CHAPTER ELEVEN

 

BELLA ABRUPTLY STOPPED THE SHOPPING CART in the middle of the aisle by the dairy case.

Garrett held the white container toward her, his eyes glittering with amusement. "Plain yogurt? Yuck!" Bella cried. "Who ever heard of using this stuff as sour cream? I think that's a terrible idea."

"I use it all the time. You'll be surprised at how good it tastes. Just think how your heart will love it."

She shook her head and curled her upper lip in distaste. "Oh...go ahead. Put it in the basket. I can go without sour cream if I have to," Bella howled with laughter.

A middle-aged woman dressed in an expensive leather jumpsuit glared at Bella. She maneuvered her cart away from the couple, disappearing down the closest aisle.

Bella tipped her head in the direction of the snobbish woman and impishly said, "Did you see that look on her face? She thinks it's an appalling item, too."

Garrett shook his head, giving her a scolding look. "You really are a character, I'll give you that much." He grinned widely; his even row of teeth sparkled in contrast to his dark tan. "Really now, all you have in the basket is junk food. Let's hit the produce section. At least let me have fresh fruit with my hamburgers instead of French fries."

"I know. Let's get some yogurt with fruit in it. That will taste much better than this plain stuff." Laughter bubbled in her throat and the playful mood filled her with energy and excitement. Their mood since the tension-breaking romp on the floor last night had been one of humor. Once back in control of their emotions, the idea of lovemaking had passed. Garrett left her at the door with only a brotherly peck on her cheek.

"Not on my baked potato," Garrett grumbled in jest. "Just the thought of a smothered burrito with blueberry yogurt on top is…yucky."

Bella anticipated a fun-filled weekend. Having Garrett with her certainly would brighten the gloomy days of winter. Winter in Wyoming was a challenge. It began in October, and snow was not uncommon up here on the mountain well into May.

Garrett walked ahead of Bella. He stopped, picked an item from the shelf, and scrutinized the label critically, deciding if it met his low fat criteria before deciding to purchase it.

Bella watched him with fascination. Garrett was breathtakingly handsome. His jeans hugged his backside then fell a lengthy distance to the top of his hiking boots. Garrett told her he froze in Wyoming. She told him to bring lots of warm clothing. He was dressed for the mountain life that was for sure. She didn't have the heart to tell him about the environment higher up the mountain where her cabin was located. After all, she wanted him to join her.

Looking at Garrett caused tremors of desire to spread from the base of her spine to the top of her head. Slowly, she licked her full lips, yearning to press her body against his and smell his musky, masculine scent mingle with her sweet feminine fragrance once again. If last night were any indication of what his hot passion would be like…she'd have to be careful if there was any hope to return down the mountain without making love to Garrett. She certainly wanted to, but the niggling feeling of doubt interfered with her passion.

"Come on," Garrett shouted, bringing her out of the fantasy.

Bella put a bag of tortilla chips on top of his healthy choices.

"I'm going to hold you responsible for the ruination of my boyish physique." He pushed his glasses higher up his nose, and then scratched his chin.

"No. I'm showing you how to shop for good food." She patted his flat, muscular mid-section. He pulled her close and kissed her soundly while ignoring the shoppers staring at them. At first, Bella felt cold from the shock of his passionate kiss. Then, she felt hot…hot all over. She didn't have the power or the resolve to push herself away from his embrace. Her knees turned to the consistency of gelatin.

Garrett broke the kiss. "I think we should finish this shopping and be on our way before we embarrass ourselves, don't you?"

She nodded in numb agreement and pushed the cart down the aisle. "We'll get to the fruit," she called over her shoulder to him. "But we have to get the rest of the good stuff first."

She hurried along the aisle rapidly filling the basket with soda pop, chips and popcorn. She nearly escaped the aisle that held the candy, but she grabbed two caramel bars at the end display.

Garrett caught-up with her in the produce section, shaking his head in disbelief at what he saw she'd placed in the cart.

"Bella! You don't have anything fit to eat in the whole basket."

"Sure I do, see?" She held up a plastic bag filled with apples. "These are for you and...this is for me." In her hands was a tub of caramel apple dip. "Caramel apples on a cold winter night in front of the fire."

He looked at her blankly.

