He turned off the light and overhead fan and followed her from the room.As they passed the kitchen, she snatched up her abandoned coffee cup.
“I could get you a fresh one,” he said.
“This will do.”
Near the front door, Lara slipped back into her shoes and grabbed her purse while he collected her overnight bag.
“Tell me you put soap in there.”
“I have a travel size, yes.”
“We’ll order you a box of them for my house.”
He opened the door then waited while she locked the deadbolt.
Lara followed Connor down the path.He opened the car door for her and helped her inside.After stowing the bag in the trunk, he slid in beside her.It seemed natural to be together.
As they drove across town, he turned the conversation toward business then their potential marriage.
“Tell me how you see this unfolding,” he invited.Then, before she could remind him it might not happen, he added, “Assuming we’re able to work out an agreement.”
“I’d need to tell my dad, obviously.But I’m not sure if I should do it before or after the wedding.”The word made her tummy jump.Ignoring the reaction, she took a drink of the coffee and continued.“I’d suggest we hold an emergency board meeting.I’m sure my mother would back the request.If needed, we can contact the individual members.I don’t necessarily expect him to like it, and it’s certainly possible that he’d do something, anything to block your seat.But there’s really no way around that.”The idea of being at odds with her father like that made her heart ache.But she recalled him trying to get her to take medication when she was ill as a child, insisting it was for her own good.In a way, she supposed, the roles were reversed now.The knowledge didn’t make the idea any more palatable.
“It would definitely be good for me to meet your mother,” he said, repeating his words from yesterday.
“She texted this morning, asking how I was doing.Then she sent another one.She’s part of a ladies’ group.They call themselves the Friday Afternoon Soirée.They get together and do things like getting facials, going shopping, meet for happy hour.She managed to get your mother’s phone number from a mutual friend and plans to invite her to join the group.”
“How did that transpire?”
“We had lunch yesterday and I mentioned the fact I’d seen Erin.Since my mother’s in charge of outreach, she’s always looking for fresh blood.Er, I mean, new members.”
He grinned.
“And if your mom mentions we’re going to be getting married… Especially if she knows it’s a sham and my mother doesn’t—”
“Sham?”
His tone chilled her.“That’s what it would be.”
“It’s an arrangement.”
“Really, Connor, I’m not sure why you’re objecting to the term,” she said, turning to face him.
“While we’re married, we’ll be married.I take all my commitments seriously.”
“You’re splitting hairs,” she told him.
“If you think anything about the time we’re together will be inherently dishonest, you’re wrong.”
Traffic ground to a temporary stop, and he looked at her.To distract herself, she took another drink of coffee.And she ignored the way her hand trembled.Instead of responding to his statement, she said, “I won’t call it a sham again.”
The car ahead of them began to move again.“See that you don’t.”He eased into first gear.
She sat back.At times, his rigid responses caught her off guard.She’d seen the softer side of him with his brother, interacting with Thompson, with Mrs.Fuhrman, even Suzy-Q.But she knew better than to think that was the real him.Connor’s spine was made of steel, and it seemed he never bent.
All too soon, they arrived at the parking garage.
He grabbed her bag from the trunk.Instead of waiting for him to come around to her side of the car, she climbed out, headed for the trash can to discard her empty cup then met him at the elevator.
