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a team effort, because a lot of compromise came between her original idea and the finished
advertisement. Nell had gone on vacation for two weeks just after Bess's honeymoon. She came back
looking more tired than ever, her face giving nothing away. "You look as bad as I feel," Bess said one
morning after another long night in the big bed that Cade only shared after she'd gone to sleep. "You're
miserable, aren't you?" she asked bluntly. "Can I help?" Nell shrugged, looking tearful. "I thought he
might call me," she said. "We held hands at the picnic, and he took me home. He even kissed me," she
said, flushing at the memory. "Very nicely too. But I haven't seen or heard from him since." "You've
been on vacation," Bess pointed out. "And he's in California working on a hostile takeover bid."
"He's not in town?" "He hasn't been since you left," Bess told her. "Feel better?" Nell sighed. "Well,
a little." She sat down, pushing her short dark hair away from her forehead. "How's married life?" she
asked, forcing a smile. "I don't know yet." Bess fingered her pencil. "He resents me. We haven't quite
got our act together yet." "He didn't seem resentful that first day he came here." Nell chuckled. "Talk
about a hungry man . . . !" Bess flushed. "Well, yes. But he doesn't like it when I make the first move."
"You know, there was an article about that in one of the women's magazines," Nell said seriously.
"Something about aggressive women undermining a man's confidence and making him impotent. Isn't
that absurd?" She frowned. "Although, you know, it's not really so farfetched. Men are naturally
aggressive, and to have a woman put them on the defensive by being overbearing and demanding ... I
know one man who won't even date women anymore. He says he's afraid of being raped!" Bess
laughed helplessly. "You're a gold mine of information." "I have to keep up with what's going on in
the world. Someday I may need to know stuff like that." She crossed her long legs. "Why don't you put
on a frilly dress and flirt with your handsome husband?" "I don't want to be slapped down again,"
Bess told her. "You never know how men will react until you try," Nell replied. "As for myself, I
suddenly feel full of confidence. I think I'll phone Mr. Ryker's office and ask if he likes spaghetti.
That's the only thing I can cook." "That's the spirit!" Bess said. Nell got up and then She sat down
again. "Actually," she said, leaning forward, "it's frozen spaghetti in those little packets. He wouldn't
like it. And I'm late on this presentation." Bess watched with quiet concern as Nell turned back to her
desk. She hid a lot of her feelings. She wasn't the outgoing, effervescent woman she projected. That
was an image. A mask. Under it, Nell was insecure and shy and a little afraid of risking her heart.
Bess thought sometimes that Cade was much that way himself. He didn't mind physical risks, but
emotional ones . . . that was different. He didn't chance his heart, not even with his new wife. This
was most of their problem, she decided with a weary sigh. Nell's idea about vamping him was nice,
but vamping him had gotten her into enough trouble already. No, it was better to leave well enough
alone and let him adjust at his own pace. Then maybe they could grow closer again. But as the days
turned to weeks and summer began to slip away, Bess saw her marriage go from bad to worse. Cade's
anger turned to indifference before her eyes. He no longer tried to make love to her, or seemed to care
what she did. They met at mealtimes and in the evening, but Bess spent most of her time at Lariat with
Elise. Robert had a girlfriend now, and he and Gary were out a lot at night, so mostly it was just the
two women. "I shouldn't say anything," Elise said cautiously one night while Cade and the men had
gone out to repair a broken fence. "But you and Cade seem so distant these days, Bess." "Yes, I
know." Bess lowered her eyes to the floor. "I think he's sorry he married me." "Surely not," Elise
said, smiling. "I can remember Cade staring up toward Spanish House when he was little more than a
teenager, talking about marrying someone like the elegant Miss Samson when he grew up." She
smiled at Bess's startled face. "Didn't you know? He adored you when he was a young mannot that he
doesn't still. He was always going on about the cars and house and parties at Spanish House. Cade
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