Lacey smiled-modestly, of course. The dress was a simple, just-above-the-knee black velvet sheath, sleeveless, with a scoop neck. She'd bought it a week ago, specifically for Fiona's party. It had been

easy to choose. She'd simply imagined what her sister might wear to an event like this.

Fiona spoke to Logan, who stood behind Lacey. "Your wife has great taste."

"I think so, too."

Lacey cast a glance back at him. He looked s.e.xy and protective. She wanted to grab him and press herself against him and whisper something thoroughly inappropriate in his ear.

But Fiona was already pulling her toward the wide arch that led to the living room. "Come on. You have to meet Daniel. And Helen-or have you already met Helen?"

"No, not yet."

"She's a dear. You'll love her." Fiona sent a rea.s.suring smile over her shoulder inLogan's direction. "Don't worry. You'll have this lovely wife of yours back soon enough."

Loganwaved them on their way.

The next few hours weren't bad at all. Lacey smiled and laughed and talked about her baby and how happy she and Logan were. When asked about her life before her marriage, she spoke briefly of her work as an artist-very briefly, as a matter of fact. No one seemed that interested in what she'd been doing with herself before she marriedLogan, and that was fine with her. Her aim was to make a good impression, forLogan's sake. And she felt, as the evening progressed, that she was doing a pretty fair job of it.

She did have to turn down a couple of offers to get involved on charity committees. Fiona asked if she'd like to help out with Miner's General's Auxiliary. And the wife of a doctor who had his office inLogan's building wondered if Lacey might want to join Helping Hands, a group of doctors' wives who raised funds for such worthy causes as AIDS and breast cancer research.

She explained to both women that she would love to help out, but she couldn't right at the moment. She said she needed to get back to work in her studio before she took on anything else. With a new baby, and all the other changes that had taken place in her life lately, somehow there were just never enough hours in a day.

Fiona and the other woman smiled graciously and a.s.sured her that they understood. Lacey wasn't sure they did. And she felt just a little bit guilty at having to say no.

For about a minute and a half.

Then she reminded herself that she'd never claimed to be the ideal doctor's wife. She was an artist. After her family, her work had to come first-at least until she got herself back on track. And then, well, she'd see about taking on a little volunteer work.

It was just after eleven when she and Logan thanked their hostess for a terrific evening.

Fiona begged them to stay longer. "Don't go yet. The fun is only beginning."

Lacey put on an appropriately regretful expression. "We'd love to stay. Unfortunately, Rosie will be waking up soon, if she hasn't already. She'll be hungry. And guess who has to be there to feed her?"

"Ah," said Fiona, "I don't want to let you go, but I do understand." She leaned forward and kissed Lacey on the cheek. "It is so good to meet you at last. And I want to see more of you. How about lunch next week? I could drop in at your house, just long enough to meet little Rosie. Perhaps then ... you do have a sitter you can call?"

"Well, I-"

Fiona ran right on. "I was thinking that we could get out for an hour or two, just you and I, that we could

really get a chance to put our heads together. How would that be?"

Put our heads together about what? Lacey wondered.

Logansaid, "Mrs. Hopper can watch the baby for a couple of hours, don't you think, Lacey?"

The housekeeper, who came twice a week, probably could watch Rosie-and no doubt would quite

willingly. Mrs. Hopper loved babies. And Lacey always paid her extra whenever she agreed to baby-sit

for an hour or two while Lacey ran errands. Fiona pressed on. "How about a week from this coming Wednesday? That should give you plenty of time to work things out with a sitter. Say right aroundnoonish?"

Lacey felt slightly railroaded, but then wondered why. Itwas only lunch. Wasn't it? Logan and Fiona were waiting to hear her reply. She put on her most gracious smile and said she'd love to join Fiona for lunch. And a week from Wednesday would be fine.

* * * The twins came to visit again on Friday. Maud brought her little boy,Devon. Lacey exclaimed over how much he'd grown. She was also able to inform the twins that she'd spent several hours in her studio since their last visit. "I have no big projects in the works yet, but I have a lot of ideas. I've been drawing again. It's slowly coming back to me." "Way to go, Lace," cheered Mira. Maud agreed, "We're proud of you. Keep it up." They asked her when she'd be coming to the Eureka Lounge to hear the band again. "It's August," Maud reminded her. "Almost a year since the last time you heard us play. We've been adding in a few of those great old blues and soul cla.s.sics to some of our sets, 'Stormy Monday' and 'When a Man Loves a Woman.' Mira's doing lead vocals on them. And you know how she can wail."

Lacey said she'd try, but with the baby and withLogan's demanding schedule, it was always a challenge arranging a night out.

Maud made a face. "We didn't say you had to bringhim ." "But I want to bringhim ," she replied. "I have high hopes that someday the three of you will learn to getalong."

Mira groaned. "Gag me with a stethoscope-and don't hold your breath. He thinks we're a bad influence on you. He'salways thought so. Remember back in high school, when we broke into the science lab before the advanced biology cla.s.ses got their vivisection lesson and let all those poor doomed frogs out of their terrariums? He told your mother that she should forbid you to hang with us ever again."

