Tying the Knot, page 3
Cain jerked a hand from his pants pocket and ran it through the dark hair along the side of his head. “Me, either, lady.”
Lady! Well, at least that was an improvement over Siggy, who apparently viewed her as a disobedient child.
“Did you talk to this Sidney fellow?” he demanded, pacing in front of the sofa.
“Siggy,” Leah corrected calmly, still standing at the front door.
“Whoever.” Impatiently, his hand sliced the air.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I did discuss the situation with Siggy.” Primly, Leah folded her hands. She wasn’t about to announce to this arrogant male that Siggy hadn’t asked his mother’s permission yet.
His hand returned to the corduroy pocket. “I don’t suppose you’ve got a beer?”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
He gave a look that said he’d guessed as much. “Well, what did ol’ Sidney say?”
Leah lowered her gaze. “He’s…he’s thinking about it. And it’s Siggy,” she returned with marked patience.
“Whoever,” they said together in perfect unison.
For the first time, Leah saw Cain smile. Despite everything she felt about this man, she had to admit she liked his smile. His rugged face was affected by the movement of his mouth. His eyes grew a richer shade of brown until they looked almost black, and she saw a glimpse of the man she’d always thought him to be.
“Did I hear something ding?” Cain turned his ear toward the kitchen.
Leah nodded. “Yes. Please excuse me a minute.”
He followed her into the compact kitchen and idly leaned against the counter as she opened the microwave and took out the packaged meal.
“You don’t honestly eat that garbage, do you?” he asked, his voice rising with astonishment. “Good grief, no wonder you’re so thin. Come on, I’ll take you to dinner and feed you properly. You need some meat on those bones.”
Leah bristled. “How could I possibly turn down such a flowery invitation?” she asked with more than a trace of sarcasm.
“Right.” A reckless grin slashed his mouth. “How could you?”
The next thing Leah knew, she was being ushered out the front door and into the lot where a red Porsche speedster was parked.
Stopping, Leah ran her hand along the polished surface of the car and shook her head knowingly. “Honestly, Hawkins, you’re so predictable.”
He mumbled something under his breath and left her to open her own door and climb inside.
Leah had barely snapped the seat belt into place when Cain revved the engine and shoved the gear into place. They left the parking lot with a spray of gravel kicking up in their wake. The tires screeched as they came to the first red light.
“Do you have to…Is it necessary to drive quite so fast?” Leah asked, holding on to the seat with both hands.
“Just wait. This baby does one eighty-five.”
“Not with me, it doesn’t.” Leah reached for the door handle to climb out, but the light changed and Cain shot across the intersection like a bullet out of a gun. Leah’s head was jerked back with such force that it bounced against the headrest.
“Isn’t this great?”
“No.” Leah screamed, instinctively reaching for the dashboard. Her heart was pounding so fiercely she didn’t know which was louder, her pulse or the roar of the engine.
Suddenly, Cain slowed down to a crawl and laughed. That mocking, taunting laugh Leah hated. She was so angry, she couldn’t breathe.
“Now.” He pulled over to the curb and parked. “Isn’t that what you expected? You took one look at my car and immediately assumed that I was a crazy man at the wheel.”
Unable to answer, Leah placed her hand over her heart and shook her head.
Cain’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “We’ll get along a lot easier if you learn something right now, lady. I’m never predictable. I do what I want, where I want and when I want. Got it?”
The grip on her anger was so fragile that Leah’s voice shook dangerously. “Don’t ever do that to me again. And…and you get one thing straight. I have a name, and it isn’t lady or honey or princess. It’s Leah.” Her shoulders were heaving, her breasts rising with every panting breath.
Their eyes locked, hers filled with determination and pride, his with an unreadable quality she couldn’t quite define. She hoped it was grudging respect. When his hands loosened their grip on the steering wheel, she relaxed.
“Hello, Leah, my name is Cain Hawkins.” He extended his hand to her, and with a trembling smile she placed her much smaller one in his.
“Hello, Cain.”
A smile briefly touched his eyes before he checked the side mirror and pulled back onto the street. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said with a laugh.
“I don’t know.” Leah’s returning laugh was shaky. “I think you might have to go back the way we came. My stomach is about a mile behind us.”
