Sandy grinned at her.“I guess I did okaywith ring selection.”
“Yes, indeed.I’ll never take it off.”Sheslanted her hand one way and then another, admiring it.
He was quiet for a moment.“… Never?”
“Never.”
“What about if you’re washing dishes?”
“No.”
“… Slopping the hogs?”
“You have hogs?”She gave him a wide-eyedlook.He laughed and became more serious.
“What if you were changing diapers?Would youtake it off then?”Sandy’s eyes focused on hers.
She glanced up at him.“Um…where are we goingwith this?”The couple at the next table was listening in.
“Let’s take a walk, sweetheart.”
“S-sandy….”she stammered.
Once they had left the restaurant and werewalking, he started again.“We’ve never spoken about havingchildren.Shouldn’t we?Would you like to have any?”He was a bitnervous, so she took his arm as they walked.
“This is a strange conversation for a lustysailor to be having on his one day in port.”By the look on hisface, he wanted a real answer, so she said, “Hey, I’m just joking.I do want children, several if possible.Do you?”
He let out the breath he was holding.“Good.Wonderful, I just…ah…we needed to discuss it.”
“…Did you think I didn’t?What’s thisabout?”
“My wife couldn’t have any more childrenafter having Jesse.I thought it was such a shame.You know I lovekids and have always wanted a noisy house filled with kids anddogs.”The lines on his forehead smoothed and she reached up totouch his handsome face.
“We’ll be all right, you know.I don’t thinkI have any problems with conceiving and obviously, you don’t.”
“Let’s take a cab back to the hotel, Lily.All right?”
“… In a hurry, sailor?The ship sails atmidnight or something?”
“Something like that.”Sandy caught the nextcab and they had dinner in the suite.“We need to get to bed early,since we’re leaving tomorrow,” he winked at her.
“Aye, aye, sir.Anything the captainsays.”
“Well, the captain requires your attention inbed.”
Lily discovered he needed much attention inbed.
* * *
CHAPTER NINETEEN
No one came to the door when Sandy and Lilyarrived back at the ranch.
“Where is everyone?”
They dropped their suitcases in the hallwayand went looking.The big ranch house seemed eerily empty as theywalked through the homey family room with the stone fireplacesending out warmth, the good aromas in the kitchen and on out tothe chilly backyard.
Jesse was playing by the barn with the dogs,while Sam and Jeanne were looking cozy walking arm-in-arm in acircular pattern, talking softly to one another.Lily thought theyleaned dangerously close too.
