And So I Ran - Complete

Chapter 42

I closed the door to my office, immediately going over to my wet bar to pour myself a generous serve of Armagnac. I poured a second for Ray and handed it to him before gesturing for him to take a seat. I pulled up a chair and sat beside him, recognizing now was not the time to alienate him further by showing my power by sitting on the other side of my desk.

Ray sipped the aged brandy, his eyes scanning the room and landing on the large portraits of his daughter. True to my word, I'd hung them in pride of place in my study and seeing this – that I'd hung them, and Ana had let me - seemed to appease Ray. At least a little.

"Ray? I want to start by telling you..."

"You tell me nothing, Grey. Here's how it's going to go. I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen and answer my questions. I don't care who you are. I don't care how much money you have. I don't care what you own. You will never be good enough for my Annie. And now you've got her pregnant!"

Ray's glared at me belligerently.

"How are you planning to support Annie through this? She wouldn't have agreed to have your child unless she loved you. Loved you in a forever type of way. How do you feel about that?"

"She's my everything," I said as honestly as I could. "Did Anastasia mention we were in New York the weekend before last?"

"She might have," Ray admitted, still glaring.

"We flew over there with Kate and my brother Elliot. I'd arranged to go before Ana and I found out about the baby. The girls went shopping, but the real reason for the trip was Elliot and I met with some diamond merchants. Even before I knew Ana was carrying our child, I'd planned to propose."

Ray sipped his brandy, considering my words.

"You haven't been going out very long."

"I know that, and Ana does too. But I haven't got where I am by playing it safe. You're right – Anastasia is far too good for me. But I love her, and by some miracle, she feels the same way about me. I want to make a life with her, Ray. Her and our baby. I want to spend my life making all their dreams come true."

"So, you've bought a ring?"

"I'm having it made for her. I should be getting it in the next few days. I'm going to ask her to marry me either way, but I'd feel a lot happier about it if I knew I had your blessing."

"If she says yes, you keep her happy, you put her and my grandbaby first at every opportunity and you protect them and we won't have a problem. But I'll be watching you, Grey. You might be the new man in her life, but I'm her old man. She's been my girl since I first laid eyes on her, and I won't let anyone mess her around."

"Thank you, Ray. I want you to know I understand the trust you're putting in me. I'm not going to let you down."

Ana was sitting at the table when we came back out, three slices of apple pie waiting for our return. Her eyes darted between Ray and me, trying to get a sense of what had gone down. I don't know if she suspected I'd asked Ray for her hand, and Ray certainly wasn't giving anything away.

"So. A grandbaby. When are you due, Annie?"

"The doctor said March eleven," she replied.

"A spring baby. Guess I'd better start working on a crib, then."

"You want to make our baby a crib?" Ana asked, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Like I'd let my grandbaby sleep in one of those cheap-assed mass produced cribs," Ray scoffed, standing up and embracing Ana as she threw herself into his arms again. "My baby is having a baby of her own. You tell me what you want, and I'll make it."