What a shame there hadn't been time to ask her father for her hand. But that didn't make sense. Cole hadn't even known her yesterday, wouldn't have ever sought her out if not for his grandmother's wish.
"Thank you, Mr. Davis." He shook her father's hand, a strong handshake from the kind of man Cole would have loved to have had around when he was a kid.
"Call me John."
Anna's mother turned and walked into the kitchen and Anna stiffened against him.
"Go," he said in a low voice that only she could hear.
But when her hand slipped out of his, he found he already missed her. Not just the soft press of her curves, but the sweet pleasure of holding her hand in his, of knowing that he could fall back into pass coverage if she needed his support.
But he didn't have long to dwell on the thought, not with seven people he was now temporarily related to all peppering him with questions and compliments.
* * *
"Are you mad at me?" Anna asked her mother. "Should I be?"
Anna's mother, Jackie, had always been there for her daughters with a hug and smile and chocolate. And, sometimes, when they needed it most, tough love.
Anna wished there was something for her to do in the kitchen, for some place to put her hands and eyes so that she wouldn't completely give herself away.
"I know my marriage is really unexpected, Mom."
"Do you love him, Anna?"
She met her mother's gaze on a swift intake of breath. It was the one question she'd hoped no one would ask, the one thing she'd hoped they wouldn't pick up on from her explanation.
"He's a wonderful man."
A man who would do anything for his grandmother--including finding a nice stranger and marrying her--couldn't possibly be bad. Even the fact that he'd lied to her no longer seemed all that bad. Not when she herself was doling out the lies by the bucketful.
"That wasn't what I asked." Her mother nailed her with a sharp glance. "Do you love him?"
Anna didn't know how to lie, not to one of the people who loved her more than anything else in the world.
But just as she was about to say, "I don't know," she realized it wasn't true.
Oh my God, she was falling in love with him.
She was only vaguely aware of her own gasp, of her mother's arms coming around her.
"Oh, Anna. You always were different."
Anna's chest clenched. "And you've always felt sorry for me." At her mother's shocked look, Anna forced herself to step away. "The rest of your kids were all tall and blonde, they were all so popular, had so many dates, and won so many awards. I've never fit in, no matter how hard I tried."
"Anna, honey, I can't believe you think that."
But twenty-nine years was an awfully long time to hold it all in, and now that the dam had cracked, she couldn't keep it all from gushing out. "I picked out a new J name for myself when I was in first grade. Jennifer. But I never had the guts to tell you I wanted to change Anna so that I could be like the rest of you. Plus, I knew it wouldn't be enough. I'd still be me."
She hated the spike of tears in the corner of her eyes. Damn it, for once she was going to be strong. Cole had helped her leap last night, showed her the strength--and adventurousness--she hadn't seen in herself every time he made love to her. And no matter how much it was going to hurt when their marriage ended and they went their separate ways, she'd always be grateful to him for that gift.
Tonight she was going to have to take what she'd learned and trust that she knew how to fly on her own.
"You were Anna, honey, right from the start, right from the first time I held you in my arms. I'm sorry you didn't feel that you belonged. But you always did. Your differences have always been special. Precious to me and your father and your sisters."
Anna had needed to hear that for so long, she could barely take it in. And yet, at the same time, she couldn't just back down. Not this time.
"You're right, Mom. I am different. And this is how I want to live my life. Cole is my husband. I'm his wife. I'm sorry you didn't meet him before now, but he's here tonight."
The pain in her mother's eyes had her on the verge of an apology. And then her mother said, "Well, one thing's for certain. He's very good-looking," and Anna knew that her mother was trying to mend the hole in their relationship any way she could. This was her way of saying she'd accept Cole, if that was what her daughter wanted.
* * *
Cole stood in the doorway and watched Anna laugh with her mother. Tension rode him from what he'd seen, what he'd heard. Her mother was right. Anyone could see that Anna was different from the rest of her family. Not just the first letter of her name, not just her looks, but her spirit.
So full of sweetness it took his breath away.
She turned and saw him, then, pleasure lighting her eyes as she held out her arm for him.
And as he walked toward his wife and took her in his arms, he wanted her with an intensity he hadn't known he could feel.
But most intense of all, far more intense than his desire for her, was pride at the magnificent woman he held in his arms.
Anna was brave. Compassionate. Sexy as hell.
And all his.
* * *
Two hours later, they were back in his car. Anna hadn't said much through dinner and every minute that he'd been answering questions about his career, about the Outlaws' Super Bowl prospects this season, he'd been watching over her, keeping her hand safely in his whenever he could. She hadn't pulled away, but hadn't held on too tight, either. Still, he'd known that small connection helped. "You okay?" He reached over, stroked his thumb across the sensitive skin inside her wrist.
"I think so." The moonlight was just bright enough for him to see her small smile. "You were great, Cole. Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me for anything, Anna." Hell, he was the one who should be down on his knees thanking her. "And your family is great. Really great."
She made a soft sound of agreement, her eyes closing at the stop light. Cole sat at the empty intersection long after the light turned green.
They hadn't done enough sleeping the night before for him to get an opportunity to watch her like this. Her pretty face relaxed, her eyelashes long and curved across her cheekbones. The pulse moving evenly at the side of her neck.