CHAPTER 11

Mrs. Adams found herself having a difficult time as she attempted to juggle a bag of groceries, as well as her purse, all while trying to finagle her key to Dara's house into the front door lock. Sighing in frustration as she shook her head she yelped in surprise as she heard;

"Here, Mrs. Adams, let me take that."

Turning, she found Ben Healy standing behind her, plucking the bag from her arms so that she could unlock the door. Placing her hand over her chest she offered an embarrassed smile;

"Thank you, Ben."

Motioning to the bag she explained;

"Dara didn't have the opportunity to go shopping before Gwenna went into the hospital; I thought that I would stop and pick up, at least, enough to make sure there was something substantial for breakfast."

Her curiosity peaked, she asked;

"What brings you here so early?"

Shifting the bag, Ben explained;

"Well, Lucas asked me last night when he told me about Mrs. Chambers if I'd check with Jed over at Trinity Glen and see if there were any pre arrangements made. He didn't think that Dara would be up to making those kinds of decisions so he was trying to see about making things as easy as possible for her."

Mrs. Adams nodded her understanding as she opened the door and motioned for Ben to follow her;

"Yes, thankfully, Gwenna made sure that was all arranged beforehand. She said the idea of forcing her child to make such a decision at what, she knew would be, one of the worst times in Dara's life, was something that she just wasn't able to do to the girl."

Ben was about to reply when she turned and cautioned him to silence as they passed by the doorway to the living room. Neither were prepared for the sight that greeted them of Lucas sleeping, still sitting in the corner of the sofa with his legs stretched out on the coffee table, while Dara had her head laying on his lap as, she too, was sleeping soundly. Motioning Ben to the kitchen door, Mrs. Adams hurried through the portal as she began making a pot of coffee. Sitting the bag on the center isle Ben stood, speechless, as he glanced back and forth between Mrs. Adams and the kitchen doorway, shocked by the scene that he had just witnessed. The idea of Lucas Buck being capable of the kind of tenderness that he had just seen was the LAST thing that Ben would have expected from Lucas.

Although he had vaguely heard the door open, he knew that Mrs. Adams would be returning this morning so Lucas, not yet ready to awaken, had dismissed it until he heard the sizzle of bacon and could detect the scent of coffee brewing in the kitchen. Opening his eyes, he glanced down at Dara, still sleeping, and decided to let her sleep a little longer as he eased himself from the sofa as he placed a pillow under her head. Venturing to the kitchen he opened the door as he inquired;

"Did I smell coffee?"

Turning from the counter with a cup in her hand, Mrs. Adams nodded as she offered it to Lucas;

"Yes, you most certainly did and I'm also cooking something for you and Dara for breakfast as well."

Taking a bracing sip of the strong liquid, Lucas exclaimed;

"You're definitely a treasure, Mrs. A."

Noticing Ben sipping his own cup, Lucas acknowledged;

"Ben; what did you find out?"

Pulling an envelope from his jacket pocket, Ben handed it to Lucas as he related;

"I talked to Jed and he said that Mrs. Chambers had already made all of her arrangements, to that's taken care of. Those are the papers that he said will need a signature and he said that, since you're sheriff, if Dara can't sign them you can. That other is from Doc Crower; he said he pulled her personnel file and that's the number for her sister in Alabama; she's her emergency contact. By the way; how is she?"

Taking a sip from his cup, Lucas ventured;

"She's better, I think; she woke up for a little while last night and we talked. I think that she'll be okay; she's definitely going to have a few more rough times to get past before this is over with, but I do think that she'll be alright. By the way; would you happen to know where Caleb might be?"

Recalling what the boy had mentioned the day before in passing, Ben nodded;

"Yeah, he said something yesterday about helping Mrs. Crower out with some gardening today; why?"

Gratefully accepting the plate of bacon and eggs that Mrs. Adams had just placed in front of him, Lucas explained;

"You might as well know it now, Ben; I asked Dara to marry me and she said 'yes'. I want to tell Caleb myself, but for right now, especially considering her mother's death, keep it to yourself; okay?"

Ben couldn't help but stare in shock at Lucas, his mouth agape. Although he knew, without a doubt, that Lucas loved Dara, hearing that the man was voluntarily stepping up to the alter, still packed a shock to Ben's system. However, quickly recovering from his shock as he made his way to the door, Ben couldn't refrain from slapping Lucas on the back, good naturedly, as he speculated;

"That's the best decision that you ever made, Lucas."