He didn’t laugh; his concentration was fixed on the road. Trying not to be obvious, Leah studied him from beneath long lashes. He was a complicated man, and she doubted that anyone could truly understand him. A genius. Few would deny that. For the first time she noticed a small dimple in his cheek. It wasn’t apparent except when his face was relaxed, Leah concluded. His hair was unkempt and his beard showed a five o’clock shadow. She wondered if he often forgot to shave, then smiled because she knew intuitively that he did.
They arrived at an Italian restaurant that emitted the aroma of pungent spices and tomatoes. It seemed like weeks since Leah had eaten a decent meal.
Cain was recognized immediately, and there were shouts from the kitchen as a short, stout man came through the swinging doors, wiping his hands on a white apron. A flurry of Italian flew over Leah’s head.
The man from the kitchen, whom Cain called Vinnie, directed his attention to Leah and nodded approvingly. He shook his head dramatically, his white teeth gleaming.
Never had Leah felt more as if she was standing on an auction block. Nervously she tucked a strand of hair around her ear and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
A woman with a lovely olive complexion appeared, her dark hair filled with strands of silver. She, too, joined in the conversation, then slapped her hands with apparent delight.
Leah recognized only a few words of Italian, but bambino was one of them. Leah surmised that the restaurant couple were expecting their first grandchild and offered them a smile of congratulations.
Smiling happily, the woman took Leah by the shoulders and nodded her head several times. Again a flurry of Italian was followed by laughter.
When Cain put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to his side, Leah was all the more confused.
The couple led Cain and Leah into a secluded corner of the restaurant and smiled broadly as they held out the chairs. Almost immediately, a flurry of activity commenced. A large loaf of freshly baked bread and a thick slab of cheese were delivered to the table.
“You speak Italian,” Leah said to break the silence between them. It wasn’t one of her more brilliant deductions.
“I picked it up as a kid in Europe,” Cain explained, pulling apart a hunk of bread and cutting off a slice of cheese.
Leah followed his example, taking a smaller piece of both the bread and the cheese. “You were born in Europe?” She wouldn’t have guessed it.
“No, I was an Army brat. My dad was stationed all over the world. My mother and I were with him much of the time.”
“How interesting.” Leah realized her comment sounded trite, and she regretted having said anything.
“Actually, I was born in California, but soon afterward we were stationed in Formosa.” He paused and took a sip of wine. “That’s Taiwan now.”
She knew that much from Trivial Pursuit.
“What about you?”
Her fingers worked the stem of the wineglass. “I’m originally from South Dakota. My father’s a farmer. Wheat, barley, soybeans.” She didn’t mention how much she loved Cain’s photos of America’s farmlands and how she’d given that book to her father for Christmas last year.
If Cain was surprised by her homey, Midwest background, he didn’t show it. But Leah was quickly learning that Cain didn’t divulge anything unless it suited him. Something told her that he usually didn’t talk about himself. Even in his books there was little information given about him. Most of what she knew she’d heard through gossip.
The bread and cheese disappeared, to be replaced with a relish plate filled with crisp, fresh vegetables and dark olives. Their wineglasses were replenished.
“You must come here often.” Leah felt as if she had to carry the conversation. The looks Cain was giving her were unsettling. His thick brows were drawn together as if he were seeking something beyond her obvious lack of beauty. Either that, or something was troubling him. Lowering her eyes, she cursed their color for the thousandth time. They weren’t quite green, nor dark enough to be brown, but some murky shade between.
She reached for a celery stick, then laid it against the side of her plate. Opening her mouth would only have drawn attention to how full her lips were.
“Your eyes are the most unusual color,” Cain commented thoughtfully.
Leah’s hand gripped the linen napkin in her lap. “Yes, I know.” It looked for a minute as if Cain would say something else, but the waiter interrupted to deliver a small salad covered with a creamy herb dressing.
“You obviously know these people,” Leah tried again.
“We go way back.”
That absent, thoughtful look returned, and if Leah didn’t know better she’d have said he was nervous about something. “I thought you must. They were saying something about a baby. Are they expecting a grandchild?”
Cain regarded her blankly. “No.”
Leah’s fork played with a lettuce leaf. “Oh, I thought I heard her say bambino, but then I’m not exactly fluent in Italian.”
“You did,” he said, but he didn’t elaborate.
