Keith laughed at his own joke as he turned around and walked out. And Caroline averted her gaze, not wanting Conner to see her blushing.
“Is your whole family so brazen?”
“Pretty much, “Conner said shaking his head.
"Well here you go," She said, handing him his lunch.
She turned to leave, wanting to get out of this place as quickly as possible. The thought of being alone with him here was worse than sleeping in the same room for some really strange reason.
“You can stay if you want,” Conner said.
Caroline turned around and gave Conner a confused look, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“Because we just started being amicable to each other again and I don’t want to jinx it.”
Conner sighed, “I already agreed to start over, what’s the point if you avoid me?”
“I’m not avoiding you.”
“Prove it, keep me company.”
Caroline looked at him for a moment, confused by his behavior, she was starting to tamper with the idea that he might be bipolar, which explained the random outbursts followed by sudden calm and good behavior. But if he insisted that she stayed, then she may as well.
Conner went to sit down on a bale of hay in front of one of the stalls that held a chestnut colored horse. The horse snorted when he came near and he patted her nose fondly.
“Why are you being so nice all of a sudden? Yesterday you wouldn’t even meet my eye,” Caroline said, sitting down.
Conner shrugged, “I just think that maybe you didn’t deserve the way I treated you. What happened between us was a long time ago and we were both really young. I can’t fault you for leaving, you must have had your reasons.”
Caroline looked guiltily at her hands, she considered telling Conner the truth of why she left and finally telling him about his daughter. She looked over at him and opened her mouth to speak.
"Nice horse," she said instead and cursed inwardly for being such a coward.
"Yeah, she's a real beauty, but not easy to ride, she doesn't like anyone but me to ride her."
Caroline smiled and sat down on one of the other bales. She had no knowledge of horses, so going into any in depth discussion on why the horse was so stubborn was senseless, "So why does it look like you've tumbled in the hay?"
Conner chuckled as he bit into a sandwich, "Don't tell Keith, but I did actually fall asleep."
Caroline giggled at that and shook her head, "I guess you needed it, I'm sure sleeping on the floor wasn't very comfortable."
"You can say that again, I didn't exactly sleep very well and Lacy is excellent company," Conner said while the horse behind snorted in agreement.
Caroline smiled, “Is that what you named her?”
"No, Macy did. She's named pretty much every animal on this ranch, excluding the cattle."
The way Conner spoke of Macy made Caroline smile, “You two are close?”
Conner grabbed the bottle of water and took a sip, "Yeah, we banded together when the older ones wouldn't let up."
Caroline laughed, "I like your siblings, they seem very nice."
Conner snorted, “Even Rachel?”
“Even Rachel.”
"Maybe you can take them with you when you go back to France."
Caroline looked down at her feet, her chest feeling heavy at the thought that she would have to leave soon. But what did she expect? Just because they were starting over as friends, didn't mean he would just take her back into his arms. Our let her be a part of his family. Her heart ached at thought of Lizette being at the center of such a loving family, playing with her little cousin, Rachel’s baby.
"I'm sure they aren't that bad," she murmured, "They all seem to care a great deal."
Conner huffed and then closed the lunch box, "Thanks for bringing lunch."
Caroline gave him a small smile, “You’re welcome.”
Conner offered her his hand and helped her to her feet, "I need to finish up here, you head on back to the house."
She took the lunch box from him and turned away, her heart drumming frantically in her chest. As she walked back to the house, she wondered if she would be able to tell Conner about Lizzi before the week was out.
She needs a papa in her life, Adalene's voice repeated in her head, and she realized that she had no choice. She had to do it, not for herself, but for her child. But what if Conner rejected them both?
Chapter 5
Conner walked into the kitchen after finishing up for the day, it was surprisingly empty. He grabbed a glass of water and went into the library, where Ma was sitting at the desk going over the accounts.
“You smell like a barn,” She commented without looking up.
“I was actually in the stalls,” Conner corrected.
Ma looked up, “I’ve heard that you and Caroline are getting along better.”
“No thanks to you.”
Ma sighed, “You can’t possibly still be angry with me.”
“You tried to force me into a marriage by threatening to take my trust away.”
Ma waved her hand as if to shoo the comment away, “I wasn’t going to go through with it.”
“I know that.”
“Back to the subject, are you and Caroline going to give it another shot?”
Conner rolled his eyes, “No, Ma, she told me why she came.”
Ma perked up at that, “And why is that?”
“To make amends.”
“Oh.”
Conner narrowed his eyes at his mother, “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
Ma gave an innocent smile, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Uh huh, well your plan didn’t work. I’m not getting married, Caroline will be gone soon, and everything will be back to normal.”
“We’ll see Conner, now go take a shower you really smell something awful.”
Conner smiled and turned around, “Oh before I forget, move Caroline to a room that isn’t mine. I don’t want to sleep on the floor again.”
Ma sighed in disappointment, “I already did son, but I’ll bet by the end of the week she’ll be back in that room.”
