Accidental Bride (Beaufort Brides #3) Read online

  That wasn’t true. The big house had felt exactly right for Peter. And, if it hadn’t meant Kelly would have to move so far away, she would have felt like it was exactly right for her too.

  She and Peter had always talked about running a bed and breakfast or hotel together. They’d just been daydreams to Kelly, though—not something that she could ever actually bring to fruition. Just the idea that other people took the idea seriously terrified her.

  She didn’t know why.

  “Well, you never know. Maybe things will work out so it is the right thing. Or maybe there will be another, better opportunity.”

  “Maybe.”

  ***

  A couple of hours later, they’d all eaten burgers and hot dogs on the patio, and the group had dispersed again.

  Rose had needed to rest, so she’d taken Julie and Jill inside to watch a movie with Grandmama. James was cleaning his grill, and Mitchell and Deanna were sitting nearby, chatting with him.

  Peter and Kelly were stretched out on chaises on the far end of the pool deck, catching the last of the sun.

  “You saw that I did the best cannonball, right?” Peter asked her, turning to gaze at her with a teasing grin. “Even the girls had to admit that I beat their daddy.”

  “Naturally. Everyone was suitably impressed.”

  “Are you included among those who were suitably impressed?”

  She gave a huff of amusement. “Yes, I was absolutely blown away by the size of your splash. It was far bigger than any other man’s splash. Probably the biggest and most impressive in the world.”

  Chuckling, he reached to take her hand in his. “Good. I’m glad you recognize that.”

  He didn’t release her hand. Instead, he brought it over to rest on his thigh, and he stroked her palm gently with his thumb. He’d been touchy that way all week. She loved it. She wanted to touch him too.

  But, more and more, all of his little touches were causing her stomach to churn with nervousness, even more than having sex with him did.

  She didn’t pull her hand away, though. She knew it would hurt his feelings, and she wasn’t willing to do that, no matter how confused and nervous she felt.

  “Listen,” Peter said, after clearing his throat. “I wanted to tell you…”

  Her heart jumped with a flare of urgency, like something important was about to happen. “Tell me what?”

  “I…I called Harrison Damon yesterday.”

  She straightened up, pulling her hand back as she readjusted. “You did? I thought you weren’t going to do it.”

  “I wasn’t sure. But I’ve been thinking about it, and I realized you were right about me being so stubborn and not accepting help when it was offered. So I called him after all.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me yesterday?” She was almost hurt that he’d done something so important without even mentioning it to her.

  He shook his head and reached to take her hand again. “I don’t know. I felt…weird about it. I wasn’t even sure I was going to do it until I did.”

  “What did he say?”

  “He’s interested. He wants me to put together a business plan, which I’d have to do anyway.”

  “So you’re really thinking about Eden Manor?”

  “Yeah. It’s perfect. It’s exactly what we’ve always talked about.”

  She felt that surge of poignancy again—the one that was always fighting with her nerves. “Yeah. Yeah, it is. You should definitely do it.”

  She’d dropped her eyes, and he ducked his head down, as if he were trying to see her expression. “I need to go back up there and get inside the house to make sure it’s what we think it is and then see how much work needs doing. I called the seller’s realtor, and she sounded excited to show it to me. I was thinking about going up tomorrow.”

  “That’s good. That’s a good idea. You don’t want to wait too long.”

  He was still searching her face, like he was looking for something particular there—something she didn’t understand. “If you were able to skip your class on Monday morning, you could come with me.”

  She blinked. “You want me to come?”

  “Of course, I want you to come. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “So do you think you can come? You’d just have to miss the one class.”

  Kelly never skipped classes, but there was absolutely no reason why she couldn’t this one time. The churning of her stomach was warning that it might be a mistake, but she wanted to go with Peter. She wanted to see Eden Manor again. She wanted to talk through plans with him. Even if she wouldn’t be around to follow through with them.

  “Yeah. Yeah, I can come.”

  Peter’s whole body relaxed as he smiled and lifted her hand to kiss her knuckles. “Good.”

  ***

  The following afternoon, Peter wiped a hand across his forehead and stared out at Eden Manner.

  He was exhausted from a long day of traveling and then walking through the entire house, making notes and studying details. But his head was roaring with excitement, which was so much stronger than his fatigue.

  This could happen. It could actually happen. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was possible. He could own Eden Manor. He could turn it into a great bed and breakfast. He could do what he’d always wanted to do.

  And Kelly might even do it with him.

  The last week might have been the best week of his life, ever since he’d heard Kelly admit to her grandmother that she loved him, that she was on his side. He’d always known she loved him as a friend, but he was thinking it might be turning into more than that. He was almost convinced that she might stay married to him after graduation. She was here with him now. She seemed to love this house as much as he did.

  He’d never really believed his dreams could come true, but it was starting to look like they might.

  “So what do you think?” Kelly asked, coming up to stand beside him. She’d pulled her hair back in a ponytail, and she wore jeans and a fitted T-shirt that emphasized the slim lines of her gorgeous body.

