Angels Fall

minutes."
    "In two minutes that burger's going to be burnt. Get that order up."
    "Goddamn it." But Reece rushed to get the order up.

    THERE WAS A TABLE in front of the fireplace in the cabin. On the table was a white cloth, on the cloth a blue vase tilled with pink roses. There were candles and pretty dishes. Most astonishing, beside the table was a stand holding a silver bucket. In the bucket rested a bottle of champagne. And when Lo picked up a remote and pressed play. Wynonna Judd sang a ballad, very softly.
    "What is all this?" a confused Linda-gail asked.
    "It's a Saturday night date." Eager now to play his part, Lo slipped off the shawl she wore around her shoulders. Laving it aside, he hurried around the room lighting candles. "I thought it would be a little darker, but that's okay."
    "That's okay," she repeated, dazed. "Lo, it's just so pretty. The mounted head of a bighorn sheep didn't detract. The lamp with a bear climbing a tree forming its pole only made it all sweeter somehow.
    And though it was heading toward [fine and warm enough, Lo crouched in front of the fire to light kindling already laid.
    "Does your ma know about this?"
    "Sure. She doesn't rent this one out much since… you know that guy shot himself here." He stopped, winced. "That doesn't put you off, does it?"
    "What? No. No."
    "Good. Still, I had to ask her if we could use the place—and to fix up something I could just heat up for dinner. She wasn't too happy about it; in fact, she's a little pissed off at both of us. Hut I figure that'll change when we tell her the reason why."
    "The reason why what?"
    He rose from the hearth, turned and grinned at her. "Gonna get to that. Right now, what do you think about me opening that champagne?"
    And my, didn't he look handsome? she thought. All that pretty sun-streaked hair, that nice, lean body all done up in a gray suit. "I think that'd be just fine."
    She wandered over to the table, brushed her fingertips over the velvety petals of a rosebud. "You bought me pink rosebuds once before."
    '"For your sixteenth birthday. Been some time between deliveries, I guess." 
    "I guess. I guess we needed it. You set this all up?"
    "Wasn't that much. The trick was to do it on the QT." He gave her a wink as he started on the champagne. "I wanted it special, and if you try to do anything special around here and it gets out, everybody knows. Had to go clean into Jackson for those roses. Figured if I had Mac order them in, he'd just have to know why and be speculating with everybody who came into the mercantile on it. One person I know in the Fist can keep a secret, it's Ma. So she's the only one who knows we're here. I nearly told her the rest, but…
    "The rest?"
    When the cork popped, he let out a little whoop of delight. "Sounds good, doesn't it? Fancy."
    "What rest?"
    "She, ah… You got a few things back in the bedroom. In case you wanted to stay over."
    "You went into my house, into my  things  ?"
    "No. Ma did. Don't get riled already. Here." He handed her a glass. "It's for just in case. Should we have a toast or something? How about to surprises, and lots of them?" Her eyes were narrowed, but she tapped her glass to his. She wasn't going to miss out on having a glass of champagne. "This is all beautiful, Lo, that's the truth, and it's sweet as can be. But we have issues to deal with, you and me, and I'm not going to be distracted by flowers and champagne."
    "Didn't figure you would, but maybe we could relax, have some dinner, then—"
    "Lo, I need to know why you lied to me. I gave you till tonight, and I'll be honest first and say I really want to sit at that pretty table, drinking champagne and having you serve me dinner. I want to be here with you and think about how nice it is to have someone go to all this trouble for me. But I can't. Not till I know."
    "I had this planned out different, but okay." In truth, he didn't think his nerves would stay in check all through dinner. "You have to come in the bedroom."
    "I'm not going in that bedroom with you."
    "I'm not going to try to get you naked. Christ's sake. Linda-gail. give me some credit, will you? Just come on in for a minute."
    "This better be good." she grumbled, and set the champagne down before she walked to the bedroom door with him.
    There were more candles he'd yet to light, and more flowers on the dresser. A single rose lay on the pillow. She'd never in her life been on the receiving end of anything so romantic. The center of her heart