Signed, Sealed, Delivered (21 page)

Juliana hadn’t expected Connor to stop at the red brick building in the middle of Old Town, the center of Cloverleaf.

The Lamb-Brooks Law Offices had been empty for a good number of years despite rumors from time to time that someone was going to restore the place to its glory days.

She kept glancing from him to the building. It was a solid structure almost as old as the town. The lawyers, who used to call it an office as well as a home, had passed away, and when the economy went south, people stopped showing any interest.

A shame.

With some restoration, the place would make great offices again. She’d even entertained the idea of one day trying to buy it for a song. A fleeting memory of mentioning that to Connor came floating back.

“You didn’t buy this place.” She gaped at him. “Did you?”

His face lit with a grin. “Actually, I did. Got it for next to nothing, too. You know me—I always get the best price.”

“But—”

“Nope, Red. You don’t get to argue this time. I bought it for us, and that’s that.” He pulled a set of keys from his pocket. “There’s no turning back.” Grabbing her hand, he dragged her toward the front door. “C’mon in and let me show you what I see. Put on your ‘potential glasses,’ lady. Prepare to be dazzled.”

That was an unnecessary suggestion—one the two of them used whenever they were showing a place that needed some TLC.
Always look at the
possible.
Put on those “potential glasses.”

She already knew what he saw because she’d had the same vision, albeit before she knew they were going to be parents to twins. They’d turn the bottom floor into Kelley-Wilson Realty’s new home. The second floor was a rather large apartment—close to two thousand square feet—the old lawyers had shared. Everyone in town referred to them as “best friends.” In reality, the two were a committed couple who used the upstairs as their home for more than thirty years.

Connor opened the front door and let her pass inside first.

Sunlight spilled through the dirty windows, highlighting the dust in the air and the cobwebs in every corner. But the place had character to spare. The woodwork might be covered in a layer of white paint, but she could see it restored to the original finish, from the crown molding to the twisted spires of the lavish staircase rails.

“It’s so big,” she whispered.

Still holding her hand, he led her to the stairs and headed to the apartment on the second floor. “I figure once Ben gets his hands on this place, it’ll be a masterpiece.” He plucked another key from the ring and opened the ornate oaken door. “Welcome home.”

It was like stepping into the 1960s. The men had been living in a virtual time capsule.

The great room and kitchen were one big, open space. While she loved that configuration, a combination of piss-green tile backsplash against a faded yellow countertop was enough to cause a wave of morning sickness. Even the cabinets were dated, their hardware a tarnished gold. The white enamel sink was chipped, and the faucet was lime-covered.

The carpet in the great room was forest-green shag, and the furniture came straight from an episode of
Mad Men
. While a vintage shop owner might be drooling, all Juliana could think was how much work Ben would have to do and how many workers he’d have to hire to make the place livable and drag it into the twenty-first century.

What had Connor been thinking?

Their business was hanging by a thread, and Max wasn’t easing his attack. Every new Schumm advertisement referenced “taking chances” or “honesty.” If they couldn’t find a way to launch an offensive and restore the public’s confidence in Kelley-Wilson Realty, the firm might not have a future to plan for.

He gave her hand a squeeze. “Well? What do you think? I mean, we could stay at your place until the upstairs is done. Then we can live up here until Ben finishes the offices. After that, we sell both our places and this will be home base—for work
and
play. One of our customers told me this belonged to a couple of old guys who were gay before it was acceptable. She said they were together forever, so I figured…” He let go of her hand and fumbled through his pocket.

“You figured what?”

He held a red velvet box on the palm of his hand as he dropped to one knee. “I figured we could get married.”

Her trembling hands flew to her mouth, covering a gasp.

While her heart wanted to sing at his plans for their future and the romantic gesture, the realist in her fought back. “Connor, we can’t—”

“Hear me out first. Okay?”

“But—”

“
Please
, Juliana. Let me explain.”

She nodded, blinking back the blur of tears in her eyes.

