"I will. I promise."

"Great. And kiss my niece for me. "

"Will do."

"I can't wait to meet her."

"Soon," Lacey said, and felt a sudden tightness in her chest.

Would it really be soon? She and Jenna lived on opposite sides of the country now. Lacey had a new

baby and Jenna was fast approaching her own delivery date. For a while, anyway, life itself would get in the way of their visiting each other.

And if Lacey did marryLogan...

Well, then, it would probably be awkward at best and awful at worst, for her and Logan to get together with Jenna and Mack.

"Soon," Lacey said again, in an effort to convince herself that she meant it. "Yes," Jenna replied softly. "We'll have to get together soon..."

Chapter 7.

WhenTess drove her back to the cabin, Lacey made her cousin's wife let her off in the dusty turnaround out front. "I can walk to the door myself. I'm not an invalid." Tess shook her head. "You're a wonder, that's what you are. A few hours out of childbed and you're strolling around the yard."

Lacey climbed down from the pickup slowly. "It's only ten yards to the door-and I don't think 'stroll' is exactly the word for it." "You won't be mad if I just wait here until you get inside?" "I guess I'll allow that." Shewas feeling a little tired. And the cramping in her uterus had increased a bit.

She wanted to lie down and sleep for about a week.

"Edna and I will be back around five, with the groceries. And tellLogannot to cook. We'll bring something over." "I'll tell him. And thanks. For everything." "Any time."

Lacey hobbled toward the door. It opened before she got there andLogancame out. Tess waved and drove off. "You look beat,"Logansaid, as he took her arm. "I'm a little tired. I admit." She leaned on him heavily, grateful for his solid strength, as he led her inside. Miracle of miracles, Rosie was asleep. She lay on her side in her ba.s.sinet, making little sucking motions with her tiny pink mouth.

"I'm just going to go out to the bathroom for a minute," Lacey whispered. "And then I'll lie down."

Dark eyes narrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"I think I'm bleeding a little more than before."

She felt certain that he would reprimand herthen, that he'd say she'd been foolish to insist on a visit to the

main house just to call Jenna.

But he surprised her. He put his hand on her shoulder, a touch clearly meant to comfort. It had the intended effect. She did feel rea.s.sured. She put her hand over his and gave it a squeeze. "Sometimes the bleeding can be pretty heavy," he said, "especially in the first few days. It's probably nothing to worry about. You can change your pad and put your nightgown back on and come lie down. You'll feel better after you've rested a while."

* * * Loganwas right. She did feel better after she'd rested. He brought her the baby about an hour later and he helped her to sit up against the pillows to nurse.

He didn't ask her what she and her sister had said to each other. He didn't mention the call to Jenna at all.Which was all right with her. Lacey didn't really want to discuss the call with him, anyway.

She was quiet as the day wore on.

She had a lot to think about. With Rosie in her arms andLoganby her side, she found herself beginning to see her life in a whole new light.

Perhaps, to an extent, she had been irresponsible-living day-to-day, taking things as they came. But

now so much had changed. Through the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, her sister's words stayed with her. Shewondered, could they be true? Was she, Lacey, the one Loganreally loved?

In any case, she certainly did admire Jenna's definition of the word-of it being what people did that mattered, not what they said, or even whatever secrets they kept hidden in their hearts.

And Jenna and Tess both thought she should say yes toLogan. Could two such wise and wonderful

women be wrong?

That evening, Tess and Edna returned, but only long enough to carry in the groceries and put the dinner on the table. Once they were gone,Logancalled to Lacey through the curtain, asking if she'd like him to serve her meal in bed.

"No way," she called back. "I'll eat at the table. This bed rest is getting to me."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I'll be right out." She wrapped herself in her robe and joined him in the main room.

He was standing at the counter. "Look what I found." He held up two saucers. A plain votive candle

was perched on each one. He carried the saucers to the table, set them in the center and produced a

wooden match, which he struck with a flourish on the underside of the tabletop. The sulfur tip hissed as the flame caught. "Dinner by candlelight," he announced as he lit one wick and then the other. He shook out the match. "There."