She leaned over and whispered into his ear, "It's my sexual fantasy, by the way."

"It sounds more like a high cholesterol nightmare to me. One in which I'd wake up fifty pounds heavier." He reached for the bar on the grocery basket, pushing it toward the checkout stand. He turned to Bella, looking at her seductively and said, "Besides, you'd never get it tasted off me before you'd be wearing it yourself."

* * * *

By the time they exited through the auto doors at the store, the streetlights were glowing dimly through the fat, wet snowflakes in the air. The parking lot was wet and just beginning to freeze into a sheet of ice.

Garrett looked into the sky. "It's hard to believe it's still morning."

"I know," she said, her voice was muffled through the neck scarf as she tried to pull her head into the collar of her coat. "It's the cold front coming through. There must be tons of moisture in the clouds. That's what's blocking the sun."

"Wonderful," he muttered. "It's a good thing we're leaving early. I wouldn't want to make the drive if it were any darker out than it is now. Here," he said, handing her the vehicle keys. "Would you unlock the back window, please? I'll put the groceries in there."

Bella opened the front door fighting off Brandy and her wet lapping tongue as the dog greeted her. Bella pushed a button beside the radio and released the back window.

"Brandy...get down," Bella cried as she pushed the dog into the back seat and out of the way.

Covered with the large flakes of snow, Garrett futility tried to brush the flakes from his ski jacket as he slid into the driver's seat after stowing the plastic grocery sacks in the back of the vehicle. "How do you think the road to the cabin will be with all the snow coming down?"

Bella looked at him and rolled her eyes as Brandy landed in her lap, snuggling into the warmth of her coat. "Who knows? Sometimes, if the clouds are this heavy in town, the mountain can be above it all. We can hope anyway."

After an hour of creeping up the highway covered with snow, Bella pointed out the narrow dirt road that led to the cabin. The snow was deep and uncorrupted by any tire tracks. Under the direction of Garrett's skilled hand, the small vehicle handled the conditions with ease.

"How much farther is it?" Garrett asked, the pinched expression on his face folded into lines as he squinted to see the road--or what he assumed was the road.

"It's about half a mile more. If it was dark outside and the lights were on in the house, we could see it from here."

He drove on in silence, peering into the fuzzy distance to pinpoint the road. Fifteen minutes later, the shadowy outline of the cabin loomed ahead at the end of the road.

"Wow!" He blew a long whistling sigh. "I thought you said this was a cabin. This looks more like a...resort lodge."

Bella shrugged. "Were you expecting Abe Lincoln's childhood home?"

"Real funny, Bella. But I did expect something a little more rustic." Garrett opened the car door and stepping outside, he continued to stare.

"Are you disappointed?" She questioned, easing out of the vehicle, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She was proud of her home and all the work she and Scott had done. Suddenly, a strange mixture of emotions filled her, happiness, sadness, love for her husband.

She tried to shake off the emotions, but the misery of the last days she'd spent here crashed over her, the pain a physical hurt that throbbed through her as she walked to the back of the vehicle to gather the luggage and groceries.  Brandy jumped out and only her nose showed out of the snow. Bella picked her up, then set her down on a spot left bare by the howling wind. It didn't placate the dog for long. Soon, Brandy raced through the deep snow, barking and yipping at a whirl of snow; she nearly disappeared in drifts at times. Finally, she reached the covered porch at the front of the house where there was barely a skiff of snow blanketing the deck.

"Why don't you go on ahead? I'll bring in all this," he said.

"Okay. I need to start the fire anyway. I'll bet it's cold as...well, very cold in there."

Garrett snapped his head in her direction capturing her eyes with his. "Is that the only source of heat?"

Bella's brows knitted with puzzlement. "Yes." Her answer was more of a question. "That's all we have in the mountains. There are propane suppliers, but they have a lot of trouble getting through when the snow gets deep. I do have the electric heaters in the kitchen and bathroom set on the lowest setting to keep the pipes from freezing." She didn't add that she had to keep the heat low to afford the utility bills.

