'No, and he can just forget it. He's obviously much too fickle. He doesn't deserve a catch like me, and, anyway, I'm no longer interested,' Frannie said, nose in the air. 'I have many important things to do to fulfill myself.'
'Phoebe, you look tired. Why don't you take a little nap? We don't have to go out to dinner.'
'No, I want to take you someplace nice on your last evening,' Phoebe insisted. 'But I wouldn't mind taking a quick swim.' That would rejuvenate her better than a nap would.
She passed up the blue lame and put on one of her nice, safe tank suits, grabbed a towel and headed for the pool.
Nothing cleared her head like swimming laps. As her muscles went through the automatic motions, pulling her gently through the water, her mind worked things over of their own accord.
Wyatt loved her. And she loved him. Oh, how she loved him. He was a good man, intelligent, kind, funny. She'd been afraid to let herself even be attracted to him, much less fall in love. She'd tossed out every obstacle to a serious relationship she could think of, because she'd sensed that there would be no turning back once it happened.
And she'd been right.
Could they make it work? Did she dare even hope…?
Well, damn it, why not? She was a perfectly good match for Wyatt, even if she was younger than him. Jane Jasmine said age didn't really matter as long as… good gravy, now she was quoting Jane Jasmine. Maybe all the women living in Mesa Blue should start a Jasmine cult.
That made her laugh, which caused her to inhale a mouthful of water. Her head shot up and she grasped the nearest edge, coughing and sputtering.
'You okay?' Wyatt asked, sounding worried. His abrupt appearance only startled her, causing her to cough some more, but she nodded.
'Yes, I think I'll live.'
He handed her a towel. 'I knew I was quite a catch, but I'm not worth drowning yourself over.'
What was Wyatt doing hanging out at the pool? Phoebe wondered as she completed her coughing performance. She vaulted out of the pool, sat on the edge and dried her face and shoulders.
She finally steeled herself to look up at him. He wore a pair of very brief swim trunks-and nothing else. She realized she'd never seen his body in full sunlight before. It took her breath away. He might be pushing forty, but he was in better shape than most young men half his age.
'I didn't know you like to swim,' she said, because she couldn't think of anything else.
'There are lots of things you don't know about me, because I've been a workaholic ever since I moved to Phoenix.' Wyatt sat on the edge of the pool next to Phoebe. 'I'm going to change that. Jane Jasmine says you have to strike a balance between career and personal life.'
'Another Jane Jasmine devotee?'
'She's got something. Besides, if I'm expecting you to slow down enough to have a relationship, I'll have to do the same.'
'You're not going to let me off the hook, here, are you?'
'No. And I don't want to hear that you're still working on yourself. Since you left L.A., you've had several years of working on yourself. You ought to be damn near perfect by now.'
'Oh, Wyatt, we both know that's not true.'
'Okay, you're not perfect. Neither am I. We'll work on it. We'll make mistakes and learn from them. We'll fight and we'll make up, and maybe by the time we're my grandparents' age we'll have it all figured out.'
Phoebe opened her eyes wide. 'What are you saying?'
'I'm saying I was an idiot for ever thinking a no-strings affair would be good enough for you, for us. We deserve something a little more… settled.'
Phoebe had one card left. She had one more obstacle she could throw between them. She knew Wyatt was marriage-shy. He'd freaked out when he thought he was quarry for her husband hunt. But she knew now that the only way she was going to have Wyatt in her life was if she got the whole enchilada. No more half measures. Both of them needed the security of commitment. Besides, she
She closed her eyes and said the words she knew might drive him away. 'If you're planning on monopolizing my time until we're in our eighties, I expect a marriage license.'
'Well, what the hell else do you think I meant? Open your eyes, Phoebe.'
She did, and right in front of her nose was the loveliest square diamond solitaire, along with a band holding a row of tiny diamonds.
'I want you to be my wife.'
She clasped both hands over her mouth, so overcome she couldn't speak. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started trembling.
'A simple yes or no would be very helpful.'
She nodded yes.
He pried her left hand away from her face and slipped the ring onto her third finger. 'It belonged to my mother. I was too young when she died to remember much about her, but my grandmother says she was the most loving, generous and happy person they'd ever met.'
Phoebe finally found her voice. 'I don't de-'
'Don't you dare say you don't deserve it. If you'd rather not wear a ring that belonged to someone else, we can get another one.'
'No, no, I'd be honored to wear your mother's ring.'
'And you forgive me for laughing at you?'
'If you'll forgive me for being too sensitive and expecting you to read my mind.'
'I think I can manage that.'
They stopped talking long enough to kiss, and Phoebe swore it was the sweetest kiss she'd ever tasted. She might have enjoyed kissing him like that the rest of the afternoon-with the sun warming her pool-chilled skin and the smell of chlorine and Wyatt's aftershave tickling her nose-but a strange sound nibbled at the edges of her consciousness.
Wyatt must have heard it, too, because he pulled back and looked around.
They were being given a round of applause. Dozens of their neighbors were on their patios and balconies, clapping as if they'd just witnessed a bravura opera performance. She saw Elise and James, Daisy, her mother and Frannie, Jeff, Bill, the college girls-everybody she knew, just about.
She felt her face flaming, but she was laughing, too. 'What a story for our grandchildren.'
Wyatt seemed completely unfazed. 'I love you, Phoebe.'
'I love you, too. So much it hurts.'
'Then let's take this show somewhere more private and… celebrate.'
Phoebe was all for that.
Epilogue
The following weekend, Phoebe was dragged out of a lovely, deep sleep by the sound of strange voices. She opened her eyes, and it took her a moment to remember where she was.
Wyatt's bed.
Oh, how lovely, she thought. It was barely dawn, and neither she nor Wyatt had a thing to do today. Lots more hours to laze in bed. But then the voices came through again.
'Shh! We don't want to wake Wyatt,' a woman said. Phoebe quickly realized it was Helen Madison!
