Chapter 9
Diana
Diana watched Cliff excuse them from the conversation. It hadn’t taken much for him to win over her parents. Just a flip of a switch and they thought he was the golden boy. He kind of was, because her upper-class family had no idea how to get their hands dirty. Mom paid a local company to bring in the Christmas tree and decorate it. Dad paid to have the garage cleaned out every spring. That was how their family got things done—delegation and outsourcing.
Cliff was hands-on. She liked that about him. He was the first person she thought of when she needed help moving the couch, and any time she came up against a challenge, she asked herself,What would Cliff do?Following his example had helped her earn her last pay increase. She owed him a lot.
She was going to miss having him here, but she shouldn’t have brought him in the first place.
They walked back to her room. This time, she didn’t shut the door all the way but left it open an inch. Her hand slipped from the cold knob, and she spun around. “I’m so sorry, Cliff! I wasn’t thinking clearly, and I was selfish. I shouldn’t have lied to you. Please tell me we’ll still be friends—even after I drop you off tomorrow. You don’t have to. You can say no. But I really hope you’ll say yes.”
His whiskers lifted in what she thought might be a smile. “We’ll still be friends.”
In a rush of relief, she jumped and threw her arms around his neck. “I promise I’ll get up early and we’ll sneak you out of here before anyone even knows.”
His chest rumbled. “I thought you said I had a choice in all this.”
“You do.” She dropped to her feet and released him, mentally preparing herself for his absence. The few hours they’d spent here were the best she’d had in a long time.
“So what happens if I stay?”
She chewed her lip. “Stay as my fiancé? Or as my friend? Because I’m not sure I can tell my mom the truth. She’d be devastated. I mean, yes, she drives me insane with all this marriage talk all the time, and the way she and Aunt Willow pick me apart is hurtful—but that’s just her. She’s not going to change.”
“So if we’re engaged now, what happens after Christmas? What were you going to say then?” He folded his arms.
She rubbed her palms together, the feel of his strong back under her hands lingering. “Um … I’ll tell them whatever story you want. I was just thinking that we’d decided we weren’t soul mates or something and parted ways as friends.”
“That’s amicable.”
“I know, right?” She wrinkled her nose. “Of course, I’ll still be getting over you by next year, so that will buy me another holiday without the stress. And who knows? Maybe by then I’ll meet the man of my dreams.” She lifted her palms. She had no idea how that would ever happen and worked to push the gloom away from her thoughts. What mattered right now was salvaging their friendship and taking care of Cliff.
* * *
His chest seized at the thought of Diana bringing someone else here. Images of another man walking her to her door and kissing her good night made him want to run the guy off with a pitchfork. He gulped before taking a leap. “I guess we’re engaged.”
She squealed and threw her arms around him again, laying her head on his chest. “Thank you!”
He slowly put his arms around her, not sure if she was going to bounce away.
She snuggled into him and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Her muscles relaxed. “I knew flannel was soft.”
He chuckled, enjoying the way she fit against him. “You say the strangest things sometimes.”
She lifted her face, resting her chin just below a button and smiling up at him. His eyes involuntarily dropped to her lips. They were soft and pink—inviting. And they were alone in her bedroom again. His inner gentleman scolded him. He dropped his arms and stepped back, running his hand through his hair.
Diana giggle. “You are the sweetest guy in existence. I can’t believe you’re not married.” She smacked his arm before heading to the small desk and sliding onto it, her feet dangling.
The warmth that had filled the room whooshed out, replaced by an icy chill. He glanced down at his left hand, the one that should have worn a silver band with the inscription:Always and Forever. “I almost was.” The words were out before he had the chance to stop them. For a second, he was horrified. He’d kept the secret for so long. Right on the heels of the fear was a sense of relief. If there was anyone in the world he could tell, it was Diana.
“What?” Diana dropped to her feet.
* * *
Amillion questions raced through her mind, but Diana couldn’t grab on to any of them. She was acutely aware of the change in temperature that happened when she teased him about being married, but she’d never thought he’d beenengagedbefore. He was so handsome and the type of guy who would do anything for anyone. She couldn’t imagine him breaking off an engagement. Maybe there was a whole other side to Cliff she didn’t know. “What do you mean,almost?” A scene from a movie came to mind where the groom got cold feet and didn’t show up. “Please tell me you didn’t leave her at the altar.”
“No,” he scoffed with malice. “She got there, all right.”
The answer would have made her believe he left her there, but the bitterness in his tone gave her second thoughts. He’d obviously been hurt, maybe devastated. She softened her voice and asked, “What happened?” Her heart stopped beating as she waited—afraid of what he was about to say. She didn’t want to hear something that would change the way she felt about Cliff. Her opinion of him was so high, it could only tumble down, right?
