Page 28 of Bride By Committee

It began as one of those rare Seattle days, with craggy mountains standing in stunning relief against a violently blue sky. The Puget Sound could be mistaken for a sheet of glass, dotted with sailboats and mirroring the Olympic Mountain range. Not that it would stay that way for long, Harry acknowledged. Already heavy, black clouds were gathering to the west, rolling toward them with impressive speed.

But for now the freshly mowed grass smelled sweeter than grass had a right to smell. Even their alcove in the park could be considered a romantic paradise, flowers blooming in brilliant profusion, bushes screening them from curious onlookers. It was sheer perfection—aman, awoman, food, acomfortable blanket. And then there was the view…

Harry shook his head. The view was one of the most glorious he’d ever seen, if somewhat dissatisfying. Madison knelt in the grass, her nose stuck in a laurel bush. Peering through the thick green leaves at Sunny and his father, her pert backside waggled in his direction. As an average, lusty, red-blooded male, he appreciated such an impressive vista. But right now he’d have preferred looking at flashing dark eyes and cheeks flushed with enthusiasm rather than the sort covered by the skirt of her red sundress.

Yesterday, after their run-in with the elevator, he’d found her delectable as the consummate businesswoman. Last night in the restaurant she’d been a flame of gold that tempted his touch beyond endurance even as she threatened to burn his hand. But dressed in glowing red, flimsy bits of sandals strapped to her feet and her hair in casual disarray, she’d become sheer fantasy. Amild breeze played with the dark strands, lifting them around her face before tossing them in a swirl of abandoned waves. She shoved the curls out of her way with an annoyed mutter.

The trick to it, Harry decided, was to get Madison’s focus off Sunny and Bartholomew and on to him. Considering her powers of concentration that would prove quite a feat. But all modesty aside, he was up to the task. After all, he’d diverted the focus of some of the most aggressive men in corporate America. How tough could one determined brunettebe?

“The salmon is fresh,” he thought to mention.

“I would hope so.” Her backside wriggled some more as she changed position. “After all, this is Seattle.”

“The cheese and bread are local, too.”

“Uh-huh.” She flipped her hand in a wave that gave him permission to dig in. “Darn it all, those people are blocking my line of sight. What the heck are they looking at that’s worth all the fuss?”

“The view? Iknow I’m giving it my full attention.” What else did he have to do? He leaned back on his elbows and released his breath in a sigh. “I have a recommendation for next time you go on a covert mission.”

Wiggle. Waggle. Wiggle. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Swish-hitch-wriggle. “This isn’t a covert mission.”

He clamped his back teeth on a groan. It took a whole two minutes before he could gather his control enough to reply. Perhaps a determined brunette would prove more of a challenge than he’d anticipated.

“Anything that involves peering through bushes at unsuspecting innocents can be termed covert. Isuggest you wear clothing in a color that blends in with your surroundings. You’re a little hard to miss in that outfit.”

“Good suggestion,” she approved. “I’ll make a note of it.”

This was ridiculous. Time to put an end to it. “Madison, your grandmother and my father aren’t going anywhere. Have a bite to eat and give them some privacy.”

“Hang on. Those people have finally moved. And about time, too.” She inhaled sharply. “Harry! Your father’s doing something to Sunny. Come here and look.”

“Is he strangling her, perhaps?”

“No.” Madison swung around. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“It was just a passing thought. Ican’t imagine why it occurred to me.”

“Neither can I.” She eyed him in concern. “Is there some risk that he might actually do that? There isn’t a history of abuse in your family, is there?”

“Not yet.”

“Good.” She maneuvered on all fours to another bush. Shoving aside the branches of a rhododendron, she returned her attention to the couple at the far end of the park. “Come look at this, Harry. Is that a principle he’s using?”

His anger tended to be slow to ignite. But Madison had the uncanny knack of heaping dry kindling on sensitive subjects. He took a deep breath and struggled to utilize the sage advice he’d offered countless times to feuding board members. For some strange reason he couldn’t recall a singleword.

“Honey, if you’d read the damned book, you’d know that isn’t how the principles work. They aren’t techniques like… like sexual positions or something. They’re simply commonsense rules for forming a strong, loving relationship.”

She snorted. “Yeah, right. You can’t fool me with that one, Harry.”

“I repeat. If you’d read the book—”

“I can’t. Ilost it on the elevator.”

“I’ll get you another one.”

“Don’t bother. Iskimmed some of the choicer parts. Take another peek at Chapter Three and tell me again it’s not about sex. All that stuff about touching and smelling and looking. No wonder Sunny’s so bamboozled.”

“Chapter One is looking. Chapter Two is listening. Chapter Three references touch, taste and scent. Don’t you think appealing to all the senses is an important part of an initial romantic attraction?”

---