The salad was taken away and quickly followed by a plateful of spaghetti with a thick, rich meat sauce.
“I don’t know if I can eat all this,” Leah said with a wistful sigh.
A half smile deepened the grooves on one side of his face. “Be sure and save room for the main course.”
“The main course,” Leah repeated, her round eyes giving him a shocked look.
“I guess I should have warned you.” His smile was replaced with a frown of concentration as he wove the long strands of spaghetti around his fork, using his spoon as a guide.
Leah watched him for a minute and shook her head, unwilling even to attempt his method. Setting her fork aside, she studied Cain. There was something bothering him. She could sense it in the way his brow knitted as he manipulated the spaghetti.
Cain looked up and their eyes clashed. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
Cain heaved a sigh and set his fork aside. “I’m no good at this.”
Leah blinked uncertainly. Good at what? she wondered.
“I thought if I created a romantic mood it would help. But, I don’t go in for this romance garbage.”
Leah was stunned into speechlessness. She’d never thought of herself as stupid, but at the moment she felt incredibly so. Cain looked as if he wanted to punch a hole in the wall, and she hadn’t an inkling why.
“You know what’s going to happen Thursday, don’t you?”
She shook her head, more confused than ever.
“Brewster’s going to come up with a compromise team.”
Forcefully, Leah shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.” He couldn’t. David Brewster knew how much this trip meant to her.
“Of course he would. It’s the only answer. If he doesn’t he takes the risk of offending us both. And whether he feels like admitting it or not, we’re both valuable to the university.”
It didn’t take much thought for Leah to recognize that what Cain was saying was true.
“And—” he tossed his napkin onto the table “—you may have this Sidney fellow to solve your problems, but there isn’t anyone I can marry at the drop of a hat.”
Leah couldn’t believe that. “What…what are you suggesting?”
“There’s only one thing to do.” Cain looked thoroughly miserable. He reached for his wine and took a gulp. “Leah…?” He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Damn it anyway. Will you marry me?”
Chapter 2
“Marry…you,” Leah repeated, dumbfounded.
“It isn’t like this is any love match,” Cain inserted, clearly angry. “We’re adults. How old are you, anyway?”
“Twenty-eight.” That, at least, was easily enough answered.
Cain looked surprised. “You look younger. I checked with a judge friend of mine this afternoon and found out all we need are blood tests. We can have those done tonight, get the license and be married before your first class in the morning.”
“I…I suppose we could.” A cauldron of doubts bubbled in her mind, but Leah could marshal no argument. Cain was right. They were adults, they were professional people and they both desperately wanted to be a part of this expedition. The choice was clear.
“Does that mean yes?” Cain demanded.
Leah chose to ignore the warning lights blinking in her brain. “Yes,” she murmured.
“Thank you,” Cain said with an exaggerated sigh. He called out something in Italian, and the entire kitchen staff appeared. Someone brought out an accordion, and the man Cain had called Vinnie pumped Cain’s hand and kissed him on both cheeks.
Music filled the restaurant. Violins, accordions, guitars. Champagne flowed freely, and Leah quickly lost count of the number of people who congratulated her with kisses on both cheeks. It seemed she waltzed with more men in that one night than she had in her entire life.
The next thing she remembered was Cain delivering her to her apartment and asking her if she was going to be sick. The whole world was singing and dancing, spinning and weaving, and it was all she could do to wave him aside. Leah didn’t know if she was going to be sick or not. But if she was, she didn’t want Cain around.
* * *
—
The next morning Leah awoke in the clothes she’d worn to dinner the night before. She was suffering from the worst headache of her life. The base of her skull was throbbing as if an avenging demon were hammering on it.
Leah staggered into the bathroom and brushed her teeth but the sound of running water only intensified the ache in her head, and she turned off the faucet. Pressing a hand against her forehead, she took in deep breaths and winced when the doorbell chimed. With her hand still to her head, she moved to the living room and, as quietly as possible, undid the dead bolt lock and opened the front door.
“Morning,” Cain greeted her stiffly. “How do you feel?”
“About the same as I look,” she whispered.
Idly he stuck his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to one side. “That bad, huh?”
Leah gave him a frosty glare. “I just woke up. I’d like to shower and change first.”
“Sure. Do you mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?”
