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Authors: Karina Bliss
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looked down at Dan. “Is there anything I can say to make you stop this?”
He swung his feet to the floor. “Not a damn thing.”
“Fine,” she shoved him flat. “Play your games but play them solo. Order the cake and the flowers…I don’t care. But I’m not seeing you again until you come to your senses.”
Before she walked out, Jo noticed Dan no longer looked so smug. If you wanted to douse a fire, you took away the fuel. And he wasn’t the only one capable of finding allies in the enemy camp. She should have thought of this earlier.
Jo took out her cell and dialed. “I know this is a surprise,” she said after exchanging greetings, “but I think we need to talk.”
CHAPTER SIX
“W HAT A LOVELY IDEA,” Pat gushed as she embraced Jo at the garden-center café. “Meeting here to celebrate, just us two girls. You know I’ve been meaning to phone and congratulate you but it’s all been so confusing. On, then off, then on again.”
“Relax,” said Jo. “I’m not marrying your son.”
The older woman sank into an wrought-iron chair. “Thank God.”
“Ouch.” Jo took her own seat. “Maybe I do prefer it when you pretend to like me.”
Pat recovered. “It’s not that I don’t like you… For heaven’s sake, Jo, do you have to be so…so challenging all the time?”
“I’m sorry, I was brought up to be honest. From your reaction, I guess I’m not the only one wondering if Dan’s sudden obsession with marrying me is a little odd.”
The waitress arrived. “Can I take your order?”
“Cappuccino, skinny milk please, caffeine-free.” Pat scanned the luscious cake selection in the cabinet behind them. “Nothing for me.”
Jo admired self-control but Pat’s bordered on self-flagellation. She reminded Jo of a Victorian missionary who persisted in wearing corsets in the tropics.
“Espresso and a piece of chocolate gâteau please.” Jo glanced mischievously at Pat. “Two forks.”
“One,” Pat corrected. As usual they were off to a great start.
Jo stuck to what they had in common. “How has Dan acted since he got back?”
“Herman says half the work’s done by the time he gets to the farm every morning, which means Danny’s still not sleeping.” Their order arrived as she told Jo about Dan’s insomnia.
Absently, Pat sipped her cappuccino. “I wondered if it was some kind of post traumatic stress disorder, except, as Danny pointed out, he wasn’t on patrol.”
“But he was on the retrieval crew,” said Jo slowly. She couldn’t imagine what that had been like.
“And let’s face it,” said Pat, “he can’t be in his right mind if he wants to—” She stopped, embarrassed.
Amusement pierced Jo’s growing disquiet. “Marry me?”
“—proceed with this wedding against your wishes. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Sorry,” Jo said meekly.
“All I’m saying is don’t accept him if you have doubts. Marriage is hard work and you need one hundred percent commitment from the start. Even with commitment, there are no guarantees.” She sounded disheartened. Jo proffered her a fork and, rolling the glazed cherry to the side of the plate, Pat dug into the chilled frosting.
“Well, you can relax about the marriage thing. I’m shunning Dan until he backs off.”
She’d expected approval; instead Pat looked up horrified. “You can’t do that, you’re the only one he’s likely to open up to. He’s not talking to Herman about it andGod knows,” she added bitterly, “he refuses to confide in me.”
Dismayed, Jo picked up her fork. “I hadn’t thought of that.” In silence, the two women shared the gâteau. When the last crumb had gone, Pat dabbed at her mouth to remove the evidence and gave Jo a pleading look.
“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t worried sick about him…”
“Okay,” Jo said, feeling trapped. “I won’t shut him out completely.”
A UTE SHE DIDN’T recognize was parked in the driveway when Jo got home in the deep
He swung his feet to the floor. “Not a damn thing.”
“Fine,” she shoved him flat. “Play your games but play them solo. Order the cake and the flowers…I don’t care. But I’m not seeing you again until you come to your senses.”
Before she walked out, Jo noticed Dan no longer looked so smug. If you wanted to douse a fire, you took away the fuel. And he wasn’t the only one capable of finding allies in the enemy camp. She should have thought of this earlier.
Jo took out her cell and dialed. “I know this is a surprise,” she said after exchanging greetings, “but I think we need to talk.”
CHAPTER SIX
“W HAT A LOVELY IDEA,” Pat gushed as she embraced Jo at the garden-center café. “Meeting here to celebrate, just us two girls. You know I’ve been meaning to phone and congratulate you but it’s all been so confusing. On, then off, then on again.”
“Relax,” said Jo. “I’m not marrying your son.”
The older woman sank into an wrought-iron chair. “Thank God.”
“Ouch.” Jo took her own seat. “Maybe I do prefer it when you pretend to like me.”
Pat recovered. “It’s not that I don’t like you… For heaven’s sake, Jo, do you have to be so…so challenging all the time?”
“I’m sorry, I was brought up to be honest. From your reaction, I guess I’m not the only one wondering if Dan’s sudden obsession with marrying me is a little odd.”
The waitress arrived. “Can I take your order?”
“Cappuccino, skinny milk please, caffeine-free.” Pat scanned the luscious cake selection in the cabinet behind them. “Nothing for me.”
Jo admired self-control but Pat’s bordered on self-flagellation. She reminded Jo of a Victorian missionary who persisted in wearing corsets in the tropics.
“Espresso and a piece of chocolate gâteau please.” Jo glanced mischievously at Pat. “Two forks.”
“One,” Pat corrected. As usual they were off to a great start.
Jo stuck to what they had in common. “How has Dan acted since he got back?”
“Herman says half the work’s done by the time he gets to the farm every morning, which means Danny’s still not sleeping.” Their order arrived as she told Jo about Dan’s insomnia.
Absently, Pat sipped her cappuccino. “I wondered if it was some kind of post traumatic stress disorder, except, as Danny pointed out, he wasn’t on patrol.”
“But he was on the retrieval crew,” said Jo slowly. She couldn’t imagine what that had been like.
“And let’s face it,” said Pat, “he can’t be in his right mind if he wants to—” She stopped, embarrassed.
Amusement pierced Jo’s growing disquiet. “Marry me?”
“—proceed with this wedding against your wishes. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Sorry,” Jo said meekly.
“All I’m saying is don’t accept him if you have doubts. Marriage is hard work and you need one hundred percent commitment from the start. Even with commitment, there are no guarantees.” She sounded disheartened. Jo proffered her a fork and, rolling the glazed cherry to the side of the plate, Pat dug into the chilled frosting.
“Well, you can relax about the marriage thing. I’m shunning Dan until he backs off.”
She’d expected approval; instead Pat looked up horrified. “You can’t do that, you’re the only one he’s likely to open up to. He’s not talking to Herman about it andGod knows,” she added bitterly, “he refuses to confide in me.”
Dismayed, Jo picked up her fork. “I hadn’t thought of that.” In silence, the two women shared the gâteau. When the last crumb had gone, Pat dabbed at her mouth to remove the evidence and gave Jo a pleading look.
“I wouldn’t ask if I weren’t worried sick about him…”
“Okay,” Jo said, feeling trapped. “I won’t shut him out completely.”
A UTE SHE DIDN’T recognize was parked in the driveway when Jo got home in the deep
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