The shuffle of windup activities was over. Dana and Alex were sitting side by side in the solarium holding hands and sipping the remains of a bottle of champagne. His dinner jacket hung over the back of a chair along with his tie. Likewise, Dana'd removed her shoes and kicked them under a table. Jenna and Jack, ensconced in the Hearts and Flowers Suite upstairs, had finally got their long-awaited privacy. The house had a wonderful quietness to it.

Dana loved the transformation that had come over Alex. For so long, he'd proudly worn the mantle of a doubting Thomas, a caustic naysayer to the glories of love; now he'd become tender and sentimental.

Tracing a finger around the rim of his glass, he said with refreshing modesty, "I can hardly believe you've agreed to be my wife." He set the glass down and settled her into his lap. "I adore you."

A tiny cough interrupted their embrace. It was Jenna, still in her wedding dress.

Dana jumped to her feet. "Is something wrong with the suite?"

"No," Jenna said, her cheeks turning a pinker shade despite the fact all her makeup was gone. Kissed off, no doubt. "This is so. . .could you help me a second?"

Reluctantly Dana followed Jenna to the Bride's Room. Jenna explained, "The zipper on my dress is stuck and I can't get it undone. Jack couldn't do it either. Can you? Use scissors if necessary."

Dana smiled. "Let me have a go at it, and if that doesn't work, I'll get the scissors." Dana slowly maneuvered the zipper of the white sheath, up a little, down a little, Jenna prattled on, probably to cover her embarrassment. All it took was a bit of patience, something of which Jack understandably had none, and the zipper was unstuck. Regrettably, during Jenna's nonstop monologue, Dana'd heard more then she wanted to about Alex. When she returned downstairs, the tender mood that had prevailed earlier was replaced by seething rage.

Alex reached out his arms to her, but she stayed her ground, glaring down at him. "Do you really love me so much, or do you have other incentives for rushing to the altar?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I've been talking to Jenna."

"And?"

"'I've finally found out why you're so anxious to take a bride."

"I'm afraid you've lost me." Alex rubbed his chin. "I thought we came to an understanding. Suddenly you're back to that old grievance that I'm desperate for a wife."

"Desperate wasn't what I said."

Desperate. . .anxious. Same difference," he snapped, rising to his feet. "What precisely is on your mind?"

"Jenna told me about securing your inheritance," Dana answered. "About your grandfather Barstow and his stipulations."

"Oh?"

"Yes, she informs me that only married heirs are eligible to share in your grandfather's fortune."

"I see." Alex paused before continuing. "So after a thorough analysis, you've concluded that my proposal to you is tied with the legacy?" One eyebrow was raised derisively.

"We both know how important money is to you. You're constantly harping about mine."

Alex's expression grew dark and his voice evidence of a fury that had been stoked like the engines of an old fire-eating locomotive. "You little idiot! You seriously think some piddling inheritance is driving me toward the altar?"

"Lots of people have married for such reasons," Dana said defiantly. Alex might have more money than Croesus, but he worked hard at generating even more and there were numerous indications to prove her case that the almighty dollar mattered to him. Not only the frequent comments about finances and the investment crisis in L.A. prematurely rousting him out of hiding, but choosing Sarah. Alex had never acknowledged as much, but Dana suspected that part of Sarah's appeal rested with her not needing his bankroll.

People with assets aplenty were often strapped when it came to liquidity; marrying her now and gaining the inheritance might be the most expedient way to secure ready cash. He hadn't shared that much about his work. For all Dana knew, an exciting new project beckoned and needed some fast money.

Alex stood statue-still, hands braced on hips. His eyes, however, were shooting sparks. "Boy, you're one piece of work. Just when I thought I'd finally convinced you of my sincerity, you come up with this. Apparently you're unconvinceable. If your indictment weren't so insulting, I'd laugh. But frankly I'm too teed off to find any humor here.

"Can't you believe someone could want you just for you? No, you're so damn suspicious–" Alex threw a hand in the air. "For the record, I don't need a wife. For a while there, I thought I wanted one. Apparently, another lapse of judgment on my part, one of many I seem to be having lately.

"I promise you, though, it's a lapse that won't happen again. I haven't had one calm moment since the idea of marriage entered my head. Thanks for sparing me any more trauma." With that he stormed off toward the door.

Dana remained fixed in place, speechless in the face of Alex's vitriolic lecture and theatrical exit. A minute later, gathering her wits, she noticed his tie and jacket hanging on the chair. She followed his route to the hall in an attempt to catch up with him, but Alex had left. The grandfather clock was chiming twelve. How fitting, Dana reflected bitterly. Prince Charming was gone from her life, and Cinderella was about to turn back into a pumpkin.

