"What are you doing?" he asked with one eye open.[G1995]
Caroline stopped in her tracks, “I was trying not to disturb you, just go back to sleep.”
Conner shifted and sighed, "I may not be happy that you are here, but you are a woman nonetheless and if you have to stay in my room, you should take the bed."[G1996][G1997][G1998][G1999][G2000][G2001][G2002][G2003][G2004][G2005][G2006]
Caroline shook her head, "No, I'm not going to sleep in your bed."[G2007]
"Just take it before I change my mind," he muttered irritably.[G2008][G2009]
Caroline rolled her eyes, “Where will you sleep?”
“On the floor, obviously.”
“No, absolutely not. The bed looks big enough we can share.”
Conner snorted, “No, we really can’t.”
Caroline rolled her eyes and laid down on her little makeshift bed.
“Oh, for crying out loud,” Conner snapped.
In a split second, he was up. He stalked across to her and tugged her roughly up from the floor and practically dragged her along and deposited her unceremoniously on the bed.[G2010][G2011][G2012][G2013][G2014][G2015][G2016][G2017][G2018][G2019][G2020][G2021][G2022][G2023][G2024][G2025][G2026][G2027][G2028][G2029][G2030][G2031][G2032][G2033][G2034][G2035][G2036][G2037][G2038][G2039][G2040][G2041][G2042][G2043][G2044][G2045][G2046][G2047][G2048][G2049][G2050][G2051][G2052]
"Could you be any more uncivil?" Caroline snapped as she bounced ungraciously on the bed.[G2053][G2054][G2055][G2056][G2057][G2058][G2059][G2060][G2061][G2062][G2063][G2064][G2065][G2066]
"Maybe if you weren't so stubborn I wouldn't have had to take those measures," he retorted.[G2067][G2068]
"I'm stubborn?" Caroline snapped, "You just threw me on the bed because you simply can't take no for an answer!"[G2069][G2070][G2071][G2072][G2073][G2074][G2075][G2076][G2077][G2078][G2079][G2080][G2081][G2082][G2083][G2084][G2085][G2086]
Conner pinched the bridge of his nose, "Listen it's been a difficult day and I would really like to get some sleep, just take the f... damn bed."[G2087]
Caroline crossed her arms, "Fine!"[G2088][G2089]
"Fine!"[G2090][G2091]
Conner got settled in and the room and an uncomfortable silence filled the room. She wasn't sure if Conner had fallen asleep or if he too, lay awake.[G2092][G2093][G2094][G2095][G2096][G2097][G2098][G2099][G2100][G2101][G2102][G2103][G2104][G2105][G2106][G2107][G2108][G2109][G2110][G2111][G2112][G2113][G2114][G2115][G2116][G2117][G2118][G2119][G2120][G2121][G2122][G2123][G2124][G2125][G2126][G2127][G2128][G2129][G2130][G2131][G2132][G2133][G2134]
"I'm sorry," she murmured.[G2135][G2136]
“For?” Conner asked.
"For what I did to you."[G2137][G2138][G2139][G2140][G2141][G2142][G2143][G2144]
"It was Ma's idea, you're not the only one to blame."[G2145]
"Not for that, for what happened four years ago," she said softly.
“It was a long time ago.”
“And yet you still hate me.”
Conne[G2146]r didn't respond to that immediately, but after a moment he said, "You should get some sleep. You have a long flight back to Paris tomorrow."
His response was indifferent, and it hurt, knowing that he wouldn't even lend her a minute to explain why she did what she did.[G2147][G2148][G2149][G2150][G2151][G2152][G2153][G2154][G2155][G2156][G2157][G2158][G2159][G2160][G2161][G2162][G2163][G2164][G2165][G2166][G2167][G2168][G2169][G2170][G2171][G2172][G2173][G2174][G2175][G2176][G2177][G2178][G2179][G2180][G2181][G2182][G2183][G2184][G2185][G2186][G2187][G2188][G2189][G2190][G2191][G2192][G2193][G2194][G2195][G2196][G2197][G2198][G2199]
The deafening silence from earlier descended on the room again. But her mind sounded like a marketplace, as thoughts were flung from one corner of her mind to the next. But soon enough Caroline was drifting off to sleep, not because she was tired, but because of the headache tablets she was given. She fought against it, but it was futile and finally she gave up the fight and slowly started to drift off. [G2200]
"I'm sorry too."