The interior was breathtakingly quiet. The massive log walls not only shrugged off rain, hail, sleet and snow, but they muffled almost any sound. Everything around her had survived the anguish of the past three years. She alone had experienced the destruction of her old way of life. Bella had been so happy here...and so madly in love. That life had been a sham. Everything she'd believed in, a horrible lie. With a sigh, she snapped on the light. The glow illuminated the great room and chased the winter shadows from the corners of the room. Soft light also spilled from a brass desk lamp near the stairway leading up to the hallway and loft area

"Wow," Garrett breathed in dismay, his tone low and husky. "The tranquility surrounds you the moment you walk through the door."

Bella smiled. The house had the same effect on her. She hated living in the apartment, letting all this sit, but she couldn't rely on her old car or the weather during the winter. Then the realization that she might not have her job hit her. If she didn't have the job...would she have to sell all of this? She looked around at all her familiar objects and eyes filling with tears. She refused to think about it, not yet, anyway.

Bella walked through the great room with its massive fieldstone fireplace that rose to the top of the vaulted ceiling. Garrett followed. The furnishings in the room resonated with appeal. Shaker-style tables glowed with a soft pine patina. A braided rug captured the russet and brown hues of autumn, and the American Indian designs played out a geometric pattern on a sage-colored wing chair.

Opposite the fireplace sat the dining room filled with a massive table and six chairs. "Were you planning on having a large family?" Garrett asked seriously.

Setting the groceries on the black-granite kitchen counter, she eyed him sadly. "That was the plan. I guess things don't always work out like you sketch them, do they?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that, but when I look around here, it cries out for a family." He looked at his feet and the snow caked over the top of his boots. "Can I knock the snow off over here?" He pointed toward a braided run near the back door.

"Sure. That's what I made it for."

"You made this?" he asked, grunting as he bent to scrape the imbedded snow from the laces.

"Another one of those activities things."

"You know, I don't think there is one solitary thing you can't do." He stamped his feet, dislodging the snow. The dull thud echoed through the kitchen. "Goodness, its quiet in here. It almost gives me the creeps. Like a tomb or something."

Bella placed a gallon jug of milk in the refrigerator. "I had to adjust to that problem when I first moved here. It was so quiet I could hear the blood pounding through my ears and it kept me awake all night." She wadded the plastic bag into a ball and dropped it into the trash. "Then, when I moved back into town I had the same problem. Only this time it was all the noise keeping me awake."

"Bella. You refer to this as a cabin. I think you should call it something else. Two rooms is a cabin. Two stories is a house." He tossed her a lopsided grin.

She returned his smile with ease and finished putting the refrigerated groceries away. Reaching into a drawer, she pulled out a cloth and attacked the dusty counters. The tongue and groove floors were just as dusty, but they would have to wait. She'd cleaned the house before winter set in, but it still got dusty although no one lived here.

"There is a fireplace between the bedrooms on the upper floor. We were going to--a" She stopped, grief twisting and turning inside her. The thoughts overwhelmed her. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't come here with the intention of boring you with my past."

"That's all right." Garrett closed the distance between them, taking her in his arms. His hug was strong, warm and protective. "You can't hide from the memories because they are part of you." Stepping away from her, he rubbed his hands together to warm them. "I think I'll bring in some wood and try my hand at building a huge, roaring fire. The weather around here is vastly different from Arizona."

Bella smiled. He tried so hard to make her comfortable and she loved him for it. "The wood is...."

"...On the front deck. Yeah, I know. I saw it when we brought in the luggage."

She made a sweeping gesture with her hand. "Have at it, sir. It won't hurt my feeling not having to drag in that heavy wood." The door banged shut behind him.

Even though it was cold in the 'house' as Garrett wanted her to call it, she slid out of her coat donning a blue ruffled apron and started emptying the rest of the grocery bags. The kitchen held an abundant amount of cupboards from which Bella retrieved her favorite baskets. She dumped fresh fruit and vegetables into the rustic containers and placed them on the counter.

A sly smile played at the corners of her lips as she imagined Garrett's surprise when he tasted her culinary demonstration. The junk food she purchased at the store would save time, but she especially liked cooking. The cabinets held a multitude of spices and utensils to aid her craft as did the large freezer in the walk-in pantry. "Garrett, get ready for a surprise," she whispered to herself and set about drawing up a menu for the meal.

The front door banged open. "Bella!" Garrett cried more in frustration than irritation.

