The Heart's Game (The Kelly Brothers, Book 4) (19 page)

“I didn’t know he had your number.” Over the past couple of months, they’d met up with Jason and Mike for dinner, but she’d never suspected they interacted without her.

“Of course he does. I’ve even played basketball a few times with him and Mike.”

“Hiding any more secrets from me?”

“Maybe.” He opened the door, ignoring the blast of music that greeted them, and waited for her to enter.

The house was packed with her parents’ friends and family, all chatting with each other in Vietnamese. Dozens of voices tried to talk over each other, but the moment Dan closed the door, they all grew silent and turned toward them.

Dan ran his finger along his collar and wore a forced smile.

Jenny tried not to laugh. It must’ve been hard for him to be the only white person with a crowd of Vietnamese looking up at him.

Jason made his way through the crowd and gave her a hug. “
Chúc M
ừ
ng N
ă
m M
ớ
i,
little sis.”

“
An khang th
ị
nh v
ượ
ng,”
she replied, wishing her brother security, good health, and prosperity.

“It’s already going to be a good year.” He laid his hand on her stomach, receiving a kick from the baby, before moving on to shake Dan’s hand. “Happy New Year.”

“The same to you.” His voice sounded tense, strained, as though he was nervous. Normally, he and Jason got along with ease.

Gooseflesh prickled her arms. Something was up, and she suspected the two men had plotted a way to win over her mother.

“Come on in and meet our parents,” Jason said, leading them toward the great room where the family altar was set up.

Her parents stood proudly in front of the table covered with offerings to the ancestors and household gods. Chrysanthemums and peach blossoms flanked the sides, and a large tray with mangos, coconuts, and other fruits sat in the center. Red scrolls adorned with black and gold calligraphy adorned the walls, proclaiming “Happy Spring” and “A Prosperous New Year.” Everything seemed normal for Tết.

Too normal, considering the circumstances.

Jenny forced a smile on her face. “Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend, Dan. Dan, this is my father, Binh, and my mother, Phuong.”

Dan, for his part, seemed to have been well schooled by Jason. He bowed his head politely to her mother, who remained silent, and extended his hand to her father.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” her father said in his quiet, balanced way. “I have heard many good things about you from my son and daughter.”

Her mother remained silent, a sure sign that she was not particularly happy with her daughter bringing a non-Vietnamese man home for such an important occasion. She visually dissected her guest, and the tense lines around her mouth reminded Jenny about their last meeting, when Dan came out of her bedroom half naked.

Jenny’s hands started to tremble. She held up the orchids. “I’ve brought a gift to honor our ancestors.”

Some of the disapproval faded from her mother’s eyes. “You may place it at the altar.”

They stepped aside to let her approach the table. She placed the pot on the table and knelt before it, praying to her ancestors that her parents would learn to love Dan as much as she did.

***

Dan stood behind Jenny as she sat on the floor with some of the children and tossed the three dice. She’d explained that
B
ầ
u cua cá c
ọ
p
was a traditional game played on Chinese New Year, and after watching it for a while, he realized it was a simple version of craps. Each die had an animal on the side that corresponded to the animals on the board. The players would all place bets on what animals they thought would show up on the next roll. The more times the animal showed up, the more they won.

Jenny was the only adult playing, but it didn’t seem to matter to her. She seemed far more at ease with the children than the other adults. Her laughter was infectious, and her smile lit up the room. He wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her every time she looked up at him, but he’d been warned by Jason that public displays of affection between members of the opposite sex were considered taboo.

He reached into his pocket instead, no longer missing his lucky die since giving it to her months ago. Tonight, however, his fingers wrapped around the small velvet box he’d brought with him. Jason had explained that Vietnamese engagements were complicated affairs, but he could start by asking her parents tonight to see if they would be agreeable to letting him marry Jenny.

It was near midnight when her father approached him and said quietly, “Please, Dan, I would be honored if you would step outside with me for a few minutes.”

It was the first time one of her parents had spoken to him since they’d arrived. Jenny was far too wrapped up in the game to notice, so he nodded and followed Binh outside to the backyard.

A chilly fog had rolled in from the sound and blanketed the outside world in misty silence. They moved to where the glow of the lights from the windows and sounds of the party inside faded. Dan’s heart pounded. This was his chance to ask for Jenny’s hand, but his mouth seemed too dry to form coherent words.

“My son mentioned you wished to speak to me about my daughter,” Binh started.

“I do, but I have no idea where to start. I wish to respect your customs, but I also know I am a stranger to them.”

Binh nodded, and the corners of his mouth twitched. “We both know my daughter does not adhere to traditional customs very well, so speak from yours.”

He reached into his pocket and squeezed the ring box. “I’d like to marry her.”

“Even though she is pregnant with another man’s child?”

He nodded. “If anything, it makes me love her all the more for what she offered to do.”

“So you love her?”

His tongue loosened. “Very much so.”

“And you will provide for her and do all that you can to keep her safe and happy?”

“I would.”

“Then I do not object to your match.” Binh nodded to the party inside. “But now comes the difficult part. Convincing her mother you are a worthy match.”

“Would this be the part where saying I’m a doctor helps?”

Binh chuckled and checked his watch. “Perhaps, but I have a better idea. Let’s go back inside.”

The clock was striking midnight as they opened the door. Binh stood back and let Dan enter first. The crowd stilled as all turned in his direction.

For the second time that evening, Dan’s collar choked him. He’d always hated being the center of attention.

