wonderfully convincing."

He rose then, in one quick, easy movement. He looked down into her eyes and she watched his

expression change, from one of playful devotion to something darker and hungrier.

He said her name. "Lace..."

A shudder ran through her.

"...come up here."

He tugged on her hand, pulling her out of her chair and into his strong arms. She groaned-because it

hurt to stand up straight. And also because it felt so absolutely grand to be in his arms again at last.

"Marry me, d.a.m.n it."

"Oh,Logan..."

He lowered his mouth. It touched hers. He said it again, breathing the words into her mouth. "Marry

me."

And then he kissed her.

There was no one-no one-who kissed the wayLogankissed.

She had missed his kisses terribly. Sometimes, in the night, alone, during the months apart from him, she

would wake and touch her mouth and remember...

She had thought, for all those long, longmonths, that she would never feel his kisses again.

But here she was. Feeling them. Taking them intoherself , kissing him back.

Her lips felt deliciously bruised when he finally pulled away. She reached up, put her fingers against

them.

He commanded for a third time, in a low, very controlled tone, "Marry me."

She opened her mouth to answer.

And from her ba.s.sinet in the corner, Rosie started crying.

Lacey moved instinctively toward the sound.

Logangripped her arms, holding her with him. "Wait," he whispered, "maybe she'll just go back to sleep."

"No. I know that sound. She's hungry."

Heat still burned in his eyes, but one corner of his mouth kicked up in a wry half-smile. "You know that sound? Already?" "'Fraidso." "Just wait a minute, though. Just in case?" "All right." They waited, staring at each other like a pair of smitten lovers which, Lacey admitted to herself right then, was what they were. Rosie went on wailing. Finally,Loganshrugged. "All right." He let her go and she turned for the ba.s.sinet. She waited until she was seated in the rocker with the baby at her breast before she looked up atLogan standing above her and softly whispered, "Yes."

Chapter 8.

The next day, when Tess broughtJobeth and Starr over to see the baby, Lacey andLogandelivered their news.

"Oh, this is wonderful." Tess grabbed Lacey in a hug. "When will the ceremony be?"

"Right away," saidLogan. "We'll get the blood tests tomorrow. And as soon as I can coax the results out of whoever runs the local lab, we'll pay a visit to the county courthouse-Wednesday orThursday, that would be my guess."

But the women had other ideas. SurelyLogancould wait a few days at least, until Lacey was recovered enough to enjoy her own wedding? And there really should be some sort of party, something small and simple, understandably, on such short notice. Something with only the family, but a real ceremony nonetheless...

On Monday morning,Logandrove intoBuffaloand came back with a safety seat for Rosie. It took him half an hour to do it, but he finally got the thing properly strapped into the back of Lacey's SUV. Then he loaded mother and daughter into the vehicle and they went to the clinic in Medicine Creek, where Lacey andLoganhad their blood tests and Dr. Pruitt produced Rosie's birth certificate, all ready for her parents to sign.

They got back to the cabin two hours after they'd left it. Lacey and the baby took a nap and Logan went to the main house, where he called his office and promised Dan Connery, one of his two overworked partners, that he'd be back in Meadow Valley the following week.

"The problem-whatever it is-is solved, then?" Dan asked, sounding more than a little put out about the whole thing.

Logantook full blame for his partner's frustration. He'd been far from forthcoming about why he'd suddenly found it imperative to fly off toWyomingfor an indefinite stay. He needed to sit down with Dan and Helen Sanderson, the third partner in the practice, and explain what had happened.

He wasn't looking forward to the task. He found the whole situation more than a little embarra.s.sing.

After all, hewas a doctor. A respected member of his community. A man others rightfully expected to uphold certain standards.

The wayLogansaw it, a doctor should never have the bad judgment to become a fatherbefore he'd managed to marry the mother of his child. Certain ... restraint was expected of a physician. And if a physician couldn't exercise restraint, well, he ought at least to know better than to slip up when it came to the use of contraception.

ButLoganhadslipped up. And Dan and Helen had a right to an explanation. There would no doubt be gossip anyway, whenLoganreturned to town with a new wifeand a baby.

And then there was the fact that his bride just happened to be his ex-fiancee's younger sister-a younger sister who had once been well-known inMeadowValleyfor her exploits as a troubled teen.

Yes, there would be talk. And his partners not only deserved to hear the truth from him, they had a right to hear it from himfirst .

He would see that they did. As soon as he returned.

