What’s that people say about something beingtoo good to be true?Don’t believe it because love is too good,period.Sandy kissed his phone and stuck it in his pocket.Then hewent out to find Jesse.Where is everybody?He was feeling prettygood, at long last.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The Fairmont Hotel had a spacious, elegantlobby filled with brocade-covered furniture, comfortable chairs,marble floors and decorative flowers.The soft lighting created awelcoming and relaxed atmosphere for guests.Page and Lily had hada light lunch in one of the colorful dining rooms and were sittingin the busy lobby awaiting Sandy.Page said she wanted a quick lookand then would scoot.
“I know what he looks like, so I’ll playlook-out,” she teased Lily.
“Okay, Page, I’ll wait for your signal…”
“Should I start a smoke signal or whistleor…oh, my!”Page gasped.
“I think that’s my signal,” grinned Lily asshe happily closed her eyes.
Page watched this handsome, fair-hairedcowboy wearing jeans, boots and cowboy hat walk into the lobby.Hewas carrying a bouquet of beautiful red roses and honestly, lookedincredible.The cowboy stood out from the other men wearingexpensive business suits, so everyone turned to look at him.
“Whew, Lily!Are you kidding me?That’shim?”
“Breathe, Page.He does that to me too.”Shelaughed out loud.
That did it – her laugh.He heard her andmade straight for where they were sitting.
“He’s coming over, Lily.”
“Thanks.I can take it from here.”Lily kepther eyes closed.
As he got closer, she could hear his bootstalking to her as they clicked on the marble floor.She soonsmelled his familiar aftershave and could feel his strong presence.Lily opened her eyes and there her Sandy was…indeed, delicious wasthe right word.She smiled at him and he grinned back.
“Hi, there.”
“Hi, yourself.”They gazed at one another fora long minute.Lily’s eyes slid over to Page.
“… Sandy Johnson, this is my friend, PageWarren, who lives in the City.We were teachers together once upona time.”
He reluctantly moved his eyes from Lily toPage, “Nice to meet you.”He leaned over to shake her hand and Pageshook it, seeming immobilized.They shook hands lightly and Pagejumped up.
“Well, Lily, I’ve got to go.Call me later.”She hurriedly gathered her purse and started to leave.“Very niceto meet you, Mr.Johnson.”
Lily smiled at her.He did that to women, sheknew.
He tipped his cowboy hat.“Ma’am.”
Page beat a hasty retreat to the front door,but couldn’t resist turning around to look before she left.
Sandy handed Lily the bouquet of roses.“These are from your father, sweetheart.”
She leaned in for a deep sniff.“They smellwonderful.That was nice of him, wasn’t it?”A long look passedbetween them, an understanding.
Lily’s lips parted in surprise as he got downon one knee.Everything stopped and everyone in the Fairmont lobbystared at the cowboy down on one knee before the black-hairedbeauty.Total silence… Sandy held his big cowboy hat in one handand Lily’s hand in the other.
Although it was a large lobby with lots ofpeople present, Sandy’s words could be heard in the quiet.“Youmust allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.Willyou marry me, Lily Cable, and be my wife?”
Lily gave him a shy smile, raised his hand toher lips and softly kissed it.
“Well, then,” she said gazing deeply into hisblue, blue eyes.Playfully she kissed his hand again and finallysaid, “Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.”
Sandy took the flowers from her, laid them onthe couch and brought Lily to her feet and into his arms.The kisswas warm and sweet, and oh, so familiar.It was sweet andwonderful, yet hardly intimate.The whole Fairmont lobby burst intospontaneous applause and they realized they were on stage.Pageapplauded from the front door, wiping tears away.“Way to go,Lily!”she said mostly to herself and went out the front door,still sniffling.
“I think we need a little privacy,sweetheart,” Sandy whispered into her sweet-smelling hair.“Couldwe go up to your room?”