In her worst nightmares she had never dreamed that her wedding day would be anything like this. Cain wasn’t even wearing a suit. He was dressed casually in dark cords and a sport shirt. She watched as he removed his leather coat and draped it over the kitchen chair, then paused to look at her expectantly. “The coffee?”
“Go ahead.”
She left him to his own devices while she surveyed the contents of her closet. She didn’t have a thing to wear. And the urge to use that as an excuse to back out of the wedding was almost overwhelming. Finally she chose an olive-green dress. The color matched her mood.
The shower took some of the ache from her bones, but the whine of the hair dryer nearly drove her insane. Before twisting the blond strands into her usual chignon, Leah stepped into the kitchen. Cain was at the table reading the morning newspaper.
“Would you prefer my hair up or down?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Cain glanced up and blinked. “Would I what?”
“My hair,” she returned with marked patience. “Should I wear it up or down? Siggy prefers it down.”
Cain’s blank stare continued. “Good grief, why should I care? You could be bald and it wouldn’t make any difference.”
Leah successfully resisted the urge to shout at him that this whole thing was ludicrous and she wouldn’t have anything to do with it. “I’ll leave my hair down then.”
“Fine.” Already his attention had reverted to the newspaper.
Leah had hardly taken more than a few sips of her coffee when Cain straightened and checked his watch. “The courthouse is open. Let’s get this over with.”
“Before we do anything with legal ramifications, I think we should make certain aspects of this relationship clear,” Leah asserted.
“Of course.” Cain gave her a strange look. “I’ve already thought of that.” He lifted his coat from the chair and took out a folded piece of paper. “Read this over and see if I’ve left out anything.”
Scanning the list, Leah was impressed with his thoroughness. Everything she’d thought to mention was there. She didn’t want him to have any legal claim to her assets, and she wanted to keep her surname. “I’d like the divorce proceedings to start the first week after our return instead of a month later.”
Cain hesitated. “Fine. Write that in if you want, but I can’t have my time tied up in court. I’ll be working day and night developing the film.”
“I’m sure it will be a relatively painless process.” Leah spoke with more confidence than she was feeling. “If it would make things simpler, we could make a quick trip into Nevada.”
Lady! Well, at least that was an improvement over Siggy, who apparently viewed her as a disobedient child.
“Did you talk to this Sidney fellow?” he demanded, pacing in front of the sofa.
“Siggy,” Leah corrected calmly, still standing at the front door.
“Whoever.” Impatiently, his hand sliced the air.
“Yes, as a matter of fact I did discuss the situation with Siggy.” Primly, Leah folded her hands. She wasn’t about to announce to this arrogant male that Siggy hadn’t asked his mother’s permission yet.
His hand returned to the corduroy pocket. “I don’t suppose you’ve got a beer?”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
He gave a look that said he’d guessed as much. “Well, what did ol’ Sidney say?”
Leah lowered her gaze. “He’s…he’s thinking about it. And it’s Siggy,” she returned with marked patience.
“Whoever,” they said together in perfect unison.
For the first time, Leah saw Cain smile. Despite everything she felt about this man, she had to admit she liked his smile. His rugged face was affected by the movement of his mouth. His eyes grew a richer shade of brown until they looked almost black, and she saw a glimpse of the man she’d always thought him to be.
“Did I hear something ding?” Cain turned his ear toward the kitchen.
Leah nodded. “Yes. Please excuse me a minute.”
He followed her into the compact kitchen and idly leaned against the counter as she opened the microwave and took out the packaged meal.
“You don’t honestly eat that garbage, do you?” he asked, his voice rising with astonishment. “Good grief, no wonder you’re so thin. Come on, I’ll take you to dinner and feed you properly. You need some meat on those bones.”
Leah bristled. “How could I possibly turn down such a flowery invitation?” she asked with more than a trace of sarcasm.
“Right.” A reckless grin slashed his mouth. “How could you?”
The next thing Leah knew, she was being ushered out the front door and into the lot where a red Porsche speedster was parked.
Stopping, Leah ran her hand along the polished surface of the car and shook her head knowingly. “Honestly, Hawkins, you’re so predictable.”
He mumbled something under his breath and left her to open her own door and climb inside.
Leah had barely snapped the seat belt into place when Cain revved the engine and shoved the gear into place. They left the parking lot with a spray of gravel kicking up in their wake. The tires screeched as they came to the first red light.
