Page 16 of The Playboy and the Widow
The girls finished their meal in record time and were off to explore. While Diana tossed their garbage into the proper receptacle, she shouted out instructions.
“Don’t you dare come back here wet!” she cried, and doubted that they’d heard her.
“Wet?” Cliff asked.
“Leave it to them to decide to go swimming.”
“Once they find out how cold the water is, they’ll change their minds,” he said confidently.
Cliff had moved from the picnic table to the blanket and sat with his back propped against the tree, watching Diana as she made busywork at the picnic table.
“I’m sure the birds will appreciate your dumping those crumbs on the ground,” he said, and patted the area beside him. “Come and sit down.”
Unwillingly Diana did as he asked, but sat on the edge of the blanket. It was too dangerous to get close to Cliff; such raw masculinity unnerved her. She’d been three years without a man, and this one made her feel things she would have preferred to forget.
“I wish you hadn’t done this,” she said in a small, quiet voice.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb with me, Cliff Howard. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Why are you sitting so far away from me?”
“Because it’s safe here.”
“I don’t bite.” His mouth curved up in a sensual smile that did uncanny things to Diana’s equilibrium.
“Maybe not, but you kiss,” she told him irritably.
His eyes held hers. “It was good, wasn’t it?”
She nodded. “Too good.”
His smile was lazy. “Nothing can betoogood.”
Diana couldn’t find it within herself to disagree, although she knew she should. “What’s this about your suggesting to Joan that they give us time together alone?”
His mouth broadened into a deeper grin. “Actually, that was her idea.”
Diana rolled her eyes heavenward. That sounded exactly like something Joan would suggest.
“I like your girls, Diana,” he said gently. “You’ve done a good job raising them.”
“They’re not raised yet—besides, you’re seeing their good side. Just wait until they start fighting. There are days when I think they’re going to seriously injure each other.”
“My brother and I were like that. We’re close now, although he’s living in California.” Cliff paused and told her a couple of stories from his youth that produced a smile and caused her to relax. “Rich and I talk at least once a week now. Joan and Katie will probably do the same once they leave home.”
Bringing her legs up, Diana rested her chin on top of her knees. One hand lazily picked up a long blade of grass. It felt right to be with Cliff. Right and wrong.
“Why haven’t you married?” The question was abrupt and tactless, slipping out before she could temper the words.
Cliff shrugged, and then his answer was as direct as her question. “I haven’t found the right woman. Besides, I’m having too much fun to settle down.”
“Usually, when a man’s over thirty there’s a reason... I mean... some men can’t make a commitment, you know.” Oh, heavens, she was making this worse every minute.
“To be honest, I’ve never considered marriage.” There hadn’t been any reason to. That wasn’t to say he hadn’t been in love any number of times, but generally the emotion was fleeting and within a few weeks another woman would capture his attention. Once he’d had a girl move in with him, but those had been the most miserable months of his life, and the experience had taught him valuable lessons. Expensive ones. He would never again accept that kind of arrangement.
“Shirley mentioned a Becky somebody.”
