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Neither seemed to knohat to say After a moment, Max touched her face "You taste nice," he whispered, sounding unlike himself

She lowered her lashes "So do you"

He leaned forward and kissed her again as though testing his own observation She clung to hiain desire sparked between the Bethanne’s senses She turned her head away and buried her face in his shoulder, trying to understand as happening to the the side of her face

Anywhere else Bethanne would have been embarrassed Thankfully, no one here seemed to notice or care

They danced and kissed and became so involved with each other that it was after two in theher forehead against his, Bethanne sighed "I have to go"

His hold on her briefly tightened "Okay"

"Don’t think that’s what I want," she said "I’d like nothing better than to spend the rest of as with you"

"But you can’t"

"No, we’re leaving for the Grand Canyon to"

"It’s spectacular You’ll love it"

"Thank you," she whispered "I’ain?"

She didn’t kno to respond

"Tell you what," Max said "You call me You should have my cell number in your phone index If I don’t hear fro, then I’ll know you’ve decided to go back to Grant"

She nodded

Max escorted her to the hotel and kissed her one last tiht What happened in Vegas wouldn’t stay here It would always be with her

Fourteen

By the tias, it was almost noon They’d slept in until after ten, eaten a late breakfast, packed up the car and were now on their way This was the new rental and once again they’d opted to do without a navigational device They had their h

No one see h as Bethanne headed toward Henderson, Nevada, and then over Hoover Da that Annie and Ruth were upset with her for staying out so late with Max, but neither commented Just as well Her relationship with Max was none of their business, regardless of what they ht think Soon the map directed them toward the cutoff for Grand Canyon National Park

Finally, Annie broke the ice "Will you be seeing Max again?" she asked froh the question was thrown out casually, Bethanne could see that both her daughter and Ruth were keenly interested in her answer

Would she see hiain? That depended on what she decided about Grant--a decision that was hers alone She’d told Max she’d contact hiested, but that see to wait Even after she’d slipped into bed beside Annie, all Bethanne could think about was the kisses she’d shared with Max No man had affected her the way he did, not since she was in college and first met Grant

"Mom?" Annie pro Jason again?"

"Probably not," Annie admitted reluctantly, "but he has my cell number"

Max had hers, too, but he wouldn’t use it, wouldn’t phone until she’d called him That was how they’d left it

"We’re in a different ti the subject as they crossed the state line "Arizona isn’t on daylight savings"

Bethanne knew that her mother-in-law had always been uncomfortable with conflict and tried to avoid it whenever possible Bethanne had been radually changed; she’d reinvented herself as a businesswootiate, to compete and to promote her services A wos

The tension in the car eased, and the silence beca the car with ABBA and the Fifth Di along and Annie’s voice harood hter said, apparently surprised that she’d be enjoying the sarande and lost that station after half an hour or so Bethanne snapped off the radio, and they lapsed back into silence

"How are the wedding gloves progressing?" Ruth asked after another lengthy period when no one seemed inclined to talk

"When has Moined I’d see hter didn’t know her nearly as well as she thought, but Bethanne didn’t say anything Annie’s vision of her was a contradictory one--including both the independent businesswoman of today and the complacent wife of years past

"This is all too weird for"My et , but a guy on a bike? Really? My mother?"

"I don’t find it odd at all," Bethanne muttered But it was a h the prospect saddened her

Ruth broke into a half smile

"That reminds me of my family’s opinion of Royce and me"

"Who’s Royce?" Annie iranding out the word in a ful way

Bethanne could only assume herhirin at Ruth’s blush

"So, tell us about Royce," Bethanne said, taking advantage of the change in subject so she wouldn’t have to answer questions about Max She wasn’t so different fro to ed as ht…