temporarily, a known enemy, and one who freely admitted he thought she was unbalanced.
When she spotted Angus gracefully gliding across the pond, a gentle smile touched her lips. She began to hum a lullaby and slowly made her way to Caer and her nest. By the time she reached the lean-to, Caer had left her eggs and was noisily greeting Kelli. With loving hands she praised the new mother, sat down, and softly sang another song.
Fifteen minutes later her entire rendition was completed and Caer was back to her eggs. As she carefully and slowly made her way to the other side of the pond, Kelli spotted a pair of mallard ducks who undoubtedly would be increasing their population later this spring.
With a tired sigh Kelli sat down on a dry bed of grass. The back of her neck ached and tension flowed from her cramped muscles. She turned her face toward the warm sun. It felt wonderful after a long winter. Without a thought to the crinkling grass and anything it might contain, Kelli locked her hands and behind her head and lay back. She closed her eyes and promised herself just five more minutes of peaceful solitude.
Half an hour later, Logan found her asleep in the grass. With a cautious glance at the swans swimming on the other side of the pond, he placed the wicker picnic basket down and carefully spread out an old blanket. As he unzipped his jacket, he wondered what her reaction to his peace offering would be. He had spent the morning in town picking up various magazines and journals on geology. They didn’t hold all the answers he needed, but they contained names and addresses of people who did. Tonight when Kelli disappeared into her workshop, he would start writing letters.
He had spent over an hour in the grocery store piling all his favorite foods into the cart. An eighteen-pound turkey caused his mouth to water for Ruth’s stuffing. Thick porterhouse steaks, fresh broccoli, and the ingredients for a chocolate cake were added to the overflowing cart. He had picked up double of everything on Ruth’s order and jammed the stuffed bags into the trunk of his rental car. When he reached home his trunk was overflowing.
When he saw the expression on Ruth’s face as she looked at her two new huge houseplants he knew the trip was a success. For as long as he could remember, her home had been crammed with plants. But there wasn’t one single plant in their cottage. Why? When he hinted for an explanation, she skillfully skirted the issue.
As Ruth alternated between tisking over the amount of food he’d bought, and planning the next week’s meals, Logan had packed a wicker basket full of food. When Ruth learned he planned to share the picnic with Kelli, she beamed and fetched an old plaid blanket she had seen in the hall closet. Armed with a basketful of good intentions, he went to find Kelli. As he stepped outside into the sunshine he knew instinctively where she was. With the swans at the pond. Now, he silently placed the basket in the middle of the blanket and stared at the sleeping woman. Streaks of mud coated her boots and worn jeans hugged her legs. A large baggy red sweater covered her from her neck to the tops of her thighs. Her small firm breasts were amplified by her hands being laced behind her head. Arousal raced through Logan’s body. He forced his gaze higher. Her lips were softly parted as if waiting for a lover’s kiss, and her golden lashes lay against her pink cheeks. A Sleeping Beauty struck by a fairy’s spell.
She was beautiful. How could a woman be so seductive without even trying? he wondered. With a visible shake of his head, he reminded himself he was there to thank her for all she had done. And because he’d disregarded his responsibilities, Kelli was now going to be hurt. The kiss they shared last night had been a mistake. It couldn’t be repeated. They might come to some kind of mutual agreement on his aunt and uncle, but never on the desire that burned between them.
With a heavy sigh he sat
When she spotted Angus gracefully gliding across the pond, a gentle smile touched her lips. She began to hum a lullaby and slowly made her way to Caer and her nest. By the time she reached the lean-to, Caer had left her eggs and was noisily greeting Kelli. With loving hands she praised the new mother, sat down, and softly sang another song.
Fifteen minutes later her entire rendition was completed and Caer was back to her eggs. As she carefully and slowly made her way to the other side of the pond, Kelli spotted a pair of mallard ducks who undoubtedly would be increasing their population later this spring.
With a tired sigh Kelli sat down on a dry bed of grass. The back of her neck ached and tension flowed from her cramped muscles. She turned her face toward the warm sun. It felt wonderful after a long winter. Without a thought to the crinkling grass and anything it might contain, Kelli locked her hands and behind her head and lay back. She closed her eyes and promised herself just five more minutes of peaceful solitude.
Half an hour later, Logan found her asleep in the grass. With a cautious glance at the swans swimming on the other side of the pond, he placed the wicker picnic basket down and carefully spread out an old blanket. As he unzipped his jacket, he wondered what her reaction to his peace offering would be. He had spent the morning in town picking up various magazines and journals on geology. They didn’t hold all the answers he needed, but they contained names and addresses of people who did. Tonight when Kelli disappeared into her workshop, he would start writing letters.
He had spent over an hour in the grocery store piling all his favorite foods into the cart. An eighteen-pound turkey caused his mouth to water for Ruth’s stuffing. Thick porterhouse steaks, fresh broccoli, and the ingredients for a chocolate cake were added to the overflowing cart. He had picked up double of everything on Ruth’s order and jammed the stuffed bags into the trunk of his rental car. When he reached home his trunk was overflowing.
When he saw the expression on Ruth’s face as she looked at her two new huge houseplants he knew the trip was a success. For as long as he could remember, her home had been crammed with plants. But there wasn’t one single plant in their cottage. Why? When he hinted for an explanation, she skillfully skirted the issue.
As Ruth alternated between tisking over the amount of food he’d bought, and planning the next week’s meals, Logan had packed a wicker basket full of food. When Ruth learned he planned to share the picnic with Kelli, she beamed and fetched an old plaid blanket she had seen in the hall closet. Armed with a basketful of good intentions, he went to find Kelli. As he stepped outside into the sunshine he knew instinctively where she was. With the swans at the pond. Now, he silently placed the basket in the middle of the blanket and stared at the sleeping woman. Streaks of mud coated her boots and worn jeans hugged her legs. A large baggy red sweater covered her from her neck to the tops of her thighs. Her small firm breasts were amplified by her hands being laced behind her head. Arousal raced through Logan’s body. He forced his gaze higher. Her lips were softly parted as if waiting for a lover’s kiss, and her golden lashes lay against her pink cheeks. A Sleeping Beauty struck by a fairy’s spell.
She was beautiful. How could a woman be so seductive without even trying? he wondered. With a visible shake of his head, he reminded himself he was there to thank her for all she had done. And because he’d disregarded his responsibilities, Kelli was now going to be hurt. The kiss they shared last night had been a mistake. It couldn’t be repeated. They might come to some kind of mutual agreement on his aunt and uncle, but never on the desire that burned between them.
With a heavy sigh he sat
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