Her Single Dad Hero

by Arlene James

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What do you think?” Ann asked, showing Callie the gold satin suit. “It’s not white, but I haven’t worn it, and it’s very expensive. Plus, I have shoes to match.”

  She’d brought the suit thinking that Jordan might drive down one weekend, and she’d wanted something stunning to wear to church while he was here, something that would tell everyone in War Bonnet how well she’d done, just in case Jordan hadn’t impressed everyone enough. Silly, silly girl. She was so happy that she no longer thought like that. She’d never feel the need to impress anyone again. What a blessing!

  “It’s gorgeous,” Callie told her, “and I’ve got something I think will make it just right for a wedding.”

  She hurried from the bedroom, leaving Ann to find the shoes that matched the suit. Rex was out on the range, so they’d left Dean downstairs with baby Bodie. He was an old hand with little ones, after all. Callie returned within moments, carrying a small, flat, round box. From it she drew a headband of white silk flowers with pearl centers and a face veil of wide netting that ended just below the nose. “I bought this for my own wedding, but then I found something that worked better with my dress. I meant to return it, but I’d be happy to give it to you if you think it works.”

  Ann tried it on, holding up the suit in front of the mirror. With her hair combed back and hanging straight, the sophisticated little veil worked very well. “I like it. Simple white bouquet, pearl earrings and I’m set.”

  “It’s lovely,” Callie agreed, hugging her. “I’m so happy for you. I think I heard Rex’s truck pulling up when I was in the other room. He’ll be surprised, but he really likes Dean, you know. Everyone does.”

  “He’s so wonderful, Callie,” Ann said softly.

  “The man you love is always wonderful.”

  The two women laughed, and Ann sighed happily.

  Just then, Dean called up the stairs. “Ann? Honey? Your brother’s here.”

  “Coming!”

  She laid aside the suit and the veil and hurried down the stairs, Callie on her heels. The men were standing in the foyer, staring at each other. Dean had Bodie tucked into the curve of his arm. Rex plopped his sweat-stained straw cowboy hat onto a peg on the wall and looked up the stairs, his pale blue gaze targeting Ann.

  “Honey?” he echoed, eyebrows raised.

  Dean cleared his throat, sending Ann a sheepish, apologetic glance. At the same time, Callie snorted behind Ann.

  “Yes, well, there are things you don’t know,” Ann said primly, suppressing her smile as he descended the remaining stairs.

  “For instance?” Rex asked, hanging an elbow on the banister at the foot of those stairs.

  “For instance,” Ann said, slipping past him to stand at Dean’s side, “we’re getting married.”

  Rex turned his head to glance at his wife then looked once more to Ann. “You and Dean are getting married?”

  Ann grinned and threaded her arm through Dean’s. “That’s right. The sooner, the better.”

  Rex tilted his dark head. “Because?”

  “Because we love each other, of course.” Ann said, frowning.

  “And that’s the only reason?” Rex prodded.

  “The only reason,” Dean answered in a steely voice that had Bodie grabbing his shirt and crawling onto his chest.

  Callie quietly came down the stairs and took her daughter in hand, shooting Ann a supportive look. “Let’s sit down and discuss this like adults, everyone.”

  “What’s to discuss?” Ann wanted to know, even as Rex followed Callie and the baby into the living room and Dean pressed his hand into the small of her back, urging her to go along.

  “What’s to discuss,” Rex said, dropping into their father’s chair, “is someone named Jordan Teel.”

  Ann made a show of sitting calmly on the sofa and crossing her legs. Dean came down beside her, stretching his long arm out behind her shoulders. Callie chose the rocker, nine-month-old Bodie in her lap.

  “I broke it off with Jordan some time ago,” Ann announced. “You weren’t here so you wouldn’t know.” Actually no one had known except Dean and then her father.

  “And you broke it off with Jordan because?”

  “Don’t see how that’s any of your business really,” Dean said lightly, and Ann fell in love with him all over again. Clearly he was trying to spare her the humiliation of revealing Jordan’s treachery. She smiled and patted Dean’s knee.

