Charlie ignored her gesture. “Yes, you do. I can’t imagine why my son wants to marry you.”
Harry, who had been out of view, stormed over. “My daughter’s too good for your son.” He turned to Diana. “Do you understand, Diana? You will be married. But not to a Logan.”
“Nick’s not marrying any Smith. Look at your daughter. She’s a slob.”
“Now, Mr. Logan, that’s not true.” Diana’s ego was taking a beating here.
“You know how many Smiths there are in this world?” Charlie sneered. “You guys reproduce like rabbits.”
“Mr. Logan! That is so rude.” Diana was shocked. She paused, calmed herself, then, pointing down to the floor, said sweetly, “Have you met Sheila?”
Jessica laughed, then stuck the carnation in her mouth. “No, Jessica,” Diana cried out. She stuck her finger in the baby’s mouth and pulled out petals. “Nick, call poison control. Hurry!”
“No-no-noooo.” Jessica stuck out her tongue. Diana wiped the rest of the petals out of her mouth as the baby banged on the tray, sending more food flying.
“Harry!” Sheila, sitting in a direct line of vision for Jessica’s throwing arm, screamed, “Get me up from here.”
Diana’s dad’s lips were set in a distasteful grimace when he looked down at his wife. The normally perfectly coiffed Sheila now had a dress hiked mid-thigh, and her hair, shoulders and clothes were speckled with an array of Jessica’s rain of food. Sheila looked so pitiful even Diana would have felt sorry for her if she had been someone other than Sheila.
“Harry, help me now,” the stepmother-in-definite-failing shrieked.
“It’s too late to help you. For that, I’m sorry.” Harry turned his back on Sheila, focusing on the wall in front of him.
Diana followed her father’s gaze. A layer of golden cheese and macaroni now speckled the beige wall. The tile floors had been wall-to-wall carpeted in strawberries, peaches and whipped cream. Food juices had mixed together, covering the tile with a slick, dangerous film.
“I want to help you, Diana.” Her father squeezed her arm gently, assuredly. “It’s the least I can do. Go find me the mop.”
“Do you mean that? Really and truly?”
“Have you ever known me to say something I don’t mean?”
She shook her head.
Nick opened the door to the broom closet and pulled out the necessary equipment “Thanks, Mr. Smith.”
“Diana.” Harry grabbed the supplies out of Nick’s hand. “Tell that Logan boy I’ll help you, but I’m not talking to him.”
“I’m sure he heard you just fine. As did all the neighbors for miles.” She closed her eyes wanting to shut them all out. This war had to end.
Charlie charged over to Harry, slipping the last few feet across the floor, but quickly regaining his balance. He grabbed the mop and bucket away. “Nick,” he shouted. “You tell that idiot if anyone’s going to clean up after my grandchild, it’ll be me.” Charlie shoved the mop toward Patricia. “Here. Clean.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.” Patricia swept past her husband, leaving the mop, pail and giant size bottle of Lysol behind her. Stopping by the fallen Sheila, she tapped her finger against her chin. “Didn’t I see you at the Institut Maurice Paris yesterday?”
Sheila patted her hair, coming away with pieces of strawberries and clumps of whipped cream. “I don’t know how you could possibly recognize me when I look like this.”
Patricia held out her hand and Sheila grabbed hold, struggling to get herself to a standing position. “I was having the Facial Peel, and if I remember correctly, you were on the other side of the salon having the Firming Treatment How did you like it?”
“Wonderful.”
“Let’s go get cleaned up.” Patricia grabbed her newfound best friend’s arm, leading her out of the kitchen. “Do you know Mrs. Leah Sargent?”
Sheila nodded.
“She had a face-lift, you know,” Patricia said smugly.
“You don’t say.”
“Nick,” Diana said when the older women were gone. “You need to tell your mom about Sheila.”
“My mother can take of herself.”
“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Diana smiled at Charlie. “Have you eaten dinner yet Mr. Logan?”
Charlie didn’t answer. He stood in front of the high chair, mop and bucket glued to his fingers, and stared at Jessica.
