There was nothing there but more sheet.

Caitlin opened her eyes.

The space beside her on the bed was empty, just as it had been when

she'd woken up yesterday.

Her heart thudded against her rib cage.

Had he left?

The next moment a noise in the room caught her attention.

Graham was there, at the window.

Completely dressed.

Caitlin sighed.

Sitting up, she pulled the sheet around her and dragged her hand

through her hair.

There was a mist of sleep still enshrouding her brain, but even so, she

could see that things had reverted back to where they had been just before she and Graham had entered this room.

It was there, in his eyes, when he turned to look at her.

She glanced at her watch.

It was still early, but he was obviously anxious to get going.

She smiled, stretching.

"Why didn't you wake me?"

Graham tucked his shirt into the waistband of his jeans.

His long dark hair hung about his face, damp from the shower.

He'd slipped out of bed earlier, careful not to wake her.

If she'd held out her arms to him, sleep still heavy on her lids, he

knew he couldn't have resisted her.

And he was going to have to learn how.

Having her stretch like that in front of him wasn't helping any.

"I liked watching you sleep."

He pushed his hair back, out of his eyes.

"Besides, only one of us can use the shower at a time."

That's what you think.

Caitlin smiled dreamily to herself.

There was a great deal of work ahead of her.

But she was up to it.

As long as she didn't lose sight of the goal.

Her smile filled out the crevices of his soul.

"We could have tried to make it fit."

Her comment created an image in his mind he'd have been better off

without.

Graham had spent half the night awake, watching her, remembering the way things had once been.

The way he had once dreamed things could be.

The way he now knew they couldn't.

He'd spent the rest of the time attempting to get his feelings under

control.

He couldn't do it if she looked as fresh as morning dew on a prairie flower. And he couldn't do it if he kept giving in to himself, the way he had last night.

Graham longed to cross to her, to take her into his arms and kiss her until her lips were bruised from the imprint of his. Keeping the length of the room, between them -was the' only safe way to go, so he remained where he was, his hands in his pockets. Another mistake he'd made without meaning to.

".Cait, I'm sorry."Without moving a muscle, she stiffened."Why? About what?"Why was she making him spell it out for her?She knew what he was trying to say.Graham paused, then began again." Last night..."She looked at him sharply.Don't take away my dreams, Gray.The smile remained on her lips, but it fell short of her eyes."Last night you did everything just right."The smile hardened just a shade."There's nothing to be sorry for."They couldn't keep waltzing around like this."Cait, if this is going to work She didn't want to hear it.Elaborately she looked at her watch." Heavens, look at the time." Caitlin swung her legs over the side of the bed, pulling the sheet with her." I'd better take that shower if we're going to get going.

Rising, she tucked the sheet around her.

Caitlin struggled to keep her emotions from showing as she hurried to

the next room before Graham could complete his sentence.

She let go of the sheet and it pooled to the dingy vinyl floor as she

moved the shower curtain back.

Everything was still wet, still fresh with his scent.

Caitlin stepped into the tub, pulling the slick curtain closed again.

She felt isolated, alone.

Picking up the soap, she held it up to her face and inhaled.

If she tried, she could just faintly detect his scent.

Or maybe that was just her imagination.

"Oh, Gray, why won't you try to let it work?" she whispered to

herself.

"Why do you have to fight it so hard? I was in your heart once. Let me back in." Taking a deep breath, she turned the shower dial and let the cold water hit her.

Maybe the force of the spray would make her feel better somehow, more capable of facing up to the challenge before her. She began scrubbing furiously, trying to rid herself of the dejected feeling that threatened to overtake her.

Her skin stung, growing pink.

It helped, a little.

Ibming beneath the shower head, she began to smile again.

Nothing could scrub away the way his hands had felt along her body last

night.

And no matter what happened, nothing would ever change that.

She was ready within fifteen minutes.

They checked out and then stopped at a drive-through for breakfast.

She'd heard him on the telephone earlier, talking to Jeffers while she

was still in the bathroom.

Did that have anything to do with his quick exodus?

Or was it just that he couldn't wait to be out of here, away from the

scene of their wedding?

Away from the intimacy they had shared?

She pushed the thought from her mind and slowly ate her wedding

breakfast.