The Md She Had To Marry Part 9

It didn't even occur to Lacey to dissemble. Not with Jenna. She could tell Jenna anything. "Maybe you remember. Rose wasLogan's mother's name."

"Of course I remember. And I think it's a good choice."

Lacey gulped. "He's here, Jenna."

A pause. "You meanLogan?"

"Uh-huh."

"You finally told him."

"And he came right away."

"Naturally. Oh, Lace. I'm so glad you did it."

"You know what?So am I."

"Will you marry him? He has asked you, hasn't he?"

"Demanded is more like it. I told him no. About a hundred times. I finally got him to back off on thesubject, as a condition of letting him stick around." "So what are you saying? You won't marry him? You're firm on that?" "Oh, Jen, Iwas firm. At first. But he's been ... so incredibly supportive. Right with me through

everything. True and steady, you know how he is. The kind of man you can lean on, count on, through the toughest times, no matter what."

"Yes. Yes, I do know."

"A total ant."

"What?"

Lacey laughed. "Oh, nothing." And then she felt her smile fade. She clutched the phone tighter. "I ... I told him. That I love him."

"That's good."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"He still loves you, Jenna."

"Did he say that?"

"No, but I know he does."

"You're a.s.suming."

"Stop. You sound like Tess."

"You talked with Tess about it? What did she say?"

"She said I should say yes. That Logan and I should get married and I should ... give love a place to

grow."

Jenna sighed. "Givelove a place to grow. I like that."

"So do I. Probably too much. Having a baby has turned me into a sentimental fool."

"You love him. He wants to marry you. He will be good to you, Lacey. I know that he will. And if he

doesn't know that he loves you now, he'll figure it out, if you give it time." "But hedoesn't love me. He loves-" "Lace."

"What?"

"I want you to listen to me. Listen to me closely."

Lacey s.h.i.+fted the phone to her other ear and grumbled, "What?"

"I know that man."

"I'm aware of that."

"Don't become defensive. Please."

Lacey s.h.i.+fted the phone back where she'd had it before. "All right. I'm sorry. It's a sensitive subject for

me." "I know. And maybe you don't want to hear this now. Is that it? You had a baby a few hours ago and the last thing you need right now is a lecture from your big sister."

"You know, that's true, I really don't want to hear it. I'll probably never want to hear it. But I probably should hear it, for my own good, right?" "Does that mean you're listening?" "Yes. Go on. I can take it." Jenna let a moment of silence elapse. Then she started over. "I knowLogan. And I tried, for so long, to love him the way that you do, because I thought that he and I were right for each other. He thought so, too. And when Logan Severance gets an idea in his head, well, you know what he's like."

Lacey made a noise of agreement. "DoI ever. Certain words come to mind-'relentless' among them." "Exactly. He never gives up. And he's loyal until death. These are wonderful qualities. But they can also make it so a man can't see the nose in front of his face."

Lacey couldn't help interjecting, "The man is bullheaded." Her sister thoroughly agreed. "That would be the word. You know how he was in high school. Every girl's dream. Handsome to die for, kind to everyone and her mother, and destined for professional success. Even after he and I started going steady, all the other girls were after him. Some of them were shameless. But I never felt jealous. I knew he had made up his mind to love me and he wouldn't even look twice at any of them. He didn't. In fact, there's only one other woman he ever seemed to pay more attention to than he did to me." Lacey had been wrapping the phone cord slowly around her finger. She pulled it free. "Logan? Give more than the time of day to a woman who wasn't you? Never." "Yes, he did." "Who?"

"You."

Lacey let out a low cry of disbelief. "That's ridiculous."

"No. Think about it. He was always and forever asking about you. Sometimes it used to really get on my

nerves." Jenna cleared her throat and imitatedLogan's deep voice. "'How's Lacey? Don't tell me she's run away again? When is she going to take her schoolwork more seriously? Don't you think it's about time she stopped getting into trouble? She needs a college education. And I think we ought to talk to her about getting herself a real job...' And on and on and on. I'm telling you, it never stopped."

Lacey couldn't see how that added up to proof ofLogan's romantic interest in her. "He was just playing big brother, that's all."

"He took the role a little too seriously, if you ask me. In fact, in retrospect, it seems to me that he took it way too seriously. Did it ever occur to you that maybe he's been crazy about you for years now and he's just too obstinate to admit that he chose the wrong sister? After all, he's Logan Severance. And Logan Severance is perfect. He doesn't make mistakes."

"Jen. I always got on his nerves. He wanted to reform me."

"He wanted to do a lot more than reform you-he just wouldn't admit it to himself."

"Wait a minute. I'm starting to see the light here. You're saying all this because you think I should say yes

to him."

"I'm saying it because I think it's true."

"You know, I can't help recalling what I told you last September-that if I thoughtLoganloved me, then

nothing could keep me away from him."

"Lace. I have not made all this up to get you to marry him. I honestly haven't. I've been thinking a lot about this and I truly believe there's something to it.You're the oneLoganreally wants."

"Andyou are my big sister, who loves me and thinks I'd be better off if I married the nice, handsome, stable M.D. who is the father of my baby-even if he is still in love with you."

Jenna let out a grunt of pure frustration. "I could easily become perturbed with you. He's not in love with me. He only thinks he is."

Lacey wasn't buying. "And whatis love anyway, but something you think? Where else does it exist ...

except in a person's mind, in whatever it is we call the 'heart'?"

"No," Jenna said. "I'm sorry. I can't agree with you on that."

"What's not to agree with?"

"Most of all, love is what youdo . It's a verb. An action word. If you really love, you behave in a loving way."

That hit home. Lacey stared out the window at the side yard, where a few of Tess's chickens pecked the ground. In the distance, off to the northwest, the snowy crests of theBigHornMountainsreflected back the morning sun.

If love came down to action, she could find no fault with the way that Logan Severance "loved" her. As soon as she'd told him about the baby, he'd put his life and his work on hold to come to her. He'd looked after her from the moment of his arrival here. He'd delivered their baby, and he'd done a beautiful job of it. Now, he was back at the cabin, watching the baby, while she broke the news of the birth to her sister-who also just happened to be the woman who had left him for another man.

"Lace. You still there?"

"I'm here."

"Will you just think about what I said?"

"Yes. I will. I'll think about it."

"I do understand howyou are, too, Lace. How important your independence is to you, how you've never been one to take the traditional way. Maybe the real issue here is that marriage just isn't for you."

"I never said marriage wasn't for me. I've always thought Iwould marry. Someday. When the right man came along."

"To me it seems pretty obvious thatLoganis the right man."

"I'm getting that loud and clear."

Jenna took in a long breath and let it out slowly. "Listen. Remember how you told me once that there was something lukewarm between me and Logan?"

"Jenna-"

"Just bear with me for a minute more. Do you remember?"

"Yes. All right. I remember."

"And remember how you laughed when I admitted that Logan and I had never made love?"

"It surprised me,that's all."

"Because you couldn't imagine anyone pa.s.sing up the chance to be in his arms. Am I right?"

"I didn't think that at the time. I swear."

"I know you didn't, not consciously. Then, he wasmy fiance, after all. But now. Looking back on it.

What do you think now?"

"All right," Lacey conceded reluctantly. "Maybe."

"Maybe what?"

"Jenna, you have made your point. And I really have to-"

"You have to go. I know. But please. Just think about what I've said."