Bliss' POV

I stood there, frozen again for a few minutes. Julian and Adrian came over to me.

"Sis, I am sure Shane's knees are hurting on the concrete."

Then, mom said, "Shane's knees will be fine." Everybody chuckled, even Shane. That broke me out of my frozen state.

"I'm sorry, Shane. That is the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. You can stand up, Lover Boy."

He did and said, "When I told my Nana Margie that I planned on proposing, she told me, 'A special ring deserves to be worn by a special person.'"

"Honey, I kept bugging Shane to bring you over for a visit because I couldn't wait to meet you, Bliss. Edward and I love you and want you to have it."

I walked over to Nana and Grampa and hugged them both. Nana whispered in my ear, "We have your back, honey. Call me if you ever need me. And, if Shane bugs you, let me know."

"I promise, Nana," I whispered back to her and chuckled simultaneously.

I walked back over to Shane and gave him my answer.

"Yes. I love you too. Yes, I will marry you, Shane."

As Shane put the ring on my finger, mom screamed loud and proud, "YES! SHE SAID YES!!!"

The crowd that gathered cheered. "Mr. Sheeran, thank you so much for singing the song. I love it because it is one of my favorites."

"You're welcome, and congratulations."

"Thank you." Once he left, I could do what I wanted since I said yes. So, I jumped in Shane's arms and mugged his mouth.

"Let's get moving, people! Nothing to see here!" I heard mom scream to the crowd.

"Shane and Bliss, the kids are watching you," Julian muttered.

My neck started bothering me again. So, I pulled back, jumped out of Shane's arms, and wiped my lipstick off his lips.

"Shane, we reserved space at The Sweet Flavour restaurant in Manchester for 5:00 pm. You guys have two hours to yourselves. See you at the restaurant."

"Okay, mum. Thanks."

After Shane said that, mom and the family all left. Then, he turned to me with a goofy grin on his face.

"So, what were you and my Nana chuckling about?" Shane asked me.

"Mr. Landes, that is between Nana and me. I'm not going to divulge what Nana told me."

Shane again gave me that mischievous grin after I stuck my tongue at him. And he was about to tickle me. So, I ran.

I was a few steps from the Rover when I crashed into someone. "Oh, I am so sorry."

They said, "That is okay."

Shane's POV

When I saw who Bliss had run into, my facial expression changed to a scowl. What is he doing over here in London?!

"Is there a problem here?"

"I was apologizing for running into him. But didn't we meet before? You seem familiar."

He put on a fake smile and said, "It was at Layla Meyer's wedding in April. I could never forget a beautiful face. You're Bliss."

"How about I wipe that grin off your face?" Bliss's' beautiful face is mine. Then, he pissed me off.

"And you are?"

Through gritted teeth, "The name is Shane. As in Bliss's fiancé." This punk knew who I was. And I'm not too fond of the way he is eyeing Bliss.

"My fiancée and I need to be going, uh......." I know his name but didn't feel like saying it.

"It's Grayson. So, that was what the crowd was for."

"Yes, it was. I proposed to MY girlfriend. And she said yes." I made sure to emphasize 'MY' to get my point across.

"Well, congratulations to you both. It was nice to see you again, Bliss."

I am about to shove my fist in his mouth. I don't trust him at all.

"Oh, and you too, Shawn."

Bliss could tell I was irritated, so she laced our hands together. "It is Shane, not Shawn. Bliss, let's go." We hastily walked to the Rover.

Once we were in the truck, I pulled off to wherever we were going.

*****

With the grip I had on the steering wheel, I could have ripped it off.

"Shane, if you tear off the steering wheel, we won't make it to the restaurant. What is wrong, Lover Boy?"

"I'm sorry. I just have a bad feeling about that Grayson character. I didn't like the way he looked at you."

"Shane, neither one of us can't stop someone from looking at either of us. You are a billionaire. And I was the billionaire's girlfriend. Now I am your fiancée. Just like I can't stop people's racist comments. But, if someone touches you, their feelings are going to be hurt by me. That is a promise. And I know you will do the same for me. I don't want Grayson or anyone else. I said yes to you. Let's start thinking about our wedding and pick a date. Is there a Starbucks that we can go to?"

"I know there is a Starbucks near the restaurant, so I'll drive there."

"Okay. It will be my treat, and I am paying for dinner. You pay me an excellent salary, Shane. I have barely touched it. It continues to grow interest in the bank every day. So, I want to start spending some of it. Please?"