Although he turned a glare on the man, Lucas couldn't hold his gruffness as he shook his head;

"I do manage to make a few of them here and there, Ben; but I think you're definitely right in this case."

Having remained silent during the conversation between the two men, Mrs. Adams watched as the door closed behind Ben before turning to Lucas and asking hesitantly;

"You two are definitely getting married?"

Sighing with thinly veiled frustration at the cross examination, Lucas demanded;

"Didn't we already cover all of this, Mrs. A?"

Defensively, she explained;

"I was just wondering if you had given any consideration as to when you were going to get married; that's all."

Rubbing the back of his neck as he considered, Lucas shrugged;

"Well, I thought that we'd wait until everything with Gwenna was settled; Dara's got too much to cope with at the moment to be trying to worry about planning a wedding. Not to mention, I want her to be able to catch her breath after all of this, I know that she's had a lot to deal with for a while and I'm not about to put anymore stress on her; so when she tells me that she's ready, that's when we'll get married."

Before either could discuss the matter any further Dara entered the kitchen, sleepily pushing her long tumble of hair over her shoulder. Noting her appearance, Mrs. Adams could see that, although the shadows of her tears were still evident, she couldn't deny that she, in fact, did look more rested then she had in the previous two weeks. Offering her a tender smile, she greeted brightly;

"Morning dear, would you like some coffee?"

Silently, Dara shook her head as she walked into Lucas' waiting embrace; as she burrowed closer, as if seeking warmth, as he placed a light kiss on the top of her head;

"Morning, darlin; are you feeling any better, how about something to eat?"

Mumbling, Dara tried to refuse;

"I'm not really hungry."

Motioning for Mrs. Adams to fix her plate, he reminded her;

"Well, how about some toast and juice? You need something in your stomach and you promised me last night that you'd eat something this morning; remember?"

Settling her at the isle as Mrs. Adams placed a plate and glass in front of her, Lucas nodded, satisfied as she began nibbling at the toast and sipping at her juice before venturing;

"I need to call my sister, Kara and then get in touch with the funeral home."

Turning to Lucas she asked;

"Would you mind taking me by the hospital so that I can get my car?"

Shaking his head, Lucas explained;

"Darlin, your car isn't at the hospital; I had Ben take it to my house last night, so we'll go get it in a bit. As far as the funeral home, I already took care of that for you, we just need to go by there so you can sign the papers and what have you. All that leaves is calling your sister."

Turning to Mrs. Adams, she asked;

"Mrs. Adams, would you please hand me the phone?"

Once she had placed the receiver in her hand, Mrs. Adams offered;

"Dara, I thought that I would try to tidy up a little, if that's alright with you."

Nodding, Dara offered her gratitude;

"Thank you so much; with everything going on I can definitely use the help."

After Mrs. Adams had left the room Dara took a deep steadying breath. Lucas, noticing the action, placed his hand over hers as he offered;

"Would you like me to call her?"

Shaking her head, she explained;

"No, I need to talk to Kara, we've always been closer with each other than with the others. Anyway, I should have called her last night, I have no idea how I'm going to explain not calling her sooner."

Shrugging, Lucas suggested;

"Just explain it to her when she gets here; by the way, what about your father?"

Biting at her bottom lip, she sighed as she shrugged;

"I really don't know, it depends on a lot of things; how his health is and some other areas. He and Seth don't really get along and he can't afford to get upset with his heart in the shape it's in. We'll have to wait and see."

Realizing one of the reasons why he was wearing a look of uncertainty, Dara squeezed his hand as she ventured;

"We'll talk about the wedding later; okay? I don't want a large one, so it should be easy to plan. I just want to get past this right now; okay? By the way, when are you planning on telling Caleb?"

Stroking his chin, he confessed;

"I was just thinking about that earlier, actually; I guess today."

Glancing to the handset in her hand, Dara realized that she had put off what she knew she had to do for long enough as she began dialing the familiar number. Waiting a few seconds she began;

"Hello; Jack? Hi, it's Dara, is Kara there; could I speak with her please? Thanks. Hi, sis, it's Dara; look there's something that I need to tell you."