  “He was using me to advance his career,” she said bluntly. “I don’t suppose I’d have minded if I’d been in love with him, but I wasn’t.”

  Rex inclined his head in acceptance. “What about your career?”

  “I think I’m done with hotel management. Have been for some time, really. I have other business interests now.”

  Her brother seemed to consider this for several moments. “That aside, have you two thought about where you’ll live?”

  “That’s all settled,” Dean said. “I do have a house.”

  “So you’re staying in War Bonnet?” Rex asked Ann. “You really think you’ll be happy here?”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “I don’t know, sis,” Rex said doubtfully, shaking his head. “Moving from the city to the country is a big adjustment. Take it from me. And what about that spectacular Dallas wedding you had your heart set on?”

  “I don’t want or need that anymore.” She looked to Dean then, adding, “I haven’t got anything to prove to anybody now.” She shifted closer to him, saying to her brother, “I just want Dean and Donovan. That’s all I need.”

  “You’ve only known him a few weeks,” Rex pointed out.

  “I’ve known him since he was thirteen!” Ann refuted, conveniently omitting the fact that she’d barely registered his existence for most of those years.

  “Oh, yeah? What size shoe does he wear? What size ring?”

  Ann felt heat stain her cheeks.

  “Size twelve shoe. Size thirteen ring,” Dean replied calmly. “Callie know that stuff about you when she agreed to marry you?”

  Over in the rocking chair, Callie bent her head to hide a smile. Ann ignored all of it, taking Dean’s hand in both of hers.

  “He’s got hands like Dad,” she said defiantly, “the hands of an honest, capable, hardworking man. I think I started falling in love with him the day I first saw his hands.”

  Dean curled his fingers through hers, smiling down at her.

  “Annie, since you brought up Donovan, it has to be said,” Rex went on doggedly, “your whole life I’ve never heard you talk about wanting to be a mother.”

  Truth time. Ann sucked in a deep breath. “I honestly didn’t know if I wanted children,” she admitted, “until Donovan. But how can you not love that kid? And Dean is such a wonderful father. Watching the two of them is amazing. Who wouldn’t want more of that?”

  Dean dropped his arm from the back of the sofa and drew it tightly about her, vowing, “We’re getting married, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “Well, at least give it some time,” Rex pleaded. “You don’t have to run right down to the county courthouse and get a license today.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Ann grumbled. “You got married in four days’ time!”

  “Yes, but Callie and I had known each other for a couple months,” Rex pointed out. “We’d lived and worked in close proximity to one another. I’m just saying there’s no reason to run right out today and get a license. Besides, you don’t have time. Because you’re going to Oklahoma City to pick up Dad and Meri. Right?”

  A lightbulb went on in Ann’s brain. “We could get a license in Oklahoma City,” she said to Dean, suddenly excited. “Go with me. You’re not working right now, and we’ll be back tonight. Trust me when I tell yo
u that Dad will be much more supportive than my overprotective big brother.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Dean agreed, smiling. He glanced at his watch, folding her close as he did so. “Hey, we’d better get going. Donovan will be out of school soon.”

  They got to their feet in tandem. Rex stood, too, saying, “Look, sis, I just want you to be sure about this.”

  “I am sure,” Ann said stiffly. “I’m sure that I’m going to marry Dean at the earliest opportunity. I’ve already got my wedding outfit picked out. All we need now are a pair of gold wedding bands and a license.”

  “Are you sure that’s what you want?” Dean asked softly. “Just simple gold wedding bands?”

  She nodded. “Narrow, classic, modest. Everything else is superfluous.”

  “I sincerely hope you mean that,” Rex told her. “However, Dad might be more on my side than you know.”

  Ann swallowed a sudden lump in her throat, beating back a surge of disappointment. She’d really expected her brother’s approval. She hoped he was wrong about their father. Surely she hadn’t misunderstood what Dad had meant during their talk at the hospital. On the other hand, her track record with misunderstandings was all too clear. She’d let a simple misunderstanding drive her away from home for years.