“Do you have to…Is it necessary to drive quite so fast?” Leah asked, holding on to the seat with both hands.
“Just wait. This baby does one eighty-five.”
“Not with me, it doesn’t.” Leah reached for the door handle to climb out, but the light changed and Cain shot across the intersection like a bullet out of a gun. Leah’s head was jerked back with such force that it bounced against the headrest.
“Isn’t this great?”
“No.” Leah screamed, instinctively reaching for the dashboard. Her heart was pounding so fiercely she didn’t know which was louder, her pulse or the roar of the engine.
Suddenly, Cain slowed down to a crawl and laughed. That mocking, taunting laugh Leah hated. She was so angry, she couldn’t breathe.
“Now.” He pulled over to the curb and parked. “Isn’t that what you expected? You took one look at my car and immediately assumed that I was a crazy man at the wheel.”
Unable to answer, Leah placed her hand over her heart and shook her head.
Cain’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “We’ll get along a lot easier if you learn something right now, lady. I’m never predictable. I do what I want, where I want and when I want. Got it?”
The grip on her anger was so fragile that Leah’s voice shook dangerously. “Don’t ever do that to me again. And…and you get one thing straight. I have a name, and it isn’t lady or honey or princess. It’s Leah.” Her shoulders were heaving, her breasts rising with every panting breath.
Their eyes locked, hers filled with determination and pride, his with an unreadable quality she couldn’t quite define. She hoped it was grudging respect. When his hands loosened their grip on the steering wheel, she relaxed.
“Hello, Leah, my name is Cain Hawkins.” He extended his hand to her, and with a trembling smile she placed her much smaller one in his.
“Hello, Cain.”
A smile briefly touched his eyes before he checked the side mirror and pulled back onto the street. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said with a laugh.
“I don’t know.” Leah’s returning laugh was shaky. “I think you might have to go back the way we came. My stomach is about a mile behind us.”
He didn’t laugh; his concentration was fixed on the road. Trying not to be obvious, Leah studied him from beneath long lashes. He was a complicated man, and she doubted that anyone could truly understand him. A genius. Few would deny that. For the first time she noticed a small dimple in his cheek. It wasn’t apparent except when his face was relaxed, Leah concluded. His hair was unkempt and his beard showed a five o’clock shadow. She wondered if he often forgot to shave, then smiled because she knew intuitively that he did.
They arrived at an Italian restaurant that emitted the aroma of pungent spices and tomatoes. It seemed like weeks since Leah had eaten a decent meal.
Cain was recognized immediately, and there were shouts from the kitchen as a short, stout man came through the swinging doors, wiping his hands on a white apron. A flurry of Italian flew over Leah’s head.
The man from the kitchen, whom Cain called Vinnie, directed his attention to Leah and nodded approvingly. He shook his head dramatically, his white teeth gleaming.
Never had Leah felt more as if she was standing on an auction block. Nervously she tucked a strand of hair around her ear and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
A woman with a lovely olive complexion appeared, her dark hair filled with strands of silver. She, too, joined in the conversation, then slapped her hands with apparent delight.
Leah recognized only a few words of Italian, but bambino was one of them. Leah surmised that the restaurant couple were expecting their first grandchild and offered them a smile of congratulations.
Smiling happily, the woman took Leah by the shoulders and nodded her head several times. Again a flurry of Italian was followed by laughter.
When Cain put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her close to his side, Leah was all the more confused.
The couple led Cain and Leah into a secluded corner of the restaurant and smiled broadly as they held out the chairs. Almost immediately, a flurry of activity commenced. A large loaf of freshly baked bread and a thick slab of cheese were delivered to the table.
“You speak Italian,” Leah said to break the silence between them. It wasn’t one of her more brilliant deductions.
“I picked it up as a kid in Europe,” Cain explained, pulling apart a hunk of bread and cutting off a slice of cheese.
Leah followed his example, taking a smaller piece of both the bread and the cheese. “You were born in Europe?” She wouldn’t have guessed it.
“No, I was an Army brat. My dad was stationed all over the world. My mother and I were with him much of the time.”
“How interesting.” Leah realized her comment sounded trite, and she regretted having said anything.
