Accidental Bride (Beaufort Brides #3) Read online

  She gave a little twitch. “You’re sorry? I’m the one who left you.”

  “I know,” he said hoarsely, taking both of her hands in his. “But I realized you were right. I was giving you a test or an ultimatum, and it just wasn’t fair. You don’t have to prove your love in any way. We don’t have to move. If you want to be with me, we can stay here in Savannah forever. We can even live in this house. I don’t care. I’ll give up Eden Manor. I’ll let it go without a second thought, if it means I can stay with you, if it means we can stay married. I want you more than I want any of my other dreams. Just please tell me it’s not too late.”

  She was so surprised she swayed on her feet. “You’ll give up…Eden Manor?”

  “Yes. Yes, of course. I’ll live with you downstairs here for as long as you want. I’ll give you anything you need. Just please tell me that it’s not too late. That leaving tonight wasn’t your final decision.”

  She was trying to make herself respond when Peter suddenly looked over her shoulder. Deanna and Rose were there, standing behind her because they’d been going to walk her out of the house. When she glanced back, Kelly saw that her grandmother was standing there too, still in her nightgown. All of them were right there, listening to Peter’s urgent declaration.

  His expression suddenly self-conscious, he looked behind him and saw that the driver was standing beside the car. He would have heard the whole thing too.

  Peter cleared his throat, his eyes both ironic and amused as he muttered, “Maybe we should go somewhere a little more private.”

  Kelly almost giggled, emotion bubbling out of her now. It just couldn’t be stopped. She reached a hand out to take Peter’s. “Maybe the parlor?”

  She turned around. Both Rose and Deanna were grinning now. They stepped aside immediately as Kelly came through with Peter.

  Grandmama didn’t move. She peered up at Kelly with cool aplomb and then turned to Peter. “Young man,” she said. “In your attempt to earn favor with my granddaughter, please do not damage my parlor.”

  Peter blinked, and Kelly hurriedly pulled him down the hall by the hand when she heard her sisters giggling.

  As soon as Kelly shut the parlor door behind them, Peter burst out, “Damage the parlor? What the hell does she think I’m going to do in here?”

  Kelly leaned back against the door, laughing helplessly. “I have no idea.”

  “She’s never going to like me.”

  “Oh, but she does. She finally told me earlier. She was just mean to you to push me in your direction. She said I was too stubborn and needed more than a nudge to get me to admit to myself that I was in love with you and it was okay to leave her.”

  “What?” Peter looked astounded, his eyes moving between Kelly and the closed parlor door.

  “It was all one of her devious tricks. She wanted us together after all.”

  “And there wasn’t some nicer way to encourage you in that direction?”

  Kelly was almost hugging herself with joy and fond amusement. “My grandmother doesn’t do nice.”

  Peter ran his hand over his jaw, as if he were still having trouble processing. “So you…I mean, did your grandmother’s devious trick work?”

  “Of course, it did. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even need the shove. Of course, I love you, Peter.” She hugged herself even tighter when she saw the wash of deep emotion on his face. “I want to be with you. I was on my way back to you when you arrived. That’s why the car was here.”

  “Oh, thank God,” Peter muttered, taking two steps forward and pulling her into his arms. “Oh, thank God. I was dying the whole way here, thinking I’d forced you away. I meant it when I said I’d be happy to stay here. I love Savannah too. I don’t need Eden Manor. We can live here for as long as you need.”

  She was filled with so much emotion that she was digging her fingers into his back. She couldn’t pull away, so her voice was muffled against his shirt as she said, “I don’t want to live here. I want Eden Manor too.”

  His body jerked slightly, and he pulled back enough to look down in her face. “You don’t have to do that for me, Kelly. I know this is your home.”

  “It is my home. It’s been my home. But I want a new home now—with you. I want Eden Manor. I’m doing it as much for me as for you. I promise, Peter.”

  He must have seen something in her face because he let out a rough, throaty sound and pulled her back into a tight hug.

