Restorations (Book One Oregon In Love) (22 page)

“Cassie?”

“The cow over there. She’s a real sweetie.”
She pointed to Cassie, a daisy flower chain hanging drunkenly from
her ears.

Brian didn't appear
convinced. “Are you
sure
you’re okay?”

She nodded. “I’ve been such a fool, Brian. I
love you so much.”

“And that makes you a fool?” he asked with a
grin. “So be it.” He gave her a quick kiss. “So are you going to
tell me why you’re out here in the middle of nowhere?”

Sara lowered her eyes. “My truck broke down.
How did you find me?”

“I followed the trail of oil,” he said
sardonically. “Hattie thought you sounded upset about something
when she last talked to you. And when you didn’t return right away,
I decided to come looking.”

She found herself reluctant to confess her
silliness. After a moment, she decided to come clean. “I...thought
you’d left...for good.”

Brian’s hands tightened on her arms.
“What!”

Sara sent him an imploring look. “I was so
jealous,” she said in a rush. “I couldn’t think straight, and I’m
sorry I ever doubted you. I know you’re not like that anymore. Will
you forgive me?”

“Sara,” he said in a low voice, “If anyone
needs forgiveness, it’s me. I’m sorry you saw that part of my life.
But it’s behind me. For good.”

“I know.”

He kissed her then, a long,
slow, bone-melting kiss that made her knees go weak. Abruptly, he
released her. “You need a
bath!
”

***

As they turned into the driveway of the
farmhouse, Brian turned to Sara. “You forgot to ask me where I was
this morning.”

“So where were you this morning?”

“My sister, Julia, called from the airport
at seven a.m. Yesterday on the phone, I told her I got engaged and
she hopped the next plane without bothering to inform me of the
fact. I was in a hurry to pick her up so she wouldn’t be stuck at
the airport all morning.”

“So, where is she now?” asked Sara, feeling
suddenly nervous.

“In the house, waiting to meet you.”

“In the house?
Now?
I can’t meet her like
this,” she said, motioning to her unkempt appearance.

“Don’t worry, she’ll understand. I’ll just
tell her you were on rather good terms with a cow.”

“Don’t you dare!”

Brian parked and turned off the engine. As
he got out, he pulled her out with him and pinned her in his arms.
“She’ll only be here for a few days,” he murmured between kisses.
“What do you think about having a wedding while she’s here?”

“What?” Sara yelped.

“We’ve been apart for two years. I don’t
want to drag this out any longer. Besides, she could help with the
arrangements if you want. She’s a whiz with that kind of
stuff.”

“Um, I think I'm going to
have to disappoint you.” He made every effort to persuade her with
his lips, but she was adamant. “Unless you want to have a quickie
wedding,” she said, coming up for air, “then postpone the honeymoon
until I get my passport, because I
clearly
remember you mentioning
something about Scotland.”

“Postpone the
honeymoon?
But that's the
best part!
”

She shook her head at his silliness and
kissed him again.

“Ahem.”

“If that’s you, Todd, you’re fired,” Brian
grumbled without looking up.

“I don’t know any Todd, but I would like to
meet my future sister-in-law at some point today.”

With a gasp, she gave Brian a little shove.
Even he flushed when he saw his older sister gazing at them with
interest. Sara bit back her dismay when she recognized the woman
from the photograph in Brian’s cottage. The diminutive fashion
plate in front of her hardly seemed the type to be understanding of
Sara’s disheveled appearance. From her honey blonde hair swept up
in a stylish twist, to her petite stature dressed in a silk
pantsuit, she immediately made Sara feel gangly and gauche. To make
matters worse, Brian botched the introduction.

“Julia, allow me to introduce to you my
fiancée, the lady who smells like a cow, Sara Andersen.”

I’ll kill
him
. But before she could suit action to
words, she was enveloped in a warm hug. When Julia stood back, she
had tears in her eyes.

“I’m so glad to meet you. I only hope you
know what you’re getting into with my troublesome brother.” Linking
her arm with Sara’s, she led her to the house, leaving Brian
behind. “But between the two of us, we’ll get him whipped into
shape.”

***

Later that night, after a leisurely dinner
with Julia, Sara snuggled with Brian on the sofa in the living
room. Julia had already retired to the best room upstairs.

“Even though you have two bookings for next
week, technically, my sister is your first customer.”

“You’re right,” Sara agreed sleepily.

“Since this place helped to bring us
together, maybe Julia will meet someone while she’s here.”

“I don’t know why not. I can’t believe she’s
still single. What’s the story there?”

He nuzzled her cheek. “I’ll tell you about
it sometime, but right now, the charms of your lips are infinitely
more appealing.”

Sara, thankful to be
restored to the circle of Brian’s arms, tipped her face up for what
Robert Burns called
the humid seal of soft
affections, the tend'rest pledge of future bliss
.

Continue the story with Brian's sister,
Julia:

Lights and Shadows

Chiaroscuro: the treatment of light and
shade to give an illusion of depth—even in love.

(Book Two of the
Oregon In Love
series)

Milagro For
Miranda

(Book Three of the
Oregon In Love
series)

Miranda needs a miracle—to find her lost
sister in a Mexican orphanage.

Or buy the three books in one set and
save.

Oregon In
Love

Also by Bonnie Blythe:

Rock and A Hard
Place

(Book One of
Cascade Brides
)

Faith must decide whether to open her heart
to love and reconciliation.

Bayward Heart

(Book Two of
Cascade Brides
)

Project Love

(Book Three of
Cascade Brides
)

Claire’s Not-So-Gothic
Romance

Jane Eyre meets Lucille
Ball

How Sweet It Is

Chocolate maker meets surfer dude

Dearly Loved

She loved him long ago.
Can she now that he's back in her life?

Texas Whirlwind

Did she buy her ready-made family and can she
do it alone?

Melody’s Knight

An English girl has a hankering for an
American cowboy.

Loves Unmasking

(part of the British
Brides Collection)

A regency novella

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