disappeared beneath the flurry of congratulations from the press of friends and employees. By the time Inez announced dinner, she'd fully regained her composure.
Like the great room, the dining-room glowed with candlelight, flowers running the length of the oak table and overflowing the side tables and buffet. To her relief she and Hunter were seated at opposite ends, though as dinner progressed she discovered her relief short-lived. Throughout the meal she felt his gaze fixed on her. And as the evening passed her awareness of him grew, along with an unbearable tension.
As the caterers cleared away the final course, Hunter rose, glass in hand, 'A toast,' he announced. Silence descended and all eyes turned in his direction.
'A toast for the bride?' Conrad questioned.
'A toast to my wife/ Hunter lifted the glass. 'To the most beautiful woman I've ever known. May all her dreams come true... and may they be worth the price she pays for them/
There was a momentary confused silence and then the guests lifted their glasses in tribute, murmuring, 'Hear, hear/
Slowly Leah stood, well aware of the double edge to Hunters toast. Lifting her own glass in salute, she said, 'And to my husband. The answer to all my dreams/ And let him make what he wished of that, she thought, drinking deeply.
The party broke up not long after. Rose had arranged to stay with friends for the weekend and all the staff had been given the days off as a paid vacation. Only Patrick would remain, to care for the animals. But, knowing her foreman's sensitivity, he'd make himself scarce. They wouldn't see any sign of him until Monday morning.
Sending the last few guests on their way, Leah stood with Hunter in the front hall. The tension between them threatened to overwhelm her and she twisted her hands together, feeling again the unexpected weight of her wedding-ring.
She glanced at it and asked the question that had troubled her during the ceremony. 'Did you choose it or...?'
'I chose It. Did you really think I'd leave it to my secretary to take care of?'
'I didn't even know you had a secretary,' she confessed. 'What do... did you do?'
He hesitated. 'Mostly I worked as a sort of trouble-shooter for a large consortium, taking care of problem situations no one else could handle/
She drifted toward the great room, snuffing candles as she went. 'I imagine you'd be good at that sort of
thing. What made you decide to give it up and return to ranching?*
'What makes you think I've quit?' he asked from directly behind.
Startled, she spun around, her gown flaring out around her. 'Haven't you?'
'They know to call if something urgent comes up. I'll find a way to fit it in.' He drew her away from a low bracket of candles. 'Be careful. I'd hate to see this go up in flames.'
'It was my mother's,' she admitted self-consciously. 'I wasn't sure whether you'd like it.'
His voice deepened. 'I like it.'
She caught her breath, finally managed to say, 'You still haven't answered my question.'
'What question?' A lazy gleam sparked in his eyes and she knew his thoughts were elsewhere. Precisely where, she didn't care to contemplate.
'Why,' she persisted, 'if you had such a good job, did you decide to come back?'
'Let's just call it unfinished business and leave it at that. Do you really want to start an argument tonight?'
She glanced at him in alarm. 'Would it? Start an argument, I mean?'
'Without a doubt.' He pinched out the remaining few candles, leaving them in semi-darkness, the night enclosing them in a cloak of intimacy. 'I have a wedding-gift for you.' He picked up a small package tucked among a basket of flowers and handed it to her.
She took it, staring in wonder. 'A wedding-gift?'
'Open it.'
Carefully, she ripped the paper from the jewelry box and removed the lid. Beneath a layer of cotton lay an odd blue stone with a thin gold band wrapped around
it, securing it to a delicate herringbone chain. 'It's just like yours!' she exclaimed, tears starting to
Like the great room, the dining-room glowed with candlelight, flowers running the length of the oak table and overflowing the side tables and buffet. To her relief she and Hunter were seated at opposite ends, though as dinner progressed she discovered her relief short-lived. Throughout the meal she felt his gaze fixed on her. And as the evening passed her awareness of him grew, along with an unbearable tension.
As the caterers cleared away the final course, Hunter rose, glass in hand, 'A toast,' he announced. Silence descended and all eyes turned in his direction.
'A toast for the bride?' Conrad questioned.
'A toast to my wife/ Hunter lifted the glass. 'To the most beautiful woman I've ever known. May all her dreams come true... and may they be worth the price she pays for them/
There was a momentary confused silence and then the guests lifted their glasses in tribute, murmuring, 'Hear, hear/
Slowly Leah stood, well aware of the double edge to Hunters toast. Lifting her own glass in salute, she said, 'And to my husband. The answer to all my dreams/ And let him make what he wished of that, she thought, drinking deeply.
The party broke up not long after. Rose had arranged to stay with friends for the weekend and all the staff had been given the days off as a paid vacation. Only Patrick would remain, to care for the animals. But, knowing her foreman's sensitivity, he'd make himself scarce. They wouldn't see any sign of him until Monday morning.
Sending the last few guests on their way, Leah stood with Hunter in the front hall. The tension between them threatened to overwhelm her and she twisted her hands together, feeling again the unexpected weight of her wedding-ring.
She glanced at it and asked the question that had troubled her during the ceremony. 'Did you choose it or...?'
'I chose It. Did you really think I'd leave it to my secretary to take care of?'
'I didn't even know you had a secretary,' she confessed. 'What do... did you do?'
He hesitated. 'Mostly I worked as a sort of trouble-shooter for a large consortium, taking care of problem situations no one else could handle/
She drifted toward the great room, snuffing candles as she went. 'I imagine you'd be good at that sort of
thing. What made you decide to give it up and return to ranching?*
'What makes you think I've quit?' he asked from directly behind.
Startled, she spun around, her gown flaring out around her. 'Haven't you?'
'They know to call if something urgent comes up. I'll find a way to fit it in.' He drew her away from a low bracket of candles. 'Be careful. I'd hate to see this go up in flames.'
'It was my mother's,' she admitted self-consciously. 'I wasn't sure whether you'd like it.'
His voice deepened. 'I like it.'
She caught her breath, finally managed to say, 'You still haven't answered my question.'
'What question?' A lazy gleam sparked in his eyes and she knew his thoughts were elsewhere. Precisely where, she didn't care to contemplate.
'Why,' she persisted, 'if you had such a good job, did you decide to come back?'
'Let's just call it unfinished business and leave it at that. Do you really want to start an argument tonight?'
She glanced at him in alarm. 'Would it? Start an argument, I mean?'
'Without a doubt.' He pinched out the remaining few candles, leaving them in semi-darkness, the night enclosing them in a cloak of intimacy. 'I have a wedding-gift for you.' He picked up a small package tucked among a basket of flowers and handed it to her.
She took it, staring in wonder. 'A wedding-gift?'
'Open it.'
Carefully, she ripped the paper from the jewelry box and removed the lid. Beneath a layer of cotton lay an odd blue stone with a thin gold band wrapped around
it, securing it to a delicate herringbone chain. 'It's just like yours!' she exclaimed, tears starting to
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