Chapter 39

JAMES

The realization that I'm going to be a dad again hits me like a freight train. But in the best way possible. I can't believe I'm going to spend the rest of my life with Anna, Olivia, and our new little one on the way.

~The rest of my life~…

~But she could always leave~…

~But I don’t want her to leave. I want her with me forever.~

~

I glance at the clock—it's still early. Lunch hasn't arrived yet. I'm sure Jack and Becca won't mind watching Olivia for a bit. Her treatment is finally working without making her so damn sick all the time.

Sure, she's still not well, but she's not throwing up everything she eats, and she's not in constant pain.

~Those awful screams~…~ I’ll never erase the image of my baby girl in pain from my mind. Never~…

~And all I can do is sit here and hold her through it. If I could take away the pain. I would. I really would, in a heartbeat. I’d bear the pain for her.~

~

I look over at Anna, cradling our baby girl. I could watch this forever—I want it to last forever. I need to marry this woman. I need to do it now!

Jack and Becca are sitting next to my girls. Jack hasn't stopped smiling, kissing Becca, and rubbing her still-flat belly. He's over the moon. This truly means everything to him.

“Anna, can we head into town for a bit? I need to pick up a few things,” I suggest.

“You want me to come?”

~Well, yes. If I plan to propose and get married, I need you there.

~

But I can't exactly tell her that, can I?

“Well, yes. It would mean a lot to me. Please? I’m sure your parents would love to watch Olivia for a couple of hours,” I say, smirking knowingly.

Her face lights up and she bites her lower lip.

~Someone's feeling frisky.

~

“Mom? Dad?” Anna asks.

“Sure, go. Have fun. It’s not like you can get more pregnant,” Jack teases, rolling his eyes.

“Don’t give us that attitude, Dad. You’re loving this,” Anna retorts.

“I am, aren’t I?” he admits with a broad grin.

Anna and I kiss our sleeping little girl goodbye. We grab our coats—it's been a bitterly cold February—and head out the door.

I take Anna’s hand as we leave the hospital and walk into town.

“So, where are we going?” she asks.

“Well, I have a feeling you’re going to love it. But you might also want to hit me,” I tell her, squeezing her hands.

She raises an eyebrow. “James Brown, what have you done?” she asks, her voice stern.

I sigh and look her straight in the eye. “So, A. You know I love you, right?”

She gives me a nervous nod. “I do.”

“Well, I don’t want to ever lose you. I want to stop fearing that you might leave me one day.”

Her eyes widen. “James, what are you talking about?”

“I want you to be mine forever.”

“But I am yours, babe. What are you talking about?”

“Anna, I mean legally, and in every sense of the word. And I want it now.”

Her eyes widen and she covers her mouth. “You want to get ~married~?” she gasps.

I nod. “I do, I really do. No more doubts. Just us, right now.”

“What? Now?!”

“Yes, now. Just legally—we can have a ceremony when Liv gets better and after the baby arrives. What do you say, A? Will you marry me?” I ask, my voice sincere.

I don’t get down on one knee. I might be the jerk right now, but I know Anna. She doesn’t care about all that, she just cares about me. She loves me like I love her.

All the movie-style grand gestures aren't her thing. And I love that about her.

“Of course I will marry you!” she squeals, jumping into my arms. I spin her around, lifting her as I kiss her passionately.

“So, where are we going?” she asks.

“The jewelers, and then the courthouse,” I reveal.

A nervous giggle escapes her. “Is it even possible for us to get married right now?” she asks, her voice small.

“I’ll call my dad and ask him to pull some strings. We’ll go pick out an engagement ring and wedding rings while Dad works his magic. After that, we can get married.”

“Let’s go,” Anna says, tugging me along.

Can you believe this? I'm a CEO. Women throw themselves at me. They all want a piece of James Brown, CEO of JB—usually, that piece is either money or sex. But not this woman—this woman just wants me.

She doesn’t want my money or a lavish wedding. She wants to be mine, just like I want to be hers. Nothing more, nothing less.

As we walk, I call my dad.

“Hey, son,” he greets me.

“Hi, Dad…”

I can practically feel him rolling his eyes. “What do you need?” he asks.

“A favor. Like, a big favor,” I tell him.

“What kind of favor?”

“I need you to get me a marriage license and anything else we might need. For like, an hour from now,” I say quickly.

