Page 30 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

“Yes.” She got up from her chair.

He lifted her and whirled around, causing her pulse to skyrocket. “I’d be thrilled. I would have called him Cocoa, to go with Caramel, but your choice of name is perfect. I’d love to see him smile again, and I can’t wait to adopt him.” Then he whispered in her ear. “And I can’t wait to marry you.”

Her heart started singing, but natural and hard-earned cautiousness won. “I hope you’re not saying that just because of the dog.”

He laughed. “No, of course not.”

She got lost in his baby blues, and her head started spinning. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she leaned closer, desperately wanting to kiss him. Those blues darkened, and her heart raced.

Until her mind registered their audience, and she shifted back. His eyes dimmed, and he put her down. Heat rose inside her, and her cheeks must be the color of her mother’s dress in the portrait.

He could make her forget everything else so easily, and she needed to stay alert. She took a few sips to compose herself and channeled her thoughts in the right direction. “I’m glad to say Emma didn’t have a concussion or any other health consequences. She’s fully recovered. Though I still feel bad it happened. Was the intruder found yet?”

“The police don’t have any leads.” Her uncle touched his lips with the linen napkin. At least, these were the hotel ones and weren’t monogrammed like the ones in the house. “And I’m appalled the recordings didn’t even help. We should’ve had better security.”

Kennedy’s gut clenched as she looked at Austin.

She was bitterness to his sweetness. And now she could cause him harm by her mere proximity. Yes, she was smitten, but his well-being mattered more than her feelings. More than the opportunity for her uncle to walk her down the aisle.

Should she stand up and call off the entire thing before it was too late?

Chapter Eight

AS AUSTIN STOOD INfront of the altar waiting for the music to start a week and a half later, so many emotions whirled inside him, mixing, separating, rising to the surface, dissipating, and reappearing. Worry, joy, disbelief, elation, and worry again, and some emotions he couldn’t identify yet.

“Is this really happening?” He didn’t realize he’d said it aloud until Kai, standing at his side, nodded.

“It’d better be. I wouldn’t want to be dressed up like this for nothing.” Kai tugged at the chocolate-brown tie that matched his eyes. He was the only one in the family with brown eyes, instead of blue. But except for their brother who’d become an executive, they all preferred cowboy attire to tuxedos.

Austin sent him alook, though he knew Kai wouldn’t put his minor inconvenience over Austin’s broken heart.

“Okay, not a good time to joke. Or to speak, for that matter. Besides, I like dressing up like a pirate for shipboard reenactments, so I can stand a tux for your wedding. Of course, it’s real. Kennedy should be walking down that aisle any moment. Uh-oh,” Kai mumbled as he patted his pocket. “I think I forgot the rings.”

Austin’s insides went cold.

“Nope, all here.” His brother grinned.

---