Fake Marriage Box Set

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, a million times over.” She reached out and cupped my face, then leaned in and kissed me.

I slipped a white gold, two carat oval diamond ring on her finger, the ring my grandfather gave my grandmother after he’d only known her three months. The ring she wore for sixty-seven years of marriage. And it fit her perfectly.

Her smiled spread as far as it could with my hands on her cheeks, but I could see the pure happiness in her eyes.

“I can't believe you just asked me that.” She laughed. I kissed her, taking the laugh right out of her mouth. We both paused as the fireworks exploded in rapid succession. We stood, and she wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I love you,” I whispered in her ear as she buried her face in the curve of my neck.

“I love you too,” she mouthed against my shoulder.

“We've been looking for you guys.” Ryan said as he walked up beside us, Cindy in tow. “What are you guys doing down here? Hiding?”

“Oh, you know. We were just down here getting engaged,” I said.

Ryan stopped and pulled back, looking over at us. “What? Are you serious?” He smiled as he thought about what that meant.

We nodded.

“You didn't even let me be included?” He looked hurt.

“Would you have been able to keep it a secret?” I asked and shoved him and he smiled.

“Yeah. Probably not,” he admitted. “But seriously, guys. This is fantastic!” Ryan reached for Emmy, pulling her from my arms and hugging her to him. “So, when’s the wedding?” he joked.

“Not anytime soon,” she laughed as he squeezed her to him. Cindy stood and watched, smiling.

I took Emmy back from Ryan, and we headed back up toward the house. When we walked into the backyard, it had cleared out for the most part. Emmy stopped before we walked further into the backyard.

“Can we not tell everyone yet?”

“If you want to.” I looked over her face trying to figure out why.

“I would just like to get used to it before everyone thinks we are crazy.”

“Your grandfather already knew I was going to ask.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, I asked his permission.”

“What did he say?”

“That if you wanted to marry me, then I had his blessing.” I brushed my lips over hers and then tapped a kiss on her nose.

“I love you.” She hugged me and kissed my neck softly.

“I love you more.”

I loved her so much it hurt, and I couldn't believe that even only knowing her less than a year, because of her, my life felt complete.

Epilogue

Emerson

Two years later

I smoothed the satin over my belly and smiled. The bump was just starting to show but only barely. My dress was better than I had imagined, I thought as I looked over it in the mirror. My hair was swept to the side in a braid falling over my shoulder and ending just above the swell of my swollen breasts. Luke and I had decided that we wouldn't tell anyone about the baby until after today, simply because we didn't want anything to take away from today. Luke had spent hours out in the meadow stringing up lights and making sure everything was perfect. I had helped him do as much as he would allow, but being pregnant had made me incapable of doing anything in his mind. He didn't even like me cleaning the house or cooking dinner. The man spoiled me. It was no wonder I loved him.