She heard his voice break through the fog of her mind. She figured Conner must have thought she was asleep, otherwise, he probably wouldn't have said anything. But when she did finally fall asleep, i[G2201][G2202][G2203][G2204]t was with a smile on her face.[G2205][G2206][G2207]
If his forgiveness was the only thing she wo[G2208][G2209][G2210][G2211][G2212][G2213][G2214][G2215][G2216][G2217][G2218][G2219][G2220][G2221][G2222][G2223][G2224][G2225][G2226][G2227][G2228][G2229][G2230]uld get out of this visit, it would be enough to last a lifetime.
Caroline's dreams took her back to a more carefree time. When having fun was the order of the day. In her dreams, she was younger, and Conner was laughing as they ran hand [G2231][G2232][G2233][G2234][G2235][G2236][G2237][G2238][G2239][G2240][G2241][G2242][G2243][G2244][G2245][G2246][G2247][G2248][G2249][G2250][G2251][G2252][G2253][G2254][G2255][G2256][G2257][G2258][G2259][G2260][G2261][G2262][G2263][G2264][G2265][G2266][G2267][G2268][G2269][G2270][G2271][G2272][G2273][G2274][G2275][G2276][G2277][G2278][G2279][G2280][G2281][G2282][G2283]in hand to seek shelter from the rain.[G2284][G2285][G2286][G2287][G2288][G2289][G2290][G2291][G2292][G2293][G2294][G2295][G2296][G2297][G2298][G2299][G2300][G2301][G2302][G2303][G2304][G2305][G2306][G2307][G2308][G2309][G2310][G2311][G2312][G2313][G2314][G2315][G2316][G2317][G2318][G2319][G2320][G2321][G2322][G2323][G2324][G2325][G2326][G2327][G2328][G2329][G2330][G2331][G2332][G2333][G2334][G2335][G2336][G2337][G2338][G2339][G2340][G2341][G2342][G2343][G2344][G2345][G2346][G2347][G2348][G2349][G2350][G2351][G2352]
The scenes changed and suddenly they were both lying in each other's arms in Conner's bedroom, murmuring declarations of love into each other's mouths. [G2353][G2354][G2355][G2356][G2357][G2358][G2359][G2360][G2361][G2362][G2363][G2364][G2365][G2366][G2367][G2368][G2369][G2370]
“How much longer do we have mon cher?" She had asked[G2371][G2372][G2373][G2374] him as she kissed his chest.[G2375]
"I leave in a week, but it will only be for a while. I will come back to you."
Again, the scenery changed, and this time Caroline found herself running through a maze of tunnels, trying to find a way out. The walls covered with graffiti, that read 'Goodbye Conner'. Hysterically she burst out crying and with the end of her shirt, she tried to scrub the words off the wall, but the more she scrubbed the more words [G2376][G2377][G2378][G2379][G2380][G2381][G2382][G2383][G2384][G2385][G2386][G2387][G2388][G2389][G2390][G2391][G2392][G2393][G2394][G2395][G2396][G2397][G2398][G2399][G2400][G2401][G2402][G2403][G2404][G2405][G2406][G2407][G2408][G2409][G2410][G2411][G2412][G2413][G2414][G2415][G2416][G2417][G2418][G2419][G2420][G2421][G2422][G2423][G2424][G2425][G2426][G2427][G2428][G2429][G2430][G2431][G2432][G2433][G2434]appeared.