"What's the matter?" She raced toward the front door. "Are you all right? Garrett stood there with his arms loaded with the wood.

"How many damn fireplaces does this cabin have? I've been lugging wood for a half hour and still I find I have more to haul." His face was red from the wind whipping the moisture from his skin.

"Oh, sweetie, that's enough wood for the whole weekend. Here..." She unloaded some of the wood from his arms. "I'll help you distribute this. We'll be warm in no time." She dropped her armload by the fireplace.

"I've decided I like those easy-to-run forced-air furnaces. With the wood, you have to cut, split and haul. That's a lot of work." Garrett slowly trudged up the stairs, the wood making the trek difficult. "Is there only one fireplace between the bedrooms and one in this room that has the television and stereo?"

"That's right. It's called the loft. You start the fires and I'll finish the meal."

"Wow!" Garrett cried, looking over the railing. "This loft is great." The wall of windows in the great room reached the ceiling. He dropped the wood on the hearth and sat back on his heels, trying to look outside, but the snow in the air was just too thick.

"Wait till the sun comes out and you can see the view. I know you can't see it now, but there's a pine-covered mountain with a creek at its base out there. It's beautiful at any time of the year." Bella stood behind him looking out the windows as well.

"Hey, I thought you were headed to the kitchen to cook."

She smiled, her body aching for his touch. "Oh, it's nearly finished. I just have a couple more things to do and I thought I'd help you."

Bella reached out and took his hands, pulling him up. "Really, I just wanted to be near you."

His gaze traveled over her face and searched her eyes. Then she leaned forward and touched her lips to his. Suddenly, he gathered her into his arms and held her snugly in his embrace. She was aware of where their bodies touched and heat warmed her. Pulling away from his lips was so difficult, but being in this room…with him was unsettling. More than anything she wondered why she hadn't felt this level of desire for Scott.

"Hey, let's get the fires going, and I don't mean between us," she whispered in his ear, then pulled from his embrace. "I'll tackle the lower level." Bella skipped down the stairs.

A bit later, Bella had a fire crackling.

Forcing herself up from the hearth, she returned to the kitchen to finish the preparation for their meal. They hadn't eaten breakfast because of the snowstorm. The higher up the mountain they drove, the harder it snowed. Bella suspected there was over a foot of snow on the level. If the wind came up, they would certainly be in trouble. There was no way she would tell Garrett this bit of information. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ward off the cold.

Bella smiled listening to the soft sounds of movement over her head. It was soothing to hear Garrett upstairs. His presence chased away the ghosts. She'd spent very little time at the cabin because the emptiness was so hard to face and it made her uncomfortable and nervous to be here alone.

Garrett entered the warmth of the kitchen and dropped into an antique chair near the door. He looked around at the architecture. "This certainly is a big cabin."

Bella took plates out of the cabinet and placed them on the counter then said, "This kitchen area and the bedrooms directly above us were the original cabin. Scott and I built, or should I say rebuilt, everything you see here. That's why we began calling it a cabin, because it was. In the beginning, anyway. When we saved enough money, we added the great room and loft."

"That's amazing. No wonder you find it so difficult to come here. The memories must cut through you like a hot knife."

She nodded. "Yes, it does, but you're here now, and that helps me a lot. Hey! Enough of this gloomy talk. Help set the table. I'm starved."

Garrett unfolded a blue, calico print tablecloth and tossed it over the massive table; Bella took the heavy crockery dishes, setting them on the cloth and went back to the stove.

"I think this place looks like it came from an earlier period in history. I like the way you put the television and stereo upstairs. If they were in the great room, it would ruin the atmosphere." He called out to her.

"Thanks," she retorted. "That's the feeling I wanted. I bought all the furniture at auctions." Bella walked back with the heavy soup tureen in her hands and placed it in the middle of the table.

"The cabinets were here, but the china closet was a mess. Someone had painted it, and poorly, too. I had to scrape the old paint off and fill the cracks with wood putty before I could refinish it the antique blue color. I think it's the focal point of the room. I used variations of the color for the curtains and the hardware on the cabinets."

Garrett shook his head in wonder. "Have you ever thought of becoming a decorator?"