"Not if I can help it," he said and left the room before his mother could get in another word.
He may have been willing to forgive and forget the past, but he wasn't going to repeat it. The image of Caroline this morning with her hair rumpled around her face and her emerald eye's dewy from sleep flashed through his mind. Conner shook his head to dispel the thought, as much as he still wanted her, Conner was resolute in not giving her his heart again.
When Conner got to his bedroom, Caroline's suitcase was gone. He ignored the unexpected feeling of disappointment that crept up on him and stripped for the shower. The water was heaven after a long day in that dusty barn and he sighed as it washed the day away.
Conner let his mind wander and it again it was the woman he met in Mexico, who's face appeared in his minds-eye. She had been something else, with catlike blue eyes, tan skin and curly blonde hair. They certainly had a lot of fun together.
Conner felt himself start to harden and he moved to take his cock in his hand, stroking it slowly. Thinking about that woman and how her body sung under his hands was a good way to take his mind off things here at home. As he became lost in the fantasy, blonde hair turned brown, instead of the light blue pools he remembered, he was staring into the deepest green. Conner's hand gripped his cock harder as full breasts came into mind, much fuller than they actually had been.
He could feel his body reaching its crest as he imagined thrusting into Caroline, with her porcelain skin illuminated by the moonlight. She never could keep herself quiet and when she came, it was always a loud affair.
That final thought had Conner spilling against the tile wall of the shower, panting and just barely keeping from calling out her name, it had been a long time since he came that hard.
He leaned against the shower wall and tr
ied to gather his thoughts. Before Caroline had reappeared in his life, he was confident in who he was. He knew what he wanted, from whom he wanted it, and he knew exactly what to do to get it. With Caroline, all of that came to a complete halt and he was back to who he had been four years ago.
Logically, Conner knew that going down this path again was a bad idea. To have these thoughts now was dangerous at best with him knowing how this was all going to play out by the end of the week. Just like before, Caroline was going to walk out of his life; at least this time he would see it coming.
He shook the thoughts of her naked and in the throws of passion from his mind and got dressed. At least he had a moment to himself and any sexual tension that he may have had before was now resolved momentarily. There will be no chance of an accidental hard-on just from looking at her after his shower.
Walking into the dining room he was surprised to see Rachel and Keith at dinner, the second night in a row. Usually it's a once-a-month thing, and only if or when Rachel wasn't in the mood to cook. They never overstayed their welcome.
"Is there a reason that you two are here, again?" Conner asked pointing his gaze at Rachel.
Rachel rolled her eyes; this time seated across from him at the dinner table, while Keith grinned innocently at him.
"Has your pantry run empty?" he asked.
Caroline elbowed him in the ribs, "They are family, don't be so mean Conner," she said reprimanding him.
"Ow," Conner said, pride more hurt than the actual jab, "They are, but these two birds left the nest a long enough time ago to learn how to cook their own dinners."
"That doesn't matter," Caroline said calmly.
Rachel shot Conner a smirk as if to say, suck it up.
His eyes pinned on Rachel, he muttered, "Well you didn't have to grow up with them."
Caroline was quick with her tongue and the banter was amusing, "Well, they had to grow up with you, so give them a break."
"You try living with this dragon lady!" Conner snapped irritably.
"Hey!" Jack said in mock offense, "No need to start name calling, I would know if my wife was a dragon."
Conner snorted,"She cast a blinding spell so you couldn't tell. Face it, love is blind for a reason."
Jack looked at Rachel, expression full of love, “I guess you could say I’m charmed.”
“Gross,” Conner said, “I’m eating.”
“That’s enough children,” Mary said in exasperation, “I don’t know why I have to remind you that we have a guest.”
"So Caroline," Keith said, changing the subject, "What was it like growing up in Paris? I bet you have a lot of experience in cooking some french cuisine."
Caroline smiled at that, "I'm sure Conner would enlighten you that I am the only French woman who actually cannot cook," she tapped her lips with the tip of her finger, "Isn't that right Conner?" she challenged.
Keith came to the rescue, "You don't have to cook well to know good food, I bet you know all the stops."
Caroline smiled at that, "Well, there are a few places close to my heart, so if you ever find yourself in Paris look me up."
Conner looked at Caroline in surprise, somehow the idea of her and Keith alone together in Paris didn't sit right with him. He quickly schooled his features and gave her a tight smile that she hesitantly returned.
Keith grinned, "I think I might just take you up on that."
"Well isn't this just dandy," he piped up and then looked at his mother, "Keith seems far more interested in her than I am, why don't you just get him to marry her?"
Keith shifted and leaned forward on his elbows, "She's not an object to be passed around willy nilly Conner, lay off and treat the lady with some respect."
Conner's grip tightened ever so slightly on his fork, as he tried his best to remain calm. Instead of responding to Keith, he dug into his food and ignored his brother and Caroline. Thankfully the direction of the conversation changed when Macy started talking about her latest love interest and then, of course, veryone had their five cents to share.