Plagued by dreams or rather night[G2435][G2436][G2437][G2438][G2439][G2440][G2441][G2442][G2443][G2444][G2445][G2446][G2447][G2448][G2449][G2450][G2451][G2452][G2453][G2454][G2455][G2456][G2457][G2458][G2459][G2460][G2461][G2462][G2463][G2464][G2465][G2466][G2467][G2468][G2469][G2470][G2471][G2472][G2473][G2474][G2475][G2476][G2477][G2478][G2479][G2480][G2481][G2482][G2483][G2484][G2485][G2486][G2487][G2488][G2489][G2490]mares, she struggled to get a good night's rest, and before she finally drifted off for the last t[G2491][G2492][G2493][G2494][G2495][G2496][G2497][G2498][G2499][G2500][G2501][G2502][G2503][G2504][G2505][G2506][G2507][G2508][G2509][G2510][G2511][G2512][G2513][G2514][G2515][G2516][G2517][G2518][G2519][G2520][G2521][G2522][G2523][G2524][G2525][G2526][G2527][G2528][G2529][G2530][G2531]ime, it was already 04:35 AM.[G2532]
***
Caroline awoke to the sound of feet scuffling and slowly opened her eyes, to a sight that made her breath hitch in her throat. Conner was up and rummaging through his dresser. His back was to her, and she took the opportunity to stare, watching his muscles flex[G2533][G2534][G2535][G2536][G2537][G2538][G2539][G2540][G2541][G2542][G2543][G2544][G2545][G2546][G2547][G2548][G2549][G2550][G2551][G2552][G2553][G2554][G2555][G2556][G2557][G2558][G2559] and release. [G2560][G2561][G2562][G2563][G2564][G2565][G2566][G2567][G2568][G2569][G2570][G2571][G2572][G2573][G2574][G2575][G2
576][G2577][G2578][G2579][G2580][G2581][G2582][G2583]
When he turned around she quickly closed her eyes to pretend to still be asleep.
"I know you're awake," he said and she cringed inwardly.[G2584][G2585][G2586][G2587][G2588][G2589][G2590][G2591][G2592][G2593][G2594][G2595][G2596][G2597][G2598][G2599][G2600]
Embarrassed she opened her eyes and sat up, consciously touching the rat's nest that was stuck to her head.[G2601][G2602][G2603][G2604][G2605][G2606][G2607][G2608][G2609][G2610][G2611][G2612][G2613][G2614][G2615][G2616][G2617][G2618][G2619][G2620][G2621]
"Good morning," she said groggily.[G2622][G2623][G2624]
"Morning."
"Did you sleep well?" she attempted for small talk.[G2625][G2626][G2627][G2628][G2629][G2630]
“I slept as well as I was going to, given that I was on a floor.”
Scratch that plan, she thought. It was really no use to try small talk, his brain wasn't wired that way, it had never been. If she was going to go through with Mary's plan for her to stay a week and try, she was going to have to consider a direct, straight forward approach. No bells and whistles or pretty, little packages with glittery bows.[G2631][G2632][G2633][G2634][G2635][G2636][G2637][G2638][G2639][G2640][G2641][G2642][G2643][G2644][G2645][G2646][G2647][G2648][G2649][G2650][G2651][G2652][G2653][G2654][G2655][G2656][G2657][G2658][G2659][G2660][G2661][G2662][G2663][G2664][G2665][G2666][G2667][G2668][G2669][G2670][G2671][G2672][G2673][G2674][G2675][G2676]
"I've been thinking..." she started.[G2677][G2678]
"That must be quite a challenge," he retorted sarcastically.[G2679]
Caroline bit her tongue to keep herself from reciprocating with equal sarcasm.
“Can we start over?”
