Chapter 19 - Lesley

It had been four days since I had been back at the ranch, and we hadn’t told Alfie yet. Now, Connor, Alfie, and I were sitting around the dining table, digging into another one of my casseroles. Connor suddenly looked up from his plate, gave me a smile and then turned to Alfie.

“Son, we have something to tell you,” Connor said and he had caught me by surprise. We hadn’t discussed how we were going to tell Alfie or when. My fork fell on my plate with a clank. There were things to consider here. Even though Alfie was fond of me, and he had clearly missed me when I was gone, he had never had a mother. He didn’t remember his own. If Connor told him that I was going to be more than just a nanny to him, he could have an unexpected reaction to the revelation.

“Connor, I think we should discuss this,” I glared at him, trying to communicate all this with my eyes. Yet, Connor was unaffected by it. He continued smiling. Alfie looked at his father and then at me with wide curious eyes.

“What, daddy? What? Is Lesley leaving again? Lesley, are you leaving again?” His voice had started trembling. He was expecting the worst. I looked at him and shook my head.

“No, honey. I’m not going anywhere. Don’t worry.” I tried to soothe him.

“That’s what we wanted to tell you, Alfie. Lesley is staying here with us for good,” Connor added. Alfie’s eyes grew larger. His worried expression had changed to excitement. He jumped off his chair and ran over to me and threw his arms around my neck.

“You’re staying!” he cried as he hugged me, and I laughed. When I met Connor’s eyes, I saw that he was smiling too.

“Alfie, look at me son,” he said and Alfie turned to his father while clinging to me still. “Lesley is staying with us, but she’s not going to be your nanny anymore,” he continued and I could feel my heart thudding in my chest. I hadn’t expected Connor to say it like that – in those exact words. Alfie seemed a little confused as well, but he was still holding me, which had to be a good sign!

“If she’s not going to be my nanny, what is she going to be?” he asked, and Connor and I looked at each other. I was wearing the ring he had given me, but on my middle finger. He hadn’t said anything to me about the ring or what it symbolized. I still didn’t know what our relationship was . . . other than us sleeping together and living under the same roof.

Connor stood up from his chair and walked over to us. Alfie tightened his grip around my neck, as though he was afraid of his father taking me away from him.

I followed Connor with my eyes, watching his every movement. He came to a stop over me, and I had to crane my neck to look up at him.

When I was least expecting it, he bent down on one knee, his face was now at level with mine and Alfie’s. I couldn’t feel my limbs. There were goose bumps on my skin. One blond lock of his hair had fallen over his forehead and his clear blue eyes and I couldn’t believe that this man of my dreams was kneeling in front of me.

“Daddy? What is she going to be?” Alfie was still clinging to me, staring at his father in surprise.

Connor had a smile on his face, and his eyes were fixed on me. “It depends on what her answer is going to be.” He was speaking to his son, but looking at me.

When Connor stretched out his hand to me, I knew exactly what he was asking for. I just couldn’t get my limbs to move. The smile remained fixed on Connor’s face. He was patiently waiting, waiting for me to give him my hand.

My fingers trembled when I gave him my right hand. Alfie was on my lap. He slowly slipped his arms away from my neck, watching the scene unfolding in front of him with awe.

Connor’s large, warm fingers clasped mine and gently, he slipped the ring off my middle finger and held it up before me and Alfie.

“I bought this ring so you could wear it on a particular finger, Lesley. I wish I could have asked you this before you left because I knew. I knew the moment you came here – the moment I saw you with Alfie . . . that I wanted you to be my wife,” Connor’s voice was clear and confident while I could feel my whole body quivering.

I hadn’t thought about what the ring meant. It was a beautiful, expensive gift from him . . . that was all I had considered it to be.

Alfie was staring up at me as well with a clear expectant gaze. “Lesley?” he spoke in a quiet voice. “Are you going to marry daddy?” he asked. I looked from him to Connor until I felt like I was going to burst into flames.

“Yes, I am,” I said, and a laugh escaped my lips. A laugh of shock and happiness and dizzying contentment. Connor slipped the ring off my middle finger and gently pushed it on to my ring finger. Then he clasped my hand in his and leaned forward to kiss me.

Alfie jumped off my lap with excitement. “You’re going to be my mommy!” he exclaimed. Then, clapping his hands, he started circling us at a break-neck speed. Connor and I remained in each other’s arms, kissing and holding hands.

“Alfie, you’re going to make yourself dizzy,” I scolded him, and he collapsed to the floor dramatically with a laugh.

Connor looked into my eyes, and then brushed a lock of hair away from my face and smiled. “I’m sorry to spring this on you like this. I just couldn’t control myself anymore. I needed to ask you and I needed to tell Alfie,” he said, and I kissed his cheek. The roughness of his stubble against my lips sent a shiver down my spine.

“Don’t apologize, Connor. You’ve made me the happiest woman alive,” I said. I looked over at Alfie to see that he was making a snow angel out of nothing on the floor. I laughed at him encouragingly. He was so happy!

“I’m so glad Alfie’s taking it well,” I told Connor, who had leaned forward to knock his forehead against mine.

“Alfie was the easy part,” he replied and I crossed my brows in confusion. Connor laughed and kissed me again.

“Wait till we tell my mother and your parents,” he explained and I drew in a deep breath of realization.

“My mother has great designs for me marrying one of those Hampton girls she has picked out for me. And your parents . . . Well, your father is not exactly going to be thrilled about the fact that you’re marrying the man who made him bankrupt,” Connor continued and I pressed my eyes closed at the thought of having to deal with our families.

“Well, now that everything is over and you’ve given dad back the money and then some . . . maybe he will be easier to deal with,” I sighed. Connor laughed and kissed my cheek affectionately like I was a small child who had said something silly.

“If I was your father, I wouldn’t have forgiven so easily. Especially given that his daughter’s life and happiness is now at stake,” he said and I looked at him with conviction.

“Dad will come around. I’ll make sure he does. He used to like you. He trusted you enough and thought of you as a friend . . . I’m sure he’ll see that side of you again soon,” I argued and Connor nodded his head and sighed.

“I’m willing to spend the rest of my life striving to prove my worth and honesty to him if I have to,” he said.

“Your mother on the other hand . . . I don’t know how we are going to deal with her,” I said with a nervous laugh. I knew that Mrs. Marshall was a lady of great taste who was sharp as a whip, threw elaborately fashionable parties, knew almost everybody who was worth knowing, and had unimaginably high standards. She had never considered my parents to be worthy enough of her time or friendship, so we had never been invited to any of her parties.

Connor squeezed my hand and looked into my eyes. He was holding my gaze as though to insist that I paid attention to what he was going to say.

“Unlike your dad, I can’t promise that my mother will ever come around. There are some things that are completely unforgivable in her eyes. And marrying you – marrying someone who she has not handpicked – could be one of them,” he said and I gulped. He was making me nervous. The last thing I wanted was to create a rift between Connor and his family.

“Lesley . . . ” he said and I looked up at him again. He moved his hands up, clasping them on both sides of my face. He was staring deep into my eyes as he spoke. “It doesn’t matter what she thinks. It doesn’t matter if she never wants to speak to me again because you and Alfie are all that matter to me now,” he said. I flung myself into him, sinking into his arms and the scent of him. He held me tightly and kissed the top of my head, and I was smiling again.

Over his shoulder, I looked at Alfie, who was standing up from the floor now. His face was still flushed with excitement. I winked at him, and he winked back, and we fell into a fit of giggles that confused Connor. I couldn’t remember the last time I had laughed like this.