'The Bachelor' And Tessa: No More Secrets

Tessa Horst and Andy Baldwin: This week the parents meet. (Craig Sjodin - ABC)

Tessa Horst got engaged in March, but couldn't tell her parents until late Sunday -- and they had to keep the secret until "The Bachelor" aired Monday night. The 26-year-old social worker, who grew up in Washington, received a diamond and the final rose from Navy Lt. Andy Baldwin on the finale of the reality dating series.

And yes, the rumors are true: Horst's grandfather is one of the richest businessmen in Hong Kong. But the groom-to-be didn't know that until after he popped the question.

The couple finally went public yesterday, more than two months after the show wrapped, to declare that they're really in love despite her skepticism (and ours, frankly) about finding a soul mate on TV. "I feel like that happened for me, so why not for someone else?" said Horst, who competed against 24 other women for the Navy doctor's affections. "She makes me laugh and she challenges me and she made me work hard to win her heart," said Baldwin. "I love her so much."

The pair were sworn to secrecy about the outcome of the show, and were allowed to tell their parents only hours before the final broadcast. "She sounded very, very happy; Andy sounded very happy and excited," said Horst's mom, Romana Li. "They were very cute." Despite the unconventional courtship, dad Thomas Horst gave thumbs up: "I have 100 percent confidence in Tessa. Quite frankly, I'm thrilled."

Both families will get together later this week, then the real-life romance begins. "One step at a time and slow things down a little bit," said Horst, who added that there's no wedding date but she's moving to Hawaii to live with Baldwin this summer.

And you cynics? This is the third formal engagement of the "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" franchise: Trista Rehn married Ryan Sutter in 2003 and is expecting a baby; fisherman Byron Velvick has been engaged to Mary Delgado for more than two years.

Fred Thompson, Acting Like A President

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The former senator as President Grant. Wrong century, Fred.(Annabel Reyes)

Just in case you didn't already think he "looks presidential" . . . undeclared candidate Fred Thompson has finally added a real-life chief executive to his Hollywood résumé of chief-executive types: Ulysses S. Grant.

"Pretty good casting, don't you think?" said Dick Wolf, producer of "Law & Order" and Thompson's latest venture, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee," to our colleague Sridhar Pappu at the HBO epic's premiere Monday night at the National Museum of the American Indian. "Fred has a persona that exudes power."

But would a Thompson candidacy force the new movie -- scheduled for Sunday night at 9 -- off the air? (Stations are already considering yanking "L&O" reruns featuring Thompson because of equal-time rules.) "It's one scene, it's a few minutes," in which the former senator is extravagantly bearded, said an HBO rep. "It's pretty unclear who he is."

This Just In ...

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A woman who allegedly was punched over the weekend by New York Jets star Justin Miller is a 26-year-old Capitol Hill staffer for Sen. Barack Obama.

A source close to Kristen Jarvis confirmed an account in yesterday's New York Daily News, which described how Jarvis and friends encountered a drunk and belligerent Miller after leaving a Manhattan club. When a male friend tried to chase off the kick returner, Miller allegedly slugged Jarvis in the face. Miller, 23, was arraigned on third-degree assault and issued an apology; meanwhile Jarvis, who saw doctors in New York and Washington, "is weighing all legal remedies," the source told us.

Hey, Isn't That ... ?

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Dan Rather acting very Southern-gentlemanly in the American University law school cafeteria yesterday -- he rose to help seat the young lady across from him, chatted earnestly with students about their career hopes, washed his hands before digging into his salad. The former CBS anchor, now with HDNet, was interviewing a faculty member for a story.