"Thank God," Stephanie exclaimed the next afternoon as she collapse into a kitchen chair and slipped off her shoes. "One day down and four to go. I never dreamed hosting meetings would be so demanding. With private nursing duty, I do get to sit down occasionally."

"They were a bit taxing," Dana agreed, joining Stephanie at the table and also shedding her shoes.

"By the way, did you notice that hunky lawyer in the group today?" Stephanie asked. Obviously attributing Dana red-ringed eyes that morning to Alex, Stephanie had spent the entire morning trying to perk her up. Leave it to Steph to latch onto a surrogate male for Dana as the best way to accomplish that.

"Speaking of hunky men, Steph, I believe I heard yours arriving." It was the idea way for Dana to extricate herself from the unwanted discussion, as Stephanie grabbed her shoes and ran out to greet Jay. Dana had to stifle a twitch of envy. Must be wonderful, she thought, to be in a relationship like theirs.

The next four days were repeats of Monday: cooking, cleaning, nonstop pleasantries and total exhaustion at the end of the day. These retreats had convinced Dana that weddings were her cup of tea, not corporate functions. The job satisfaction just wasn't the same. Finally the last session was over.

"I never thought I'd be relieved we don't have a wedding scheduled," Stephanie said, "but I'm ready for some major solitude this weekend." Stephanie was standing at the back door, her hand pushing the screen open.

"Jay's working?" Dana asked.

"Not that much solitude, silly. What about you? What are you up to?"

"Staying home," she told Stephanie defensively, "and counting my money."

"You and Scrooge McDuck. This has been some turnaround, hasn't it? Like a miracle." Stephanie didn't wait for an answer. Instead she scooted on out. Stephanie was right, the reversal of fortune had been a miracle.

Even before the trouble with Alex and Sarah, Dana had been living close to the edge, but now she had more business than she and Stephanie could handle. Dana already rehired the cleaning service, and was considering a part-time secretary. Just this week, she'd signed four new contracts, three for business seminars and for a December wedding.

Saturday was lonely. Dana tried to pass the hours by inspecting the area upstairs. Besides the Hearts and Flowers Suite and the Bride's Room, there were three other bedrooms and a hallway bath, the latter yet to be renovated. She should be able to afford so redoing one more bedroom and the bathroom, then next year, if business continued improving, finish out the other two bedrooms. They would be perfect for – Dana bit her lip. Torrence Place was designed for children, for a family, just had it been in her grandparents' day.

Would those rooms ever be filled with children? Not unless she stopped picturing little boys who resembled Alex. She hadn't heard from him since their falling-out, but once again Alex was making news. This time the media attention involved the worldwide tour that the Backstreet Boys would begin shortly.

By noon, Dana couldn't stand it any longer; she had to get out. She'd visited some antique shops on West Nineteenth, a few blocks away. If she saw something appropriate for the new bedroom, she might go ahead and buy it.

Hours later, she emerged from the last shop, delighted with her finds – nothing for the bedroom, but a mint-condition Royal Vienna chocolate set, and from a vintage clothing store, a turn-of-the-century wedding gown. The gown was Dana's size and in good condition. But she wasn't buying it to wear. The dress would become a wall decoration for the Bride's Room.

Once home, she dusted off the chocolate set and found a place for it in the parlor, then sat there studying the four walls. What to do now? She was still lonely – she missed Alex.

Sunday was more wretched than the day before. Dana tried to start the day off on a positive note by attending church. That occupied only the morning. She watched TV, rifled through the Sunday paper, paid her bills, and brooded a lot. When the phone rang at four, Dana desperately grabbed at it.

It was Jenna. Jack's leave was over and he had just departed for his duty station. "Can you stand to have dinner with a weepy newlywed?"

Dana eagerly agreed to go, thinking that misery does indeed love company. Even through their states of misery had different bases, she and Jenna were in the same boat – SS Pitiful. They settled on a new pasta restaurant near the Galleria.

"Shall I phone Alex and ask him to join us?"

"Not a good idea. Alex and I are not even on speaking terms at the moment." Dana sighed mournfully. Jenna's mention of Alex had loosened her fragile grip on her emotions.

"What's the problem?"

"It's too complicated to go into on the phone," Dana stalled. I want to know about Sarah. . .the breakup. . .about the inheritance. I deserved a few answers for all I've been through. "We talk at the restaurant. See you at seven."

When she saw Dana arrived, Jenna waved from a high-backed booth near the rear of the restaurant, then rose for the exchange of hugs. As Dana turned to sit down, Her eyes met Alex's. "What's he doing here?"

"I might ask the same thing," Alex said irritably. "My cousin lured me out with a sob story about being distressed over Jack's leaving. Now that I see what's up, I think I'll be leaving myself."

"Oh, no, you don't," Jenna protested. "If you value my feelings at all, you'll stay put."

"How do your feelings come into play here?"

"Remorse, that's how. This mess between you two is all my fault." She turned to Dana. "After I've talked to you, it was pretty clear I wasn't the only one feeling distressed right now," Jenna explained. "So I called Alex and he filled in the gaps. The way I see it, my tale about the family legacy stirred up a hornet's nest. Right?"

"Sort of. But you're not totally liable," Dana assured her. "My thinking was skewed."

