She waved her father’s concern away. “There isn’t much to do.”
She had to make that perfectly clear upfront. Her parents had always dreamed of giving her as elaborate a wedding as Alex’s, but with her seeming to be a bachelorette for life, she’d long thwarted them. If she gave them half a chance, they’d go all out. Ivan, too, would go to lengths she couldn’t even conceive of to give her a legendary ceremony if she let him.
“We’re going to keep it very simple.” Before her parents or Ivan could voice any objections, she added, “I actually didn’t want a wedding at all.”
Because of Alex went unspoken but heard by all.
“When Ivan proposed a few hours ago I suggested we just inform you over dinner and elope.” At everyone’s gasps, she reached for Ivan’s hand. “So you’ve got Ivan to thank that we’ll have a wedding. He insisted that Alex wouldn’t have wanted us to get married without one. But even had everything been perfect, I’m not one for frills, as you all know. I just want a gathering where everyone we love would be present.”
She had to stop to swallow the bitterness that would now perpetually fill her throat. They’d both have to bear his parents’ presence at their wedding, smile and pretend that everything was okay.
“Thank you, Ivan.” That was her mother, turning to Ivan, her gaze filled with so much Anastasia couldn’t fathom. Though she could guess. This was the man who’d saved her daughter, would now marry her and become a new son, after she’d lost her own. It must be all emotionally tumultuous for her. “I doubt any of us would have been able to change Ana’s mind.”
Ivan gave such a gracious smile. “It’s my pleasure and privilege, Mrs. Shepherd. Quite literally.”
“Please, call me Grace.” Her mother gave Ivan a wary, wavering smile. “And thank you for giving us the chance to see Ana becoming a bride.”
Fixing her with a warm gaze, he covered the hand she had placed on the table. “Every mother and father should be there when a man offers his heart and life to their daughter.”
A murmur of appreciation went around the table as another wave of searing love filled Anastasia’s heart.
She was on the verge of tears, when Ivan’s father, who’d been her beloved Uncle John until a few hours ago, rose to his feet, his face splitting on a delighted smile. “We need to toast the bride and groom!”
Ivan’s mother, Aunt Glenda to her, and until so recently almost as close to Anastasia as her own mother, followed her husband, enthusiastically sweeping around the table and filling everyone’s glasses with the sparkling white wine her father had selected to go with the seafood.
As she filled Ivan’s glass, she squeezed his shoulder, looking down at him in such awe and affection. “You’re going to be as good as my son-in-law, too, do you know that?”
Anastasia winced at the sight Ivan made with the woman who’d abandoned him, the skewer in her heart turning as she realized their green eyes were almost the same.
She battled to keep tears at bay as he looked up at his mother. Then he made it almost impossible when his face shockingly gentled as he patted her hand, the same unexpected and agonizing kindness in his voice. “Anyone who loves Anastasia can count on me as the best relative they can have.”
Looking delighted, his mother beamed down at him. “And as the one Anastasia loves most you’re going to be deluged in new relatives yourself. Good thing you can’t have enough family!”
Fiery indignation on his behalf lashed her, flinging the sharp words out of her mouth. “Ivan doesn’t have any family.”
Ivan raised his glass to her, his gaze soothing her. “The only important thing to me is that I’ll now have one with you, my love.” He looked around the room, his gaze containing nothing but genuine geniality. “And clearly many extensions, too.”
She nodded tightly, letting him pull her back from the brink, gratitude engulfing her that he was giving her the opportunity to make it all up to him for the rest of her life.
But as if to further inflame her, his mother touched his shoulder again, her eyes probing, pained. “Are you an orphan?”
There was no use. She couldn’t hold back. And she didn’t.
“Worse. His parents abandoned him.”
His parents had the gall to look horrified.
Then Aunt Glenda whispered, “That’s terrible. Were you very young? What happened to you?”
Clearly deciding to put an end to this, Ivan rose and turned to his parents with an easy smile Anastasia had no idea how he managed. “As you can see I far more than survived. Now I found the biggest part of my soul and I am the happiest man on earth.”