LITMIR.BIZ

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cut the engine and in the sudden silence reached over and unsnapped her seat belt.

      “Bathroom is just inside the front door of the house—if it’s not too late.”

      “You scared me,” she protested as he climbed out of his seat and prepared to open the exit door. Her tone left no doubt that she thought he had done it deliberately.

      “Ma’am, I was just flying the plane. You’re the one who decided to panic for no good reason.” He shoved the door open releasing the short flight of stairs and did not wait for her to go first.

      Bethany took a moment to digest the fact that this cowboy son of her aunt’s fiancé had just left her to crawl out of the cockpit on her own. Any gentleman would have helped her out—she was practically family, after all. Exactly who did he think she was? Some hired help brought in to manage the wedding?

      “Bethany, dear.”

      Erika stood at the door of the aircraft, smiling uncertainly. “Is everything all right? Oh, I told Ian we should let you take a commercial flight tomorrow but he wouldn’t hear of it. Waste of money, he said, since Cody was coming back anyway.”

      Bethany climbed out of the cockpit and bent to keep from hitting her head as she followed her aunt out of the plane. “I’m fine,” she assured Erika, then mustered her last ounce of enthusiasm and gushed, “Chicago—now Phoenix—what an adventure.”

      Erika grinned with obvious relief. “It’s called my life these days,” she said happily. “Come meet Ian.”

      Ian was not as tall or hard-muscled as his son but he was every bit as handsome. They had the same eyes and the same smile—or at least she thought she recalled that smile from when she had first seen Cody holding that ridiculous sign. His smile and cheery outlook had definitely wavered as the evening went on. And was she being overly sensitive or had the man implied that this was somehow her fault?

      “So this is Bethany,” Ian said as he held out his arms inviting a hug. “You know, I’ve been telling Erika that it’s time I met her family since she’s already passed muster with all of mine. Welcome to Daybreak Ranch, Bethany.”

      Bethany smiled and accepted the hug.

      “Where did Cody go?” Erika wondered as the three of them headed for the golf cart.

      “He’s making arrangements to get Bethany’s luggage unloaded and delivered,” Ian explained. “I hope he didn’t give you too much of a joyride in that bucket of bolts of his,” he continued to Bethany. “I’ve tried to get that boy to trade up but he loves that old piece of junk.”

      Oh, that was heartening, Bethany thought, glad all over again to be back on firm ground.

      “Our Bethany is quite the little daredevil herself, Ian,” Erika said as she wrapped one arm around her niece. “Remember, Bethie, that time that your brothers dared you to walk that fence at Grandpa’s?”

      Bethany grinned. “It was a wire fence with overhanging tree branches I could hold on to,” she explained to Ian.

      “She made it from one end to the other and then dared them to follow. Neither one of them would do it.”

      Ian laughed. “Well, little lady, I can see that you are going to fit into ranch life just fine.”

      Erika rolled her eyes. “Pay no attention to Ian, dear. Whenever we come to the ranch he turns into Clint Eastwood. Anyone who has done business with him in Chicago is a little taken aback to say the least.”

      “Secret of my success,” Ian said as he winked at Bethany, who found that away from the presence of Cody Dillard, she was feeling much more relaxed.

      “Home sweet home,” Ian announced as he pulled the golf cart to a stop in front of a rambling and deceptively massive house of glass, stone and adobe. Golden light spilled through windows that soared to a point three stories above the ground. A large, wide porch furnished with leather rockers and natural wicker tables and chairs wrapped itself around two sides of the house. The stained-glass panels of the front door reflected the light from within in a beautiful tableau of abstract desert flowers.

      “Wow,” Bethany whispered in awe as Ian held out his hand first to Erika and then her to assist them off the golf cart.

      “Wow indeed,” Erika agreed. “It was designed by an associate of Frank Lloyd Wright’s. The first time I saw this place I set my cap for this man. He could have been from outer space for all I cared as long as he let me live in this beautiful desert palace.”

      “Ah, sweetie, you do say the nicest things sometimes,” Ian replied and kissed her cheek.

      Then he wrapped one arm around Erika and the other around Bethany and led the way up the wide stone stairs past columns sculpted to look like gigantic saguaro cacti. The front door should have been hanging in the National Gallery of Art as far as Bethany was concerned.

      “Hi, Honey, we’re home,” Ian boomed as soon as they entered the house.

      A short, heavyset woman of indeterminate age but with flawless skin, shining black hair pulled into a ponytail and a beaming smile hurried forward. She wiped her hands on her apron. “Hello,” she said to Bethany. “I’m Honey Jorgenson. Welcome.” She looked up at Bethany and frowned slightly. “Are you all right?”

      Bethany had the oddest feeling that Honey had looked into her eyes and seen past everything she might do to disguise anything she was feeling. She blinked and forced a smile. “Fine,” she said. “A little travel worn is all.”

      “Ah!” Honey snapped her fingers. “Powder room—” she pointed, indicating a small alcove off the foyer “—and then something to eat.”

      “Lovely,” Erika said. “Honey makes the most incredible quesadillas, Bethany. I hope you like your food spicy.”

      “I love spicy,” Bethany assured them all.

      The supper was perfect. Honey served them in a small family dining room with stucco walls faux finished in shades of bright yellows and oranges. The table was set informally with multicolored striped place mats, bright Fiesta ware dishes and a centerpiece of red, yellow and orange gerbera daisies. In spite of her fatigue, Bethany couldn’t help making mental notes as ideas for party themes and decor came to mind. She could bring the colors and atmosphere of Arizona to Chicago.

      Erika and Ian were clearly devoted to one another. This was no one-sided or even slightly lopsided romance. She had never seen her aunt happier and even though she had just met Ian, it appeared that he was operating in a similar state of bliss.

      “So, what are your plans?” she asked after Honey had brought them large ceramic mugs of herbal tea and a platter of fruit.

      “I’m afraid that all we have are dates and a start on the guest lists, dear,” Erika said with a smile at Ian.

      “Those would be long guest lists,” he added fondly. “I think we may have to marry every year for the next ten or twenty in order to fit in everything Erika wants to do so our friends and family can share our joy.” Then he squeezed her fingers and added, “Which would be fine with me.”

      “Well perhaps we could start with this year,” Bethany suggested with a grin. “How many parties leading up to the big day?”

      “Well, there’s the engagement party in Chicago, for family and associates and friends there,” Ian began.

      “And the party for everyone here,” Erika added.

      “Two engagement parties? It might be less expensive to—”

      Ian held up Erika’s hand displaying a formidable emerald-and-diamond engagement ring. “Expense is not an issue, Bethany. If it becomes one, we can always hock this.”

      Erika giggled and blushed like a twenty-year-old. “Ian,” she chastised. “Truly, Bethany, the parties can be fairly simple.”

      Bethany

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