"Don't be silly. I can do this for myself but never for pay. I would be too nervous to decorate for anyone other than myself. Why don't you go up and select some music? We can hear it down here."

"We can?" he asked, his eyebrows rose over the rim of his glasses.

Bella pointed toward the ceiling. "See the silk plants up there?"

Garrett nodded.

"Well...behind them are the speakers. The effect is great."

Garrett bound up the steps two at a time. Shortly, the romantic sounds poured from the speakers.

Garrett rejoined her at the table. He reached for his coffee mug and sipped the warm liquid. "You mentioned you did some decorating at the care center. What did you do?"

Reaching behind her, she untied her apron and pulled it over her head. "I designed the library," she said in a nonchalant manner as she filled his bowl with soup.

Garrett raised his eyebrows. "Really!" This piqued his interest.

"The hospital board wanted the annex to be energy efficient," she went on. "The original blueprint had small, high windows unsuitable for someone in a wheelchair to see outside."

Garrett leaned toward her with interest. "Why...I never would have thought of something like that." So. She was the person that had insisted on the windows. He smiled at her enthusiasm.

"You have to work with the elderly and disabled to see some of their problems with architecture. I told the architect that he should talk to the people who live in the homes and with the staff members that work there before designing the building. That way he would understand the needs of the facility. What purpose is there to building something new if it is as inefficient and outdated as the old one?" She exclaimed, placing the lid back on the tureen.

Garrett dipped into the thick, fragrant cheese soup in his bowl. Bella passed him a dish that held a cup of curry dip and fresh vegetables.

He tasted the soup, looking at her over the top of his glasses. "What's this spicy flavor?"

"Do you like it?" She reluctantly asked, fearing to hear his answer.

Taking another spoonful, he nodded.

"Cinnamon and a touch of sugar and pimentos. I found the combination in a Greek cookbook." His approval calmed her. Why did she have to feel like a pupil during a test? Was love supposed to feel this way? She tried to remember her feelings around Scott, but that wasn't the same thing. They'd grown-up together. But she felt sure that they hadn't experienced anything like this. Scott had known everything about her and she thought the same about him until...until he died and left her penniless.

"Here I thought we're having chips and dip…but go on," Garrett said. "I want to hear more about your library project."

"Okay. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through." She was so glad not to face remembering how bad Scott had made her feel. "After much deliberation and soul searching on my part, I took my ideas to a board meeting. I presented articles from well-known physicians who suggested that residents required less physical care, and that they lived on the average of four years longer when occupied with interesting activities."

"That's great," Garrett said but his words lacked enthusiasm. "Uh, where did you come across this study?"

"I believe it was in an Activities journal. Why?"

"I-I might want to read it. Use it for advertising Twin Pines," he spoke nervously. Garrett dove into his soup. When the bowl was half-empty he asked, "How did the board feel about your protest?"

She smiled brightly. "What could they say? They knew it would be money in their pockets. They have to compete with the larger nursing homes and assisted living centers, not only in this region, but across the country. The only obstacle came from the corporate office. They didn't want to spend the money for the architectural changes." Lifting the lid on the tureen, she ladled more soup into his nearly empty bowl. Garrett didn't appear to have such a huge appetite. He was thin, muscular and firm. "For a while, I didn't know if we were going to pull off the changes, but somehow, the owner of the corporation got involved and within a few days the changes were authorized."

"Rebel rouser."

She tossed her head and grinned. "Not really, but what I'm really proud of is something else. I suggested the doors open out into the courtyard. The original design had only the dining room exit to the area. I felt it would be used much more if it was accessible from the multiple areas."

"Excellent. Excellent!"

"What are you commenting about, the door idea or the soup."

"Both." Garrett said, his smile turning to a chuckle.

Bella's smile faded, her mood turning somber. "That's why this suspension hurts so badly. I've only had the best interest of the facility in mind. Tell me, Garrett, who is it you suspect?"

He shook his head. "Bella, I can't say until I catch the guilty parties red handed, you know that. Isn't it enough for you to know I recognize your innocence?"

"Yes, but..."

"But nothing," he added, then took the last spoonful of soup then placed his spoon in the empty bowl. "You can stay here, out of the way, and I'll set everything in motion."

