Page 32 of Sweet Beginnings

He shrugged. “It will do.”

“No, it won’t.” Alice turned toward the sink and pulled another bowl out of the cupboard. “You’ll take my room for now. I’ll talk to Clint, see what we can do to arrange for something more suitable.”

“Mom.” Again, Preston practically whined.

Her hand up, palm out, Alice Sweet shot her son a glare that Sarah Sue hadn’t seen since they were all little kids. “No argument. As soon as we’re done eating, we’ll start moving everything around.”

Preston went to open his mouth and Sarah simply squeezed his hand. His gaze immediately swiveled in her direction and she very softly shook her head. While Sarah was not Alice Sweet’s daughter, she was smart enough to recognize that ‘because Mom said so,’ tone and knew that arguing now would only make things worse.

Peppered with questions from her new mother-in-law about the proposal, the wedding, and everything imaginable about their courtship, with the help of Carson and Rachel, Sarah Sue and Preston pretty much gave one of the best performances of their lives. They smiled at each other, occasionally touched hands between bites of their grilled cheese lunch with Alice’s deep-fried potato chips, and every so often, Sarah Sue found herself almost believing everything was real about this charade.

“All right.” Preston’s mom stood from the kitchen table, a dish in each hand. “Clean up in here can wait. Time to get your new room ready.” Alice paused at her son’s side and running the back of her hand down his cheek, smiled at him. “I know you two will be as happy as your dad and I were, maybe happier.” With a sweet smile, she sashayed up the stairs.

“I don’t want to kick her out of her room.” Preston faced Sarah. “It doesn’t seem right.”

“I know how you feel, but it’s what she wants.” Sarah felt just as awful about moving into Alice’s room as Preston did, but she didn’t know what else to do. “Overall, I’m pretty stunned at how well she’s taking all this. I really thought she was going to read us the riot act. If switching rooms makes her even happier, then what’s the harm?”

His eyes momentarily squeezed shut, Preston blinked and blew out a sigh. “I hate this.”

In her mind, Sarah understood he meant lying to his mother, but her gut clenched nonetheless at the idea that being with her could be so distasteful.

“Hey.” His finger under her chin, he lifted her face and leveled his gaze with hers. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I just didn’t realize lying to my mother would be this hard.”

There was no point mentioning she felt the same about her father, or how much she worried about his reaction to the news. “I know.”

The intensity in his gaze had Sarah’s pulse kicking up a notch. Even though there was no one standing around watching, for just a second, she thought he was going to lean in and kiss her. She almost closed her eyes in anticipation when she heard the sound of someone clearing their throat.

“You two going to stay in the kitchen all day?” Alice Sweet stood in the doorway grinning.

“Coming, Mom.” Smiling back at his mother, Preston took hold of Sarah Sue’s hand and leaned against her. “Looks like we’re getting a bigger room.”

We. Somehow, she was pretty sure the Taj Mahal wouldn’t be big enough for her heart to hide for the next three hundred and sixty-four nights.

Chapter Twelve

His mom was definitely in a very good mood. Preston’s mother had turned on the stereo, loud enough to be heard through the whole house, and had set the radio in her room to the same station. They were being bombarded by stereophonic sound from all sides.

“I finally have good reason to clean out your father’s side of the closet.” Alice Sweet dropped a handful of shirts, hangers and all, into a box. “I’ve had these boxes stacked in the closet for ages. Guess this was the motivation I needed.”

Preston stood in the doorway to his parents’ bedroom. “Mom, we don’t have to do this.” He was beginning to sound like the proverbial broken record.

His mom lifted her head and leveled her gaze with his, a bright smile on her face. “It’s time. And your father’s side is already for your clothes. I’ll move mine into yours and then Sarah can have my closet. Perfect.”

Reluctantly, Preston nodded. “Perfect.”

As he and Sarah Sue carried armfuls of clothes from his closet, his mother pulled out a drawer and carried it over to Preston’s room. In the closet, he hung a few pairs of pants and arms full, Sarah sidled up beside him. An oldie song came on the radio and Sarah’s head started bobbing as she one by one hung shirts on the rod. By the time her arms were free, Preston was feeling the rhythm as well. On impulse, he took hold of her hand and twirled her in place.

Sarah Sue let out a cute girlish giggle and he swirled her into his arms and swayed left then right, her laughter bubbling over.

How could he resist? He twirled her around again and dropped her into a deep dip.

Laughter filled the room and when he lifted her up, she spun around into his arms.

Staring down at her, he was overwhelmed at the urge to pull her in even closer and kiss her, really kiss her. Instead, his mom appeared in the doorway.

“Oh.” Alice Sweet stopped, her smile impossibly brighter. “Sorry. I just wanted to put this drawer back and grab another.”

Both his sister and brother, each carrying an armful of folded clothes, came to a stop behind their mother.

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