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  Her heart melted a little. How thoughtful he was; it made her want to cry, missing him so. “Elisa left. Katie and Dietrich decided they didn’t care what their parents said. They drove over to Idaho and eloped.”

  “Without any family?”

  “From the little Elisa said, the only ones there were their best friends from school.”

  “I imagine Elisa is upset.”

  Lauren grinned. “That is putting it mildly. Garry thought it would be a good idea if the family met with the young couple. They might not agree with their decision to marry so young, but it’s more important that they support them now, seeing that the deed is done.”

  “That’s probably for the best.”

  “I agree,” Lauren concurred.

  “You’re by yourself, then?”

  “I am.” Although she was in a casino filled with people, rarely had she felt more alone. It was an odd feeling, being disconnected like this from all that was familiar.

  “What are you doing? Are those slot machines I hear in the background?”

  Lauren laughed softly. “You caught me red-handed.”

  “Are you winning?”

  “Nope. Guess they don’t build these huge casinos by giving money away.”

  “Would it be possible for you to come to the lobby?”

  That was an unusual request. “Sure, but why?”

  “There’s a surprise waiting for you there.”

  Right away she withdrew the single dollar she had left in the machine and stood. “A surprise?” she asked. “What kind of surprise?”

  “Wait and see,” he teased. “Stay on the phone, though, because I want to hear your reaction when you see it.”

  “Okay.” She started toward the lobby, her steps lighter than they had been all day. Once she wove her way to the front of the casino, she paused and looked around. The first thing that caught her attention was a huge bouquet of flowers on top of the concierge’s desk.

  “The flowers?” she asked. The bouquet was huge.

  “Yes, but there’s more. Go to the desk and tell the man your name.”

  “Rooster,” she said, laughing now, “what have you done?”

  “Wait and see.”

  She kept the phone pressed tightly against her ear. “Should I hang up first and then call you back?”

  “No, stay on the line.”

  “As you wish.”

  Sure enough, the concierge seemed to be waiting for her. Lauren kept the phone against her ear. “Hello,” she greeted cheerfully. “I’m Lauren Elliott. I understand you have something for me here at the desk.”

  “Ah, yes, Miss Elliott. If you’ll wait here, I’ll be right back.”

  He left the desk momentarily, opened the door behind him, and held it open as Rooster Wayne walked out.

  Lauren gasped and dropped her phone, and then before she had time to utter a single sound Rooster was around the desk and she literally flew into his arms.

  Chapter Twenty-three

  The moment Lauren was in his arms, Rooster closed his eyes and exhaled a deep sigh. This was what he’d been waiting for, been longing to do since the moment he’d left Seattle. He’d been in the air more than twenty-four hours, unable to sleep or read or get caught up in an in-flight movie for the simple reason that he knew at the end of this journey he’d be with Lauren again.

  In an amazingly short amount of time the warm, generous woman in his arms had won his heart. Holding her close, he felt giddy with a deep sense of rightness. He was dead on his feet, and yet he felt like he could fly. When Max met Bethanne his friend’s life had taken a complete turn. Until this very moment, Rooster had never fully understood or appreciated what had happened to his friend. He continued to hold Lauren tightly against his chest, needing these first few moments to deal with the complex mix of emotions assaulting him. The first one he experienced was unmitigated joy, followed by a powerful surge of relief and excitement. Breathing in the light scent of her perfume, he resisted the urge to kiss her senseless right in the middle of the busy hotel lobby.

  Lauren spoke first. “I don’t understand … I thought—”

  He didn’t allow her to finish. Waiting a single instant longer to kiss her was beyond his control. He lowered his mouth to hers and was gratified to discover that she had tilted her head back, eagerly anticipating his kiss. After weeks of thinking of little else but seeing Lauren again, he lacked restraint. The kiss was urgent and hungry. For just an instant Rooster feared that he’d gone too far, taken too much, and then she grabbed hold of his neck and kissed him back as if she, too, had thought of little else in the weeks they’d been separated.

