would mean to both of them. The fact that he and his new wife got along about as well as the Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat faded into insignificance beside the thought of Mary being able to run and play like other five-year-olds.
"That's something worth celebrating," he conceded grudgingly. "But I still think the idea of all of us going out to dinner together is stupid."
"The two of you are going to be living together for the next year."
"Don't remind me."
"You're bound to share a few meals in that time. You might as well start now."
Sam turned into the parking garage near the restaurant. "I married her. That doesn't mean I have to eat with her."
"I can't imagine how I let Max talk me into this," Nikki said, speaking as much to herself as to Liz and Bill.
"I don't remember seeing any bruises from him twisting your arm," Liz pointed out. She was sitting in the back seat where she could keep an eye on her son. Since Michael was busy orchestrating a ferocious battle between two action figures, she was free to give her attention to her friend in the front seat. "You seemed to think marrying Sam was a good idea."
"I was wrong. It's a crazy idea."
"It's a done deal," Bill said. He glanced in the rearview mirror before changing lanes. "Besides, Sam seems like an okay kind of guy. I thought the whole idea was nuts, but I feel better about it after meeting Sam."
"Me, too," Liz agreed.
"I'm glad you both like him." Ridiculous as it was, Nikki felt a little betrayed by their ready acceptance of Sam. "How would you like to have him living with you for the next year?"
"It won't be so bad. In a house the size of yours, you'll barely know he's there. Besides, you're the one who married him, not me."
"Don't remind me." She was being unreasonable and she knew it. She couldn't blame Liz for not seeing past Sam's ruggedly handsome exterior and charming smile. Not that she thought it was charming. At least, not very. Grudgingly, Nikki admitted that he probably seemed like the embodiment of a woman's dreams—some women's dreams, anyway. Certainly not hers.
"I can't remember the last time Michael took to someone the way he took to Sam," Liz said, determined to point out Sam's attributes. "He really has a way with children."
"It seems that way." Nikki couldn't argue with her there. Sam had developed an immediate rapport with her small godson. Ordinarily, that would have gone a long way to softening her attitude toward the man she'd just married, but she wasn't interested in having her attitude softened. She'd just as soon keep up the mutual dislike they had going. It seemed safer.
"He seems very nice," Liz pointed out ruthlessly.
"Mmm." Nice wasn't exactly the word Nikki would have used. Pushy, annoying, overbearing, maybe. But not nice. She pretended a fascination with the traffic outside the window, hoping Liz would take the hint. She should have known better.
"You've got to admit he's very attractive."
She had no intention of admitting any such thing. "If you like that type, I suppose.''
"You mean the tall, blond, blue-eyed, built-like-a-god type? It is a little pass6, isn't it?"
"Should I be jealous?" Bill asked, frowning at his wife in the rearview mirror.
"Just because I happened to notice that Nikki's new husband is a hunk?"
Nikki only half heard the byplay going on between her friends. They'd just driven into the parking lot of the restaurant and she'd seen Sam and Max standing outside, waiting for them so that they all could enter the restaurant together and Jason wouldn't know the bride and groom had parted immediately after the ceremony. The fact that her heart was suddenly beating much too fast was caused by pure dislike. It had nothing to do with Sam Walker's broad shoulders or his craggy good looks. Liz might be impressed by those things, but she certainly wasn't. Not even a little bit.
Nikki was grateful for the dimness of the parking garage as Bill pulled the car into it. She didn't want Liz's sharp eyes to
"That's something worth celebrating," he conceded grudgingly. "But I still think the idea of all of us going out to dinner together is stupid."
"The two of you are going to be living together for the next year."
"Don't remind me."
"You're bound to share a few meals in that time. You might as well start now."
Sam turned into the parking garage near the restaurant. "I married her. That doesn't mean I have to eat with her."
"I can't imagine how I let Max talk me into this," Nikki said, speaking as much to herself as to Liz and Bill.
"I don't remember seeing any bruises from him twisting your arm," Liz pointed out. She was sitting in the back seat where she could keep an eye on her son. Since Michael was busy orchestrating a ferocious battle between two action figures, she was free to give her attention to her friend in the front seat. "You seemed to think marrying Sam was a good idea."
"I was wrong. It's a crazy idea."
"It's a done deal," Bill said. He glanced in the rearview mirror before changing lanes. "Besides, Sam seems like an okay kind of guy. I thought the whole idea was nuts, but I feel better about it after meeting Sam."
"Me, too," Liz agreed.
"I'm glad you both like him." Ridiculous as it was, Nikki felt a little betrayed by their ready acceptance of Sam. "How would you like to have him living with you for the next year?"
"It won't be so bad. In a house the size of yours, you'll barely know he's there. Besides, you're the one who married him, not me."
"Don't remind me." She was being unreasonable and she knew it. She couldn't blame Liz for not seeing past Sam's ruggedly handsome exterior and charming smile. Not that she thought it was charming. At least, not very. Grudgingly, Nikki admitted that he probably seemed like the embodiment of a woman's dreams—some women's dreams, anyway. Certainly not hers.
"I can't remember the last time Michael took to someone the way he took to Sam," Liz said, determined to point out Sam's attributes. "He really has a way with children."
"It seems that way." Nikki couldn't argue with her there. Sam had developed an immediate rapport with her small godson. Ordinarily, that would have gone a long way to softening her attitude toward the man she'd just married, but she wasn't interested in having her attitude softened. She'd just as soon keep up the mutual dislike they had going. It seemed safer.
"He seems very nice," Liz pointed out ruthlessly.
"Mmm." Nice wasn't exactly the word Nikki would have used. Pushy, annoying, overbearing, maybe. But not nice. She pretended a fascination with the traffic outside the window, hoping Liz would take the hint. She should have known better.
"You've got to admit he's very attractive."
She had no intention of admitting any such thing. "If you like that type, I suppose.''
"You mean the tall, blond, blue-eyed, built-like-a-god type? It is a little pass6, isn't it?"
"Should I be jealous?" Bill asked, frowning at his wife in the rearview mirror.
"Just because I happened to notice that Nikki's new husband is a hunk?"
Nikki only half heard the byplay going on between her friends. They'd just driven into the parking lot of the restaurant and she'd seen Sam and Max standing outside, waiting for them so that they all could enter the restaurant together and Jason wouldn't know the bride and groom had parted immediately after the ceremony. The fact that her heart was suddenly beating much too fast was caused by pure dislike. It had nothing to do with Sam Walker's broad shoulders or his craggy good looks. Liz might be impressed by those things, but she certainly wasn't. Not even a little bit.
Nikki was grateful for the dimness of the parking garage as Bill pulled the car into it. She didn't want Liz's sharp eyes to
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