Conner cocked a brow and looked at her suspiciously, "Start over, are you kidding me?"[G2680][G2681][G2682][G2683]
Caroline played with the blanket in her lap, "You should know that I had no idea that it was your mother who invited me. I honestly thought you wanted to see me."[G2684][G2685][G2686][G2687][G2688][G2689][G2690][G2691][G2692]
"And pray tell sweetheart, what reason would I have had to see you?" He crossed his arms over his broad chest as he leaned back against the chest of drawers, regarding her with the deadpan expression of a bull frog.[G2693] A pissed off bull frog.[G2694][G2695][G2696][G2697][G2698][G2699][G2700][G2701][G2702][G2703][G2704][G2705][G2706][G2707]
Caroline shrugged, "I always felt guilty about how things ended and I thought this would be my chance to apologize for all the hurt I caused you."[G2708]
Conner appeared to be considering it for a second before running his hand through his hair.
“Yeah, well I wasn’t completely innocent in what happened either. If what you say if true, I can’t begrudge you for wanting to make amends.”
“So, friends?” Caroline asked hopefully.
She needed to see that Conner would be willing to work things out with her. While she knew that they could never be what they used to be, at the very least she could start the build up to telling him about Lizzi.[G2709][G2710][G2711][G2712]
"It's not exactly that simple. Being friends requires trust, and right now there's none of that," Conner said and pulled his shirt on. "Anyway I have to get going now, Pa is already going to be pissed that I slept in. I'll bet anything that he is going make me shovel the horse stalls again.[G2713][G2714][G2715][G2716][G2717][G2718][G2719][G2720][G2721][G2722][G2723]”[G2724][G2725][G2726][G2727][G2728][G2729][G2730][G2731][G2732]
Caroline wrinkled her nose but nodded as Conner walked out the door. Then she remembered Mary's proposal. She propelled herself out of the bed and ran to the door. [G2733]
"Conner... um, your mother invited me to stay the week," she informed him.[G2734][G2735][G2736][G2737]
"That so?" Conner said raising a brow as he turned to look at her.[G2738][G2739][G2740][G2741][G2742][G2743][G2744][G2745]
Caroline nodded, “I’m going to take her up on her offer.”
Conner regarded her for a moment, and then simply turned[G2746][G2747][G2748][G2749][G2750][G2751][G2752][G2753][G2754][G2755][G2756][G2757][G2758][G2759][G2760][G2761][G2762][G2763] and walked down the stairs. [G2764][G2765][G2766][G2767][G2768][G2769][G2770][G2771][G2772][G2773][G2774][G2775][G2776][G2777][G2778][G2779][G2780][G2781][G2782]
Caroline watched him until he disappeared downstairs and then she retreated into the room.[G2783][G2784][G2785][G2786][G2787][G2788][G2789][G2790][G2791][G2792][G2793][G2794][G2795][G2796][G2797][G2798][G2799][G2800][G2801][G2802][G2803][G2804][G2805][G2806][G2807][G2808][G2809][G2810][G2811][G2812][G2813][G2814][G2815][G2816][G2817][G2818][G2819][G2820][G2821][G2822][G2823][G2824][G2825][G2826]
If she was going to stay here for an entire week, Mary was going to have to let her sleep on the sofa, or she was going to have to sleep with Macy in the guest room. She groaned and flopped back on the mattress. She tried to tell herself that she was only staying so she could eventually conjure up the courage to tell him about Lizzi. It was, at least, partly true, but she didn't want to admit that deep down she was hoping that they could rekindle the flame that once raged like an out of control wildfire.[G2827]
She eventually [G2828][G2829][G2830][G2831][G2832][G2833][G2834][G2835][G2836][G2837][G2838][G2839][G2840][G2841][G2842][G2843][G2844][G2845][G2846][G2847][G2848][G2849][G2850][G2851][G2852][G2853][G2854][G2855][G2856][G2857][G2858][G2859][G2860][G2861][G2862][G2863][G2864][G2865][G2866][G2867][G2868][G2869][G2870][G2871][G2872][G2873][G2874][G2875][G2876][G2877][G2878][G2879][G2880][G2881][G2882][G2883][G2884][G2885][G2886][G2887][G2888][G2889][G2890][G2891][G2892][G2893][G2894][G2895][G2896][G2897][G2898][G2899]managed to motivate herself to get up and get dressed, and w[G2900][G2901][G2902][G2903][G2904][G2905][G2906][G2907][G2908][G2909][G2910][G2911][G2912][G2913][G2914][G2915][G2916][G2917][G2918][G2919][G2920][G2921][G2922][G2923][G2924][G2925][G2926][G2927][G2928][G2929][G2930][G2931][G2932][G2933][G2934][G2935][G2936][G2937][G2938][G2939][G2940][G2941][G2942][G2943][G2944][G2945][G2946][G2947][G2948][G2949][G2950][G2951][G2952][G2953][G2954][G2955][G2956][G2957][G2958][G2959][G2960][G2961][G2962][G2963]hen she finally made it downstairs, Mary was the only one in the kitchen.[G2964][G2965]
"Morning darlin' saved you some breakfast. I assumed you were still getting used to the time change so I let you sleep in."[G2966]
Caroline said her thanks and sat down to her eggs, bacon, and toast, she looked around the empty kitchen.[G2967]
“Where is everyone?” Caroline asked.