I sighed because I wanted to pay for it. I have always been the one to pay since I started dating back in college. It will take me time to get used to Bliss paying for things.

"Shane, listen, you always buy me things, and I love it. Let me start spoiling you. And I want to pay for some things for our wedding. I don't want to feel like I always depend on you to buy me things."

"You do not depend on me. I love buying things for you. That's my responsibility, especially now that we are getting married."

Suddenly, I felt Bliss's hand going up my shirt, feeling the abs. "Woman, you got to stop doing that while I am driving."

"Then, pull over so I can convince you to let me pay for some of our wedding. Now!"

I looked over at Bliss. She had her hands on her hips and her eyebrows arched. She was serious, so I pulled over as she demanded.

Thankfully, this truck has tinted windows. Bliss unbuckled her seat belt. "Put your seat back now!!"

"Someone is feeling feisty." Once the seat was back, she climbed over and sat on my lap.

"Get used to it, Landes. Listen up, Shane, you will let me pay for part of our wedding, got it?"

"And, what if I don't get it? What are you going to do?"

Bliss grabbed my hands and placed them behind my head. Then, she leaned in and merged our mouths in an amazing kiss. Who knew that she had a sexy side? I love it, and it is all mine.

"Does that convince you enough?"

"How about some more convincing?"

Bliss smacked my arm. "Shane, I am serious. I want to spoil you as you spoil me."

We heard a cop car stop. "Uh oh."

Bliss scrambled to get back in her seat. And I sat my driver's seat upright. Immediately after that, we heard a knock on the window, and I rolled it down.

"Excuse me, folks, is everything okay in here?"

"My fiancée was not feeling well after I proposed to her earlier today."

"You're Shane Landes. There was a breaking news report about your proposal. Congratulations, Mr. Landes. Hope you feel better, ma'am."

"Thank you, officer." Then, he walked back to his car and pulled off.

"How about we split the cost of the wedding? I don't want a stressed-out bride. And I want you to hire a wedding coordinator to help out. And we can't forget to include mum."

"Thank you, Lover Boy. We sure can't forget mom."

"You're welcome."

********

"Welcome to The Sweet Flavour. Mr. Landes, your family, is on the second floor."

"Thank you."

As we walked upstairs, I had to ask Shane this question. "Shane, do you own this one too?"

"Yes. It is just like The Vine. The owner was going to sell it. But I bought it because it has been in the neighborhood since my father was a kid. You will love the food."

As soon as we entered the room, everyone started clapping. "There is the happy couple," mum said as she came and hugged Bliss and me.

I saw several problems already - a few nosy cousins and aunts. My Aunt Judy, Mildred, and cousin Elizabeth had their noses stuck up in the air as soon as Bliss and I entered the room. If I have to, I will put them in their place. They are always trying to set me up with their friends, stuck-up, snobbish daughters.

"Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our engagement. My beautiful girlfriend said yes today near the London Eye. I'll go around the table to introduce my family, Bliss."

"To the right are my cousins - Morgan, Charlie, Megan, William, Jeffrey, and Elizabeth."

"It's nice to meet you all, and thank you for coming."

"You're welcome, Bliss. I love your name, and congratulations. I have some interesting stories to tell you about Shane. I'll give you my phone number later."

Thank goodness Morgan likes her. She smiled at Bliss. "Seriously, Morgan?"

"Yes, seriously. And, Bliss, Shane was a picker. But I still love him anyway."

Everybody chuckled except me.

Bliss replied, "Trust me, Morgan, I have seen it. Shane almost made me jump out of my skin several times."

"You are gorgeous. I am happy for you, Shane and Bliss." Megan likes her too. "I'm Megan, and I'll give you my number too."

"Thank you, Megan and Morgan. I look forward to getting to know you both. Maybe we can hang out with my sisters, Andrea and Jessica."

"It is nice to meet you, Bliss. And welcome to the family. I am William."

"Thank you, William. It is nice to meet you too."

Jeffrey and Charlie are on the shy side, but they did smile at Bliss. Elizabeth is the only one who didn't say anything. And that is not surprising.

"Bliss, to the left are my aunts and uncles - Judy, Henry, Mildred, Sharon, and Nathan."

"Welcome to the family, honey. I am Shane's Aunt, Sharon. You are very beautiful, and I hope your children are like you because Shane was a handful as a kid."

Thanks a lot, Aunt Sharon.

