hoping
Nick would change his mind now.
Nick grinned down at her.
If he had any of her last-minute doubts, his cynical expression did
not indicate it. “Are you half hoping that the alcalde will refuse to marry us? If
so, your hopes are dashed, for I would only find some-one else. But
Guido Lopez won’t refuse. He’s been my guest at both the San Ramon
ranch and my hunting cabin several times.”
The portly middle-aged man
soon appeared, an expansive grin of welcome beneath his walrus
mustache. “ Amigo! Como
esta ?”
Nick shook the hand that
pumped his, replying in fluent Spanish, “ Muy bien, gracias, Guido. Quiero casarse.”
“You want to get married!” Guido
echoed in English. His protuberant eyes moved to the tiny waif in
the large masculine shirt. Only the delicate cast of the pixielike
features gave any hint of the gender. Guido raised an incredulous
brow. “You wish to marry”—he nodded disbelievingly at her—“this
gracious lady . . .’’he finished on an unsure note.
Nick laughed.
“ Si , Guido. Ahorrita — immediately!”
When he added, “We’re too much in love to wait even one more
minute!” She glanced up to see Nicholas looking at her with what
had to be an expression of feigned adoration.
Guido hit the palm of his
hand against his forehead. “ Dios
mio, such haste. Let’s begin! Pronto !”
Frantically she looked at Nick, but he
ignored her beseeching gaze. At Guido’s in-struction he took her
hand, and her frozen fingers welcomed Nick’s warmth. She could not
bring herself to meet the derisive lips that professed love and
fidelity.
The ceremony was quickly performed,
the vows exchanged, but when Guido asked for the ring, Nick, for
once, looked unprepared. Then he said lightly, “I’ll buy one in
Cozumel.”
Guido nodded agreeably, as
if buying a wedding ring on a tropical island were a most
reasonable thing to do. He wished Nick much happiness and bent to
plant a kiss on her cheeks, his great mustache tickling her skin.
“ Vaya con Dios ,”
he told them, ushering the newlyweds on their way.
When Nick switched on the car’s
engine, she turned to him with disbelief. “Were you serious about
flying to Cozumel just to buy a wedding ring?”
“Where else would be a better place to
spend a honeymoon during a winter blizzard?” he asked, keeping his
sharp eyes on the darting cars and bicycles that crowded the
streets despite the morning’s early hours.
She caught her lower lip between her
teeth. The thought of a honeymoon and what it entailed could give
her cause to worry. “But I really don’t want a ring,” she began,
talking slowly and smoothly as if to a person who was not fully in
possession of his senses. “And there’s really no use wasting money
when the marriage will soon be ended.”
Nick flicked her a dubious glance. “A
woman worried about saving money? Don’t,” he said shortly. “I have
a sufficient amount—as your colleagues of the press have more than
once intimated.”
“But—but couldn’t we just pick up one
in Santa Fe?”
“What? A senator’s wife would never do
such an ordinary thing. No, we’ll buy one in Cozumel—along with
some beachwear and summer clothing.” And before she could open her
mouth to make another protest, he said in a firm manner that
brooked no further inter-ruption, “Just put it down, Julie, to one
of my whims.”
Chapter 5
N ick left the car at the El Paso International Airport that
morning and made two telephone calls: one to the hospital, where he
left a message for Pam to drive Julie’s repaired car back to Santa
Fe; the other to Dee Morley. And Julie, standing next to Nick when
he placed the call, could not help but wish she could see Dee’s
shocked face as he gave her the scoop on his marriage, coolly
explaining that some months ago, after reading one of Julie’s
caustic columns about him, he had telephoned her for a meeting . .
. and they had, of 'course, fallen in love.
“You
Nick would change his mind now.
Nick grinned down at her.
If he had any of her last-minute doubts, his cynical expression did
not indicate it. “Are you half hoping that the alcalde will refuse to marry us? If
so, your hopes are dashed, for I would only find some-one else. But
Guido Lopez won’t refuse. He’s been my guest at both the San Ramon
ranch and my hunting cabin several times.”
The portly middle-aged man
soon appeared, an expansive grin of welcome beneath his walrus
mustache. “ Amigo! Como
esta ?”
Nick shook the hand that
pumped his, replying in fluent Spanish, “ Muy bien, gracias, Guido. Quiero casarse.”
“You want to get married!” Guido
echoed in English. His protuberant eyes moved to the tiny waif in
the large masculine shirt. Only the delicate cast of the pixielike
features gave any hint of the gender. Guido raised an incredulous
brow. “You wish to marry”—he nodded disbelievingly at her—“this
gracious lady . . .’’he finished on an unsure note.
Nick laughed.
“ Si , Guido. Ahorrita — immediately!”
When he added, “We’re too much in love to wait even one more
minute!” She glanced up to see Nicholas looking at her with what
had to be an expression of feigned adoration.
Guido hit the palm of his
hand against his forehead. “ Dios
mio, such haste. Let’s begin! Pronto !”
Frantically she looked at Nick, but he
ignored her beseeching gaze. At Guido’s in-struction he took her
hand, and her frozen fingers welcomed Nick’s warmth. She could not
bring herself to meet the derisive lips that professed love and
fidelity.
The ceremony was quickly performed,
the vows exchanged, but when Guido asked for the ring, Nick, for
once, looked unprepared. Then he said lightly, “I’ll buy one in
Cozumel.”
Guido nodded agreeably, as
if buying a wedding ring on a tropical island were a most
reasonable thing to do. He wished Nick much happiness and bent to
plant a kiss on her cheeks, his great mustache tickling her skin.
“ Vaya con Dios ,”
he told them, ushering the newlyweds on their way.
When Nick switched on the car’s
engine, she turned to him with disbelief. “Were you serious about
flying to Cozumel just to buy a wedding ring?”
“Where else would be a better place to
spend a honeymoon during a winter blizzard?” he asked, keeping his
sharp eyes on the darting cars and bicycles that crowded the
streets despite the morning’s early hours.
She caught her lower lip between her
teeth. The thought of a honeymoon and what it entailed could give
her cause to worry. “But I really don’t want a ring,” she began,
talking slowly and smoothly as if to a person who was not fully in
possession of his senses. “And there’s really no use wasting money
when the marriage will soon be ended.”
Nick flicked her a dubious glance. “A
woman worried about saving money? Don’t,” he said shortly. “I have
a sufficient amount—as your colleagues of the press have more than
once intimated.”
“But—but couldn’t we just pick up one
in Santa Fe?”
“What? A senator’s wife would never do
such an ordinary thing. No, we’ll buy one in Cozumel—along with
some beachwear and summer clothing.” And before she could open her
mouth to make another protest, he said in a firm manner that
brooked no further inter-ruption, “Just put it down, Julie, to one
of my whims.”
Chapter 5
N ick left the car at the El Paso International Airport that
morning and made two telephone calls: one to the hospital, where he
left a message for Pam to drive Julie’s repaired car back to Santa
Fe; the other to Dee Morley. And Julie, standing next to Nick when
he placed the call, could not help but wish she could see Dee’s
shocked face as he gave her the scoop on his marriage, coolly
explaining that some months ago, after reading one of Julie’s
caustic columns about him, he had telephoned her for a meeting . .
. and they had, of 'course, fallen in love.
“You
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