Lucas listened as she conversed with her sister; he could see by the flash of agitation that rose to her eyes that her sister must have dredged up a topic that she was not going to change her opinion about. Any curiosity he had regarding what the subject could possibly be was quickly sated as she stated emphatically;

"I don't see why Daddy can't come, there's more than enough room for all of you and I don't see the problem since Seth WILL NOT be staying in this house. No, I just have no intentions of dealing with him anymore than necessary."

Glancing to Lucas, Dara's tone softened as she advised her sister;

"By the way, we need to discuss something when you get here; no, I just don't want to talk about it right now. Okay, I love you too; kiss the kids and tell Daddy that I love him, bye."

Disconnecting the call she sat the handset on the counter top as she held her head in her hands, relieved to have finished her conversation. Looking up at Lucas as Mrs. Adams entered, Dara explained;

"Kara said that she would call everyone else. She said that she doesn't know whether or not Daddy will come."

Sighing heavily she advised;

"I need a shower and I need to get Mama's dress."

Casting a glance at Lucas she offered;

"Lucas, do you want to take a shower too? There's another bathroom upstairs and the hot water heater is more than large enough to handle two showers going at a time."

Taking his silent nod as agreement, she left the kitchen and made her way to, what had been, her mother's room. Opening the door, she stood for a moment as she felt herself assailed with the memories scattered about the room in the photos that stared back at her from their frames. Crossing the space to the closet she began searching until she found the dress that her mother had expressly requested she be laid to rest in. Dara couldn't help but flash on a memory as the scent of her mother's perfume hung in the air; she was about six years old, climbing on her mother's lap as she hugged her and stated;

"Mommy, you always smell good."

Locating the dress she had been searching for, she pulled it from the closet, but not before her eyes fell on the dress she remembered her mother wearing when she had graduated from high school, as well as college and the dress that she had worn to her sister's wedding. Without realizing it, Dara had begun crying silently as she recalled what Lucas had told her the night before;

"Cry for yourself but not for her, she's at peace now; love her enough to let her go."

Gently, she pushed the closet door closed before settling herself in the armchair near the window to let the tears slide down her cheeks as she vowed;

"Oh, Mama, I miss you and I'll always love you, but I know that you're better off now."

Having been passing by the door, Lucas couldn't help but hear her quite statement; pushing the door open softly he entered to cross the space to the chair before lowering himself to sit on his heels to put him eyes level with her. He could see the tears bright in her eyes as she looked at him forlornly;

"She really is gone, isn't she?"

Placing his hand on her cheek, Lucas nodded;

"Yes, baby, she is; I'm sorry, but she is much better off without the pain and agony."

Standing, Lucas pulled her from the chair into his embrace, letting her release her tears. Once she had quieted, he wiped her eyes as he asked;

"Are you ready to get started today?"

Nodding, she replied;

"Just let me grab my shower, okay?"

Taking the dress from her, he motioned towards her bedroom as he offered;

"You go ahead, darlin. I'll lie this on the sofa for you and head upstairs to grab a shower too."

Half an hour later found her entering the living room where Lucas sat, patiently, waiting for her. When she entered the living room, he couldn't help but shake his head at her appearance as she had chosen to forego makeup as well as leaving her hair to simply hang down her back, not having felt up to dealing with the long, curling mass which was still slightly damp. Rising as she approached the sofa, he smiled as he pushed a stray curl behind her shoulder;

"You remind me of a little girl with your hair that way; it makes me feel like I'm robbing the cradle."

Casting him a wry look, Dara chuckled;

"Thank you; I'll take that as a compliment."

Stepping closer to him she wrapped her arms around his waist as she shook her head;

"And as far as you're robbing the cradle, darling; we've already discussed that, remember? Besides, do you think that fourteen years is really THAT big of deal when it comes to the difference in our ages?"

Lucas considered her statement for a moment; he could remember the conversation they had shortly after they began seeing each other regarding their ages. He knew that the issue would have to be addressed sooner or later and, at the time, he knew that with Dara's birthday approaching it would be sooner, especially given her mother's insistence that they celebrate the day. Looking back, he realized just how exhausting the day must have been for Gwenna, but he still found himself amused by her determination to celebrate, what she considered, her daughter's day.

