LITMIR.BIZ

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solely up to you.”

      In fairness, she knew he was right. “So what have you decided about my job?”

      He gave her a fierce look that made her draw another sharp breath. “If you want to quit immediately, that’s fine with me.”

      “No, I don’t want to stop working yet.”

      “You have to before you have the baby. How about three months before, at the latest?”

      “How about two?”

      He nodded. “If that’s what you’d like. As long as you’re in good health, that’s fine with me. And don’t do any heavy lifting. I can send a man to help with any moving or carrying, since it’s just you and two other females.”

      “I don’t think we need a man,” she said, smiling.

      “Who carries those tall candlesticks and things like that for weddings? Who loads them into a truck and then into the church?”

      She shrugged. “All right, I do or my assistant does. But I can’t afford to pay some guy to hang around and carry stuff.”

      “I’ll pay him. Give him some odd jobs around the place. I’ll get someone who’s young and strong and going to college, so he’ll be part-time for you. How’s that?”

      “Fine, Ryan,” she said, knowing it was useless to argue, and that it would be a big help to her. “Actually, I’ve thought about trying to get someone part-time for that very reason. It’ll be good. I just didn’t see how I could justify his pay.”

      “Now you don’t have to.”

      “Thanks, Ryan,” she said quietly. “You’re being incredibly generous.”

      He shrugged. “I can afford to be, and we’re going to be family soon.”

      She drew a deep breath and wondered how long it would take her to adjust to her new status. They rode in silence for a time, until he asked her about growing up on the farm.

      “What happened to your mother?” Ryan asked.

      “She died in a fire in the barn when I was sixteen. She did a lot of farming, just like Dad. She loved it and so does my brother. What happened to your mother?”

      Ryan smoothed his trouser leg over one knee. “We couldn’t afford health insurance and she kept saying nothing was wrong. She had a stroke and died.”

      “How old were you?”

      “Eighteen. Damn, I hated it.”

      “When that happened, you had your close friends, Nick and Jake, didn’t you?”

      “Yeah, and their friendship saved me. Emotionally and financially. We swore we’d help each other—I think I told you all about that.”

      “You did and it was amazing. All of you have success.”

      “Yeah, it’s gratifying. Life has been generous to all of us. I don’t ever want to be poor or hungry again. When I was growing up, we had some bad moments. But we were a tight family and all got along, and that’s more than a lot of families have.”

      “Yes, it is. So did we, and I’m thankful for my family. Jeff, my brother, is twenty-one, four years younger than I am,” she said. Ashley recalled that the weekend she’d met Ryan, she’d learned he was thirty-two.

      They talked as they flew back to Dallas, and when they finally returned to her apartment, she faced him at the door. “It was quite a day and night, Ryan,” she said solemnly, looking at her hand. “The ring is beautiful.”

      He brushed long strands of her hair from her face. “This marriage will work, Ashley. You’ll see.”

      “You are the most supremely confident person I’ve ever known.”

      He shrugged. “I have strong feelings about our marriage.”

      “Our marriage, our baby … I can’t get accustomed to everything that’s happened. Thank you for dinner. The ring is spectacular, Ryan, but this is just crazy. You’ve given me this gorgeous ring, taken me dancing in Houston, and we’re standing here politely saying good-night.”

      “You have other options,” he said.

      She shook her head. “I’m not ready for them.” She slipped her arm around his neck, stood on tiptoe and brushed his cheek with a light kiss.

      Instantly, he wrapped both arms around her and covered her mouth with his. His tongue stroked hers and she clung to him, all arguments and differences dissolving. In their place was a white-hot yearning—for more of his kisses, all of his passion, those hands and lips that could give her ecstasy. For a few minutes she gave free rein to her feelings, yielding to her hunger for him. When she finally pushed against his chest, he released her.

      “That’s all tonight, Ryan,” she whispered. “Thank you, and I’ll see you Saturday when you get back in town.”

      He nodded and took her key from her fingers to open her door for her. She stepped inside, switched off her alarm and faced him.

      “Good night, Ashley,” he said. In long strides he headed to his car. She watched until the motor started, and then she closed and locked the door. Leaning against it, she held up her hand, looking at the huge ring. Sadness, anger, amazement all filled her. With a ring on her finger and a wedding to orchestrate, she should be ecstatically happy, but she wasn’t. She couldn’t brush aside the concern she felt about Ryan for his high-handed ways.

      Ashley wasn’t tired yet, so she sat at her desk, writing memos, making notes, jotting numbers to call to make arrangements about flowers, food and music for the wedding. When she crawled into bed later, she lay in the dark, thinking about her future.

      At least she could tell her family about the baby. She guessed all of them would be overjoyed.

      Six

      Saturday morning, sunshine streamed into Ashley’s bedroom and she rolled over. She had one serene moment and then remembered all she had to do. She tossed aside the covers and got up to shower.

      Shopping for a dress took only two hours. As she stood in front of the mirror, looking at the strapless white silk gown with a long straight skirt and removable train, she knew it was the one she wanted. While she stared at her reflection, she ran her hand over her tummy, which was still amazingly flat. She credited that fact to her height of five feet nine.

      All during the morning as she shopped, made calls and planned, a gamut of emotions plagued her. One minute she would be apprehensive about a loveless union, and the next excited over the prospect of marrying Ryan.

      At noon, while she dressed to go to the farm, another huge bouquet of mixed flowers arrived. She stared at the card and shook her head. The blossoms were beautiful, but they really held no meaning and couldn’t calm her jitters about her future with Ryan. Far more meaningful had been his phone calls while he was in Chicago. They had talked long hours into the night, and each minute spent that way was a plus.

      At two o’clock, when she swung open her door and Ryan stepped inside, her pulse gave its usual lurch. Dressed in a black knit shirt and black slacks, he radiated vitality. His gaze reflected his approval of her jeans and pink knit shirt. She wore her hair in one long braid. He placed his hands on her hips and studied her, turning her first one way and then another.

      “Look at you in those tight jeans. Are you sure you’re pregnant?”

      “Very sure,” she answered dryly.

      He shook his head. “You don’t look it in the least.”

      “I’ve decided it’s because I’m tall,” she said, while he continued to inspect her.

      “You’re beautiful, Ashley, and I’d rather stay here.”

      “Thank you. However, we’re going to meet my family, who are waiting,”

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