by Rye Hart
"So where are you taking me?" she asked.
"That's part of the surprise," he answered vaguely. "Although how we are going to get there isn't," he said as he motioned toward two objects propped up against the fence.
"Are those bicycles?" Amelia said with excitement. She had always wanted one, but didn't have the money for it.
"I bought them, one for you, one for me," he said. "I thought we could test them out by riding to our destination."
"In the dark?" she asked aghast.
"It isn't that dark out," James countered. "We have a full moon and the stars are in full tonight. Besides, if you are worried, I can ride in front to check for dips in the road."
"How chivalrous," she teased.
James did a little bow in response. "Always here to serve," he said in fake British accent.
Amelia froze. What was she doing? She was about to go for a ride in the middle of the night, with a man other than her fiancé, on a bike that he had bought for her. Although she had known James for far longer than the man she had recently become engaged to, she still couldn't shake the sense of disloyalty. Besides, when she left for England, she likely wouldn't be able to take James's gift with her. A part of her told her to refuse now, to go back inside, to play it safe.
Amelia hadn't done a good job of listening to that little voice so far, she wasn't about to start now. "Let's go then," she said loud enough to quell the protest of her conscience.
Chapter Seven
As they rode down the street, the sky began to light up with the brilliance of the morning sunrise. It was beautiful, the way the orange and red began to peek up and over the edge of the horizon and illuminate the path before them.
"How much farther?" she asked over the humming of the sounds around them as the world came alive. They were heading out of town and into an area Amelia wasn't too familiar with, as she had never ventured that far on her own.
"Not long," James called back over his shoulder.
They rode in silence for a while, before James suddenly pulled up sharply.
"We have to walk from here," he said. He quickly set his bike down on the soft grass and motioned to Amelia to do the same. "This way," he beckoned.
At this point, Amelia was nearly bursting with curiosity. "What are we looking for?"
"You'll see," he winked at her. "But we have to be quiet at this point, we don't want to scare them away."
"Scare what —?" she began, but stopped the moment James pulled back the leaves of a bush to reveal the small nest hidden behind it. "Ducklings," she finished.
"I discovered them when I was exploring new places around town the other day," he whispered to her. "Here, come a bit closer so you can get a better look."
Up until now, Amelia had been keeping a safe distance from James. But once she saw the small nest of baby ducklings, she didn't care if she had to climb over James in order to see them more clearly. With careful maneuvering so as not to make a lot of noise and startle the ducklings’ mother, she moved in next to James and pressed up against him in order to get the same view as him.
"What do you think?" he asked; his breath blew hot against her cheek.
"They are incredible," she breathed. She tried to ignore how close they were, but her body hummed with awareness, despite her mind trying to block it out.
"I thought you would like them," he said.
Amelia thought that he would touch her now, and bring her in even closer. But James didn't make a move. Instead, he removed his hand from where it held the leaves of the bush back and moved away from her.
"Should we head back now?" he asked gently. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
Amelia nodded, disappointment coursing through her. Although she knew she should be glad that James hadn't pushed the boundary, she couldn't help but wish he had. She was shocked by her own scandalous thoughts, but she couldn't control them nonetheless.
"Would you like to lead the way this time?" he offered.
"Sure," Amelia said. She was glad that he gave her the opportunity to take the front. That way, she would be able to hide her face from James, and hopefully, conceal the growing desire she had begun to feel for him.
Chapter Eight
"I should probably tell Thomas," Amelia muttered to herself as she got dressed to meet her fiancé. Amelia found herself wracked with guilt over her stolen kiss and secret rendezvous with James. She was engaged to Thomas, so what right did she have to run around with James? Likewise, she shouldn't be deceiving James, allowing him to think she was unattached and interested.
James is not the one, she thought to herself. How could she go from being annoyed by the backwards Texan, to suddenly fantasizing about him riding in on a massive stallion and whisking her away to faraway lands? And on a similar thread, how could she go from being excited about her engagement to Thomas, the man of her dreams, to suddenly thinking about a man that was the exact opposite?
Amelia had never felt more confused in her life.
A soft knock at the door signaled Amelia's attention. "Come in," she said.
Her older sister, Marianna, stepped into the small room and shut the door behind her in order to afford her sister privacy — something that no one got much of while they were living in a full house.
"I want to talk to you about something," Marianna said through the silence.
Amelia gave a muffled groan; apparently everyone wanted to talk to her about something. "Go on," she said as she continued to try and do up the laces in the back of her dress.
"Here, let me help you," Marianna offered. She came in behind Amelia and began lacing up the back while she spoke. "So you have a gentleman caller downstairs," she stated as she cinched up Amelia's waist.
"Thomas Florian? I know," Amelia replied softly. "Has he been waiting for long?" she asked.
"Not too long," Marianna paused for a moment. "But long enough for anyone with eyes to see that he seems quite enamored of you," she added.
"How so?" Amelia prodded.
