Austin was nervous, his grandfather was coming over and he needed Andy to get there as soon as she could even if they had to lie to her. Leo had texted Vivian before he called and so she was in on it as well. He guessed waiting until the weekend to tell her the plan would have to be sooner than later.
"Stop it!"
"She's going to hate me, I just know it."
"No she's not, not when she sees your grandfather."
Just then they heard the car pull up to the house. Austin tried not to look desperate, but his grandfather was due any minute and just as he finished that thought, his grandfather's driver pulled up.
Austin pulled the ring out of his pocket and went up to Andy.
"Hey, hurry put this on."
Andy looked down to see the single carat diamond ring.
"Why?"
"Please, do this for me and I swear I will buy you, do anything you want me to do for the next year."
"Austin!"
His grandfather was approaching.
"Please?"
Andy saw the desperation in his face and eyes so she took it, putting it on just as she was turned to come face to face with an older version of Austin.
"Grandfather."
They hugged and then all eyes were on her.
"You must be the fiancé."
Andy almost choked at the words, but she held it on and kept the smile on.
"Andy, nice to meet you sir."
She stepped up and held out her hand, which got her a disgust look.
"She doesn't hug?"
Shit...
"Grandfather be nice."
"I was just being observant. It's not like you to keep her away this long and then all of a sudden I have to hear from your sister that she's here."
Andy looked up at Austin who looked tense and a bit pissed, shooting daggers at Vivian. Wait, was she his sister?
If it wasn't for Andy next to him he would have probably had lost it, but he didn't want to scare her.
"We wanted to surprise you with a dinner, ask you to come over."
"Well I'm here now. I hope you know how to cook young lady."
Andy was about to open her mouth, but she thought better of it when she looked at her brother shaking his head.
"I was just about to get the groceries out of the car."
Leo took the opportunity to get out of there.
"I'll get them."
Andy glared at him knowing exactly what he was doing. Her brother had a great deal of explaining to do.
Andy and Vivian were in the kitchen as they were hearing Austin try to convince his grandfather to invest in the farm. Apparently they were doing okay, but just needed the extra boost to grow.
"Grandfather, I'll pay you back."
"I have no doubt that you will. It's not your ability as a business man that's keeping me from giving you the money, it's your lack of family."
"I'm working on it."
"Keeping your fiancé from me is not a family."
Austin was starting loose it and he knew that Andy could hear them and he was just waiting for her to run in and start protesting.
"Sir, with all due respect, my sister just got here. Could we just give them a couple of weeks to be together?"
Andy froze, looking up at Vivian who was looking like she was about to cry.
"No, the agreement was a year and you're down to your last two weeks. The wedding has been postponed way too long. She is here; all we need is her guest list and her walking down the aisle."
Vivian went up to her and tookt he knife from her hands.
"We were going to tell you."
"When?"
"Tonight, but I accidentally opened my big mouth, I'm sorry."
"So you're his sister?"
"Yeah, I swear I thought you knew."
Andy shook her head and went back to cooking, not saying anything. She was isolating herself, it's the only way for her to control herself, but her thoughts were running over and over again in her head so much that she didn't realize when they finally sat down and started eating.
Leo was trying to analyze his sister's mood, but she wasn't showing anything, in fact she wasn't very talkative except when Austin's grandfather asked her a question. She was always polite and smiled like nothing was wrong, but the minute the conversation went to Austin and Leo, she was back to looking down and being quiet.
"Well that was a very lovely dinner Andy, haven't had that kind of cooking in a very long time."
"I'm glad you liked it. I've packed you leftovers and a piece of pie if you get hungry later."
"How nice of you."
Andy handed over the bag and gave him a hug.
"It was nice meeting you."
Austin watched them as he saw the first smile on his grandfather's face since his grandmother died. He had become a very cruel man, but at this moment he had seen the old grandfather he knew as a kid.
"You take care of my boy and keep him on his toes, he needs a good kick in the ass."
"I'll be happy to kick it once in a while."
Then his grandfather laughed, making everyone wide eyed and shocked except Andy, she just thought this was who he was.
"I like her, Austin you did well; I'll be seeing you two soon?"
Austin stood beside Andy and nodded.
"Of course."
"Good."
Austin walked him out while Andy went to the kitchen to clean up. Leo followed, but kept his distance.
"I didn't know how to ask you."
Andy didn't say anything. What she really wanted was to cry and run, but she had no way of getting out of there at this time of night and she refused to show any emotion.
"Please Andy, I need you to do this... for me."
Austin walked into the kitchen scared out of his mind about what was about to happen, but when he walked in no one was saying anything.
It wasn't until Andy noticed the ring on her finger that the first tear slipped, but she was quick to recover and wipe it away.
"I can get you a bigger one. That's just a loan until we can pick something out together."
Andy then took it off and placed it on the counter before looking up at Austin.
"Is this your home?"
Austin shook his head.
"It's the rancher's house, mine is just on the other side and they are renovating it."
"Andy..."
Leo wanted to explain, but his sister wasn't having it and walked away, going outside. It was then that she saw a couple of men around a campfire.
"I'm sorry for putting you out, but there's plenty of food and pie if you all would like some."
They all got up and took off their hats.
"You must be the boss's little sister and the other boss's fiancé, Andy right?"
Andy smiled and walked down.
"Nice to meet you?"
"Nate. I'm the one in charge of these men here."
"Nice to meet you Nate."
Suddenly she was surrounded and one by one she was introduced to the six men that were waiting for them to leave.
"Well it's really nice to meet you all and like I said, plenty of food."
