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She moved away from her mother. “No, thank you. Shall we go?”
Terri started down the aisle ahead of him. After stopping outside the doors to talk to a few more well-wishers, she headed for the parking lot. Thankful to reach the car ahead of him, there could be no argument about who would drive.
She’d driven them to Spearfish in her Honda Civic. Normally she would have enjoyed letting him take the wheel. But the doctor had said he should wear his arm in a sling for another two weeks at least. Thus she’d insisted on being the chauffeur.
Over the last three days they’d packed in quite a bit of sightseeing around the Black Hills. Time had passed so quickly, she couldn’t believe it was about to come to an end. The knowledge that he was on the verge of leaving had plunged her into such a depressed state, it felt as if she was in mourning.
“Terri?” They’d just entered Lead. “Is there a reason why you haven’t taken me to your apartment yet?”
The unexpected question seemed to have come out of nowhere. It caught her off guard.
“We’ve been so busy, there hasn’t been time.”
“We have time now.”
Her heart jumped to her throat. “Mom has lunch waiting. After you’re through eating, we’ll need to get you to the airport in Rapid City.”
“The pilot will be ready whenever I decide to leave.”
“I don’t think going to my place is a good idea.” Terri continued toward her destination. She pulled into the driveway of her mom’s house behind Tom’s car.
Tension crackled between them as she turned off the ignition.
“Is that because you’ve decided to marry me, but you’re afraid I’ll try to make love to you before you’re ready?”
What? “N-no!”
If anything, Terri was afraid he wouldn’t try. That’s what had stopped her. She shook her shook her head. “You’ve misunderstood me.”
“I don’t think so. Credit me with the sense to know this isn’t the time or place. You’ve just put your ex-husband to rest. My interest in seeing the apartment where you knew so much unhappiness stems purely from the desire to know more about you. If sex were all I was after, the subject of marriage would never have been raised.”
Terri couldn’t believe it.
Ben hadn’t changed his mind.
He really was offering her marriage.
“I thought I’d made it clear we’ll take things as they come and see what develops, but rest assured I live in the hope of one day enjoying every aspect of marriage with you, including children.”
“I’m not the best bet in the world on that score,” she said in a haunted whisper.
“Since I haven’t tried to father a child before, I guess neither of us can predict the future. But no matter what happens, I’ll be there for you, Terri,” he vowed fiercely.
Coming from Ben, she knew he meant it.
“Have I averted your fears on that score enough to tell your family our happy news? I’d like you to fly back with me today. We’ve a wedding to plan before we sail. Once we’re underway, there’ll be more work for us than I trust even your extraordinary imagination can conceive.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. After her first marriage had failed, only a fool would rush in a second time knowing he wasn’t in love with her. It would be a marriage of convenience. But the thought of losing him, of never seeing him again…
“Do ship’s captains still marry people at sea?”
Something flickered in the recesses of his eyes. “Not unless they’re a clergyman, too. Happily, Captain Rogers of the Atlantis was a naval chaplain and still retains his ecclesiastical authority.”
Maybe she was dreaming.
“The chapel on the first floor of the ship will accommodate our families nicely.”
“I’m afraid mine wouldn’t be able to come, Ben. They don’t have passports.”
