Captive Heart

by Patti Beckman

  She whispered unsteadily, "But Consuelo Garcia, you didn't deny that you were seeing her."

  "Oh, Consuelo, that little spoiled brat!" he exclaimed impatiently. "Yes, I had a cocktail with her at the country club one afternoon. And I met her for dinner one evening. She wanted to talk to me about her family's finances. She's a mercenary little thing. She's always had her cap set for me because of my money. I never felt that way about her. I agreed to loan her family some money. After all, her father and my father were best friends. I felt I owed it to them. But you seemed so angry—jealous, I hoped. I let you think I'd had a romantic meeting with her, wishing to use the old weapon of jealousy. But that didn't work, either."

  Del Toro arose. Gravely, he took the exquisite, long-stemmed rose from the vase and placed it on the pillow beside her. "JoNell, I sent you all those dozens of roses when you first came as a symbol of how much I loved you, but you never responded. Now I give you this one red rose as a symbol of my heart which you will take with you wherever you go."

  Tears had half blinded her. "It sounds so pretty when you say it that way in Spanish," she choked. "Do you really mean it? I am free to go as soon as I am well?"

  He nodded, his eyes sad. "Yes. Whenever you wish."

  She let the tears trickle down her cheeks. "But what if I don't want to go?" she asked.

  His green eyes looked startled. "What do you mean?"

  "I mean that I like it when you say those pretty things to me in Spanish. I like it when you send me flowers, and when you are strong the way you were in the village, and when you are tender the way you are now. I've never, ever known a man like you, Jorge Del Toro. I'm not sure when I fell in love with you. Maybe the first time you walked into that airport office, looking like you owned the whole darn airfield. Or when you kissed me on the beach. Or on our wedding night. I know when I realized I was in love with you. It was when we were in the mountain village that first time. Didn't you know I realized I was in love with you then, Jorge?"

  As she talked, his green eyes had gone from dark amber to flashing jade. His face had brightened with unbelieving happiness. "JoNell—JoNell—do you really mean it!" he cried.

  She nodded, too choked up to say more.

  He sat on the edge of the bed, gathering her up in his arms. "My beloved… my heart…" he said, raining kisses on her face and throat.

  "Easy," she laughed unsteadily. "I'm not that well yet."

  "But you will be soon. JoNell, are you sure? Did I hear you right? You do love me?"

  "Yes, my darling," she laughed. "Very, very much."

  He kissed her again. She could feel him trembling with joy and excitement. "We'll have a honeymoon you'll remember a lifetime. Maybe we'll go around the world!"

  "How about to Florida?"

  "Whatever you want." He shook his head in bewilderment. "You always seemed so angry with me. We could never talk without having angry words. In the village, I gave you that necklace because I loved you, but you threw it back in my face with anger."

  "Only because I thought it was a kind of payment for acting like your wife. I was angry because I thought you were going to wind up breaking my heart, and I hated you for that. It was the one thing I'd promised myself I wouldn't let happen."

  The nurse came into the room, interrupting them. Del Toro quickly got up from the bed, looking flushed.

  "Time for your medicine," the pretty young nurse said, giving JoNell a pill. She shot Del Toro a flirtatious glance and swung her hips walking out of the room.

  "I guess I'm going to have to get used to that, having the most handsome husband in the world," JoNell grinned.

  "What?"

  She realized with a happy glow that Jorge had been totally oblivious to the nurse.

  Huskily, she whispered, "Come here, my conquistador. I'm feeling stronger by the minute."