"What time is it?" he asked, suddenly aware that the afternoon sunlight had flooded the room. Katherine walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's almost 1:00," she answered. Jonathan got up abruptly and ran his hand through his hair. Jennifer would be disappointed that he had been gone for so long.

"Katherine, I've got to get back to the room and start getting ready for the wedding. I didn't realize the time."

"I'm sorry, Jonathan. You were so engrossed, I didn't want to interrupt. I should have said something about the time," she said softly.

"No, no. It's my fault. When I get into something, I lose track of time. Anyway, I think I have a good handle on your financial situation. I'd like to sleep on it and discuss it with my wife," Jonathan said.

Katherine nodded. "By all means, and thank you for consideration," she said, extending a hand.

Jonathan stopped by the gift shop and bought flowers before heading back to his suite. When he entered the room, Jennifer was in the shower. He walked over to hang up his clothes from last night and remembered the pouch that he had tucked into his breast pocket. He had forgotten to bring it to Katherine. He took out the items and looked them over carefully. He opened the paper and read the sonnet again. It reminded him of Jennifer, and he tucked the paper inside the bouquet of flowers he had bought for her.

Then, he tip-toed into the bathroom and placed the flowers by the sink.

A few moments later, Jennifer emerged from the bathroom in a robe, her wet hair dangling at her shoulders. She leaned against the wall and looked at Jonathan. "Thank you for the flowers," she said quietly. "Where have you been?"

Jonathan got up out of the chair and moved closer to her, but Jennifer folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm sorry it took me so long. I had no idea how late it was," he said gently.

Jennifer looked at him directly. "Why did you need to spend so much time with... Katherine Belleveau, is it?"

"Darling, she's looking for investors for the hotel. The Wallingford is in danger of financial collapse. I was looking over the financials with her," Jonathan said, frowning at his wife's tone. Jennifer was not the type of woman to get jealous. "You do believe me, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, I do," she said, looking away and forcing down the tears. "It's just that it seems that everyone in this hotel has been able to spend time with you...except me."

Jonathan winced at her words, feeling guilty. "The bachelor party...the meeting about saving the Wallingford...I was only trying to do the right thing." There was a heavy silence.

"By whom?" she said, her voice quivering.

"Jennifer..." Jonathan started to explain, but could not continue, as she turned away and hid her tears from him. He came closer and turned her face towards him. Slowly, he leaned in to kiss her trembling lips. She stood motionless, allowing him to press himself against her warm, tender skin. "Jennifer..." he said, looking into her eyes. "I want to make everything all right." Several moments passed while he searched her eyes. "I want to make love to you." With one hand, he held her neck, still damp from the shower. With the other, he reached for her waist and drew her in closer. He closed his mouth over hers, hungrily tasting her lips, wanting to consume her.

Jennifer leaned back to the wall, as Jonathan pushed his weight against her. Tears continued to trickle down her cheeks in a flood of emotion. Jonathan slipped his hand down from her neck and into her robe, caressing her shoulder and then her breast. Finally, he turned and backed her down onto the bed, their lips never separating. Jonathan tore off his clothes and leaned over her. Her damp auburn hair spilled onto the pillow, framing her almond eyes. Neither spoke a word, as Jonathan peeled away her robe. Starting at her forehead, he began kissing her - her nose, her lips, her neck, her breasts, her stomach, the inside of her thighs. Her breath quickened, as she held onto Jonathan's muscular shoulders, and he brought his mouth down between her legs. Spreading her thighs open, he slipped his tongue inside of her, sliding it in and out. Jennifer whimpered softly and ran her hands through Jonathan's hair. He inhaled her scent and began licking her in just the right place - he knew exactly where to please her. Jennifer's body responded immediately.

Her lips parted, her nipples became swollen, her stomach began contracting. Jonathan then came up and pressed his weight onto her, his erection straining against the side of her leg.

He took hold of her aching breasts and inserted one into his mouth, sucking her nipple vigorously. He wanted to taste every inch of her body, soothe every fiber of her being.

But, the ultimate satisfaction would be penetrating her, feeling her muscles close in around him.

Unable to fight the urge any longer, Jonathan reached for his penis and guided it between her legs. Gently, he pushed himself in, the heat of her vagina making him swell.

He began driving himself back and forth, nuzzling her neck and tasting the light perspiration on her skin. Jennifer held onto him, enjoying the explosion of sensations, and craving his closeness, fulfilling her need to be with him. Soon, Jonathan began moaning loudly. Just as he was ready to come, he slipped his fingers down between her legs and rubbed her in just the right spot. Their orgasms sent their minds spiraling, leaving them exhausted in one another's arms.

The Grand Ballroom was decorated in splendor for the Talbot wedding reception. Candelabras adorned every table. The Wallingford's finest china and silver settings reflected the glittering light. The band and announcer were set up in a corner of the ballroom, with a tremendous dance floor in the center of the room. Guests began to trickle in following the church ceremony at the small chapel down the street. Jennifer came in, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"You are such an incurable romantic," Jonathan said, smiling at his wife.

"I can't help it. It's been so long since we've been to a wedding. Their vows were so beautiful," she said.

Jonathan grimaced as he noticed George and Carol headed in their direction. "Let's take a walk around the veranda while the pictures are being taken," Jonathan said hastily. They walked out into the cool autumn air. "Are you warm enough?" Jonathan asked. Jennifer was wearing a gorgeous navy blue gown embellished with a sparkling jewel neckline. "I'm fine. You didn't want to talk with George, how come?" she asked, as they walked hand in hand.

"I think George has a serious drinking problem, and I'm sure he's already been to the bar today. He can get pretty lewd with a few in him," Jonathan said.

