”
We stepped into the room, where my mother leaned against the desk, her arms folded across her chest and a wide smile on her face.
Bryson and I stood there, neither one of us uttering a word.
Dad tilted his head, glared at us, then exhaled. “For God’s sake, just tell us already so we can get back to the food!”
“Ty Shaw. Stop acting like you haven’t had pizza in ten years. You ate three pieces on the way here.”
My head snapped to look at my father. He simply shrugged and said, “I’m still hungry.”
“Well?” my mother asked, tilting her head and looking from me to Bryson, then back to me. “What was it you wanted to talk to us about?”
Placing my hand on Bryson’s back, I gave him a gentle but firm push. He shot me a dirty look, then plastered on a smile when he turned back to my parents.
“Kaylee, Ty, I wanted to see if I might ask for your permission to marry your daughter.”
My mother pushed off the desk and started clapping her hands. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”
“Wow, are you that eager to marry me off, Mom?”
“Now hold on a second. Don’t I have a say in this?”
Turning to my father, I gave him a fake smile. “Not really, Dad. This is just an obligatory thing that Bryson must do since you’re old school.”
“Old school!” my parents both stated at the same time.
“Excuse me?” Mom asked, back to folding her arms over her chest. This time, she looked pissed. “Are you saying we’re old?”
“No, that isn’t what she was saying at all. I think she meant old-fashioned. Since I’ve already asked her and she said yes, I realized I should have asked you both first because…”
Bryson’s voice trailed off as my mother and father went from looking at him to looking at me. Then something strange happened. My father’s eyes got teary, and he looked at my mother.
“The boy has manners. I told you I liked him from the very beginning.”
My mother nodded and held her arms out to Bryson. “That is so sweet of you to think of us that way, Bryson!”
Wait, what?
Dad reached for Bryson’s hand to shake it, then pulled him in for a hug. Giving him a couple of hearty slaps on the back, he said, “I knew you were a good one from the moment I met you.”
“Really?” Bryson and I asked at the same time.
“You’ve got a yes from me as well. That’s three for yes! It’s your lucky night, son. You’re on my team tonight.”
Putting his arm around Bryson, they started to walk out of the room. I stood there with my mouth hung open in stunned silence.
Mom walked up to me and laughed. “We already knew what you two wanted to talk to us about.”
Turning to look at her, I asked, “How?”
She faced me and winked. “Dorothy Rickers?”
“Who?” I asked, confused.
“She works at Mikesell’s Fine Jewelry. Georgiana saw you and Bryson leaving, walked across the street, and casually asked what you two were doing in there. Dorothy, never one for missing out on gossip, told her Bryson had bought you an engagement ring.”
We both looked down at my left ring finger, where there was no ring. “It’s being sized,” I softly said. Glancing back up at my mother, I slowly shook my head. “So the two of you knew this whole time and played like you didn’t?”
She chuckled. “Yes. And if Bryson really believes those were tears in your father’s eyes, he better watch out.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “You both knew and acted like you didn’t! How could you do that?”
With a shrug, she replied, “It was fun watching you both freak out for a moment. I don’t know why you thought you had to ask us first, but it was a very sweet gesture. I’m not surprised, though. The two of you have been barreling through this relationship like two bats out of hell. If I didn’t see the way that man looks at you with so much love, I’d be worried.”
