56 PARIS

watched the fence posts past by. "I hope you're feeling luckier than I am."

She was on time for the plane to Providence, though Dusty had to stop for gas and didn't drive over the speed limit like a maniac. Rose assumed he was trying to protect his hundred dollars and was hoping for a miracle. The only miracle was her being able to convince the cowboy to drop her off at the proper terminal and leave her bags to the airport valet to carry, while Pookie relieved himself against a cement post. Then she and Pookie, tucked in his crate navigated the ticket correct gate.

"She's not here." The voice drawled from behind her. Bobby grinned when she turned around. "She figured you'd be here. I just put her on a plane to Paris."

"Paris?" Rose noticed the young cowboy didn't look devastated. In fact, she thought, he looked pleased with himself. "Why?" she asked.

"To go to some fancy baking school," he replied, reaching out to take Pookie's crate from her. "Class starts in two days. You want to sit down? You looked kinda flushed." He led her to a row of empty seats by the window overlooking her airplane.

"But her passport....."

"She brought it with her to Texas, on account of not knowing what we were gonna do for a honeymoon."

"Oh, Bobby, I'm sorry. Are you very disappointed?"

"Maybe a little," he said, resting the crate on his lap. "Is it okay if I take him out or will we get in trouble?"

"I don't think anyone will mind." She watched as he unhooked the door and the dog peeked out, stretching his paws in front of him. "Bobby, what's going on?"

"I couldn't stand to see her sad, Ms. Marti. And she wanted to give up baking in order to get married and not hurt me, but I just wouldn't allow it. We're gonna keep in touch and see what happens next year, after she's got her degree in pastry. She asked me to hang onto the dress, just in case."

"That's very.....civilized," Rose told him, watching as he scratched Pookie's ears and surveyed the travelers sauntering past. "I hope it works out."

"Well, thanks. And I hope everything works out for you, too. Shorty sure is fond of this dog." He handed Pookie to her and stood up, tipping his hat to someone behind her.

"I remembered that I owe you a quilt," someone said, and when she turned, of course there was Andrew. He stood there holding one of his mother's quilts, the ivory one with tiny pieces of pastel fabrics stitched together in interesting circles.

Rose was afraid to move. He looked so handsome and so upset, but his face relaxed when Bobby grinned at him and clapped him on the shoulder.

"I think I will go get a great ol' cup of coffee," the young man said, leaving them alone.

"I drove ninety miles an hour to get here before you left." He tossed the quilt over the seat next to her. "It's the wedding ring pattern. I thought it was appropriate, considering."

"Considering?"

"The bet we made. In that antique shop. You said there wouldn't be a wedding and you won." He shoved the quilt aside and sat down as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"I didn't want to win," she whispered, as his arms stretched out behind her shoulders. If she moved over a few inches she could rest her head on his shoulder. Pookie snuggled deeper into her arms and began to snore.

"You haven't. Yet. If there's a wedding you owe me a date at the Drive-In."

"They're not getting married. Not yet."

"The bet was for a wedding," he countered. "We didn't specify whose. Honey, I spent ten minutes without you and thought I was going to die of a broken heart. I don't care how different we are or that we've only known each other a little while or anything else. I'm not going to let you leave here without knowing that I'm in love with you and that's not going to change, no matter what. So either you marry me and stay here or you marry me and we go East." He pointed to a battered leather bag. "I packed, just in case. And I have a ticket, too. So what do you say?"

"I say..." she said, turning to face him so that their lips were only inches apart. "I want the quilt." Her lips brushed his. "And the wedding." Another brush of lips. "And the ranch." He started kissing her back, but she had to add, ""And the cowboy."

She would have kissed him for hours, but Pookie barked his discomfort at being squished between two lovers. "So," she said, when they had separated enough to satisfy the little dog. "What do you say?"