She was a mind reader, of that he was convinced. He looked at his father for help, but the old man simply shrugged in defeat.
Conner was livid, never mind the fact that his father cut off his allowance, his mother had gone and arranged a wife for him! It was probably the most absurd thing he'd ever heard of. This sort of thing happens elsewhere, not here in the US. His mother had officially lost her marbles.
Chapter 2
Caroline pushed down on her luggage to get it to close properly, finally managing to zip it up. It was almost time for her to leave, which right now, was probably the hardest thing she ever had to do. She was about to embark on the most ridiculous thing she had ever considered and on top of that, she agreed to leave her daughter behind. She knew it was just temporarily, but she had never been away from her daughter for such an extended period. She walked over to the vanity mirror and looked at herself in the mirror, she couldn’t help but wonder if she was a bad mother. Who in their right mind would leave their child behind?
“This is only for a while Caroline,” she told herself and then took a deep breath. It was time to say her farewells. She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen where her sister, Adalene, and her daughter Lizette were seated at the table. Little Lizette was a spitting image of her, with bright green eyes and light brown hair that flowed freely down her back. When Caroline made her way into the kitchen her daughter quickly jumped down and wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist.
“It’s time for me to go, Mon Chou. Promise me you will be good to your auntie.”
The little girl nodded her head in her mother’s stomach but still would not let go. They had all decided to say their farewells at home since she had thought it to be easier, but it wasn't. Tears filled her eyes and she looked to her little sister for help. Adalene went to pick Lizzette up, but instead, her daughter sniffled, wiped her eyes, and then ran out of the kitchen, up the stairs to her room. Both women flinched when they heard the door slam and Caroline felt as if her entire world was caving in. How could she even have considered this? She should have been honest about the fact that she had a daughter.
Adalene looked at her sister irritably, "I hope you know what you are doing."
Caroline frowned and rubbed her forehead, "So do I, sis. I'm still a little surprised that he contacted me after all these years."
Adalene started to clear the dishes, and Caroline steered clear, she knew her sister didn't approve of her decision, but this was something she had to do, otherwise she'll be the one would always wonder 'what if?'.
"What did he say he wanted, again?" her sister asked seemingly interested.
"I don't know, he just said he needed to see me and that he wanted to talk to me."
"And he couldn't do that over the phone?"
Caroline shrugged, "He thought it would be too impersonal."
"Gullible," Adalene mumbled under her breath, "You should have been more persistent. Now you're running off and leaving your daughter behind, do you think that's fair?"
"Adalene," Caroline said despondently, "You think I didn't try?"
"You didn't try hard enough," she said coolly and then turned to Caroline, "Do you think he knows about Lizzi?"
Caroline worried her lip and shook her head, "I don't think so, if he did I'm sure he would have asked me to bring her along."
Adalene rolled her eyes, "Are you going to tell him?"
Caroline was quiet for a minute, "I don't know, it depends on how things go I guess."
"You should. He has a right to know, and Lizzi needs a papa."
Although Caroline agreed with her sister, she didn't respond. There was just so many things that stood in the way of her happily ever after.
Not to mention the really bad life choices she made all along the way. She should have told Conner that she was pregnant, but at the time things weren't all rosy.
"I have to go," she said and planted a kiss on her sister's cheek, "Revoir soeur, I'll call you when I'm there and let you know how things go."
Adalene muttered something under her breath and tossed the dishtowel on the counter. Caroline forced a smile, grabbed her suitcase and walked out the door with a knot of uncertainty twisting in her stomach, she had no idea what to expect.
The trip from France to Texas was smooth, but long with one stop in New York before boarding a connecting flight. The flight took nine hours and although she felt fatigued, she couldn't sleep. Her nerves were shot, and the fact that she had left Lizzi behind, guilt-tripped her to the extent that at one point, she wanted to turn around and go back home.
It had been almost four years since she had seen Conner, the handsome young man with a love for life and travel. She should have known better. American tourists came to Paris for a good time. They never stay, and have no intention of settling down. She knew this the day he charmed her socks off, but she was so taken by him that she foolheartedly leaped into a relationship that was never meant to be. And the last thing she expected was to end up pregnant.
She should have told him when he emailed her, insisted that Lizzi comes along, but she couldn't chance it. The last thing she needed was her daughter growing up knowing that her father wanted nothing to do with her. Her heart lurched as she thought about that last time they were together, and how it ended. They had parted ways with animosity hanging heavily in the air. For a moment she wondered if he would still be mad at her, but then again, his email sounded friendly, almost carefree. Would she even recognize him? She wondered just as the pilot announced their descent. She fastened her seatbelt and lifted her tray back into place. As she glanced out the small oval window, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live here in the United States.
The airplane touched down and jerked roughly, but even that wasn't anything in comparison to the way her stomach fluttered at the thought of seeing Conner after all these years. She made her way through to baggage claim, trying her utmost to get rid of the nervousness. She even attempted small talk with an elderly lady. Soon she exited the baggage claim area and was met with a crowd of people waiting for loved ones. A little boy came running past her and flung himself up into his dad's arms and her heart ached. She scanned the crowd looking for the person Conner sent to pick her up. Finally, she spotted a man holding a sign with her name on it. She waved and approached him.