  Unable to resist the impulse, he wrapped one arm around her waist. “I love it.”

  “So do I,” she admitted. “It’s going to take a lot of work, but I’m sure it would be worth it. It’s perfect.”

  The realtor’s name was Missy, and she was young, tiny, and blonde. She’d been locking up the doors to the house, but now she came out to join them.

  “Now let me show you the garden,” she said with a bright grin. “It’s the most romantic thing you’ll ever see.

  Peter wondered how old she was. She looked about sixteen.

  “I knew there would be a garden,” Kelly said, smiling as if she were excited. “After all, the place is called Eden Manor.”

  Peter took her hand as they walked around the house. She never seemed to question why he did so. She must know how he felt about her, how close he wanted to be to her. She never pulled away. She must want it too.

  She had to.

  Behind the house were three outbuildings—a large shed, a run-down stable, and a guest house. Behind the outbuildings was a stone wall.

  “It’s a walled garden,” Kelly gasped, as she saw the locked door.

  “Yes. It needs work, but it’s so picturesque,” Missy replied, still grinning in that infectious way. “It would be perfect for a B&B. Wait until you see.”

  She unlocked the door and gestured them inside.

  The garden was completely overrun with weeds, and the bushes and tree branches were tangled into a mess. But Peter could easily see how, with a lot of work, this garden could be one of the most appealing features of the entire property.

  “Oh,” Kelly breathed, clasping her hands together, “I love it!”

  “It’s just like The Secret Garden,” Missy said from behind them. “I’m always thinking Mary and Colin and Dickon should sneak in and start fixing the place up.”

  Peter laughed, torn between studying the tangled foliage for what a
ll needed doing and gazing at Kelly’s awed face. “How long has it been since it’s been worked on?”

  “Years. The place has been unoccupied for ten years, ever since Mrs. Travis had to move into the nursing home. She always refused to sell it, though, so it wasn’t on the market until she died a few months ago. Her son doesn’t have time or interest in fixing the place up, so he’s just selling it as is.”

  “Okay,” Peter said, realizing he better keep his cool and not let Missy see how excited he was about the place. After all, he’d need to negotiate a good price. “Thanks for showing us around. There’s a lot of work to do, but it might have potential.”

  “My pleasure,” Missy said, closing the garden door behind them as they left. “Just let me know if you have any questions or want to move forward on it.”

  After saying their goodbyes and taking one last look at the house, Peter and Kelly got back into his car and stared at each other.

  “So what do you think?” Kelly asked.

  Peter had put the key in the ignition, but he hadn’t turned it on. “I love it.”

  “I do too. I think you should do it.”

  He wished she would say “we” instead of “you.” Surely, she knew he wanted her to be part of the process. “Yeah. I think it’s too good to pass up.”

  “So don’t waste any time. Write up the business proposal and send it to Harrison. He’s not going to agree to anything that’s not excellent, so you’ll know it’s a good plan if he wants to invest.”

  “Yeah.” He was staring out at the house, his head still spinning. He was overwhelmed with a sudden fear—at the knowledge that he was about to ask something that could decide his future—and he had trouble speaking through the tension in his throat. “What should I…What should I tell him about the…the management?”

  “What do you mean?” Her eyes were wide, like she had no idea what he was talking about.

  “Should I tell him it will be just me? Or should I plan on it being both of us?”

  “Oh.” She blinked a few times and then jerked her gaze away from his. “Oh.”

  He reached out to turn her face toward his. Since the question was out in the open now, he felt more confident, more certain, more sure that this was the right thing. “Kelly, you must know that I want us to stay together. I want us to do this together. You must know that.”

  She gave her head a little shake. “I didn’t…I mean, I don’t…You know I can’t move here, Peter.”

  “Why not? Because of your grandmother?”

  “Partly, but not just that. My whole life is in Savannah. My family.”

  “Why can’t I become part of your family?” She looked genuinely torn, upset, which irrationally gave him hope. He knew she’d put up some resistance, but obviously part of her really wanted this, wanted to be with him for real.

  “It’s not that, Peter.”

  “Then what is it?” She’d turned away from him again, so he gently moved her face back so he could see her expression, so she would meet his eyes. “I know you love me, Kelly. You can’t tell me that you don’t.”

  “Of course, I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

  “As more than just a friend.”

  “Obviously, I like having sex with you, but there’s more than that to a marriage—if we were to make this a real marriage, I mean.”

  “It is a real marriage. I just want it to last longer than graduation.”

  “I…I don’t know. I’m sorry, Peter. I never seriously thought about moving somewhere else. My whole life is in Savannah.”

  “I know. But lives can change. Your life can change.” His hand was shaking slightly, but it was from the intensity of his emotions rather than anxiety. She was caving. He was sure she was caving. He wasn’t wrong about her. She did love him. She wanted to stay with him. “We can build a new life together.”

  “Grandmama still needs me, Peter. You know she does. I can’t just walk away from her, just because we get this wild idea.”

  “It’s not a wild idea. It’s what I want. And I think it’s what you want too. You can’t tell me you don’t love me, Kelly. I won’t believe it.”