Jenny’s mother made her way through the crowd and bowed her head. “We welcome you into our home as the first visitor of the new year.”

A murmur swept through their guests, but unfortunately, he didn’t understand a word of it.

Jason appeared at his side. “Well played.”

Dan turned to him and whispered, “I don’t understand.”

“You’re the
xông
đấ
t
.
According to tradition, the first guest a family receives after Tết determines the family’s fortune for the entire year. With you being a successful doctor who’s obviously smitten with my fruitful sister, it’s a very good thing.”

Phuong waved him into the living room with an open palm. “Please come in and have some
M
ứ
t.”

He turned to Jason for guidance. “Is this a good thing, too?”

“Any time my mother isn’t shrieking at you is a good sign.” Jason patted him on the back and pushed him forward. “She’s offering you food.”

He came into the living room to find Jenny standing beside her father, her dark eyes dancing with amusement as she offered him a bowl with candied fruits in it. “Try them. It’s the only time of the year they’re served.”

He took a handful and chewed on the sweetened dried mangos while he looked to Binh for a clue to when he could pop the question.

Her father nodded and turned to address his guests. “We are honored to have Dr. Daniel Kelly as our guest tonight for many reasons, the foremost being that he has requested my daughter’s hand in marriage.”

Jenny drew in a sharp breath. Her hand fell to her stomach. “You did?”

“I even bought you a ring.” He began to pull it out of his pocket when Phuong rushed between them to stop him.

“No, this is not the way it’s done.” She turned to him. “If you wish to marry my daughter, then we will do it the Vietnamese way.”

Confusion swirled with desperation inside his chest. He’d done the proper thing and asked her father. All he wanted to do now was give Jenny her ring, take her home, and start planning the rest of their lives together. But Phuong had to step in and steal his moment.

Jenny’s brow creased. “Mom, that’s not necessary for me.”

“It is for our family. I will consult with the fortune-teller to find a date for the engagement ceremony.” She turned and made her way through the crowd to a gray-haired woman.

“I knew Mom wouldn’t make this easy,” Jenny muttered under her breath.

His palms itched to touch her, to hold her close and kiss her in front of everyone. “But you are worth it.”

The worry vanished from her face, and she moved closer to him. “And you assumed I’d say yes,” she teased.

And just like that, he knew she would. His rattled nerves eased. She was everything he’d dreamed of and more, a Buttercup to his Westley. Whatever she asked of him, he’d reply, “As you wish.”

He took her hand in his, defying what was consider proper behavior. “You can always say no. I’ve been holding on to the ring for a few weeks already, just waiting for a chance to ask your father’s permission.”

“He’s not the one you have to win over.” She nodded toward her mother, who was in the midst of a furious discussion in Vietnamese with the fortune-teller.

“They say Vegas is really nice this time of year,” he murmured. “We could always elope.”

“It’s tempting. Too bad they closed the
Star Trek
exhibit there. We could’ve gotten married on the deck of the
Enterprise
.”

He grinned. If there was ever a doubt how well they fit together, she erased it by suggesting a wedding venue fit for a true geek.

Phuong nodded a few more times before returning to them. “It would be a very lucky day for you two if we had the engagement ceremony in two weeks and two days.”

“Think you can get your mom and brothers out here that quickly?” Jenny’s voice rose with a hint of panic.

“Of course,” he replied, even though he was still baffled why he’d need them. “Unless you’d like to wait until after the baby’s born.”

“No,” Phuong declared. “It would be unlucky to wait. Two weeks and two days will be very lucky.”

“You wanted to be part of this insanity.” Jenny raised one brow. “I would’ve been happy with sneaking off to Vegas.”

“Too late now.” He bowed to her parents. “I will arrange to have my family here on that day for the engagement ceremony.”

“Then let us move forward with the planning.” Binh took Jenny’s hand and placed it in Dan’s. “I would like to welcome you to our family.”

The guests lined up to offer their congratulations, sometimes in English, sometimes in Vietnamese where Jenny would translate for them. An hour later, he was ready to leave when Jenny suggested it. His face ached from smiling, and he couldn’t wait to get her alone. But on the way out, he finally caught an approving smile from Phuong.

Mission accomplished.

When they got to his car, he pulled Jenny to him and kissed her like he’d been wanting to do all night. “I can’t wait to get you home and celebrate tonight properly.”

“There’s only one problem.” She pressed her palm against his chest and pushed him away. “You still haven’t officially asked me if I want to marry you.”

He waved his arm out into the swirling fog. “Now?”

She lifted her chin and nodded.

“Here?”

“The sooner you do it, the sooner we can properly celebrate.”

Dan got down on one knee, ignoring the icy chill that bled through his dress slacks, and pulled out the ring he’d been waiting to give her. “Jenny, would you marry me?”

Tears formed along the crinkles of her eyes. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

He stood and kissed her again, this time receiving what he hoped was a swift kick of approval from the baby. When he finally pulled away, he opened the car door for her. “So explain this Vietnamese engagement ceremony to me.”

“It starts with you being sucker enough to agree to it.”

He winced. “That bad?”

“Let’s just say you’re going to owe your brothers big time.”

Chapter Sixteen

The dress was too tight.

Jenny gritted her teeth and tried to calm her breathing, but no matter what she did, the red
áo dài
squeezed around her stomach like a corset. The sensation came in rhythmic waves before loosening up again. She’d just about convinced herself it was all due to nerves when the next wave would hit.