  Well, she was home now, and Rex would just have to accept that she knew what she was doing. But, oh, she had so hoped that this would be a time of joy for her whole family, especially given her father’s illness. At least she knew that Dean’s family would take the news well.

  * * *

  Donovan bubbled over with tales of his first day of school. All the way home in the car he rattled on and on about story time and who couldn’t stand in a straight line, write their own names or recognize certain words. Dean had fretted about preschool, but when he’d taken Donovan for evaluation, he’d discovered that his son was far more advanced academically than most other children his age, so Dean had made the decision to keep the boy with him rather than pay for preschool. After all, Donovan got classroom experience once a week at church. It seemed he’d done his son no disservice. He judged that he was about to do both himself and the boy a great boon, but it troubled Dean that his future brother-in-law was not more supportive of the idea.

  When they reached the farmhouse, Ann suggested they all sit on the porch. Grandma had been waiting for their arrival, eager to hear of Donovan’s day, but Dean put her off with a quiet admonition. “If you don’t mind, Ann and I have an announcement to make.”

  “The thing is,” Ann said to Donovan, reaching up from the rocking chair where she sat to lace her fingers with Dean’s, “I don’t want to be your substitute mom anymore.”

  Donovan’s face fell. Dean almost laughed, but he patted the boy on the back instead, glanced at his grandmother, who occupied the other chair, and quickly said, “What Ann means is that she wants to be your real mom.”

  Grandma understood at once and clapped her hands together, exclaiming, “Oh, honey!”

  “In other words,” Ann told Donovan, reaching out to cup Donovan’s drooping chin, “your dad and I are going to get married.”

  Predictably, Donovan’s eyes rounded. Then he threw himself into Ann’s lap, rocking the chair back on its runners. Laughing, Ann kissed him all over his face. Digger skittered around and wagged his tail enthusiastically.

  “We have to go to Oklahoma City to get a marriage license and pick up Ann’s father,” Dean said, “but we’ll be back in time to tuck you into bed tonight.”

  “Don’t go yet,” Grandma said, bolting up out of her chair. “Wait right here until I get back.” She hurried off at a trot.

  “Are you going to have a baby?” Donovan demanded as Grandma disappeared into the house.

  Gaping, Ann looked at Dean. “No. Well, not right away. I mean, someday. Don’t you want a baby brother or sister?”

  “Lots of ’em!” Donovan proclaimed, and both Dean and Ann chuckled.

  “We’ll take that under advisement,” Ann told him, smiling.

  “Like father, like son,” Dean muttered, squeezing her fingers.

  Grandma returned then, something clutched in her hand. “Now, don’t feel you have to wear this,” she said. “It was Great-Great-Grandma Rosalie’s. Milburn bought me one before he knew it existed, and of course I wasn’t about to turn it down, so we put this back for our oldest child, except...we didn’t trust Wynona not to pawn it, and it’s not to Deana’s taste. Then we figured it should go to Dean, but if you don’t like it, we can always hold it for Donovan.” She opened her hand to show them an unusual platinum-and-gold filigreed ring with three round diamonds, two smaller ones on either side of a significantly larger one.

  “Oh, my word!” Ann breathed. “That’s beautiful!”

  “Grandma, I didn’t know you had this,” Dean said, shocked.

  “Honey, don’t take this the wrong way,” Grandma begged, patting his cheek, “but I didn’t want your mother to know about it, and later with things so tight, I—I was afraid you’d want to sell it or use it as collateral.”

  He hugged her then picked up the ring.

  “Ann, what do you think?”

  “It’s the most unique, meaningful engagement ring I can imagine.”

  Smiling, he slid it onto her finger, feeling as if his chest might burst. It was a little large, but they could fix that. “We’ll take it to a jeweler tomorrow.”