“You need WHAT?!”

“I want to marry Anna, and I want to do it now. I don’t want to lose her or Liv. I want her to be mine. Please, Dad. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“Alright, I’ll handle it. It’s not a big deal, I’ll ring up the mayor. Your license would’ve been the tricky part, but it’s free wedding day at the courthouse today,” my dad assures me.

I can’t help but smile. “Guess I picked a good day to pop the question, huh?”

“Are you certain about this, James?” he questions, his tone serious.

“Yes, Dad. I’m certain. I’ve loved her for ages. Now with Liv, I can’t risk losing them. Even if it’s just a piece of paper, I need Anna to be mine.”

“Okay, son. I’ll make it happen. I’ll get it sorted soon,” he concedes with a sigh.

“Thanks, Dad. I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah…,” he teases.

~Just you wait, Dad. You’re about to be a grandpa again.

~

I hang up the call. Anna is watching me, her face lit up with a huge smile. “We’re really doing this?”

“I want to marry you, Anna. I’ve always wanted that. We can have the big wedding later, but I need you to be mine right now,” I confess.

“I don’t need a big wedding, babe. You know me, I don’t want all that fuss. I just want you. I don’t need flashy rings or any of the other frills.

“I love you for you,” she says, her gaze locked with mine.

God, I love this woman.

We pull up to a quaint local jeweler’s. It has a vintage charm that I know Anna will absolutely adore.

“This one,” Anna decides, pointing at the store. Our town doesn’t have many jewelers, but this one has the most character.

The door chimes as we step inside, and just as I predicted, the place is brimming with authenticity and vintage charm. Everywhere you look there are antique tables and art pieces that you’d typically find at auctions or in your great-grandmother’s attic.

Thankfully, the place doesn’t smell like a great-grandmother’s attic.

Anna heads to the counter to browse the rings and other jewelry. There’s a variety of rings, some gold, some silver. But silver isn’t for Anna. Everything about her screams gold.

Rose gold, to be precise.

“Hello, how can I assist you?” an elderly woman asks her.

She looks exactly as you’d imagine. She’s dressed in a floor-length yellow skirt paired with a dark blue blouse. A beautiful string of pearls adorns her blouse.

“Well,” Anna begins, “I’m in the market for wedding rings.” She glances at me.

“Oh! Well, congratulations,” the woman exclaims, eyeing Anna’s fingers.

“We’re also looking for an engagement ring,” I interject before she can pass judgment. We don’t need that.

“Oh, how romantic!” she squeals, throwing her hands in the air. She presents a variety of rings in different shapes and colors, but I’m already set on the color I want.

“Gold wedding rings,” I inform the saleslady. Anna raises an eyebrow at me, but she shrugs her shoulders. She probably thinks I’m just being picky, but in reality, I’m just saving us all some time.

Silver just won’t suit Anna.

“I really like this one,” I say to Anna, pointing to a ring in the men’s gold section. It’s simple, yet rustic. Tiny filaments that resemble a rose bush wind around the outside of the ring.

“I do like it for you, babe. And it reminds me of Olivia,” she comments.

Of course it would remind her of Olivia.

~Olivia Rose Johnson-Brown.

~

“Olivia?” the saleslady inquires.

“Yes, our daughter,” I inform her with a smile.

“Oh, how lovely. How old is she?”

Anna beams. “She’s three.”

The lady gives us a slightly suspicious look but decides not to pry. Much appreciated.

“Oh, well. This ring is quite suitable for the gentleman. I do have a matching one for the lady. It features a couple of roses in rose gold as well.”

The saleslady brings them out for a closer inspection, and I have to admit, they are a perfect match. I glance at Anna and the sparkle in her eyes tells me everything I need to know.

“Okay, these two,” I tell the saleslady, laughing.

“Okay. I’ll take your measurements and size them up. But you still need to select an engagement ring.”

As she measures Anna’s finger, I peruse the engagement rings.

Some are too ostentatious for Anna, others too plain. But then a rose gold ring with a bright oval-shaped diamond catches my eye. The diamond has a slight bluish hue and is surrounded by smaller diamonds.

It’s perfect. Not too big, not too small. It’s just right for Anna.

The saleslady approaches me. “And have you made a decision?” she whispers.

“Yes,” I confirm with a nod as I point to the ring I’ve chosen.

