"It was a personal decision I made. I didn't tell anyone."

"I got quite a shock learning that you'd resigned. You seemed to be enjoying yournew position."

"Dean, I really don't want to discuss this."

"The thing is, I feel like a fool," he went on to say. "I've been pretending thatit didn't matter to me whether I saw you or not, when the truth is I want to bewith you all the time." He paused and scrubbed his hand over his face. "I'm notsaying this right. What I'm trying to say is that what we have together is tooprecious to let go of. I want to share my future with you. I thought if I came hereand told you that I finally figured out that I'm crazy in love with you-and havebeen for who knows how long-that you might consider marrying me."

All right. Now she knew she was hallucinating. Dean Logan proposing marriage? Itwas almost laughable...if she felt in the least like laughing. Which she didn't.

"How quickly we forget," she said. "It was only a couple of months ago when youtold me that a commitment and marriage were the very last things you wereinterested in." She glared at him. "Remember? No house in the suburbs for you. Notiny people to make claims on your time."

She was proud of her little speech. Too bad her teeth were chattering with nervesduring the whole thing.

"That was a dying man going under for the third time, unaware that it was way toolate for him to be spouting such nonsense."

"Nonsense?"

He leaned toward her and took her hand, which lay limply on her thigh. "It mustalready be in the nineties out here and you're chilled." He stood and startedtoward the sliding glass doors into the house. "I'll find something to wrap aroundyou."

She jumped to her feet and followed him into the house. He didn't pause butcontinued down the hallway looking into rooms. He saw a crocheted afghan lying onthe foot of her mother's bed, swept it up and returned to the hall, where hewrapped it around her. Then he pulled her close, holding her tightly against him.

"I know I've given you every reason to believe that I'm a confirmed bachelor. Myonly excuse is that I'd convinced myself, as well. My feelings for you have alwaysbeen there, but it wasn't until we went to Hawaii the first time that they shot tothe surface. I just didn't recognize them for what they were at the time."

She pulled away from him and walked to the living room, where she sank into her

mom's cushy chair. "I'm sorry, but I'm having a little trouble taking all of thisin," she said, feeling light-headed. She must have gotten too much sun.

He knelt beside her chair. "I want what Chuck and Lynette have-a lovely home,three great kids and, yes, a place in the suburbs where we can raise our own."

She covered her cheeks with her hands. "This can't be happening."

"Would you at least consider the idea of marrying me? I don't want to soundmaudlin and say that I don't know how I'd get along without you in my life, butthere it is. I know I'm not much of a catch. I'm impatient and irritable, I worktoo much, I don't know how to sit back and enjoy life. But you've shown me a wholenew world out there, away from the office, and I'd like to learn more...with you asmy teacher."

Dean watched her closely, wondering if he'd made a colossal mistake by coming toPhoenix to see her. She'd left everything she'd worked for in Chicago. Was it justto get away from him?

"Why did you leave?"

Some color had come back in her cheeks. Funny, but he'd never thought that his

proposing marriage would cause a woman to almost faint.

"Because we can't seem to be together without ending up in bed."

"I'm afraid that's true. I have very little self-control where you're concerned."He took her hand once again. "I suppose that I've gone about all of this backward.Since it's the first time I've ever proposed, I'm not very good at it. The realquestion here is, do you love me?"

Her eyes filled with tears. He was such an idiot. The last thing he wanted was tomake her cry.

She laced her fingers with his. "Yes, Dean, I'm in love with you despiteeverything I can do not to be."

"Is loving me so bad?"

"It is when you made it clear that you weren't interested in love."

"I was wrong. I can't think of a greater gift than you loving me."

The tears trickled down her face.

He cleared his throat. "As long as I'm already on my knees, I'd like to formallyask. Jodie Cameron, will you do me the great honor of marrying me, of loving me, ofsaving me from the horrible state of bachelorhood?"

She laughed through her tears. "Oh, Dean." She cupped his face in her hands. "IfI'm dreaming, please don't wake me up."

"You can't be dreaming because my knees are killing me." He stood and held out hishand. "Well?"

She answered by throwing herself into his arms, covering his face with kisses.

After a lengthy and very passionate kiss, he pulled away long enough to say, "Isthat a yes, by any chance?"

