Better for Us by Vanessa Miller

that?” Ian asked.
    Noel sat down as he looked through the file folder.
    “Was the proposal that bad for you?” Ian continued waiting for Noel to respond.
    “Huh?” Noel glanced up, and then shook his head. “Actually, I enjoyed every minute of it. That is, until my daughter jumped on my back and thanked me for marrying her mother.”
    “What could be so wrong with that?”
    Noel hadn’t yet revealed his plan to have Ryla leave him at the altar to Ian. Since the man was his campaign manager, Noel felt that he owed him the truth. “Sit down, Ian. I have something to tell you that you’re not going to like.”
    Noel spent the next few minutes clueing Ian in on his runaway bride plan. When he was finished, Ian said, “Do you know how many marriages of convenience there are in the political spectrum? Why can’t you just marry the girl and let her move back to Houston?”
    “I can’t do that, Ian. Not even to win an election.”
    Ian shook his head. “I think you’re making a mistake. You’re counting on your constituents giving you the pity vote, but some of them may just assume that Ryla had good reason for not marrying you.”
    “And some of them will feel as if I’m free of a woman who could keep a child from me for seven years.” Noel opened the file he needed to review and began going over information his staff had compiled on some of the campaign donors that would be attending the luncheon today.
    Ian sighed as he sat down in the seat in front of Noel’s desk. “You really need to let go of this bitterness you have against Ryla. She seems like a nice woman, and if you want my opinion, I think she’s still in love with you.”
    Noel glanced up and then pointed at the file he was studying. “Are you sure that David Lewis will be attending the luncheon today?”
    “He confirmed last week, so I believe he’ll be there.” Ian leaned forward and asked, “Did we just change the subject?”
    Noel closed the file and stared at Ian. “Shouldn’t you be happy that I have my mind on the campaign?”
    Ian held up a hand. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad that you’re all-in when it comes to your campaign. I just don’t want you to forget about the issue that is dogging us at the moment.”
    “That issue being...?” Noel asked, in a sarcastic tone.
    Before Ian could answer, there was a gentle knock on the door and then it opened with Ryla and Jaylen peering in. “Is this a good time?” Ryla asked.
    Ian jumped up, with a big smile on his face. “Come on in.” As Ryla and Jaylen walked in, he added, “I hear that congratulations are in order.”
    “Show him your ring, Mom,” Jaylen said as she grabbed Ryla’s left hand.
    Ryla held up her ring finger. “Thank you, I was really surprised with the ring that Noel had chosen. It is absolutely gorgeous.”
    Beautiful was the word Noel was thinking of as he watched Ryla show off her engagement ring. Her makeup was flawless, but if Ryla wore no makeup at all she would still be lovely. It irritated him that he was attracted to her, so instead he gruffly said, “You’re early.”
    Ryla glanced at her watch. “I thought you said the luncheon begins at eleven?”
    “It does. And you made it here at the perfect time. Now you can ride with us to the event,” Ian interrupted.
    Noel stood and approached them. Ian was butting in, trying to smooth things over with Ryla for him, but he didn’t ask for any help. Jaylen ran to her father and he picked her up. “Hey, pumpkin, how are you doing today?”
    “I’m great. Mommy says I get to be the flower girl.”
    “I can’t think of anyone who’d do a better job than you, pumpkin.”
    “I’m going to sprinkle rose petals on the floor for Mommy, just like you did.”
    Noel drifted back to Saturday night when he got down on bended knee and watched tears roll down Ryla’s face as she accepted his proposal. The memory softened him as he spoke to Ryla again.
    Noel put Jaylen down and then said to Ryla,