“Actually, I was born in California, but soon afterward we were stationed in Formosa.” He paused and took a sip of wine. “That’s Taiwan now.”
She knew that much from Trivial Pursuit.
“What about you?”
Her fingers worked the stem of the wineglass. “I’m originally from South Dakota. My father’s a farmer. Wheat, barley, soybeans.” She didn’t mention how much she loved Cain’s photos of America’s farmlands and how she’d given that book to her father for Christmas last year.
If Cain was surprised by her homey, Midwest background, he didn’t show it. But Leah was quickly learning that Cain didn’t divulge anything unless it suited him. Something told her that he usually didn’t talk about himself. Even in his books there was little information given about him. Most of what she knew she’d heard through gossip.
The bread and cheese disappeared, to be replaced with a relish plate filled with crisp, fresh vegetables and dark olives. Their wineglasses were replenished.
“You must come here often.” Leah felt as if she had to carry the conversation. The looks Cain was giving her were unsettling. His thick brows were drawn together as if he were seeking something beyond her obvious lack of beauty. Either that, or something was troubling him. Lowering her eyes, she cursed their color for the thousandth time. They weren’t quite green, nor dark enough to be brown, but some murky shade between.
She reached for a celery stick, then laid it against the side of her plate. Opening her mouth would only have drawn attention to how full her lips were.
“Your eyes are the most unusual color,” Cain commented thoughtfully.
Leah’s hand gripped the linen napkin in her lap. “Yes, I know.” It looked for a minute as if Cain would say something else, but the waiter interrupted to deliver a small salad covered with a creamy herb dressing.
“You obviously know these people,” Leah tried again.
“We go way back.”
That absent, thoughtful look returned, and if Leah didn’t know better she’d have said he was nervous about something. “I thought you must. They were saying something about a baby. Are they expecting a grandchild?”
Cain regarded her blankly. “No.”
Leah’s fork played with a lettuce leaf. “Oh, I thought I heard her say bambino, but then I’m not exactly fluent in Italian.”
“You did,” he said, but he didn’t elaborate.
The salad was taken away and quickly followed by a plateful of spaghetti with a thick, rich meat sauce.
“I don’t know if I can eat all this,” Leah said with a wistful sigh.
A half smile deepened the grooves on one side of his face. “Be sure and save room for the main course.”
“The main course,” Leah repeated, her round eyes giving him a shocked look.
“I guess I should have warned you.” His smile was replaced with a frown of concentration as he wove the long strands of spaghetti around his fork, using his spoon as a guide.
Leah watched him for a minute and shook her head, unwilling even to attempt his method. Setting her fork aside, she studied Cain. There was something bothering him. She could sense it in the way his brow knitted as he manipulated the spaghetti.
Cain looked up and their eyes clashed. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
Cain heaved a sigh and set his fork aside. “I’m no good at this.”
Leah blinked uncertainly. Good at what? she wondered.
“I thought if I created a romantic mood it would help. But, I don’t go in for this romance garbage.”
Leah was stunned into speechlessness. She’d never thought of herself as stupid, but at the moment she felt incredibly so. Cain looked as if he wanted to punch a hole in the wall, and she hadn’t an inkling why.
“You know what’s going to happen Thursday, don’t you?”
She shook her head, more confused than ever.
“Brewster’s going to come up with a compromise team.”
Forcefully, Leah shook her head. “He wouldn’t do that.” He couldn’t. David Brewster knew how much this trip meant to her.
“Of course he would. It’s the only answer. If he doesn’t he takes the risk of offending us both. And whether he feels like admitting it or not, we’re both valuable to the university.”
It didn’t take much thought for Leah to recognize that what Cain was saying was true.
“And—” he tossed his napkin onto the table “—you may have this Sidney fellow to solve your problems, but there isn’t anyone I can marry at the drop of a hat.”
Leah couldn’t believe that. “What…what are you suggesting?”
“There’s only one thing to do.” Cain looked thoroughly miserable. He reached for his wine and took a gulp. “Leah…?” He hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Damn it anyway. Will you marry me?”
Chapter 2
“Marry…you,” Leah repeated, dumbfounded.
“It isn’t like this is any love match,” Cain inserted, clearly angry. “We’re adults. How old are you, anyway?”
“Twenty-eight.” That, at least, was easily enough answered.
