Everything that Connor just professed to her told her she could have it all, and she could have it with the only man she ever truly loved.
So again, why was she hesitating? Wouldn’t the risk be worth the reward? Would Connor really let his family do to them again what they did in the past?
The kids ran past them, but Annabeth came to a stop when she realized they were there.
“Dad, why is Lexi wearing your coat?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s too big for her!”
His arm tightened around her briefly before he replied. “Well, she was cold and didn’t have a jacket, and…she’s my girlfriend, so I decided to share mine.”
Annabeth simply blinked at them for a minute like she was processing the information. “Like…a girlfriend? A real girlfriend?”
He nodded. “Yup.”
She studied them both again. “Like…someone you would marry?”
Another nod. “Yup.”
Now she focused on Lexi. “And my dad is your boyfriend?”
Smiling, she nodded. “He is.”
“Do you like him a lot?”
“I sure do.”
“Do you love him?”
Wow. The kid really went for the jugular.
“I do.” Connor’s hand gently squeezed her shoulder in acknowledgement, but neither looked away from his daughter.
With a slight head tilt, her eyes narrowed. “If you guys got married, would Jonah be my brother?”
They both nodded.
“Would we all live in our cabin?”
Lexi and Connor exchanged glances before he answered. “Well, maybe temporarily. But we’re building a house so we’d all live there if we got married.”
“But I’d still get my own room, right?”
“Naturally,” Connor assured her.
That seemed to please her. “Awesome!” Then she turned and ran. “Hey, Jonah! You’re gonna be my brother!”
Oh, good lord…
Smiling like the cat who ate the canary, Connor faced her. “Waters tested, and we passed with flying colors. The next move is yours, beautiful.”
Such a simple yet terrifying statement.
Swallowing hard, she turned to face him. “Can’t we just be happy with today and this step?” Taking his hands in hers, she gave them a reassuring squeeze. “These last few months—especially this last one—have been an emotional roller coaster for me. There’s still so much we don’t know about each other, and we need to get to know the people we are now instead of thinking we’re with the teenage versions of ourselves.”
Something briefly crossed his face—disappointment?—but when he spoke, his voice was soft and understanding. “I think we’ve let those versions of ourselves go weeks ago. We’ve been fully focused on the here and now, and I don’t know what else there is to learn or show that would make you feel more confident in us.”
I don’t either…
But before she could answer, her son came running over. “Mom! Mom! Mom! Annabeth’s gonna be my sister! And Connor’s gonna be my dad! That’s so cool!” And then he ran off again.
