The Honeymoon-Part 2

Ben and Liana

On their third day at Pennyhill Park Hotel, Ben told Liana the rest of the honeymoon surprise. After lunch, when they were resting in their suite, he said, smiling casually, "We need to get packed up tonight, darlin'. Tomorrow we leave for Scotland."

He grinned at the surprised expression on her face. "Thought we'd spend the week and a half we got left lookin' at some of them castles you're so fond of."

Liana did her best to look at him seriously and to keep her voice stern. "Shouldn't you have told me this already? I thought we agreed there'd be no more big surprises." But she was unable to keep the delight off her face.

Ben crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame of the bathroom. "Well, now- Strictly speakin', darlin', you were forcin' my hand then. If I hadn't agreed to that, you'd've left me at the altar." He grinned at her. " 'Sides, you gonna tell me you don' wanna go to Scotland? That you'd rather pack up and go home 'cause you're mad at me for surprisin' you with it?"

He had her there and he knew it. Liana threw a towel at him. "Dammit, Ben Wade! When do I get to have the upper hand here?!"

"Never." His grin broadened as she went on packing. He wouldn't, for one minute, reveal to her that she'd had the upper hand since he'd met her.

As they were gathering things together, the room's phone rang. Ben answered it. "Dan! How's it goin' in the Glen?" After a moment, he his face turned serious. "Just a minute, Dan."

Putting the phone on speaker, he told Liana, "You might wanna hear this, honey."

Dan told them about the fire at the Mill and about Alistair Harris' injuries. Liana was horrified. "Is he going to be all right, Dan?"

"Well, he seems to be out of the woods now. Probably be going home in a few days." Dan Evans' voice was quiet. "Bunch of people got together and repaired the damage. Even rewired the place for them."

"What about his hospital bills?" Ben asked. "He got insurance?"

"No idea," Dan answered.

"Find out," Ben said grimly. "Whatever kind of medical bills he has, see to it they're paid. Hospital, doctor, medicine. Anything he needs."

When Dan had agreed to do that and to call them later with an update, he got on to more Glen news. "Seems the town's going to hold elections," he said, with slight amusement. "Jack Aubrey and that Sid Harbor fellow are going to be running for mayor. Apparently, there's gonna be two city council posts too. Mr. Meridius has declared to run for one of them, so far."

Ben was even more amused than Dan. "Sid Harbor? That oughta be interestin'. If there's anybody an opponent should be able to dig up dirt on, it'll be him." Since meeting Sid at the reception, Ben knew without a doubt that Sid had something to hide. He'd thought to himself that he might look into that when they got back home.

"Why don't you run for the other city council post, Ben?" Liana questioned, half-serious, half-joking.

He gave her a look that would have scared anyone but her. "I may be a robber and a killer, darlin', but I ain't nowhere near corrupt enough to be a small-town politician," he said sarcastically. "I'll stay outta politics, thank you." It was his turn to a throw a towel at Liana.

Laughing, she she went into the bathroom for a shower. When she had left, Dan said jokingly. "You sure you don't wanna run, Ben? I'm imagining Ben Wade bein' on the town council." His voice was amused.

Ben's voice had turned serious when he answered, first making sure the bathroom door was closed. "You know, Dan, now that you mention it, I want you to take out an ad in that little town newspaper. Big headline."

Pausing a moment in his thoughts, he continued, "Have it say- 'Wade Runnin' For Town Council Post'. Liana Wade."