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Grace would hear none of it "You’re crazy about thishihed "I do, and he knows it"
A s is, I love her, too" He held out his hand to Olivia, who clasped it firmly "I’m sorry, sweetheart"
"Me, too" She sniffled, then abruptly went back to the kitchen
"We argue," Jack said "I don’t think she’s used to that"
"She isn’t," Grace told hie, liked order and control; she rarely raised her voice or lost her cool Marrying Jack had changed all that
"But we led his eyebrows for effect
Grace sht not be perfect, but she’d never seen Olivia happier Jack was exactly the kind of man she needed in her life--irreverent, confrontational and fun
"The tea will be ready in a minute," Olivia said from the kitchen
Jack’s eyes softened and he seeotten that Grace was in the room After a moment, he said, "I was sorry to hear about you and Cliff"
Rather than comment, Grace nodded It still hurt to think about Cliff Much as she wanted to, she couldn’t dishts In tis just didn’t work out," she said as if it were aa tray with three filled cups and a plate of oatmeal cookies
"None for you," she announced to Jack the instant his eyes widened with delight
"This is cruel and unusual punishrowled
"The doctor wants you doenty-five pounds"
"Who ue some more?" she asked as she passed hiht ht, you can have one cookie"
As soon as Jack set down the tea, he grabbed Olivia about the waist and pulled her onto his lap
She let out a squeal of protest, then threw her arms around his neck "Do I need to re you?" Jack asked his wife
"Terribly"
He grinned as if that had been his purpose all along "Good"
Olivia struggled into an upright position, patted her hair and then gave Grace her tea with an air of refineh to drink her tea and have a cookie and then left On her way ho depression This was Valentine’s Day, and she was alone again She’d been alone for the last four years, but this year it felt a hundred tiiver He’d made a few attele Valentine card he’d given her, or flowers
Buttercup and Sherlock were at the door to greet her They always showed great enthusias her home and she rewarded the their dishes, she turned on the television She wasn’t interested in any of the progra and laughing
When the doorbell chimed an hour or so later, she didn’t knoho it could be She wasn’t expecting anyone Opening the front door, she saw Cliff, and her breath caught After a slight hesitation, while she fortified her resolve, she opened the door
He waited on her porch, a bouquet of red roses in hand At this time of year, Grace knew those flowers must have cost a fortune
Without a word, he opened the screen door and stepped into the house He held out the roses "Can we talk?"
The desire to welco her beneath the waves She took a deep breath as they just stood there, inside her front door "I love you, Cliff--but no"
Her answer appeared to shock hiize and then teeks or two months down the road repeat the saain You have my word on that"
She wanted to believe him, but she couldn’t
He must have felt her indecision "I love you, Grace"
"I’m sure you do, but you don’t trust me"
Cliff removed his Stetson and studied the floor "I told you what e was like"
"And I’ve told you I’m not Susan I made a mistake and I’ve paid dearly for it I’m sorry, Cliff, truly sorry, but I think you should leave" Her voice faltered, but her deter his hat "When you said ere through, I thought breaking it off coht on target The way I treated you wasn’t intentional--but in a sense it was I see that now I suppose I was hoping you’d put an end to the relationship…"
His honesty hurt, but she kept her chin high and didn’t co she’d suspected
"Then you were out of my life, and I wasyou so much I had a hole in est fool on earth to let you go" He paused, shaking his head "Lisa and I talk every week Sometimes she knows me better than I do ret it the rest of hter and listened to her when he would listen to no one else
"No," he said quickly "She was just telling me what I already knew" Before Grace could speak, he told her, "Lisa isn’t the only one Cal said either I patch things up with you or he’s quitting"
Grace ed a half smile "I don’t believe that for a moment"
"Believe it If you turn down o ho to her on Valentine’s Day, she didn’t think she’d ever forgive hi so romantic He made it almost impossible to say no
"I love you, Grace," he whispered "I can’t live without you any longer I tried, but nothing see hard--and for what? I don’t need the money At the end of the day, I walk in from the cold and the house is dark and lonely That’s the way I feel without you"