Part 11 (1/2)
wonderfully convincing.”
He rose then, in one quick, easy movement. He looked down into her eyes and she watched his
expression change, from one of playful devotion to something darker and hungrier.
He said her name. ”Lace...”
A shudder ran through her.
”...come up here.”
He tugged on her hand, pulling her out of her chair and into his strong arms. She groaned-because it
hurt to stand up straight. And also because it felt so absolutely grand to be in his arms again at last.
”Marry me, d.a.m.n it.”
”Oh,Logan...”
He lowered his mouth. It touched hers. He said it again, breathing the words into her mouth. ”Marry
me.”
And then he kissed her.
There was no one-no one-who kissed the wayLogankissed.
She had missed his kisses terribly. Sometimes, in the night, alone, during the months apart from him, she
would wake and touch her mouth and remember...
She had thought, for all those long, longmonths, that she would never feel his kisses again.
But here she was. Feeling them. Taking them intoherself , kissing him back.
Her lips felt deliciously bruised when he finally pulled away. She reached up, put her fingers against
them.
He commanded for a third time, in a low, very controlled tone, ”Marry me.”
She opened her mouth to answer.
And from her ba.s.sinet in the corner, Rosie started crying.
Lacey moved instinctively toward the sound.
Logangripped her arms, holding her with him. ”Wait,” he whispered, ”maybe she'll just go back to sleep.”
”No. I know that sound. She's hungry.”
Heat still burned in his eyes, but one corner of his mouth kicked up in a wry half-smile. ”You know that sound? Already?” ”'Fraidso.” ”Just wait a minute, though. Just in case?” ”All right.” They waited, staring at each other like a pair of smitten lovers which, Lacey admitted to herself right then, was what they were. Rosie went on wailing. Finally,Loganshrugged. ”All right.” He let her go and she turned for the ba.s.sinet. She waited until she was seated in the rocker with the baby at her breast before she looked up atLogan standing above her and softly whispered, ”Yes.”
Chapter 8.
The next day, when Tess broughtJobeth and Starr over to see the baby, Lacey andLogandelivered their news.
”Oh, this is wonderful.” Tess grabbed Lacey in a hug. ”When will the ceremony be?”
”Right away,” saidLogan. ”We'll get the blood tests tomorrow. And as soon as I can coax the results out of whoever runs the local lab, we'll pay a visit to the county courthouse-Wednesday orThursday, that would be my guess.”
But the women had other ideas. SurelyLogancould wait a few days at least, until Lacey was recovered enough to enjoy her own wedding? And there really should be some sort of party, something small and simple, understandably, on such short notice. Something with only the family, but a real ceremony nonetheless...
On Monday morning,Logandrove intoBuffaloand came back with a safety seat for Rosie. It took him half an hour to do it, but he finally got the thing properly strapped into the back of Lacey's SUV. Then he loaded mother and daughter into the vehicle and they went to the clinic in Medicine Creek, where Lacey andLoganhad their blood tests and Dr. Pruitt produced Rosie's birth certificate, all ready for her parents to sign.
They got back to the cabin two hours after they'd left it. Lacey and the baby took a nap and Logan went to the main house, where he called his office and promised Dan Connery, one of his two overworked partners, that he'd be back in Meadow Valley the following week.
”The problem-whatever it is-is solved, then?” Dan asked, sounding more than a little put out about the whole thing.
Logantook full blame for his partner's frustration. He'd been far from forthcoming about why he'd suddenly found it imperative to fly off toWyomingfor an indefinite stay. He needed to sit down with Dan and Helen Sanderson, the third partner in the practice, and explain what had happened.