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The insight caht for theotten the job with Boeing, it had been understood she’d need to wait for a couple of paychecks before she could afford to rent her own place They hadn’t actually discussed it, and at the time Lindy had let the subject drop because she’d wanted to spend as much time as she could with Rush He hadn’t asked her about it, and she’d assumed that he wanted her with hi

Quickly calculating her limited funds, she realized that hat res and her first check, which was due on Friday, she could possibly afford a studio apartht even be so for a roommate

The ret She’d been such a fool

Rush noted that Lindy left the apart their dinner, not bothering to eat anything herself For that matter he didn’t have much of an appetite either, but he sat down at the table, propped his book open in front of him and pretended an interest in both the book and the dinner

It had been on the tip of his tongue to ask Lindy where she was going, but he’d sed the question, realizing how stupid it would sound after the way he’d laid into her earlier He hadn’tfor one It had just happened, and he was as shocked by his insensitive de he’d said The hurt in her expressive dark eyes returned to haunt hi at hies that appeared beneath her eyes a silent testimony to the trauestion she see otherself-torture! He wanted to see Lindy with another man about as much as he desired a bladder infection

The problem, Rush kneas that he loved Lindy Kyle She was stubborn, headstrong, proud… warht as well have branded his heart, because he belonged to her

Rush pushed his plate aside and wearily wiped a pal he’d planned would happen He was thirty-two years old, for God’s sake Mature enough to recognize when he was headed for trouble He’d knoas going to happen with Lindy fro, all soft and feminine, in the hallway outside Steve’s bedroo she’d blasted the rock h to hurl hiry He’d knohen she’d held his head between her hands and stared into his soul and whispered so sweetly that she loved him

Rush stood and walked out onto the lanai, hands buried in his pants pockets The dark green waters of Puget Sound were visible and Rush snickered softly So e to tie him to theHe used to think of the navy as the only wife he’d ever need But recently, when he crawled into bed at night, it was Lindy he longed to wrap his ared to love He wanted her to be a perhter and sunshine She’d ain He couldn’t bear to think of what the future would be like without her Teeks He’d only been with Lindy for teeks Before that she’d been a naood friend He couldn’t ask her to share his life based on a teek acquaintance It was crazy No, he’d be patient with her, force hiood Tith of their love Time would reveal the truth

It was only a little after eight-thirty when Lindy returned to the aparter, but after reading through the evening newspaper for apart five dollars on a horrible o or what else to do Eventually she’d need to return anyway, and knowing Rush, he’d probably left the apart room or kitchen, and she didn’t bother to check any of the other rooument It was obvious he wasn’t in theat the table, Lindy spread out the classified section and read the apartment-for-rent advertisements once more

Quite by accident she found a section she hadn’t thought to look at before: roommates wanted She read a couple of those and decided to phone the one that looked the htly when the wo about your ad in the paper"

Rush walked into the kitchen, hesitated when he saw her and opened the refrigerator to take out a cold can of pop Lindy strove to ignore hiripped the pen unnecessarily hard as she doodled while the woman on the other end of the line explained a few of the details regarding her ad

"It says here that you’re looking for a nonsmoker I… I don’t smoke and I’ve recently moved into the area and need a place to live I… have a job"

"Lindy"

Rush called her name, but she pretended she hadn’t heard him Besides she was already involved in one conversation and if he chose to be rude that was his problem

Undeterred, Rush waved his hand in front of her face "Get off the phone"

"Excuseeach word as she held her teile thread She pressed the receiver to her shoulder blade and glared up at Rush "Just what do you think you’re doing?" she hissed between clenched teeth

"There’s no need for you to find an apart her heated stare

"I beg your pardon, Rush Callaghan, but this is my life, and if I choose to leave this apartment, I’ll do so with or without your permission"

Rush cursed beneath his breath and walked away fro," Lindy said sweetly into the telephone receiver "Perhaps it would be best if wearound to face her once et off the phone so we can talk?"

Heto a stone wall for all the attention Lindy paid him "Yes, Tuesday afternoon would be fine"

Rush’s returning glare was hot enough to peel thirty-year-old wallpaper off a wall, but still Lindy ignored hi whoever that is," he told her sternly, loo tiain, would you?" Lindy asked softly, deliberately calm She turned to Rush then and half rose from her chair "Would you shut up? I can’t hear a word she’s saying"

"Good"