The echo of her voice filled the room, and Kara crossed her arms over her stomach. She’d made a huge mistake. Why had she thought Sam would agree to such a ridiculous idea? Just because she wanted so desperately to be included in Timmy’s life, to be included in Sam’s, didn’t mean Sam wanted the same thing. He didn’t need her. He didn’t love her...
Finally, the sound of Sam’s cell phone broke through the fallout her words left behind. He reached out toward the counter, fumbling to pick it up, his actions like those of someone swatting at the snooze button after the alarm jarred them from a deep sleep.
“Yeah, hello?” He listened for a moment, some of the stunned disbelief clearing from his features. “That’s great, Mom.” Lowering the mouthpiece, he told Kara, “They’re releasing Sophia from the hospital.”
He was silent for another few seconds, his inscrutable gaze focused on Kara with such intensity, she couldn’t look away, couldn’t blink, couldn’t breathe... “That’s really good news. Give Sophia a hug for me, will you? Oh, and I’ve got some news of my own. Kara and I are getting married.”
* * *
“Congratulations, sweetheart! Welcome to our family!”
Kara’s step faltered slightly as Vanessa Pirelli’s voice carried across the lush backyard. Sam told her his family was putting together an impromptu engagement party, but she hadn’t expected this. Pink linens covered the picnic tables in the yard. Matching balloons swayed in the breeze and tiny white lights sparkled in the surrounding trees. Music and laughter filled the early evening air.
After the way the Pirellis had embraced Timmy, she shouldn’t have been surprised. But the warm welcome and the party they’d put together on such short notice brought tears to her eyes.
“Too late to back out,” Sam murmured at her side, placing his hand at her hip. “My mother’s claimed you as one of her own now.”
Kara shivered as the warmth of his touch seeped through the lightweight fabric of her dress. Was it her imagination or did the heated look in his eyes mean he wanted to do some claiming of his own? She wished she could be sure. Wished she knew what Sam was thinking.
In the two days since her proposal, she and Sam had had plenty of time to talk. They’d talked about the call she placed to the college, informing them she wouldn’t be back to teach in the fall. They’d talked about Olivia’s eardrum-splitting reaction and her offer to help coordinate moving Kara’s things in exchange for being maid of honor. They’d talked about looking for a house and finding a preschool for Timmy.
But they hadn’t talked about what marriage would mean for the two of them—only about what it would mean for the three of them. The chance to live as a family together under one roof as two parents and one child.
But as husband and wife? That complicated subject hadn’t come up.
“Wow,” Timmy breathed. “Look at all the balloons. Is it your birthday?”
Sam laughed as he tousled his son’s curls. “Still not my birthday, bud. But why don’t you go see if there’s any cake?”
“There is,” the boy said knowingly.
“What makes you so sure?”
Pointing across the crowded lawn, he said, “That’s the baker lady.”
Following his small finger, Kara spotted Debbie Mattson talking to Vince Pirelli. The pretty blonde was only one of Sam’s many friends gathered in the backyard. Kara recognized a few other faces, as well, people she’d met over the past few days who would now be her neighbors and hopefully her friends.
Holding out her arms to greet them, Vanessa’s warm smile and encompassing hug brought tears to Kara’s eyes. If Sam’s mother had any doubts about the suddenness of their engagement, she didn’t let it show. “I’m so happy for both of you! All of you!”
“Thank you so much for this, Vanessa. It’s amazing.”
“It’s the least we can do since your own family is so far away. What do your parents think of your whirlwind romance?”
Kara wondered if her laugh sounded as fake to Vanessa and Sam as it did to her own ears. “Unfortunately, I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet. They’re both at a medical seminar. This isn’t the kind of announcement you want to make over voice mail, so we’ve been playing phone tag.” She smiled, even though words weren’t entirely true.
If she and her parents were playing a game, it was more like keep-away. She kept tossing messages in their direction, but so far neither Marcus nor Kathryn Starling had returned them. Kara would just as soon put the conversation off as long as possible. She knew they wouldn’t be happy with her decision. Wouldn’t be happy, period. And she wanted to be happy.
As Vanessa led them over to a table loaded with finger food and drinks, Kara glanced at Sam. Her stomach did a slow somersault that would have done her nephew proud as he caught her eye. She wanted them to be happy. The three of them together as a family and the two of them as a couple. She wanted to be Timmy’s mother, to stand by his side and watch him grow, but only as much as she wanted to be Sam’s wife, to stand by his side and grow old together.
I love you.
Sam stopped, and for a second, so did Kara’s heart as she feared she’d said the words out loud.
Three small, simple words, powerful enough to change her world.
But the last time she’d spoken those words, they’d signaled the end of a relationship, not the beginning, and the courage she’d found to ask Sam to marry her failed her entirely when it came to telling him how she felt.
“You’ll want to decide on a date soon,” Vanessa was saying. “Clearville only has a few locations large enough for a reception. Unless you want to have it here like Sophia and Jake did. That was such a wonderful day...” Her voice trailed off as she got lost in the memories of her only daughter’s wedding before refocusing with a smile on her eldest son and his fiancée. “Nick and Darcy have already booked their location at Hillcrest. It’s a gorgeous Victorian hotel just outside of town and the grounds are lovely. Of course, it’s not a very large venue....”