“Dad?” Nick called. “Dad, are you all right?”
Charlie said reverently, “You know, I still can’t believe this is Cathy’s.”
“Jessica isn’t a ‘this,’ she’s a girl.”
“I’ve never seen her. I’ve driven past her house, hoping they’d be outside, and I could get a look, but she was never there.”
“You’re a sorry-ass grandfather,” Nick told him, all the anger he held in check coming through in each word.
“I know. I know. If I could start over and do things differently, I would.”
No one spoke for several long minutes. Finally Charlie, his words catching, said, “She looks just like Cathy. She’s beautiful. The most beautiful child in the world.”
Harry snorted. “Not likely.”
Charlie whirled around. Holding up a fist, he snarled, “Would you like to repeat that, moron?”
Harry pointed a finger in Charlie’s face. “The most beautiful baby in the world is Diana’s baby.”
Diana cut in, “I don’t have a baby.”
“Someday you will. I’m letting him know right now that when that happens, yours will be the most beautiful.”
“You want to say that outside, jerk-face?”
Nick came between both men, put a hand on each one’s chest and pulled them apart “You two are acting like children. Spoiled children. I’m disappointed in both of you.” Not that he expected anything different
The doorbell rang for a third time. “Now what?” Nick lost all patience with this whole bunch and he didn’t need another group of relatives descending on them. Diana’s plan was crazy, it would never work. He hated that she’d be disappointed and he wished it could be different. Somehow, some way, he’d make it up to her.
The doorbell rang again and both he and Diana headed out of the kitchen at the same time. “You’re blood,” he said.
“No, you’ve got two more blood relatives in there than I do. I’ll get the door.”
Nick placed a hand on Diana’s shoulder keeping her from going any further. “I’ll get it”
“I’ll come with you.”
“Stay here.”
There was something about the way he said it Something about the way his mouth formed the smile, the way his jaw, so strong and determined, tilted at such an angle that she had to reach up and touch him, running her thumb over his bottom lip, feeling the slight raspiness of the afternoon stubble on his chin against the edge of her finger. “I’ll stay here.”
“Good idea.” He took hold of her hand, and placed a kiss on her fingers and Diana knew she wasn’t going anywhere. She would do anything he asked her to do, because she trusted him.
“Now gimme back the mop.” Harry grabbed it out of Charlie’s hand. He took the bucket, too, and went to the sink to fill it with water. “No one’s going to help Diana but me. I’m her dad. I’m the future grandfather of the most beautiful children in the world.”
Charlie had turned back to Jessica and didn’t even rise to the bait this time. His granddaughter, covered from the top of her head to the tips of her shoes in food, stared right back at her grandfather—her up-until-this-moment, absentee grandfather.
Time was running out, Diana thought and she had made a commitment to Nick, herself, and their fathers, even if they didn’t know about it, that they would end this feud. No matter what, she had to give it everything she had. “I’m going to heat up the leftovers from !Otra, Otra!,” she told her father. Maybe, she could get them all to actually sit at the table together.
“I’ll stay for dinner.” Her father fi
nished washing the floor, then he put the mop and bucket away. He took over chopping onions, tomatoes and jalapeño peppers.
“Thanks, Dad.” From the corner of her eye she saw Charlie pull one of the chairs away from the table. He placed it right in front of Jessica’s high chair and sat down. Wiggling a finger in her belly, he crooned, “Cootchie-cootchie-coo.”
Jessica laughed at him, swatting at the finger, kicking up her legs, and then laughed more.
“Isn’t she the smartest baby you’ve ever known?” Charlie asked, although as far as he was concerned, the answer was obvious.
“Nooo,” laughed Jessica.
Diana sent her father a warning look.
“She’s the smartest girl baby, I suppose,” Harry begrudgingly replied. “But Diana here is going to have the smartest boy baby.”
“That seems fair,” Charlie said. “Until Nick has a boy baby.”
Her father’s face turned a bright shade of red and he made a move, but Diana rushed over to him and shook her head. “Don’t you dare.”