  When the kiss ended, they stared desperately into each other’s eyes until Rooster could bear it no longer and squeezed her close. He could feel her heart pound against his chest, beating in unison with his own.

  The concierge cleared his throat. Rooster had completely forgotten about the other man. Somewhat annoyed, he glanced over his shoulder.

  “Would you like the flowers sent up to the young lady’s room?” the man asked.

  “Please.” Rooster reached inside his pocket and peeled off a bill and handed it to him.

  “How is it you’re here?” Lauren asked, her eyes delving into his.

  He wrapped his arm around her waist, unwilling to be separated from her by more than a few inches. “My obligation was finished, and I couldn’t see staying away from you any longer than necessary.”

  “But you said you’d been planning this vacation for months. How often do you get to New Zealand?”

  “Not often,” he admitted, and because she tempted him beyond reason, he bent down and kissed her again. “Nothing I could see, no sight, no natural phenomenon was worth being away from you a minute longer.” One day he would return to the South Pacific, but when he did he’d make sure Lauren accompanied him.

  “Oh, Rooster.”

  She leaned into him, and he bent down and inhaled the light scent of her hair. He’d dreamed of this moment, held the vision in his mind during the long hours of his flights, and fully intended to savor every second.

  “When did you fly back?”

  “Today. I came straight here, after changing planes in San Francisco.”

  “How did you know where I was?” she asked, looking both confused and happy all at once.

  “You told me.”

  “I did? It must have slipped my mind, but I’m so grateful I did.”

  “Have you eaten?” he asked.

  “No. What about you?”

  Rooster couldn’t remember his last meal. Although meal service was offered on the flight home, he’d turned it down. “I’m famished, but I’m more in the mood for breakfast than dinner.”

  “I wasn’t hungry before, but I am now.” Taking his hand in hers, she led the way to the coffee shop, where the hostess escorted them to a table.

  Rooster had a difficult time studying the menu when all he really wanted was to look at Lauren. The depth of his feelings for her had caught him in hurricane-force winds, sweeping him up in a whirlwind. Fearing his staring would make her uncomfortable, he decided it would be best to start a conversation. “So, your boss’s daughter eloped?”

  “Yes. What’s ironic is that Elisa and Garry did the same thing when they were in college. Elisa was the same age as Katie is now.”

  “And the marriage worked.”

  “Yes. They’re a wonderful couple. Katie’s a great kid, but I understand Elisa and Garry’s concern. If she was my daughter I’d probably feel the same way, though Katie’s sensible and mature for her age.”

  “And the young man?”

  “He’s the oldest in a family of eight children, and from everything I’ve heard he’s responsible and conscientious. Katie could have made a far worse choice.”

  “Have they known each other long?”

  “Apparently, they met soon after Katie arrived on campus. From what little I know, the attraction was instantaneous. From the moment they met, they
were inseparable.”

  To Rooster’s way of thinking, that was how he’d felt about Lauren. Their waitress arrived, and even then it was difficult for Rooster to tear his gaze away from Lauren long enough to give the woman his order.

  As soon as the waitress left, Lauren said, “Katie knew the minute she met Dietrich, the same way I knew after—” she stopped abruptly, and her cheeks filled with hot color.

  Rooster stared at her long and hard. “Go on,” he urged.

  Embarrassed, she looked away.

  “Are you saying you felt the same way about me as young Katie did about her Dietrich?” he asked, enjoying her discomfort. It made his head spin to know she had experienced the same feelings he had. Rooster had known, too, and the truth of it had been pounded into him these last few weeks while he’d been traveling. Lauren was all he could think about. It was intended as a business trip, but wine had been the last thing on his mind. All that seemed to matter was how long it would be before he could be with Lauren again.

  Without meeting his gaze, she nodded. “I’ve waited for years to meet a man like you,” she whispered, and seemed unable to find her normal voice. “You make me feel things I’ve never experienced before.”

