Full Bloom

her white-on-white room and wondered if she would miss the apartment when the time came to move to Arizona.
    Seattle had been good to her and she loved the town, but Jacob was right. It wouldn't do any harm to move a bit beyond her family's immediate reach for a few years. Emily grimaced as she traipsed into the bathroom. Maybe for the rest of her life. Ravenscrofts were okay in small doses, but in larger quantities they were definitely overwhelming.
    "What's for breakfast?" Jacob's voice was muffled by his pillow.
    "The same thing we had yesterday morning. Cereal."
    "Why does it have to be cereal every morning?"
    "You're used to eating something better in the mornings?" Emily challenged from the bathroom doorway.
    "You used to fix me pancakes and ham and eggs and waffles and stuff."
    "We're married now," she reminded him lightly.
    "I knew it. I knew that if I married you, you'd start taking me for granted. You haven't even been bringing me coffee in bed lately."
    Emily lifted her eyes ceilingward. "Complaints already. Ham and eggs and pancakes and waffles are bad for you on a regular basis."
    "Are you sure?"
    "Positive."
    "Damn."
    "And as for coffee in bed, I'm afraid that's only for special occasions. You could, of course, bring me coffee in bed some morning."
    Jacob smiled benignly and stretched. "Maybe I'll try that one of these days."
    "You do that. In the meantime, you'll have to excuse me. I've got to get ready for work. Careful you don't get so accustomed to the leisure life that you decide to pursue it as a full-time job," Emily warned with a chuckle. She turned to go into the bathroom.
    "Emily!"
    Startled by the unexpected harshness in his voice, she whirled around. "What is it?"
    He swung his feet over the edge of the bed and stalked toward her. His body was strong and hard and lean in the early light, and he was totally unself-conscious about his unsubtle masculine power. "Does it worry you?" he demanded a little roughly.
    "Does what worry me?"
    "The fact that I'm technically unemployed?"
    She stared at him for an instant and then ran forward to throw her arms around him. "What a stupid thing to say. Of course it doesn't worry me. I was just teasing you, Jacob."
    He twisted his hands in her hair. "Everything's in place, honey. I didn't feel like going into a lot of detail in front of your parents the other night but you've got a right to know that my plan to open a consulting firm isn't exactly a daydream."
    "I never thought it was." She inhaled the unique male scent of him, remembering his ardent lovemaking during the night.
    "I guess I've been so busy helping you get ready to sell the shop and making plans to move that I forgot to mention my own financial situation isn't as bad as your father thinks. I told him and the rest of your family that I'd learned a lot watching Ravenscrofts operate over the years. It's true. And a lot of what I learned had to do with investing both here and abroad. I've got the stake I need to get started, Emily."
    She smiled against his chest. "And when I sell Emily's Garden I'll have the stake I need to open a new shop down in Arizona. We're going to do just fine, Jacob."
    "I know," he agreed. "Just as well because we definitely won't be accepting any help from your family. Now or ever."
    "Agreed," she said willingly enough. "You're right, of course. There's no such thing as string-free Ravenscroft help. I just hope that I'll be able to fulfill Grandmother's wishes from a distance. It might be hard to keep an eye on RI operations from Arizona."
    "No, it won't," Jacob said with great certainty. "In this day and age, it's possible to keep an eye on a company like RI from almost anywhere on the globe. We'll manage just fine from Arizona. Don't forget, you're still on the board of directors. Technically, they have to keep you informed. All you have to do is insist they do so. Even if they tried a few slick maneuvers without your knowledge, they'd have trouble getting them past you."
    "Why?"
    "Because you've got me to play guard dog. I've worked for RI so long that I know exactly how your brother and the rest of them operate. I'll warn you if things look odd."
    Emily grinned. "Did I ever tell you that Grandmother Ravenscroft always liked you?"
    "No, I don't believe you mentioned it. What did the old witch have to say about me?"
    "She said she thought you would be good husband material for me."
    Jacob looked properly astounded. "You're kidding. She said that?"
    "I'm afraid so,"