Bella bit her bottom lip as she considered his proposal. "I can do that, for a few days."

Garrett frowned, his lips pulling into a tight line as he considered her plea. "I might agree, but I don't understand why you'd want to return to your apartment. Evergreen isn't safe for you right now."

"I-I'm hesitant to tell you...y-you'll think it's a lame excuse." Unconsciously her brow furrowed.

"Bella," he said softly. "I only want to understand."

"I need to conduct the residents' council meeting. Gladys Fortney wanted a menu change. After everything she has been through, I think she'll want me there. We were discussing this right before she was locked out in the cold."

"Are you sure she'll be back from the hospital in Casper?"

Bella's eyes grew wide. She hadn't thought of that. "Is she that bad?"

He shrugged and moved his gaze to the pottery salt and peppershakers in the middle of the table. "I'm not sure if she'll want to come back. Isn't there someone else that could hold that meeting for you? Nikki possibly?"

"No," she cried. "Not her. The residents seem cool toward her. She's never moderated a council meeting. The residents trust me--" She knew it sounded like whining, but this situation made her feel hopeless.

Throwing up his hands, he sighed, "Amanda is furious. I told her I would suspend you." Garrett fell into a somber mood. His face tightened into a stern mask as he pondered her question. Sitting straighter in his chair, he drove his fist into the palm of his hand as if to punctuate his thought. "I'll try to avoid her." Garrett stared quietly at the center of the table for a few seconds. "Wednesday, that's the meeting day, right?" She nodded.

Garrett's mouth took an unpleasant twist. "That's the latest date I can try for, but if Amanda goes over my head to the board...well, I can't guarantee anything."

Bella reached over and warmly clasped his hand. "Thank you. I know you want me to stay here...and I will after the meeting, but...damn!"

Resting his chin on his hand, he narrowed his eyes. "Now what?" His words a mere whisper.

Bella caught her lower lip between her teeth. "Can't I stay in town longer? I have to finish coordinating the center holiday plans!"

"After everything that has happened to you there, you want to do this?"

"Yes. It's not for anyone other than the residents. They deserve that much from me. They didn't cause these problems for me."

Shrugging slightly he said, "I guess if you're willing to be there, I'm willing to help you stay, but it won't be easy. Amanda really wants you out of there."

"I wonder why?" she whispered.

"I don't understand."

"Why does she want me gone so badly," she stammered, not wanting him to hear the skepticism in her voice. "And, thanks, Garrett. It really means a lot to me. I'll just come into town with you Monday and stay at home. I'll drop in for the resident's meeting. Do you think that will work?"

"It sounds like a plan, now what's with all this good, hardy food? I thought you were only serving me junk food." His light observation eased the tension between them.

"I'd hoped you'd be surprised." Bella admitted. "There's a whole lot you don't know about me." Her voice sounded shakier than she'd have liked.

He nodded in agreement. "You're right on that count, but I want to change that. If you remember, we tried to change that last night." He looked at her and a devilish grin played the corners of his mouth.

She averted her eyes to her empty bowl to avoid his salacious gaze. It was better if she let this subject drop. "The snow is really coming down. I looked out a while ago and it's already filled the tracks."

"That's terrible." His brows knitted together with concern.

"Don't worry," she said teasingly. "The weather forecast earlier said the high tomorrow will be thirty-two degrees with sunny skies. That should melt some of it."

Garrett pushed back his chair. "I'm going to change from music to radio for a while. I want to hear the weather forecast." He hurriedly left the kitchen.

"Garrett. Come back down here. I have dessert for us. There's nothing to worry about." She'd no more spoken the words when an updated weather forecast interrupted the country music.

"A stockman's advisory has been issued for Northern Wyoming. Twelve to sixteen inches of new snow is expected overnight with wind gusting to fifty miles an hour."

Their exact location.

"Ha! What do you think now?" Garrett hollered down to her as he leaned over the log railing.

"Well..."

He raced down the stairs with overflowing energy, returning to the table. Sitting down beside her, he leaned toward her and kissed her quickly on the end of the nose. "So tell me Madame Mann...what do you foresee in your crystal ball for Sunday?"

