Page 31 of The Playboy and the Widow
“Hi.”
The sound of his voice did wondrous things to her pulse. She wouldn’t need an aerobics class if she talked to Cliff Howard regularly. “The kids’ dinner is in the microwave, and the girls are going over to Shirley’s afterward, so I should be ready within the hour.”
“That makes what I have to tell you all the more difficult.” He’d been looking forward to this dinner date all week and was frustrated.
“You can’t make it?” Diana guessed. She should have known something like this would happen. Everything had gone too smoothly. The girls were going to Shirley’s, she’d found a lovely pink silk dress on sale and her hair looked great, for once. Naturally Cliff would have to cancel!
“I’m sorry,” he stated simply, and explained without a lot of detail what had happened. A court date had been changed and he had to prepare an important brief by morning. He wouldn’t be able to get away for hours. He hated it, would have done anything to get out of it, but couldn’t. Then he waited for the backlash that normally followed when he was forced into breaking a dinner engagement.
“I know you wouldn’t cancel if it wasn’t something important,” Diana said, hiding her disappointment.
“You’re not angry?”
His question took Diana aback. “Should I be?”
“I... no.”
“I’m not saying I won’t miss seeing you.” She marveled that she was so willing to admit that. When it came to Cliff, she continued to feel as though she were standing on shifting sand. She was afraid of letting her emotions get out of control, and she didn’t want to rely on him for more than an occasional date. And yet every time he asked to see her again, she was as giddy as Joan over the rock group U2.
“I’ll make it up to you,” Cliff promised.
“There’s no reason to do that.”
“How about dinner Thursday?”
Diana checked the calendar beside the phone. “The PTA is electing its officers for next year, and since I’m a candidate for secretary, I should at least make a showing.”
“How about—”
“Honestly, Cliff, you don’t need to make anything up to me. If you’re so—”
“Diana,” he cut in, “I haven’t seen you or the girls in three days. I’m starting to get withdrawal symptoms. I actually found myself looking forward to watching the Disney Channel this week.”
Diana laughed.
“If you can’t go out with me Thursday, then how about Friday?” Now that he’d gained her trust, he felt more comfortable about having her accept an invitation without having to include her daughters.
“Cliff, listen, I’m already going to be gone three nights this week.”
“Three?”
“Yes, I went to a Girl Scout planning meeting on Monday. I had a quick Sunday school staff meeting Tuesday and now the PTA thing on Thursday. I don’t mind leaving the girls every now and then, but four nights in one week is too much. If you want the truth, it’s probably a good thing you have to cancel tonight. I don’t like being gone this much.”
Cliff leaned back in his desk chair and chewed on the end of his pencil. After the fishing fiasco, he’d hoped to avoid including the girls in any more of their dates for a while. “Okay,” he said reluctantly, “let’s do something with the girls on Friday.”
“Cliff, no.”
“No?”
“Really. Both Joan and Katie have been up late every night this week. Katie’s got a cold, and I really don’t want to take her out again. Friday night, I planned on ordering pizza and getting them both down early.” She wasn’t making excuses not to see him, and prayed he understood that. Everything she’d said was the complete truth.
“Saturday night, then?” He wasn’t giving up on her, not this easily.
Her breath was released on a nervous sigh. “All right.”
Six
The house was still, and Diana paused for a moment to cherish the quiet. After loud protests and an argument with Joan, who seemed to think a fifth grader should be allowed to stay up and watch MTV, both girls were in bed. Whether they were asleep or not was an entirely different question. Peace reigned, and that was all that mattered to Diana.