He couldn't help but remember how she had enlisted his help in keeping Dara distracted as she planned on surprising the girl. Given her mother's determination to surprise her daughter, Lucas had taken Dara out for the day; given that it was the weekend his proposed outing wasn't suspicious to her, especially given that he had made it a point to spend his off days with her as often as possible. Returning to her house, under the pretense of giving her a chance to freshen up before he took her out to dinner, he led her inside where her mother and Mrs. Adams were waiting to surprise her.

He could still remember the shocked look of pleasure on her face as they entered the dining room to find the table laden with her favorite meal, having been prepared by her mother with Mrs. Adams' help. Lucas couldn't help but find amazement by her excitement and pleasure over something as simply as her mother being willing to cook her favorite meal, as well as baking her favorite cake, red velvet, for her birthday. Although he found himself enjoying the small get together, due to Dara's enjoyment, he had felt a moment of fear as Mrs. Adam's brought her cake in and began lighting the candles.

After she had blown out the candles and began cutting the cake he could see that there was something on her mind by the inquisitive look in her eyes. Lucas wasn't shocked when she tuned to him and asked;

"I know that this seems pretty silly, but it just occurred to me, I don't even know your age."

Casting a quick glance to Gwenna, who simply offered a slight nod for him to proceed, Lucas cleared his throat;

"I'll be forty years old in January, darlin."

He could see that she was pondering his admission, but what he couldn't see was what turn her thoughts were taking. Finally, worried over her silence, Lucas demanded;

"Does that bother you?"

Tilting her head to the side in consideration, he realized that he had been holding his breath as he released it when she finally shook her head to offer;

"No, not really."

He found himself even more shocked as she reached across the space to place her hand on his cheek, regardless of her mother and Mrs. Adams' presence, to venture;

"Besides, the only difference between now and before is just the knowledge that there is fourteen year's difference in our ages. I know that it doesn't change how I feel about you, how about for you?"

Shaking his head vehemently, Lucas vowed;

"It doesn't change how and what I feel for you one little bit, sweetheart."

Lucas found himself brought back to the present as she asked, the look of apprehension evident on her face;

"Are you sure that you want to go with me? I don't even want to go, but I have no choice, you do."

Seeing the look of sadness on her face at the prospect of what was facing her, Lucas cupped her face in his hands as he promised;

"It's going to be okay, I'm right here with you and I'm not going anywhere; I promise you that."

Covering his hand with her own, she offered her gratitude as she voiced softly;

"Thank you."

Nodding as he placed his arm around her shoulder he led her to the car to begin their day.

Jed Simms was an extremely efficient man, however, when Ben Healy had paid him a visit to make inquiries into arrangements for Gwenna Chambers and he had learned from Ben that the woman's daughter had a close connection to Lucas Buck, he had spent his morning sorting and resorting through all of the documents that would require her attention. He had a successful business and decent working relationship with the sheriff of Trinity, something that he was determined to maintain and, if the rumors that he had heard were true, that meant not offending this lady. As it was, he found himself hard pressed not to stare at her, having admitted to himself that he found her extremely beautiful, but, if the rumors of just how jealous and protective of her Lucas seemed to be were true then running the risk of the man's wrath wasn't a gamble that he was willing to take.

More than aware of his reputation and influence, Lucas wasn't surprised when he escorted Dara into Jed's office to find that the man had the necessary documents filled out and only requiring Dara's signature. Once she had finished placing her signature on the last document, Jed inquired;

"Ms. Chambers, is there anything in particular that you would like done?"

Puzzlement furrowing her brow, Dara turned to Lucas who, interpreting the look explained;

"Darlin, Jed's just wondering if you want them to fix her hair a certain way or anything like that."

Embarrassed for not having understood the question for herself, Dara blushed as she reached into her purse and withdrew her wallet to remove a photo from it before handing it to the man. Glancing at the picture, Lucas could see that it was a photo of Dara and her mother and, what he assumed to be, her sisters as she handed the photo to Jed;

"I'd like you to try and make her look as close as possible to how she looked in this photo please; it was taken before we learned that she had cancer. And please; I'd like the photo back when you're finished."

Studying the photo, Jed nodded;

"I can see where you got your beauty from; your mother was a very beautiful woman as are you and your sisters."

Jed had been so preoccupied with the photo and the lady herself that he had almost forgotten to go over the financial arrangements until, assuming that their business was concluded, Dara rose to leave as Lucas opened the door for her. Remembering that detail, he stood to address her;

"Ms. Chambers, just a moment please, we need to discuss the payment arrangements."

