[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
He heard her moving before he felt her hand on his arm,
her cheek pressed briefly against the back of his shoulder.
"And she loved you, but life goes on, dear."
"I know, but it hasn't been that long since "
"There's no set time for mourning, David. Harriet loved
you too. She'd want you to be happy. She wouldn't want you
to let a woman who loves you slip away just because you
thought you hadn't waited long enough. She'd want you to be
happy with Diana."
152
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
"I've only known her a few weeks. It took several months
for me to be sure enough of Harriet to know I wanted to
marry her."
"You were younger then," she pointed out. "You didn't
know what love was."
He turned to face her. "Don't misunderstand, Mom. I
haven't said I love her. I like her a lot."
She stared up into his eyes. "You're telling me you'd marry
a woman you don't love?"
"I haven't said I am marrying her."
"Oh, David, let's not play games." She placed her palms
against his chest. "Are you going to ask her to marry you?"
"I don't know."
"David!"
"I don't know," he insisted. "And your giving me that
disapproving look isn't going to change that."
"What is?" she asked gently.
He shook his head. "Things are moving too rapidly. I need
a little time and a little space."
"And what if Diana meets someone else while you're
getting your time and space?"
The thought left a sick feeling in his stomach. "You've just
finished telling me that she loves me," he countered. "She'll
wait."
"Oh, David, don't be too sure of her. She's a warm,
beautiful woman."
"That any man would be glad to know. I know," he said
wearily. "I'm very glad to know her, but I just need time."
1
153
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
Diana spent Saturday cooking. For Carolyn, who was a
picky eater, she made a small tossed salad, Cream of Spinach
soup, a peanut butter and strawberry cream cheese
sandwich, and Butter Almond cookies for dessert. For herself
and David, she made a Cucumber salad, Asparagus soup,
chicken chops with sausage stuffing, and a baked medley of
string beans, corn, and new potatoes. For dessert, she made
a pineapple upside-down cake.
By the time she finished cooking, it was four o'clock and
she felt like one big knot of tension. She spent an hour in a
warm bath, relaxing before she dressed.
She chose a modest, short-sleeved, two-piece silk dress
which swirled becomingly around her calves when she moved.
She sprayed herself with her favorite scent and slipped on a
pair of heels. Studying her reflection she decided she would
do quite nicely. Hopefully, David would think so as well.
He and Carolyn arrived a little before six.
"Wow! You look real pretty!" Carolyn said, gaping at her.
"Doesn't she, Daddy?"
"Oh, yes, she does," David said softly. He held a bouquet
of pink carnations. "For you, pretty lady."
Carolyn giggled and Diana's cheeks burned as she
accepted the carnations. "Thank you. Come in and have a
seat while I put these in water." She glanced over her
shoulder. "Can I get either of you anything to drink?"
"Do you have any strawberry milk?" Carolyn asked.
154
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
Diana groaned silently. How could she have forgotten how
much the child loved strawberry milk? "No, but I did make
you some strawberry Kool-Aid. Will that do?"
"Okay. I'll come with you," Carolyn said, slipping off the
sofa where she'd been sitting with her father.
Diana smiled at David and felt her heart beat quicken
when he smiled back, his gaze warm and lingering. "I ... I'll
be right back," she said slowly.
"I'll be waiting," he told her.
She turned away, suddenly certain that everything was
going to be all right between them.
They had a noisy, laughter-filled meal. Carolyn's happy
mood was infectious. Before long, all three of them were
laughing at the most insignificant things. Diana watched with
satisfaction as David and Carolyn devoured the food she'd
prepared with such care.
After dinner, they sat Carolyn on a stool close to the sink
and the three of them washed the dishes.
"Oh, this is so nice," Carolyn said suddenly. "I wish we
could always be together like this. Just the three of us."
Diana felt David's gaze on her. She looked up to find him
watching her. The look in his eyes made her catch her breath.
It was warm and ... dare she hope, loving? If he'd only
reconcile with God, she'd feel that her prayers had finally
been answered.
"Maybe we can be," he said.
She blinked and stared at him over Carolyn's head. For
him to make the suggestion in Carolyn's hearing indicated
how serious he was. "What ... what did ... you say...?"
155
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
"He said maybe we can be," Carolyn piped in. "Maybe my
daddy likes you a whole lot. Maybe he wants to "
"Maybe he wants to speak for himself, young lady," David
interrupted, dragging his gaze away from Diana to look down
at Carolyn.
"Then speak, David," she urged softly.
"Yeah, Daddy. Speak."
He lifted Carolyn off the stool and set her gently on her
feet. "I want to talk to Diana alone, sweetie. Will you wait in
the living room?"
"No, Daddy! I want to stay and hear what you have to say
and what she has to say. And if you're going to kiss her, I
want to watch."
"Wait in the living room, Sweetie," he repeated, turning his
warm gaze back to Diana's heated cheeks.
"Oh, all right, but "
"No buts. Just go, Carolyn."
Carolyn made a face, but slowly left the kitchen.
"You wanted to talk," Diana prodded when he stared
silently at her long after Carolyn had left the room.
