Patti hesitated, biting back her retort.
You James men are entirely too arrogant!
Seeing his wife's conflicted expression, Pearce looked confused. "What? Did I say something wrong?"
Patti sighed heavily. "No, you're handsome, so whatever you say is right!"
Pearce's weathered face flushed a deep shade of red.
Good lord, we've been married for decades, why is she suddenly flirting like that?
Especially with their son sitting right there. It was embarrassing.
Dewitt couldn't help but burst out laughing.
His parents might just be ordinary people from a rural town, but the pure, enduring affection between them was undeniable.
It was the kind of genuine love Dewitt used to quietly hope for.
But now, he didn't even dare dream of it.
He had seen too much of the dark side of the world to believe that kind of sincerity was easy to find.
"Fine, your mother will back off your love life."
"But you have to promise us that you'll have this sorted out within three years."
"If you can't find a wife by then, you at least need to give us a grandchild."
Even though Pearce had been raised under Pandora's strict guidance, he was still the most traditional among his brothers.
He was also the most honest and grounded.
That was exactly why he was the one who stayed behind to look after the village.
Pandora was the Clan Leader, but Pearce was effectively the mayor.
Aside from Pandora, his word was law in the community.
Despite his traditional mindset, he always deferred to his aunt's wisdom.
Since Pandora hadn't given any strict orders regarding Dewitt's marriage, Pearce decided to handle it his own way.
This was his own son, after all; it wasn't like he was going to steer him off a cliff. "Deal." Dewitt silently calculated that he could easily stall for another three years. "Edison didn't get married until he was significantly older, and he still managed to have a kid. You guys should really bump that three-year deadline up to ten."
Dewitt flashed them a roguish, challenging grin.
His parents exchanged a deadpan look. "In your dreams!"
They were absolutely not going to let Dewitt follow in Edison's delayed footsteps.
Edison was just incredibly lucky to have stumbled upon Jenny; otherwise, he might have stayed single forever.
Hadn't they seen Edison's grandmother nearly go blind from crying over the stress of waiting for him to settle down?
Pearce and Patti simply didn't have that kind of patience.
"Don't think we don't know you're just making excuses."
"Edison was lucky enough to find someone he truly loved, which is why he willingly walked down the aisle."
"You might not be nearly as capable as him."
"So you better follow our timeline!"
Pearce might be an honest man, but he wasn't stupid.
Dewitt threw his hands up in defeat. Alright, well, clearly I can't outsmart the old
man.
That night, Dane slept incredibly well in The James Village.
The historic James Estate had an almost magical, grounding energy that gave him a flawless night's rest.
Even the distant sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking couldn't disrupt his peace.
Compared to the relentless sirens
and chaos of the city, he vastly.
preferred this vibrant yet tran
rural energy. FindNovel.net
When morning broke, plumes of smoke drifted lazily from the chimneys across the village.
The muffled sounds of parents waking their kids up and urging them to eat breakfast floated through the crisp air.
Claire woke up quite a bit later than Dane.
By the time she wandered outside, she found him already in the
courtyard, smoothly practicinal.nét
Chi With Pandora and Mary
The only ones who slept in later than Claire and Dane were the James siblings.
By the time Shirley and Dexter finally dragged themselves out of bed, breakfast was completely cold.
Thankfully, there were still warm pancakes, bacon, and hash browns resting on the stove.
It was more than enough for a hearty morning meal.
By the time the siblings finished eating, the morning exercise routine had wrapped
up.
Dane packed his things and prepared to take his leave. "Pandora, Mary, I need to head back to the city."
He had brought a lavish array of
New Year's gifts for the two
matriarchs, curated perfectly to
match his status as Claire's fiance."
He ensured both grandmothers received equally magnificent presents, showing no
favoritism between the two families.