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“Mother, you aren't being fair. You haven't even met Rachel•,” Joanna protested impatiently with her mother's superior attitude.

“Rachel. Even her name sounds common,” her mother declared in contempt. Aware the remark had spurred Joanna's temper, her mother pressed a hand to her forehead as if in pain. “Please, Joanna, I'm not in the mood to argue. After bouncing all over that road, my head is
pounding. Does this rustic little hideaway possess a bathroom where I could freshen up after that dusty drive? God, how I dread traveling over that again. My nerves are shot.”

Smothering her anger, Joanna turned toward the stairs. “I'll show you to my room in the loft. It has a private bath.” She passed on the information in a curt voice. “We'll be leaving soon for the party. Would you rather stay here and rest? We can always send someone to get you later on.”

“I wouldn't dream of causing Reece any inconvenience,” she stated. “I'll ride along with him to save him the extra trip. Besides, I'd rather meet this Rachel when there aren't a lot of other people around.”

Joanna didn't find that to be a very heartening statement but Reece took it in stride when he learned about it as if he had guessed it all along. Every remark seemed to have a sharp side.

When Reece stopped the car in front of a small bungalow on a tree-shaded residential street, Rachel must have been watching for him because she was out the front door before Reece stepped out of the car.

“Is this where she lives?” Elizabeth eyed the small dwelling with a trace of contempt.

Reece paused long enough to reply. “Yes, until we are married. Then she will live where I do.”

Joanna observed the rigidness of her mother's features as she watched the couple meet on the sidewalk, the radiance that seemed to envelop both of them. Rachel's unerring clothes sense
had chosen a sundress that was summery and mature in design. It was navy blue with white polkadots, a dark shade that complimented her creamy complexion.

“Rachel isn't what you expected is she, Mother? Joanna murmured. “I mean, she isn't exactly a hick.”

“She isn't exactly worldly or sophisticated either, which is the type of wife Reece needs,” her mother retorted in an equally low voice.

Once both were in the car, Reece made the introductions. Rachel seemed oblivious to the veiled hostility that laced the tone of Joanna's mother.

As Reece drove away from the curb, Elizabeth leaned forward. “After meeting you, Rachel, I wonder if you realize how extremely lucky you are?”

“I think I do.” Rachel cast a warm glance at Reece and smiled.

Joanna watched her mother stiffen with jealousy, then control. “I do hope you let me help with the wedding plans,” she addressed both of them, managing to sound very pleasant. “Have you two set the date?”

“Next week,” Reece answered.

Elizabeth blanched at the answer, and Joanna felt sorry for her. It couldn't be easy for her. Yet, she recovered with remarkable aplomb.

“It's going to be very simple,” Rachel elaborated on their plans. “Just the minister and two witnesses.”

“Reece,” her mother directed her protest at
him. “That isn't fair to cheat all your friends and family out of a wedding after we've waited so long.” She directed a false smile at Rachel. “Not to mention your bride. I'm sure Rachel would like something a little more elaborate.”

“Not me,” Rachel declared with a faint laugh. “It's too much wear and tear on the nerves.”

“Oh, speaking of wear and tear on the nerves—” Elizabeth switched the subject, talking to Reece and ignoring Rachel altogether. “I saw Grace Whittington the other day, Reece. She and Alex are having their annual summer party next month. You know, the usual black tie affair.”

Joanna was astounded. She had never known her mother to be so flagrantly rude before. She was trying to put Rachel in the position of being the outsider, talking about people and events she was unfamiliar with, and a kind of life she'd never known.

“Naturally the Governor will be there. Sylvia was telling me that—” Elizabeth continued to rattle on, dropping names and titles, sounding disgustingly snobbish.

Joanna glanced at her uncle behind the wheel, wondering why he didn't say something. His handsome features were grim, but Reece remained silent. Joanna marveled at the control he exercised over his temper. She guessed that Rachel was the reason he said nothing. They were on their way to their engagement party. Reece didn't want any harsh words to mar the event.

Her mother's monopoly of the conversation made it a long drive to the Wilder ranch. Joanna was relieved when it came into view.