"Well the boys are out with the cattle and the girls are in the garden," Mary said while she buzzed around the kitchen.[G2968][G2969]
Caroline wasn't very hungry and picked here and there on her food, "Is there anything I can do to help around here?"[G2970]
Mary nodded, "It's almost lunch time for the fellas, you can come with me to hand out the food and drinks."[G2971]
"I would love to," Caroline smiled and got up to empty her plate of leftovers, "Thank you for breakfast but I wasn't really that hungry."[G2972]
Mary regarded her and then picked at the dress by her waist, "You're just skin and bones young lady, you shouldn't starve yourself."[G2973]
She liked Mary, but here and there, there were a few things that she could pick up that made her understand the way her mind worked. Mary liked to be in control, she preferred to be the last one to have the last say and she loved her children more than anything. For a moment, she wondered what it would have been like if her own mother was so fiercely protective.
While they were preparing lunch, Mary and Caroline talked about everything under the sun. Mary told Caroline how Conner had been such a free-spirited young man, always doing the opposite of what everyone expected. And Caroline could see how much she loved her son. Caroline told Mary how they two of them met, and how they hit it off from day one.[G2974]
"So why did things not work out?" Mary asked curiously.[G2975]
"I suppose I was just insecure in a big way," she started, "We had a good thing, but then he had to go away. I preempted that I won't ever see him again, so instead of t
alking to him about my fears, I thought to protect my own heart first. I left him a note to set him free."
Mary turned to look at her, "I can understand that, but Conner never breaks a promise."
Caroline sighed, "It's a matter of once bitten twice shy. Before I met Conner, I was in another relationship. Tourists come and go all the time. It was a young man who promised me the world, he left and a year later I found out he had married. That was the day I decided that it would never happen to me again."
Impulsively Mary wrapped her arms around Caroline and hugged her, "I"m sorry you had to go through that."
Caroline swallowed back her tears and plastered on her big-girl smile, "It's all in the past now."
When they had everything packed up, they set out to feed the hungry cowboys. The men were very grateful for the provisions and tucked into their meals with enthusiasm.
"Thanks, honey," Frank said, placing a kiss on his wife's cheek.[G2976]
There were other murmurs of thanks from the happy men, but one man was missing.
“Where’s Conner?” Caroline asked.
“Probably still in the stalls,” Frank said, “I told Keith to go get him.”
Keith gave a sheepish smile, “I may have forgotten.”
Frank rolled his eyes and sighed, “I’ll bring him his share.”
“No honey that won’t be necessary,” Mary said, “I’m sure Caroline can manage, right dear?”
Caroline smiled and nodded. Frank looked at Mary suspiciously but didn’t comment.
“I’ll show her where the stalls are at,” Keith said.
Caroline packed up Conner’s lunch and followed Keith to the stalls. They walked in silence for a little while before Keith finally spoke up.
drdaddy Page 59