"Ummm..." She murmured wantonly in her best spiritualist voice. "I need more kisses to clear my crystal ball." With her eyes closed, she felt Garrett's nearness and the room filled with a sexual tension so thick the electricity could cause an explosion.

Garrett reached out, pulling her head toward him. They were nose to nose. "You're beautiful and a great cook, too." He looked at her and the double meaning of his gaze was obvious. Their lips merged. The subtle flavors that lingered from the meal combined.

Bella's heart hammered behind her ribs and her breath stuck in her chest. There was no doubting her desire and it sent her spirits spiraling upward. She knew they had to stop this kiss or it would be too late to turn back. Especially considering how close they came to doing it last night. Her feelings for Garrett ran so deep. How could she pull away from him? Garrett made her dizzy and weak with love and…lust. She ached to release her reckless yearnings; to sweep the dishes onto the floor and make love in the middle of the dining room table.

Somehow, her hands found his shoulders. She pushed him away. "Stop. Please!" She pleaded. "I'm not ready for this. You make me crazy," she cried, her voice raspy and thick with desire.

"I won't hurt you, Bella. I love you." Garrett's eyes grew wide with the surprise of his admission.

His words cut a path across her soul. Her ears buzzed and her stomach flopped… their relationship had just escalated to a higher level. Love? She knew she loved him and she'd hoped that he would feel the same for her...sometime. When had his feelings changed?

"Garrett…you love me?" Bella asked with trembling lips. She watched the color slowing returning to his face. "You should see yourself. You're positively white." In spite of herself, she chuckled,

"Um-hum...I'm not surprised. That's the first time I've said that to a woman." A few beads of perspiration formed across his upper lip. He took out a paisley handkerchief from his back pocket dabbing at the moisture. "I didn't mean for it to slip out like that."

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're not ready to hear it. As a matter-of-fact, it's probably the most inopportune time I could have chosen. I shouldn't have said that while we're standing in the middle of the home you shared with your husband." He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

Bella kept her gaze averted from his and began, "I-I'm not sorry you told me. I've fallen in love with you, too."

"This is so fast," he muttered in disbelief.

She smiled at him and took his hand, squeezing it reassuringly. "I think it began the day I found you annihilating the stairway."

His body stiffened with the impact of her words. "I'm shocked. I certainly didn't think we would be sitting here discussing this. Where do we go from here though?" Garrett took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

She stood up, more surprised and uncertain than ever. "I don't know for sure. With everything going on at the care center..."

"Work has nothing to do with our relationship. You didn't do any of those horrible things you're accused of doing. I know that. I just wonder why they want you to look guilty."

"They?" Her brows rose.

"Has to be. Too much has gone on for one person to accomplish. Another reason it can't be you."

"Thank you," she whispered, dropping back into the chair. "For loving me and for believing in me.

Garrett smoothed the back of his hand across her prominent cheekbone. "This isn't the way I imagined telling you about my feelings."

Bella threw him a puzzled look. "How...?"

His gaze riveted on her face, then slowly moved over her body. "Really, I thought I would be too afraid to say the words, but I'm not. I'm..." His blatantly sexual stare caused the pit of her stomach to tingle. "Enough of this talk all ready. I'm not prepared to do what that look you're giving me implies."

"Oh, but we will dear heart. Maybe not here tonight, but we will."

Bella stood and ambled to the kitchen. Returning to the table, she brought with her, a lemon cake topped with a blueberry sauce.

"You are a treat, Bella Mann. When did you make this?" Garrett said and dived into the dessert.

"I hid a prepared cake near the bottom of the basket, and the berries were in my freezer." Bella kissed the top of his head.

Garrett slid his hand up her leg and squeezed the soft flesh of her upper thigh. The feeling sent a jolt of excitement through her and her breath caught in her chest.

She wanted nothing more than to spend the weekend making love to Garrett.

* * * *

"Let me help you do the dishes," Garrett said earnestly as he carried the soup bowls back into the kitchen.

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Bella cried. "You'll spoil me." But she let him anyway. Dishes were her least favorite household chore. With his help, the cleanup took only minutes. Chores completed for the night, they entered the living room arm-in-arm. Bella collapsed onto the leather sofa.