"I'm ... working things out, Dan,"Logansaid. "I'll explain everything, in detail, as soon as I get back."

"All right. Next Monday, then?"

Monday wouldn't work, andLoganknew it. He and Lacey were getting married on Sat.u.r.day. There would be a party, which would mean some degree of stress for her. Better to give her Sunday to rest.

And then she had that new SUV of hers. He doubted she'd be willing to leave it inWyoming. And really, with Rosie so young, it was probably wiser not to try flying anyway. So they'd be driving. That would take two days at least-no, again, he had to consider Rosie. Traveling with a baby could be very slow going. Better give it three.

"Let's say Thursday, to be on the safe side. I'll be driving back and should get in by Wednesday evening."

Dan agreed that Thursday would be all right, though he sounded far from thrilled about it. "Please don't make it any longer than that,Logan."

Sending a quick prayer heavenward that nothing would occur to make him into a liar,Loganpromised he'd be there by a week from Thursday.

The next morning, Lacey drove to the main house-by herself this time-to call Jenna and tell her about the wedding. Jenna was thoroughly pleased at the news. "I'm so glad, Lace. I really do think it's the best thing." "Well, I hope so. Because I'm doing it." "And what then? That big, beautiful house ofLogan's inMeadowValley?" Lacey gulped. "Yep. Can you believe it? Wasn't I the one who swore I'd never move back to my hometown?" "Never say never,"Jenna teased. "Ain't that the truth." "AndMeadowValleyis a beautiful place to live." "Well,you always liked it there." "It's kind of ironic." Jenna's voice held a wistful note. "All I ever wanted was to spend my life there. And all you ever wanted was to get out. And look at us now."

"No, Jen," Lacey said, "you wanted Mack more than you wanted to live inMeadowValley. And me? Well, look who I ended up wanting." Jenna laughed. "Mr. Meadow Valley himself. What did I tell you?" Lacey was nodding. "Pure irony." "You'll be all right," Jenna said. "You'll have the man you love and your baby. And there are four bedrooms in that house ofLogan's-five if you include the upstairs family room. I'm sure one of them is going to make a great studio. You'll be totally absorbed in some new painting project again before you know it."

"Right," Lacey said. At that point, the idea of starting a new painting seemed far off in the distant future somewhere. Which was nothing to worry about.After all, it had only been a few days since she'd had her baby. Right now, all she could think of was her child and her new life withLogan.

"Lace," Jenna said, "be happy. Take care of yourself."

Lacey promised that she would.

"Call me if you need me. Any time. For anything."

"I will. I promise."

After she hung up, Lacey realized that neither of them had brought up the idea of Jenna and Mack flying

west for the wedding, though Mack was a multimillionaire who set his own schedule and Jenna's job right then consisted of renovating the old mansion they owned inKey West. They could have easily managed the trip. But it wouldn't have been practical, Lacey told herself. It was such short notice, after all. And Jenna was seven months pregnant. Maybe she didn't feel up to any serious traveling at this point.

It wouldn't have been practical...

Lacey sat back in her cousin's leather desk chair and shook her head at the phoniness of her own excuses.

Practicality wasn't the issue.

The issue was that she didn't want the womanLoganhad loved for fifteen years at her wedding-even if that woman did happen to be her own wonderful big sister. Lacey had a feeling the idea didn't hold much appeal for Jenna, either. Or maybe Jenna was just being considerate and would have come in a minute if Lacey had only asked her.

Whatever.

Someday, they would all have to deal with this uncomfortable situation.

Someday.

But not right now.

Right now, there was too much to deal with already. A new baby. A new husband. A new life in her old hometown. She got up from the chair, pushed it under the big desk and went out to thank Tess for the use of the phone. * * * All the local Bravos showed up for the wedding. Cash and Abby and their little boy, Tyler. And another cousin, Nate, who brought his wife Meggie and their toddler, Jason James. Meggie had a cousin of her own named Sonny. Sonny had a wife and two kids. They all came, too.

The honorable Reverend Applegate, who, as it turned out, had presided at the weddings of Cash and Abbyand Tess and Zach, performed the ceremony. He kept it simple and brief.

Lacey gaped in disbelief whenLoganslipped a diamond ring on her finger. Now, where had he found the time to go out and buy that? He must have read her thoughts in her expression, because he leaned close and whispered, "I bought it inMeadowValley, the day before I flew out here to get you."

She stared down at the lovely bright stone glittering on her finger, then whispered back, "Pretty sure of yourself, weren't you?"