Rakes and Roses - Josi S. Kilpack Page 0,104
of the carriage and her mouth fell open at the face framed there.
Harry grinned at her and hopped down from the carriage, easy as you please, on two strong legs healed and hale.
“Your carriage, m’lady,” he said.
She reached out to touch his face, but he took her hand and looked around them before leaning in slightly. “We are in public, my dear. We wouldn’t want to give rise to gossip.” He winked, then helped her into the carriage.
She settled herself on one bench, watching his every move as he gave instructions to the driver, then stepped inside the carriage and snapped the door closed. He sat across from her, and they stared at one another until some invisible barrier broke, and they were suddenly in a tangle of skirts and coat and lips and touches.
In Sabrina’s mind, she’d envisioned their first meeting to be formal, perhaps including a list of questions they would answer in turn to see if their expectations aligned regarding their possible future together. The reality was raw and honest and made all those well-planned questions unimportant.
Finally, she pulled back, her hands on either side of his face as she looked him over. “You are here,” she said breathlessly.
“More importantly, you are here,” he said, running his hands down her back and creating serious difficulty in her ability to maintain her focus. He traced his thumb against her rose-colored lips. She kissed it. He stared at her mouth, but kept talking. “I came a week ago. Took a room at the Grande Hotel and asked Mrs. Ambrose to alert me when you arrived. She thought it a wonderful game.” As though he couldn’t help himself, he moved in to kiss her again, then met her eyes. “I am well, Sabrina, clear and ready for your inspection. You’ve surely planned a long list of questions, and I shall submit to the inquiry.”
She laughed, as though the idea of a list of questions was ridiculous. Never mind that such a list was in her bag at this very moment. “I did not think I would see you so soon.”
“But it is a good surprise, is it not?”
“The best surprise,” she whispered.
“You are still madly in love with me then?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I believe you were the one madly in love with me,” she corrected.
“Aye, so I am, so I am.” His smile softened. “Has your heart changed in these months away?” he asked, a thread of insecurity woven between the words.
She nodded, and when his face fell, she explained. “My feelings have only grown,” she whispered, emboldened by his increasing smile as she confessed. “I was so frightened that yours had lessened.”
“Never,” he said, shaking his head. He kissed her again.
There is so much to do, she thought as she kissed him back. So many details . . . to . . . arrange . . . and . . . secure . . . and . . .
Winter.
Sunshine.
Hope.
Joy.
Love.
Him.
This is the first time I have written a “playboy,” and it’s a character type I find difficult to like as a reader. Harry, therefore, was a challenge for me, but a good one, I think. Exploring why we make the choices we make and how many “bad” choices are a form of running away from painful things gives me a bit more grace in real life, both for myself and for others.
I am very grateful for those friends who helped me brainstorm how to make this story work: Jennifer Moore (Solving Sophronia, Covenant, 2020), Nancy Campbell Allen (Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts, Shadow Mountain, 2020), Brittney Larsen, (The Matchmaker’s Match, Covenant, 2020), Becca Wilhite (Check Me Out, Shadow Mountain, 2018).
Thank you to Jenny Proctor for beta reading the final draft and to my editor, Lisa Mangum, for helping me find just the right romantic tension. Thank you to Heidi Taylor for overseeing the production, Breanna Anderl for typesetting, and Heather Ward and Richard Erickson for the beautiful cover.
Thank you, Lane Heymont, for your business savvy and advice.
Thank you to all the readers who keep reading and, in the process, give me a job that I learn from and grow with year after year.
Thank you to my family for your love and support, and to my Father in Heaven for continually picking me up, brushing me off, and telling me I’m not done yet. I am blessed. I know it. I am trying very hard to live up to my privileges.
1. How do you feel the romantic tension of Rakes and Roses compares to other romances by this author?
2. This story represents a gender swap in regard to Sabrina having the power and control in the relationship. How do you feel about that aspect of the story?
3. Harry’s vices are represented as the way he hides from childhood pain and trauma. Have you seen similar reactions play out in your life or in the lives of others?
4. It isn’t until the end that Harry realizes he was betrayed by a friend. Had you already made that connection, or was it as much a surprise to you as it was to Harry?
5. Do you find Harry and Sabrina likable characters? Why or why not?
6. Do you have a favorite quote from the book?
7. If you’ve read other books in the Mayfield series, how does Rakes and Roses compare?
Josi S. Kilpack is the author of several novels and one cookbook and a participant in several coauthored projects and anthologies. She is a four-time Whitney Award winner—including Lord Fenton’s Folly (2015) for Best Romance and Best Novel of the Year—and a Utah Best in State winner for fiction. She is the mother of four children and lives in northern Utah.
You can find more information about Josi and her writing at josiskilpack.com.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Discussion Questions
About the Author
Landmarks
Cover