The newlyweds departed early and Dana spent the rest of Sunday preparing for the first of the retreats. Stephanie had requested the day off, so Dana was deprived of assistance and her advice. She was deprived, too, of full concentration, distracted as she was by flashbacks to last night. Nothing could prevent the incident from playing and replaying in her head.

The more she pondered the conversation with Jenna, and Alex's indignant response, the more Dana nursed a rising dread she'd misinterpreted the situation. She should have quizzed Jenna more before tearing into Alex. It didn't seem logical for him to be so irate if Dana's charges were close to the mark.

Okay, maybe he did care for her a bit, but Dana couldn't accept those denials about the money being completely unimportant. "Piddling" was how he'd described his grandfather's legacy. Only a million or two, perhaps?

She'd been hoping for too much, Dana conceded. True romance must be the stuff of fiction, not real people. No, that's not always the case. Jenna and Jack have that kind of love, so do Steph and Jay, Eva and Ralph, my parents, and loads of others I could name. To settle for less would be just that. . .settling. Why then did she feel like her insides were being ripped to shreds?

The debate wrested her one way, then another. If she overreacted, there was no subtle way to find out the truth. Jenna was off on her honeymoon in Italy and wouldn't return to Houston for a week.

Her only recourse was to call Alex. He might chew on her some more, or refuse to talk at all, but taking the initiative was her sole alternative so she'd grit her teeth and do it. If she misconstrued the issue of the legacy, she'd apologize. . .grovel if necessary.

"Alex."

"Hello, Alex. It's me."

"Yes?" An arctic voice.

He's still very angry. Dana shouldn't have been surprised. She'd been out of line to reproach him before hearing his side of the story. "I wanted to let you know I'm feeling bad about last night."

"I see. You hurl all sorts of ulterior motives at me, label me a mercenary, and now want absolution?"

"Well, no. . ." Alex certainly wasn't making this easy.

"I simply wanted to. . .that is, I. . .I thought maybe you could come over." Hopefully, Alex would be more amenable to discussing this misunderstanding in person. As it stood, there was little chance of penetrating that closed mind of his over the phone.

"What for?"

"Must I justify my request?"

Silence from Alex.

Apparently she must. "You left your dinner jacket here."

"I see. You're not responsible for articles left over twenty-four hours – is that it?"

"Of course not. I–"

"I'll send someone for it. Goodbye." The click of his receiver sounded in her ear.

He'd send someone. She could tell from his tone that Alex wasn't going to bulge an inch. But anyone could make a mistake, including her. Just because she'd acted badly didn't mean Alex shouldn't give her another chance. Especially if he loved her as much as he claimed. In all fairness, Dana had fair to admit that her presumptions weren't very loving, either. At least she felt ashamed and wanted to make amends. That should count for something.

When darkness fell, Dana gave up hearing from Alex that night. She was preparing for bed when the doorbell rang. Hoping against hope that he'd changed his mind, she reached for her robe. Her emotions ran the gamut from excitement to panic as she raced toward the entry to answer the bell.

"Hello," she said, opening the door. "Come in."

"I'll stay out here. My jacket? That was the excuse for your call, wasn't it?"

"You made it apparent I needed an excuse. Please come in. We have to talk."

"As I recall, you did a significant amount of talking yesterday."

"I was wrong." Even through Alex had provided no clarification, Dana was now positive she'd misjudged him. Loving Alex – which she now knew she did – meant it was time to start demonstrating it.

"What made you decide that?"

"Trust," she answered breathlessly. "Faith in you."

"A bit late in surfacing, wouldn't you say?"

"Listen–" Her hackles were rising. "I'm trying to tell you I don't give a darn about that endowment and I regret what I said. I want us to be friends again."

"Pardon me if I don't jump through hoops over your wants," he said sourly.

"Why are you being so disagreeable?" He swept her inside and pushed the door closed behind them, trapping her up against it, crushing his lips against hers.

Dana wanted the kiss, but a kiss of love, not this punishment. She shoved against him and Alex immediately broke the embrace.

"No?" he asked.

"No. Not when you have such animosity."

"Whatever you wish." He held up his hands in a no-touch gesture.

"What I wish is for us to talk about this," Dana said emphatically. "To–"

"I'm sick to death of talking. I asked one thing from you, Dana – for you to believe in me. . .I suppose that was too much to expect. I don't care to spend the rest of my life wondering what transgression I'll be hit with next." He retrieved his jacket from the coat tree.

Tears of hurt rolled down Dana's cheeks as she watched him bound down the steps and into the night.

Chapter 18
Chapter 16
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