"What a day..." Garrett groaned, dropping down beside her. Brandy awoke and jumped in the middle of them, swiping their faces with her soft wet tongue. "Enough, Brandy." Garrett said forcefully and the dog dropped down beside him.

"I wondered if we were going to make it here!" She kicked off her shoes before placing her feet on the oak coffee table in front of her. Brandy jumped onto the couch nestling between them. She eyed Garrett suspiciously.

He raked his fingers through his long, black hair. "Truthfully, I wish we hadn't come here."

"Why?" she cried in alarm, turning toward him, her eyes open wide with surprise.

"Bella, it's not that I don't want to be here with you, it's just … I-I want you so much. It's going to be hell sleeping in the room next to you tonight."

At that moment, her heart felt as if it were melting in her chest. Over the last three years, she had too many unanswered questions pounding at her heart. But all of her doubts concerning her life as it had been in the past had little to do with her feelings for Garrett. Bella had thought she needed to know the answers before she could share herself with Garrett. Scott had hurt her badly. Now? Those doubts were only a speck on the horizon. She wanted Garrett body and soul. "I'm sorry, Garrett--"

"Don't worry about it. You're worth the wait."

She opened her mouth to speak, tell him that he was wrong, but the words refused to flow from her lips.

To keep gloomy conversations at bay, Bella dug out a battered Scrabble game from the table beside them.

After four games, she'd trounced Garrett three games to one. It was nearly midnight when she eased her body out from under the coffee table, stretching to relieve the cramped muscles in her legs. Brandy did a nervous dance around her and ran to the front door.

"Come on sweetie," Bella called to Brandy as she walked toward the door. She tossed open the door only to have Brandy plant her feet and refuse to go outside. It was a good thing the door opened into the room or she would have never got the door opened. The wind howled, plastering wet snow in a drift over three feet tall.

Garrett stood beside her looking out over the drift. "I'll get my coat and go out with her," Garrett offered, walking to the coat rack by the door.

"You'll freeze out there, and besides, how are you going to get through this drift?"

He shook his head. "I don't think I'll freeze. I have all this residual, scorching heat from my indecent thoughts about you to keep me warm." He laid his forearms over her shoulders and lowered his lips to hers. Their kiss only lasted for a moment before he broke away from the emotion as suddenly as it began. "I can't take much more of this, y'know. Before you know it, you'll have me on my knees begging you to marry me." he said earnestly. "Run off to bed and I'll see to Brandy and finish up down here."

"Come on doggie," he said in a singsong voice as he took his coat off the hook. Brandy jumped up on his legs. Garrett reopened the door then kicked the drift making a hole in it. He pushed his way through, Brandy right behind him. "Good thing it wasn't very deep," he laughed, looking back at her. He and the dog walked into the yard and disappeared into the cold, snowy night leaving Bella staring after them.

Marry him? What a thought. She loved being married before. Yes, if Garrett asked her, she would fall at his feet to kiss them. He was her hero, her love. She even dreamed about him in her sleep. She felt possessed by aura. The cold air made her shiver and she shut the door, a huge smile plastered on her face.

* * * *

The powerful wind blew through the pine trees, whistling a sad, mournful song as Garrett lay in his bed watching the flames from the fire make a dancing pattern of light and dark shadows against the ceiling.

Just knowing that Bella slept a few feet from him had kept him awake nearly all night. Passion quickened his pulse, and lustful thoughts aside, the room felt too warm. He slept fitfully, awaking to watch the clock change hours.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Bella. In her nightgown that first moment they met, playing ball with the residents, and her angry face at the fund-raiser when she found he was her supervisor. He loved Bella Mann. He wanted to marry her. How was he going to explain his arrival to Wyoming? He had to keep her from finding out his real reason for coming here.

Rationalizing the situation, from the first report Mr. Van Horn had sent, Garrett had not believe Bella Mann was the person causing the problems at the care center.

He'd first come across her name as an applicant for the position of corporate activity's consultant. Her references, residents' at her care center, the previous administrator, community members and her peers in the state activities association, gave her glowing recommendations. Garrett favored her for the job. Bella was the only applicant to use resident referrals.

Within a few days, he hoped Bella would be exonerated. He'd given his grandmother the telephone number out here when everything was set. Now, all he had to do was wait. He only hoped that Bella would forgive him for this deception.