Page 32 of Substitute Bride

She’d told the girls she’d swim with them this afternoon, and she hated to break a promise.

But she also wanted to avoid James as much as possible.

She couldn’t believe what had happened yesterday. She couldn’t believe she’d gotten so out of control that she’d surrendered to her feelings the way she had.

She couldn’t believe she’d actually kissed her boss.

She also couldn’t believe he’d kissed her.

The whole interlude was like a hot blur of sensation and emotion, and she could hardly remember specific details of how it had happened. Because of the interruption and the confusion about whether it was Genevieve who had come by and caught them, the embrace had come to an abrupt end.

That was good. Who knew what would have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted.

It was one thing to try to pretend a kiss never happened. It would have been something entirely different to pretend sex had never happened.

Rose shivered at the thought of having sex with James, although she knew it was something she’d never experience. Not in real life anyway.

She was trying to push the whole subject out of her mind so she wouldn’t brood when Kelly asked unexpectedly, “So the engagement is off, huh?”

Rose stiffened her shoulders and tried not to show any reaction on her face. “Yeah. I guess so.”

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“I guess so.”

“She seemed like a real bitch when she came over here the other day.”

Swallowing hard, Rose couldn’t help but agree, although she tried to resist the impulse. “She wasn’t at her best.”

“Maybe. But her worst really sucks.” Kelly slanted her sister a look. “Aren’t you happy the engagement is off?”

“Why would I be happy?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Because you don’t want your boss to marry anyone else?”

Rose met her sister’s eyes coolly. “If you have something to say…”

“I don’t have anything to say except you get all jittery and aloof whenever you talk about him—especially lately. I was wondering if that meant anything.”

It wasn’t surprising that Kelly had noticed something. Deanna had obviously noticed the same thing. Rose had never been good at hiding her feelings, and the sisters had always been close. “What does it matter?”

“What do you mean? Of course it matters, especially since it looked to me like he might be feeling some stuff for you too.”

“Whatever he’s feeling doesn’t matter.”

“Why doesn’t it⁠—”

“Because I’m the nanny of his kids, and he’s never going to cross that line. He lives his life all careful and tidy with everything carefully categorized in its appropriate place. I’m in the nanny category, which is where I belong. Plus, I kind of think he’s still trying to find a substitute for his wife, and I’d be a terrible substitute. I’m not anything like her.”

“Surely he’s not actually looking for an exact replacement, is he?”

“I don’t know. Not consciously, I’m sure. But I really think that’s how he ended up with Genevieve—because she was so much like his wife only more selfish and manipulative, I hope. I don’t think his wife was cold like she is. He claims he doesn’t feel guilty about moving on, but sometimes I wonder if he does—and that’s why he’s looking for someone just like her. Anyway, I’m nothing like what he’d be looking for, so it’s never going to happen.”

Kelly was looking at her closely. “Okay,” she said lightly. “Then I guess it doesn’t really matter.” She paused. “Right?”

“Right.”

“Why do you look like you’ve just broken Grandmama’s favorite vase?”