Renee Ryan - His Most Suitable Bride

She’d woken but briefly, said his name in a soft, wheezing whisper and then died in his arms.

She’d been eighteen years old. He the same age. They’d had only one month of happiness together. Thirty days.

Not enough.

And yet, far too much. He knew exactly what happiness looked like, felt like and, more important, how quickly it could be taken away.

“I don’t wish to speak of Miranda.”

“You can’t run from the past.”

He had every intention of trying. “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss with me? Something important?”

“This is important.”

Reese said nothing.

His father came to stand next to him. “You need to get married again. I think it will help you.”

Was the man in collusion with Beatrix Singletary? Impossible. Though they were polite with one another on most occasions, the two rarely saw eye-to-eye on most subjects. “I attempted to marry again, but—”

“You chose the wrong girl.”

Although he’d come to realize that himself, his father’s quick response gave Reese pause. “I believed you liked Fanny. You’ve been friends with her parents for years. If I remember correctly, which I do, you said you would welcome a match between myself and Cyrus Mitchell’s daughter.”

“I meant the other one. There is substance to Callie Mitchell, something far more interesting than most see when they first meet her. I thought you agreed.”

His heart gave a few thick beats in his chest. Oh, Reese agreed there was much lurking beneath Callie’s sensible exterior—a wild, perhaps even passionate streak that, if unleashed, could possibly lead to a life of recklessness.

He knew far too well how that ended.

A tap on the doorjamb heralded Reese’s law clerk. A thin young man with regular features and an eager smile, Julian Summers was detail-oriented and thus invaluable to the firm. “Mrs. Singletary’s companion is here to see you, Mr. Bennett.”

His father lifted an ironic eyebrow.

Ignoring this, Reese stood and circled around his desk. “Send her in, Julian.”

“Yes, sir.”

A handful of seconds after the clerk disappeared in the hallway, Callie appeared, head high, spine ramrod-stiff, chin at a perfect ninety-degree angle with the floor. At the sight of her, Reese went hot all over, the inexplicable sensation similar to a burst of anger.

She was the same woman she’d always been. Yet, not. The past few hours had produced a remarkable transformation. Her cheeks had gained color. Her eyes sparkled.

Her skin glowed.

Simply because she no longer wore that gray shapeless garment from this morning but a blue silk dress that complemented her lean, lithe figure and brought out the green in her eyes.

The effect was devastating. Disconcerting.

Any words of greeting vanished from his mind.

There was something unreal about Callie now, something vulnerable and highly appealing. The impact of her beauty nearly flattened him.

Confounded by his reaction to a simple change of clothes, he blinked at her. “Miss Mitchell, I...” His brain emptied of all thought. Why was she here, looking like a fairy-tale princess? “That is, I wasn’t expecting you.”

She shifted from one foot to the other, then snapped her shoulders back. Ah, there she was. The Callie Mitchell he knew. “Mrs. Singletary sent me to pick up a package you were to have ready for her this afternoon.”

He couldn’t think of what package she meant. He remained silent so long his father cleared his throat.

Still, Reese couldn’t make his mind work properly.

“Well, if it isn’t Callie Mitchell.” His father shoved around him. “How are you, my dear?”

“Mr. Bennett.” She hurried to him, reaching out her hands to clasp his in greeting. “What a wonderful surprise to see you here today.”

He smiled broadly. “You are utterly captivating.”

Her face brightened at the compliment. “What a sweet thing to say.”

“Only the truth, my dear. Only the truth.”

Until this moment, Reese had forgotten how well his father and Callie got along. Watching the two interact so easily, their heads bent at similar angles, he found himself stewing in an unpleasant rush of...

Jealousy?

Absurd. Reese couldn’t be jealous of his own father.

And yet, he had to take slow, measured breaths to prevent himself from walking over to the pair, shoving his father aside and insisting Callie pay attention to him. Only him. As if he was some sort of spoiled, selfish child with no manners or common sense.

He managed to avoid stooping quite that low. “Callie.” He barked out her name. “A word, please, in private.”

One stilted sentence and Reese had crossed several unimaginable lines.

His father’s responding grin spoke volumes. As did Callie’s reaction. Had she stiffened at the familiar use of her name? Or because of the inappropriate request itself?

Reese wasn’t sure he wanted to find out. But he made no attempt to retract his words. This conversation had been coming on for some time.

No turning back now.

Chapter Four

Years of practiced restraint kept Callie from gasping at Reese’s request. But...but...glory. He’d just asked to speak with her. Alone.

She couldn’t think why.

And that, Callie decided, was the primary source of her distress. Her shoulders wanted to bunch. Her knees threatened to give way beneath her. But she remained perfectly still.

Perfectly.

Still.

No easy task. Not with Reese looking at her with all that intensity. He was so focused on her she had a sudden, irrational urge to rush out of his office without a backward glance.

Callie had never been one to run from a difficult conversation. She would not start now.

Still, Reese’s command, spoken so abruptly, was out of character. Why would he wish to speak with her, alone?

Seeking a clue—any would do—she slid a covert glance over his face. His chin jerked, very faintly, a sure sign that he’d shocked even himself with his words.

“Well, then.” A corner of the elder Mr. Bennett’s mouth curled upward. “I believe that’s my cue to depart.”

Callie started. She’d forgotten Reese’s father still held her hands. Had he noticed the faint tremor in her fingers?

“There’s no need to leave so soon,” she said on an exhale. Even to her own ears, her voice sounded exceptionally calm, almost detached, with the emotional depth of a stone. Perfect. “I’m sure whatever your son has to say can be expressed in front of you.”

She hoped.

“Perhaps. But alas, I have another appointment calling me away.” With a fatherly smile, he gave her hands a quick squeeze before releasing her. “It was a pleasure running in to you, my dear. We must make this a more common occurrence.”

The kindness in his voice, as much as the sentiment itself, calmed her nerves considerably.

“Oh, yes, Mr. Bennett.” She managed to get both sides of her mouth to lift in a responding smile. “That would be lovely, indeed.”

She’d always felt comfortable around this man, as though he was a second father. Callie desperately wanted him to stay but couldn’t think of a reason why he should, other than to beg him to serve as a shield between her and his son.

Callie Mitchell was made of sterner stuff.

“Reese.” Mr. Bennett gave his son a short nod. “We will continue our discussion another time.”

A muscle knotted in Reese’s jaw as he returned his father’s nod with one of his own.

Another smile in Callie’s direction and the elder Mr. Bennett quit the room.

She remained precisely where she stood, twisting the handle of her reticule between her fingers. She hated this anxious, almost panicky sensation spreading through her. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be helped. Simply standing in the same room with Reese caused her anxiety.