"He sure was. Shane was always into everything, a very destructive kid. Sweetheart, I am Uncle Nathan. You can call me Uncle Nat."

While chuckling, Bliss said, "Thank you, Uncle Nat. I'm sure Shane was not that bad."

My uncle Henry interjected, "Sadly, Shane was that bad."

I gave my Aunt and Uncle a glare. "Seriously?"

"Don't deny it, Shane. You know we are telling the truth."

"Okay, okay. I was a bad child. I hope our kids turn out like Bliss too."

Bliss' POV

"Shane, I wasn't an angel as a kid. So, our kids will be a combination of us."

I know Shane was a little frustrated, so I moved and stood in front of him and wrapped his arms around me. He looked down at me, and I looked up at him. Then, he winked and kissed me.

"I knew one day Shane would bring me to London for a visit to meet the family. And I was very nervous. But you all have been friendly and loving to me, my brother, and my two sisters. Thank you all for your love and support and for welcoming us into the Landes family. I want to welcome you all into the Sanders family. Sitting next to Adrian are Andrea, Jessica, and Julian. Mason is my bodyguard and my brother from another mother. And, please enjoy yourselves tonight. Dinner is on me."

Someone said, "How can she afford it?" It was his Aunt Mildred, and she was not quiet about it. Everyone turned her way and gave her dirty looks, especially Niko and Tati.

Like I told Shane earlier, I can't control people's thoughts. But I sure can kick anyone out of this room because they will not spoil this day for us.

As soon as I was about to speak again, some bougie chick came into the room and walked in as if nothing had happened.

(Mikayla Shay)

"Excuse me for being late. I had to ward off the paparazzi again because I am popular."

"Winch, please. I am trying to give a speech here!! Today is all about Bliss and Shane. Excuse me, but do you mind? I was trying to give a speech before you rudely interrupted me."

I heard Layla, Marco, and Ryan sigh. Ryan even said out loud, "Are you kidding me?! What is she doing here?!"

Shane was livid this time. He whispered, "My Aunt Mildred and Judy are always trying to set me up with their snobbish friends' daughters. She must be one of the daughters. I'm sorry, Darling. If you want to leave, I have no problem leaving."

I whispered back, "Shane, we are not going anywhere because this is our night. If anybody goes, it is them. I will not have anyone ruining this night for us."

"I will support you 100%. Let's go have a seat."

I sat next to Lollipop, while Shane sat next to dad. Appetizers were already brought out for everyone. Servers came and took everyone's orders. Cris came over with Kekoa.

"Hey, Bliss. Your nephew misses you."

"Hey, Cris." He draped a white blanket over my shoulder and handed me Kekoa. He had a smile on his adorable face. I planted kisses all over his face as I sat him in my lap.

"Marco wanted me to warn you both. That is supermodel Mikayla Shay. She is nothing but trouble. She blows off photoshoots, talks down to people, and is extremely rude and ignorant. Ryan said she used him to become popular."

"Thanks, Cris."

Shane's Aunt Judy and Mildred are really making me angry for inviting her. They had no right at all to do that. I will put her in her place too. I don't care who she is.

Brently's POV

Unbelievable is the best way to describe Mildred right now. This celebration is for the family only. I will not have anyone ruining this moment for Bliss and Shane.

The servers brought more wine out for each table.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please? Thank you all so much for joining us on this special day. Shane and, Bliss, Nina apologized for missing the proposal. She will call you both to congratulate you. When I first met Bliss, I knew that Shane would marry her one day. Bliss, you are smart, beautiful, and have a big heart when caring about others. I don't think of you as my daughter-in-law but as my daughter. Thank you for making Shane happy. Welcome to the family - Bliss, Andrea, Jessica, and Julian."

"Thank you so much, dad."

"You're welcome." Dinner came in, and everyone was served.

"Shane, you finally have someone not only to love but who will not put up with your stuff. Congratulations, son. Your mum and I are proud of you."

"Thank you, dad."

As we clinked glasses, my big-mouth sister, Mildred, put her foot in it. "How can you all be happy with this wedding? She is Black, for goodness sake!"

Shane and Julian were two seconds from launching at Mildred. Niko and Tatianna were about to stand up too. My parents were thoroughly disgusted like everyone else was.

"Shane, Julian, Niko, and Tatianna, sit and let me take care of this!"

"Mildred, I have had enough of you, Judy, and Elizabeth! We invited you three here to support Shane and Bliss, not talk about her race!! Adrian and I love Bliss! Mom and dad love Bliss!!" I walked over and stood behind Bliss.

