50 Harbor Street - Debbie Macomber [101]
“All right, all right,” he said, opening the front door to let her into the house. The fire in the fireplace warmed the room, welcoming her, and she glanced around at the log walls, the simple, solid furniture, the old-fashioned braided rug. This would be her home….
“We’ll announce that we’re married when we return and let the chips fall where they may,” he said.
“Good.” That solved that. “We’ll schedule a wedding reception at a date convenient to all.”
“That’ll be years from now.”
“Okay,” she amended, smiling. “We’ll schedule the reception when it’s convenient to most.” Then, because it was impossible to contain her excitement, Grace turned into Cliff’s arms and kissed him again.
“Wednesday can’t come soon enough for me,” he murmured, his voice husky against her ear.
“Do you know how long the waiting period is in California?” she asked. It was three days in Washington State, and she didn’t want any last-minute problems if it happened to be longer in California.
“No,” Cliff said, “but I’ll find out. Now don’t worry—we’re getting married, come hell or high water.”
Dinner—a beef stew—was warming in the Crock-Pot, and Grace set the table. She felt as if she was walking on air. Every now and then, she’d catch Cliff’s eye and they’d share a smile. Once, Grace broke into giggles of delight. She felt so lighthearted, so…happy.
Cliff disappeared into his office after dinner and returned about twenty minutes later. “I went on-line and there’s no waiting period in California.”
“Great!” All their plans were coming together.
“And while I was at it, I booked my flight.” His eyes shone. “It’s the same one as yours.”
“How’d you know?”
“Easy. You told me when your flight was leaving, so all I had to do was check the airlines for that departure time.”
Cliff said he’d ask Cal to drive them to the airport early Monday morning. That meant everything was settled. “Have I told you lately how brilliant you are?” she asked in an admiring voice.
“I am, aren’t I?” he said, sounding smug. “If it means I can marry you next week, you’d be amazed at how smart I can get.”
Cliff put in a DVD; she hardly noticed what, nor did she care. They sat together in front of the television. Cliff’s legs were stretched out, his boots propped on the coffee table. He’d slipped his arm around her shoulders and her fingers were linked with his. In a matter of days, she would be this man’s wife….
Cliff leaned down and rested his cheek against her hair. Sighing, he asked, “Are you enjoying the movie?”
She had a vague impression of car chases and lots of action. What she enjoyed wasn’t the movie, but being with him. “Not really. Why?”
“I’m going to need help reorganizing the bedroom.”
“Now?”
“Might as well, since you’re moving in with me the minute we get back from San Francisco.”
“What about my house?” All of a sudden she realized that their decision to elope brought immediate consequences.
Cliff shrugged. “That’s up to you and the girls. Keep it, sell it, rent it—do whatever you want as long as you promise you won’t live anywhere but with me.”
“Cliff, what about Buttercup and Sherlock?”
“They’ll adjust to a new home.” He seemed so confident. “Hey,” he muttered, “you’re not having second thoughts, are you?”
When he was looking at her like this, his eyes intense with love, there wasn’t a thing in the world that concerned her.
“No—but I don’t know anything about horses.”
“You don’t need to.”
“What about my job?”
“Do you enjoy working?”
“I love it.”
“Then keep your job.” He frowned. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Laughing, Grace grabbed his shirt collar and brought his mouth down to hers. Then she kissed him with everything she had. “Does that answer your question?” she asked.
Forty-One
Linnette pulled onto the side of the road and looked at her MapQuest printout. According to the directions, Cliff Harding’s ranch, where Cal Washburn was employed as a trainer, was right here. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected, but it wasn’t this massive piece of property. The field in front was bordered by a white fence that stretched