  He knew exactly what she meant, because it had been the same with him. “I’ve been waiting for you for years, Lauren, hardly knowing what I was waiting for, never suspecting it would ever happen.”

  She stretched her hand across the table, and he gripped it tightly with his own.

  “We haven’t known each other long,” she said, as though it was necessary to discount this magnetic attraction.

  “Does that matter?” he asked. “Are you going to feel differently a few weeks from now? Is what you feel going to change?”

  “No.” Her voice was sure, confident. “You?”

  He didn’t entertain a single doubt. “No.”

  Their gazes seemed locked together, and Rooster doubted that a fire alarm would have been enough to cause him to break eye contact. His heart pounded hard and strong, and he sensed that this could quite possibly be one of the most important conversations of his life.

  Lauren raised her hand to her chest. “I know in my heart what I feel, what I want.”

  Rooster was almost afraid to ask what she wanted, for fear it wouldn’t align with his own desire. It seemed obvious to him that they were meant to be together. “What is it you want?” he asked. As soon as the words left his mouth his heart started to race, his pulse pounding in his ear like a military drum, fearing her feelings didn’t match the intensity of his own.

  She hesitated and lowered her gaze as though afraid to admit what she was thinking.

  “Lauren.” He said her name softly. “I didn’t realize what I wanted in a wife until I met you.”

  Her gaze instantly flew back to him. She blinked, and for a moment he thought he saw tears well in her eyes. “Are you … asking to marry me?” she asked slowly.

  Now wasn’t the time to backpedal; it was exactly what he was asking. He’d never considered that it would happen like this, in the middle of a coffee shop without a declaration of love or flowery words, but then he wasn’t a man who was likely to say the things a woman most wanted to hear. “Yes,” he said, being as straightforward as he knew how to be. “Yes, I’m asking you to be my wife, to share the rest of our lives with each other. I’d like us to have children and raise them to be responsible, God-fearing adults, and for the two of us to grow old together.”

  No doubt about it now, those were tears in her eyes. Her hands flew to cover her mouth. Rooster was instantly concerned, fearing he might have said all the wrong things. He frowned, wondering what he should do now, if anything.

  His eyes didn’t waver from hers, and he held his breath while he waited for her response. When none came, he realized he’d made a terrible mistake. He could easily blame it on the long sleepless flight. He’d been up almost thirty hours. “I know it’s too soon. I apologize if I—”

  “It isn’t too soon,” she whispered, interrupting him. “I’d like nothing better than to be your wife.”

  He was stunned speechless. He hadn’t known what to expect, hadn’t even considered asking her so soon. A lump filled his throat as he struggled to grab hold of his emotions. As soon as he could speak clearly, he asked, “Okay, when?”

  Her hands made a restless movement, as if she wasn’t sure. “I wouldn’t like a long engagement.”

  “Me, neither.”

  “Next month?” she asked.

  He frowned. Even that seemed far too long to wait. “Next week?”

  Her eyes lit up with a bright smile, and she placed her hand over her mouth.

  “What?” he asked, seeing that she was all but laughing.

  “You’re going to think I’ve lost my mind.”

  He frowned. “What are you suggesting?”

  “What’s wrong with tonight?”

  He was astounded. “Tonight? You mean … today. Now?”

  The waitress delivered their meals, which they both ignored.

  Lauren nodded. “I’m not giving you a chance to change your mind, Rooster Wayne.”

  Change his mind? Was she out of hers? If anyone would be susceptible to a change of heart, he would think it would be Lauren. Clearly, after so many hours awake, the drastic time change, and everything else, he wasn’t himself … wasn’t thinking clearly. “My immediate reaction is to do it. But I don’t want us to get caught up in some craziness we might later regret, so let’s sleep on it.”

  “I’m not changing my mind, Rooster.”

  He sincerely doubted he would, either. “It might be hard to arrange at the last minute like this. I’d feel better about it if we waited until tomorrow.”

