Betting on Grace (26 page)

Afterward, Grace wasn’t sure she could move. Her body had traveled into a sphere that she didn’t recognize. Another world. A beautiful place, warm, safe and filled with peace. She never wanted to leave, but a small child, a boy, was sitting just outside the light. She couldn’t quite see him, but she knew he was there. Alone. And frightened.

She went to the edge of the circle and waited for him to look up. When he did, she smiled and held out her hand. “I’m Grace. I’m here. You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

He didn’t come to her right away, but she was patient. She knew this was important. Maybe the most important thing she would ever do in her life. She waited, and finally he reached out and took her hand.

And stepped into the circle.

“You’re home,” she said, returning to the world where a solid chest was under her cheek, moving up and down with each breath.

What did it mean? She didn’t know, but the vision filled her with peace and a sense of wholeness. That was enough for now. She might think about it later.

“Do we need to talk more?” Nick’s voice was husky.

She snuggled a little closer. “What more is there to say? You won. Me. My future. Our future.” She lifted her chin and turned her head to look at him. “Although you do understand that doesn’t mean I’m some kind of chattel. This is the twenty-first century.”

His chuckle rumbled under her ear. “I didn’t think it meant you were my sex slave. You’re my princess. I’m only sorry you didn’t get your prince.”

Grace gave him a look that said he’d lost his wits. “How do you figure that? The man I’m going to marry is noble, gallant, generous and kind. He takes care of the people in his life and the citizens of the world at large. He’s handsome and dashing and he loves me. What more could a princess ask for?”

“Gold? Treasure? A palace?”

She looked around. “This place has potential. It just needs…me.”

He laughed and kissed her. His kingdom was complete, or would be when they had a passel of children around them.

“I love you, princess.”

“Thank goodness. There’s big money riding on this, you know.”

“There is?”

She nodded somberly. “Apparently, Claude set up odds at one of the small casinos. So far, bets are running heavily in my favor, but a few silly people thought I’d come back alone.”

Nick shook his head. Only a fool would throw his money away like that. When it came to love, Nick was—now and always—betting on Grace.

Everything you love about romance…
and more!

Please turn the page for Signature Select
^™
Bonus Features.

SIN CITY BECKONS…

As you approach Las Vegas from the west by car, be sure to look for the billboard that says, “Seven Deadly Sins? We demand a recount.” I took that to mean, “Be prepared for anything—you’re in Vegas, baby.”

But given my advanced age—I’m not in my twenties…or forties, for that matter—and my proclivity to thriftiness (okay, I’m cheap), I wasn’t looking for strippers, booze and high stakes poker. I was interested in a more holistic approach that would take me beyond the neon glow of The Strip and give me a look at the “real” Las Vegas.

Well, yes…um, there is one, but it’s, uh, not all that interesting, so this travelogue is a mixture of the marvelous, the miraculous and the mundane.

The highs
: The Stratosphere, obviously. A must-see because of what you can see from the
1,149-foot observation tower. Built in 1996, the hotel/casino has been called a “mad phallic fantasy” and is located in an area between “Downtown” and “The Strip” that was once known as the “Naked City” because showgirls who lived nearby sunbathed in the afternoons in the buff. Nowadays the view is different, but you can observe the panorama for a full ninety minutes if you choose to dine at Top Of The World, the revolving restaurant that offers an excellent, although pricy by Vegas standards, Sunday brunch. Or you can screw up your courage and try one of the thrill rides crowded atop the flying-saucer-shaped building. If Grace and Nick can handle The Big Shot, why not you?

The lows
: The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. If you have kids in tow, this might be an acceptable diversion, but for anyone who has visited a—how should I say—less petite aquarium, you might want to save your fifteen bucks for something more interesting. Like a gondola ride along the subterranean canals at The Venetian. It’s twelve dollars, but the serenade from your gondolier is free. Romance level? Alas, low. Blame it on the smell of chlorine or the tourists snapping pictures from the Rialto Bridge, but I found the experience far too public to qualify as romantic.
Although you will find mention of a wedding at The Venetian in Kate’s book.

The How-Did-They-Do-That?
: Hoover Dam. An amazing piece of history and engineering. The sheer numbers are staggering: 726 feet high, 660 feet thick at the base, 1,244 feet wide at the top. It weighs approximately 6.6 million tons. Sadly, since September 11, the underground tours have been curtailed, but the trip to see this modern marvel is still worth your time. And to reach this man-made wonder, you pass through Boulder City, a charming little nongaming community with a gorgeous public golf course and free parks that often host wild bighorn sheep that wander down off the mountain for a snack.