There were already more than a dozen vehicles parked in the ranch yard when they arrived, and more guests driving in behind them. Music and happy voices were coming from the rear patio area of the sprawling house. Circling around the building, they joined the party in progress.

A tent canopy was set up on the lawn to offer shade from the sun, but most of the guests had gathered on the redwood sundeck of the patio where the beer and cold drinks were located. The patio gave a hundred and eighty degree view of the lake below and the blue line of hüls.

“This is quite a place,” her mother murmured in an aside to Joanna.

Irritated by her previously condescending attitude toward the Ozarks and its inhabitants, Joanna couldn't resist scoring one for the other side. “It's just a typical hillbilly shack, Mother.” She saw Linc engaged in a conversation with one of the guests and quickened her pace, moving ahead of her mother to greet him. “Hello! How come you started the party without the guests of honor?”

She had to force the light banter into her greeting, because she wasn't anxious for the moment when she would have to introduce Linc to her mother. But it couldn't be avoided.

“I was beginning to think you weren't going to
make it.” Linc separated himself from the other guests and crossed the lawn to meet the four of them.

Although the comment was addressed to all of them, his gaze singled Joanna out. His arm curved itself quite naturally around her waist as he shook hands to welcome Reece and Rachel and turned expectantly toward the fourth member of the group.

Aware that her mother had taken due note of the familiar possession by Linc, Joanna began the introductions. “This is our host, Linc Wilder.” Tension made her smile stiff. “I'd like you to meet my mother, Elizabeth Morgan. She arrived unexpectedly this morning to surprise us.”

Although nothing changed in Linc's expression, she sensed an added alertness about him. “Welcome to the Ozarks, Mrs. Morgan. I believe we talked briefly the other evening.”

“Yes, you answered the phone the night I talked to Joanna.” Her mother made a show of recalling the incident as if it had been hardly worthy of her notice.

“I have been waiting to meet you,” Linc said, “but I didn't think the opportunity would come so soon.”

“Oh, really?” She was none too pleased by the comment and Joanna mentally braced herself for the scathing remarks that would come.

But Linc didn't give her a chance to reply further, nor satisfy her curiosity as to his reason. “Perhaps we'll have a chance to talk later. Right now, I think we should join the others. I know
they're anxious to offer their congratulations to Reece and Rachel.”

He kept Joanna firmly at his side while they walked to the patio. Reece and Rachel were quickly engulfed in a tide of well-wishers. Standing next to Linc with her mother to one side, Joanna couldn't shake the feeling of alarm over his proposed conversation with her mother.

“This is quite a gathering, Mr. Wilder,” her mother remarked.

“Linc,” he corrected. “We aren't formal in the Ozarks.”

Her glance made a disparaging sweep of the casually dressed crowd. “So I've noticed,” she murmured dryly.

But Linc didn't take any notice of the veiled contempt in her mother's reply. He glanced instead at Joanna. “There's some people I'd like you to meet.” Her mother was included in the statement. The hand on her waist guided her in the direction of two couples standing nearby. “This is my sister, Sharon, and her husband, Dick Scott.”

He introduced them first to the young, dark-haired couple. Joanna was a little surprised that his sister was such a petite thing. The resemblance to her brother was very slight. The second couple was older, closer to Linc's age.

“—and Tanya and Jake Lassiter,” Linc continued the introduction, concluding with, “Meet Mrs. Morgan and her daughter, Joanna.”

There was a murmur of exchanged greetings, then his sister, Sharon, focused a sparkling look
on Joanna. “Linc has mentioned you a couple of times. I'm glad I've finally gotten to meet you.”

“Thank you—I think,” Joanna qualified her answer, unsure what Linc might have said about her.

“Oh, it was all good,” Sharon assured her and cast a sly glance at her older brother. “Very interesting, in fact.”

The others smiled, all except for her mother who looked anything but pleased at the innuendo. Linc changed the subject.

“Where are the children, Tanya?” he asked the attractive, tawny-haired woman. “Did you leave them home?”

“Yes. Grandpa and Grandma are babysitting,” she answered his question and turned to Joanna to explain, “We have three boys. John is eleven, and a set of four-year-old twins.”