  They stayed that way for a long time, just holding each other. And Kelly couldn’t possibly doubt the strength and sincerity of his love for her. She felt it in his grip, in his hoarse breathing, in his warm body.

  “So you’ll stay my wife?” Peter said at last, still holding her just as tightly.

  “Yes. As long as you’ll stay my husband.”

  “Not just for the forty-five days?”

  “Forever.”

  For a moment, he squeezed her so hard she could barely breathe. “Forever,” he murmured.

  Finally, he released her, but only to take her face in his hands. He thumbed away a stray tear as he said, his gaze holding hers intensely, “I’ll make sure your new life is just as good as your old life. I promise.”

  She sniffed and smiled at him. “We’ll make sure of it—together.”

  He nodded. “Together.”

  He kissed her then, passionately, eagerly, just a little sloppy. She didn’t care. She felt exactly the same way.

  When she finally remembered her family, who were probably still gathered in the hallway, waiting, she pushed him back gently. “We better save the rest of this until later.”

  Peter chuckled and gave her face one last stroke. “That’s probably a good idea. I don’t want to be accused of scandalous behavior. We should probably think about getting to bed soon. It’s late, and we have a busy week.”

  “A busy week?”

  “Well, we have to finish the business plan for Harrison and then, assuming he wants in, make the offer on Eden Manor. Not to mention the fact that finals start next week.”

  The reminder felt like a kick in the gut. “Ugh. Why did you remind me? Who wants to have finals at a time like this?”

  “Not me. But that’s the only way we’ll ever graduate. After all this work, we don’t want to blow it right at the end.”

  “That’s for sure.” She straightened her shoulders and smoothed her hair. “Can you grab my textbook over there? I actually have some homework I need to do for tomorrow morning.”

  Peter went to pick up the book she’d left on a small side table. A few pieces of paper started to slide out of it, so he tried to grab them in the hand he was holding the book.

  It was a mistake.

  The heavy textbook slid out of his hand and landed with a bang on the edge of the table. Since the antique table legs were thin and ornate, the table wobbled with the impact. Peter reached out to grab it, but not quite quickly enough.

  The table fell to the floor with a bang.

  Kelly gasped in surprise, her hand flying up to cover her mouth.

  One of the table legs had cracked from the fall.

  “Shit,” Peter breathed, staring down at the broken table. “She’s going to think I did it while having my wicked way with you.”

  As Kelly’s surprise faded, she burst into helpless laughter.

  “It’s not funny,” Peter said, still looking vaguely horrified. “She’s never going to forgive me.”

  “Yes, she will. You’re a Blake. If she’s mad, I’ll tell her it’s my fault.”

  “She’ll know I’m lying. She seems to know everything.”

  “I know she does.” Kelly went to help him pick up the table. She was still brimming with amusement as she told him, “You know, Deanna said that I was exactly like Grandmama.”

  “What?”

  “She said I was exactly like Grandmama. I’ll probably end up just like her.”

  If anything, Peter looked more horrified than ever, but even this grave prediction didn’t scare hi
m away.

  Kelly figured that was a very good sign.

  ***

  Three weeks later, Peter closed the door of the downstairs bedroom in the old Beaufort house. He and Kelly were still living there, until they closed on Eden Manor and could finally move north.

  Peter couldn’t wait.

  Kelly had walked into the room just before him. She set her purse on the dresser and stared at herself in the mirror, as if she were still trying to come to grips with the way she looked now.

  She looked gorgeous with her hair long, just the top part pulled back in a clip. She wore a cream-colored sundress and heels that put her head just at the level of his. Her dress had been covered by a graduation robe for most of the afternoon.

  His shirt and trousers had been too.

  “It’s still you,” he murmured, coming over to join her in front of the mirror. He liked the way they looked together. He wanted to see their reflections together in mirrors for the rest of their lives. “It’s always been you.”

  She smiled and turned her head to brush a kiss against his jaw. “Thank you.”

