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That was patently untrue, but Rooster exchanged a s to letinto her ear

"I should say not" She made it sound as if he’d propositioned her

"Anyplace in town you want," Rooster said, not easily rejected

His persistence appeared to fluster her "Thank you for the invitation," she said forhter-in-law and hter They’re in the lobby"

"Sleep in, did you?"

"Heavens, no I forgotto see the Twelve Irish Tenors and the Oak Ridge Boys"

"The Oak Ridge Boys are in town?" Rooster asked, not hiding his excite to the afternoon show"

The elevator arrived at the lobby and the doors glided open Max i by the fireplace waiting His gaze went directly to Bethanne Without conscious thought, he started walking toward her and she toward him

"How’d you sleep?" he asked in a low voice

"Badly," she whispered, avoiding eye contact

"Me, too"

"Are you going to breakfast or not?" her daughter de," Rooster said, and offered Annie and Ruth each an ar out

Max reached for Bethanne’s hand, and every doubt he’d experienced instantly fled They were together and that was enough They would take this day by day

"I don’t knohat you think you’re doing," Ruth said to Rooster

"Why, I’ two beauties out for breakfast, that’s what"

"I believe that’s our cue to slip off by ourselves," Max said They walked out of the hotel, and when Rooster went left, they went right

Max’s heart lifted He had twenty-four hours with Bethanne It was going to be a good day

Twenty

"How about a ride?" Max asked Bethanne after they’d finished breakfast They’d returned to the hotel, strolling lazily down the busy sidewalks of Branson Bethanne hadn’t seen Ruth, Annie or Rooster since they’d parted ways about an hour earlier

"I’d think after all that ti you’d want to do"

"There’s a place I want to show you"

"Then I’m all for it" Twice now Bethanne had ridden with Max and each time she’d felt more relaxed, more comfortable He must have planned this, because when he collected his Harley, he had Rooster’s helmet

When she was securely seated behind hi, but it really didn’t one anywhere with him

They rode for about forty minutes He turned off the main road to a lake with a nu the shoreline Then he pulled into the driveway of one of those houses and cli his hels to a friend of mine He said I can stop by anyti her own helmet

"I don’t know I left him a voice mail and said I’d like to take him up on his offer I haven’t heard back"

Bethanne disertips into the rear pockets of her jeans while Max walked over to the house He dashed up the steps to the porch and rang the doorbell When no one answered, he lifted a brick from beneath the , thrust his hand in the hole and took out the key

"Looks like we have the place to ourselves," he said, unlocking the front door

Bethanne hesitated "You’re sure your friend won’t mind?"

"I’m sure"

"You’ve done this before…stopped in like this"

"No"

"Max," she protested

"It’s okay, I pro for her, he walked inside

Reluctantly, Bethanne followed When she entered the house she noticed large, co glass doors that led to the deck He opened two, letting a clean breeze waft through the roo and looked out over the lake, which sparkled in the sunshine It was alive with activity The sounds of enjoy--carried easily to the house People were boating and fishing A water-skier crossed the lake, and a couple of Jet-Skiers left huge rooster tails in their wake

Bethanne joined him on the deck, and he slid his arm around her waist "I had no idea this was so lovely," he said, al to himself

"You haven’t been here before?"

"Once That was about two and a half years ago Like I said, a friend of mine owns this It was a little over a year after Kate died and I was consu at the lake"

"Grief takes over your life, doesn’t it?" she said, growing thoughtful "Years ago I read that grief is the place where love and pain converge For whatever reason, that stayed in rieved for e" Like Max, she spoke in a whisper "In the s about s I liked My husband hadto do anything, be anyone, if only Grant would coain I needed my husband I’d never experienced that kind of emotional pain Never understood how the man who’d vowed to love htened around her

"That first year forced e part of who I am was formed by my love for Grant"