It was a whimsical gesture, something she never would have expected of him. Hewas a generous man and he knew what women liked. He used to send flowers to Jenna all the time. And during those five glorious days last September, he had taken Lacey out to dinner twice, each time to a fine restaurant, where there were always candles on the snowy linen table-cloth-not to mention champagne chilling in a silver bucket nearby.

But he'd never done a tender thing like this for her-to create a little impromptu romance at a rough pine table with a couple of squat white votives scrounged from a drawer.

It touched her. It touched her deeply.

He pulled out her chair for her and then, when they were seated with the candles glowing between them, he raised his big gla.s.s of milk to her in a toast.

"To the mother of my daughter," he said. "A woman with an independent mind and ... unquenchable determination."

She laughed. "Independenceand determination. I like it."

"I knew that you would."

She raised her gla.s.s and they drank at the same time.

Then she thought of a toast of her own. "To the father of my little girl. A man of ... unflagging loyalty and truly staggering persistence."

"Loyalty and persistence." He saluted her by dipping his head. "Admirable qualities. Thank you." She nodded. "You're welcome." They drank again.

When they set down their gla.s.ses, Lacey said softly, "Why do I know what's coming?"

He smiled rather ruefully. "You have to admit, I've shown admirable restraint for-what-at least forty-eight hours now?"

"Yes,Logan. You have."

"But my goal hasn't changed. And it does seem to me that maybe you've been rethinking my offer."

"You could be right."

"Couldbe?"

"You'll have to ask to find out."

He studied her face for a moment, then asked gravely, "Would I increase my chances for success if I went down on my knees?"

"Hmm..." She pretended to consider the question, but she didn't pretend for long. "I love to see a man down on his knees."

His expression remained solemn, though humor gleamed in his eyes. "I don't believe I'll comment on that remark."

"A wise decision. One you will not regret."

He set down his napkin and pushed back his chair. In two steps, he was standing beside her. He wore jeans and a dark knit shirt with a banded collar. She thought he had never looked more handsome. But then, every time she looked at him, she found herself thinking that he had never looked more handsome.

He dropped to one knee. "May I have your hand, please?"

She gave it. He bent his dark head. She felt the warm, quick brush of his lips against her knuckles.

Then he was staring up at her again, his eyes so dark, shining with-maybe not love-but something almost as good.

"Ms. Bravo."

She dipped her head and matched his teasingly formal tone, "Dr. Severance."

"Ms. Bravo, much has transpired between us in recent hours. So much, in fact, that my humble hopes have been raised once again."

She arched a brow at him. "Humble? Your hopes arehumble?"

He gave her a quick, playful scowl-then resumed looking ardent once more. "I would like your hand in marriage, Ms. Bravo." "No. Really?"

"Yes. Really." She sucked in a big breath and let it out in a rush. "This issuch a surprise." He kissed her hand again. A lovely shiver traveled up her arm. "I can provide for you." "Ah." She sighed some more, a couple of big, gusty ones. "You're a man with ... prospects?" "Better than that." "Better?" She fluttered her eyelashes madly. "Do elaborate." He made a big show of clearing his throat. "Well. All right. If you insist." "I do. Most definitely. Don't be shy. Enumerate your a.s.sets." "First let me say that my a.s.sets are ... at your disposal." "Oh, this is sounding better by the minute. Don't stop now. Go on, go on." "Well, I own a house. And I've made wise investments." "What about all that lovely money your father left you?" "Yes. There's that, too." "Hmm. This is good. Continue." "I don't think I'd be exaggerating if I told you that I hold a position of respect in my community." "Your community." She frowned. "That would be ...Meadow Valley,California?" "Yes.MeadowValley. InCalifornia." She allowed herself a slow, very significant grin. "I have something of a reputation myself, inMeadow Valley."

His fine mouth twitched, though he kept a straight face. "Yes, I've heard. But I'm willing to overlook

that."

"Such a generous fellow you are, Dr. Severance."

"So I've been told ... and where was I?"

"You hold a position of respect..."

"Ah, yes. InMeadowValley. Also gainful employment."

"Always a plus."

"And then there's the fact that you've just had my baby. I don't think we should forget that."

She placed her hand, very delicately, over her stomach. "I promise you. I haven't forgotten."

"And then there are ... those tender feelings I bear you."

Now that did sound good. "Tender feelings? I find you are persuading me, Dr. Severance. You are quite