Page 63 of By The Book

“Luke, you fainted at the sight of my naked body. I think we’re beyondembarrassing.”

He sighed.“You’re never going to forget that, areyou?”

“No.”

“Well, the two are sort ofrelated.”

She bit her lip and turned to him. “You didn’t faint at the breast-feedingmeeting?”

“Pass out. And, no. I didn’t. I agreed to do that article in exchange for taking your class on a tour of thepaper.”

She opened her mouth and then couldn’t think of a thing to say. Her lips formed a silentO.

“I was sure you were going to dump me on my sorry ass after I had that little blood sugar episode. It was lame and pathetic, but that school tour was my best shot at keeping you still speaking tome.”

She didn’t say a word and he shot her a mocking expression. “Well? Am Iright?”

She nodded. “Luke?”

“Mmm?”

“I’m glad you did the breast-feeding article. And the kids are so excited about touring your paper they’re working really hard on their articles, hoping they get a chance to be in print. You did a great job withthem.”

“It wasfun.”

She couldn’t believe how close she’d come to pulling the plug on their own deal. She’d have missed getting to know Luke better and, worst of all, she’d have missed becoming intimate with him. Maybe their lovemaking wasn’t as technically smooth as it would ultimately be, but they were avid students of that silly book of Luke’s. It was getting to the point where the sight of that garish red-and-black cover made her wet. And, advanced technique was great, but there was a lot to be said for raw enthusiasm, which was overflowing inLuke.

“I’m glad, too,” he said atlast.

Since Luke was a good driver and she was a good navigator, they got to the church in plenty oftime.

She’d wondered how she’d feel when she saw B.J. again. It had been three or four years since Shari had seen her, and more like five since she’d seenRandy.

When she saw her college boyfriend waiting at the top of the aisle, she wondered why her heart had been broken over him. He was all right, but nothing special. Then the music started and they all rose. After the parade of bridesmaids, B.J. walked slowly toward him in a wedding gown right out ofMartha StewartWeddings.

Shari didn’t feel the anguish and hurt she’d expected the day would resurrect; she suddenly saw B.J. as the scrawny twelve-year-old she’d been when they first met. Then she had flashes of them as friends in high school and as dorm mates in college. She wasn’t going to pretend that it hadn’t hurt to have a close friend and her boyfriend abandon her for each other, but the fact they were still together and getting married mitigated the severity of their crime.Somewhat.

Walt Whitman must have really done a number on them, for they were clearly in love with each other. How wonderful it must be to get married to the man you knew was your foreverguy.

She reached for Luke’s hand simply because she wanted to feel the warmth and weight of his hand inhers.

The necklace he’d bought her lay smooth against her throat. He wasn’t the kind of man who was so busy climbing a corporate ladder he didn’t have time for the people he cared about in hislife.

Quite the opposite, in fact. He obviously worked hard and had enough drive and self-discipline to write a novel, but he also took time out to smell the roses. And send roses, she mused, remembering her surprise when she’d first received them. Since they’d become lovers he was always showing up withflowers.

And he’d put a lot of thought and care into choosing or, more likely, having designed, the jewelry she was wearingtoday.

Maybe it was attending a wedding ceremony that was making her mushy, but she suddenly saw Luke as the kind of man she could marry. He’d be great with kids, too, she realized, recalling how good he’d been with the teens in herclass.

The blond-oak pews creaked in unison as the wedding guests resumed their seats once the bride reached thegroom.

Shari sat there, surprisingly moved to watch two old friends getting married. A lot of her residual humiliation evaporated as it finally occurred to her that they really did love each other. At least she hadn’t been dumped for a two-weekfling.

Luke kept her hand in his, and she remained aware of the constant warm connection between them as the ancient words of the marriage ceremony echoed in thechurch.

One day it would be her turn and, as her gaze dropped instinctively to their linked hands, she realized that it was Luke she wanted tomarry.

Her eyes widened in shock as the truth hit her. If she wanted to marry him then she must be…she must be… Oh, Lord. She was in love withhim.

---