Page 29 of Sweet Beginnings

“You got me a ring?” Preston’s voice was soft and low and vibrated through her, all the way to her toes.

“Wasn’t I supposed to?”

Not till his lips curved into a lazy smile did she truly relax. For the first time since they stood on the corner, the night his apartment caught fire and she made up her mind to do this, she was completely at peace and completely sure they could make this work.

Curling her arm into his elbow, Preston turned them to face the judge. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The next thing she knew, she was facing Preston, their hands clasped, and each was repeating the words the officiate fed them. Her hand tingled as Preston slowly eased the single band onto her finger. A moment later, and she was shoving a different gold band over Preston’s knuckle, praying the ring fit, smiling with delight when the wedding band settled comfortably onto his finger.

“By the powers vested in me by the state of Oklahoma, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

They’d kissed before. They’d had to for appearance’s sake. Always quick and brief and just for show. This time, Preston’s lips came down on hers, slowly, carefully, and so very sweetly. The air warmed around her and the ground beneath her feet seemed to shift. The touch lasted just long enough to convince anyone looking, but not long enough for Sarah’s liking. Probably for the best.

A few handshakes and hugs of congratulations, all for the benefit of the officiate who signed the paperwork then quickly said his goodbyes and wished them every happiness. The same loud slamming of a car door announced his departure.

Spinning about, Rachel leveled her gaze with Preston, then over to Sarah Sue. “On behalf of Mom, Dad, and the ranch, thank you for doing this.”

“Yes.” Carson turned to Sarah Sue. “We’ll never be able to repay you.”

All she could manage was a nod. When Preston squeezed her hand, whether for support or adding his thanks, she was able to add a hopefully steady smile. “That ranch feels as much a home to me as my dad’s house.”

Blinking back watery eyes, Rachel took a step in retreat. “Yes. Well, I guess this is it. I hate to marry and run, but we need to get back before Mom notices anything is different.”

Preston nodded. “Of course. Thanks for the assist.”

Slapping his brother on the back, Carson took a step back before turning around and hugging his brother hard. “See you tomorrow.”

Not till Carson and Rachel’s car pulled out of its parking spot did Preston take a step forward. “Hungry?”

“Not really.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she realized if they didn’t go eat that meant the only other place to go was to check into their room.

“Popcorn?”

“What?”

“How about popcorn? I’d suggest we do a little sightseeing but I’m pretty sure from where we’re standing we can see the whole town. On the other hand, if we head to our hotel, we can get a large bowl of popcorn and binge a few good movies.”

The butterflies in her stomach stopped fluttering and a smile touched her lips. “I love popcorn.”

Small-town Oklahoma was not known for luxury accommodations, but Preston chose the nicest hotel he could find. After a quick stop at a local grocery for popcorn, sodas, and a few miscellaneous snacks, checking in had been easy. So far, the closest thing to a boutique hotel had kept all of its charm. Even the old-fashioned key fob with the logo on one side and room number on the other was cute. What wasn’t so cute was the sight awaiting him at the room’s open door.

He’d booked a double room. The photos had shown rooms with two double beds. This room had one king-size bed. No chairs and no extra space.

“Oh.” Sarah came to a stop beside him. “It’s, um, very pretty.”

Not the first words that came to his mind. “There are supposed to be two beds.”

“Oh,” she repeated softly.

Shaking his head, he walked to the phone on a nearby table and punched the number for the front desk. A moment later the woman who answered explained that they were fully booked for the night and there were no other options. “Do you have a rollaway bed?” The lady’s answer wasn’t anymore helpful. Setting the handle back into the cradle, he blew out a sigh. “Looks like this is it.”

Glancing about, Sarah spotted the luggage rack in one corner and slowly crossing the room, set her bag down on it. Her back to him, he could see her shoulders rise and fall with a deep breath before she opened her bag and pulled out a small toiletry kit and then clutching it to her chest, turned to face him. “Which side of the bed do you want?”

His gaze darted to the large bed. “I, uh, don’t know.” Right now if she asked him for his full-given name, he’d probably stumble over it.

“I’d rather sleep on the side closest to the bathroom. I get cold easily when the a/c kicks on.”

“Of course.” Searching the closet, he pulled out an extra blanket and set it on her side of the bed. At least it was a king. If they each stayed to their side, he could probably sleep two more people between them. Skinny people. For a brief moment, he wondered how stupid would it look if he were to stack pillows between them. Images of an old movie he’d watched as a kid with his mom flashed through his mind. The couple had strung a blanket between them. Even at a young age Preston had thought it rather stupid, but suddenly, adding any extra barrier seemed like a good idea.

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