The Borrowed Ring

“No. I was just out here killing time while my, er, husband is in a meeting.”

“Are you on your honeymoon, too?”

“No, we've been married for a couple of years,” she said, automatically falling back on the details Daniel had drilled into her. “We're combining a vacation with a business trip.”

“Great place, isn't it? They've been treating us like royalty. Maybe you're used to that sort of thing? For Natalie and me it's a real novelty. We saved for more than a year for this honeymoon.”

B.J. wanted to tell him that it was new for her, too, but that wouldn't have fit the background Daniel had created for her. “It is a lovely resort.”

“My name is Kurt, by the way. Kurt McGuire. We're from Tulsa.”

“I'm B.J. Sam—um, Andreas. From Dallas.”

“Yeah? Neighboring states. Makes us sort of neighbors, too, I guess.”

There was some distance between Dallas and Tulsa, but if he wanted to claim her as a neighbor, what the heck. “Sure.”

“I'm an attorney—well, I just passed the bar, but I've got a job lined up in my uncle's firm. My wife's a third-year medical student, which is why we only get five days for a honeymoon, because she has to do rotations this summer. What do you and your husband do?”

The guy certainly was a talker. She wondered cynically how long it would take the practice of law to drain the open friendliness right out of him.

It suddenly occurred to her that Daniel hadn't actually told her what his job was supposed to be. “My husband is in investments,” she hazarded. “I keep myself busy with volunteer work,” she added, dutifully—if reluctantly—staying in character.

“Do you have any children?”

This was her cue to look sad, she remembered. Oddly enough, as her mind filled with images of little dark-haired, dark-eyed replicas of Daniel, it wasn't that hard to pull it off. “No, we haven't been so fortunate yet.”

Perhaps she was a better actress than she had thought. Kurt reached out to pat her bare knee. The gesture was more brotherly than presumptuous. “I'm sure everything will work out for you.”

She couldn't help smiling in response to his earnest expression. He seemed like a genuinely nice man. “Thank you. And by the way, congratulations on your marriage and on passing the bar.”

Someone cleared his throat rather forcefully behind them. Both B.J. and Kurt looked around to find Daniel approaching them, his dark brows drawn downward between hard obsidian eyes.

B.J. had thought before that there were times when Daniel could look rather dangerous. This was one of those times.

Kurt quickly pulled his hand back to his own knee. “I have a feeling that this is your husband.”

“Yes, it is.” B.J. smiled at Daniel, pushing inconvenient memories of last night's kisses to the back of her mind. “Daniel, this is my new friend, Kurt McGuire. Kurt, my husband, Daniel Andreas.”

Daniel swept the other man with a hard look that traveled slowly from sunburned cheeks to the hand that had just rested on B.J.'s knee. A slight nod was the only greeting he offered.

Kurt cleared his throat and stood. “Nice to meet you, Daniel. I was just, uh—”

“Patting my wife's leg?” Daniel supplied silkily when Kurt faltered for a moment.

“Daniel.” B.J. gave him a warning look as she stood.

“You know, I bet my wife is awake now. I'd better go see if she's ready for breakfast.” Giving B.J. a quick, careful smile, Kurt hurried away.

Planting her hands on her hips, B.J. stared at Daniel. “That was incredibly rude.”

“The guy needs a lesson in keeping his hands to himself.”

“And you think it's your place to give him that lesson?”

“If I find his hand on your leg again, you're damned straight I'll give him that lesson.”

She made a choked sound of sheer disbelief. “Might I remind you that we are not really—”