For His Little Girl

His mother chuckled. 'Be my guest.'

'Maisie, are you coming?' Dad called.

'You hush up!' she told him. 'I'm talking to my daughter-in-law.'

'Mrs. Danton-' Pippa said hurriedly.

'Mom!'

'Mom, I'm not-'

'You are as far as I'm concerned,' she declared, adding, with a belligerent eye on her son on the far side of the room, 'and if some people had any sense, you would be.'

It was wonderful to be so accepted, but Pippa had seen the sudden alert look that came into Josie's face, and she took the first chance to mutter in Luke's ear, 'Please don't let her talk like that. It might give Josie the wrong idea.'

'I can't help the way Mom talks.'

'You've got to. I don't want Josie thinking we might get married. Please, Luke, this is very important.'

'All right,' he said, giving her a strange look.

They made the trip to Anaheim in his father's car, with his mother sitting up front with him and the other three in the back. His dad was describing Disneyland to Josie, who was listening wide-eyed. Pippa sat quietly, trying to talk herself into a reasonable frame of mind, but it was hard after what she'd just heard.

Oh, if she could only get Luke to herself for just five minutes! She would kick his shins, stamp on his toes, wring his neck and boil him in oil. And then she'd do something really painful. If she could only think of it. By the time they arrived, her temper had worked up a fine head of steam.

Josie was speechless with the wonder of her first sight of Disneyland. Her grandparents took charge of her, happy as kids themselves.

'Let me show you the shops,' Luke said, taking Pippa's hand. To the others he called, 'You go on. Don't wait for us.'

'Should we do that?' Pippa asked.

'You think it takes more than two people to look after our daughter? Anyway, she's busy wrapping them both around her little finger. We'd only cramp her style.'

'You're right,' she said. 'This is a good chance for a private talk.'

'Why do I feel suddenly nervous?'

'Because you have every reason to.'

'Pippa, do you know that your eyes are glittering? In the old days they only did that when you were good 'n' mad about something. Usually me.'

'Well, ten out of ten for observation! How dare you tell your mother that you asked me to marry you!'

'But I did.'

'In a pig's eye you did!'

'I asked you, and you said no,' he protested.

'Luke, there are ways and ways of asking people. There's when you're desperate for them to say yes, and when you're desperate for them to say no. No prizes for guessing which one you chose.'

'And you think you're a mind reader, huh?'

'I didn't have to read your mind. You told it to me right from the start. No marriage, no domesticity, no babies, no being tied down. You couldn't have been plainer. So I took the hint. When you raised the subject of marriage-at a safe distance of five thousand miles-I said what you wanted me to say, just as I always did.'

'Well, I'll be-'

'And then you went and told your mother it was all my fault-'

'Pippa, she asked me why I didn't marry you, and I said that I asked you and you said no-which was true-'

'It was a half-truth at best.'

'Okay, I'll talk to her, tell how exactly how it was.'

'No, need. I already have.'

'So that's what you were doing with your heads together, pulling me apart-'

'I'd like to pull you apart,' she seethed.

'Gee, this is like the old days! You wouldn't listen to reason then, and you won't now.'

'Reason? Hah! You talking reason? That I should like to hear!'

'Pippa, you wouldn't recognize reason if it hit you in the eye.'

'You know the answer to that.'

''If you aren't the most ornery woman-I'll swear I-oh, to hell with it!'

'Hey, what do you think you're doing?' Luke had grabbed her hand and was hauling her after him.

'This way,' he called over his shoulder.

'Luke-'

'Hurry.' The next moment he was climbing aboard a horse-drawn carriage, giving her no choice but to follow. His hands were warm and firm, pulling her aboard, then just holding her while he laughed into her eyes.

'No,' she said, trying to be firm. 'I will not let you shut me up like this. Do you understand?'

'There's Mom and Dad with Josie. Wave to them.'

Josie was carrying a huge candy floss. She waved ecstatically, and Pippa could do nothing but wave back, smiling to cover the fact that she was fuming. 'I'll get you for this,' she muttered.

'Look happy, or she won't be happy.'

'Considering I'd like to chuck you in the nearest fountain I'm looking amazingly happy,' Pippa said through gritted teeth. 'And just what do you think you're doing?'

'I'm sliding my hand around your shoulder, friendly fashion-even if you don't deserve it,' he said through his smile.

'I feel as friendly as a python at the moment,' she said through hers. 'Remove your hand right now.'

'Nah, they'd suspect something. It's more convincing if I just tighten it around your shoulder-''

'I'm warning you-'

'And then draw you closer to me-like this-''

'You let me go this instant-Luke!'

He mustn't kiss her, because if he did her heart would melt, and she would forget why she was mad at him. She wanted to stay mad. That was always safest with Luke.

But it was too late to tell him he mustn't, and he wasn't taking any notice, anyway. Out of the corner of her eye she could see his mom, dad and Josie, all laughing with delight. Then the carriage passed on and they were out of sight.

'They've gone now, you can let me go,' she said.

'Nope.'

'You can't kiss me in the middle of Disneyland.'

'What does it feel like I'm doing?'

She gave up arguing. The feeling that was spreading through her was taking over, silencing thought. It wasn't desire, or any physical sensation. It was sheer happiness, of a kind she'd almost forgotten: the happiness of being with this one man, in his arms, with nothing else to worry about-at least for a brief time.

And she had almost wasted that time in squabbling. Was she mad?

She kissed him back, then settled blissfully in the crook of his arm, feeling the years and the worries and the weariness fall away. Surely she could allow herself this one day?

'You're a scoundrel,' she said. 'But I forgive you.'

'You always did. Not mad at me anymore?'

'I expect I am, really-only I forget why.'

'It doesn't matter. Let's have fun.'

'Oh, yes, please.'

When the carriage halted he gave her his hand, helping her down as gallantly as any squire with his lady, and steered her straight into a shop where a collection of cooks were making chocolates before an admiring crowd. Luke bought a bagful and they strolled out again, munching.

'When I was a kid I used to bring girls here,' he mused. 'We all did. There was a set routine. You started with