  “Until then,” Ann asked Grandma, “do you have some bandage tape? If I wrap a little piece around the back of the ring, I can wear it now without worrying about losing it.”

  “I have just the thing,” Grandma said.

  As she hurried away, Donovan asked Ann, “Will you tuck me in at night?”

  “Of course.”

  “And wash my hair?”

  “Naturally.”

  “Hey, what about me?” Dean teased. He’d been doing these things for years, after all.

  Without missing a beat, Donovan said, “She’ll tuck you in, too. But you wash your own hair.”

  Ann bit her lip to keep from laughing, and Dean wondered just how soon they could arrange this small, simple wedding. He hoped Ann was right about her father. If Wes agreed with Rex, she might decide to put things off for a while—and then she might realize what a bad bargain he was.

  But no, he wouldn’t think like that. Ann agreeing to marry him was an answered prayer. He wouldn’t believe anything else.

  Grandma seemed to be taking her time finding that tape. He thought he heard the phone ring, so that might explain the delay. She eventually came with it, though, and Ann made the temporary fix. They took their leave, through many hugs and happy farewells.

  Back in the car, she looked down at the ring on her finger and sighed.

  “I know it’s not perfect,” he said, “but we’ll get it fixed soon.”

  “It’s not that,” she assured him. “Really it’s not. It’s that I love it so much.”

  He hoped, prayed, that was true, and he kept up that silent prayer all the way to Oklahoma City.

  It took longer to get the license than either of them expected, but when Ann called her sister to say they’d been delayed, Meredith told her not to worry. Apparently Wes was doing better than usual. Dean felt some relief that Rex had evidently not called to share their news and argue against their marriage, and he could tell that Ann was also relieved. Nevertheless, as soon as they pushed through the door of the hospital room, Wes barked at both of them.

  “It’s about time!”

  Wes looked wan and weak sitting there in the wheelchair. Strangely, he was dressed in a suit and tie.

  “Daddy,” Ann said in a confused voice, “why are you dressed like that?”

  “It’s a surprise!” cried a bright, familiar little voice.

  “Donovan!” Dean exc
laimed. “Son, what are you doing here?”

  “That depends on whether or not you got the license,” drawled another familiar voice.

  “Rex!” Ann said.

  Dean finally looked around. They were all there—almost all—Rex, Meredith, Donovan, Grandma, Wes, everyone but Callie and the baby. As if reading his mind, Rex said, “Callie and Bodie are waiting in the chapel. They wouldn’t let the baby up here no matter how much we begged.”

  “The chapel,” Ann repeated. Then she gasped. “I don’t believe it!”

  “Yes, sister dear, the chapel,” Rex said, looking very pleased with himself. “You didn’t really believe all that big brother guff back at the ranch, did you?”

  “You rat!” Ann scolded, but she was laughing. Then she sobered. “My things.”

  “Not to worry,” Rex told her. “Callie packed you a bag before we left. You have everything you need.” He looked to Dean then, adding, “Your grandmother packed for you, but I tossed in a few pieces. I have a fairly extensive wardrobe that’s now too large for me. The shirts and jackets ought to work well enough for you.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Dean said, his brow furrowed.

  “We’re ’loping!” Donovan exclaimed, hopping up and down.

  “We drove up with Callie and Bodie,” Betty explained, grinning ear to ear.

  “I came on my own to get Dad and Meri back home,” Rex said. “Now, about that license...”

  “The marriage license?” Dean asked, looking at Ann, who burst out laughing.

  “That would be the one,” Rex chortled. “Did you get it or not?”

  “Yeah, we got it,” Dean confirmed, still not quite with the program.

  “Okay, then,” Rex said. “You’ll have to change in the men’s room downstairs. Annie, you can use this room. When you’re ready, Meri will show you where the chapel is.”

  Dean looked at Ann, who finally confirmed it all for him. “They’re throwing us a wedding, darling.”

  “We’re not about to let her kick you to the curb,” Rex said happily. “Brothers-in-law with working combines and hay-balers don’t come along every day.”