Harry’s fists flexed at his side. Diana gave her father a big hug, and then a more tentative one to Charlie. “It’s beautiful to see you two men getting along at last.” They hadn’t killed each other, and they were still in the same room. As far as she was concerned, that was positive.
“We’re not getting along,” Charlie grumbled.
“Not in this lifetime,” Harry said.
“I’ll be dead before that happens.”
“I’ll be dead first,” Harry told him.
“There you guys go. Finally agreeing,” Nick said, as he came back into the room and stood beside Diana. “Things are looking up.”
Nick’s arm went around her waist. The more he touched her, even casually like he was doing now, the more hopeful she became that maybe those fantasies she’d had might come true. He unconsciously massaged between the indentation of her waist and the flair of her hips. She practically melted into him. “Isn’t it wonderful, Nick? They’re having a discussion.”
Diana smiled at Nick, then noticed the two men standing in the doorway. One carried two child-size chairs made out of a light-colored wood, and the other carried a matching little table. The back and front of the chairs were stenciled with little white bunnies jumping over carrots.
“Oh, my God.” Diana covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes widened. “How did you—”
“Where did you—” Stunned, Harry moved closer.
Nick held out his hand and Diana grabbed on. “Diana, I have something for you.” The men placed the small furniture against the north wall in the kitchen. “Remember when you told me about your table and chairs? No one should have to go without their memories.”
“Oh, Nick. When? Why?”
“The ‘why’ is easy. Why? Because I like you.” His selfdepreciating smile melted her heart. Only Nick would think that recreating her lost table and chairs wasn’t a big deal. When in fact, it was the nicest, most wonderful biggest deal anyone had ever done for her.
He said, “The ‘when’ question. I started last night. I thought it would take a few days, but it turned out that some of my men came in, and we worked on it together, got it all done. Pretty nice, I think. I don’t know what the one your father made looked like. I know these can’t take their place, but maybe they’ll give you some new memories.”
“Nick.” Diana brushed her hand over the wood. The furniture was smooth and sturdy—perfect for kids to play on. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. Not yet. Let me show you one more thing.” He turned the table upside down. On the underside he had carved out the words,
In memory of Elizabeth Smith
Mom and Diana forever together
“Oh, Nick.” Diana covered her mouth with her hand. Her head shook slowly back and forth in disbelief. She didn’t care if her love for him showed through her smile, her face, her eyes, or her body. He was hers, he’d always be hers, whether they had children or not. The table and chairs proved it. Now all she had to do was convince him of what he must already know deep in his heart.
Her dad seemed almost as stunned. “Well, I’ll be. Would you look at that. Looks just like the set I made for Diana. The one Sheila threw out How did you know?”
“Diana mentioned the table and chairs, and the rabbits. I used my imagination.”
“Diana,” Harry said, pointing a finger in her direction. “How many times do I have to tell you that when you find a boy whom I approve of, keep him.”
“Daddy!”
“Now don’t argue with me.” Harry placed his hand across the table top and lovingly rubbed the finish. “He’s a good man,” he said quietly. “Don’t throw him out” He paused, then winked at her. “Speaking of throwing out, you’ll need a place to put these. I wouldn’t bring them upstairs if I were you. I wouldn’t trust Sheila.”
“I won’t.” Her gaze darted between the table and chairs and Nick. She could look at them forever.
Finally, Nick took her arm. “Come on, let me help get dinner ready. I’m starved.”
With one more glance at her new little table and chairs, Diana went back to the kitchen and set herself to work. She set the large, round kitchen table for six. She breathed in the aroma of the fajita beef and chicken, which soon filled the kitchen. She poured salsa into a round ceramic bowl, and guacamole into another. Nick helped with the food, filling two big baskets with !Otra, Otra!’s famous homemade tortilla chips. Her father took over chopping onions, tomatoes and jalapeño peppers.
“Thank you again,” Diana said softly. “You’ve made me the happiest person in the world.”
