“You’re sweet to go slowly,” Sylvia said as they made their way across the room. “Did Cal tell you we were in- jured in a car accident four years ago?”
“No, sorry. I didn’t know.”
“His father is better now, but he’s had two severe heart attacks. Between the two of us, I feel we’re a burden for Cal.”
“Of course you’re not!” Juliana exclaimed, bringing a smile to Sylvia’s face.
“You’re sweet, Juliana. Cal!” she called softly. His dark head swung around and he turned to join them for pic- tures.
Finally, in early evening, the last guests and parents were gone. Cal and Juliana kissed Mimi goodbye last, and they were left alone with the boys, Gladys and Stoddard. While the children climbed a tree in the front yard, Cal stood be- side Juliana on the porch. “I offered you a wedding trip.”
“It seemed ridiculous and unnecessary. What would we have done to while away the time?”
His mouth quirked with amusement. “We could have traveled, seen Paris or the South Pole, or whatever you would have liked. We could have gotten to know each other. So, how would you like to spend the evening?” he asked, turning to look at her.
“Hey, guys!” Chris yelled, dropping from a limb to the ground and running toward the house. “Come play ball.”
Cal’s eyebrows arched and the corner of his mouth lifted in a crooked smile as he looked at her. “It’s up to the lady,” he said quietly. “Sandlot ball isn’t the usual agenda for a new bride on her wedding night.”
She glanced at Chris who stood waiting with his fists on his hips. He waved. “C’mon, play ball!” he yelled.
She returned her gaze to Cal. “Why not? The exercise might ease some of the tension.”
“You’re tense?”
“Yes. How can you be relaxed?”
“We’re married. We both got what we wanted. You’re not going to be carried off and ravished, so why are you tense?”
“Today we bound our lives together in a way that will change us and the boys. We can’t live together in the house a whole year and be the same two people at the end of that time.”
“1 figured we might do exactly that,” he remarked.
“Are you gonna play?” Chris yelled persistently.
“It’s up to you, Juliana,” Cal said, running his finger along her arm.
“Sure.”
He nodded and waved to Chris. “As soon as we change.”
“Mrs. Duncan,” Gladys said from the doorway, “I’ve finished cleaning now and I’m going home. Stoddard helped and he’ll be going, too.”
“Fine. Thank you, Gladys. And Gladys, just call me Ju- liana.”
Gladys nodded and Juliana suspected that Gladys would continue addressing her as Mrs. Duncan because the woman probably considered it the proper thing to do. Cal held the door, and they entered as Gladys disappeared down the hall into the kitchen. They moved in silence along the hall. At the foot of the stairs, Cal turned to sweep her into his arms. She gasped as she wound her arm around his neck to steady herself.
“What are you doing?”
He grinned. “Carrying you up the stairs,” he said, climbing easily. “It doesn’t seem quite right for a beautiful woman in a wedding dress to tell her guests goodbye and go off alone to her room to change, even in a paper marriage like ours.”
“That’s ridiculous!” she exclaimed, aware of her arm around his shoulders, her body pressed against him. At the top of the stairs, he turned along the hall.
“Cal, look!” she said, glancing out the window. Down in the backyard, the boys stood facing Stoddard. “Maybe I should go see about Stoddard.”
“You don’t have to worry about him,” Cal said dryly. While they watched, Stoddard nodded his head and Josh slipped bis hand into the butler’s as the boys and Stoddard headed across the yard.
“I think he’s going to play ball with them,” Cal said with amusement.
“My word! I can’t believe they talked him into it.” She turned and met Cal’s direct gaze and all thoughts about the boys or Stoddard vanished.
Looking into her eyes, Cal strode to the large master bedroom across the south wing that they had decided would be hers. He glanced at the four-poster bed with its pink-satin coverlet that would have only one person in it.
Cal set her on her feet, and she remembered when he had carried her over the threshold and then kissed her. Was he going to kiss her again? She wanted him to. Her pulse drummed as she looked up at him and he slid his hands to her shoulders. The dress had a wide vee neck and tiny puff sleeves that he pushed off her shoulders. His hands were warm on her skin as he looked at her.
“You were beautiful today.” He reached out to pull a pin from her hair, carefully removing the narrow band of taf- feta with seed pearls and flowers that held her veil. “I’ve never seen you with your hair down,” he said quietly, re- moving more pins and dropping them into his pockets.
Her gaze was ensnared by his while she felt her hair tum- ble across her shoulders. It was impossible to get her breath, next to impossible to remember that she intended to keep her defenses up and guard her heart. His hands framed her face and he tilted her mouth up to his as he leaned down. His lips brushed hers, then settled, his mouth opening hers as his tongue thrust against hers. Heat burst within, spiraled down and centered in her.
Her inner voice shouted a warning that she would regret rushing into a relationship with him that was anything more than their marriage contract, but she couldn’t pull away.