'Oh, Conor,' she said again.
'And he came up with the idea of selling that piece of land.' He smiled broadly. 'He earned every penny of his exorbitant fees that day. So, now, before your son comes in and ruins the moment,' he shot a glance at the door, 'Dee Hewson, will you marry me? And move in here, you and Sam? And run Dee's Delicacies from here? Oh, and I have the appliances brochure up at the house. It's for proper catering stuff and you can pick whatever you like, there's still plenty of money and—'
Dee reached up and put her hand over his mouth. 'Will you please shut up and let me answer?'
He nodded.
She smiled. 'I'd love to.'
'What?' he said, his voice muffled under her fingers.
'I'd love to come and live here, I'd love to rim my business from this amazing room.' She looked around, smiling, and then her eyes returned to his. 'But most of all, I'd love to marry you, Conor Fitzgerald.'
'Really?' he asked, pulling her closer.
She nodded, moving her hand up to cup his cheek. 'Really. I thought you'd never ask. In fact, most of Banford had given up on you.'
'Like I said, it was just because—'
'Yes, yes, yes, you said.' She sighed. 'In fact, I've never known you to talk quite so much. How about a kiss to seal the deal before Junior gets back?'
He grinned. 'I think I can manage that.'
Chapter 43
'Can I have a treat, Mum?' Sam said as they drew abreast of the corner shop.
'You have a biscuit in your lunch box,' Dee reminded him.
'Oh, go on, Dee, it is his first day,' Conor wheedled. 'Just a small packet of those sugar-free fruit sweets.'
Dee grinned. 'All right, then, but be quick. We don't want to be late or you'll be in trouble with your teacher.'
Conor and Sam went into the shop and Dee rested against the wall and held her face up to the September sun. She couldn't believe that it was finally here; Sam's first day at school. He had grown over the summer and as Dee helped him dress this morning, she had marvelled at how much older he looked in the grey school uniform.
'It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?'
Dee opened her eyes and saw Vi Valentine standing in front of her.
'Vi!' She hugged her quickly. 'I haven't seen you in ages. What are you working on?'
'Oh, this and that, nothing important. What are you doing up in this neck of the woods?'
Dee smiled. 'We're taking Sam to school, it's his first day.'
'Oh, my, that is exciting! I'll have to do another portrait for you, this time with him in his school uniform.'
Dee smiled. 'Don't, you'll reduce me to tears and I'm trying very hard to be strong.'
Vi patted her shoulder. 'You're bound to be emotional, darling, but just remember that this is the beginning of another chapter in his young life.'
Dee nodded. 'Yes, I know. Don't worry, I'll be fine after today. It's just another first, do you know what I mean?'
'Vi, how are you?'
The two women turned as Conor and Sam emerged from the shop, Sam clutching a packet of sweets.
Vi smiled. 'Fine, Conor, thank you. Hello, Sam, I believe it's a big day for you today.'
'My first day at school,' Sam told her. 'I'm going to be in Miss Murray's class.'
'I'm sure you'll have a marvellous time.'
'You must come out and visit us at the farm,' Conor told her. 'You could do some bovine portraits.'
Vi laughed. 'That's an idea; I've never painted cows before, at least, not four-legged ones! How are the wedding plans coming along?'
Dee made a face. 'Slowly. There's just so much else on at the moment.'
Conor winked. 'She's testing the waters first, Vi, to see if she can live with me.'
'I'm not,' Dee protested. 'I just have a launch to organize first, then I can concentrate on our wedding.'
'And how do you like living on a farm, Sam?' Vi asked.
'It's ace.'
'That means he likes it,' Conor translated.
'We'd better get going,' Dee said, 'we don't want to be late on your first day, do we, Sam?'
'No way!'
She put an arm around her son. 'See you later, Vi.'
'She looks well,' Conor remarked as they carried on down the road, Sam skipping ahead.
Dee smiled. 'Yes.'
'I'm amazed she hasn't found a partner, she's still very attractive.'
Dee shrugged. 'She's probably too set in her ways to settle down with anyone at this stage.'