  Figuring this was as good a time as any, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring.

  She stared at it, and then she lifted her left hand to check out the ring she wore. The rings looked the same, both boasting the familiar Blake crest.

  Without speaking, he slid the ring off her finger and slid the other ring on. It fit perfectly. He’d had it sized just for her.

  “But I want to keep yours,” Kelly said, her face changing as she stared down at the ring on her finger.

  “That is mine. I switched it out for my dad’s a few days ago, so I could get mine resized without you knowing.”

  “Oh.” She played with the ring on her finger, as if checking out its fit. “It’s going to feel strange without it falling off me.”

  “I don’t want you to lose it.” He cleared his throat, trying to read her expression. “Is it all right?”

  “Yes.” Her face broke for a minute, and she twined one arm around his neck. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

  He sighed in relief, finally letting himself kiss her. “You’re a Blake now,” he murmured. “A Blake and a Beaufort both.”

  “That sounds just about perfect to me.”

  It sounded perfect to him too, and he could hardly believe that he was allowed to relish the feeling, without worrying that soon it would be snatched away. She loved him. Exactly as he loved her. She was giving up her home for him and starting a new life. He’d never dreamed someone would do so much for him, with him.

  That they could do it together.

  When she pulled away, she was smiling, and she reached down to grab his left hand. “Now I need to get you a better ring, since you’ll be wearing it forever.”

  “I don’t want a better ring.” He touched the inexpensive band on his ring finger. “I want this one.”

  “But people will think I’m cheap, that I don’t love you enough to get you a good wedding ring.”

  “This is a good wedding ring. This is the one you picked out for me.”

  “But I was drunk.”

  “I don’t care. I’m not taking this one off.”

  She sighed, shaking her head at him fondly. “Fine. You’re very sappy, you know.”

  “I’m only a little sappy,” he corrected. “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. I love it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

  “Good.” Unable to hold himself back anymore, he kissed her again. And soon the kiss had become so intense that they’d stumbled over to the bed.

  He pulled her down onto the bed with him, her body soft and willing. But she whispered in his ear, “We’ll have to be very quiet. Grandmama is still around, you know.”

  ***

  Three weeks after that, Peter and Kelly were walking up the front steps of Eden Manor. Harrison had been impressed with the business plan, and things had moved very quickly after that. They’d closed on the house this afternoon, and now Kelly was unlocking the door.

  Peter could see she was happy. She was brimming with it. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her so happy before, and that recognition soothed the occasional tremor that wondered if she’d had to give up too much for him.

  She’d given up something. Everyone did when they came together in marriage. But what they had now more than made up for it. Not just for her, but for him too.

  Kelly put down the bag she was holding, dropping it on the wood floor of the front hall. “This place is kind of a mess, isn’t it?” She stared up at curling wallpaper, at broken trim. It was obvious from her expression that she loved it, mess and all.

  “It’s going to take a lot of work.”

  “I’m excited. I love to fix things up.”

  “Me too.” He released his hold of the rolling suitcase he’d brought in with him. “I guess we should start to unpack. I think that room downstairs is in the best shape, so we can stay there for the time being.”

  “Yeah. But first I need to get something.”

  Peter had no idea what she was talking about, so he stayed where he was as she ran outside. In just a minute, she came back in with a box wrapped in silver paper.

  “What is that?”

  “It’s a present from Grandmama. She said we needed to open it as soon as we got here. She said we needed to start our new life and home off right.”

  “Oh my. That sounds serious. What did she give us?” He was genuinely interested, and he leaned over to help as Kelly started to pull off the paper.

  They got the paper off, and then they had to fight with the tape on the box lid. He finally pulled out his Swiss Army knife to cut through the thick layers of tape.

  “Okay,” Kelly said, as she opened the lid of the box. “Let’s see what it is.”

  She had to push aside mounds of tissue paper before she could pull out the object in the box. As she straightened up, holding it in her hands, both she and Peter stared at it dumbly.