"He was telling mother and I about how he thought you had a lot of talent and he hoped that we would give permission for you to meet a famous curator in Boston," she explained.
"Is that all?" Amelia plied. She wasn't sure if Thomas had revealed his intention to marry her, she hoped that he hadn't — at least not yet.
Marianna didn't reply, instead she seemed intent on fastening the ties just right. "Done," she said with a final tug.
"Thank you," Amelia said as she turned around to head toward the door. However, before she could reach it, Marianna's words stopped her.
"Is there something you are not telling me?" Marianna asked quietly.
Amelia turned to look at her sister, unsure of what she should reveal. "Why would you ask that?" she said evasively.
Marianna gave her a hard look, something that was very uncharacteristic of her sweet, unassuming older sister. "You were out until early this morning with James," she stated. "And now," she continued, "you have a gentleman sitting in our foyer who is smitten with you."
"Look Marianna," Amelia spoke directly. "I've been on my own for a while now, I don't need someone to start telling me how I should live my life."
Marianna looked saddened. "I didn't mean it like that,' she said. "I am just worried about you, I don't want you to get in too deep," she added.
"I know you care about me, but I need to make my own choices," Amelia told her sister.
Marianna nodded. "I know, you are a grown woman and already older than I when I moved to Texas to get married," she added. "I just want to make sure you know you can always come to me if you need to, even now after all these years."
All Amelia could muster was a curt nod. She was afraid if she opened her mouth, she would start to cry. She could already feel the swell of emotions start to well up in her throat, and it took all she had to keep it from overflowing.
"I am still here for you," Marianna added.
"Thank you," Amelia said softly. The emotions in the r
oom had already started to swell, and she felt like she had no choice but to make her exit now so that she could still hold herself together. "I need to go now," she said abruptly.
Marianna nodded, "Of course."
Amelia turned and all but fled down the hall. She didn't know why Marianna's offer of help had made her so upset, but somehow it had triggered something within her. Things were happening very quickly in her life as of late, and it was getting to be a bit much to handle.
Get yourself together, she told herself as she wiped away a stray tear and straightened her dress.
Chapter Nine
"Incredible, truly!" Thomas exclaimed as Amelia showed him the portfolio of her best work. "I thought you were talented before, but after these sketches —" he gave a low whistle in conclusion.
Amelia blushed in response to his adoration. "You really think so?" she asked.
"Absolutely!" he said. "You must let me take these to my agent. He will be able to get you connected with the right professionals in order to showcase your incredible talent."
"Of course," Amelia said. "An endorsement by Thomas Florian," she sighed dreamily. "I still can't believe that you think my work is worthy of its own showcase," she beamed.
"You better believe it," he winked at her before he brought his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.
They stood in Amelia's workroom — an old storage closet that had been turned into a workshop for her. It afforded them a bit of privacy from the rest of the house, and its location near the back made it almost completely soundproof.
"It's not just your work that I think is incredible," he said as his lips began to kiss a trail up her neck.
Amelia remained a bit stiff to his touch. Although she liked the attention, her body didn't respond to his the way she thought it should; or at least the way it did with James.
James. She still hadn't told Thomas about the kiss she shared with James, but she was afraid revealing it would hurt him beyond repair. Thomas had already confessed his love to her, to tell him that she had been caught up in the embrace of another man, would evidently crush him. But to not tell him would be like lying.
"Thomas, I —" she started.
"Hush my love," he brought his finger up to press against her lips. "Do not tease me anymore, as I need to depart and whatever you have to say will only make it harder for me to leave you."
I doubt that, she thought morbidly to herself. "Well, when I see you next, I think we need to talk about our life together," she said.
"Of course," he captured her hand in his grasp and swiftly brought it up to his lips to kiss." I must go now, but we will speak of our impending marriage next time we are together," he promised.
Amelia helped him gather up her portfolio to take with him to show his agent. She was excited that her work would finally be shown outside the confines of her little workshop, but another part of her was fearful of letting her work go. It was a part of her, and giving it to someone else, even just temporarily, made the artist within her ache.
"Take care my love," Thomas kissed her lightly on the cheek before departing.
Once he had left, Amelia couldn't help but feel an odd sense of foreboding. When she was with Thomas, she felt as if she made the right choice; but when she was with James, she suddenly began to question every decision she had made up to that point. She knew that it should be an easy decision, as Thomas was offering her a world she had only ever dreamed of. But even though James hadn't promised her anything half as extravagant as Thomas's offer of an English wedding, she still couldn't shake James out of her head.
But the thought of James, especially the way she felt whenever he was near, joined forces with her conscience and continued to cast doubt in her mind about her engagement.
Chapter Ten
Amelia needed time to clear her head, so she decided to go for a bike ride as a way of seeking clarity. As she rode, she tried to figure out how she would tell both men in her life — and her family — what was going on. However, she had never experienced such a complicated situation before, and she felt like she was floundering in the multiplying choices that were consuming her.
As her mind weighed the many options before her, she was surprised to realize that she had ridden her bike back to the spot where James had shown her the duckling nest.