Cain looked surprised. “You look younger. I checked with a judge friend of mine this afternoon and found out all we need are blood tests. We can have those done tonight, get the license and be married before your first class in the morning.”
“I…I suppose we could.” A cauldron of doubts bubbled in her mind, but Leah could marshal no argument. Cain was right. They were adults, they were professional people and they both desperately wanted to be a part of this expedition. The choice was clear.
“Does that mean yes?” Cain demanded.
Leah chose to ignore the warning lights blinking in her brain. “Yes,” she murmured.
“Thank you,” Cain said with an exaggerated sigh. He called out something in Italian, and the entire kitchen staff appeared. Someone brought out an accordion, and the man Cain had called Vinnie pumped Cain’s hand and kissed him on both cheeks.
Music filled the restaurant. Violins, accordions, guitars. Champagne flowed freely, and Leah quickly lost count of the number of people who congratulated her with kisses on both cheeks. It seemed she waltzed with more men in that one night than she had in her entire life.
The next thing she remembered was Cain delivering her to her apartment and asking her if she was going to be sick. The whole world was singing and dancing, spinning and weaving, and it was all she could do to wave him aside. Leah didn’t know if she was going to be sick or not. But if she was, she didn’t want Cain around.
* * *
—
The next morning Leah awoke in the clothes she’d worn to dinner the night before. She was suffering from the worst headache of her life. The base of her skull was throbbing as if an avenging demon were hammering on it.
Leah staggered into the bathroom and brushed her teeth but the sound of running water only intensified the ache in her head, and she turned off the faucet. Pressing a hand against her forehead, she took in deep breaths and winced when the doorbell chimed. With her hand still to her head, she moved to the living room and, as quietly as possible, undid the dead bolt lock and opened the front door.
“Morning,” Cain greeted her stiffly. “How do you feel?”
“About the same as I look,” she whispered.
Idly he stuck his hands in his pockets and cocked his head to one side. “That bad, huh?”
Leah gave him a frosty glare. “I just woke up. I’d like to shower and change first.”
“Sure. Do you mind if I make myself a cup of coffee?”
In her worst nightmares she had never dreamed that her wedding day would be anything like this. Cain wasn’t even wearing a suit. He was dressed casually in dark cords and a sport shirt. She watched as he removed his leather coat and draped it over the kitchen chair, then paused to look at her expectantly. “The coffee?”
“Go ahead.”
She left him to his own devices while she surveyed the contents of her closet. She didn’t have a thing to wear. And the urge to use that as an excuse to back out of the wedding was almost overwhelming. Finally she chose an olive-green dress. The color matched her mood.
The shower took some of the ache from her bones, but the whine of the hair dryer nearly drove her insane. Before twisting the blond strands into her usual chignon, Leah stepped into the kitchen. Cain was at the table reading the morning newspaper.
“Would you prefer my hair up or down?” she asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.
Cain glanced up and blinked. “Would I what?”
“My hair,” she returned with marked patience. “Should I wear it up or down? Siggy prefers it down.”
Cain’s blank stare continued. “Good grief, why should I care? You could be bald and it wouldn’t make any difference.”
Leah successfully resisted the urge to shout at him that this whole thing was ludicrous and she wouldn’t have anything to do with it. “I’ll leave my hair down then.”
“Fine.” Already his attention had reverted to the newspaper.
Leah had hardly taken more than a few sips of her coffee when Cain straightened and checked his watch. “The courthouse is open. Let’s get this over with.”
“Before we do anything with legal ramifications, I think we should make certain aspects of this relationship clear,” Leah asserted.
“Of course.” Cain gave her a strange look. “I’ve already thought of that.” He lifted his coat from the chair and took out a folded piece of paper. “Read this over and see if I’ve left out anything.”
Scanning the list, Leah was impressed with his thoroughness. Everything she’d thought to mention was there. She didn’t want him to have any legal claim to her assets, and she wanted to keep her surname. “I’d like the divorce proceedings to start the first week after our return instead of a month later.”
Cain hesitated. “Fine. Write that in if you want, but I can’t have my time tied up in court. I’ll be working day and night developing the film.”
“I’m sure it will be a relatively painless process.” Leah spoke with more confidence than she was feeling. “If it would make things simpler, we could make a quick trip into Nevada.”
