Page 106 of Romance and Peppermint Lattes
“What time does your flight leave?” he asked.
“It’s okay. I’m not scheduled to leave until this afternoon.”
“It is afternoon.”
Her eyes flew open. “What?”
“Do you still need me to take you to the airport?”
“Yes... please.” She tossed aside the covers and reached for her clock, stunned to realize Joe was right. “I’m already packed. I’ll be dressed by the time you get here. Oh, thank goodness you phoned.”
Cait didn’t have time to listen to the pounding of the tiny men in her head. She showered and dressed as quickly as possible, swallowed a cup of coffee and a couple of aspirin, and was just shrugging into her coat when Joe arrived at the door.
She let him in, despite the suspiciously wide grin he wore.
“What’s so amusing?”
“What makes you think I’m amused?” He strolled into the room, hands behind his back, as if he owned the place.
“Joe, we don’t have time for your little games. Come on, or I’m going to miss my plane. What’s with you, anyway?”
“Nothing.” He circled her living room, still wearing that silly grin. “I don’t suppose you realize it, but liquor has a peculiar effect on you.”
Cait stiffened. “It does?” She remembered most of the party with great clarity. Good thing Joe had taken her home when he had.
“Liquor loosens your tongue.”
“So?” She picked up two shopping bags filled with wrapped packages, leaving the lone suitcase for him. “Did I say anything of interest?”
“Oh, my, yes.”
“Joe!” She glanced quickly at her watch. They needed to get moving if she was to catch her flight. “Discount whatever I said—I’m sure I didn’t mean it. If I insulted you, I apologize. If I told any family secrets, kindly forget I mentioned them.”
He strolled to her side and tucked his finger under her chin. “This was a secret, all right,” he informed her in a lazy drawl. “It was something you told me on the drive home.”
“Are you sure it’s true?”
“Relatively sure.”
“What did I say? Did I declare my undying love for you? Because if I—”
“No, no, nothing like that.”
“Just how long do you intend to torment me with this?” She was rapidly losing interest in his little guessing game.
“Not much longer.” He looked exceptionally pleased with himself. “So Martin’s a minister now. Funny you never thought to mention that before.”
“Ah...” Cait set aside the two bags and lowered herself to the sofa. So he’d found out. Worse, she’d been the one to tell him.
“That may well have some interesting ramifications, my dear. Have you ever stopped to think about them?”
ChapterEight
“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you about Martin,” Cait informed Joe as he tossed her suitcase into the back seat of his car. She checked her watch again and groaned. They had barely an hour and a half before her flight was scheduled to leave. Cait was never late. Never—at least not when it was her own fault.
“It seems to me,” Joe continued, his face deadpan, “that there could very well be some legal grounds to our marriage.”
Joe was saying that just to annoy her, and unfortunately it was working. “I’ve never heard anything more ludicrous in my life.”
