Page 55 of The Playboy and the Widow
Her mother looked more amazed than Diana. “Why, because Danny Helleberg is back in town. You know how well his mother and I get along.”
Diana felt like grinding her teeth. “Right, Mom.”
Cliff leaned back on his leather couch and stretched out his legs in front of him, crossing his ankles. Diana’s first email had arrived. Already adrenaline was pumping through him. Four days. She’d been gone only four days, and he missed her more than he thought it was possible to miss another human being. He thought about their last minutes together while he’d driven her and the girls to the airport. Diana had lingered as long as she could, seeking to delay their parting. So much had remained unsaid between them. She’d wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly. The memory of that single, ardent kiss still had the power to triple his pulse rate. It was the type of kiss men remember as they go into battle. A kiss meant to forge time and distance. She’d looked as dazed as he felt. Without saying anything more, she’d turned and left him, rushing into the airport with Joan and Katie at her side. Cliff had remained at the airport drop-off point far longer than necessary, wishing she were back in his arms. Two weeks, he’d thought. That shouldn’t be so long, but the way the time was dragging, each minute seemed longer than the one before. Two weeks was an eternity.
He grinned as he read over the first few lines that told him about Joan and Katie and how Katie had told her parents about him before Diana had had the opportunity to mention his name. The smile faded when he read how her parents were pressuring her to move to Wichita so they could look after her properly. He sighed audibly as he scrolled down to the second page. Diana assured him this was an old argument and that she had no intention of leaving Seattle. She loved her parents, but being close to them would slowly, surely, drive her crazy. Cliff agreed with that. He loved his family, but they had the same effect upon him.
Cliff continued reading. Diana told him she regretted the impulsive kiss at the airport. Now all she could think about was getting back to Seattle and seeing him again. Nothing had ever been that good—not even their first kiss at the marina under the starlight.
Cliff agreed.
If she experienced half the emotion he had over that kiss, she’d call her family vacation short and hurry back to him. All he could think about was Diana coming home and his holding her again.
He left the computer and went into the kitchen to fix himself something for dinner. Five minutes later he returned, pausing over the last few words she’d written about the kiss.
On impulse he reached for the phone. If he didn’t hear her voice, he’d be the one to slowly, surely, go crazy. Getting her parents’ number wasn’t a problem, and he quickly punched it out, checking his watch and figuring out the time difference.
“Hello.”
Cliff would have staked his life savings that Joan would answer. He was right.
“Hi, Joan.”
“Cliff! How are you?”
“Fine.” Okay, so that was a minor exaggeration; he would be once he talked to Joan’s mother.
“We went to Sedgwick County Zoo today. It was great. I saw a green snake and a black-necked swan.”
She paused, and Cliff heard muffled arguing.
“Joan,” Cliff called after a long pause, “are you there?”
“Yes, Cliff,” she said a bit breathlessly. “It seems my darling younger sister wants to talk to you.”
“Okay.” Briefly Cliff wondered if he’d end up speaking to everyone in the entire household before he was able to talk to Diana.
“Hi, Cliff,” Katie shouted. “I told Grandma and Grandpa all about you, and Grandpa says he’s going to take me fishing here in Wichita.”
“That sounds like fun. Where’s your mother?”
“There was a bad storm the other night and there was lightning and thunder, and I woke up scared and Mom came in and told me there was music in the storm. Did you know that? And guess what? She was right. I went back to sleep, and in the morning I could still remember the funny kind of drums that played.”
Cliff was impressed at Diana’s genius. “I’m glad you’re not afraid of thunder anymore.”
Once again Cliff heard muffled words and then silence. “Katie? Is someone on the phone?”
“Hello, Cliff.”
Joan again. “Listen, sweetheart, could I speak to your mother?”
“I’m afraid that poses something of a problem,” Joan whispered huskily into the receiver, as though she’d cupped her hand over it.
“It does?”
“Yes. You see, she isn’t here at the moment.”
“What time do you expect her back?”
