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  'You don't actually intend to go to Pennsylvania, do you?' Warren accused.

  For an instant, she could not honestly understand why he was objecting. Mitch needed her and her place was there. Then she realized what that meant.

  'Yes, I am going,' she answered very calmly.

  Her father, with his usual perception, sensed what was about to come and immediately began dispersing Susan's audience.

  'Beth, go upstairs and pack Susan's things. Amy, give your mother a hand.' He tossed a set of car keys to Greg. 'Get my car out of the garage, Greg, and warm it up while I use the phone in the study to call the airlines and see how soon Susan can get a flight.'

  During the flurry of orders, Warren continued to glare at Susan, angered that she would think of betraying him this way and arrogantly confident he could change her mind. Despite her fear for Mitch, Susan was feeling a crazy kind of peace. Nothing Warren could say or do would ever take it away from her.

  'As your future husband, Susan, I'm asking you not to go,' he said crisply.

  At his reference to their coming marriage, Susan glanced down at her tightly clasped hands, turning them slightly so she could see the rainbow sparkle of her engagement ring. She smiled faintly.

  'I'm going.'

  'You're my fiancée,' Warren reminded her tautly. 'I'm not going to stand by while you rush to another man's side.'

  'I think you've missed the point.' Susan raised her head, serenely meeting the volcanic darkness of his eyes. 'I'm not asking you to stand by. I'm just wondering how I could have been so blind these past weeks.' She slipped the ring from her finger and held it out to him. 'I'm sorry, Warren, that we both had to find out this way.'

  'You can't mean you're in love with this man!' he demanded incredulously, ignoring her outstretched hand.

  'That's exactly what I mean.'

  'But you're in love with me! You've told me that repeatedly. How can you suddenly say you're in love with someone else?' he accused angrily.

  A gentle smile of understanding spread over Susan's mouth at Warren's outraged bewilderment. 'I was once warned that secretaries invariably become infatuated with their bosses, especially when they're men like you. I fell so heavily in love that I nearly missed the real thing.' It was so amazingly clear now that she marveled that she hadn't seen it before. A cold chill chased away the thought. 'I may be too late now.'

  'I'm warning you, Susan, if I take that ring now, it's all over between us,' he stated icily. 'Don't expect to come running back to me if you discover that you're wrong.'

  'I understand perfectly,' she nodded.

  His mouth tightened into an ominous line. Then he reached out and snatched the ring from her fingers. Without another word he strode angrily toward the front door, slamming it loudly.

  Her father appeared in the hallway arch, a bright twinkle in his eyes when he glanced at the front door. Turning to Susan, he winked broadly in approval and she couldn't help smiling back.

  'There's a flight that will be leaving in fifty minutes,' Simon Mabry told her as he walked to the base of the stairs. 'Beth, do you have Susan's suitcase packed? We have to leave for the airport now if we want to catch the first flight.'

  'I think so,' her mother called back, appearing seconds later at the top of the stairs with Amy right behind her. 'I do hope I haven't forgotten anything, Susan,' she said anxiously as she hurried down the steps carrying the overnight bag.

  'We haven't time to go over it now,' her father decreed, taking the bag and motioning for Susan to follow him.

  'Call us as soon as you can, Susan, and let us know how Mitch is,' her mother requested, hurrying out the front door behind them. 'And give him our love.'

  'I will, Mom,' Susan promised.

  The car was in the driveway, the motor running. Greg hopped from behind the wheel as Simon Mabry walked around the front of the car.

  'Boy, was Warren mad when he left!' Greg declared in a slightly delighted tone. 'Did you ditch him, Susan?'

  'Yes,' she said simply, opening the passenger door and sliding into the seat.

  'Don't forget to phone!' Beth called to Susan as Simon Mabry put the car in gear.

  Susan nodded that she would.

  'And tell Mitch he can recuperate at our house again!' Greg added.

  They reversed out of the drive and headed down the residential street. As they turned on to the highway, Mr. Mabry glanced at his watch.

  'I think we'll make it in plenty of time,' he assured Susan with a quick smile.

  During all the turmoil, there had not been one question or comment from any of her family. Susan shifted self-consciously in her seat.

  'Dad,' she began hesitantly, 'I think I should explain.'

  'You don't need to,' he interrupted her. 'I think I'd already guessed which way the wind was blowing.'

  'But how?' she frowned.