"Caroline Leroy?" the man asked.
She nodded her head in sync with the butterflies zooming around in her stomach, "Yes, that's me."
He extended his hand to take her bag and introduced himself as Samuel. She hesitated at first, she wasn't used to this, and then she handed him her luggage.
"Mrs. James sent me to fetch you, I hope you had an enjoyable trip?"
He sounded friendlier than he looked, she thought and smiled, "Yes thank you, it was just long."
"Nine hours right?" the man said
"Yeah," she said, "So, Mrs. James sent you?" she asked curiously. Surely Conner would have sent for her if he invited her. Worrying her lip, she told herself that he might be busy working.
The car that was awaiting her was a black Lincoln and was obviously expensive. She had always known that Conner was from a wealthy family, but this breached the line between wealth and royalty, she thought amusedly. But the fact that she wouldn't have to worry about getting a cab and getting lost in Dallas, was somewhat of a relief. The differences between Paris and Dallas were vast, although Paris is a big city, the infrastructure was different, it was really more like a work of art, sculpted by many artists throughout time. Back home there were no such thing as rush hour traffic, and the hustle and bustle of Dallas were overwhelming in comparison, even though they were still in the vicinity of the airport.
As the car pulled out of the airport and approached the city, Caroline looked out the window and marveled at the size of it all. Skyscrapers reached up into the sky, taunting the clouds as if to make their presence known.
"Conner actually lives here in the city?" Caroline asked, voice f
ull of awe.
The driver chuckled, “No ma’am he grew up on his family’s ranch just outside of the city.”
“Is that where we are going?”
"Yes, ma'am."
It didn't take very long until the cityscape turned into rural farmland. The cattle and horses that they passed made Caroline nostalgic as she remembered her family trips through France and visiting her grandmama's own little farm. Large open fields stretched endlessly on either side of her. She was so lost in her musings that it took her a minute to realize that Samual had spoken to her.
"Almost there, Ms. Leroy."
Caroline looked out the window and her breath caught in her chest when she saw the house that Conner grew up in.
It was beautiful, all white with sky blue lining the windowpanes and the wrap around porch. Outside there was a large oak tree that shaded a black motorcycle and a tire swing hung from the branches. There was a shed a little distance away and the house was in front of what looked like thousands of acres of land, cattle dotted the far distance and cowboys mounted on their horses seemed to be moving them from one location to the next.
Caroline was startled when her door opened and Samuel smiled down at her.
"I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't mean to startle you, but we have arrived."
She smiled sheepishly, “It’s fine, I was daydreaming I should have paid more attention.”
She got out of the car and went around to retrieve her luggage, but Samual waved her away.
"I've got it, ma'am, I'll just set it in your room. You go inside, Mrs. James is expecting you."
Caroline was confused, but nodded and made her way up the steps. She hesitated at the large doors, not sure if she should knock or just walk in. But with the door standing wide open she nervously stepped into the house. When she took in the front entryway, her breath caught in her throat a little bit. The inside was very big with a spiraling staircase that led upstairs. Past the vast open space of the foyer, she noticed the entrance that obviously led to the kitchen and up ahead was the living room.
"Hello?" she said tentatively, not sure where to go. A woman with bright silver and blonde hair wrapped up in a twist appeared. She was wearing a yellow dress that went all the way to her calves and flared out at the waist. Her face was youthful but showed signs of age around the eyes, which were born from many years of smiling. Her eyes gave her away as Conner's mother; slanted with deep blue irises.
The woman approached her with a wide smile and her arms outstretched, “You must be Caroline,” she said embracing her, “You can call me Mary.”
Mary clasped her hands over Caroline’s and tugged, “I know you must be very tired, but there are some things that we need to discuss before you get settled.”
Caroline found her voice then, “I thought that Conner wanted to talk to me.”
Mary glanced at Caroline with a mischievous smile, “Oh he does, we all do, dear. You must be wondering why I wrote asking you to come here.”
“Wait, you emailed me? That wasn’t Conner?”
Mary’s smile turned apologetic, “I’m sorry for the little trick darlin’ but I had to get you over here, it’s very important.”
Caroline didn't know what to say so she just let Mary lead her into the kitchen and sat her down at a long wooden table. There was already a man sitting there who could be none other than Conner's father. He had the same brown hair, albeit a streaked with a little bit of gray. Same strong jaw line and large hands and when he smiled at her he had dimples in the same places as Conner did. But his eyes were dark brown.
"Caroline this is Frank, Conner's father," Mary introduced her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Caroline," he said and then turned to his wife and sighed, "This is a bad idea, Mary. Dragging this poor girl all the way here under false pretenses."
Caroline looked between the two of them, puzzled by what was going on.
“Hush Frank, I know what I’m doing.”
Frank raised a skeptical eyebrow, but didn’t comment, he stood up, put his hat on and made his way out the door.
“I’ll go get him,” he said.
