He stood up, his spine rigid. He started for the door, then stopped and looked back.
“Because I’ve always been honest with you and told you how I feel, you’re going to hold it against me forever, aren’t you?” he said, his voice empty of emotion. “I see now that I’ll never be able to persuade you that I’ve changed, that I’m really ready to commit to you for the long haul.”
“Maybe not,” she admitted, though saying it nearly broke her heart.
And watching him walk out of her hospital room, his shoulders hunched, an air of defeat about him, finished the job.
CHAPTER 18
Connor walked blindly out of the hospital, trying to grapple with the fact that Heather had been so adamant in her refusal of his proposal. He thought he’d offered everything she’d ever claimed to want, and it wasn’t enough. What was he supposed to do now? Accept that their relationship was well and truly over? He didn’t think he could do that, and yet he was out of ideas.
He was walking so fast, he didn’t even notice Bridget Donovan approaching.
“Connor!” she said urgently, grabbing his arm just as he was about to step off the curb and into the path of an oncoming car in the hospital parking lot. Her brow creased with worry. “What’s going on? You look upset. Is Heather worse?”
He regarded her blankly for a minute, then shook his head. “No. No, she’s fine. Stubborn as a mule, in fact.”
Bridget actually smiled at that. “Ah, then she’s definitely feeling better. What did she say to get under your skin?”
Connor thought about ignoring the question, but perhaps Bridget was exactly the ally he needed. “Could we talk a minute?” he asked.
“Of course.”
“Would you like to go inside for a cup of coffee or tea?”
“I’d prefer to sit right out here in the garden in the sunshine, if you don’t mind. It’s such a peaceful setting.”
They found a bench just past the rosebushes and sat down. She studied him curiously. “What’s on your mind?”
“You and I got off on the wrong foot,” he admitted. “I know the relationship that Heather and I had was a disappointment to you.”
“It was,” she agreed candidly. “But I’ve seen a different side of things since I’ve been here. I’ve seen just how deep the love between the two of you runs, to say nothing of how devoted you are to your son. I want my daughter to be happy, Connor, and you seem able to accomplish that. It might not be the way I’d have chosen, but I don’t think it’s up to me to judge.”
He gave her a wry look. “Can I assume that my mother and Nell have given you a less than subtle push toward that conclusion?”
She laughed. “Oh, they’ve sung your praises, no question about that, but it’s what I’ve seen for myself that’s done the trick.”
“Then perhaps, if the opportunity arises, you could put in a good word for me with Heather,” he requested.
She seemed startled by the request. “Why on earth would you need me to do that?”
“I’ve been proposing for a few days now, and she’s turned me down flat each and every time,” he admitted in a chagrined tone.
Shock spread across her face. “But why?”
“She seems to think my epiphany is unbelievable or that it’s come too late. I’m not really sure of her logic. I just know she’s pretty adamant.”
“Well, that’s just crazy!” Bridget declared.
Connor smiled. “I was hoping you’d think so. Then you’ll put in a good word for me?”
“I’m not sure having me on your side will be much help, but I’ll do what I can,” she promised. “For whatever it’s worth, I do think the two of you belong together. And a word of advice. Give her a bit of time to adjust to this new outlook of yours. It’s quite a turnaround, and the girl has already had her share of whiplash lately.”
Impulsively, Connor hugged her. “Thank you for the assistance and for the insight.”
She patted his cheek. “Let me go in there and see what mood I find her in. No time like the present to start on this mission you’ve given me.”
Connor watched her head into the hospital, her stride purposeful. To his astonishment, he realized that Bridget Donovan wasn’t even half the ogre he’d been making her out to be. As his mother had told him, Bridget was just a mother who cared desperately about her daughter’s happiness.
* * *
After Connor’s departure, Heather thought for a long time about what had happened, about how defeated he’d looked when he left. The image was burned in her mind. She couldn’t prevent her tears from spilling over, though she certainly tried. Crying seemed like such a waste of energy, but the tears had been bottled up for too long. She cried as she hadn’t in all the months since she’d walked away from their home in Baltimore and their life together.
Once started, she couldn’t seem to stop, not even when her mother walked into the room, took one look at her face and gathered her close. If anything, the rare display of unquestioning, unconditional sympathy made her cry harder.
After a while, she wasn’t even sure why she was crying—over a lost opportunity, the end of a dream, her mother’s unexpected comfort or a mix of everything.
“This is about Connor, I imagine,” her mother said eventually. “I saw him leaving here as I was on my way in, and he didn’t look a bit happier than you do. He told me his side of things. What’s yours?”
Heather stared at her in shock. “He told you that he’d asked me to marry him?” she asked, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
“He did.”
Heather tried to make sense of that, but she couldn’t. “Did he also tell you it wasn’t the first time?”
Her mother nodded, still stroking her hair as she had when Heather
