That's Amore! - Janelle Denison [26]
"What do you expect us to do?" Nyla asked defensively.
"Well, how about meeting me halfway for one thing, and stop resenting me for falling in love with your daughter." Jason's voice was deep and imploring. "If you can't manage that for Leila's sake, then think about the baby we're going to have."
Leila literally felt the pain behind his words, and her heart expanded in her chest, aching for him and the simple acceptance he sought from her parents. Unsure how long this exchange was going to last, she sat down on the bed in the room, waiting for him to continue.
"You know I lost both of my parents and I've been on my own for years now. I know how it feels to be alone and without any family. So being a part of your family is very important to me. I also don't want our children to feel any strife between us. I need them to know that they are loved unconditionally by their grandparents, no matter who their father is."
"And what about us and what we might want?" Nyla said, her voice softening just enough to hint at her own doubts and insecurities. "We'll never get to see this baby, at least not enough to establish a strong relationship so they know and understand their Hawaiian heritage."
"Trust me when I tell you that you'll see your grandchild on a regular basis. I know it's important to the two of you that your grandchildren grow up learning all about their heritage. I honestly want that, too, and I intend to make it happen."
As Leila listened, she realized the inner strength and courage it had taken for Jason to face her parents this way, to put himself out there. Yet he was willing to take that risk. For her. For them.
"All I want from the two of you is to be accepted as part of your family," Jason said. "I hope, in time, you'll be able to do that. And if I can't convince you today that Leila is the love of my life, then I'll just have to spend the next fifty years showing you how much I adore your daughter, and do my damndest to make her happy."
Leila's throat tightened with admiration for this man who would be her husband, and every one of her uncertainties lifted, making her feel light and free and impossibly elated. She loved Jason, with her heart and soul, and she knew that together, they would be able to endure anything.
Wanting Jason to know just how proud of him she was, she threw wedding traditions and superstitions out the window. She grabbed her mother's robe, put it on over her slip, and entered the living room before Jason could leave.
Her mother saw her first and gasped in dismay. "Leila!"
Jason spun around to face her, looking panic-stricken. "You're not supposed to be here, and I'm not supposed to see you before the wedding today."
"I've been here the whole entire time in the back room, and I've heard everything you've said to my parents." She smiled and approached him. "And I'm not the least bit superstitious. Are you?"
His brow furrowed as he thought for a moment. "Well, no."
"Then we have absolutely nothing to worry about." She placed her palm against his jaw and stared deeply into his vivid blue eyes. "I just had to tell you how incredibly proud I am of you for coming here today and facing my parents." And a quick glance in their direction told Leila that he'd earned their respect, albeit begrudgingly. "You are an absolutely amazing man, Jason Crofton, and I'm such a lucky girl to be your wife."
He shook his head and grinned that sexy grin of his. "No, I'm the lucky one."
She tilted her head back and laughed. "Then I'd say we make a perfectly lucky pair." She sighed, a smile of pure joy lifting the corners of her mouth. "And since it's about time you made an honest woman out of me and the baby I'm carrying, let's go get married."
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS SOON AS Jason saw Leila walking arm in arm with her father along the pathway toward him, his breath caught in his chest and his heart soared with emotion.