"Look at what happened to Bliss' neck! Get over here now and look at it!!!" All three of them came over. "Bliss honey, show them what happened to you."

Bliss exposed her neck, and they all gasped. "Before we flew to London, Alexander Mahoney choked Bliss because she told him no to a date! Shane has told me what Bliss has gone through because of her race!! You, three morons, have no idea what Bliss has been through! I am sick and tired of people judging her!! Leave my family alone! Now, get out before I say something I regret!! And take that brat of a niece with you!!!"

Bliss' POV

"Wait!! Before they leave, I have something to say too. Shane, can you hold Kekoa for me, please?" He did, and I stood up so everyone could hear me.

"My grandparents and dead parents always taught my siblings and me to respect our elders! I can proudly say, Mrs. Landes, or whatever your name is, I have no respect for you, Aunt Judy, or anybody else who has judged me!! You three don't know anything about me! But, here you are, at my engagement celebration to Shane, judging me because I am Black!"

"I heard your snide remark about if I could afford to pay for this dinner. And, since you feel the need to put me down, listen up! Darn right, I can afford it and more! Lady, I paid off the mortgage of my million-dollar home on Long Island in New York City. I don't go around bragging to everyone that I have money and rarely spend it. But, for you, I will brag, just this time. I have more money than you will ever have in your lifetime!! My parents, when they were alive, taught us how to manage money. And they ensured that my sisters, and I would be well taken care of after they passed! I will tell you what I tell everyone, including Shane - I DON'T NEED ANY MAN'S MONEY!"

"I have NEVER asked Shane for one dime! People always question Shane as to why he was dating me because I was Black!! We can date whoever the heck we want to!! Shane chose me, and I chose him!! He is mine!! It is not our fault people like you can't accept the fact that Shane and I love each other!! Another thing I do not appreciate is you inviting whatever her name is to my engagement party to set them up to date!!"

"Okay, excuse me, but my name is not whatever. It is Mikayla Shay to you! I have paparazzi following me! What do you have?!"

"Number one, shut up!! I didn't tell you to speak!! Number two, I have Shane Landes. Who do you have?! Enjoy the paparazzi while I enjoy being married to Shane. And, number three, I don't give a hoot what your name is!!! Why don't you do us all a favor and get out?!! I will not have anyone ruining this day for Shane and me!"

"Mikayla, shut up!! The spotlight is not always on you!! Nobody freaking cares if the paparazzi are following you around!! Just get out like Bliss said!!"

"Thanks for having my back, Ryan. Now, Aunt Judy, Mildred, Elizabeth, and Mikayla, GET OUT OF MY PARTY!! I will not hesitate to have Shane call security!!"

"Too late because I already called security. They are on the way up now!"

Shane's Uncle Henry spoke. "Bliss, I am really sorry about my wife's words. I do not share Mildred's sentiments at all. What you said to her was exactly on point, and she deserved it. You have my support."

A couple of men in uniforms came into the room.

"Mr. Landes, do you need us to escort someone out?"

Shane looked over to his aunts. "Yes. Judy, Elizabeth, Mildred, and especially you, Mikayla, get out! I wouldn't date you if you were the last woman on the planet! Please make sure these ladies are NEVER allowed back in this restaurant. Their last names are Landes and Shay."

They all left the room, and security followed.

A few tears fell. "Thank you, Uncle Henry. I'm sorry, everyone, but I need some air."

I walked out of the room, down the stairs, and outside. There was a bench near the restaurant.

I can't even escape the hurt in London. I feel like I am going to have a breakdown. Broken ankle injuries, being sexually harassed, and all of the racist comments are wearing me down. Then, with the Alexander incident, it really hurts so much.

It is hard to stay strong after hearing and going through all this crap. I wish my mom and dad were here. Am I ever going to feel happy? I am beginning to feel like I should have stayed independent. But I love Shane. I really am scared.

"Bliss, sweetheart, how are you?" It was mom and dad.

"It hurts like crazy. I feel like a whipping stick. Thank you so much for defending me. That means so much to me." I got up off the bench and went to hug dad real tight. I had held my tears in, but now they were just flowing out onto dad's suit.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I had to. Nobody has a right to talk about you. My sister always made snide remarks about people of different races. That is one of the reasons we rarely invite her and my niece to events. I'm sorry, Bliss. I thought she would have changed. You had every right to say what you said, and we all agreed."