  It was a Siamese cat, stuffed to look lifelike, posed with one paw lifted in an imperious gesture, glass eyes disturbing and mesmerizing.

  “It’s one of the Pride,” Peter said at last, as soon as he processed the gift. “Isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Kelly breathed. She was still staring as if she were paralyzed. “It’s Igor. He was the very first one.”

  “She gave him to you?”

  Kelly had started to breathe loudly, unevenly. Her face twisted as she kept staring at the cat. “I guess…I guess so.”

  “But she loves them. Aren’t they her favorites of all her treasures?”

  “Yes.” Kelly’s hands were shaking visibly.

  Peter reached down into the box and found a lovely, thick, cream-colored card. On it was written in elegant script. “So you’ll always have part of me with you.”

  Kelly burst into tears, so sudden and strong that Peter reached over to take the stuffed cat out of her hands. Before he could start to worry, though, her tears turned into laughter. “I can’t believe she gave me one of her crazy cats.”

  Peter set down the cat and pulled his wife into his arms. “That’s a gesture of love, if there ever was one.”

  “I know. I know. I can’t believe it.” Her storm of emotion cleared quickly, and she gave Peter a quick kiss before she leaned down to pick up the cat. “Where should we put it?”

  “We’re going to have to hide that thing from the guests, you know. It would totally creep them out.”

  “I know. And some might be allergic, like poor Mitchell.” She sniffed and smiled and gave the cat a little hug. “We can keep it in our bedroom.”

  “Oh, no. Uh-uh. It would be staring at me, every time I try to have sex with you. It would be like your grandmother was right there in the room all the time. I’d never be able to get it up.”

  Kelly laughed. “Okay. We’ll have to give it a place of honor, though.”

  “Maybe far back in a closet. We’ll pull it out whenever your grandmo
ther comes to visit.”

  “It’s not going in a closet. It’s a Beaufort cat.” She gave him a look of mock disapproval. “And Beauforts don’t belong in a closet.”

  “No argument here. There’s nothing in the world like a Beaufort.” He gave her a kiss, his heart throbbing with how much he loved this woman and the reality that she was really his. “We’ll find somewhere good to put it. As long as you don’t have any crazy notions about beginning a Pride of your own.”

  Epilogue

  “Do you have any idea how gorgeous you look right now?” Peter asked, pressing Kelly back against a wall in the hallway of her grandmother’s home.

  Kelly snorted, since at the moment she was wearing sweatpants, a tank-top, and flip-flops. Her hair was in braids, she wore no makeup, and one of her bra straps was showing.

  Peter’s eyes had grown hot in a way she recognized very well. As ridiculous as it was, he must really think she looked gorgeous right now. He cupped her face with one hand. “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Not really. You said I looked gorgeous the other night, when I was dressed up pretty and we went out to dinner.”

  “You did look gorgeous then. You look gorgeous now. You look gorgeous all the time.” He took off her glasses so he could kiss her without anything getting in the way.

  “It’s not even six in the morning,” Kelly said, smiling when he pulled out of the kiss. “It’s a little too early to be that kind of gorgeous.”

  His eyes warmed with laughter now, mingling with the heat from before. “It’s never too early for gorgeousness.”

  Before he could kiss her again, a childish voice came from behind them. “Why are you kissing? We need to leave now!”

  Kelly giggled as she pushed Peter away and smiled down at Jill and Julie, Rose’s step-daughters, who had spent the night in the house. “We’re done kissing now, but we have to wait for Grandmama before we leave.”

  “But our brother is waiting!” Jill said, frowning at her sister who was giving her silent disapproving looks, as if reminding her to behave herself.

  “I know he is. As soon as Grandmama comes down, we’ll go to see him.”

  Kelly and Peter had driven down yesterday, when Rose had gone into labor. The baby was two weeks late, and evidently the delivery had been long and hard. But the news had come at four that morning that the new baby was finally here, and they were all now going over to the hospital to see him for the first time.