Best Kept Secrets(169)

being here with him."

"And he's where he always wanted to be. Near Celina,

with nobody between them."

Emotion welled up in Alex's throat and eyes. "Poor Stacey.

She never had a chance with Junior, did she?"

"No woman did. For all his philandering, Junior was a

one-woman man.''

By tacit agreement, they turned and started down the hill

toward their cars.

"Was it your idea for Stacey to move into the ranch house

for a while?" Alex asked, as she picked her way across the

grass.

He seemed reluctant to admit it. An affirmative rolling

motion of his shoulders was all he gave her for an answer.

"That was a thoughtful suggestion, Reede. She and Angus

will be good for each other.'' The late judge's daughter would

never feel kindly toward her, but Alex understood and could

forgive her animosity.

"Stacey needs somebody to fuss over," Reede said, "and

Angus needs that kind of attention right now."

Having reached her car, Alex turned to him and asked

huskily, "What about you? Who'll fuss over you?"

"I've never needed it."

"Oh, yes, you have," she said, "you just never let anybody."

She took a step closer to him. "Are you going to let

me leave town, walk out of your life, without making any

effort to stop me?"

"Yes."

She regarded him with love and frustration. "Okay, I'll

tell you what, Reede. I'll just go on loving you for as long

as I live, and you just go on resisting it." It was spoken as

a dare. "See how long you can hold out."

He angled back his head and gauged the determination in

her posture, her voice, her eyes. "You're too big for your

britches, you know that?"

Her responding smile was tremulous. "You love me,

Reede Lambert. I know you love me."



The wind lifted the tawny hair on his head as he nodded

slowly. "Yeah, I do. You're a pain in the ass, but I love

you." He cursed beneath his breath. "That still doesn't

change anything."

"Like what?"

"Like our ages. I'll get old and die long before you, you

know."

"Does that matter today--this very minute?"

"It sure as hell should."

"It doesn't."

Infuriated by her calm logic, he crammed his fist into his

opposite palm. "God, you're persistent."

"Yes, I am. When I want something badly enough, when

I feel that it's right, I never give up."

For several long moments he stared at her, at war with

himself. He was being offered love, but he was afraid to

accept it. Then, swearing liberally, he grabbed a handful of

dark auburn hair and pulled her toward him.

He reached inside her coat, where she was warm and soft

and giving. "You make a damn strong argument, Counselor,"

he growled.

Backing her into the side of her car, he touched her heart,

her belly, then placed a hand on her hip and bowed her body

against his. He kissed her with passion and love and something

he'd always had very little of--hope.

Breathlessly tearing his lips from hers, he buried his face in

the warmth of her neck. "In my whole life, I've never had

anything that belonged to me first, that wasn't a hand-me-down

or a handout--nothing, until you. Alex, Alex. ..."

"Say it, Reede."

"Be my woman."