On the cheap
: So you put your money on lady luck and she backed someone at another table. Whatcha gonna do? Believe it or not, there are inexpensive venues in the Las Vegas area. The Clark County Museum, which is located on Boulder Highway in Henderson, is one example. No glitter. No glamour. Just an unassuming building set well off the road. But the excellent exhibits follow the history of the Las
Vegas basin from prehistoric footprints, odd-looking camels and a gnarly-looking extinct wolf to the present. There are exhibits displaying the native tribes, the padres, the miners, the railroad and, of course, the gamblers. Tip your hat to Bugsy Siegel. View The El Rancho, precursor to the hotels of today. Naturally, you can’t miss Elvis. And the Rat Pack. The romantic in you won’t pass up the celebrity weddings. Did you know Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married here? Outside, you can stroll down memory lane (if your vision of memory lane is post WWII). Five original homes are decorated in vintage memorabilia of the period, including a mobile home not unlike Grace’s.

Another inexpensive side trip is the Ethel M chocolate factory. It’s not exactly Willy Wonka, but the self-guided tour is free and there’s a complimentary piece of chocolate waiting for you at the gift shop, which is where you end up, of course. Outside is a peaceful oasis stocked with more than 300 species of cacti, succulents and desert plants. The perfect place to eat your chocolate so it doesn’t melt before you get back to your car.

If you’re only here for the food
: Welcome to paradise. Again you have your choice of going high, low, fantastic or cheap.

High
: there are fabulous restaurants in Las Vegas staffed with world-famous chefs or chefs trained by world-famous chefs. If you’re a seafood lover and you’ve done well at the tables, you might want to try AquaKnox at The Venetian.

Low
: perhaps your taste runs to mile-long smorgasbords. Our local friends suggested we try the Santa Fe Station, but apparently this culinary anomaly is everywhere. The premise is simple—a lot of food for the money. If that means trading flavor for abundance…well, visit the dessert buffet first. If you like a little entertainment with your dinner, there’s always the sacrificial virgin at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville. I don’t know for a fact that the limber young lady was a virgin, but she walked away unscathed, so that must mean something, right? For a more prosaic view, I’d suggest a stop at Whole Foods grocery on West Charleston to pick up a picnic lunch to enjoy at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, a twenty-mile drive due west of town. The commanding vistas make you utter, “What casinos?” The scenic loop, which costs five dollars and comes with a map of hiking trails, is well worth the price of admission. You can hike…or not. And while you’re in the neighborhood, leave time to visit Bonnie Springs Old Nevada. The shoot-out is a bit hokey and the
petting zoo quaint, but the beer is cold and the cowboys are happy to show off their six-shooters.

Las Vegas truly is a phenomenon that invokes a certain state of mind, sinful or otherwise. They say that if you were looking down at earth from the space station, Vegas would be the brightest spot on the planet. A beacon of sorts. And if visitors from outer space landed here first, what would they think about our inhabitants and culture? Interesting question, but while people-watching in Vegas I often found myself wondering, “What if the aliens have already arrived…and stayed?”

Our appetizer:

CRAB CAKES COLLEEN

1 lb. crab meat

1/3 cup mayonnaise blended with

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 eggs beaten with a dash of cayenne pepper

½ cup onion, ¼ cup sweet red pepper,

¼ cup celery, 1 clove garlic (all finely minced)

Mix all ingredients together.

Use a serving spoon to shape into patties; fry one or two patties at a time in butter at a low temperature, 4-5 minutes per side. Keep warm (covered) in oven until all patties are done. Serve with slices of fresh mango, drizzled with lime juice.

Our house salad dressing:

LEMON SESAME DRESSING

¼ cup canola oil plus 1 tsp sesame oil

½ cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp organic cane sugar

¼ tsp salt and pepper

Half a lemon

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (important to use toasted, which are found in most Asian food sections of the grocery store)

Whisk together oil, vinegar, sugar and seasoning.

Sprinkle sesame seeds atop your favorite salad greens, squeeze lemon on greens just before serving, then coat with salad dressing.

At Romantique, we serve our fresh vegetable du jour (typically asparagus, sautéed chard and beet greens, or summer squash mélange) with this sauce:

LIME DILL DIJON SAUCE

The juice of one lime

½ cup plain yogurt

¼ cup Vegenaise (or mayonnaise)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp finely chopped fresh or dried dill

Salt and pepper

Mix together. A piquant addition to vegetables or roasted pork, lamb.

