Page 64 of Substitute Bride

Cheryl was their new nanny of only one week, and it wasn’t always an easy transition for the girls, but James thought they were warming up to her.

“We’ll be good,” Jill promised.

“We’ll be really, really good,” Julie said.

“You better be. If you’re not good tonight, there won’t be dessert for you tomorrow either.”

The girls had misbehaved yesterday so they’d had no dessert today.

“We’ll be good,” Jill repeated as Julie whimpered softly over such a hardship.

He leaned over to kiss them both in turn.

“Be really nice to Rosie,” Jill said.

“I’ll do my best.”

“And don’t forget the flowers!” Jill handed him the small, delicate bouquet of forget-me-nots, tied with a satin ribbon, that the girls had helped him pick out that afternoon.

James took the flowers and kissed them again. Then he rushed out the door and to his car. He drove faster than normal and fortunately didn’t get stuck at any of the long lights, so he made it to the Beaufort house just two minutes past seven, which was when he was supposed to pick up Rose.

When he knocked on the door, his heart was racing and he was breathing a little quickly.

Rose opened the door, looking fresh and pretty in a pale green cotton dress.

James’s heart did a silly leap when he saw her, but his voice was dry as he said, “I thought maybe your grandmother would answer, and I would get a lecture on not wearing a jacket to pick you up.”

Rose chuckled and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. “She spied on you through the window and said she was pleased to see you looked appropriate.”

They walked down the stairs and James was suddenly overwhelmed with a tidal wave of affection and desire. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching over and taking her head in his hands, pulling her into a kiss.

It started softly, gently, but it didn’t stay that way. Rose’s body softened, and her hands lifted to cling to his shirt. She was obviously just as taken over by the kiss as he was.

When he finally pulled away, he leaned his forehead against hers, not wanting to create any distance between them.

“I don’t think she would have approved of that,” Rose said, breathless and amused.

“I’m more concerned about what you think.”

“I definitely approve.”

“Good. Then we’ll keep doing that.” James planned to keep doing that for the rest of his life if he had any say in the matter.

“For a long time,” Rose said, winding her arms around his neck. Then she added, “I hope.”

There was the slightest thread of insecurity in her voice on the last words, and it caused him to pull back so he could look into her face.

Her brown eyes were open, sincere, and vulnerable.

“I hope so too,” he murmured.

Her expression relaxed, almost imperceptibly.

“What are you worried about?” he asked, stroking her cheek with his knuckles.

She gave a sheepish little shrug. “I don’t know. That I’m going to throw myself into this, and then the rug is going to be pulled out from under me. It still feels like this isn’t really happening to me. Like it couldn’t be.”

“Why couldn’t it be?”