Chapter 9 #4
They were coming up to a rest area, so he pulled in and parked before facing her.
“Don’t you get it, Lex? This isn’t a fling and this isn’t temporary; this is us working toward our future.
I wouldn’t build a house that was for us without giving you the chance to say anything about it.
It’s going to be our home. Yours and mine.
A bedroom all for ourselves far away from the kids, a big backyard, a basketball hoop in the driveway… I want it to be our dream home.”
Tears stung her eyes—something she was really starting to resent—even as she smiled at him. “I…I don’t know what to say. There’s not a thing I’m bringing to this relationship. The house…I’m not contributing to it, and that just feels wrong.”
He sighed loudly. “There’s no scorecard, okay? No one’s keeping track, and I don’t care about you contributing to it monetarily. What you’re going to contribute is worth so much more.”
His hand held hers tightly, imploring her to understand what he was saying.
“You’re going to make it a home, Lexi. You’re the one who is going to be at the heart of it. We’re going to build it together and fill it with love and laughter, but you, my beautiful girl, are what’s going to make it the place we all want to come home to.”
Oh, wow…
“Tell me you want this,” he pleaded quietly.
“Tell me we’re going to get back to the resort and can pack up your cabin tonight.
It doesn’t have to be everything, but it can be a start.
I want to go to sleep beside you every night after we kiss our kids goodnight.
And I want to wake up every morning and share the chaos of getting both of them ready for school.
I want a life with you, Lexi. If I thought you’d say yes, I’d marry you tonight.
I’d drive us to get a marriage license right now and go to a justice of the peace. ”
Now her tears fell. “Connor, you never said…”
“I tried not to say the word marry or marriage because I didn’t want to freak you out, but the reality is that it’s all I want. It’s all I’ve ever wanted. And I think we’re finally at a place where I know I can say it without scaring you.”
She nodded, studying their hands. When she looked up, all she saw was love.
“We can plan a wedding,” he went on. “Anything you want. I want to be the one who makes all your dreams come true. So if it’s a big wedding you want, we’ll do it.
If you want small and intimate like Jayce and Kelsey’s, we’ll do it.
If you want to get on a plane and fly to Vegas and get married by an Elvis impersonator, we can do that too. ”
They both laughed softly, and the moment was so damn perfect.
“I have a ring,” he admitted a moment later. “I swore I was going to wait for the perfect moment, and I hate that I don’t have it with me right now.” His expression grew serious again. “I love you, Lexi, and I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you.”
Reaching up, she caressed his jaw. “You don’t have anything to prove. It’s in everything you do every single day. The way you care for me and Jonah? It’s so much more than I ever expected.”
“He’s an amazing kid, and when the time is right, maybe we can talk about me adopting him. I want to be his dad.”
Her heart melted. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his, kissing him with everything she had, proving to him how much she loved him.
When they broke apart, it seemed like there were suddenly a million things to talk about and plans to make, which is what she told him.
“We have a train to catch,” he said with a small laugh.
“I know. But…just know we’re not going to have it all settled tonight. I know you’re impatient…”
“I am, but I get it. I’m just glad that we’re moving forward. I love you, Lexi.”
“I love you too.”
He pulled away from the rest area, and the rest of the day was just magical.
Her heart felt lighter and happier, and suddenly it wasn’t like they were two single parents out with their kids.
They were on a family outing. And when they got home, they were going to work on moving everyone into their cabin.
Theirs.
This was good. There wasn’t any doubt in her mind that this was going to be the greatest thing to ever happen. Everyone was happy and in love and ready to make a zillion plans for the future. The sky was the limit, and there wasn’t anything that could ruin her mood.
They rode the train, stopped for an early dinner, and when they pulled up to the resort, they decided not to let anyone know they were back.
“Why don’t we go and pack up just the essentials tonight, and work on the rest over the next few days?” he suggested as they climbed from the car.
“That sounds perfect,” she assured him.
They grabbed their luggage and got the kids to help with their own things before heading across the parking lot toward the cabins.
“How would you guys feel about all of us living in the same cabin?” Connor asked as they stepped onto the gravel path.
Annabeth turned to look at them, walking backwards, but smiling. “But I get to keep my own room, right? Jonah would get the small bedroom, right?”
Connor nodded, and Lexi didn’t take offense at her being a little territorial.
After all, this was new to her too. “Your room is staying yours. Jonah will get the other bedroom, and tomorrow we’ll work on moving his bunk bed over and all his stuff.
But for tonight, I thought we’d help them pack up a few things, and it will be like we’re extending our vacation. What do you say?”
“I love it!”
“Jonah? Buddy? What about you? Would you like to stay in the cabin with me and Annabeth?”
“Can I bring my toys?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay!”
It was so easy.
Almost too easy.
A tingle of unease niggled at her, but she brushed it off.
It was just maybe that she was a little overwhelmed at having to move all their stuff again.
She wanted to live with Connor, and if the resort wasn’t so busy, she would have jumped at the chance to move into someplace bigger.
So…that’s all it was. It was just the move, and she was tired from their trip. Everything was fine.
“Dad, look! Grandma and Grandpa are here!” Annabeth called out as she ran toward the cabin.
Uh-oh…
She slowed her steps; thankful she was holding her son’s hand.
Connor walked ahead of her, unaware of her unease.
What she wanted to do was turn and walk to her own cabin and just disappear. She wasn’t ready for this, wasn’t ready to deal with facing them and seeing those phony smiles knowing how they really felt about her.
That was years ago…
Maybe. But somehow she doubted they were going to be thrilled with the woman she grew into—a broke single mother who had very little to her name.
Yeah, they weren’t going to be thrilled at all.
“Mom? Dad? What are you doing here?” Connor asked, though she could hear the warmth in his voice. He hugged them both and watched as they fussed over Annabeth.
She kept her distance, unsure of what she was supposed to do.
“We wanted to surprise you!” his mother said. “We got here yesterday, but Walker told us you were away with Annabeth and some friends. We’re going to stay for the grand opening!” She paused and spotted them, her smile firmly in place, but Lexi wasn’t buying it.
Oh, great. The Winslowes were here and they were staying.
Awesome.
Not.
Connor smiled at her over his shoulder before walking over to get her. “Hey,” he said easily. “Come over and say hello.”
“I’d really rather not,” she said, careful to keep her voice down but her smile bright. “I’m not ready for this, Connor.”
“Okay, okay, I get it, but…it will look super awkward if you just turn and walk away.”
It was a chance she was willing to take, but it was only prolonging the inevitable.
Dammit.
So she let him lead her and Jonah over to his family. She wanted to vomit and silently prayed she wouldn’t do it at their feet.
How poetic would that be, though?
“Mom? Dad? You remember Lexi Scott, don’t you?”
This was it.
This was the moment she had been both dreading and dreaming about for years.
She just wasn’t sure if she was going to remember her manners or remind them of their bad ones.