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at reading people, and she didn't want him to see the effect that
the downstate congressman had had on his daughter.
    After the first
week without a telephone call, Cady realized that Rafe wasn't going to phone.
She fought despondency, throwing herself into the lab work and classwork that
would let her forget sky-blue eyes and dark brown hair.
    One afternoon,
head down, hair whipping across her face, she headed across the quad, gold and
russet maple leaves drifting to the ground, when suddenly someone took her arm.
She squinted sideways to see who it was and nearly dropped her books.
    "Hello,
Cady." Rafe reached for the teetering books and slipped them under one
arm, taking hold of her with the other. "Can we still get a cup of coffee
in here?" he asked, pushing open the door of the Student Union.
    The
laughter, shouts, and clanking dishes faded to quiet for Cady as Rafe sat in
front of her, a cup cradled in his hands. "What are you doing here?"
she asked. She took too big a swallow of the coffee and coughed.
    "Have
you missed me?" He gave her a lopsided grin. "I missed you. I can
only stay a few minutes; then I have to get back to my constituency." He
shot out his wrist, looking at his gold wristwatch. "I have a plane
standing by." He looked at her again, taking hold of one of her slender
hands. "Tiny lady, I've missed you. I've arranged to have you and your
father come down to Santo Tomas with me the day after the election." His
smile turned her heart over. "So you see, you'll either have to commiserate
with me or celebrate with me."
    "I know you'll win." She had been breathless when
he had squeezed her shoulders while he helped her on with the down vest she was
wearing as they were leaving.
    Several
people spoke to her, and she responded, but she could never have said who they
were a few moments later.
    Rafe sheltered
her with his arm when they were on the quad again and the wind whistled around
them. She saw the Mercedes with a chauffeur behind the wheel parked near the
stone wall. She looked up at Rafe, one eyebrow raised.
    "A
rented car," he answered her look before assisting her into the car and
giving the chauffeur the directions to her house. When he enfolded her in his arms
and began kissing her, she had no defense. Her parted lips welcomed his
searching tongue as though she had been waiting for it all her life.
"Lord, Cady, have you been practicing?" Rafe's voice was hoarse.
    She shook her
head, reveling in the feel of the crisp, dark hair at the nape of his neck.
"It just comes natural with you." She giggled.
    "Make
sure it's just me," he muttered into her mouth as one hand loosened her
jacket and felt for her breast. "Damn this election for keeping me from
you." The car stopped and he looked at her long and hard. "I won't
see you before we leave for Santo Tomas Island. Don't forget me."
    She
shook her head as he helped her from the car, gave her a hard kiss, and then
sped off down the street. She was still shaking her head when she walked up the
sidewalk and into her house.
    That
night Todd called her. "How about a beer at the Union?" Cady didn't
hesitate. "I'm busy." She had no desire even to talk to Todd, much
less meet him for a beer.
    "Busy with
that old man I saw you with in the Union this afternoon?" Todd sneered.
    "Drop
dead." Cady slammed down the phone.
    Rafe
had won, not by a landslide but still by a big margin. The trip to New York was
throat-choking because she knew that Rafe would meet them there. It had been a
wrenching disappointment when they received the message that Rafe would join
them on Santo Tomas a little later and that they were to go ahead.
    Her first day on
Santo Tomas Island was like a first day in paradise. The sand was white, the
sea was blue. It was a private island, and Rafe's bungalow seemed to be the
only one.
    She
swam while her father read, but she was just marking time until Rafe came.
    By the time he
arrived the next day, Cady had begun to feel uncomfortable and was wishing