Raising his hand to stall the man just as Dara turned to face him, Lucas explained;

"Jed, we'll discuss them later; Ms. Chambers and I have a lot that we need to accomplish today."

After having sent Dara ahead and making certain that she was out of earshot, Lucas turned to the man;

"Jed, whatever goes past the insurance, I'll pay for it myself. Don't bother her with it; and if there were any corners cut when her mother made the arrangements I want you to make sure that you don't cut them now, understand?"

Realizing just how right the rumors regarding Lucas and this woman were, he nodded;

"No problem, Lucas; I'll make sure that she has a nice service."

Watching as Lucas hurried to catch up with her, Jed understood just how right Ben was; this woman was definitely something special, at least as far as Lucas Buck was concerned;

Matt was in the process of signing off on one of his patient's charts when he noticed Dara and Lucas coming up the hallway in his direction. Finishing with his task he approached her and gave her an encouraging hug, his voice mirroring his concern as he asked;

"How are you feeling, hun; any better today?"

Nodding, Dara offered a look of chagrin as she asked in embarrassment;

"I'm sorry, I guess that I went over the edge, didn't I?"

Shaking his head, Matt lightly admonished;

"You were entitled, you've been through a lot so don't even worry about it; okay?"

Motioning for them to follow him to his office Matt took his chair as he reached for a folder in his file basket to offer apologetically;

"I really don't like this part of the job, but I have to do this; first, are you going to want an autopsy?"

Having already known her feelings given her mother's extended illness; Matt wasn't shocked when she shook her head vehemently. Nodding his understanding he offered;

"I didn't really think that you would but I still have to ask. Okay, I already know your answer on organ donation so I'm not even going to ask. So, all that I need is for you to just sign these; oh, the administration said that you can take a hiatus if you'd like so that you can get adjusted."

Scribbling her name across the bottom of the papers, Dara turned to Lucas;

"I need to get the clothes that I have in my office; okay?"

About to rise from his chair, Lucas turned in shock as Matt advised;

"Why don't you go on ahead, I need to speak to Sheriff Buck for a second so you just take your time."

Lucas waited until she pulled the door closed before turning to Matt and glaring at the man challengingly;

"Alright, Harvard, what is it this time?"

Meeting the man's glare with one of his own, Matt warned in a low and dangerous tone;

"Don't think that I don't know what's going on here, Buck. The only thing that I'm wondering is how soon that it's going to be before she goes the way of all the other women you've had in your life; especially Gail."

A look of thunder crossing his face, Lucas seethed;

"You have absolutely no business wondering a damn thing, Harvard."

Although Lucas was infuriated by Matt's inquires, he realized that the man was truly concerned for Dara, knowing that they had become friends. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he offered;

"If it will make you happy, I have no intention of her going the way of any other woman; as a matter of act she's going to be going a totally different way. We're getting married and not for the sake of a child, like I know you're thinking; I'm marrying her because I love her. Now, are you satisfied?"

Finding himself ashamed of his accusations, Matt offered a look of contrition as he nodded;

"Look, I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds and I would be lying if I said that I haven't noticed how much you love her; the only way I could miss it is if I was blind. But please understand, she's very vulnerable right now and my experience with you isn't exactly the greatest you know."

Before Lucas could reply, Dara gently pushed the door open and looked at both men cautiously, fearful of a repeat of their last 'closed door' meeting. Turning from Matt to Lucas she sighed in relief that she had not interrupted such a reenactment as she asked Lucas;

"Are you ready?"

Nodding as he rose, he shocked both Dara and Matt as he extended his hand to the other man and voiced;

"Thank you, Harvard, for everything that you've done for Dara and Gwenna."

With that he followed Dara to the car.

Lucas sat behind the steering wheel, mulling over Matt's statement before turning to Dara;

"Sweetheart, are you sure that you feel up to getting the license today? I mean you've been through a lot in the last couple of days and I don't want to rush you about this; when you say 'I do' I don't want you to have any doubts or feel as if you didn't have time to really think about it."

Dara couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief as she demanded;

"Okay, so who are you and what did you do with Lucas Buck?"

Shrugging he ventured;

"Darlin, if I had my way I would marry you right this minute, but I'm thinking of everything that you've been through and I don't want to take advantage of that; not about this."