Our fabulous rice pilaf is served family-style:

PISTACHIO PILAF À LA JPS

1 ½ cups pistachio meats

1 onion, chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, diced (optional)

½ cup olive oil or butter

Any or all of the following vegetables for color and taste:

1 can artichoke hearts, chopped (these are NOT the marinated kind)

1 can Heart of Palm, chopped

1-2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 cup rice

2 ¼ cups water

½ cup brewer’s yeast

2-4 tbsp Ume plum vinegar (this replaces salt, so amount varies by taste)

One bunch organic greens such as kale, spinach or collards, washed and loosely chopped

Sauté pistachios in heavy, dry skillet, browning on each side. Turn down heat and add onions (and garlic) for 1-2 minutes to lower pan temp, then add oil or butter. Stir to coat, return heat to medium. Add vegetables and cook over medium to medium-high heat until onions are translucent and vegetables slightly browned. Add rice, stirring to coat in oil. Cook for two minutes, then add water and bring to high simmer. Add yeast and vinegar. Add greens on top, but don’t stir into mixture. Turn heat to low and cover. Simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender. (Serves 6-8 as a side dish, 4-6 as a main meal.)

As a main course, try a family favorite:

MAMA’S CHIOPPINO

1 yellow onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

6 cloves garlic

¼ cup olive oil

2 large cans of stewed tomatoes

½ tsp dried basil or ¼ cup fresh basil, finely chopped

3 large bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups water

4 cubes Knorr’s fish bouillon

1 can tiny shrimp

1 can crabmeat

1 can clams

Any combination of fish: shrimp, scallops, firm white fish, such as halibut, snapper (deboned) or rockfish, clams and/or mussels in shell, crab legs

In a large pot sauté vegetables and garlic in oil until just tender; add tomatoes in juice, cutting up any whole tomatoes. Add seasonings. In microwavable container dissolve four cubes of
Knorr’s fish bouillon in water, add to soup pot. Next add the canned fish with juices. Simmer for several hours, stirring occasionally. Just before ready to serve dinner, add fish. Cook until fish is no longer translucent. Serve with lemon wedges and warm sourdough bread.

Or our:

HERBED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 3-pound boneless pork loin roast

2 tbsp coarse cracked black pepper

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp dried rosemary (Kate prefers to drape 3-4 sprigs of fresh rosemary over the roast, and she uses a twist of fresh rosemary and lavender as a garnish.)

2 tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Kosher salt

Pat pork dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl combine all rub ingredients well and apply to all surfaces of the pork roast. Place roast in a
shallow pan and roast in a 350°F oven for 1–1 ¼ hours, until internal temperature, measured with a meat thermometer, registers 155°F. Remove roast from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing to serve. This, too, is wonderful with our lime dill sauce.

Leave room for dessert, which is sinfully delicious. The cake itself is dense, but not overly sweet. The glaze is purely decadent:

CHOCOLATE-GLAZED COCOA CAKE

1 ¾ cups flour

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp salt

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup honey

2 egg yolks

1 cup skim milk or soy milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

6 egg whites

½ tsp cream of tartar

½ cup raspberry preserves (not used in the shortcut bundt-pan version)

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup skim milk or soy milk

1 tbsp honey

¾ tsp vanilla extract

Half a bar of organic dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans and dust with flour. (Shortcut version: lightly grease and dust one bundt pan.) In a large bowl sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, egg yolks, milk and vanilla. Use electric mixer on low to stir until combined and smooth.

In medium-sized bowl beat the egg whites on high speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue beating until mixture forms stiff peaks. Stir ¼ of the egg whites into batter, mixing completely, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide mixture between the prepared pans or place in bundt pan.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (The bundt pan may
take a few minutes longer, but don’t overcook.) Let cool on wire racks five minutes, then invert on serving plate. Place strips of waxed paper under the edges to protect from glaze. When cake is completely cooled, spread preserves on bottom half, then top with second layer.

To prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan or double boiler, combine sugar and cocoa powder. Whisk in milk, honey and vanilla. Chop chocolate into small pieces to facilitate melting. Add to mixture and over low heat cook for 1-2 minutes until smooth and chocolate bits are melted. Using a spatula, work quickly to frost the sides and top of the cake. If applying to bundt cake, drizzle frosting, making sure to get both inside and outside. With a sharp knife score a line around the bottom edge of the cake and remove waxed paper.

Serves 12.