They all ran up as Andy went to sit down by the fire. Vivian went to talk to her, but Leo stopped her and went out himself.
"I thought that you would understand, that I wasn't trying to hurt you, but securing your life. Austin is a good man, a man that will take care of you."
Andy got up then and was about to walk away when she saw Austin at the top of the stairs looking at her.
"Give me a year and if I haven't made you happy then you're free to go."
"What does being your wife entitle?"
"Everything a normal wife gets. Dinner, dates, joint banking accounts..."
Andy shook her head.
"I don't want your money."
"Grandfather doesn't expect you to work."
Andy's heart dropped.
"Grandfather keeps a tight leash and he's very conservative, believes in old values."
Andy knew what that meant. All her life her mother had taught her the meaning of those values, but she never thought that she would have to use those values with a man she didn't love or chose for herself.
"Do I get a say so on anything?"
Austin took a step down, but Andy shook her head.
"Please just answer the question."
"We go dress shopping tomorrow."
"You're coming with me?"
"I don't have to, but there are rules to the church and your dress has to be..."
"Wait!"
Andy looked at her brother.
"You can't be serious."
"We tried to convince him for a civil union until you two decided what you wanted to do, but he wouldn't have it."
Andy suddenly felt like she was going to pass out and sat back down, placing her head between her legs. A church wedding only meant one thing and that was that the marriage was to last forever. Divorcing the church was uncalled for, for her. What the hell was she going to do?
Everyone watched her wondering what was going through her mind. Then they heard the cry, but Andy was quick to walk away. She needed to be alone, she needed to think. She hated crying, it made her feel vulnerable and out of control and right now it's exactly how she felt.
Leo felt bad that he had hurt his sister, but he really thought he was doing something good for her and for Austin. After their parents died he had abandoned her and he thought that this was his way of making it up to her. Austin was a great man, a man who had helped him cope with his own pain. He was a hard worker, smart and he was all around a great guy, one that he knew his sister would fall in love with in no time.
"You didn't tell her who I was?"
Leo sighed.
"Not now Viv."
Vivian was upset and not just because her husband had lied to her, but she felt really bad for Andy who she could clearly see was struggling with what she should do. She understood her struggle herself because she did the same thing for her brother, but she was told from the beginning and she and Leo had a chance to fall in love before they were married.
"I think you and Austin should stay here tonight. I'll take Andy home with me and see if I can talk to her."
With that, Vivian walked away towards Andy.
"Hey, I'm making the guys stay here tonight, you want a ride home?"
Home... Andy knew she no longer had a home, but she didn't want to stay here.
Andy cried herself to sleep and well over the next morning when Vivian went into her room in a panic.
"Andy?"
Andy sat up to see Vivian pale and scared.
"My water broke."
"Oh my god, when?"
"An hour ago."
"What?! Why didn't you call me sooner?"
"I didn't want to bother you."
Andy quickly got up and took her to the hospital.
"Did you call Leo?"
"No, I'm mad at him."
Andy knew what she was doing, but there was no way he would forgive her if she had the baby without him, so she called him.
"Hello?"
"She's having the baby, meet us at the hospital."
Without another word, she hung up and got her to the hospital in time. She was only three centimeters, but any later and she would be having the baby at home.
It didn't take long before Leo and Austin were running through the doors.
"Oh thank god I didn't miss it."
Vivian was still mad at him and Leo knew it.
"Baby..."
"No, you lied to me."
"I'm sorry."
While Leo tried to get his wife to forgive him, Austin looked at Andy looking like she hadn't slept and the red eyes told him she had been crying. He made his way over to her and bent down to his knees.
"Can we talk?"
Andy looked at him and nodded, but didn't say anything.
"I know you probably hate me right now, but I want you to know that I would have never agreed to do this if I didn't think I could make you happy. When I said that I was waiting for someone to give me the woman I was meant to be with, I meant it. When this came up and your brother suggested you, I have to tell you that I hesitated, but when things weren't working out the way we wanted them too and well the condition was put on me to do this, I don't think I would have picked anyone better than you. Please Andy give me a chance and marry me?"
Andy didn't know what to say to that. A part of her told her that she could potentially loose her heart to this man and get heartbroken at the end of the year, but on the other hand she couldn't walk away from her brother when he needed her the most even if had lied to her. Leo was all the only family she had. She just didn't know what to do, but she didn't have to because Vivian saved her by screaming her lungs out.
Three hours and an eight pound, seven ounce baby later, Andy was an aunt to a beautiful baby girl that Vivian and Leo named Chloe Marie Anderson Caldwell. Andy was completely in love with her. She looked just like her brother except the nose, but she was fine with that.
Austin couldn't stop staring at Andy and the way she looked holding onto his new niece, he could see her holding their own children if god was good enough to give him that right. He really could see himself having that family he's always wanted with her, but she still hadn't answered the question and he was a ball of nerves.
"Alright, it's time for mommy and baby to have a rest."
Andy sighed giving the baby a kiss and then handing her over to the nurse who was smiling at her.
"I think someone is in love."
"I love babies, it's why I studied my butt off to be a neonatal nurse."
"Do you work for a hospital?"
"No, I just moved here."
"Well we're looking."
"Really, oh I would love to work here."
"I'll get you an application."
"Thank you."
This was the first time Andy had been happy since she's been here, but that all changed when she turned to see Austin. Austin smiled, going up to her.
"I'll talk to my grandfather, go apply."
"Really?"
"We'll talk to grandfather on Sunday at dinner."
"But what if he says no?"
"I'm sure you can convince him with another pie."
Austin winked at her, making her smile and that right there would make it worth the talk he was going to have with his grandfather.