Page 4 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
He gave her a wink.“I’m here to get married, Violet.”
“Oh!”she feigned happiness.“That’s wonderful news, Edwin.Who’s the lucky lady?”
He chuckled.“You always were a funny girl, Violet.”In a move bolder than she thought he’d ever have the courage to do, he reached out and cupped her cheek.
Her heart started pounding as she took a step away, his hand hanging in mid-air a moment before he lowered it.
She glanced at Rose, secretly asking her for help, but her sister didn’t say a word.The room started to go hazy her pulse was racing so fast, dizziness making her knees wobbly.She needed to sit down.
Rushing out of the store, she plopped down on the first bench she saw along the sidewalk and inhaled a big breath, drawing in the clean fresh scent of flowers and new grass.The air outside was getting warmer, the sun shining in a cloudless sky.
How had such a perfect day gone so wrong?
Summer had finally come to Silver Falls.A glance up at the mountain told her the warmth was here to stay.The ice that usually clung to the rocks had melted, the waterfall rushing over the side in a torrential downpour flowing full force now and, if she quieted long enough, she could hear it.
There was a clear view of it from where she sat.The jail was across from the store but it sat to the side enough that it didn’t spoil her view of the waterfall and she would have been content to sit there all day had movement from her right not caught her attention.
Her gaze darted to the jail.Josiah was on the porch, staring down the street, but his head turned her way when she heard Edwin join her on the porch.When he stepped into view and got down on one knee in front of her, saying, “Violet, will you—,” she screamed to cut him off and jumped to her feet.
A step back put some distance between them, but he was still on one knee staring at her as if she’d hung the sun just for him.She blew out a frustrated breath.
Like most girls, she dreamed of being married.Her pa had made her and her sister's hope chests and hers was so full, she had to sit on the lid to get it latched, and never in her wildest dreams did she think she’d be turning down a marriage proposal but…she was.
At twenty-three, and with no other offers in sight, she should be ecstatic someone wanted to marry her but standing there looking at Edwin, all she felt was panic.
There wasn’t anything really wrong with Edwin, he was just—not who she had envisioned her future husband to be as a girl.He wasn’t the tall, dark-haired rogue who came in and rescued her, whisking her away to his ranch out in the middle of nowhere where they’d live happily ever after.He was just—Edwin.The irritating skinny boy who followed her around in Elkin that she was nice to because her ma told her to be.
He wasn’t who she wanted.
He wasn’t Josiah Lincoln.
She resisted the urge to glance over at him and kept her attention on Edwin instead.“I still don’t understand why you’re here, Edwin.Why would you think I’d marry you?I’ve not seen you in over eight years.”
His brow scrunched.“Well, we always said we’d get married one day.”
Uh, no we didn’t.She tilted her head while looking at him.“I remember all our conversations from when we were children, Edwin, and I don’t ever recall saying I’d marry you.”
His brow rose.“Sure you did.”
“Noooo,” she said, stretching the word out.“I never once said I’d marry you.”
He scratched his head as if confused and maybe he was, especially if he’d spent the last, however many years, thinking they were engaged.
What if this is the only proposal you ever receive?
The thought gave her a moment of true panic.Was this her only chance at a family?Visions of a life being married to Edwin had her on the verge of running.To flee clean to the other end of the valley and never stop.
Regardless of wanting a family someday, she didn’t want that life with Edwin.Besides, running now didn’t mean he’d leave.
She inhaled a calming breath and gave him what she hoped came off as a friendly smile.“I’m sorry, Edwin, but I’m afraid you’re mistaken.I never agreed to marry you.”
He climbed to his feet and smiled at her as if he were calming a child having a temper tantrum and grabbed her hand.“I remember our conversations too, Violet, and we talked about getting married dozens of times.”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Sure we did.”
“Did you ever say, “Violet, will you marry me?”