  “Agreed,” she said.

  “And if you feel the same way in the morning …”

  “I will,” she promised.

  “So will I,” he added. “Then we’ll see to the necessary paperwork first thing.”

  Again, she concurred.

  Rooster rubbed his hand over his eyes. He had one other concern. “What about your parents?”

  “What about them?”

  “Before we continue, I’d like to speak to your father.”

  “My dad?” She sounded shocked.

  “Yes. I want to do this properly, Lauren. I don’t want him to think I’ve coerced you against your will, especially if we’re going to rush into this. Have you even mentioned me?”

  “I have to my mom and sister, but Dad and I don’t talk on the phone that often.” She sounded uncertain, as if contacting her father wasn’t such a good idea. “Dad can be a bit short-tempered.”

  “And he might well be, with me stealing away his daughter, but I’ll chance it. Why don’t I talk to him now?”

  “Now?” She was hesitant.

  Rooster brought out his cell. “Give me your parents’ phone number.”

  She rattled it off and then bit her lower lip while Rooster waited for the connection.

  “Let me talk to him first,” Lauren said urgently.

  Rooster hesitated before handing her his cell. Her eyes connected with his, and then she relaxed. “Hi, Daddy,” she said, sounding chipper and excited. “I wanted to let you know I’m getting married.”

  Unable to hear the other end of the conversation, Rooster waited impatiently.

  “No, it isn’t Todd,” she said, and cast Rooster an apologetic look. “His name is John. John Wayne.” Another brief pause. “Not that John Wayne, Dad. He goes by Rooster. Yes … yes, I realize it’s an unusual name. Okay, okay, I’ll put him on the phone.” She placed her hand over the receiver. “He doesn’t sound happy about this.”

  Rooster took the cell out of her hand and winked at her. “Don’t worry,” he whispered before placing the cell against his ear. “Mr. Elliott, this is Rooster Wayne.”

  Lauren’s father’s voice boomed over the other end of the cell. “Bill Elliott. Now, what’s this I hear about you wanting to marry my daughter?”
/>   “You heard correctly.”

  “Do you love her?”

  It astonished Rooster to realize he’d asked Lauren to be his wife and not once had he expressed his love to her. “Very much.”

  “Are you employed?” he demanded. “I won’t have my daughter supporting you, so be clear on that.”

  “No worries there,” Rooster assured the other man. “I have a partnership in a California wine-distribution company.”

  That appeared to satisfy him. “You haven’t known Lauren long, have you? The last I heard she had her heart set on that pretty-boy television newscaster. Have to say I never cared much for him.”

  Rooster grinned. He shared the other man’s feelings and sensed that he was going to get along just fine with Lauren’s father.

  “When do you figure to get married?” the elder Elliott asked.

  “We were thinking, seeing we know our minds, that we’d like to make it soon.”

  “How soon?”

  Rooster didn’t figure Lauren’s father would be keen on his answer. “Very soon. Tomorrow.”

  The line went silent. “Any particular reason you’re in such an all-fired rush?” Bill Elliott demanded.

  “Yes. I love Lauren. I’m thirty-nine, and I’ve been waiting for her my entire life. Having found her, I can’t see any reason to delay what we both want.”

  The line went still, as if Lauren’s father wasn’t quite sure what to say. “You ever been in jail?”

  “Nope. My record is clean. I had a bit of trouble as a teenager, but that was years ago.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “Shoplifting. I learned my lesson, and it wasn’t the law that gave it to me; it was my dad.”

  Bill Elliott chuckled. “Ever declared bankruptcy?”

  “No. I have a savings account and a retirement investment plan as well.”

  “Good.”

  “We’d like your blessing and, if possible, for you and Mrs. Elliott to join us for the ceremony.”

  “You in Seattle?”

  “No, we’re in Vegas.”

  This information was followed by a short pause. “You’ll go through with this marriage whether you have our support or not, won’t you?” he demanded.