She glanced over at Alex. He seemed more absorbed in the menu than in her conciliatory comments. Her temper flared as she raised her voice to attract his attention. "But who can blame me for being mixed-up after all that's transpired recently?"

Alex's response was a weighty sigh.

"So," Dana went on, "after you told me about Grandfather Barstow's conditions. . ."

"You put two and two together," Jenna said.

Dana nodded. "And got five."

Jenna looked to the ceiling, as through searching for divine inspiration. "How stupid of me. I should have never brought it up."

"Dana's deduction was all her own doing," Alex broke in.

"It seemed plausible, considering how much you covet money," Dana fired back.

Alex gave her a gimlet-eyed stare. "Working damn hard to be successful isn't exactly the same as coveting money. I can struggle along without the boon of Gramps's fortune."

"Now, now," Jenna reproached. "You probably didn't bother to enlighten Dana with the whole story, did you, Alex?"

"I never got the opportunity," he growled, snapping a bread stick in half.

"Puhleasssse," Dana countered. "I wanted to hear you out, practically prostrated myself at your feet, but you clammed up. How long is this surly mood to go on?"

"Pax! Both of you!" Jenna rested her elbows on the table and leaned in toward Dana. "Great-Great-Grandfather Barstow's will has been a family joke for years. Everyone who marries gets congratulatory cards on their big windfall – actually a thousand dollars each, not much money in this day and age. What's so funny to all of us is that what Gramps wanted and what he got are so far apart.

"He was trying ensure that his name lived on when he stipulated that every descendent – once married – was entitled to the inheritance. Unfortunately for the old man, none of the males in the line produced sons. So much for trying to bribe your way into immortality. The Barstow name died out long ago, but the legacy survives.

"And when you decided that Alex–" Jenna giggled. "What a hoot. A new story to add to the legend."

"One which better not come up when I'm around," Alex ordered. "Now if two pardon me, I'm sure you'll have a much better evening without my 'surly' company."

Dana stood so he could get out. "Don't go away mad," she called as Alex disappeared with a little more than a nod. "Just go away period," she muttered.

"Cut him a bit of slack," Jenna soothed as Dana slumped dejectedly back down into the booth.

"Lot of good that will do. It's becoming perfectly plain that Alex and I were never meant for each other. Better that it ended now."

"This isn't the end. Alex is in love," Jenna said, smiling knowingly. "So are you."

"Your cousin doesn't have the faintest notion what love is. He told me once about his lack of faith in it. I should have believed him then and saved myself all this anguish."

"Like I said, cut him a bit of slack. Alex is a confused man. He always been so self-assured and now he's completely discombobulated."

"I won't argue that point," Dana said, looking up at the advancing waiter who took their orders and left. She decided to use this break in the conversation to ask all of those unanswered questions, salvage what she could of this unsettling evening. "About Sarah. . .how could he have even considered marrying someone like her?"

"Actually she's not all bad, mostly terribly spoiled. I knew from Alex's attitude that it wasn't the romance of the century, but they were compatible and fun to be with. Most of Alex's friends and family were pleased when they became engaged."

"Including you?" Dana asked.

"Yeah." Jenna shrugged. "What can I say? We didn't know her as well as we supposed. Once she had that ring on her finger, through, her true colors began to show. I think it was when Alex insisted on the small wedding that the transformation began. You see, Sarah was a darling as long as she was getting her way and, for the most part, when they were dating, Alex let her have her way."

"So I simply entered the picture at an inopportune moment?"

"Actually at the most opportune moment. Sarah was being a stinker and Alex was already having second thoughts. Then he met you and was thrown for a loop."

"He told you that?"

Jenna sipped her drink. "Not in so many words, but he didn't have to. I've known him too long and too well not to see something in him that had never been there before. From those first meetings with you, he was intrigued. I doubt he realized what was occurring at the start, or knew how his eyes sort of lit up when he mentioned you."

"I couldn't tell."

"Naturally. Alex is an honorable guy and he was engaged to another woman. In his mind, a binding commitment had been made. Then Sarah pulled that late arrival stunt, behaving as if the wedding were no more important than the opening of a new carwash, and he just lost it. Read her the riot act and she retorted that he could 'stuff it' or something equally ladylike. So they broke up."

"How do you know all this?"

"Sarah. She shared chapter and verse. Alex isn't the type of guy to blab. But he did tell me he had no regrets. It didn't take any sleuthing to conclude it was because he'd met you."

"Maybe," Dana admitted. "But that still doesn't explain his haste–"

"Alex is a man of action. He wanted you and once free, he went after you. But you've been difficult to catch, a rare experience for Alex. Then you go and accuse him of wanting you merely to get his hands on–" Jenna started giggling again. "He's reeling."

Rather nice to have him reeling instead of me. "Supposing everything you say is on the mark, what do you suggest I do?"

"Give it a few days. Alex will come around, I promise. If he doesn't, then you could. . ." For the rest of the evening, Jenna advised Dana on various ways to win Alex over. In Jenna's view, Dana and Alex were a solid love match, destined to be together. Nothing like a newlywed spouting the wonderments of love and trying to convert everyone in her path.

In spite of Jenna's optimism, Dana felt only despair. First, it was unlikely Alex would ever swallow his pride and forgive her. Second, there was no way she would carry through with any of Jenna's suggestions. No matter how much it hurt, Dana was going to have to accept the fact she'd run Alex off for good.

Chapter 19
Chapter 17
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