"Brently is right, Bliss. I was proud of the way you stood up to them. I don't know if Shane told you, but my parents disowned me when I told them Brently and I were getting married and moving to London. Even when we moved back to the United States, they still didn't talk to me. Margie and Edward were more of a mother and father to me than my parents. Sweetie, I don't understand what it feels like to experience racial injustices, but I do understand how you feel - words can hurt. Sweetheart, we are both here for you, Margie and Edward will be there for you, and Shane will be there for you."

"Shane did tell me that your parents disowned you. I'm sorry that happened, mom. I will never understand why a mom could disown her child. I love you both because you care about all four of us. I think about my parents a lot, but to know I have you both in my corner is special. I am marrying into one of the most caring families there is. And dad, it's not your fault she is like that. Before you both came out, the thought popped into my mind about how I should have remained independent. But I love Shane so much. I don't care that he is from a different race. I love him. Why can't people leave us alone?"

"Sweetheart, one thing we both know about you is that you are a fighter. You fight for what you care about. Don't let people's words stop you from loving Shane. Let him fight for you. Julian, Mason, and me, let us fight for you too. You know Adrian will."

I chuckled because dad was right. "I sure do. That is what I love the most about mom. I love you both. Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey. Let's go back inside."

"Okay."

We went back in to join the others. I went back to sitting next to Shane. He was still holding Kekoa, so I laid my head on his shoulder. Shane turned his head in my direction and kissed my forehead. Braelyn hugged me and kissed my cheek. "Thank you, Lollipop."

"You're welcome, Auntie."

Throughout the rest of the evening, everyone enjoyed themselves. Mom and dad even got us a cake.

One of the servers wheeled the cake inside the room. "It's beautiful, mom. Thank you."

"You're welcome, honey. It is a practice cake for your wedding."

Cris came over to grab Kekoa. Then, Shane and I went to cut the cake.

The waiter gave us a knife. Shane stood behind me and put his hand over mine on the knife handle. Shane wrapped his right arm tight around my waist. Then, he whispered, "We can practice our kissing later." This beautiful man sure knows how to make me blush.

We cut a slice of the cake and put it on a plate. After that, we grabbed two forks and fed each other cake. Then, we sliced the rest of the cake. We put slices on the plates and carried a piece over to everyone.

Shane and I took our seats to eat our cake. It was a chocolate cake with cream cheese icing. I loved it.

"Thanks, Ryan, for the assist. People like Mikayla get on my nerves, throwing around the fact that she is popular. I will not have anyone throwing around their popularity at me."

"You're welcome, Bliss. We dated for two years. As soon as she became popular, she dumped me. I thought Mikayla was the one for me. Boy, was I wrong. Now, I am happier than ever with Layla, Braelyn, and Logan on the way."

"Speaking of Logan, are you okay, Layla? He is going to be born soon."

"I have been exhausted lately, but other than that, I am fine. We knew there was a chance that he could be born here in London. So, my doctor located one of her doctor friends here that will help us if I go into labor."

"Where are you guys staying?"

Cris then said, "We are staying with Shane's Nana Margie. Right under the same roof with you all. It was hard trying to keep it from you, but we did. Nana let us know when you guys left. And, then, when you guys came home."

"Thank you guys so much for coming. I really mean it. Today truly was a special day that I will cherish. To have my family and friends here was special."

Niko asked Shane, "Do I need to make a call?"

Shane replied, "Not yet."

After about another hour, I went ahead and paid for the dinner. Everyone started packing up to head home. Shane and I even took the rest of the cake home.

We made our way back to the cars and drove back to Nana's house.

********

It was a long day, so everyone said good night and went to their rooms.

After I changed into my nightclothes, Shane was already lying on the bed. When he saw me walk out of the bathroom, he patted his chest. Who am I to deny my man his request?

I sure did get comfortable on top of Shane and laid my head down on his chest. Shane turned off the light, and I pulled the cover over the top of us.

"Thank you so much for today. I can't stop gushing over Nana's ring. I love it, and I love you."

"You're welcome. And I love you too. "

"Where are Niko, Tati, Janiyah, and Graeme staying?"

"At my house. They flew across the pond yesterday."

"Okay."

"Good night, Darling."

"Good night, Lover Boy."

**********

Thank you for reading chapter 29.

1. Bliss' engagement ring is courtesy of Can Stock Photos - © Can Stock Photo / CapturedNuance

Thank you all for the votes and comments. 😘