Nick walked over and cupped her chin, then lowered his mouth and kissed her. “Don’t mention it” He brushed tendrils off her face. “I plan on finishing what we started earlier,” he said before moving away from her.
She could only hope he meant making love, and not that the table and chairs needed another coat of varnish.
12
DIANA WAS GLAD to see that Charlie had taken over the care of Jessica. He brought her to the sink and sat her on the counter, then gently washed her face and hands. Nick brought over a new diaper, handing it to his father.
Jessica’s big, gruff grandfather laid his granddaughter down on the counter and changed her diaper.
Harry, who was by no means a baby expert by any stretch of the imagination, didn’t let that small detail stop him from giving Charlie advice. “You’ve got the tabs on the diaper all wrong.”
Charlie looked at the little girl. “No I don’t.”
“Yes you do. The tabs go facing back. If they face front, the kid can pull them off. She can’t pull them off if they’re backwards.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Let me tell you something. When Diana has kids, they’ll have their diapers on right. Backwards.”
“You know what, Harry? The years haven’t changed you a bit You’re still a damn fruitcake.”
Harry yelled. “Take that back.”
The two men came nose to nose in the middle of the kitchen. Nick grabbed an unsupervised Jessica, and sandwiched both of them between the two men. “Dad,” he coaxed. “Mr. Smith. Come on, you guys. Let’s be nice for one night, okay? Is that asking too much?”
Jessica looked at Nick and started screaming again. He looked at Diana. “See,” he said. “Kids hate me. That’s why I’m not getting married.”
“Don’t be silly.” Diana rescued Jessica, strapping her into the high chair again. “Sit down here, Mr. Logan. You can feed Jessica for me, okay? I don’t think she ate much at lunch. Most of it ended up decorating the kitchen.
Patricia and Sheila came into the room, arm in arm, laughing together. They walked right past the small table and chairs that Nick had made, and didn’t even notice. Diana had never met two such self-centered women on earth before. Well, at least they’d managed to find each other. “Sit down.” Diana pointed to the big table that was now laden with food. “Dinner’s r
eady.”
Patricia had managed to ignore Jessica earlier. But now she couldn’t play the same, disinterested game. She dropped Sheila’s arm, and as if in a trance, inched toward her granddaughter. She gazed at Jessica with such longing, that it almost hurt Diana to watch.
Little Jessica, unaware of the plethora of feelings she had unleashed, continued to play kick-the-grandpa’s-leg with Charlie, the same game she had played with her Uncle Nick when he had tried to put her car seat in the Bronco earlier.
The hum of conversation in the room had gradually quieted as each adult focused on the baby and the grandparents who had, up until this day, denied her existence. Diana watched as Nick’s father gazed at his wife. She felt as if she were seeing twenty years into her own future. Nick looked so much like Charlie, and whether Patricia realized it or not, Charlie’s love for her was written all over his face.
Charlie stood up from his chair and went to his wife. Taking her arm, he led her closer to Jessica’s high chair. “She won’t bite.”
“I know that,” Patricia whispered.
“Sit down, Patty.”
“She’s lovely.”
“Yes, she is.” He gently guided her to the chair he’d been sitting in only moments before. “Just like you.” He stood behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder.
“She’s the most beautiful baby in the world,” Patricia said again, resting her cheek on Charlie’s hand.
Harry stared at the scene in front of him, completely transfixed. Diana saw a myriad of expressions cross his face. Sadness, melancholy and even something that she could only describe as longing. Longing for what, she couldn’t imagine. She wished so much that she could pull him aside and ask him what he was thinking about right now. Did he wish that all those years of anger, and even jealousy had never taken place? Did he wish that he and Charlie could be friends again?
More than anything else, that’s what she wanted to know. Needed to know. She did know one thing though. For as close as she and her dad were, she doubted he’d tell her.
“Sit down everyone,” Nick said, breaking the silence.
Charlie shook himself as if coming out of a trance. He sat in the chair on the other side of Jessica. Nick pulled a chair out for Diana, and then sat next to her. Harry sat next to Sheila completing the circle.
Kidnapped / I Got You Babe Page 31