When the two ladies were alone Mary clapped her hands and smiled, “I’m sure you must be thirsty, I have a pitcher of lemonade in the fridge just for you.”
Caroline smiled at the woman and nodded, “That sounds lovely thank you.”
Mary poured them both a generous glass and sat down across from her. They were quiet for a second until Caroline spoke up.
"Why am I here exactly?" she asked.
Mary sighed and looked down before meeting her eyes, "I am sorry for the deception, but I am at my whit's end. The reason I brought you here is because..." she was cut off by the door banging open and two men walking in, Conner in front and an exasperated Frank trailing behind.
It had been a long time since they had seen each other but Conner was every bit as handsome as he was then. He was covered in sweat and his dark hair was plastered to his head. His jaw had some stubble on from a few days’ growth and ran down his strong neck. He was wearing a red flannel shirt that was open, framing a white t-shirt that stuck to his well-defined abs. His jeans were well-loved and light blue with a couple small rips in them.
Caroline was speechless for a second at seeing him again, all the memories she had kept hidden in the recesses of her mind steamrollered forward in a collage. She remembered everything they had shared and how she loved him so deeply, for a second she forgot why she ever left.
"So you actually went through with it," Conner sneered, "I told you I didn't want to see her."
Suddenly Caroline remembered why she left. And right now she was ready to sprint out the front door.
“It’s nice to see you too Conner,” Caroline said sarcastically.
Conner rolled his eyes, “Cut the shit we both know you don’t want to be here,” He narrowed his eyes at her, “Unless you’re in on it too.”
Caroline glared, “I don’t even know why I am here.”
“But I do, sit down Conner,” Mary interjected.
Conner glared at his mother but she would not be intimidated. Finally, he grumbled but sat down a couple of chairs away from Caroline pointedly not meeting her eye.
Still, as childish as ever, Caroline thought to herself and fought not to roll her eyes.
Mary turned to Caroline, "I'm sure you are wondering why you are here, but it's really quite simple. I want you to marry my son."
Caroline's jaw dropped and she stared in shock at Mary for a long time, not quite sure if she heard that right. When Mary made no move to comment further Caroline realized she was waiting for her to respond.
“You want me to what?”
"Marry Conner," she said flatly.
Frank sighed, “Honey, is this really necessary?’
Mary glared at her husband but didn’t say anything.
Caroline tried to gather her thoughts, which right now was like a stampede heading for a gorge, "But why?" she blurted out.
"Because my mother has officially lost her mind," Conner muttered. He looked at his mother, "I will tell you again for the thousandth time, I do not want to get married. Not to Caroline, not to anyone. We had a fling, it ended, that's it," he said through clenched teeth.
His words stung and Caroline tried not to be offended, after all, she was the one who left, but she couldn't help but seethe with anger. They had something deeper than that and it hurt to hear how Conner so easily dismissed it. If he was going to be a complete ass about it, she may as well return fire.
“What makes you think I would even want to marry you anyways?” Caroline snapped.
Conner gestured to Caroline, “See? Even she thinks this idea is stupid.”
Mary looked between the them and sighed, “Caroline, please forgive my son’s rudeness. We raised him better than this.”
“This is all so confusing, why me? Why do you want me to marry your son? How do you even know about me?”
Mary flipped her hand in the air, "H
ow I know about you is not important, honey. What is important is that I am at my whits end with this boy," Mary glared accusingly at her son.
Conner rolled his eyes, "Ma, you're being a drama queen."
Mary ignored her son, "He is always gone and I worry, as any mother does, where he disappears to for days on end. I'm sure you've seen that awful motorcycle he insists on driving, that's enough to give any mother nightmares."
“So, you want me to be his babysitter?”
Mary smiled, "Contrary to what this may seem like, no, I want you to be his wife. My son is not getting any younger and I think it's time he settled down."
Caroline opened her mouth to decline, but before she could do that Conner shot up sending his chair scraping across the floor.
"This is absurd! I refuse to dance to your whim and go through with this and you can't make me Ma," he spat out in a rage that made Caroline flinch inwards.
Mary smirked, “You underestimate the power I have over you, son. I already told you, it’s either this or I cut you off.”
Caroline was shocked, this was the most absurd thing she had ever heard, and in Conner's defense, Mary was way out of line. How dare she fling a noose around so freely and force two people into something they would only regret down the line?
Conner banged his hands down on the table, face red with anger, "Ma, if you really mean it, which I know you don't, then fine, write me off and see if I care. But when or if I do ever get married, it would be on my terms, and my decision."
Then Conner turned his gaze to Caroline for the first time and she saw the disappointment that lay beneath the surface of those same eyes that once looked at her with such passion, she wanted to apologize for everything that had happened. But then his face transformed into a smirk and Caroline wanted to run. She watched as Conner rounded the table, like a predator sizing up its prey.
"Besides, she would make a terrible wife, she can't cook for one, she's clumsy as hell, and she can't drive to save her life. The woman is a complete and utter mess and me, or anyone else, for that matter, would be better off without her tagging along like a lovesick puppy."
Daddy's Christmas Date: A Single Dad Romance Page 33
