Page 5 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
He stared at her a moment, his brows lowering as if in thought.“Well, I don’t know if I ever said it quite like that, but you knew what I meant.”
“Nooo…I don’t think so.You may have thought I did, but I never said, ‘Yes, Edwin, I’ll marry you someday.’”
“But you never said you wouldn’t, so that’s practically an agreement.”
She pulled her hand out of his own and laughed.She couldn’t help it.Did he really think just because he talked about marrying her and her not saying anything about it meant she was agreeing?
“Edwin, that’s not how life works.Besides…how do you even know I’m not already married?”
“Because I ask Tanner about you every time he comes to town for your store supplies.If you had gotten married, he would have told me.”
Movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.Josiah was still leaning against the porch post holding the roof up in front of the jail.He was too far away to see the look in his eyes, but she knew he was finding this too amusing to ignore.Why else would he still be outside watching this spectacle?
“Violet.”Edwin grabbed her hand again and gave it a light squeeze.“I know this feels sudden to you and maybe you just don’t remember things as I do, but even so, the fact remains that I’m here now to marry you and that’s what I aim to do.”
Her heart started pounding again as her entire life flashed before her eyes.A life that involved Edwin and living in Elkin.She barely held back a shudder and turned her head to look for any escape she could find.
She saw it a moment later and latched onto it for dear life.“I’m sorry, Edwin, but I really can’t marry you.”She turned back to face him and looked him in the eye.“You see, I already have a fiance.”
The shocked expression on his face only lasted a moment.“You already have a fiance?”
“Yes, I do.”She tried to temper her voice to let him know she was sorry she couldn’t marry him but took another step away from the bench.“I’m afraid you’ve come all this way for nothing.”
Edwin scratched his head and squinted at her before slowly shaking his head.“Tanner never said you got engaged.”
“Oh, well, um…that’s because it just happened.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.“I’m not sure I believe you, Violet.”
She gasped dramatically and placed her hand against her chest.“Are you calling me a liar?”
“No.”His lips thinned into a white slash across his face.“But I want to meet him.Where is this man you’re supposed to marry?”
She swallowed to moisten her suddenly dry throat before lifting her arm and pointing across the road.“He’s right over there.
ChapterTwo
Josiah wasn’t sure what Violet said as she pointed at him, but when the man she was talking to, Edwin, he assumed, looked his way and scowled, he knew it couldn’t be good.
They exchanged a few more words—most of which were heated if the red tint overtaking both of their faces was any indication—before the man marched to the edge of the sidewalk, down the steps, and started across the road toward him.
Violet picked up her skirts and ran after him, catching up with him as he approached the jail.
“Edwin!”Violet said, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop in the street near the sidewalk.“What do you think you’re doing?”
So it was Edwin.Josiah didn’t bother straightening.He just continued to lean against the post, arms crossed over his chest and watched them both.
“What does he have that I don’t?”Edwin asked.At least Josiah could hear what they were saying now.Edwin ran his gaze over him from his head to his toe before looking him in the eye.“Just because he’s a lawman means nothing.They make a piddly amount of money.”
Josiah raised an eyebrow at the comment.He wasn’t entirely wrong, but he was far from a being a pauper.And what did him being a lawman, have anything to do with their conversation?
“That was rude, Edwin.”Violet flashed him a quick look, her eyes wide as if to tell him something.What, he had no idea.She stepped into Edwin’s line of sight and grabbed his arm before saying, “The marshal is a busy man.We needn’t bother him.”
“He doesn’t look busy.”The man met his gaze again.“And he doesn’t deserve your love if he can’t even make time for his fiance.”
Josiah cocked his head to one side.His fiance?
Before he had time to ask what he meant, Violet jumped onto the porch with him, wrapping her hands around his arm and squeezing.
