“You don’t recognize me, do you?”

Sloan Hardt gave the red-headed beauty his sexiest smile, the tilted head, the frank blue-eyed interest and the ‘come keep me warm’ crooked half-grin.  “Should I?”

“Perhaps.  Since we went to school together.”

“What school?” Sloan challenged, convinced she was mistaken.  He would have never forgotten such a looker.

“West Bend High.”

“Apparently I owe you a drink and an apology, Miss...?”

He waited expectantly, having already checked out her unadorned ring finger.

She tilted her head up to meet his gaze, revealing eyes the color of warm sherry.  “I think I’ll keep you waiting a little longer for that.  See if it comes to you.”

“That would be cruel beyond words.  What are you drinking?”

“Champagne, of course.  What else at a wedding?”

“You’re here for a wedding?  What a coincidence.  Me too.”

“It’s no coincidence, Sloan Hardt.  We’re here for the same wedding.”

     Miss Red turned and sashayed away, leaving him with his mouth hanging open as she greeted his brother.  Luckily, he could hear every word.

“Steele, when do I get to meet your wife?”

“Soon as I find her I’ll do the honors.  Since she’s pregnant she’s always in the bathroom.” 

After the redhead left, Steele went over to Sloan with a grin.  “Jeez man, pull up your jaw.  I know she looks good, but----“

”Who the hell is she?”

“Are you kidding me?”  He cocked his thumb toward the departing redhead.  “Little Cassidy Ferrill.”

“Fatty Ferrill?”

“Be kind.  She had a serious crush on you, man.”

“What the hell is she doing on our parents’ wedding cruise?”

“If you ever went to visit Gramps, you’d know that Cassidy’s mother is his current squeeze.”

Sloan let out a low whistle.  “Go, Gramps, go.”

“Yep.  Louise Ferrill has given him a whole new lease on life.” 

“A whole new reason to get out of bed in the morning.  Or better yet, stay there.”

Steele punched him on the forearm.  “Pretty sad state of affairs when our grandfather has a better love life than you do.”

“Cut me some slack.  You know I’ve been busy building the house and running Black Creek Ranch.”

“I also know you need to get laid.  I’d go talk nice to Cassidy, if I was you.”

“For once, big brother, I am about to heed your advice.”

It took him a while to hunt her down.  A rancher, he wasn’t used to crowds the way Steele was.  It seemed like Angel and Rake, his parents, had invited everyone they knew to witness their rekindled love, making progress slow as people he barely recognized stopped him constantly.  Watching his folks across the room, he had to say they sure looked happy, and he felt a sudden and unaccustomed flash of envy.  Ever since Steele had married Montana, and Rake and Angel had rediscovered true love, it felt as if everyone was paired up except him.  He wasn’t accustomed to being on the outside looking in.

If memory served, Cassidy had never been much for crowds, either, so he took the hunt out onto the ship’s Promenade Deck.  Up-deck he spotted a flash of red hair shimmering in the sun and sped up his pace, careful not to spill the champagne he picked up on the way.  As if she sensed his pursuit Cassidy turned, and waited for him. 

“I bear champagne and an apology.  Shame on me for not knowing who you were.”

She dipped her fingers in the champagne and spinked them playfully his way.  “Double shame.”

His grin widened.  “I should be punished.”

“Spanked perhaps,” she said in a way that sent blood surging to his loins.  This was a whole different Cassidy from his memories.

“To getting reacquainted.”  He chinked the rim of his glass to hers.  “It’s great to see you again.  I hear we’re practically related.”

Cassidy might have changed physically but her smile still lit up her face.  “It’s a treat to see my mom so happy.  She loves having James to fuss over, and he treats her like gold.”

“She deserves that,” Sloan said.  Cassidy’s father had not been a nice man, not to Cassidy or to her mother.

“So how are we going to amuse ourselves, stuck out here at sea?” Sloan asked.

Cassidy flashed him a secret half-smile over the rim of her glass.  “I would have thought that was obvious.  We’re going to be lovers.”