“Me?”
“Well, me.”
“You?”she asked.
“You as well.”
“I’m lost.”
“So am I,” he confessed.He dragged his hand through his hair.
She didn’t relent and invite him in.
“I’ve let events of my past drive my decisions, without realizing that I’ve never been capable of moral ambiguity.Even before my father’s death, I would have never allowed myself to cheat on a woman.”
“I believe that about you.You’re honorable.”
He winced.“After the way I’ve behaved, I’d need to prove I’ve earned that label.”
“Okay, you’re honorable in that you don’t cheat.”
“Julien suggested I look to my grandparents’ relationship when it comes to love, and not that of my parents.After I pulled my head out of my ass—”
“Must have been the popping sound I heard.”
“I talked to my grandfather about you.About us.He told the story again of how hard he’d had to work in order to win approval to marry Libby.And he said, some fifty years later, he’d do it all over again.”He dragged a hand through his hair.“My focus has been fucked up, Lara.”
“Back to the part about my dad,” she prompted, her heart thundering just a little louder with each word he said.She heard the cellophane crinkle as her hand shook.
“I realized, this time on my own, that something significant must have transpired for his change of heart and for you to call off our wedding.I wanted to know what it was.He told me he couldn’t let you settle for a marriage that didn’t start with love.Then there was this story about all the stuffed animals you owned as a child.”
Heat chased up her cheeks.
“And the way you would choose the ones that had something wrong with them.You’d pick the one missing an eye, or if the stuffing was coming out.”
“Childish stuff,” she said.
“No.It’s about your heart, the love you have.”He glanced at the flowers.“For the neighbor’s dopey dog.”
“Hey!It’s not her fault she grew so big and got abandoned.”
“And it’s about the way you offered to sacrifice your future for BHI.It took that for your father to realize what he’d allowed to happen.It took being alone, missing you, for me to know that I wanted what you offered, what I’d so foolishly sent away.I owed it to you to protect the gift, and I didn’t.If you’ll give me the chance, I’ll spend my life making it up to you.I love you, Lara Bertrand.”He lowered himself to one knee.“Will you honor me by being my bride?”
“Oh, Connor…”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
He stood and gathered her into a hug that smothered the past hurts and promised a future.This was what she’d dreamed of.Connor.His love.Nothing to do with the business, just them.
She heard the sound of clapping and an excited woof.She shook her head.
“Now can I come in?”he asked.
“I’m thinking you’d better,” she said.
He picked her up then carried her across the threshold and kicked the door closed behind him.“Is thatIndiana Joneson the television?”he asked.
