"There was nothing like that in Rigg's cabin."

"That doesn't surprise me. He's different."

Lorri sighed again and Dean watched her. It wasn't hard to imagine how tempting Rigg would find his beautiful granddaughter, and he debated whether or not he should question her about Rigg's conduct. He knew she was not a kid anymore, but that didn't change his responsibility and concern.

"Did you feel safe with Rigg?"

"Yes, very."

"He didn't touch you or say anything improper?"

"No, nothing like that."

Tm glad to hear it."

"I'm going to bed now. Are you coming up?"

"Max is out with Arlene. I'll wait for her"

"Goodnight, Grandpa."

i 268.

Lori Wick "Goodnight, honey."

Not until Lorri left the room did Dean realize he'd forgotten to ask one thing: Did she and the lieutenant have another date on the calendar?

Lorri's birthday is in two weeks. We're going to The Cove for dinner. Can you join us?

Rigg recalled those words from Ruth Archer as he parked his car on the street and headed to the front door on the third of May. He and Lorri had been on another date, and he had even been invited for Sunday dinner--all of which he took as a positive sign about the future.

Rigg rang the doorbell and waited, pleased when Lorri answered.

"Rigg, hi!" she exclaimed, as surprised as she was supposed to be. "Come in."

"Thank you."

"I wish I didn't have to tell you this, but we're not going to be home this evening. We're going to The Cove."

"Yes, I know," Rigg said simply. "Happy birthday," he added, bringing the flowers from behind his back.

"Thank you," Lorri said, stunned at his gesture. Then she caught on. "You're going with us, aren't you?"

"That's the plan."

Lorri laughed. "Let me put these in water."

Lorri wasn't gone from the room five minutes when Max joined him.

269.

269.

"h.e.l.lo, Lieutenant," she said, smiling her Lorri smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Max. Yourself?"

Max was all ready to answer, but Lorri came back. Unfortunately she was trailed by m.u.f.fin, who had taken another captive.

"m.u.f.fin!" Max suddenly hissed, and Lorri looked behind her. In the cat's mouth and trailing down the length of her body was a bra.s.siere. Lorri scooped the cat up and shot from the room. Max turned to Rigg, who was doing everything in his power not to laugh.

"We'll be right back," she said, scooting after her sister.

When they returned, Ruth and Dean were already waiting with Rigg, who still looked amused. Max bit her lip to keep from laughing, but Lorri was having none of it. She didn't plan to look at Donovan Riggs ever again.

"Are you going to spend the entire evening avoiding my eyes?" Rigg said to her profile. The reservations at the restaurant had been overlooked somehow, and they were having to wait a few moments for a table.

"I'm so embarra.s.sed," Lorri admitted, still not looking at him.

"Don't you think it was a little funny?"

"I would have thought it very funny if you hadn't been standing in my living room."

Lorri felt the bench shake as silent laughter overcame him, the laughter he had wanted to release as soon as she'd spotted the cat.

"Ihope," Lorri told him, trying to sound angry, "that if I ever meet your family, they tell me something that turnsyourface red."

270.

"Speaking ofwhich?Rigg replied, trying not to laugh anymore, "I'm headed home in two weeks. Would you like to go with me?"

"Home as in Santa Rosa?"

"That's right."

Lorri worried her lip. "You can't get there and back in one day, can you?"

"No, we would stay with my parents, who have plenty of room."

Lorri only nodded.

"Is there a problem?"

"Not exactly. It's just that I haven't been away from Mother since I arrived home. There's been no reason."

"Until now" Rigg said, not catching how serious the suggestion was for Lorri. "I've written about you to m'y folks, and they would like to meet you."

"What did you write exactly?"

"That I'm seeing someone."

"I would like to meet your parents," Lorri said, not having fully worked out her thoughts.

"So do I take that as a yes?"

The face she turned to him bothered his heart. Her eyes, suddenly huge and vulnerable, reminded him of her condition on the island.

"Why don't I check with you later," Rigg suggested.

"I don't know if I can," Lorri said, panic overtaking her without warning.

"It's all right," Rigg said rea.s.suringly, never dreaming his invitation would be this upsetting. "We'll talk about it another time."

"I'm sorry" Lorri began, but Rigg only shook his head.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it."

271.

271.

"Lorn?" her mother said when she saw her daughter's face. She glanced at Rigg, who looked apologetic. "What's the matter?" Ruth asked.

"Nothing," Lorri told her. "I just panicked over something. It was silly of me."

Ruth didn't want to, but she let it drop. Max and Dean had returned from seeing to the reservations, and they were soon seated at their table. As soon as they ordered, however, Lorri excused herself. Ruth waited only that long to check with Rigg.

"Can you tell me what happened?"

"I asked her to come home to Santa Rosa with me in two weeks to meet my folks. She said she hasn't been away from you since she got home." Rigg looked as helpless as he felt. "I didn't realize it would upset her. I'm sorry."

Ruth looked to Dean, all sorts of questions in her eyes.

"It's all right," Dean said to everyone. He knew something had gone on in his absence. "We're still in new territory here. Lorri does very well, but she's still the same person who had a terrible ordeal less than a year ago. It's impossible to know how everything's going to work out."

There was no further conversation on the matter until Lorri came back. All eyes on the table watched her, and she knew what the conversation had been. She turned to Rigg.

"Did you tell them how silly I was?"

"Nothing like that. Your mother just checked with me, and I explained."

Lord's eyes went to Ruth.

"I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

272.

Lori Wick Lorri did her best to do just that. And in truth, the evening was not spoiled. Not until she climbed into bed did she remember Rigg asking her to go home with him. She sighed when she thought about how she had behaved. She doubted if he would ever ask again.

Rigg was at the Archers' front door as soon as he dared Sat.u.r.day morning. People were up and dressed but moving slowly. He asked to talk to Lorri, and they went into the living room.

"Bring your whole family," he began. "Come to Santa Rosa with me and bring your grandfather, mother, and sister."

Lorri was unbelievably touched. "You would do that? Invite everyone just So I would go?"

"I want you to meet my family. It's a bonus if your family can meet them too."

Lorri sat for a moment.

"I'll be nervous. I'll make a fool of myself and embarra.s.s you."

"That's not going to happen."

"Why are you never nervous?"

"Who told you I was never nervous?"

"I can see it," Lorri explained, thinking it so obvious. "You're always in charge and composed."

Rigg shook his head, his eyes going heavenward.

"Okay, let's take this apart piece by piece. I'm so calm and in charge that I have to have my niece along in order to come and see you. Then I try a new church and find you there. Do I come up and speak to you? No. I keep coming because I enjoy the church and can see you, but come up and talk to you? Never."

273.

273.

Lorri's mouth had started to curl into a smile. She had not seen him like this before. He was exasperated and seemed desperate for her to believe him.

"You would dare laugh at my pain?" he asked, bringing a full smile to Lorri's lips.

Rigg watched her, not wanting to push but anxious to know what she thought of the idea.

"Lorraine," he finally said. "What do you think?"

"I think I should check with my family."

"Okay," Rigg agreed, but Lorri sat there. Rigg stared at her, trying not to laugh.

"Oh!" she suddenly started. "I could do that right now."

Rigg remained seated, and Lorri shot to her feet and found her family in the kitchen. Only five minutes pa.s.sed before Rigg was joined by the whole gang.

"I have to be at the base that weekend," Dean launched right in. "But I think Ruth and the girls should go."

"All right." Rigg was ready to agree to anything.