ONE NIGHT TOGETHER

Not when they were so different. Not when this could all be chalked up to love, to infatuation, even---and most embarrassing---to loneliness.

At least that's what she told herself she stood there watching the tall rancher pick up his receipt from the woman at the desk. And she kept telling herself so when Andrew gave her the keys to the truck and asked her to bring it to the door so he could load the table into the back.

Rose was thrilled with herself, and decided backing up a truck was a heck of a lot easier than steering a horse. She helped load the chairs, too, despite the men's assurances that they could do it.

"Looks like your wife's pretty happy with her new table," one of the older men said to Andrew.

"Sure is," was Andrew's reply, though Rose pretended she didn't hear the comment. "Let's hope she likes it when we get it home," he told the men, then thanked them for the help.

"It fits," she announced an hour later. Andrew had wanted to stop at the ranch and get one of the men to help unload the truck, but Rose thought they could do it together.

"I told you so." She stood with her hands on her hips and admired the room. "It's perfect."

"Yes." Andrew lifted her by waist and sat her on the table. "Now kiss me, Aunt Roro. It's been too damn long."

What could she do? The man was right.

"OH MU GOD! Aunt Roro? What are you doing?"

Andrew opened his eyes to see Bobby and Francisca Handel standing in his bedroom doorway. Rose let out a little shriek and pulled the covers over her bare shoulders.

"What tha hell....?" Andrew began, but Bobby interrupted.

"Oh, geez, Andrew, I'm sorry. We were looking for you but I never thought..."

"I thought you were painting," Francisca said. "And you are doing----this."

"Francisca please....."

The young woman continued to stare at them.

"We've been looking for you everywhere. This was important."

And this wasn't? Andrew didn't dare look at Rose. She was either stunned speechless or in a state of shock. He knew this was her worst nightmare come true. "You could have knocked," he pointed out.

"We did," Bobby said, trying to pull Francisca into the hallway, but the young woman wasn't having any of it. "I guess you didn't hear with, uh, the fan going and all."

So buying a big fan hadn't been such a good idea, after all, Andrew thought. "Maybe we should meet you two back at the ranch."

"Aunt Roro," Francisca said, giving her fiancé a quick kick in the shins so he'd stop dragging her. "I really need to talk to you."

"You heard the lady," he said, giving Bobby his sternest look. "Go back to the ranch and we will see you there in a while."

"You don't understand," Francisca wailed. "I need to tell..."

"Go," he repeated, and this time Bobby successfully pulled Francisca from the doorway. The young man turned to Andrew and gave him a pleading look.

"Could you hurry?" Bobby asked. "We are sort of in a rush."

"We will hurry," Rose promised.

"No, we won't," Andrew said, and then they were gone as silently as they had come in, expect this time Andrew heard the front door open and shut. "I guess buying that fan was a bad idea."

"Along with not locking the doors."