Reassurance

The look in Ben's eyes made her stammer. "To-To get some breakfast," she told him, holding out the bags. "I thought you'd like some coffee. You were still asleep when I left. I was going to surprise you. Bring it to you in bed." Once she had started talking, the words seemed to come out in a rush.

He saw the fear in Liana's eyes. Didn't like it, but couldn't bring himself to say those two little words "I'm sorry." His anger evaporated. Stepping back, he held the door open for her. Trying to soften his look and his manner, he said, "I was worried 'bout you. Afraid somethin' might've happened. I was comin' to look for ya."

Ben's apology calmed her fears. She headed for the kitchen with the bags. "I'm sorry, Ben. I didn't even think about that. It took longer than I thought it would." She smiled up at him and then reached to kiss him. "This being married is new to me, you know?"

"Yeah. I know." He returned her smile, not feeling totally reassured.

They ate breakfast out on the deck, the only place where there were any chairs yet. Liana had brought the local paper with her. "Oh, look," she said, sipping coffee. "It's a wedding announcement for Toni and Richie, the couple we met last night. She showed it to Ben. "Everyone in the Glen is invited. Do you think we can go."

"Don' know why not," he replied. "Pretty good way to get to know the rest of the folks here." Ben looked at the announcement. "And we'll see about makin' a contribution to that park fund, too," he said with a grin.

After eating, they drove the Land Cruiser over their new place, checking out the land. Ben was pleased with the pastures, the stables, everything he saw. "The first horses'll be here in a few days," he told Liana. "When we get back from Sydney, we'll take our first ride over it. Give it a better look-see."

Looking at the smile on his face as he spoke about the land and horses, Liana could almost believe that his anger this morning was something she had dreamed. No more had been said on the subject, and he'd looked smiling and happy since then. "Just remember that I haven't been on a horse before," she told him, with a slightly nervous expression.

"Don' worry, darlin', I've picked out a nice, gentle one for you. And we'll go slow." Ben gave her a sideways look and a grin. That deep, smooth voice was teasing. "Kinda like last night. Nice, gentle, and slow. You'd never done that either, but you picked it up real quick, didn't ya'?"

Blushing, Liana tried to think of something to say and couldn't. Catching sight of a small, white house in the distance, she said, "I wonder who lives there."

Ben noticed her change of subject and grinned again. "I'm guessin' that's the foreman's house I was told about. Been here a long time. They had to make a few repairs on it. There's been a foreman hired. We'll meet him when we get back too."

Once back from the drive, they spent the rest of the day inspecting the house more closely and taking measurements. Liana got out her laptop computer and typed up lists of what they needed to get in Sydney. At dinnertime, they ate sandwiches instead of going out again.

They sat on the front steps to eat. Once she had finished with her sandwich, Liana looked at her laptop with a sigh. "All this will cost a fortune, Ben. You should have let me bring some of the things I already had with me. Cookware and dishes and stuff." She looked uneasy about it all.

"Honey," Ben said, knowing she wasn't used to having money yet. "I got a fortune. Times a hunnerd, at least. The money ain't a problem."

"But Ben," she protested. "Furniture and linens and kitchen stuff and everything else! It's so much-"

"Don' worry about it, darlin'." He hadn't wanted her to bring her own things. A whole new life for both of them. With all new things in it. That was what he wanted.

Later, as they started to bed, with her in that pretty white nightgown again, he watched her face carefully. There was no trace of the fear that he had seen there this morning following his outburst. Good. He regretted that, but couldn't say it to her.

How was he supposed to tell her that what she had seen had been anger brought on by fear. That when he awoke and she was nowhere to be found, either in the house or outside, his mind had immediately told him that she was gone. That she'd discovered her mistake in marrying him and run away while he was asleep. That she'd deserted him, just like the only other woman in his entire life that he'd ever put any trust in. His mother. Years ago. When he was eight years old.

Liana didn't know about his mother and Ben didn't know if he'd ever feel that he could tell her. But he did know that he'd never let her leave him the way his mother had. That was out of the question.

But that night, as they made love for only the second time since they'd known each other, he got no feeling from her at all that she wanted to leave. And, once more, Ben felt bonded to her and their new life.