Page 39 of Brennan

“What do youexpect me to do?” He demanded. “I am your husband, and Imust provide for you.”

“And Iappreciate that. All I am saying, and you are not listening, is thatwe should wait. My salary is generous, and I am not struggling likebefore. I can manage.”

“So, you wantme to sit by and do nothing.”

“You can-”She searched around for something insignificant. “Buygroceries.”

His eyebrows lifted.“Groceries?”

“Yes,”She nodded eagerly, the idea taking on form. “You can pull cashfrom an ATM, and I could buy groceries.”

“I have neverused an ATM and do not intend to start now.”

She gave him a wrylook. “Of course you haven’t. And you have never been ina grocery store before.”

“No,” Headmitted. “I will write you a check, and you can put it intoyour account.” he shrugged.

“And the amountwould be?”

“Not enough foryour bank or mine to raise a red flag, as you put it. Below tenthousand.”

“One thousandwill do or less than that.”

“We are notarguing about money on our honeymoon, and you are not going todictate how I should care for my wife.”

“Is that what Iam doing?” She felt a mellow glow at his comment.

“Precisely whatyou are doing. You are spoiling what’s left of our honeymoon bycajoling over trifles.”

“I am not-”She stopped at the look on his face. “Okay, fine. I amfinished.”

“Good.”Finishing his coffee, he pushed back from the table. “Want togo for a walk?”

She nodded,squelching the frustration that he refused to listen to her.

“Let me get myboots-”

“I alreadybrought them down here. And a scarf and earmuffs.”

“You had it allplanned?”

“Absolutely.”He led the way out of the kitchen and into the foyer, whereeverything was piled on the table next to the door. She did notobject when he helped her with her jacket after she slid her feetinto the boots.

Standing still, shewaited while he wrapped the scarf around her neck before attending tohis needs. She had to admit that it felt good having someone takingsuch good care of her.

“Shall we?”

She nodded and tookhis hand as they made their way outside. The sun was up, but the windwas sharp, blowing the powdery snow off the brushes and the spindlybranches of the trees stripped bare of their leaves.

He linked his glovedhand with hers, fingers clinging as they made their careful waythrough the winding path leading to the barn. The air was crisp andclean, the sounds of squirrels scampering up the trees breaking themonotony of silence. They had walked a little distance before shespoke.

“When willElijah take up residence?”

“He is on alocation shoot in Mexico and will be there for a few months. I amguessing he plans on doing so as soon as he returns.”

“Has he beenhere before?”

“Yes, I waswith him a year ago after he bought the place. He wanted my opinionon it.”

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