"Mama, she's a big girl. Are
you sure they aren't getting married?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Cassie's looking for a note or something. Why did she do it?" she
asked, lifting eyes as dark as his own to question him. "She's been so
wild lately, but I never expected her to do anything like this. Ben—" she
leaned forward urgently "—Coleman will kill him."
"Yes, I know," he said. It was the
truth, too. Cole had a hell of a temper, and he doted on Katy. He wouldn't put
it past his big brother to get on the first train North with a pistol on his
hip.
"How are we going to tell him?" she
persisted, gnawing on her lower lip.
Ben forced a smile. Just his luck, he thought
miserably. Here he'd came home with the best news of his budding career, and
there was nobody to listen. Sister Katy had stolen his thunder.
"Here," Cassie called from the hall,
waving a piece of paper. "She did leave us a note!"
Marion took it from her with
trembling hands and read it. "Mama and all," Katy had scribbled.
"Danny and I are engaged. We are going to Chicago today to meet his
parents. We'll invite you all to the wedding! Wish us luck. Love, Katy."
Ben met his mother's dark eyes. "Do you
believe it?"
She shook her head. "But it's important
that we make Coleman believe it... Do you understand me, Ben, Cassie?"
They both nodded. Cole's temper wasn't something
to arouse unnecessarily. It was frankly dangerous.
MEANWHILE KATY WAS SITTING jauntily
beside Danny in the spiffy Alfa Romeo, forcing herself to laugh gaily and
pretend wild enthusiasm for the long trip North.
Beside her, Danny Marlone was grinning from ear
to ear, his complexion even darker against his perfect white teeth. He gave his
companion a warm glance and began to whistle.
"You'll love the Windy City, baby," he said. "I'll show you all the best places. There's a beach... You'll
love that. I've got this big house, all stone, on a hill overlooking the lake,
chock-full of servants. You'll have everything you want. Everything!"
"Darling, I did tell this one itty-bitty white
lie," she said, wanting everything aboveboard.
He caught her hand and pressed the palm to his
lips. "What itty-bitty white lie?"
She swallowed, trying not to think about Turk
and how it had been... "Well, so that my brother wouldn't kill you, I said
we were getting married."
"Darling! But this is so sudden!" He
chuckled, grinning at her.
She just stared, taken aback.
"It sounds great, doesn't it? Mr. and Mrs.
Danny Marlone," he said, clasping her fingers closer. He laid her open
palm on his thigh. "Yeah, I like that. We'll go whole hog, too.
Announcements in all the papers, only the best people at the wedding. Your
family can come. Your big brother can give you away. Oh, it'll be great,
honey!"
Her breath lodged in her chest. She couldn't
believe what she was hearing! "But I thought you just—just wanted to have
an affair!" she burst out, turning to face him.
"I want you," he said, and the look in
his eyes made her feel oddly humble. That wasn't lust. That was love, pure and
simple, and even while she marveled at being the recipient of it, she ached to
have that look from Turk. She never would, now. Never.
"For keeps?" she whispered.
He nodded. He pulled the car to the side of the
road and let the engine idle while he stared at her. "For keeps. Let's get
married."
"I'm not a virgin," she said
straight-out, without going into detail.
"Neither am I. So what?" he asked
bluntly.
Her cheeks went rosy. She smiled, feeling really
shy. "Well..."
He bent and put his mouth over hers. It wasn't
unpleasant, letting him kiss her. He ran his hands slowly over her shoulders,
down over her breasts, and that wasn't unpleasant, either.
He laughed. "You're not that experienced,
either, chick," he whispered as she flushed again. He winked at her as he
moved back under the wheel and put it in gear. "We'll get along okay. Now
sit back and watch this baby run!" He hit the accelerator, and the car
shot forward with a
you sure they aren't getting married?"
"I don't know," she said.
"Cassie's looking for a note or something. Why did she do it?" she
asked, lifting eyes as dark as his own to question him. "She's been so
wild lately, but I never expected her to do anything like this. Ben—" she
leaned forward urgently "—Coleman will kill him."
"Yes, I know," he said. It was the
truth, too. Cole had a hell of a temper, and he doted on Katy. He wouldn't put
it past his big brother to get on the first train North with a pistol on his
hip.
"How are we going to tell him?" she
persisted, gnawing on her lower lip.
Ben forced a smile. Just his luck, he thought
miserably. Here he'd came home with the best news of his budding career, and
there was nobody to listen. Sister Katy had stolen his thunder.
"Here," Cassie called from the hall,
waving a piece of paper. "She did leave us a note!"
Marion took it from her with
trembling hands and read it. "Mama and all," Katy had scribbled.
"Danny and I are engaged. We are going to Chicago today to meet his
parents. We'll invite you all to the wedding! Wish us luck. Love, Katy."
Ben met his mother's dark eyes. "Do you
believe it?"
She shook her head. "But it's important
that we make Coleman believe it... Do you understand me, Ben, Cassie?"
They both nodded. Cole's temper wasn't something
to arouse unnecessarily. It was frankly dangerous.
MEANWHILE KATY WAS SITTING jauntily
beside Danny in the spiffy Alfa Romeo, forcing herself to laugh gaily and
pretend wild enthusiasm for the long trip North.
Beside her, Danny Marlone was grinning from ear
to ear, his complexion even darker against his perfect white teeth. He gave his
companion a warm glance and began to whistle.
"You'll love the Windy City, baby," he said. "I'll show you all the best places. There's a beach... You'll
love that. I've got this big house, all stone, on a hill overlooking the lake,
chock-full of servants. You'll have everything you want. Everything!"
"Darling, I did tell this one itty-bitty white
lie," she said, wanting everything aboveboard.
He caught her hand and pressed the palm to his
lips. "What itty-bitty white lie?"
She swallowed, trying not to think about Turk
and how it had been... "Well, so that my brother wouldn't kill you, I said
we were getting married."
"Darling! But this is so sudden!" He
chuckled, grinning at her.
She just stared, taken aback.
"It sounds great, doesn't it? Mr. and Mrs.
Danny Marlone," he said, clasping her fingers closer. He laid her open
palm on his thigh. "Yeah, I like that. We'll go whole hog, too.
Announcements in all the papers, only the best people at the wedding. Your
family can come. Your big brother can give you away. Oh, it'll be great,
honey!"
Her breath lodged in her chest. She couldn't
believe what she was hearing! "But I thought you just—just wanted to have
an affair!" she burst out, turning to face him.
"I want you," he said, and the look in
his eyes made her feel oddly humble. That wasn't lust. That was love, pure and
simple, and even while she marveled at being the recipient of it, she ached to
have that look from Turk. She never would, now. Never.
"For keeps?" she whispered.
He nodded. He pulled the car to the side of the
road and let the engine idle while he stared at her. "For keeps. Let's get
married."
"I'm not a virgin," she said
straight-out, without going into detail.
"Neither am I. So what?" he asked
bluntly.
Her cheeks went rosy. She smiled, feeling really
shy. "Well..."
He bent and put his mouth over hers. It wasn't
unpleasant, letting him kiss her. He ran his hands slowly over her shoulders,
down over her breasts, and that wasn't unpleasant, either.
He laughed. "You're not that experienced,
either, chick," he whispered as she flushed again. He winked at her as he
moved back under the wheel and put it in gear. "We'll get along okay. Now
sit back and watch this baby run!" He hit the accelerator, and the car
shot forward with a
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