“Oh, that’s perfect for her,” she gushes.

“I know, it really is.”

“Okay, I’ll take your measurements and adjust the rings. You’ll be out of here within half an hour.”

“Oh, wow! That fast?” I exclaim.

She nods. “The rings only need a slight adjustment.”

“Thank you so much,” I express.

“You’re very welcome.”

A little while later we exit the store and head towards the courthouse.

“So, are you ready for this?” I ask her.

“Yes!” she exclaims. “I am, but—” She halts mid-stride. “We forgot the engagement ring,” she realizes.

But I didn’t forget.

She shrugs her shoulders. “But it’s okay, I don’t need one,” she says as she resumes walking.

“Is this the kind of engagement ring you had in mind?” I ask, pulling out the ring I’d been carrying around in my pocket. I hadn’t planned on proposing in a store.

“Wow,” she gasps, her hand flying to her mouth. “That’s—wow…”

“Don’t you like it?” I ask, glancing at the ring.

“I love it, babe. But how much did this set you back? It must have cost a fortune. I don’t want you spending that much on me,” she says, shaking her head.

“Don’t worry about it, A. It wasn’t that pricey,” I reassure her.

~I bet other women would have demanded something ten times more expensive.~

It was only eight hundred and fifty dollars. “You’ll be wearing it for the rest of our lives. It’s worth every cent,” I tell her, planting a kiss on her head.

“Okay,” she agrees, and I slide it onto her finger. It fits perfectly, of course.

“It’s perfect,” she murmurs, staring at it in awe.

“Well, since we’re here,” I say, gesturing towards city hall.

She laughs—you’ve got to love small towns. Everything is within walking distance.

“Let’s get married,” I suggest. I take her hand and lead us into city hall.

Normally, it would take weeks to arrange everything, but we manage to do it in a matter of hours.

~Thanks, Dad!~

I receive a text from Dad instructing us to go straight to the mayor. I knock on the door marked with a small plaque that reads ~Mayor~.

~This must be the mayor’s office.~

The door swings open. “Ah, James Brown,” the man greets, looking at me.

“Hello, mayor, thanks for doing this.”

“It’s no problem,” he dismisses with a wave of his hand. “So, who’s the lucky lady?”

I pull Anna forward.

“Anna Johnson,” he recognizes. “It’s been a while since I've seen you.”

“Hello, Mayor Willard. I've been out of town,” she replies.

“Yes, I’ve heard. How are your parents?” he inquires.

“They are great,” she responds. No need to delve into the recent happenings.

“Good to hear. Okay, let's get this show on the road,” he declares.

We take our seats across from him.

“Normally, I would conduct a full ceremony, but I get the feeling you two are eager to skip to the important part,” he surmises.

Anna shoots me a smile as I nod in agreement with the mayor. “We just want to get this done.”

“Alright. Anna Johnson, do you take James Brown to be your lawfully wedded husband?” he asks her.

Anna’s cheeks turn a soft pink. “I do.”

“James Brown, do you take Anna Johnson to be your lawfully wedded wife?” he asks me, his tone serious.

“I do!” I respond, a bit too quickly. I can’t tear my gaze away from my soon-to-be wife.

“Alright. Do you have rings?”

I present the rings to him.

“Okay, you may now exchange the rings,” he instructs, crossing his arms over each other.

We comply with his instructions. It may be a small wedding, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is a day I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

I don’t care that Anna isn’t in a wedding dress, all that matters is that she’s becoming mine.

Sure, I’d love to see her in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle with her father. But for now, this is more than enough.

“Okay, now you can each sign this,” he says, handing us a simple marriage agreement and license.

We sign it and I return the pen.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife!” he announces.

“Really?!” Anna squeals.

“Yes, you are now Anna Brown,” he confirms nonchalantly. But damn, my last name sounds good on her.

Her eyes widen. “Oh, God. This is so surreal,” she murmurs, running her hands through her hair and shaking her head.

But she doesn’t look disappointed. The smile on her face says it all. She’s happy. Very happy.

“Are you happy?” I ask her, tracing my finger over her rings.

~My wife.~

“I’m so happy. I’m happy you finally got your head out of your ass and asked me. I’ve waited three years for you, James Brown! It took you long enough!”

“Well, I’m all yours now, Anna Brown. Forever. I’m never letting you go, ever again.”