Page 46 of Love Sanctioned

“Could you raise and love another man’s child as if it were your own?”

He paused, his facial expression never changing as he stared at me, then after what felt like forever or four hands of spades, he spoke. “You’re pregnant.”

I nodded.

“Does he know?”

“Who? My father or the father?”

“Both.”

I shook my head.

“Then the answer to your question is yes, as long as I'm the only father that child knows and there is no threat of anyone else being in the picture.”

“Why?”

“Because we all have baggage and conflicting situations in the grand scheme of things. It doesn’t make us any less meaningful or present.”

“Okay.”

He then smiled. “Did I pass?”

“You did alright.” I couldn’t hide my grin because he was definitely charming.

“Now, since I think we’ve established that this is happening, I assume this needs to happen soon, given you’re carrying what will be our first child.”

“Yeah, do you prefer a big wedding or can it be smaller?”

“All of that is of your preference. You say we get married next week, then we’ll marry next week. I do have one simple request though.”

“And that is?” I asked, feeling like the other shoe was about to drop because up until this point he seemed too damn perfect.

“I understand your entire life is here, but mine and most of my business is in Michigan, and it’s a great place to raise a family. I would like you to move there with me after we are married. You can visit here as much as you want. This is your home, but I’d like to build another one there.”

There was the shoe… He wanted me to leave Briar.

I stood in the mirror questioning everything about myself. In the last week I had not only planned a whole wedding but also made peace with the fact that everything about me would be changing soon.

The white princess style dress wasn’t me, but no matter how finished the dress I had been working on for years was, I couldn’t push myself to wear it. So I settled on this last minute. It was just a dress right?

Seth was handsome, but he wasn’t Posydiann…but I didn’t have Posydiann.

I didn’t know much about Seth, but he was out of all of this. Marrying him would give my child what I couldn’t and it would help my brother.

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” My mother’s voice crept into my eardrum.

I turned and looked at her. I felt like I wanted to cry, but I was all cried out. I only had action left in me.

She grabbed my hands. “You know you look beautiful. Just like my mother when she married my father and me when I married your father. You’re unhappy, but beautifully.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“But…”

“Have you even talked to your brother? He’s hurt, Karsyn, and he doesn’t know why you’re doing this.”

I shook my head and wiped my tears. “I’m doing it because I want to.”