My Country Man

Chapter 18

By the time I finished getting ready, I heard the doorbell ring. I took one last glance at my reflection in the mirror, fixing a few misplaced hairs. I couldn’t hide all of the bruises, but considering Connor’s seen them looking worse, I didn’t care too much about it.

I raced down the stairs, as if I was a high school girl going on her first date. I opened the door to see a handsome looking Connor right in front of me, holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Once I get a closer look, I realize they’re my favorite flowers, white carnations and Red roses. He must know they are my favorite, but he doesn’t know why. I saw it once in a movie where a guy had a bouquet of the two flowers while he was proposing to his girlfriend and explained the meaning behind each flower. White carnations represent faithfulness and sweet love, while red roses represent love and passion. From that moment on, I’ve been sure to have a bouquet of the two flowers at the therapy center, where he must have noticed my fondness for them.

I gave Connor the once over, I couldn’t help myself. He was dressed in a black sports coat with a white v neck t-shirt underneath. The v neck barely reaching bellow his collar bone. Just looking at him made me happy to call him mine.

Whenever my eyes made their way back up to Connor’s face, I noticed he was doing the same to me. He must have noticed my staring, because a smirk suddenly appeared on his face. I could feel the heat rushing up my neck towards my cheeks and I hate to admit this, I even looked down from embarrassment. My faces was only tilted downward for a matter of three seconds before I felt a slight pressure under my chin, gently forcing me to look up into a pair of soft blue eyes.

He leans down and grazes my lips with his, wrapping his arms around my waist pulling me closer. My arms wrapped around his neck, running my fingers through his hair. The kiss began slow and gently, but soon the passion filled kiss was filled with need and urgency. After what seemed like no time at all, he pulls away and leans his forehead against mine, trying to regain our breath. Once our breathing was steady, he pulls away, but not far enough to break his hold on me. His lips were bruised from the kiss, just as I imagine mine were.

“You look beautiful.” The look of sincerity in his eyes told me he was telling me the truth. He reached one hand up to cup my face, brushing my cheek with his thumb.

“Thank you, you look quite handsome yourself.”

“Oh, I know.” He sends a wink my way.

After putting the flowers in a vase filled with water, he holds out his arm, elbow out, for me to grab, just like they did during the Jane Austin times.

“Shall we, milady?”

“We shall.” I tuck my arm under his elbow and we head to the car.

In the car, we were listening to the radio. In the car, I tend to sing to ever song that is played. So naturally, whenever the song ‘God Bless the Broken Road’ by Rascal Flatts, I began to sing. Line after line, I would sing the sweet words, not really noticing Connor staring at me from time to time.

Whenever the chorus came, I could feel Connor staring at me. I turn my head to give him a questioning look, but stop whenever I see the soft look upon his face.

He was the first one to look away, considering he was the driver, and once again I felt the blush of my cheeks. I was the first one to speak.

“So where are we going? Or is this going to be one of those surprise dates?”

“I’ll have to go with the later.” He responds with a smile, knowing that I love surprises.

A little while later, we pulled into a restaurants parking lot. Connor pulls his truck into a parking space and turns the car off. He gets out of the car in a hurry, leaving me to sit there confused as I pull off my seat belt. Seconds later, Connor appears by my side of the car, opening the door for me like a proper gentleman.