She put her hands on his chest; it was warm, and his heart beat extra fast. “Only if you want to. I don’t want you to feel like I’m forcing you into anything. We could be one of those couples that don’t have a public display of affection. But I’ve seen other couples, and it’s like they’re always touching and leaning close and stuff.”
His face clouded over. “I remember.”
Shoot! “I wasn’t trying to bring up bad memories.” She hopped off the bed. “It was just a silly thought. Forget I ever brought it up. Lunch should be ready soon. It’s soup and breads.” She ran for the door and ducked out of the room before he could answer.
In the hallway, she smacked her palm against her head several times. She shouldn’t have said anything. Now she’d gone and made this whole weekend uncomfortable. The steps seemed taller and harder to climb with her heart dragging behind her like a kite without wind.
A big part of her had hoped he’d say yes to the kiss, to holding hands, to acting more like a couple, because—oh shoot, if she was honest—she wanted to be more than Cliff’s friend.
What she’d told him was true. He was a good man, and good men were hard to come by. But his ex-fiancée had done a number on his heart, and if he wasn’t ready to give it to Diana, she couldn’t pry it from his fingers.
Chapter 12
Cliff
Cliff slowly dressed for lunch. His head worked overtime to wrap around what had just happened with Diana, and he didn’t pay much attention to buttoning his shirt. He had to start over three times.
He could have sworn Diana had wanted tokiss him. But when he’d asked for clarification, she went off about pretending to like each other for the sake of their fake engagement. No—pretending to be inlove.
There was a knock on his door, and he hurried over, hoping she’d come back to pick up where they left off. “Di—” Her name died on his lips, and so did his smile at the sight of her sister standing there. “Hi,” he managed to recover.
Sadie rubbed her palms together. “Hey. We haven’t had a chance to talk.”
He leaned against the door, checking to make sure his shirt was buttoned correctly. He’d gotten it right this time. “Was there something specific you wanted to talk about?”
She nodded. “I’m here to threaten you.”
He jerked his chin back. “Threaten?”
She ran her hand through her hair. “I tried to get my husband to do it, but he said this was my territory, so …” She squared her shoulders and poked him in the chest. “You’d better treat Diana right or else.”
He wisely schooled the grin that threatened to surface. The family resemblance was strongest when the sisters tried to be tough. “I have no intention of hurting her.”
She dropped her arm. “They never do. But she’s so trusting and open, it just happens.”
“It does?” He stood up straight, ready to pound some guy for messing with his fiancée—well, fake fiancée.
“Yeah. More than once. Just … be careful with her. Okay? We Dalagar women love with all our heart and have no sense of self-preservation.”
He tugged at his beard as her words sank into his soul in the way only pure truth could. “I got that impression.”
She nodded once, affirming her task had been accomplished. “And lunch is ready.” She smiled and headed across the billiard room, leaving him standing there to contemplate his next move.
Sadie painted a different picture of Diana than her mom and aunt did. They made her sound like a nerd who hid in the back of the auditorium with a book during pep rallies. Sadie made it sound like Diana’s heart had been trampled on and she was gun-shy. Add to that the pressure from her female relations to find a husband, and she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Nobody could force a person to open their heart after they’d been injured by a relationship gone bad—and he should know.
If he helped sell the idea that they were in love, he’d give her some breathing room and possibly give her the chance to heal.
The more convincing he was, the longer she could nurse a “broken heart” after they “broke up.” He tugged on his beard again. The walk upstairs was a blur as he weighed the pros and cons of getting cozy with Diana. On the one hand, he’d just be playing a part. On the other, Diana had a direct line to his sensitive innards. He hadn’t wanted to get near a woman in over a year, and he’d really wanted to kiss her a few minutes ago.
The large dining room was packed with people. They seemed to multiply with each passing hour. There were faces he didn’t recognize and more children underfoot. There were also smiles and laughter and a huge sense that family was important. He tried to remember a Christmas quite like this one in his past and couldn’t come up with anything. Uncles and aunts sent cards. Grandma and Grandpa came every four years, rotating through their children. There was a draw to being a part of this family—even if they wouldn’t want him.
He found Diana sitting on the west side by the windows, a toddler in her lap. She handed over oyster crackers with patience as the girl stuffed them into her face full-fisted. The sight was enough to make him trip over his own two feet. He stumbled into the buffet table and knocked several rolls to the floor. “Sorry,” he mumbled as he picked them up.
“Nothing to worry about.” A woman in a red apron waved him off, taking the rolls from his hands. She patted his belly, letting him know she belonged here, though he had no idea how she fit into the family tree. “Be sure and try the beef stew—it’s a family recipe.”
“I will.” He hurried off to stand behind Diana. She didn’t notice him there, so he placed one hand on her shoulder, testing physical boundaries he’d so carefully put into place.
She turned to see who was there and her face lit up with interest, her eyes questioning his touch. Before he overthought things, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. His heart skipped a beat, and he was immediately angry with himself for having any type of reaction to her. She was acting. Really, really well, but acting nonetheless.
