Chapter 92

Riley stood and tried on the sweater, slipping his long arms into the sleeves and then tugging them up past his elbow. He glanced over to her, and appreciation gleamed from his deep blue eyes. "I've never owned anything finer." With a flair that delighted Hannah, he wrapped the scarf several times around his neck and set the hat upon his head. His eyes met hers, and a surge of warm emotion filled her heart. His look penetrated the very core of her being and communicated to her a feeling of love so strong, she wondered why she'd never noticed it before.

Riley did love her, and yet… and yet, he'd barely touched her all night. It seemed he went out of his way to avoid doing so. Hannah strongly suspected he would have stayed on his side of the bed the entire night and made no contact whatsoever if she hadn't moved over to him.

Perhaps having her father so near had intimidated him and he hadn't wanted to consummate their marriage while in his father-in-law's home. But her father's bedroom was downstairs and he slept like a brick. She'd made a point of telling Riley so, although she'd wondered at the time if he was listening.

"Do I get a turn here?" her father asked, effectively cutting off Hannah's train of thought.

"Of course," she answered, pleased he'd chosen the gift she'd made for him. It was a small painting, one of a small loaf of french bread and a chalice of wine set on a rough-hewn wooden table. Although the entire focus of the painting was the bread and wine, she'd worked hard to depict the symbolic nature of the simple elements that had been part of the Last Supper.

"Hannah," her father said, awed as he held up the painting, "this is fabulous. Where did you ever find it?"

She beamed with pride and joy as she told him.

Hannah couldn't remember a Christmas she'd enjoyed more. The meal was excellent, and they ate early in the afternoon. She sat at the old upright piano and played Christmas music for her father and Riley, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy singing the timeless carols. Afterward she took a nap and woke to discover that Riley and her father had done the dishes. While she'd been resting, Riley had loaded the car and seemed anxious to return to the base.

They bade their farewells while it was still light outside. Riley was quiet during the long ride home, but when she asked if there was anything bothering him, he smiled, assuring her there wasn't.

As they approached the base, she realized he was speeding. Riley was a responsible driver, and she couldn't understand why he seemed in such a hurry.

Once they pulled up in front of the house, her husband made an excuse about unloading the trunk and insisted she go inside ahead of him. She offered to help him carry something, but he wouldn't let her.

Not knowing his thoughts, she did as he said, pondering his strange mood. She inserted the key into the front door and pushed it open. Turning on the light switch, she was halfway through the living room before she saw it.

There, against the wall, was a beautiful mahogany piano decorated with a huge red bow.