“I don’t have any family,” Darcy said in an aside to Kara as Vanessa went on. “So we’re perfectly happy with a small wedding.”
“Small sounds good,” she murmured back, and as for family, Kara wondered if her parents would even attend.
“Don’t you both think so?” Vanessa finished as she glanced back and forth between Kara and Sam.
“That all sounds great, Mom,” Sam answered, and Kara could only hope he’d been paying more attention than she had.
“Where’s the ring?” Sophia stepped forward, her hands folded below the swell of her belly. “An engagement isn’t really official without a ring, is it?”
Unlike the rest of the Pirelli family, Sam’s sister had held back during the welcoming hugs. Not that Kara could blame the other woman. After all, Sophia was also the only member of Sam’s family to know Kara hadn’t been up front with Sam from the start. She had every reason to have her doubts and suspicions.
Clenching her ringless fingers in front of her, Kara prayed Sophia wouldn’t pick this moment to air all those suspicions. “This has been sudden,” she admitted with a glance at Sam. “We really haven’t had time...”
At her side, Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other and heaved a sigh. “You had to go and blow this, didn’t you, Sophia?”
His sister blinked, clearly surprised at being called out in front of everyone. “Sam—”
“I wanted to do this my way, but since you insist.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black box.
A sudden gasp caught in the throat of every woman within sight, but Kara couldn’t pull enough air into her lungs to make a sound. Lifting her hand, Sam placed the box on her palm. “The jeweler told me you could exchange it if you like, but when I saw this, I immediately thought of you.”
Her hands shook as she opened
the box. A gorgeous round diamond surrounded by white gold filigree gleamed against the dark velvet. The antique-style setting was traditional and yet different from a typical solitaire. “Oh, Sam, it’s beautiful.”
Sam slipped the ring from the box, his gaze so sincere, so compelling, Kara couldn’t bring herself to look away. Her heart started pounding as he knelt down in front of her. “I know we can’t go back in time, but maybe you could pretend this is the first time I asked you...” His smile might have been a little wry, but his green eyes glowed with an emotion Kara was afraid to name. “Kara, will you marry me?”
“Yes,” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Yes, Sam, I’ll marry you.”
* * *
There’d been a time in Sam’s life when, no matter how hard he studied, the second a test was placed in front of him, all the answers flew out the window. He’d stare at the questions and freeze—unable to think, to move. Sometimes it felt like he’d been unable to breathe. That same paralyzing fear had held him in its grip as he’d waited for Kara’s response.
He knew the answer. Hell, she’d been the one to bring up the idea of getting married in the first place. But her soft words washed over him like magic, setting him free. Breath rushed back into his lungs and his pulse pounded a wild rhythm he couldn’t control...any more than he could control the desire to kiss her.
Surging to his feet, Sam caught Kara around the waist, pulling her body to his. She made a soft sound, one that combined surrender and hunger, as he claimed her mouth with his. He buried his hands in her silky hair, sifting his fingers through the soft strands and tilting her head to deepen the kiss. He held her tightly enough to feel her heart pounding against his and he wanted more....
“Geez, Sam, get a room.” Drew’s laughter broke the moment, but as he slapped a hand on Sam’s shoulder, he gave him a what-the-hell look far too familiar from the wild days of his youth.
Sam sucked in the cool night air. He’d gone too far. Hell, he knew Kara wasn’t the type for public displays but he’d wanted to prove—what? How much he wanted his fiancée? How easily Kara could turn him inside out with nothing more than a look?
But when he glanced down at the woman in question, Kara appeared as stunned as he felt by the kiss. Her breasts rose on an uneven breath, and her eyes shimmered with an almost smoky cast.
Sam cleared his throat. “Speaking of rooms...” Her jaw dropped slightly, her lips parting on an unspoken thought, and he was tempted to push, to tease her a little. “I know you’re not comfortable moving in together until after the wedding.”
Kara ducked her head, a touch of pink highlighting her cheeks. The shy response was a contrast to the passionate response to his kiss, and Sam was glad he hadn’t made a joke.
“This is a small town, and people will talk...”
Her voice trailed away at the end, making Sam wonder what she might have already heard. He longed to say he didn’t give a damn about gossip, but that would have been the old Sam talking. The one who wasn’t a father with a young son, the carefree bachelor without a fiancée’s feelings to consider.
Maybe waiting until after the wedding to move in together was old-fashioned, but under the circumstances, it felt right.
What didn’t feel right was Kara staying in a hotel room. A situation that felt far too...temporary. A packed bag, an early-morning check out, and Kara could be gone before he knew it.
Forcing the doubt aside, he said, “I thought we could go look at houses in the morning.”
“Hmm, one with a big yard for a tree house and a dog?”
Sam gave a short laugh, remembering the list of requirements he and Timmy had discussed. “You heard that part, huh?”
“I did. He’s so excited.”