“Proud and headstrong—just like their momma,” Jake Lassiter declared with a warmly affectionate glance at his wife.

“Like their daddy, you mean,” she corrected and arched him a provocative look.

Conscious of Linc's eyes on her, Joanna looked up. There was a mocking gleam in their brown depths. “Only three kids,” he murmured. “I guess that proves a ridgerunner doesn't keep his wife barefoot and pregnant all the time.” Her pulse skittered under his gaze. “We're a little more civilized than that.”

“Don't listen to him, Joanna,” Tanya inserted. “Ridgerunners are born cat-wild. You'll never
tame one. But you might be able to housebreak him.”

Chuckling laughter followed her comment, then the conversation became generalized. When Joanna glanced around to locate Reece and Rachel, her attention was distracted by the view from the sundeck. The blue ridges of the hills seemed to go on forever while the afternoon sun glistened on the lake curling and stretching over the valley.

“Reece was right when he said the view from your house was fantastic,” she murmured to Linc.

“You like it, huh?”

“Who wouldn't?” she countered.

“Your mother, maybe,” he suggested.

Agreement flickered reluctantly to darken her eyes. Joanna knew her mother wasn't impressed by this view of the countryside. Earlier, she had indicated she had found all the rocks and trees boring.

On the far side of the patio, someone played a few experimental bars of music on a fiddle. Linc turned to look in the direction of the sound.

“Jessie must have arrived,” he guessed.

“Who is Jessie?” her mother inquired with an expression of supreme tolerance.

“Jessie Bates lives in a cabin down the road,” Joanna explained briefly. She remembered Reece telling her what a good musician Jessie was. “Is he going to play?” she asked Linc.

“With an audience of this size? You bet he
will,” he smiled lazily. “Do you want to go over and listen?”

“Yes,” Joanna was quick to agree, then hesitated when she glanced at her mother. “Do you want to come?”

“Of course.” But the sweet smile of agreement was plainly forced.

With Linc leading the way, they threaded through the gathering crowd until they reached the corner of the sundeck where Jessie was tuning his fiddle. Some of the other guests at the party had brought their instruments as well. Two men had guitars; another had a banjo. There was also a bass and another fiddle.

Joanna was quick to notice, though, that Jessie had dressed for the special occasion. Gone were the baggy overalls. He was wearing a snow-white shirt with a pair of red suspenders holding up his loose pants. With his chin tucked tightly on the violin, he ran the bow over the strings, then stopped to glance over his shoulder at the other musicians.

“How's that sound?” he asked.

The other man with a fiddle shook his head. “Mine has never sounded
that
good.” His fellow musicians laughed.

“What ya' need is a set of rattlers to put inside it,” Jessie advised his fellow fiddler. “They give it that special tone.”

“Rattlers?” he repeated. “What kind of rattlers are you talking about?” The man eyed Jessie with more than a little skepticism. Joanna
knew the feeling. Her leg had been pulled many times, too.

“Why, rattlers from a rattlesnake. What else?” Jessie replied with a straight face. “Next time you find a timber rattler out in the woods, stomp on him, an' cut off his rattlers. When you git home, put 'em in your fiddle and it'll sound just like mine.”

“Bet it won't,” the bass man laughed.

“Are you fellers gonna jaw all day—or are we gonna play something?” Jessie paused to crane his neck, searching the crowd. “Where's the bride and groom-to-be?” Someone pushed Rachel and Reece to the front of the circle. Rachel was blushing a little, but looking very happy. “We're gonna play a song for you,” Jessie declared. “Orange blossoms got something to do with weddin's, don't they?” The man with the guitar nodded in answer. “Then, let's play a little Orange Blossom Special,” Jessie suggested.

Jessie started the song out and the others joined in. Soon, the guests were clapping hands and tapping their feet in time with the music. It seemed to Joanna that the faster the tempo went, the wider the smiles became on everyone's face.

When the song ended, the next selection was more sedate in comparison. Crowded together by the throng of guests, Joanna unconsciously leaned closer to Linc, not wanting to be accidentally separated from him.