His smile stole her breath. “I figured this would be a great place for us to have a new beginning—to start our married life. The last couple was together almost forty years from what I’ve heard. This building needs some work, but it’s got a great track record.” He winked.

Juliana could barely process anything after the word “married.”

But why now?

Because he wanted them to be a couple?

Or because of her pregnancy?

That notion made her sad. She wanted him to want her, not marry her because she was pregnant. At least she knew where’d he’d been the hour he was gone. He’d hit a jewelry store.

“Think about it,” he continued, his voice full of confidence. “Can’t you see us here? Picture our furniture, a great granite countertop, new cabinets, hardwood floors—the works. Ben will turn this into a showplace. The upstairs will be comfortable and homey. Did you know this place has three bedrooms and two full baths?”

“No. I—I didn’t realize it was that big.”

“The downstairs will be a great place to bring our clients. And what better location? Smack-dab in the middle of town.”

She reached out for the velvet box—her curiosity screaming to open it—before she pulled back her trembling fingers.

Her heart shouted for her to say, “Yes!” To grab for happiness with both hands.

She loved this man. He was a part of her and would always be a part of her. She carried his children, a miracle she’d never expected. They were suited for each other, from the office to the bedroom.

Everything inside her wanted to accept his proposal—except one worry that refused to move aside.

“Connor… we might… what if…” She closed her eyes and hugged herself. “The firm might not survive, not if Max keeps up his onslaught.”

“It’ll survive. I guaran-damn-tee you it’ll survive.”

While she loved the conviction in his tone, she had to deal with the reality of their situation. “How? How can you be so sure the firm won’t go under?”

“Faith, Red. I have faith—in you and in me and how damn good we are together.”

Faith.

The one thing that had always seemed to elude her.

How absurd that she, Danielle, and Bethany had told Mallory to have faith in Ben when the couple had hit a rough patch. Mallory believed he’d left her when he’d feared her breast cancer had returned. But the Ladies told her to listen to her heart and have faith that all would work out in the end.

And it had. Ben and Mallory got their happy ending.

Why was advice always so easy to give and so damned difficult to take?

Connor plopped to the floor and patted his lap. “Sit down, Juliana. Let’s talk.”

His patience must have been at an end, because when she didn’t obey, he dragged her down and wrapped his arms around her.

“Why not take a shot at happiness?” he asked. “What do we have to lose?”

My heart.

My soul.

Everything.

She simply shrugged.

“Do you love me?” he prodded.

“You know I do.”

“Then marry me.”

“What if you gamble again? Will you trust me enough to let me help if things get rough? Tracy isn’t the only person in your life anymore. I’m here, too.”
So like me to ruin an utterly romantic moment.

His grip tightened for a split second. Then he relaxed. “I won’t gamble.”

“You don’t trust me to—”

He shook his head. “I trust you, Red. I do. Think about it. I’m sharing a company with you. If that doesn’t take trust, I don’t know what does!”

“Addictions don’t disappear. Keeping our firm going with all of Max’s bullshit is going to be stressful.
Very
stressful.”

“I agree, but when I was sitting in that car, I had the worst craving I’ve ever had to hit the slot machines. I was in agony, but I didn’t go inside.” He sighed. “I wish I could explain it, but I know I’ve got this licked. Like I’ve already told you, I’d cut off my hand before I’d pull another lever or scratch another ticket. Just to be sure, I’ll keep going to meetings, and I’ll keep Tracy close.” Leaning back, he looked her in the eye. “You’re not worried about how close I am to her, are you?”

“No,” Juliana replied firmly. “Not one bit. But I want you to trust me, too. Lean on
both
of us when you need to.” She was actually grateful that Connor had someone else, another strong person, helping him. Adding that to his faith in staying away from temptation, and she could almost believe he would keep his word.

He gave her quick kiss. “Good. ’Cause she came up with a great idea on how to topple Max from his high horse.”

“Really?”

