Sweet Fortune

please.” She tapped the edge of her glass with her fingernail. “I have one more toast to make before we conclude this celebration. To Hatch. Without whose unflagging zeal and noble leadership this mission would never have been accomplished.”
    A cheer went up around the room.
    “Don't forget to mention my gold card,” Hatch said. “You used it to get the guy down at the marina to rent you a boat in the middle of the night, remember?”
    “To Hatch's gold card,” Jessie repeated dutifully. It was a joke. She was sure of it. In fact, she was almost positive. It had to be a joke.
    “To Hatch's gold card.”
    “To Hatch's gold card.”
    Hatch met Jessie's laughing eyes and smiled coolly. “One more toast,” he said softly. “To Jessie. Who is going to marry me. Soon. Aren't you, Jessie?”
    A sudden silence descended on the room. Jessie froze, her glass halfway to her lips. Her gaze collided with Hatch's and she was unable to look away. She loved him. And just look what he had gone through for her sake. Surely no man would go through all that unless he cared at least a little. She took a deep breath.
    “Yes,” Jessie said.
    This time the cheer that went up shook the paintings on the walls and rattled the glassware on the end table. Hatch gazed at Jessie with deep satisfaction as Alex and David whooped in approval.
    “About time,” Hatch said softly.
    A loud pounding began on the other side of the adjoining wall. A man's voice yelled from the next room.
    “For Christ's sake, will you hold it down in there? We're trying to get some sleep.”
    Hatch groaned, shut his eyes, and sank deeper into his chair.
    Jessie grinned. “This makes the second time poor Hatch has nearly been kicked out of here,” she explained to the others. “Guess we better not come here on our honeymoon, huh, Hatch? A little too embarrassing for you.”
    “I never even considered this inn for our honeymoon,” Hatch muttered without opening his eyes. “No telephones in the rooms. That means no business calls, no modem hookup, and no way to run a fax machine. How could I function?”
    Jessie hurled a pillow at him while the others dissolved into laughter.

    A long while later Jessie emerged from the bathroom to find that Hatch was already in bed. He had turned out the light. She could see him waiting for her in the shadows, his broad shoulders dark against the snowy pillows. His eyes glittered with a masculine anticipation that sent a delightful chill down her spine.
    A wave of shyness threatened to overwhelm her as she went slowly toward him. This was the first time she had been truly alone with Hatch since the others had retired to their own rooms a short while ago. It was the first time she had been alone with him since agreeing to marry him.
    “What's the matter, Jessie?” His voice was deep and dark. “Nervous now that everyone else has gone?”
    “No, of course not. Why should I be nervous?” At that moment Jessie stubbed her toe against the leg of the chair, tripped, and sprawled across the bed. Mortified, she buried her face in the blanket. “Good grief, how can I marry a man who turns me into a walking disaster?”
    “The same way I can marry a woman who gets me into situations where I wind up running around in the woods in the middle of the night playing hide-and-seek with people who carry guns,” Hatch said. “Very carefully.”
    Jessie tried to stifle a laugh and failed. “That was a joke. I know it was.”
    “You're wrong. I meant every word. In fact, I have never been more serious in my life.” Hatch pulled her up so that she lay beside him on the pillows. His expression was very intent as he speared his fingers through her hair and gripped the back of her head. “We're engaged now, Jessie. It's official.”
    “Yes.” She knew her lower lip was quivering. She could feel it. A sense of desperation tore through her. “Hatch, I love you.”
    “I'm glad.” He covered her mouth with his own and rolled her onto her back, crushing her into the bedclothes. “I want you to love me, Jessie. I want it very, very much,” he muttered against her lips. Then he deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth.
    Jessie felt herself plunging into deep water for the second time that night. But this time the water was warm, not icy. Her arms went around Hatch's shoulders as the weight of him bore her downward. For long moments she was caught up in the spell of his lovemaking, unable to think of the future or the