“You sure you’re up for this?” Mel asked as they pulled up in front of her parents’ home. Harry turned up to look at her, puzzled. “How bad can it be?”
Mel looked worried. “Um, it could be bad. You married to their daughter without asking for their permission,” she pointed out. “Seven months ago. And this is the first time you’ve bothered to meet them. So yeah, expect a few fireworks, and I like the yelling firework cause it entertaining.
Harry chuckled. “Well I brought flowers for your mom and Brandy for your Gran.”
“She would love that. And Dad?” she asked just to toy with his mood.
“Rose,” he said with a waning tone.
Mel grinned. “Just messing with you, look they’ll likely get in a dig or two, but you can take it.”
“Yeah, well at least Gran is no my side.”
“She’s probably mad at you for holding me to Lillian’s contract. I think she’ll be on her best behaviour.”
“Maybe we should have brought Aria.”
“Nah this way if we need to run for the hills, we don’t have to look for her. They are nice people Harry. They just expected more from me that all and they don’t know anything about you.”
Harry sighed. “Couldn’t you have prepped them just a bit?”
“Nah. It more fun this way.”
“For who?”
“Me and Gran, ok. Showtime,” she said as she saw the front door open.”
Harry reached into the back and grabbed the gift he’d brought for Rose’s mother and grandmother. He then offered his arm to his wife. His wife, he thought. He didn’t often think of Rose that way, except when his is trying to make a point across. But he had to admit that it had a nice ring to it. She took his arm, smiled up to him and they headed up to walk to the front stoop of her parents home.Rose immediately performed the introductions.“Mum, Dad, this is Harry,” she said.
“So Harry, you’re the man who married my daughter,” her father said, eyeing him with a mixture of suspicion and disgust.
Harry just nodded. “I did, and for that I’d apologise,” he added, “But I’m not really sorry.”
Rose father was taken aback by his comments, but he realised that Harry was complimenting his daughter. Rose’s mother was the first to speak. “Come on in Harry. We’re glad to finally meet you.”
Harry smiled then. “I do apologise for that. I should have been here sooner than this. But between getting Rose settled in, and work and figuring out how to deal with a child and how to dog proof the house...”
Her father spoke up, harshly. “You should have at least made time to see your wife’s parents.”
Harry agreed. “You’re right. But I am glad to be here now, Mrs. Jameson, these are for you,” he added, holing out the flowers to her.
“They’re lovely, Harry. And please call me Kaylee. Mel, put these in water?”
Mel took them from her mother and moved around her parents. “Sure, Mom.” She added, “Harry, that’s Gran over there, hovering over the martini glass. Gran, this is Harry.”
“You’re even hotter in person than in the papers or you name them. Come in and let me have a look at you,” her grandmother said, peering at him through her glasses. Mel rolled her eyes. “Gran, leave him alone. He’s already a bit scared by all of you.”
“Fine, Harry, can I offer you a martini?” asked her grandmother.
“Take her up on it, trust me you would need it in your system,” Mel called from the kitchen.
“I’d love one,” Harry said to Gran, handling her, the bottle of Brandy. “These are for you.”
She grinned in delight. “Thank you Harry.”
“So, Harry. Tell us about yourself?”
By the time dinner was served, Harry had charmed everyone in her family including her father who Harry had managed to talk him down from not killing him. Mel was glad that the evening was going smooth and at least nobody was going to end up in the emergency room, she thought as her mother looked over at Harry, and asked, “So, Harry. How did you and Mel meet?” Harry looked up in startled surprise, as his eyes flicked over to Rose. “You never told them?” he asked, hoping she’d pick up on his code for HELP.
She shrugged. “Not really. I just told them that Lillian introduced us.”
“Well, looks like you have a lot to thank her for,” her mother said to Mel. Mel glanced over at her grandmother, who was taking healthy sip of her martini in an attempt to smother her laughter.
“So, Harry. Tell us about adjusting to life with Mel and my adorable great-granddaughter?” asked her grandmother. Mel thought she was going to rescue her from the hands of her parents but not make it worst.
But Harry was just saying incredibly kind things. He talked about Aria, and how she loved their little girl and Max. He was telling them how he was lucky to come home to her cooking. About how she looked after the Sullivan’s children and how they adore her. Listening to him, Mel felt cared for, but Harry was talking about her as if he admired her and that he was glad that she was in his life. Gazing over at Harry, she smiled slightly. Mel realised that her parents were bewildered, and that no one had ever talked about her like Harry and they had absolutely no idea how to respond.“Well, who want dessert,” asked her grandmother, who smiled lovely over at Mel and asked her to accompany her to the kitchen.
“Well, Mel.He loved you enough to call you Rose and he valued you more than I can say, so give him a chance to work out his decisions.”
Hours later, Mel crawled back into the car next to Harry and turned to him. “That was absolutely amazing.”
He just looked over at her, puzzled. “What?”
“What you did. I don’t think that I’ve ever seen my family speechless.”
“They love you, but they don’t have any idea who you are because they take you for granted.”
“Except Gran,” Mel said quietly.
“No, even Gran. But she loves you maybe with more strength than your parents. But they need to see you through a different lens sometimes.”
“And that you?”
He smiled slightly. “For now yes.”
“Ok. I can live with that.”
“Good.” he reached out and squeezed her hand as he drove them home. “Do you think Aria would talk to me? He asked.
“I would say just give her time to calm down.”
After that night, Mel felt a little more comfortable in Harry’s presence again. But she still avoided spending a lot of time with him and the tension between they had improved. So when Harry knocked on her bedroom door one evening and told her to accompany him to a charity event, she just nodded.
“A cocktail dress would be fine.”
She sighed and walked toward him leaning on the doorframe. “Can I get away with something I’ve worn before?” she asked.
Harry looked down at her, in a pair of short pants and t-shirt, and fought back the sudden want that consumed him. Even in casual wears she drew him in. When he raised his eyes to hers, she took a step back as she saw the needs that reflected on his eyes.Harry closed his eyes, willing himself to stay where he was, even when he wanted to pull her toward him, close his mouth over hers, and drag her to her bed.
“I don’t think so, Rose. Why can’t you just wear the clothes that I brought for you?”
She shrugged. “It doesn’t feel right; I have money to buy things for myself, Harry. I could wear a black dress and nobody will notice.”
Harry reached out gently and lifted her face until she was looking at him in the eye. “Rose, they’ll notice. I was wrong when I said before that nobody would. People watch you more then they watch me. They watch you closely because they like you. They miss you when you’re not there.”
“Okay I would be ready on Saturday night.”
“Goodnight,” she said softly, shutting her bedroom door and leaning against it. Damn, he made her want him, he made her wasn’t to rush into his arms and demand that he makes love to her for as long as he is interested. She stayed for a long time leaning on the door, knowing that if she moved, she might go in the wrong direction.