"Logan, if you'd only-"

"Just tell me. Have I got it right?"

She pulled back to her side of the sofa, shock giving way to anger-anger that tightened her stomach and brought a hot flush to her cheeks. "Yes," she said, her tone as flat as his. "You've got it right."

"I suppose you knew about this the other night," he accused, "when you came up with that crack about yourL.A.opening to put Helen and Fiona in their places. You knew then, didn't you, and you never said a word to me?"

The anger inside her burned hotter. She kept her voice low with great effort. "No, Logan. I didn't know.

Ihoped . But I didn't know any of this until Belinda called this afternoon."

That stopped him. For a few seconds, anyway. But he wasn't about to let the fact that he'd judged her unfairly slow him down for long. He shook his head-in disgust, or disbelief, or some distressing combination of the two. "You could have talked to me before you made your plans."

Stay cool, she told herself. It's not going to help if you start yelling at him.

"I know," she said, each word precise, strictly controlled. "I probably should have talked to you first. But I got excited. I agreed to meet her right away. And then I didn't want to call you and try to discuss it while you were taking care of patients. It just seemed wiser to go ahead and make my plans, and then explain everything when you got home."

He made a low sound in his throat, a sound that dismissed her,a sound that disregarded everything she'd said. "This is totally irresponsible of you. Rosie is barely two months old. And you are nursing. You can't leave her for long."

Lacey kept her mouth shut. Rosie often went as long as four hours between feedings. And there was such a thing as a breast pump, after all. But she knew her husband wouldn't hear her if she told him those things. No point in wasting her breath.

He sneered, "I've never met this-what did you say her name was?"

She sighed. "AdeleLevenson ."

"How do I know that this AdeleLevenson is someone reliable?"

That really grated. She couldn't keep quiet, couldn't hold back the sarcasm. "Well, I don't know,Logan. How about because I say so and I'm your wife-and youtrust me?"

He looked away, picked up his brandy gla.s.s, gulped down a too-big sip. She sat, waiting, watching him regroup,knowing just how his mind worked.

He'd come on way too strong, and he was realizing that now, remembering what he was. Areasonable man.

"Listen," he said at last, gently now. "You've got to look at this logically. It's just not a good time for something like this. You have a two-month-old baby. And responsibilities here. I thought you told me that on Sat.u.r.day, you were helping Fiona out at one of her charity events."

She had to suppress a groan of disbelief. "Oh,Logan. Do youhear yourself? You're saying I should turn down the most important career opportunity that's ever come my way because I promised Fiona I'd help out at a rummage sale."

Now he looked wounded. "The rummage sale is something that you agreed to do."

"Yes, I did. But I'll call Fiona first thing tomorrow. I'm sure she'll understand. Everything-all of this-can be worked out. As I said, I have friends inL.A.who will help me with Rosie. And we have Mrs. Hopper. She's a jewel and you know she'll take good care of you while we're away, unless-" she tried one more time "-you decide to come with me?"

"I can't get away now. It's impossible."

"All right, then you'll stay home. But as I just said, we can work it out. It'll be a challenge, yes. But not an insurmountable one."

He had that intractable look on his face, an expression she'd always disliked-and never more so than now. "It's not good for Rosie," he said again. "You can't just run off and leave her with your flighty artistic friends."

She held on to her patience-by a thread. "Logan. Just because a person is an artist doesn't necessarily mean they're flighty. Or irresponsible."

"I don't know these friends of yours."

She closed her eyes, dragged in a breath. "We're going in circles."

"I don't want you to do this."

"I got that. Loud and clear. And my question is, why?"

"I've told you. For a number of reasons."

"Yes, you have. A number of trumped-up, fake, completely meaningless reasons."

"Meaningless? I'd hardly call it meaningless that I want my wife at home with me, and I want to know that my daughter is being well cared-for."

"Oh, come on. I'll be gone for five days. And Rosie, as I've said about ten times now, will be fine."

"It's not a good idea."

Oh, how she longed to start shouting. But somehow she managed to hold her anger and frustration in check. She leaned closer to him. "Why won't you tell me what's really going on here? Please. I want to understand."

He sat back, reached for his brandy again. "I've told you my concerns. They're completely reasonable."

"Reasonable," she repeated.

"Yes," he said, "reasonable."

"You know, it wouldn't be hard at all for me to learn to hate that word."

He emptied the gla.s.s and then set it down a little too hard. "I don't want to discuss it further. Call that dealer and tell her you're not coming."

Her mouth dropped open. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"Tell me this isn't happening. Tell me this is some nightmare I've stumbled into, that in a moment or two, I'm going to wake up."

"Just call that d.a.m.n dealer."

"No."

He glowered at her.

She wanted to fling herself at him and pound on his chest. She wanted to scream rude,un reasonable invectives, to rant and rail at his impossible, pigheaded, unbearable male arrogance.

But she didn't. She held her temper and she spoke with low and hard-won control. She said, "I love you, Logan. We have a good life together. Yesterday, I told Fiona that you were the best thing that ever happened to me. And I meant it. You came to me inWyomingwhen I didn't even know how much I needed you, and you refused to go away. You stayed at my side to see our daughter safely born. You convinced me to marry you. And I have been grateful, so grateful, that you did. Because on the whole, we're good together. I have been happy being your wife.

