surprise.

Jeffers nodded.

He saw no problem with that.

He was working backup on the case, anyway.

"Sure, if the captain doesn't have objections. What's up?"

Caitlin moved closer, coming between the two men.

I 'Yes, what's up?

She was entirely too close to him, interfering with his concentration.

Graham looked over her head to Jeffers.

"I was thinking of heading up to the reservation."

Caitlin could read what was on his mind as clearly as if he had said

the words out loud.

She felt her heart constricting.

"To get married."

It was the first that Ben had heard of the matter, but then, Gray was

pretty closemouthed.

He stuck his hand out.

"Hey, congratulations!"

Graham ignored his partner as he stared at Caitlin.

"How did you know?"

Because I know things about you, Gray.

I know how your mind works.

I know how your heart works.

She kept her thoughts to herself.

All but one.

"It won't work."

Jeffers looked from one to the other, confused and lost.

She wasn't saying anything that Graham didn't know.

He didn't feel good about it, but he had only the one shot and he was

desperate.

Annoyance shot through him.

"Weren't you just urging me to do anything I could to keep Jake, or did

I misunderstand that, too?"

She refused to let his anger affect her."You can't just pick out anyone, Gray," she insisted."The judgt'll see through that. It has to be someone you know."She forced the tension from her voice.She had-to make him see reason."Someone you've had a hist6ry with."Her eyes were on his.She saw the resistance.Caitlin went on talking."So it seems more natural. You could tell him that you're just moving up the date to satisfy the court, that's all."

He didn't respond right away.

When he did, his voice was low, foreboding.

He didn't want her getting involved in this.

"You're talking about you."

"I think you two want to be alone."

Jeffers said the words to no one in particular because neither one

noticed him.

"I'll be at the precinct if you need me."

Graham nodded curtly at him.

Jeffers said goodbye to Kerry and left.

Caitlin raised her chin stubbornly.

"Yes, I'm talking about me."

The woman was crazy.

She left him completely speech less.

It took a moment to gather his thoughts together.

"Caitlin, I won't accept your money and I won't accept your lawyer.

What the hell makes you even remotely thin that I would do something like this?"

Was the idea of marriage to her something so odious t him now?

They'd made love last night.

Had that simply been a matter of unanswered needs surfacing for him an nothing more?

No, he'd made love to her, made love with her-because loved her.

She refused to believe she had been that wrong It was just his damn pride getting in the way again.

all right, she'd deal with it in terms he could agree to "It's an

arrangement, pure and simple. A marriage of convenience if you will.

It's done all the time."

He'd been willing to do it, but not with someone he cared about.

Not with her.

He shook his head, rejecting her offer Graham saw determination rise in her eyes.

She was going to fight him on this.

"And what would the convenience be for you?"

She knew he'd ask.

"I'd be paying off a debt. You saved my life and I don't want to see you lose Jake."

Thoug he didn't want to, she could tell he was considering it.

Caitlin pressed her advantage.

"We have a history, Gray. It's no as if you just picked me out of a

hat or a catalog. The judg won't question it. We were supposed to get married once.

even have the license we took out.

He looked at her in surprise.

"You kept it?"

Caitlin shrugged.

"Just something I forgot to throw out,' she lied.

If she was being honest, she wouldn't have been able t say why she kept

it.

Maybe because when they had signed the papers they'd been so happy, so full of hopes. Throwing it away would have been like throwing that precious memory away.

He studied her face, thinking.

Allowing himself to consider the offer, even though it was insane.