“I would have loved that. It sounds very romantic.”

“I was thinking it might be.” He was clearly disappointed.

“What time does your plane leave?”

“It leaves when I get there.”

“Well, who knows how long it will take you to drive from here to Charleston? If there was an accident on the highway, you’d be delayed, right? A flat tire? They’re not expecting you to be there within the hour, are they?”

“No. And I won’t be driving. John left one of the agents he brought with him to Beales here to help tie up loose ends. I’m supposed to call when I’m ready to leave and he’ll pick me up.” He drummed the fingers of his free hand on the table, a slight smile on his lips. “You know, on second thought, I probably have a little time.”

“Good.” She smiled, then turned to look for their waiter. Catching his eye, she motioned him back to their table.

“We’ll have another bottle of champagne. And we’d like that to go, please…”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MARIAH STEWART is the bestselling author of numerous novels and several novellas. She is a RITA finalist for romantic suspense and is the recipient of the Award of Excellence for contemporary romance, a RIO (Reviewers International Organization) Award honoring excellence in women’s fiction, and a Reviewers’ Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine. A native of Highstown, New Jersey, she is a three-time recipient of the Golden Leaf Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the New Jersey Romance Writers, of whose Hall of Fame she is an honoree. Stewart is a member of the Valley Forge Romance Writers, the New Jersey Romance Writers, and the Romance Writers of America. She lives with her husband, two daughters, and two rambunctious golden retrievers amid the rolling hills of Chester County, Pennsylvania.