"Yes, I noticed he was a little rough this morning. I had breakfast with him and Carol. Carol barely said a word. There was a lot of tension between them."

"That's too bad. I'm going to have a talk with him when we get back to L.A. I just didn't want to spoil the occasion," Jonathan said, turning to his wife. The sun was just beginning to set over the mountain. He thought she never looked more beautiful, as the sunset cast her in a pink and lavender glow. "You look beautiful," he said quietly. Jennifer smiled and leaned in close to him. "Thank you."

The wedding party finally returned from the daunting task of picture-taking. The photographer was a little man, who was sweating profusely and scurrying around trying to capture candid shots of the guests. Jonathan and Jennifer took their seats near the head table - seats reserved for the bride and groom's important guests. Jake and Susan Mannington were seated there, along with Gary and Ruth Abramson. Another couple came over to sit at the table too, friends of Sharon.

"Jonathan, I haven't seen you all day! What have you and Jennifer been up to today?" Jake asked. Jonathan smiled out of the corner of his mouth, and Jennifer kicked him under the table.

"Oh, just catching up on my sleep and relaxing," Jonathan lied. "How about you?"

"We all went out for a drive to see the fall foliage," he said, motioning to the Abramsons. "Got some great pictures."

Jennifer smiled at the other couple seated at the table. "Hi, I'm Jennifer Hart and this is my husband, Jonathan," she said, offering her hand. The gentleman took it willingly.

"I'm Cole Jackson and this is my wife, Sandy," he said, obviously taken with Jennifer.

Sandy didn't seem to care. She was eyeing Jonathan, Jennifer noticed right away.

"Are you friends of Sharon's?" Jennifer asked.

"Yes, actually Sandy and Sharon were friends all through school. Sharon grew up here in New Hampshire, you know," he said, smiling at Jennifer.

"Yes, she told us. In fact, Sharon was filling us in on some of the folklore about the Wallingford. Sandy, do you know the story of Gloria Cromwell?" Jennifer asked, trying to lure Sandy's gaze away from Jonathan.

"Oh, sure! That was a weird one. My grandmother told me that story. Gloria Cromwell was a rich lady. They say she was having an affair with someone's husband and the wife had her killed by a hitman. They could never prove it, but that's what they say," Sandy offered.

"That's interesting," Jennifer said, raising her eyebrows at Jonathan. He had the feeling that Jennifer was going to do some more digging. Just then, the lights dimmed and the emcee announced the bride and groom into the hall. The Harts stood and clapped with the other 200 guests.

Katherine Belleveau stood in a doorway, hidden from most of the crowd. She scanned the room, looking for Jonathan, and spotted him immediately. He looked dashing in a tuxedo, the way a man ought to look, she thought to herself. She was pleased to see that everything was going smoothly. She wanted to impress Jonathan with the level of service they offered. She also wanted to get a good look at her competition: the formidable Jennifer Hart.

After the dinner plates were cleared, the band began playing and several couples went to the dance floor. Jonathan excused himself from the table and slipped away, leaving Jennifer to make small talk with the Jacksons. The Manningtons and the Abramsons were on the dance floor doing The Twist.

"Wanna dance?!" Cole asked Jennifer. Jennifer looked puzzled, since Sandy was sitting alone with him.

"Oh, no, thank you. I always save the first dance for my husband," she smiled nervously. Where on earth did Jonathan go, she wondered.

The Twist ended and people cleared from the dance floor. Suddenly, the emcee took the microphone. "Ladies and gentleman, tonight we're here to celebrate with David and Sharon Talbot on their wedding day, and we wish them a long and happy life together!" The guests raised their wine glasses and yelled, "Cheers!"

The emcee continued, "We also have another couple here celebrating - they just celebrated their 20^th wedding anniversary last weekend." The crowd murmured appreciatively. " This next song I'd like to dedicate to Jonathan and Jennifer Hart. Jennifer, Jonathan requested this one for you. Please come out for a dance," he said, looking around the room.

Jennifer blushed and shook her head, smiling. "Go on, Jennifer," someone said from behind her. Others joined in. The emcee dimmed the room and a great crystal chandelier sent sparkles of light flickering on the dance floor. Jonathan suddenly appeared from the other side of the room and walked over to Jennifer, holding out his hand for the dance. She smiled shyly and got up.

The music started. Jonathan took Jennifer in her arms as the music began playing, their bodies swaying slowly. He pressed his cheek against hers and caught the scent of her perfume. Rod Stewart's voice drifted from the stereo:

Jennifer closed her eyes and thought about Jonathan. How could it be that she could still be in love with Jonathan, just as in love as the day she met him. He respected her, he protected her, and he cherished her.

Jonathan caressed Jennifer's back, feeling her soft, feminine curves. He could not imagine being with anyone else. How could one man be so lucky, he thought to himself. She was everything he had ever dreamed of - delicate, gentle, and yet so strong.

The Harts were not aware of the crowd that had gathered around them. People were mesmerized by the obvious love affair that they were having, after 20 years. Many of the couples smiled at each other, realizing that they too had a special love.

David and Sharon Talbot gazed at them, hoping they would be as in love as Jonathan and Jennifer on their 20^th anniversary.

George and Carol Stinson watched from their table, one of the few couples that weren't clustered around the dance floor. George eyed Jennifer, lusting for her, as he did so often in his dreams. He wondered what it would be like to make love to her. Carol sat with her arms folded against her chest, seething with jealousy. She was beginning to despise Jennifer Hart.

Katherine Belleveau watched from the sidelines as the Harts danced. She realized that she would need a new plan to get Jennifer Hart out of Jonathan's life.

The song ended and Jonathan looked into Jennifer's eyes. He knew that the song had said everything he felt. He leaned into kiss her. Everyone in the room cheered - almost everyone.