Grace couldn’t wait to tell Devin the news. The offer from Anderson Enterprises was in her backpack, and she could choose to work in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or Washington, DC. Devin had mentioned three of the four as possibilities for his new job, so things had to work out.
The financial package was more than she had hoped for, and she could already imagine house shopping with him. She made her way through the airport to the security checkpoint, grinning when she saw Devin waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Her footsteps quickened, and she practically ran into his embrace.
“I missed you,” he said, his voice low.
“I missed you too.” She saw the redness in his eyes and narrowed her own. “Have you gotten any sleep lately?”
“Had a paper I needed to finish by this morning,” he admitted. “Tomorrow’s a study day, so I can sleep in for a change.”
He took her bag from her with one hand and kept his other firmly around her waist. “Do you have more luggage?”
“No. Just this.” She managed to keep her news contained until they made it out to his car. As soon as they were settled inside, she turned to face him. “You aren’t going to believe what happened.”
“What?” he said, sounding as excited as she was.
“Anderson Enterprises offered me a job, and they’re giving me a choice of four cities to work in.”
“Grace, that’s fantastic.”
“Have you met with your personnel officer yet? Do you know where they want you to work?”
“They’re still trying to work a few things out. How soon do you have to let Anderson know which city you want?”
“I have to tell them in three weeks. I figure you’ll already be working by then.”
“Probably.” He kept his focus on the road, and Grace felt unease creep in.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“I’m just tired.” He managed a smile. “I’m glad you’re here though. My world doesn’t feel complete when you’re not with me.”
“I feel the same way. I can’t wait until we’re both living in the same house together.”
“I know what you mean.”
* * *
Devin walked into his apartment to the scent of chili and an underlying aroma of lemon furniture polish. He looked around. Several white moving boxes were stacked against the far wall, neatly labeled, and his few pieces of furniture gleamed from a fresh dusting.
“Oh, you’re home.” Grace emerged from the kitchen and greeted him with a kiss. “How did your final go?”
“Okay.” He linked his fingers around her waist. “I can’t believe it. I’m done. No more school. No more studying. No more tests.”
“Don’t gloat too much. I still have five more weeks.”
“Sorry.” He leaned down and kissed her. “But I have to celebrate a little bit. This is big stuff.”
“You’re right. It’s huge. What do you want to do to celebrate? I made chili, but we can go out if you want to.”
“I’d much rather stay in.” He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. The moment her breath caught, he deepened the kiss. How many times would they be together like this before he had to leave her behind? How many days and weeks and months would it be until they could settle into a home together?
He knew he should tell her the truth, but more than anything, he needed this weekend to get his bearings. His parents would arrive tomorrow, and he wanted to present a united front when they learned he was keeping Grace in his life.
Pushing those thoughts aside, he circled Grace toward the bedroom.
She pulled back and motioned to the kitchen. “What about dinner?”
“We can eat later.” He kissed her again. “Much later.”
* * *
Grace’s hair was still wet from the shower when the doorbell rang. The oddity of answering her husband’s door struck her as she turned the knob. When she saw the stunned expressions of the couple standing on the other side of the threshold, she realized she may have made a mistake in not letting Devin answer it himself.
“Grace.” Catherine’s cool tone vibrated on the crisp spring air. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Shanahan.” Flustered, she stepped back and motioned them inside. “Please come in. I’ll tell Devin you’re here.”
They stepped inside, and she had no sooner closed the door than Devin called out, “Hon, do you know where my white shirt is? I can’t find it.”
“It’s hanging in the bathroom,” Grace called back. She started toward the bedroom, but she had taken only two steps before Devin appeared bare chested in the doorway, shirt in hand. He was so focused on her, he didn’t notice the newcomers.
“Why was my shirt in the bathroom?”
“I hung it there after I ironed it.” She shifted her gaze to his parents and felt his tension rise the moment he saw them.
Devin shrugged his arms into his shirt. “Mom. Dad. What are you doing here? I thought you were going to meet me at graduation.”
“We thought we would drive over with you. We didn’t realize you had company,” Boyd said, looking past Grace.
“Grace’s spring break was last week. She stayed a couple extra days to be here for my graduation.”
“I see.”
Devin motioned to the couch. “Why don’t you sit down and make yourselves comfortable while Grace and I finish getting ready.”
Grace felt her cheeks heating beneath the Shanahans’ glares.
Devin took her hand and pulled her into the bedroom, closing the door between them and his parents.
“I’m so sorry,” Devin whispered. “I had no idea they were going to show up here.”
“I thought you talked to them,” Grace said uneasily. “Do they even know we’re married?”
“Yeah, they know.”
The tone of his voice and his parents’ reaction added up, and Grace managed to put the complete picture together. “They don’t want you to stay married to me.”
“They’re still getting used to the idea of their only child getting married at all. It’s not you. They’ve never liked any girl I’ve dated.”
“I’m not exactly someone you’re dating. Not anymore.”
“No. You’re the woman I love.” He put his hands on her arms, and reluctantly Grace lifted her eyes to meet his. “They’ll adjust eventually. As for today, we’ll suffer through it together, okay?”
“Okay.”
* * *
Devin prayed for calm when he led Grace out of their bedroom, both of them dressed and ready to go. Surely his parents would remember today was an occasion he had been striving toward for years and was one of the few goals he had set for himself that they had wholeheartedly approved of.
“I thought I made myself clear,” his mother said the moment they stepped into the living room. “This is not a time in your life you should be tying yourself down with marriage.”
“Maybe Grace and I should meet you at graduation. I believe you already have your tickets.”
“We’re not finished discussing this.”
“I never said we were,” Devin replied coolly. “However, I’m ready to walk across the stage and receive my diploma. Everything else you want to discuss will have to wait until after I have accomplished that.”
Devin pulled his car keys from his pocket. “Please lock the door when you leave.”
Taking Grace’s hand in his, he pulled her out the door toward his car.
“You aren’t just going to leave them like that, are you?”
“Yep.” He opened her door for her. “For once, I’m going to do what I need to and I’m not going to let them get in the way of it.”
She studied him for a brief moment before sliding into the car. Once she got in and he was settled beside her, she looked at him. “I don’t want to make this day anything less than perfect for you. I’m so sorry being here has caused issues with your parents.”
“Please, Grace. I don’t want to talk about them right now.”
“Okay. How about we talk about how you’re going to walk away from here today with a degree in your hand with Stanford University scripted across the top.” The cheerfulness in her voice was forced, but he appreciated the effort. “How would you like it framed? Black? Wood? Gold? Silver?”
Some of his tension eased out of him, and he started the car. “You don’t have to frame my diploma.”
“Of course I do. This is huge.” She slipped her shoes off and tucked her feet up under her.
“You’re getting awfully comfortable for a five-minute drive.”
“Habit,” she admitted.
Devin glanced in his rearview mirror, hoping to see his parents preparing to follow him. His hands clutched on the wheel when he saw his apartment door still closed, his parents nowhere in sight.