'I suppose.' Conor frowned. 'That reminds me, where is that portrait that she gave you, Dee?'
'It's around somewhere,' she said vaguely, 'I'm not sure where.'
'I'll find it and we'll hang it in the hall. It will remind me what you look like when you're at work.'
Sam looked up at him. 'That's silly, you only have to switch on the telly to see Mummy.'
Conor laughed. 'That's true, Sam, I never thought of that. You hate it, don't you?' he murmured to Dee.
'What?'
'The portrait.' He nudged her. 'Come on, you can't fool me.'
'Okay, okay, I don't like it,' she admitted.
'But why? I think you look gorgeous, all delicate and fragile and vulnerable.'
Dee made a face 'Exactly! I look like a victim.'
'Rubbish, you do not. You know what? You look like you do when you're watching Sam, all tender and loving.'
She turned her face up to his. 'Really?'
'Really. Vi is a very clever artist, she captured something that very few people notice. Now, can we hang it in the hall?'
She laughed. 'I'll think about it.'
'Mummy, look! It's Tom!' Sam bounced up and down and waved frantically at his friend across the road. 'Can we cross over?'
'Okay, but hold my hand, please.'
Sam came back and slipped one hand into hers and the other into Conor's. They crossed the road and as the boys chattered noisily, Dee and Conor said hello to Pam, Tom's mother.
'Look at you lot, all tanned and gorgeous,' the woman marvelled. 'Where were you?'
'We were in Spain visiting Neil, Sam's dad,' Dee told her.
'I've got a new baby brother,' Sam boasted. 'He's Spanish and he's called Luis, that's Spanish for Louis.'
'That's wonderful, Sam, congratulations.'
'Is he going to come and live with you on the farm?' Tom asked.
'No, he lives with his mum, Benita, and Neil in Spain but they'll come to visit us and we'll go and visit him, won't we, Mum?'
'Absolutely.' Dee rolled her eyes at Pam.
'He seems to have adapted well to the situation,' Pam murmured as Conor and the boys moved ahead of them on the narrow path.
'I know, it's amazing. He was a bit nervous the first couple of times he met Neil but after that he just took it in his stride. Then I was afraid he might be jealous of the baby, but as you've just heard, he's as proud as punch.'
'It probably helps that they live so far away,' Pam said.
'Maybe; whatever the reason, I'm not complaining.' Dee smiled. They had come a long way since that first, nerve-racking meeting in the park. Sam, initially cautious and full of questions, had quite quickly come to grips with the situation and had welcomed Neil into his life as easily as he would a new child in the crèche.
They arrived outside the school and Dee crouched down so she could look into Sam's face. 'Okay, sweetheart, have a lovely day and remember, your nana is coming over to tea later to hear all about it.'
'Great!'
Dee smiled. 'Okay, then, are you ready?'
'Ready. Bye, Mum!' Sam said and sped off without a backward glance, Tom hot on his heels.
'This isn't quite the way I imagined it,' Pam said, tearfully. 'I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad they're both so happy and confident, but a hug would have been nice.'
'Sam, wait!' Conor shouted, brandishing his camera. 'I have to get a photo.'
Sam stopped and looked back. 'But—'
'Back here, please,' Co
nor said firmly. 'You too, Tom, we have to have a photo so that we have something to tease you about when you're eighteen.'
The boys came back, Sam groaning dramatically. 'Sorry, Tom, my dad is just so embarrassing.'
Dee and Conor exchanged a stunned look. Dad? Conor recovered first and organized them all into little groups, snapping away, a wide grin on his face.
'Okay, you can go now,' he finally told the children.
'Just one minute, Dad.' Pam grinned as she took the camera from him. 'Now it's your turn.'
'Oh, man!' Sam grumbled.
Conor and Dee crouched, one each side of him, and smiled at each other over his head.
'Okay, everybody, look this way and say cheese!' Pam ordered.
Sam put an arm around each of their necks and giggled. 'Gorgonzola!'
It's All About Him Page 35