Shaking her head as she chuckled, Dara placed her hand over the one he had laying on the seat between them as she offered;

"Lucas, love, you are not taking advantage of me; I WANT to marry you. Now, that being the case and, quite frankly, this being the truly only bright spot of the day I have absolutely no problems with getting our marriage license. However, if YOU'RE having second thoughts then that's another matter so I'll leave the decision in your hands."

Offering an amused laugh as he wrapped his fingers around hers and brought her hand up to place a gentle kiss on her palm, he turned the key and brought the car to life as he vowed;

"No second thoughts, like I said, if I had my way I would marry you right this minute so let's go get our marriage license."

Fifteen minutes later, Lucas was ushering Dara up the front steps of the Fulton County Courthouse towards the Licensing Office. Noticing him as he held the door open, Doug Allen threw his hand up at Lucas as he greeted;

"Hi, Sheriff, how's it going today?"

Then, noticing Dara, he smiled as he greeted;

"Afternoon ma'am, how are you?"

Lucas found himself hard put to hide his amusement at the effect that it had on him when Dara smiled at the older man, especially when Doug became tongue tied as he was trying not to stumble over his words. Finally, recovering, he turned to Lucas;

"What can I do for you today, Lucas?"

Pulling a chair out for Dara before taking his own seat, Lucas explained;

"Doug, we need a marriage license."

His mouth dropping open from shock, Doug demanded;

"You want a what?"

Despite his usual calm and professional demeanor, Doug couldn't help but be shocked by; what he had just heard were the last words that he had EVER thought possible to come out of Lucas Buck's mouth. Quickly, he regained his composure as Lucas explained in a calm voice full of wry amusement;

"I want a marriage license, you know, till death do you part, love, honor, obey; the thing that you and Peggy had to have to get married, remember?"

Although he had regained his composure, Doug couldn't help but turn crimson in embarrassment, then, remembering the rumors that he had heard, he realized that this had to be the young woman that seemed to have everyone's tongues wagging in Trinity where Lucas Buck was concerned. Considering a passing statement that Ben Healy had made he quickly realized that the man had most definitely been right; she must be something special if she was able to get Lucas Buck to the alter without a fight. Falling back on the formality of his post, Doug went to the file cabinet and began pulling documents from the top drawer before retuning to his desk as he advised;

"Okay, first let's get your information young lady; name?"

Calmly Dara responded;

"Dara Cherice Chambers."

Nodding, Doug turned to Lucas with a questioning look; understanding, Lucas ventured;

"You must want my middle name, okay, Lucas David Buck."

Nodding as he filled in the information, Doug motioned to them both;

"Okay, can I see both of your driver's licenses please; I can get the rest of the information I need from there."

Sliding the small plastic coated cards across the desktop, they waited patiently as he completed filling out the document before pushing it across his desk towards them;

"Just sign this, both of you, and then I'll notarize it and all you'll have to do is find someone to perform the ceremony."

Taking the paper, Lucas quickly scribbled his name on the appropriate line before turning it to Dara. Offering the pen to her, he tightened his grip as she tried to grasp it as he demanded;

"Darlin, you're absolutely sure? I don't want you doing this unless you're one hundred percent sure that you want to and are ready to become my wife."

Studying him for a moment, Dara opened her purse and pulled a pen out and poised, as if to sign the document, before lifting her head to lock eyes with him;

"I'm not one hundred percent certain that I want to do this; I'm one thousand percent sure that I want to become your wife."

With that she quickly scribbled her signature on the document as well.

Once Doug had finished the final steps and the license was completed he handed it to Lucas who, carefully, placed it in the inside pocket of his vest before turning to Doug to request;

"Thanks Doug, I won't forget this, but for now how about not mentioning it to anyone else. You see, Ms. Chambers' mother passed away last night and we want to keep this quiet for the moment."

Nodding, Doug agreed;

"Sure thing Lucas, I wouldn't want to steal your thunder anyway so not a word."

After they left the office and had entered the elevator, alone, Lucas took Dara in his arms and placed a deep kiss on her lips before asking;

"You're not having regrets already, are you?"

Shaking her head, she explained;

"No, it's just that I can't help but think about how stressful the next few days are going to be and how on earth we're going to get through them; especially if Seth does decide to show up. It's going to be World War three with him, and I'm afraid that isn't an exaggeration."

Holding her tighter, Lucas ordered;

"You leave your brother to me; I'll take care of him, okay?"