"Yes, Mr. Dean Logan, I will be most happy to marry you."

"And have a few children?"

"If that's what you want."

"That's very much what I want. Speaking of which-" he looked around the room"-where's your mother?"

"At work. She'll be home early this afternoon."

"I have an idea how we could spend our time waiting for her."

Yes, there was passion in his eyes, but Jodie saw something more, something she'dnever expected to see-his eyes shining with love and tenderness. He had well andtruly convinced her that he loved her. What more could she possibly want?

"Perhaps you'd like to show me what you have in mind," she replied.

With a shout of laughter he picked her up and carried her back down the hall toher bedroom.

He was right. He'd found the perfect way to spend the rest of the morning.

Epilogue.

Six months later

"You look like a princess in a fairy tale," her mother said to Jodie. She'dcarefully placed the tiara and veil on Jodie's head while they stood before thelarge oval mirror in a room set aside for the bride.

Lynette added, "And who would have believed that Dean Logan would turn out to be aprince after all? If you'd told me a year or two ago that you would end up marryingDean, I would have been convinced you were truly marrying an ogre."

"Lynette! Shame on you," her mother said. "Dean is a lovely man...polite,considerate and a joy to be around."

Jodie and Lynette shared a glance in the mirror and smiled at each other. Dean haddone a great job of selling himself to their mom. Once Dean and Jodie had returnedto Chicago, Jodie and Lynette had convulsed into laughter when Jodie had toldLynette about his visit to Phoenix.

"I've never attended a wedding this large, much less been in the wedding party,"Mom said. "As you know, George and I eloped. And Chuck and Lynette had a smallceremony."

"Believe me, the idea of eloping ran through my mind many times these past fewmonths," Jodie said. "I turned everything over to the wedding planner and went backto work."

"Dean said that since this would be his one and only wedding, he wanted a largecelebration," Lynette explained. "He didn't care how much it cost. Everyone who'sanyone in the business world was invited."

Jodie closed her eyes. She didn't need the reminder. She could see herselftripping down the aisle-literally tripping down the aisle-and skidding to a stop atDean's feet.

There was a tap on the door. "Come in," she said.

Her three brothers, who were ushers, stepped inside. "Everyone's seated," Dave,the oldest, said.

Randy spoke up. "Wow, sis. You clean up pretty good."

"Gee, thanks, Randy. I'm glad you approve."

Rick, the impatient one, looked at his watch and said, "C'mon. Let's get this showon the road."

The three women followed the men out into the foyer. To save argument, both Kentand Kyle were ring bearers. Of course, that created an argument between thembecause each of them wanted to carry Jodie's ring. Lynette finally got thatstraightened out by threatening not to let them be a part of the wedding.

The music started and the young boys started down the aisle, looking sharp intheir new suits. They were growing up so fast. Jodie blinked the moisture from hereyes. Get real. These are the same angelic beings who kept her constantlyembarrassed with their frank questions to Dean every time they saw him.

Jodie had asked two of her coworkers to be bridesmaids. Lynette was her matron ofhonor and her mother would walk her down the aisle.

After Lynette reached the front of the church, the music switched to thewell-known wedding march and the guests stood. Jodie's throat closed up. She wasnot going to cry, she was not going to cry, she was not- Then she saw Dean waiting at the altar and that did it. Tears slid down her faceas she started toward him. She couldn't stop smiling.

Jodie didn't remember much about the actual ceremony. She heard the rumble ofDean's voice and had responded when it was her turn, but all she could think aboutwas the fact that she was actually marrying Dean Logan after all these months ofanswering the wedding planner's incessant questions.

"You may kiss the bride."

The pastor's words jolted her out of her reverie. Jodie turned to Dean, who waswatching her with amusement. What? What did he find so amusing?

When he leaned toward her, he whispered, "I thought you were going to fall asleepthere for a minute," and he kissed her.

He really kissed her. It wasn't a brushing of lips or a ritual peck on the mouthbut a leisurely kiss. When he finally raised his head, her face was flaming and theguests were laughing and applauding.

Music filled the sanctuary as they started up the aisle. Once in the foyer, Deanturned to her. "Hello, Mrs. Logan. I hope you're having a good day."

"I wasn't going to fall asleep! I was just distracted a little."