First Comes Marriage by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Published: 1991-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

Before Janine could respond, Gramps wandered back into the living room, pen in hand.

“So where are those papers you wanted me to sign?” he asked Zach.

With obvious reluctance, Zach tore his gaze from Janine’s. He opened his briefcase and pulled out several papers. “Go ahead and read over these contracts.”

“Do you need me to sign them or not?” her grandfather grumbled.

Once more Zach dragged his gaze away from Janine. “Please.”

Muttering under his breath, Gramps took the documents to the small table, scanned them and quickly scrawled his name.

Janine knew she should leave; the two men probably had business to discuss. But she couldn’t make herself stand up and walk away. Not when Zach had actually admitted that he’d missed her.

Gramps broke into her thoughts. “Janine, I—”

“I was just going,” she said. She clambered to her feet, securing her hold on Michael.

But Gramps surprised her.

“I want you to stay,” he declared. “I wanted to talk to you and Zach. Fact is, I owe you both an apology. Burt and I had a good long talk the other day and I told him how I’d tried to arrange a marriage between the two of you. He laughed and called me an old fool, said it was time I stepped out of the Dark Ages.”

“Gramps,” Janine began anxiously, unwilling to discuss the subject that had brought such contention, “Zach and I have already settled that issue. We understand why you did it and…and we’ve laid it to rest, so there’s no need to apologize.”

“I’m afraid there is,” Gramps insisted. “Don’t worry, Burt pointed out the error of my ways. Haven’t got any new tricks up my sleeve.” He rose to bring Zach the signed papers, then sat wearily in the chair across from them. He’d never looked so fragile, so old and beaten.

“Janine’s a wonderful woman,” Zach said unexpectedly. “I want you to know I realize that.”

“She’s got her faults,” Gramps responded, pulling a cigar from his pocket, “but she’s pretty enough to compensate.”

“Thank you very much,” Janine whispered sarcastically and was rewarded with a grin from Zach. Gramps didn’t seem to hear her; if he had, he was ignoring her comment.

“I only want the best for my granddaughter, but when I approached her about marrying you, she made a big fuss. Fact is, it would’ve been easier to pluck a live chicken. She said she needed romance.” Gramps pronounced the word as if it evoked instant amusement.

“There isn’t a woman alive who doesn’t need romance,” she wailed, defending herself.

“I’m from the old country,” Gramps continued. “Romance wasn’t something I knew about from personal experience, and when I asked Janine to explain, she had some trouble defining it herself. Said it was a tryst on the moors and a bunch of other hogwash. That’s the reason I sent you both to Scotland.”

“We figured that out soon enough,” Zach said dryly.

“As you’ll recall,” Janine found herself saying, “that definition was off the top of my head. Romance isn’t easy to explain, especially to a man who scoffs at the entire idea.

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