34. The Good and The Bad

"Lori, you look beautiful." He twirled me in my knee-length tulle dress, finished off with the necklace that he gave me on our date.

"Thank you James, you also look handsome." Then he turned me around facing the mirror.

"Close your eyes Lori. I got this when I left you at Jeremy's for an errand." I could feel him slipped a ring on my finger.

No...no...no fucking way...

I could feel the weight of the ring on my finger. I still haven't open my eyes. He cupped my face and kissed me softly. I was trying to hold my smile.

"Marry me Lori, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you be my wife?"

It cracked me when he said those words. I was crying on his arms, I was so happy. I couldn't even answered him. He kept on holding my face looking into my teary eyes. "Is that's a yes?" I quickly nodded up and down and hugged him tightly.

"Yes! Yes James! I'll marry you. Oh damn, my make up." I pouted. But then James took my hand and showed me the ring.

"You like?"

"I like baby, thank you. You don't have to buy me this big ass diamond. But I love it James. I love you."

"Hey, I had toned this down from what the sales person was offering me. You wouldn't believe the paper weights they sold as a ring there." We both laughed, then he quickly ushered me to retouch my make up, before we finally left for the vineyard.

We also packed an overnight bag, just in case it got too late for us go home.

*****

We arrived at the vineyard fifteen minutes late, but he was happy. He didn't even look at his watch not even once when we were on our way to the vineyard. I was liking this side of him, he was more relax and was smiling a lot.

His mom greeted us at the entrance. "Oh my god James, are you okay? You're fifteen minutes late. Did something happen?! Are you okay Lori?" She was frantic to say the least, I guess she expected that he would always be on time.

"Evening mom. I'm good. I just got engaged." The he pulled me closer for a hug and kissed my cheek, making me blushed.

"Oh my god! James you scared me! Oh Lori! Congratulations you two. Come on in then, I want to show her off to my friends." She pulled us in for a very tight hug, as we both said thank you to her.

She pulled me close to her. "Oh my god Lori! Thank you, I knew you were the one. He even got here late and looked happy. Our grumpy son is happy now." She hugged me again and hugged James again too.

Then her husband joined in on us and she told him about our news. Then there were more hugs for us from his dad.

"You will start calling me mom. I wouldn't take no for an answer." She hugged me again.

Then I felt James hand, tighten on my waist. I looked at him but his eyes were focus on my parents.

"Crap!" I muttered lowly. I was about to get away but James hold me still in place next to him. He whispered in my ear. "We will deal with this now. You will be my wife, I will take care of you."  I relaxed to his chest and sighed.

His parents were looking at us. "Something wrong son?" She asked as she saw my paled expression.

"Her parents, the Mathews." He pointed his gaze to their direction. "Never saw them in this events before. She didn't get along with them, they abandoned her after their divorce and lived off with their new families." He tighten his hold on my waist and then traveled his hand to my arm and embraced my shoulder protectively.

"Oh honey." Then his mom pulled me into hers.

They were coming our way.

"Lorraine, darling. Seemed like we kept on seeing each other. I thought you were still with Richard, what happened to that young man?" I can feel James was tensing behind me, he was about to reply to my father. When I wrapped his hand in mine, and shook my head no.

"Father, Richard had broken up with me the day his mother knew about your divorce. Seemed that being a product of a divorce family was not up to standard for the senator's family. So, thank you father. Now I'm with James, you've met him before. These are his parents Patricia and Jonathan."

"I see, seemed like you've move up the ladder my child. Good for you. But I think, it's better for you to find someone within your age?" Mother joined in our conversation.

My eyes started to get teary. I was boiling, so fucking pissed! My own parents, this was how they judged me. They would always do this to me. I wanted to run, I usually back down when they to this to me. I felt so small in front of them, like I was nothing.

His mother was the first one to stand up for me. "Suzette is it? And Dale right? Seemed like it was a mistake to invite you to our event in the first place. I will have someone to escort you out. Jon, could you please call security. I will not have someone hurt my son's fiance. She will be our daughter soon enough, so you don't have to give any opinion for her decision in the future." She pulled me in to her hug, and took me with her to another room.

"Oh Lori. I'm so sorry I didn't know about your parents." She handed some tissue, and kept on hugging me until James arrived.

"They're gone. I will make sure that they will not be receiving further invitation in our area or even our state. They will have to take their business elsewhere. I'll pull some strings. You're good baby. And thank you mom, you're one mean host for calling on the security like that. I love you." He kissed his mom's cheek then get to my side.

She laughed at him. "I know right, I haven't had this much fun in years. Thank you Lori! Now people would not mess with me." That finally made me laughed.

"Why don't you freshen up then joined me and Jon for more wine tasting yeah? James will wait on you." She kissed and gave me another hug, before she finally left us.

"So, you're good?"

"I'm good James. Your mom is such a bad ass. I love her." I grinned at him. He pulled me for a kiss, that turned really hot in seconds.

"Take me to your room James." I was panting under him. He was smiling wide at me, and grabbed my hand. "Come on, we'll make it a quick one." I laughed but followed behind him.