"That was high school."

"You're trying to tell us he's changed his mind about us?"

Lacey coughed. "Well..."

"Don't try," Maud advised. "You'll only be lying and we won't believe it. Just come hear us play-and

bringhim if you have to." Lacey said she would come-eventually. The twins shared a significant glance and left it at that. That evening, Lacey mentioned the idea toLogan. "They play on Friday nights, so I was thinking that maybe we could-"

He was shaking his head before she'd even finished making the suggestion. "I'm not much for heavy metal music, Lace." She started to set him straight. "The twins' band isn't heavy metal..." But then she remembered that it had been at one time. "Well, maybe itwas . Seven or eight years ago. They have changed a lot since then, though. I think you'd like them now." He gave her one of his irritatingly superior doubtful looks and said that maybe, some evening, in a few weeks...

Wednesday, Fiona arrived right atnoon. She held the baby and declared her "an absolute doll." "Daniel and I have two of our own, did you know? Patrice and Daniel, Jr. Patriceis at Stanford. Daniel, Jr. is at UCLA. I miss them, but I do manage to keep busy." She laughed. "DoI ever. Being a doctor's wife is a full-time job." And that, as it turned out, was the theme of Lacey's lunch date with Fiona: being a doctor's wife is a full-time job.

Fiona asked her again to join a couple of committees. Lacey said she just might do that. Later. Right now, as she'd already explained, she had her own work to catch up on. Fiona accepted Lacey's refusal with a dazzling smile. "Don't expect me to stop asking you." Lacey laughed. She really did like Fiona. "Fiona. You are not going to charm me into doing things your way." Fiona put on a wide-eyed expression and splayed her beautifully manicured hand against her chest. "Me? Try to charm you? Never. You and Loganwill make it to the Health Aid Society's annual banquet, won't you? It's on the fourth of September. Everyone turns out for it. Daniel and I will be there, of course. And Helen and her husband. It's important that the practice be well-represented." Lacey was able to say yes to that one. "Loganmentioned the banquet. He told me he wanted to go. So when the invitation came, I went right ahead and sent in the check for two tickets." Fiona beamed. "Good. I'm so glad." She reached across and patted Lacey's arm. "We'll make a proper doctor's wife out of you yet." Lacey decided she was going to have to be more direct. She pushed her empty plate aside, rested her forearms on the table and leaned toward the woman across from her. "Fiona. Be honest. I'm sure you've heard about me."

Fiona sat back. She was blushing, a blush that looked thoroughly enchanting on her. "Well, now. What

can I say when you put me on the spot like this?MeadowValleyhas grown a lot in the past couple of decades. But at heart, it's still a small town, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And if you've asked around, you must have learned that I've never been a 'proper' anything."

Fiona waved a hand. "Oh, now. A childish prank or two..."

"I'm never going to try to be someone I'm not, Fiona. I loveLoganand I'm proud to be his wife. But I am not Jenna. I'm me."

"I understand that. I do."

"Good. Then you and I will get along just fine."

Fiona sat forward again. "Of course we will-and you know, the Aid to the Indigent fall rummage sale is

almost upon us. September eleventh and twelfth can you believe it? If you could see your way clear to making a few calls next week to ask for donations, and then another set of reminder calls the week of the sale, just to let people know again that we do need their donations-"

"Fiona, don't you ever give up?"

"Never. What about those calls?"

Lacey shook her head-and said yes.

Fiona said, "Wonderful. And if you'd just agree to a few hours on Sat.u.r.day the eleventh, manning a

booth, well, I cannot tell you how grateful I would be."

Lacey suppressed a sigh. "Okay. I'll take a booth-if you promise me that'll be all for a couple of months, at least."

"I promise."

"All right, then."

"Excellent-and where is our waitress? I want a fruit tart, just for a little extra treat."

"I think Fiona likes you,"Logansaid later, when Lacey told him about their lunch.

"Maybe she does," Lacey admitted. "She's also determined to show me the way to be a real a.s.set to

you and to the practice."

"Don't let her railroad you," he advised. "Just do what you want to do."

That pleased her. Fiona might hope to make her over into the perfect doctor's wife, butLogandidn't

appear to be in on the scheme. She winked at him. "Have I ever done anything but exactly what I wanted to do?"

He laughed then. "Not that I can recall."

"I have an idea," she suggested brightly. "How about a visit to the Eureka Lounge this Friday night? You can hear Mira sing the blues."

His expression darkened. "What brought that up?"

"I'm learning from Fiona. When you want someone to do something, you have to ask them. Repeatedly,

if necessary."

"I don't think I'm ready to hear Mira sing the blues-not this week, anyway."

"Why did I know you'd say that?"

"I haven't a clue."

"I'm not giving up."

"I'll consider that a warning."

"Please do."

He pulled her close and planted a kiss on the tip of her nose. "You have an extremely self-satisfied look

on your face, Mrs. Severance."

"That's not self-satisfaction. That's contentment. All in all, even though I've yet to drag you to the Eureka Lounge, I'd still say this marriage of ours is working out pretty well."

"I couldn't agree with you more," he said, and kissed her again, this time on the mouth.