  'If there's one thing more obvious than a couple gazing into each other's eyes, it's two people avoiding each other. And,' he breathed in with a faint shrug, 'that goodbye kiss Mitch gave you practically clinched it for me. He's one future son in-law that I'm going to like.'

  'Daddy,' chilling fear crept into her voice, 'he just has to be all right.'

  'He will be.' It was almost a promise.

  Everything had happened so fast that Susan hadn't been conscious of time. Now the interminable waiting had begun.

  The jet plane might have had wings, but it couldn't travel fast enough for her. She alternated between cold dread that she was already too late, that Mitch might have died before she was able to tell him she loved him, and clinging hope that love wouldn't let him slip away. The very fact that Mike O'Brian had avoided telling her how badly Mitch was injured made her imagine the worst.

  Tears of relief pricked her eyes when the plane taxied to a stop at the terminal building. She knew she couldn't afford to panic.

  First she had to find a telephone and discover which hospital Mitch was in and, she hoped, find out his condition. Then she would need to take a cab. She forced all other thoughts from her mind. She had to take one step at a time, she told herself as she impatiently followed the disembarking passengers ahead of her.

  The gate area was filled with other passengers waiting to board the plane. Susan hurried to the counter to ask the airline attendant for the location of the nearest telephone. The words never were uttered as a man separated himself from the other waiting passengers and walked to her side.

  The golden brown head tilted itself to one side, a bright glow in the blue eyes that crinkled at the corners. 'Hello, Susan,' Mitch said softly.

  For a long second, Susan stared at him in disbelief. 'Mitch?' And he smiled. She took a hesitant step toward him. 'Wh—what are you doing here?'

  The light in his eyes danced wickedly. 'I've been meeting every incoming plane that you could have possibly caught from Indianapolis.'

  She took another step closer, wildly searching for any sign of concealed injury, cuts, bruises, anything. 'But I thought you were hurt? Mike.…'

  'Mike never said I was hurt,' Mitch interrupted complacently. 'He only said I was asking for you.' His voice lowered to a husky caress. 'I've been asking for you for a long while. This time you finally heard me.'

  'Do you mean this was all a trick?' Susan accused in astonishment. An anger began to build at all the unnecessary anguish she had gone through. 'You let me believe you were critically injured just to get me out here. I think that's cruel! It's—it's—'

  'It's the mark of a desperate man,' Mitch answered quietly, reaching to take hold of the hand she was flinging wildly about. 'A man who's very much in love and who knows the woman he loves loves him, only he can't get her to admit it. And he's terrified she'll marry someone else. You do love me, don't you, beautiful?'

  'Yes!' she snapped.

  'What about Warren?' He turned her left hand slightly and saw her bare wedding finger.

  'He was there when Mike telephoned,' Susan answered curtly. 'I gave him back his ring.'

/>   'He must have been furious.' The grooves around his mouth deepened, those engaging, dimpling lines appearing in the lean cheeks.

  'He was,' she admitted. Under the charm of his smile, she began to feel her anger fade. 'Oh, Mitch, what about the accident at the race? The radio said a car bumped yours and sent it into the wall.'

  'That's true,' he agreed, cupping her cheek in his hand. 'But I just kissed the wall and continued on with the race. The other collisions occurred behind me. I didn't win, but I finished the race.'

  Her love couldn't be held in check any longer and Susan rushed into his inviting arms. He held her against him, burying his head in her hair.

  'I was so terrified,' Susan murmured against his chest. 'I was afraid I'd never be able to tell you that I love you.'

  'Tell me,' he ordered, raising his head and forcing hers up with a thumb under her chin.

  With her head tilted way back, Susan gazed adoringly into his face. 'I love you, Mitchum Alexander Braden.'

  The blue eyes smouldered. 'Now, repeat after me: Will you marry me?'

  'Yes,' she laughed gaily.

  A smile flashed across his face as he shook his head. 'You're supposed to propose to me. I told your father you would.'

  'When?' she asked with a doubting smile.

  'About twenty minutes ago when the airline confirmed you were on this plane. I didn't want your family worrying about me, so I called,' Mitch told her lazily. 'Now, are you really going to make a liar out of me to your father?'

  'Will you marry me?' she asked dutifully.

  'I thought you'd never ask,' Mitch chuckled.

  Unmindful of the other passengers in the terminal, he claimed his kiss to seal the bargain. At the moment, nothing and no one else existed except each other.

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