under blankets and drinking cocoa. A night for making love in front of a roaring fire.
"Hey, look at that!" Laila pointed toward the front of the house, to the large circular driveway. "Carriage rides!"
"I don't suppose they'll have many takers tonight," Hal said.
Laila turned to look at him, mischief dancing in her eyes. "Let's go!"
"Now?"
"Yes, now," she teased. "Of course, now. Why not?"
"You want to go on a carriage ride with me?" Hal had to ask.
Laila pursed her lips. "Well, yeah. That's sort of the point, Hal."
He nodded firmly, feeling suddenly better than he had all day. "All right, then!"
Just as they reached the carriage, Frank and Ruth appeared out of the night. "There you are," Ruth said. "We've been looking for you all over."
"If you want to drag us into some lame game again, forget it," Laila said, though with good humor.
"Bubbe's arranged a karaoke party," Ruth said. "Come on. It's going to be hilarious."
"Have a good time," Laila said, and motioned for Hal to get into the carriage. She climbed up beside him. "We're going to take a carriage ride."
"I really think you should come with us," Ruth said. "Laila?"
"Nope, sorry," Laila said. She laughed. "All of you have been working hard all day at keeping me and H--honeybuns apart. Now we're going to take a carriage ride. Alone."
"But we really want--" Ruth began, but Laila tapped the driver's shoulder to urge him on.
"Later," Laila called.
The carriage pulled away, the wheels crunching on the gravel path it followed into the meadow. The driver asked them how long a ride they wanted, and seemed pleased when Laila replied as long as he wanted to drive, they'd be willing to ride. After that, it was as though they were alone in the carriage under the stars.
"Honeybuns?" Hal said finally.
Laila tugged the plaid blanket more firmly across their knees. "I had to think of something, quick. You know what I almost said."
"Honeybuns." Hal grinned. "I like it."
Laila punched his arm gently. "You'd better. I'm going to have to call you that from now on."
"I've been called worse."
Laila sighed, settling back against the seat. The carriage was small, just large enough for two people with the driver in front. With every movement of the horses, Hal and Laila rubbed against each other. Hal found he didn't mind that at all.
"It's so beautiful out here," Laila said wistfully, staring up into the night sky. "I wish I didn't have to go back."
"Back to Bramblewood? Or back to work?" Hal asked. The carriage hit a bump, rocking them together. He slipped his arm around her shoulders to help cushion her from future rough terrain.
"Both." Laila snuggled down further against him, deeper into the blankets.
"Me, too."
She squirmed around until she could look up at him. In the starlight, her eyes were luminous. "You mean you're not all excited about heading back to LoveMatch?"
Hal blew out a gust of air that steamed his glasses. "Yeah, right. I'm so successful at it."
Laila nudged him. "I think you're pretty successful at it."
Hal drew her in closer. "Laila, I'm glad you..." He paused, aware of the driver, who, though silent, must still be listening to every word. "I'm glad you chose me as your fianc茅."
The wording was benign enough nobody could possibly guess that their pairing had been a financial and not a romantic one. Laila seemed to understand his careful sentence. She nodded, then rested her head on his shoulder.
"Me, too," she said.
They rode like that for a few more minutes, and the carriage finally returned to the driveway. "Thanks, folks," said the driver.
Hal helped Laila down, and for just a moment, her body pressed against his as she stepped from the carriage. It was the perfect moment for a kiss. A real kiss this time. And to Hal's surprise, because things with him always had a way of going wrong, Laila met his mouth at the same time he bent to kiss her.
They didn't clash teeth. There was no bloodshed. He didn't even step on her feet. Instead, there was just the sweet pressure of her lips on his, the faint smell of roses in the crisp fall hair, and the feeling of Laila's dark hair tickling his cheek.
For once, Hal had done something right.
"They fixed the radiator." It was the first thing Laila noticed when she walked in the room. Replacing the sweltering temperature of earlier was a chill burst of air nearly equaling that from outside. She couldn't quite see her breath--quite.
"This afternoon." Hal stumbled