Feeling the strength of his love for her as he held her tighter, Dara looked up at him, her eyes full of love;

"My knight in shining armor."

The bell announcing their floor chimed and found Lucas reluctantly releasing her as the doors slid open. Taking her arm he lead her to the door and found his irritation rising as he spotted Selena Coombs entering the same doors that they were about to exit. Although he had no doubts that Selena would heed his warning where Dara was concerned, he also knew that she wouldn't resist an opportunity to try and bait Dara either and given what she had suffered in the past twenty-four hours he had absolutely no intentions of allowing Selena to add any form of stress to the situation. Bearing this in mind, he positionrf himself between the two women with his arm protectively around Dara's shoulders as Selena approached them. He wasn't surprised by the exaggerated sultry tone in her voice as she drawled;

"Well, if it isn't the Sheriff and this must be the new counselor that everyone has simply been raving about; I'm Selena Coombs."

Although Dara had heard the innuendoes and rumors where Lucas and this woman had been concerned, she also knew that she could not be rude as the woman extended her hand. Accepting it she offered;

"I'm Dara Chambers; it's nice to meet you Ms. Coombs."

One thing that Dara could say was that she had no insecurity or doubts when it came to Lucas' love for her, however, she also couldn't deny that she was feeling somewhat insecure in the presence of this voluptuous woman, especially given her and Lucas' past, but she wasn't going to allow her to see that she was having such and effect on her now. What Dara didn't realize was that Selena seemed to be wrestling with the same feelings at that moment as well, however, her jealousy at seeing Lucas' obvious adoration for Dara and noting the way that he had his arm placed protectively around her shoulders, Selena decided that she was feeling a little dangerous and was in the mood to be reckless as she asked;

"Well, Ms. Chambers, what would you and Sheriff Buck be doing at the courthouse, nothing serious I hope?"

Deciding to stop Selena before she could truly get started, Lucas stated;

"Actually, Ms. Coombs, Ms. Chambers and I are here on a very serious matter; we just finished the paperwork to get married."

Lucas couldn't deny the satisfaction he felt at the look of shock and disbelief that came to Selena's features. Although she knew that he had meant every word of his warning, Selena chose to push the envelope of recklessness further as she ventured;

"Well congratulations, hopefully, you won't be doing anymore 'sightseeing', especially after you get married."

Gasping at the woman in utter disbelief of her tacky statement, Dara couldn't help but think to herself; 'My, but this bitch really does have some nerve.' However, before she could offer a response, Lucas encircled her in his arms as he retorted;

"Actually, Ms. Coombs, the 'sights' that I've been used to have gotten very old and tiresome. I'm ready to settle myself down on, not only, much greener pastures but ones that are worth putting down roots on."

Seeing that his comment had hit its mark by Selena's speechlessness, Lucas ushered Dara through the doorway as Selena turned, seething, to glare at them as the door closed;

"Damn, Lucas Buck."

Even though she was seething to a boiling point in her rage, she hadn't missed the look in Lucas' eyes when he had looked at Dara. Ben was right; Lucas wouldn't hesitated to take care of anyone who dared to threaten or harm that woman.

Once they had almost reached the car, Lucas stopped, pulling Dara to a halt as well;

"Darlin, don't let what she said upset you, she's just jealous and she can't stand it. But I meant what I said; you're the only one for the rest of my life."

Oblivious to any onlookers, he kissed her openly before she pulled away a bit to suggest;

"Don't you think that we should find Caleb now?"

Realizing that he still needed to talk to his son about he and Dara, Lucas nodded;

"Yeah, I think you're right, how about we go by my house and I'll drop you off to get your car and then you can go grocery shopping while I talk to Caleb, okay?"

Opening her car door for her and suddenly remembering who else was at his house, Lucas pondered whether it would be prudent to go ahead and introduce Dara to Mama Lucy. Deciding that procrastinating the issue would do nothing but make it worse, he ventured;

"Darlin, I know that it's a lot to deal with at once, but my grandmother is at my house and, if you feel up to it, I'd love for you to go ahead and meet her; would you mind?"

Offering him a sincere smile as she shook her head, Dara rationalized;

"No, honey, besides, I'll have to meet her sooner or later so why not now."

Pushing her door shut he hurried to settle himself behind the wheel as he promised;

"Don't worry; she's going to love you."