"When we're alone." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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He heard her moving before he felt her hand on his arm,
her cheek pressed briefly against the back of his shoulder.
"And she loved you, but life goes on, dear."
"I know, but it hasn't been that long since "
"There's no set time for mourning, David. Harriet loved
you too. She'd want you to be happy. She wouldn't want you
to let a woman who loves you slip away just because you
thought you hadn't waited long enough. She'd want you to be
happy with Diana."
152
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
"I've only known her a few weeks. It took several months
for me to be sure enough of Harriet to know I wanted to
marry her."
"You were younger then," she pointed out. "You didn't
know what love was."
He turned to face her. "Don't misunderstand, Mom. I
haven't said I love her. I like her a lot."
She stared up into his eyes. "You're telling me you'd marry
a woman you don't love?"
"I haven't said I am marrying her."
"Oh, David, let's not play games." She placed her palms
against his chest. "Are you going to ask her to marry you?"
"I don't know."
"David!"
"I don't know," he insisted. "And your giving me that
disapproving look isn't going to change that."
"What is?" she asked gently.
He shook his head. "Things are moving too rapidly. I need
a little time and a little space."
"And what if Diana meets someone else while you're
getting your time and space?"
The thought left a sick feeling in his stomach. "You've just
finished telling me that she loves me," he countered. "She'll
wait."
"Oh, David, don't be too sure of her. She's a warm,
beautiful woman."
"That any man would be glad to know. I know," he said
wearily. "I'm very glad to know her, but I just need time."
1
153
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
Diana spent Saturday cooking. For Carolyn, who was a
picky eater, she made a small tossed salad, Cream of Spinach
soup, a peanut butter and strawberry cream cheese
sandwich, and Butter Almond cookies for dessert. For herself
and David, she made a Cucumber salad, Asparagus soup,
chicken chops with sausage stuffing, and a baked medley of
string beans, corn, and new potatoes. For dessert, she made
a pineapple upside-down cake.
By the time she finished cooking, it was four o'clock and
she felt like one big knot of tension. She spent an hour in a
warm bath, relaxing before she dressed.
She chose a modest, short-sleeved, two-piece silk dress
which swirled becomingly around her calves when she moved.
She sprayed herself with her favorite scent and slipped on a
pair of heels. Studying her reflection she decided she would
do quite nicely. Hopefully, David would think so as well.
He and Carolyn arrived a little before six.
"Wow! You look real pretty!" Carolyn said, gaping at her.
"Doesn't she, Daddy?"
"Oh, yes, she does," David said softly. He held a bouquet
of pink carnations. "For you, pretty lady."
Carolyn giggled and Diana's cheeks burned as she
accepted the carnations. "Thank you. Come in and have a
seat while I put these in water." She glanced over her
shoulder. "Can I get either of you anything to drink?"
"Do you have any strawberry milk?" Carolyn asked.
154
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
Diana groaned silently. How could she have forgotten how
much the child loved strawberry milk? "No, but I did make
you some strawberry Kool-Aid. Will that do?"
"Okay. I'll come with you," Carolyn said, slipping off the
sofa where she'd been sitting with her father.
Diana smiled at David and felt her heart beat quicken
when he smiled back, his gaze warm and lingering. "I ... I'll
be right back," she said slowly.
"I'll be waiting," he told her.
She turned away, suddenly certain that everything was
going to be all right between them.
They had a noisy, laughter-filled meal. Carolyn's happy
mood was infectious. Before long, all three of them were
laughing at the most insignificant things. Diana watched with
satisfaction as David and Carolyn devoured the food she'd
prepared with such care.
After dinner, they sat Carolyn on a stool close to the sink
and the three of them washed the dishes.
"Oh, this is so nice," Carolyn said suddenly. "I wish we
could always be together like this. Just the three of us."
Diana felt David's gaze on her. She looked up to find him
watching her. The look in his eyes made her catch her breath.
It was warm and ... dare she hope, loving? If he'd only
reconcile with God, she'd feel that her prayers had finally
been answered.
"Maybe we can be," he said.
She blinked and stared at him over Carolyn's head. For
him to make the suggestion in Carolyn's hearing indicated
how serious he was. "What ... what did ... you say...?"
155
Eye of the Beholder
by Marilyn Lee
"He said maybe we can be," Carolyn piped in. "Maybe my
daddy likes you a whole lot. Maybe he wants to "
"Maybe he wants to speak for himself, young lady," David
interrupted, dragging his gaze away from Diana to look down
at Carolyn.
"Then speak, David," she urged softly.
"Yeah, Daddy. Speak."
He lifted Carolyn off the stool and set her gently on her
feet. "I want to talk to Diana alone, sweetie. Will you wait in
the living room?"
"No, Daddy! I want to stay and hear what you have to say
and what she has to say. And if you're going to kiss her, I
want to watch."
"Wait in the living room, Sweetie," he repeated, turning his
warm gaze back to Diana's heated cheeks.
"Oh, all right, but "
"No buts. Just go, Carolyn."
Carolyn made a face, but slowly left the kitchen.
"You wanted to talk," Diana prodded when he stared
silently at her long after Carolyn had left the room.
"When we're alone." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]