Fight for Love by E. L. Todd Page A

is you.”
    “I love my job but it doesn’t come off good.”
    “Who cares if they don’t like you, Ryan. Janice loves you no matter what.”
    “That doesn’t matter. I need them to like me. It’s important.”
    “They are going to love you.”
    He didn’t seem convinced.
    “Pretend that you are talking to me.”
    “So I’ll be a smartass the whole time and call them all brats?”
    I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
    Janice came over to us and looked at Ryan. “Don’t be nervous, okay?”

He said nothing.
    “If my entire family said they hated you, refused to let me date you, and threaten to ostracize me if I chose to stay with you, I would still be with you. Don’t worry about it.”
    “That’s still a situation I want to avoid.”
    She grabbed his face and kissed him. “You’ll be fine.”
    He took a deep breath. “Okay.”
    She grabbed his hand. “Now let’s go.”
    We walked to the front door and Janice knocked on it.
    “She’s here!”
    “Janice is here!”
    I smiled when I heard the excitement on the other side of the door.
    The door opened and we saw an older woman with blond hair and blue eyes. Clearly this was her mother. “My baby!” She grabbed Janice and hugged her tightly. “So beautiful!”
    Ryan smiled as she watched them hug.
    Her mother placed her hands on her cheeks. “Missed you so much, baby.”
    “I missed you too, mama.”
    “Come in,” her mother said.
    We walked inside the parlor and her mother hugged her again.
    Her dad came inside, a tall man with green eyes, and embraced Janice. “What a great surprise.” He held her for a long time.
    Her mother looked at us. “I’m so sorry for being rude. I was just so excited to see Janice. I’m Erin.”
    Ryan nodded. “Hello, I’m Ryan.”
    “Your Janice’s boyfriend?”
    “Yes,” he said with a confident voice.
    “Wow,” she said as she looked him up and down. “She has good taste.”
    Ryan blushed, unsure what to say. “Uh—yeah—thanks.”
    Mike laughed and I elbowed him in the stomach to make him stop.
    Erin looked at me. “And who are you?”
    “I’m Janice’s friend. I used to work with her at R and R.”
    “Uh,” she said in a disgusted voice. “I don’t want to talk about that place.”
    I nodded, totally understanding her request. “And I’m Ryan’s sister.”
    “Oh,” she said in surprise. “I can see the similarities.”
    “Yeah, I’m just better looking,” Ryan said with a smile.
    I smiled at him, glad that he was being himself.
    Erin laughed and touched him on the shoulder.
    “And I’m Mike,” he said as he extended his hand.
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said with a smile.
    “He’s my brother-in- law—almost,” I explained.
    “That’s wonderful,” Erin said. “And where is your fiancé?”
    “Uh, he couldn’t come,” I said quickly.
    Ryan gave me a sad smile.
    Erin did n’t push it. “Well, I hope you’re hungry.”
    “I’m always hungry,” Ryan said.
    “I would think so,” she said as she looked at him. “Being as tall as you are.”
    Ryan blushed again.
    Janice came back to him. “Daddy, this is Ryan, my boyfriend.” She hooked her arm through his then stared at him with love and affection in her eyes.
    Ryan shook her father’s hand. “Thank you for inviting me into your home.”
    “Of course,” her dad said with a smile. “Thank you for coming. I’m Scott.”
    “Who’s this?” a woman said as she walked past her dad. She was tall, thin, and blond just like Janice. She looked a little younger. I assumed it was her sister. She was beautiful like Janice with crystal blue eyes.
    Janice held Ryan tighter. “He’s mine,” she said with a smile.
    “Ooh,” her sis ter said. “You got any brothers?”
    Ryan blushed for the third time, and their father rolled his eyes. “Don’t ever have girls,” he said as he looked at me.
    “I’ll remember that,” I said.
    “Since my daughter is so rude, I’ll introduce her. This is