Leta walked to the door and opened it with a ready smile for Colby Lane. And found herself looking straight into the eye of a man she hadn't seen face-to-face in thirty-six years. Matt Holden matched her face against his memories of a young, slight, beautiful woman whose eyes loved him every time they looked at him. His heart spun like a cartwheel in his chest.
"Cecily said it was Colby," Leta said unsteadily.
"Strange. She phoned me and asked if I was free this evening." His broad shoulders shrugged and he smiled faintly. "I'm free every evening."
"That doesn't sound like the life of a playboy widower," Leta said caustically.
"My wife was a vampire," he said. "She sucked me dry of life and hope. Her drinking wore me down. Her death was a relief for both of us. Do I get to come in?" he added, glancing down the hall. "I'm going to collect dust if I stand out here much longer, and I'm hungry. A sack of McDonald's hamburgers and fries doesn't do a lot for me."
"I hear it's a presidential favorite," Cecily mused, joining them. "Come in, Senator Holden."
"It was Matt before," he pointed out. "Or are you trying to butter me up for a bigger donation to the museum?"
She shrugged. "Pick a reason."
He looked at Leta, who was uncomfortable. "Well, at least you can't hang up on me here. You'll be glad to know that our son isn't speaking to me. He isn't speaking to you, either, or so he said," he added. "I suppose he won't talk to you?" he added to Cecily.
"He said goodbye very finally, after telling me that I was an idiot to think he'd change his mind and want to marry me just because he turned out to have mixed blood," she said, not relating the shocking intimacy that had prefaced his remarks.
"I'll punch him for that," Matt said darkly.
"Ex-special forces," Leta spoke up with a faint attempt at humor, nodding toward Matt. "He was in uniform when we went on our first date."
"You wore a white cotton dress with a tiered skirt," he recalled, "and let your hair down. Hair…"
He turned back to Cecily and grimaced. "Good God, what did you do that for?"
"Tate likes long hair, that's what I did it for," she said, venom in her whole look. "I can't wait for him to see it, even if I have to settle for sending him a photo!"
"I hope you never get mad at me," Matt said.
"Fat chance.
"Cecily said it was Colby," Leta said unsteadily.
"Strange. She phoned me and asked if I was free this evening." His broad shoulders shrugged and he smiled faintly. "I'm free every evening."
"That doesn't sound like the life of a playboy widower," Leta said caustically.
"My wife was a vampire," he said. "She sucked me dry of life and hope. Her drinking wore me down. Her death was a relief for both of us. Do I get to come in?" he added, glancing down the hall. "I'm going to collect dust if I stand out here much longer, and I'm hungry. A sack of McDonald's hamburgers and fries doesn't do a lot for me."
"I hear it's a presidential favorite," Cecily mused, joining them. "Come in, Senator Holden."
"It was Matt before," he pointed out. "Or are you trying to butter me up for a bigger donation to the museum?"
She shrugged. "Pick a reason."
He looked at Leta, who was uncomfortable. "Well, at least you can't hang up on me here. You'll be glad to know that our son isn't speaking to me. He isn't speaking to you, either, or so he said," he added. "I suppose he won't talk to you?" he added to Cecily.
"He said goodbye very finally, after telling me that I was an idiot to think he'd change his mind and want to marry me just because he turned out to have mixed blood," she said, not relating the shocking intimacy that had prefaced his remarks.
"I'll punch him for that," Matt said darkly.
"Ex-special forces," Leta spoke up with a faint attempt at humor, nodding toward Matt. "He was in uniform when we went on our first date."
"You wore a white cotton dress with a tiered skirt," he recalled, "and let your hair down. Hair…"
He turned back to Cecily and grimaced. "Good God, what did you do that for?"
"Tate likes long hair, that's what I did it for," she said, venom in her whole look. "I can't wait for him to see it, even if I have to settle for sending him a photo!"
"I hope you never get mad at me," Matt said.
"Fat chance.
( Diana Palmer )
[ Paper Rose ]
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