She got off her bike and made her way to the spot where the ducklings lived. However, when she pulled back the leafy curtain, she was disappointed to discover the nest was empty.
"That's too bad," she said aloud. "I hope you little guys are ok," she said.
"They are doing just fine," a deep, familiar drawl echoed behind her. "Their mother took them to a nearby pond to practice swimming," he added.
Amelia turned around to face James. "So you are an expert duck watcher now?" she teased.
James shrugged. "One of my many talents," his eyes flashed with excitement as he spoke. He took a relaxed step toward Amelia, shortening the distance between them.
Amelia's body responded to his immediately, her words echoing in similar fashion. "And what are some of your other talents?" she asked in a tone that registered just above a breathy whisper.
"Perhaps it would be easier if I could show you?" he closed the distance between them in two short strides.
Amelia gasped as his hand came around her waist and pulled her tightly against his chest. She stretched her hands over his expansive shoulders, enjoying the feel of his taught muscles beneath the smooth fabric. "You seem to like that, showing me things," she said coyly.
James brought his head forward until his forehead touched Amelia's. "Well, when I have such a responsive audience, I can't help but want to show off a little," he said with a cocky air.
Amelia tilted her head back in order to allow her gaze to meet his more directly. She wanted to egg him on, to continue the sensually charged banter that fed off the primitive pull they felt toward each other. She wanted to pretend that she was an uncomplicated woman, with uncomplicated feelings and a pure desire for the man that held her in his arms.
But Amelia knew she was anything but uncomplicated.
She cleared her throat uncomfortably. "James, I have something to tell you," she said shakily.
"Oh really?" he raised an eyebrow and shot her a heated a look. "If it is about how you want to kiss me just as much as I want to kiss you right now," he said with a boyish grin, "can it wait until after we've thoroughly satisfied that very desire?"
A cloud of sadness washed over Amelia at that moment; she knew what she was doing was wrong and that James deserved to know the truth.
James bent his head to follow through with his statement and kiss her. His movement forced Amelia to finally make her decision.
"I'm engaged," she blurted out a second before James's lips brushed against her own.
James stopped a hairsbreadth away from her. "Pardon?" he asked, utterly confused.
"I'm engaged to Thomas Florian. He asked me to marry him last week and I accepted," she explained in a rush.
James suddenly let go of Amelia and stepped away, but his eyes remained fixed on her own, a mask of confusion darkening the usual joyful glimmer. "How can you be engaged? You only met him last week?" he exclaimed.
"I know it all seems so sudden, and trust me it took me by surprise —" she began.
"Surprise? You don't even know this man Amelia, how can you promise your life to someone you've only just met?" he questioned.
"Well, Marianna and Georgina both had unconventional engagements to men they hadn't known for long," Amelia argued. "And they both have joyous marriages. So I don't think the length of a courtship can determine what the marriage would be like."
James gave her a hard look, not unlike the one Marianna had given her earlier. "There was no courtship Amelia, what kind of hold does he have on you?" he asked suspiciously.
"He has no hold on me," she protested. "Thomas is a kind, thoughtful, generous man. He has offered to help get my artwork seen by the people i
n the industry, and he has promised to take me away from Valley Springs," she added.
"Ahh, I see," James said sardonically. "I see how you benefit from this, but how does he?"
"I have no idea what you are implying, but Thomas loves me and wants to help me succeed in the world," she declared.
"But do you love him?" James asked softly.
Amelia paused. Do I love him? So caught up in the glamour of his interest, she had not once stopped to question if she even liked the man as her life partner. But he's the great Thomas Florian, I've adored his work for years. She adored his work, but not him per say.
"I —" she stuttered. "I think I could grow to love him," she said weakly.
James looked at her for what Amelia felt like was an eternity.
"I wish you the best of luck Amelia," he said finally, his voice filled with an aching sadness. In one swift motion, he turned away from her, picked up his bike, and rode off down the road.
Amelia's heart lurched. She longed to run after James, to tell him to stop, and to ask him not to leave, but her pride would not allow her to do that. Instead, she stood there and watched him ride away while her chest ached and she repeatedly swallowed back the sob that welled up in her throat. She refused to allow herself to cry.
"What have you done Amelia?" she questioned herself. She couldn't help but shake the feeling that letting him go was a huge mistake.
Chapter Eleven
Amelia knew that she needed to talk to Thomas. She needed to come clean and tell him about the kiss she shared with James. And, if he still loved her after that, she would need to tell him that she wasn't ready to be engaged just yet.
She knew that James was right, that she was rushing in. Her gut had been warning her about something the entire time, and now it was clear what that was — she needed to know that she could love Thomas the way he deserved before she committed to marrying him.
She pedaled as fast as she could toward the hotel where Thomas was staying until the end of the week. She didn't want to wait another second to sort things out with him, especially since he was leaving soon. She didn’t know how she had allowed her life to become such a mess, but she was determined to clean it up before the end of the day.