  “Yes, I love you, but there are other things I love too. And I’m not going to turn my back on everything else. I’m just not.”

  “I’m not asking you to turn your back on your grandmother or anything about your life. I’d never ask you to do that. But if you really love me—”

  She jerked away from his touch, like he’d burned her. “So now you’re asking me to choose between you and everything else?”

  He groaned, his excitement and emotional momentum starting to get strained with a slight edge of fear. “I’m not asking you to choose. I’m just saying there must be some way to work it out. Choosing a life with me, here in Eden Manor, wouldn’t mean rejecting everything else.”

  She swallowed hard. “That’s what it feels like to me.”

  “That’s because you’re using your grandmother and all of that as an excuse. You’re afraid, and you’re turning it into an excuse.”

  Her eyes flashed with anger. “You have no idea what I’m thinking. You think you can just read my mind and automatically know what’s best for me.”

  “Kelly, don’t be—”

  “Don’t be what? Don’t be Kelly? Don’t be a Beaufort? Don’t be who I’ve always been? Is that what you’re asking?”

  He started to reply but her expression changed suddenly. “Sorry.” She rubbed at her face and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Peter. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I’m just…I’m just surprised and upset.”

  He sighed in relief at her more composed tone. “I know you are. I didn’t think you’d be so surprised.” He cleared his throat. “I’ve been crazy about you for a long time.”

  She shot him a quick look. “How long?”

  He gave a half shrug. “I don’t know. Years.”

  “So you went into this marriage thinking…hoping…”

  “Hoping it would last. Yeah.”

  Instead of the softening he’d been hoping for, her shoulders stiffened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I don’t know. I knew you weren’t in the same place, so I didn’t want to move too fast.”

  “So all this time, you’ve been thinking…waiting…trying to make me fall for you?”

  He was beginning to feel defensive, like he’d done something to be ashamed of. “What’s wrong with that?”

  She swallowed hard and looked away. “Nothing. Just that you’ve been trying to do this marriage on your own, the way you always have.”

  “I have not! I just told you I wanted us to do this together!”

  “On your terms. In your plans.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Peter. You’ve always been my friend, and I love you. But I don’t think I can leave my whole life in Savannah for this.”

  He started to reply, but then snapped his mouth shut, suddenly realizing that nothing he said would make a difference.

  He’d assumed that her resistance would be easily overcome, but he’d been wrong about that.

  Maybe she loved him, but she didn’t love him enough. She didn’t love him the way he loved her.

  He should have waited a few more weeks, but he’d already tipped his hand, and there was no going back now.

  He was still going to move forward with Eden Manor. It had been his dream for too long to turn back now.

  He would just be doing it alone.

  “Peter, I’m sorry,” Kelly began, her voice cracking. “I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s fine,” he said, turning on the engine, his eyes focused in front of him. “I’m sorry I put you on the spot. You can think about it, and we’ll talk later.”

  “Okay. I didn’t mean to hurt you. That’s the last thing I wanted to do.”

  He knew that was true too, and it made the whole thing hurt even more.

  Eleven

  They drove back in silence—that heavy, aching silence that unmistakably spoke louder
than words.

  Kelly held herself very still, managing not to cry, although Peter’s frozen presence beside her was like a wound in her chest, in her heart.

  They were staying at a B&B about ten minutes away. It was a no-frills place, chosen for the night only because it was the accommodation closest to Eden Manor. Kelly couldn’t believe she would have to spend the night with Peter, alone in a small room, after what had just happened between them.

  She couldn’t believe she’d thought this marriage would ever go as they planned.

  Evidently, he’d wanted more out of it from the very beginning, and he’d never shared that with her. The knowledge that he loved her that way—that he’d loved her that way for a long time—was thrilling and overwhelming and absolutely terrifying.

  It was all too much to process so she focused on maintaining her emotional control, minute after minute until they finally reached the B&B.

  When he put the car into park, Peter turned in this seat, as if he were going to say something.

  She waited, barely breathing, desperately hoping that whatever he said would miraculously fix things.

  Then he gave his head a little shake and looked down to unbuckle his seatbelt.

  Kelly released her pent breath.

  The next hour was spent in niceties, as they greeted their host and hostess, were shown to their room, and listened to a well-practiced spiel about local sites, restaurants, and shopping.

  When they were finally alone, the door of their room closed behind them, Kelly’s legs couldn’t seem to hold her up. It wasn’t even four in the afternoon yet, but she was utterly exhausted. She collapsed onto the bed—which was old but not an antique.

  Peter stood and watched her for a minute, his eyes deep and speaking.

  “Peter, don’t,” Kelly managed to say.

  “Don’t what?”

  “Look at me that way.”

  “What way?”

  “Like I broke you or something.” She paused, emotion strangling her for a moment. “This whole thing isn’t my fault.”

  “I know it’s not your fault.” For some reason, her words seemed to have provoked him into urgency. He strode over to sit on the bed beside. “It’s my fault. It’s all my fault.”