Marriage Material

I toss the bag away. I don’t want to look at it. Someone’s been following me and taking my picture. Why would anyone want to do that? All I want to do is go back to Anderson, but I know I have to go home and talk to my family.

“You won’t take this from me,” I tell my brother as I fold my arms over my chest. “I’m going back to him.”

“I know,” he grunts.

I turn to look at him and he glances away from the road for a moment. “If you ruin this for me I’ll never forgive you.” My words hang in the air.

“I just want to keep you safe.” He says the same thing he always says when he tries to force me to do what he thinks is best. His words are so much softer now and laced with something I can’t name. Regret maybe? I don’t respond to him and he calls my name, but I still don’t look his way. He mutters a curse before silence falls between us once again.

Chapter 8

Anderson

“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” I say as I pace the living room. “What do you think?”

Charlotte wiggles her fists from her baby swing like an adorable angel.

“Yeah, me too.”

It’s been hours since Robin left, and I haven’t heard a word from her. I’m sure her family is trying to talk her out of staying here and maybe even helping me out. But it’s beyond that for me at this point. I don’t want her here because of a job, I want her here because I can’t imagine anyone else by my side. I never believed in love at first sight until it happened to me.

From the moment I looked at Robin I knew that she was different, that she was the one. There have been only a handful of times in my life where something good has happened to me and I felt in my soul what the right decision was. When Charlotte came into my life my world turned upside down, but I knew that was what I’d been working towards without even realizing it. And now it’s the same with Robin. It’s like the universe gave me my little girl and pushed me to this small town just so I could meet the woman of my dreams at the exact right moment. I’m not about to waste my chance.

“All right, let’s do this,” I say as I grab Charlotte’s car seat and her diaper bag.

When we’re loaded up, I drive to where Robin told me she lived, and I see the sheriff cruiser parked in the driveway. I park, then I grab the baby and we make our way to the front door. It’s a big old farmhouse that’s similar to the one I bought. It’s got a wraparound porch with a pile of shoes by the door and plants lining the steps. The place looks lived-in and homey, and for a moment I kind of love it and hope that my place looks like this one day.

The sound of shouting on the other side of the door snaps me out of my daydream, and I knock on the door. After only a second the door is flung open and I’m greeted by the sight of a short, grey-haired woman who looks a little stressed.

“Mrs. Honeydew?” I ask, and she nods as she wipes her hands on her apron.

“I’m Anderson Davis.” Her eyes light up and she smiles sweetly at me.

“Of course you are, come in,” she says, stepping out of the way. “Don’t mind the shouting,” she says and rolls her eyes.

I hear most of it coming from Robin at the back of the house, and I take a step towards the noise.

“Why don’t you let me sit with this little sugar bear while you go see if you can calm them down?”

She reaches for Charlotte, who immediately smiles and wiggles her arms. Robin’s mom is already taking her out of my arms before I can answer and talking sweetly to her. She takes the diaper bag next and sets it down in front of her. According to Robin, her mom had six kids, so I know my baby is in good hands. She takes Charlotte over to the couch in the living room and completely ignores me. I’ve noticed that babies are a wonderful distraction.

“Anderson,” she calls when I start to walk out of the room. “Go easy on them, they’re just doing what we’ve taught them. They go a little overboard sometimes.” She smiles softly, and I can kind of understand where she’s coming from.

If she’s spent her whole life telling Robin’s five brothers to look after her, then they have a responsibility to make sure she’s safe. But I’m here now and I’m going to make sure nothing happens to my family. I’ve made my claim to her brother already, but now is the time to set all of them straight. This is it for me, and I’m going to make damn sure that everyone knows it.