By the time dinner was over he wasted no time. He headed straight to his room. Caroline stayed behind to help clean the kitchen and have a night cap with the rest of the family. As he finally flopped down on his bed, he couldn't help but think about her.
And the day that everything changed...
He had woken up to sunlight streaming in and a cold spot where his lover should have been. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. He had looked around the room and noticed that her clothes were all gone, which he had found odd, but the first thing that came to mind was that she may have taken it to the laundromat. He hadn't for a single moment, thought that she had left. That was until he saw the small note on the table that read, ‘Goodbye Conner."
The disappointment and the hurt that flooded through him at that moment were overwhelming. He had thought that they really had something special, but clearly, she hadn't shared that sentiment. With his heart broken into a thousand shards, he left Paris to return home.
He tried to think of the good times they shared, but those memories were blanked out, completely overshadowed by that one defining moment in time.
He remembered clearly how often he tried to call her, shortly after she disappeared, simply to talk and find out why she left. It was just so sudden for him. Days before, they both had declared their love for each other and just like that it had all changed. In the days that followed, Conner went through the motions of heartbreak and disappointment, those emotions soon turned to anger and rage, until eventually, he came to the conclusion that she never really cared. All he had been to her at the time, was an American tourist and a fancy pastime.
Conner woke to the sound of knocking and glanced at the clock on the nightstand through one eye. It was just past 2 AM. Thinking it was Macy he tossed the covers back and went to open the door only to find that it was Caroline at his door.
"What do you want?" he asked groggily.
"I just wanted to apologize about dinner," she said softly.
"What about it?"
"I didn't mean to side with your siblings," she started.
"Look, I don't really care who you side with, that's your choice."
She flinched at the tone of his voice and wrung her hands in front of her, "I also didn't make a pass at Keith by inviting him to Paris, I was merely being polite."
Conner fought not to roll his eyes. Even if she did make a pass at his brother, he couldn't give a hoot. The day she walked out of his life, she walked out of his heart.
"And you wanted to tell me this in the middle of the night because?"
Caroline's frowned, "I just wanted to let you know…in case you got the wrong idea."
Conner did roll his eyes this time, "Thank you for the unnecessary message, I'll keep that in mind. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to be up early tomorrow. Some of us don't have the luxury of sleeping in."
Even in the scant light, the moon provided, Conner could see that his cold words had hurt and angered her. He half expected her to start shouting at him. But she didn't, instead, she took a deep controlling breath and a half smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Good night, Conner," She said, before practically stomping her way across the hall, to the guest room.
Conner closed his door and lay back on the bed, hoping that he would be able to fall back asleep. But an hour later, he was still awake and silently cursing himself for letting his anger get the best of him.
He didn’t know if Caroline would still be upset with him in the morning; all he knew was that he had to put an end to whatever was developing between them.
Chapter 6
The next morning, Caroline refused to even look at Conner; she was hurt by Conner’s coldness and harsh words. She knew she wasn’t imagining things when she felt the sudden tension between him and his brother.
Two days had passed with them barely acknowledging each other and Mary looking worriedly between them. On the fourth morning of her
stay on the ranch, Keith had offered to teach Caroline how to cook during breakfast, which she eagerly agreed to.
Hours later, the kitchen was a mess and Keith was scratching his head.
"You really weren't kidding when you said you didn't know how to cook," he chuckled.
Caroline looked down at her hands and sighed, "I've never been very good at it, that's more my sister's area."
"I bet you ate out a lot during college, which begs the question of how you've managed to keep your figure?"
Caroline pretended to be offended and nudged him with one of her dirty hands. Keith retaliated, by lightly flicking her nose; soon there was an all-out food fight between the two. They were giggling so hard at the mess they created that they didn't hear anyone walk in until someone cleared their throat.
Caroline turned to see a very livid looking Conner in the doorway.
"Don't let me stop your fun," he bit out and marched through the kitchen and up the stairs. Caroline worried her lip and closed her eyes. This week couldn't come to an end sooner.
"I'll clean this mess," Keith said softly and took the half-baked scone from her hand, "Why don't you go and get cleaned up."
Keith had only been compassionate and gentle just after Conner stormed out of the kitchen. He did not deserve Conner's anger. Caroline was furious with Conner; so instead of going to get cleaned up, she marched straight into his room, unannounced.
"How dare you?" she seethed.
Conner had taken his shirt off and was holding a fresh one in his hand.
"Excuse me?" He shot back, "How dare I? How dare you, Caroline? How dare you do that in front of me and with my brother no less?"
"Do what? We were cooking, Conner! That's it and you couldn't see past your own jealousy to know that nothing is going on!" she spat out.
"Don't give me that bullshit, I know what I saw," he sneered.
"What you saw were two friends cooking, what you chose to see was something completely ungrounded!"
"Oh, really now?" he clipped.
Daddy's Christmas Date: A Single Dad Romance Page 36