“Yep. But I don’t want to talk about him now. I want to talk about us.” He rested his hand against her abdomen. “All four of us.” A chuckle slipped out. “Twins. I think my heart stopped for a second when I saw that ultrasound.”

“So did mine.” Things were still far too serious, so she couldn’t smile at his teasing. “Is that why you’re proposing? Because of the babies?” How she found the courage to ask was beyond her, but she needed to know.

“That’s what you think?” he asked, his tone dubious.

“I don’t know what to think.”

“How about you love me and we should make a family together?”

She glanced away. “Then why didn’t you ask me before you knew I was pregnant?” Her protective walls had really fallen or else she’d never have allowed herself to show her vulnerability so plainly.

Connor’s fingers on her cheek urged her to turn back to face him. “Hold out your hand.”

She obeyed.

He set the box on her palm. “How long have we known each other?”

Dropping her hand, she laid the box on her lap. Holding it made a happy ending seem real—a luxury she couldn’t afford. “This is October, so five months, almost six.”

“I thought it was too soon to ask.” His eyes searched hers. “Should’ve known better, though.”

Everything he said made sense, and yet she couldn’t see how they were all related. “Should’ve know better about what?”

“About you.” He jostled her on his lap as he wiggled around to get something out of his pocket.

When she picked up the velvet box and tried to rise, he held her firmly in place and dangled a white paper in front of her.

“Here,” he said. “Check the date on this.”

Juliana grabbed it with her free hand, trying to figure out what the paper had to do with proposals, the time they’d been together, and her.

She quickly realized it was the receipt for her ring. Her eyes widened at the price. “Please tell me you didn’t pay that much for this ring!”

He rolled his eyes. “Not the
price
, Red, the
date
.”

With a disgruntled snort, she found the date. “August sixteenth. So what?”

August sixteenth.

Holy shit.

“You bought this in August? Seriously?” Her incredulous tone echoed through the cavernous room.

“Seriously. I knew. Even back then, I knew.”

His cryptic comments were fraying her already shaky nerves. “Knew what?”

“That you were the only woman in the world for me.”

Cradling the little box against her chest, she fought tears as things added up. “I would’ve said yes. If you’d have asked me in August, I still would’ve said yes—even if it was probably too soon.”

“I know that now. Like I said, I should’ve known better. You and I clicked from that very first moment. We dove into this partnership headfirst that very first night.”

“We dove into the sex that very first night,” she couldn’t help but point out. “The partnership came later.”

“Did it really?” His smile warmed her from the inside out. “Would you have ever bluffed the Ryans that we were partners if we hadn’t made love when we met?”

He had her there. “No. It wouldn’t even have crossed my mind.”

“Then the partnership began the moment the relationship did.”

“It was just sex then.”

“You’re wrong. It was so much more.” Rooting around in his pocket, he slowly pulled out a sheer black stocking as though he were a magician. “Would I have saved this if it were just sex?”

“M-my stocking?” The one she couldn’t find the morning after they’d made love the first time.

He nodded. “I saved it because I knew. That night was the spark of what we have now—a relationship. And the relationship and the partnership are inseparable—
we’re
inseparable.” He took the box and tapped her on the nose with it. “This only seals the deal.”

* * *

Connor wasn’t sure exactly what he’d expected when he brought Juliana here. Although his fantasy involved her letting a few tears of joy fall before accepting his proposal, he knew better. Juliana never let herself be ruled by her sentiments.

She might be a woman with great depth of feeling, but she kept her strong emotions under lock and key, always leading with her brain instead of her heart.

He knew her well enough to anticipate her questioning the timing of his marriage proposal, bringing along the receipt to show her how long he’d planned to ask her to be his wife.

That, in and of itself, was a bit of a miracle since he’d sworn he would never marry. For years, he’d watched far too many of his friends grow bitter after their marriages turned sour. He’d sold their big houses and helped get them into trendy condos, where they brought their kids for visitations. He’d never wanted to find himself in such ridiculous circumstances. Once he had even scheduled a vasectomy before he chickened out. Condoms were better than having his balls worked on.