"You've never said thatyou loveme . But I've learned to accept that. I've told myself that you love me by your actions, and that someday, when you're ready, you'll come to me and say your love in words."

He started to speak.

"No," she said, "wait. I'm not finished. I have gone into your world and learned to enjoy it-the upscale business parties, the charity dinners, the good works everyone seems to expect from a doctor's wife. I've made, or am making, s.p.a.ce for all that in my life. For your sake. And I would like very much for you to return the favor. So far, you haven't."

"I-".

"No," she said. "Wait."

His eyes spoke volumes-angry, hard, ugly volumes-but he kept his mouth shut.

She said, "I've asked you to come with me to hear my friends play their music. You've put me off. Okay, I told myself, he'll come eventually. Justbe patient. Give it time. I've wanted you to come with me to visit my sister. You put me off again. I've said to myself, All right, he loved her and she hurt him and I'll give him some time on that, too."

Lacey stood. "But this, I can't give you time on. People only get so many great chances in life. For me, this is one. It really won't wait. And there's no reason, other than your completelyun reasonable possessiveness, that it needs to wait. I am not going to turn Belinda Goldstone down. Rosie and I are leaving tomorrow. We'll be back Sat.u.r.day afternoon. And that is all there is to that."

Chapter 16.

Loganrecognized the look on his wife's face.

On this issue, there would be no compromise. She was going toLos Angelestomorrow and nothing he could say would change her mind. He'd told her all of the reasons sheshouldn't go, and she refused to hear them. Rosie chose that moment to let out a cry.Loganglanced toward the baby monitor, then back into his wife's flushed, furious face. Lacey stayed where she was for a grim few seconds, staring down at him with fire in her eyes. He stared right back at her, his will meeting hers. Rosie let out another wail.

Lacey spun on her heel and left him there.

His beeper went off about two minutes later. He removed the device from his belt and checked the number: his exchange.

Five minutes after that, he stopped at the threshold of Rosie's room where Lacey sat in the rocker, nursing their child. She hadn't turned on the light. A wedge of brightness from the hall fixture behind him spilled across the floor, not quite reaching the chair where she and the baby rocked.

"Emergency," he said. Ordinarily, he would have given her some explanation. He would have said,That asthma patient's had another severe attack.

But not tonight. Tonight he didn't want to explain anything to her.

"I don't know when I'll be back."

She looked at him. Her eyes were somber and far away. In the dim light, they seemed strangely without color. "All right," she said. "I won't wait up."

He turned and left her in the dark. * * * In the morning, over an otherwise silent breakfast, she told him that her flight left fromSacramentoat four that afternoon. "I'll just take my SUV and use the long-term parking." "No. I'll take you." She would have smiled at him in pleasure at the gesture, if only he hadn't been looking at her through eyes as cold as a midwinter night. "Thanks, but it isn't necessary, honestly. I can just-" "I said, I'll drive you. Is there some reason you'd prefer I didn't?" "Of course not. I just thought that it might be hard for you to manage the time away from the office on such short notice." "If I couldn't manage it, I wouldn't have offered." "All right,Logan. Thank you. I'll ride with you." "When is your flight back?"

"I should arrive inSacramentoat four-thirty Sat.u.r.day afternoon. I'll leave you the flight number and Adele's number and Barnaby's, too."

"Fine."

He didn't speak again until it was time for him to leave for the office, when he said, "I'll be here to pick you up at two."

"I'll be ready."

He left without granting her his usual fond goodbye peck.

She had plenty to do that morning. She got her portfolio in order, tucking in some sketches that would

help her to explain her works in progress to Belinda. She wrote out detailed instructions for Mrs.

Hopper, packed for herself and Rosie and then called Fiona. Fiona wished her well, and made her promise that she'd help out with something called Food for Friends. "We have our big food drive next month, for Thanksgiving."

"Count me in."

"I knew I could. Good luck inL.A."

"Thanks. It's a big step."

"And your paintings will be hanging in a gallery in March?"

"That's right."

"Remember, you're getting Dan and me tickets to the opening."

Lacey promised she wouldn't forget.

She called the twins next, first Mira, then Maud.

Mira let out a shout of glee when she heard the news. "Call the minute you get back," she instructed.

"Maud and I will want to know everything." Maud's reaction was a mirror to her twin's. Their unbridled enthusiasm helped to cheer Lacey up-as the disagreement withLogandragged her down. She tried to put images of his scowling face from her mind as she hurried to get ready. The ride to the airport was as silent as breakfast had been. Rosie fussed some andLogandemanded suspiciously, "Is she feverish?" Lacey reached over the seat to press her palm to Rosie's brow. "Feels normal to me." Her husband shot her a glance in which skepticism vied for dominance with brooding hostility. She bit her lip to keep herself from saying something she'd later regret.

At the terminal, Logan helped her check her luggage, then carried Rosie's car seat, diaper bag and Lacey's bulky portfolio to the boarding area for her.

She and Rosie boarded early.Loganhelped with that, getting the steward to find a place for the portfolio and strapping Rosie's car carrier in the seat next to Lacey's.

Then he muttered a gruff, "Goodbye," and turned to go.

Rosie rested on Lacey's shoulder, cradled on her left arm. She reached out with her right and caught his elbow. "Logan?"