Page 15 of Sweet Beginnings

Understanding that meant waking up in what would most likely be the middle of the night in order to be at the ranch before the crack of dawn, she reluctantly nodded. It would be for the better. “At least there won’t be anyone living with us, watching every move we make.”

“What about your place in Austin?”

So caught up in the good deed of a lifetime, she had forgotten about her cute little apartment in Barton Hills, or that her approval to work from her family home could be yanked at any time. “If it will make things look more legit, I could cancel my lease and look for something new when this is all over.”

“Then you’re not home permanently?”

She shrugged. “At the moment, I’m for sure here for at least the next few months, but during the pandemic, work from home didn’t have a major impact so we’ve been told that barring something unexpected, there are no plans to require us to work from the main office if we don’t have to. I’m hoping to be able to move back for good though. Austin was fun at first, but, even without the ruby slippers, there’s no place like home.”

One corner of his mouth held a shaky smile. “I see.”

“Do you think the uncertainty is a problem?”

Those lips she’d spent way more time than she should have staring at, flattened into a thin line for a long moment before he shook his head. “Honestly, in this world of telecommuting and short-haul commutes, I can’t think of any reason this would be a major obstacle. In real life things happen; when it happens, we’ll deal with it.”

“Excellent point.” Already Sarah liked the way they were able to work things out. So far the sort-of-almost marriage was looking good.

“If we go through with this,” he cast a side glance in her direction again, “the fewer people who know the better. Less chance for a slip of the tongue.”

“Agreed.”

He squeezed her hand for a split second, sending electric shocks up her arm and at the same time, a comforting warmth to soothe her. “What about your dad? Could you handle not telling him?”

And wasn’t that an excellent question. For the most part, she didn’t keep any secrets from her father. Then again, sharing details of her love life—not that this arrangement could be considered a love life—but if she had one, sharing wasn’t something she did with her dad. In that sense keeping the arrangement to herself was easy. On the other hand, it could break her father’s heart to not be included until the day they filed for divorce.Divorce. She would be a divorced woman after this. Not that it mattered in this day and age, but she didn’t like failure and somehow the word divorce and failure were synonymous in her mind. Yet, how could she fail at a fake marriage? An annulment would be better, but then would they have to give the money back? Lord, her mind was out of breath batting all the thoughts back and forth.

“You okay? Change your mind yet?”

She had no idea if he was worried or hopeful. His tone gave away nothing. “Just more questions, but I don’t think I’d be comfortable keeping something this important from my dad.”

Lips pressed tightly together, eyes back on the road, he nodded.

Suddenly, she was the one worried he’d change his mind. “Dad’s a doctor. He’s maintained doctor patient confidences for decades. I’m sure he could keep our secret.”

The tension in Preston’s jaw eased and slowly, he bobbed his head again. “I’m sure you’re right. Your father isn’t exactly the town gossip.”

That made Sarah chuckle. Iris Hathaway came to mind. Tall, lean yet curvaceous, with big blonde Texas hair and an accent that gave away her Georgia roots, the woman could spread any news faster than the Associated Press. She and Sarah’s father most definitely had nothing in common. “Then we’re in agreement to tell my father?”

Preston nodded. “And you still haven’t changed your mind?”

She shook her head. It felt good to make progress. Two big issues were settled and put aside. Accomplishing that much would have made her smile, except for the million other smaller things they still had to figure out—and sooner was definitely better.

Having pulled into the parking lot beside the café, Preston turned into the nearest space and undid his safety belt. Not till he felt the empty caress of cool air against his skin did he realize Sarah Sue had pulled her hand out of his to release her own seatbelt.

To avoid reaching for her again, he shoved both hands in his pants pockets. At some point they were going to need to get started showing themselves around town as a couple, but not till they were one hundred percent on board with no cause to back out. For whatever reason, he felt like an awkward teen on a first date. It made no sense, but he needed to shake it off and move forward. Grabbing the front door, he waved Sarah Sue inside.

Even on a weekday evening, the café did a brisk business. Before Agnes, the waitress who had been serving the town for as long as Preston could remember, could motion for them to pick any table, half a dozen people had waved, nodded, or grinned at him.

Mildred McEntire had come running up to Sarah Sue and pulled her into a tight hug. The woman wore so much bling, she could have illuminated the way for a lost ship on a fog-heavy night. “Aren’t you looking pretty as a picture?” The grinning woman beamed at Sarah Sue.

Strangers watching might have thought the two hadn’t seen each other in decades rather than during Sarah Sue’s last visit home.

His pretty neighbor’s cheeks pinkened at the compliment as she waved an arm at Mildred. “I love the outfit.”

Turning left then right so the light from above reflected off every shimmering trinket, Mildred grinned from ear to ear. “Made it myself.”

“Very nice,” Sarah Sue confirmed with a smile.

Mildred’s gaze shifted, she gave a fast smile in Preston’s direction that teetered on a knowing smirk before scurrying back to the table of friends, including Iris Hathaway, now waving frantically at her to hurry up.

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