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Carol stood in the center of his living roo out theat the panorah, that she wasn’t really looking at the view

"Would you like so to drink?" he asked when she didn’t speak immediately

"No thanks… this will only take a s, Steve forced himself to relax

"I was in to see Dr Stewart this afternoon," she said, and her voice pitched a little as if she were struggling to get everything out "He…he told ery"

"Listen, Carol, if you’ve come to thank me, it isn’t necessary If you’d told one for him He could have stayed with you, but – "

"I lied," Carol interrupted, squaring her shoulders

He let her words soak into histhe baby’s father I told you that because I was so hurt by what you’d said"

"What I’d said?" He couldn’t recall doing or saying anything to anger her The fact was, he’d done everything possible to show her how ested it would be better if I did lose this child," she murmured, and her voice trembled even more, "because next time you could be certain you were the father"

She see so those lines"

Carol closed her eyes as if her patience was depleted and she was seeking another share "I couldn’t take anyhe said and did rong when it came to Carol He wanted to explain, but doubted that it would do any good "My concern was for you Any husband would have felt the sanancy"

"You aren’t my husband"

"I wanted to be"

"That was another insult!" she cried, and a sheen of tears brightened her eyes

"My e proposal was an insult?" he shouted, hurt and stunned

"Yes… no The offer to leave the Navy hat bothered ain" There was no understanding this wo that had ever been important to him for her sake, and she threw the offer back in his face with some ridiculous clai her to share his life

The silence stretched interminably They stood only a few feet apart, but the expanse of the Grand Canyon could have stretched between the

The problenized, was that they were both so battle scarred that it was almost impossible for them to talk to each other Every word they muttered became suspect No subject was safe They weren’t capable of discussing the weather without finding soue with you," Carol said in weary, reluctant tones "I wanted to thank you for everything you did I apologize for lying to you – it was a rotten thing to do"

It was on the tip of his tongue to suggest that he’d gotten accustomed to her lies, but he sed the cruel barb He’d said and done enough to cause her pain in the last couple of years – there was no reason to hurt her ret it later She would look at hi blue eyes of hers and he would see all the way to her soul and know the agony he viewed there was of hisHer look would haunt him for days afterward

She turned and started to walk away, and Steve knew that if he let her go there would be no turning back His heart andHis heart with dread, his mind with an excuse to keep her Any excuse

"Carol – "

Already she was at the front door "Yes?"

"I… have you eaten?"

Her brow creased, as if food was the last thing on her h she couldn’t trust hio out with me? For dinner?"

She hesitated

"The last ti about a restaurant you wanted to try close to here," he said, re her She’d co on her one steadily downhill ever since

She nodded "The Mexican Lindo"

"Shall we?"

Still she didn’t look convinced "Are you sure this is what you want?"

Noas his turn to nod He wanted it so much he could have wept "Yes, I want this," he adentle smile touched her lovely face "I want it, too"

Steve felt like leaping in the air and clicking his heels "I’ll be just a minute," he said hurriedly He walked into his kitchen and with a quick twist of his wrist, he turned off the oven He would toss the aluminum meal later

For now, he had a dinner date with the most beautiful woman in the world

Chapter Fifteen

Elaborately decorated Mexican hats adorned the white stucco walls of the restaurant A spicy, tangy scent wafted through the dining area as Carol and Steve read the plastic-coated menu