Yeah, his son didn’t leave much in question when it came to how he felt about his dad and Aunt Kara getting married or about the three of them living together. He’d even come up with the idea before Kara had.
If you’re gonna be my dad, maybe—maybe Aunt Kara can be my mom, and we can all be a family! Pretty cut-and-dry. Not all that different from Kara’s proposal, but a world away from the one Sam had wanted to make.
He hadn’t had a ring at the time, but he’d already known the words he wanted to say. I love you, Kara. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I used to think loving someone was a responsibility, a burden, but now I know it’s a gift. The second amazing gift you’ve given me. First you gave me the son I never knew I had, and now, if you say yes, you’ll be giving me the wife I never dreamed I’d find.
Now Kara was wearing his ring, but his proposal was still locked up tight. He wasn’t sure if the words were ones she wanted to hear. Not when they were getting married because it made sense and Timmy needed a woman in his life. And not when they had yet to set a date.
Sam understood Kara wanting to tell her parents first, but the Starlings had seemed almost impossible to reach. An hour after surprising his mother with their announcement, the old-fashioned Clearville grapevine had spread the news of their engagement throughout town. Yet, with all the technology at Kara’s disposal—phones, Facebook, email—he had to wonder about her inability to reach her parents.
Could it be she wasn’t trying that hard because she was afraid of what they might say? Something along the lines of how a small-town mechanic with a mere high school diploma wasn’t good enough for her and how she could do so much better...?
“Sam?” Kara tilted her head, a worried frown pulling at her eyebrows. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. It’s fine.”
He’d meant what he said when he told Kara Timmy deserved to have two parents living under the same roof. If he’d have married Marti it would have been to fulfill his sense of duty, of responsibility. He never would have expected her love.
But with Kara...He didn’t expect her love. He craved it like the air he breathed. Sam didn’t know if there was any chance that Kara’s feelings for him might one day grow into something more, but even if he wasn’t a man she could love, he would be a man she could respect. He would keep his word even if it killed him.
* * *
Later in the evening, Sam spotted his sister sitting on the front porch swing and walked over to join her. Sophia had one foot tucked beneath her and used the other to rock the swing at an easy pace. “Where’s your watchdog?”
Sophia rolled her eyes, but it wasn’t enough to disguise the love she clearly felt for her husband. “I made the mistake of asking for some juice. He’s probably out raiding an organic citrus grove for a bunch of oranges to squeeze with his own hands.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“The best. Kind of like my brothers,” she said, bumping him with her shoulder. “You’re a great guy, Sam, and I have to admit this whole engagement has me worried. How can you trust Kara after the way she kept Timmy a secret from you?”
“I know how bad it looked, but Kara would have told me the truth. All she’s ever wanted was to do what’s best for Timmy.”
“And that’s the problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Kara wants to do the right thing for Timmy, but what about doing the right thing for you?” Sophia sighed, her gaze growing distant as she stared out at the fading sorbet colors of the sunset. “I keep thinking about what my life would have been like if Todd had ‘done the right thing.’”
Sam cleared his throat to disguise his total aversion to the thought. Todd Dunworthy was the son of the rich family Sophia had worked for as a maid during her years in Chicago. The selfish SOB had been engaged while seeing Sophia on the side and had dropped Sam’s sister the moment he’d found out she was carrying his child. “You don’t, um, wish that he had...”
“What? Geez, Sam!” Reaching out, she backhanded him on the arm. “No!”
He flinched as he ducked away. “Well—geez your
self, Fifi!” he shot back, using her childhood nickname. “What’d you expect me to think when you go and say something like that?”
“I love Jake. That’s what you’re supposed to know, no matter what!” With a huff of breath, she settled back against the swing and said, “And that’s my point. If I had married Todd because I got pregnant, I would never have met Jake. We never would have had the chance to fall in love. I wouldn’t have known what it felt like to know someone so completely and love them with my whole heart. I would have missed that.” She pinned him with a knowing look that made her seem far too wise to be his little sister. “It breaks my heart to think you might miss feeling the same way about someone.”
A weight pressed on Sam’s chest, and he released a heavy sigh.
To know someone so completely and love them with my whole heart.
His gaze locked in on Kara like a homing beacon. She was laughing at something his father said, the sound drifting across the yard to tease his skin on the summer breeze. The setting sun created a golden aura around her blond hair, and she was so beautiful, it almost hurt to look at her.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Sophia,” he murmured.
He knew exactly what it felt like to love a woman the way his sister described. But to have the woman he loved love him as strongly in return?
That was something his sister could worry about.
Chapter Fourteen
“It was sweet of Maddie to ask if Timmy could spend the night,” Kara said, as she and Sam drove back toward town. The nerves that had first plagued her disappeared as the night went on, and she’d ended up having a great time with Sam’s family and friends.
She’d felt relaxed and happy and welcomed, as if she’d been part of the small community her whole life. As if she’d been a part of Sam’s family her whole life.
“Don’t get me wrong, Maddie likes Timmy, but my niece is a big-picture kind of girl.”
Daddy Says, I Do! Page 17