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They were excused from dishes and Cara dragged Alec to a corner in the living room where no one had yet gathered. “You survived,” she teased him. “I should make a button for you.Dinner with the Roberts and Lived to Tell About it.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Will we have kids?” he asked.
She looked up at him, and then gave him a look. “Aren’t you jumping ahead a bit? We’ve only known each other what? Ten days?”
“Twelve.”
“You are good with numbers.”
He kissed her, and despite the very public corner they’d taken, there was plenty of heat. “I did not come to propose,” he said. “I came so you’d know how much I want you and want a future with you—”
“But isn’t that what an engagement is?”
“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel after the past week.”
“The fact that you’re here, and smiling, and happy says a lot.” She leaned forward and pressed a swift kiss to his lovely mouth. “You are happy, aren’t you?”
“Now that I’m with you, yes. It’s been a terrible week. I haven’t slept in days. I just wanted to find you. I wanted to apologize—”
“I forgive you. You were scared.” She reached up to smooth the lift of his eyebrow. “Even Aunt Dorothy said so. And even if she hadn’t said that, I’d understand. It’s hard to risk your heart after… everything.”
“You’re so strong,” he marveled.
“You’re strong, too. I admire you immensely and adore you, and yes, it’s shallow, but I love your beautiful face.”
He shook his head, but he was smiling. “I’ve missed this. I’ve missed you. So much.”
“So you’ve reconsidered the impracticality of our relationship?”
“You’re going to torture me,” he said.
“As much as I can,” she agreed happily.
For several minutes, they sat together, watching her family fill back in, watching her brother Tom turn up the volume on theTV, so they could enjoy some of the music and fireworks from other parts of the world.
They also escaped after dessert for some more alone time, but cognizant that the house was full of little people, nothing inappropriate was going to happen.
They did spend a lot of time kissing, though, and after a particularly thorough kiss that left Cara feeling breathless and boneless, she put a hand to his chest, feeling the hard hammer of his heart. “How does this play out? How do we make it work?”
“However we can.” He hesitated. “But you know where I need to be. Is that a problem for you?”
“No.”
“You’re sure?”
“They have airplanes now, Alec. They’re marvelous things. Can get me back home for a visit whenever I want in just twelve hours.”
“Well, that’s to Heathrow from Seattle.”
“Fine, sixteen hours, depending on connections. But come on, that’s less than a day. It’s nothing. Nothing for someone who loves you as much as I love you.”
“You love me.”
“With all my heart.”
“You have the biggest heart I know.”
She was glad for the brass lamp on her father’s desk. She wanted to see Alec’s face, wanted to see his eyes. “I have a request,” she said, “I know you’re private, but I’d like to meet your father. I understand he won’t know who I am. I understand he doesn’t recognize you anymore, but I want to meet him. I need to meet him. I need to tell him how much I love you, and I will promise him that I will always take care of you, and that I’ll do my best to take care of future Sherbournes, especially if we’re lucky enough to have any of our own.”
