A Suitable Wife: A Sweetwater Springs Novel by Carol Burnside, Emily Sewell, Kim Killion Page A

hollering for someone to shut the back door so they didn’t have to cool the great outdoors.
    In a few minutes, the wedding plans would be public knowledge and there would be no turning back. She glanced around the backyard. Lorelei was nowhere in sight.
    “Sam?” she called.
    “In here, Rosie.”
    She stepped into the house, following the sound of his voice. Remembering her mama’s shouted request, she shut the door behind her and clamped her hand tightly across Sam’s forearm. He relinquished his hold on a tray of tinfoil covered rolls. His eyes flared briefly at the panic she knew existed in her own.
    “Hey, Travis,” he called to her brother over his shoulder. “Could you take this outside? I, uh . . . need to talk to Rosie for a minute.”
    Without waiting for an answer, Sam hustled her through the kitchen and into her father’s study at the far end of the hall.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked, shutting the door behind them.
    “Is Lorelei in the house? I didn’t see her.” Chicken. Just tell him what you want.
    “Sara took her wading down by the river.” He propped his hands on his hips. “What’s going on?”
    Tell him. Now . “I don’t know. I panicked there for a minute, trying to imagine us pulling this off successfully.” In the familiar surroundings of her childhood home, their plans felt impossibly wrong.
    She envied her future husband standing there, feet apart, looking so self-assured. Could it be that easy? You believe everything will be fine and it will?
    She moved away, stopping in front of her dad’s desk. Its orderly, almost bare surface and the books slotted alphabetically in neat rows were indicative of the way her parents lived their lives.
    No artful arrangement. Nothing for show or aesthetics. Straightforward. Honest.
    They’d never understand Sam’s insistence on subterfuge and secrecy.
    “What are you worried about?” His kept his voice low. “People see what they want to, remember? They’ll be looking for a couple in love and we’ll give it to them.”
    She turned, surprised to find him so close. He usually maintained a healthy amount of personal space between them, another thing that would look odd to her affectionate family.
    “How, Sam? We haven’t . . . practiced much. What if we look awkward? People in love naturally gravitate toward each other because they’re used to touching and kissing.”
    Sam’s lips twitched in amusement. “So, you want to practice before we—”
    “No.” Jeezus Pete, she didn’t want him to think she was hot for him! How embarrassing. “Well, yes, but not because I want to. Maybe we need to, you know? So our act looks convincing, natural.”
    Sam nodded as she continued to babble. “Being reserved in public is one thing, but my family is a little more, uh, relaxed about such things.”
    “Yeah, I remember.”
    “They might expect—”
    “Me to do something like this?” Sam slid his palms down her biceps, cupped her elbows, and drew her closer.
    “Uhh . . .” The breathy sound whispered from her suddenly dry throat. The placket of his cream golf shirt came into focus, the middle button twisted. Half-in, half-out of the little thread-reinforced opening, it mirrored her indecision. Open herself to temptation and risk revealing her attraction, or remain buttoned up and risk exposure of their scheme?
    “Sam?”
    “Yeah?” His voice sounded funny, kinda strained. She’d put him in an awkward position.
    “You’re sure we need to keep the true nature of our relationship from my folks?”
    “I wish it weren’t necessary, but yeah. I’m sure no one here would do leak anything intentionally, but the more people who know, the more risk we incur.”
    She nodded.
    “It’ll be okay.” In one fluid motion, Sam embraced her fully and settled his lips over hers in a soft, sweet kiss. Just as quickly, he released her and stepped back.
    “See how easy that was?” his voice now held a satiny growl, stoking the flame his kiss had lit