[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]called. They wanted to talk. I tried to explain they were going to be here for dinner
tomorrow and there d be plenty of time to talk but& She shrugged. Well, what do
you do?
What do you do? You talk to your daughters. He laughed. What are their
names?
Kersten and Katarina.
She stood in the doorway, curling her toes, and he smiled. It was one of the most
adorable things he d ever seen. He wanted to cradle her feet and plant kisses on her
instep. Rigo fought a laugh. When he wanted to make love to a woman s feet, he had it
bad.
I look forward to meeting your daughters.
Well, that was part of the problem, you see.
What was?
I had to tell them about you. I didn t want them blindsided at Sunday dinner and
once we d gotten started, they wouldn t let me hang up until they d dragged every last
detail out of me. Well, almost every detail, she blushed, but even then, they kept
asking questions. I finally said I had a date with you and you d be here in half an hour.
They let me go then.
What a relief, indeed. May I come in?
Oh God. Yes. I m sorry. She backed up and waved him inside.
He avoided walking on her stocking-clad toes as he entered and turned to hand her
the bouquet of red roses. Her eyes widened. She stared at the roses then at him then
back at the roses.
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Whirlwind Affair
For me?
Sí, querida. Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman.
She took the roses reverently and smiled, lowering her head to sniff the blooms.
No one has ever given me flowers before.
Never? But what about when your daughters were born?
She lifted her head. You re right. Mom and Dad sent flowers.
And your husband?
She frowned and her eyes dimmed. No. He wanted a boy.
Were I fortunate enough to have a woman give me children, boys or girls, her
hospital room would be a garden. It would be the least I could do to show my
gratitude.
Erika s smile brightened. Sounds like you d be a good husband. Come on in.
She let the door close and led the way into her living room. He was impressed with
how homey yet beautiful her house was. Golden oak covered the floors and the living
room welcomed in warm tones of browns, greens and golds. He was drawn to a wall of
photos. He pointed at recent pictures of young women who bore a striking resemblance
to Erika.
Are these your daughters?
She grinned. Yes. Erika stood beside him. They re fraternal twins. On the left is
Kerry, the slender blonde. Kat, the curvy brunette, is on the right.
They look a lot like you.
A bit. But they have a bit of their father in them too. Around the nose, and with
Kerry especially along the jaw. Hans always had a stubborn chin.
She pointed at a picture of two men wearing suits hugging one another. It looked
like a wedding picture. Rigo tilted his head and realized it was. One man was slender
and blond and the other a tall black man.
That s Hans and his partner Jaydon. They got married not long ago.
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Francesca Hawley
Your ex-husband is gay?
Erika smiled. Yeah. It explains a lot about our relationship, let me tell you.
But why do you display his picture here?
For the girls mostly. But it also reminds me that Hans would have been a lousy
husband for any woman& it wasn t my fault that he didn t want me.
How does his family feel about him coming out?
He didn t come out until after Pastor Bergstrom passed away. His mother died
when he was ten.
Pastor?
Yeah. I didn t mention that?
No, I would have remembered.
That s why Hans and I getting married was such a big deal. Pastor Bergstrom had
his reputation to think of. Of course that s why Hans decided to have sex with me in the
first place. The pastor s reputation. He knew Pastor Bergstrom wouldn t accept having
a fairy for a son. She shook her head in disgust at her late father-in-law.
Is that what a minister would have thought?
Yes, Pastor Bergstrom was painfully conservative about sex.
It must be hard to be different in a small town.
Different in any way but especially being gay. Erika shrugged. Even so, my
brother Stig manages. But then he s a Larson. Because our family founded the town,
we re given a bit more leeway. Well, when we re not held to impossible standards we
could never live up to, that is. I m going to go put the flowers in water.
Complicated woman, he decided, watching her ass sway as she walked to the
kitchen. When she disappeared from view, he looked around and could almost see
himself living here. Was he crazy? Could he live in a small town and commute to the
cities? He rubbed his jaw. She had mentioned a need for jobs in Larson and the
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Whirlwind Affair
Torbellino building was becoming quite a pain to maintain. There was probably land
here to build on&
What has you so deep in thought? she asked, hesitating as she reentered the
living room.
He could see her yearning to hug him, but she held back. Probably because her ex-
husband hadn t enjoyed being held by her. Well, Rigo did. He held out his hand. When
she took it, he pulled her close, tucking her into his shoulder and laying his cheek on
the top of her soft hair.
Just considering business possibilities.
Oh business. She laughed, patting his back. You re as bad as Andy. He s always
thinking about the next big deal.
So, he ll be a millionaire someday? Rigo teased.
I m sure he already is. He doesn t share personal business deals with the rest of us.
Only the family ones.
Like the wind business.
Yes. She leaned back to look up at him. So, how did the meeting with Dad go?
Very well. He said he will consider the matter until Sunday dinner. He wishes a
family discussion before he decides.
Erika groaned. Plan to be grilled. All of us will be at Sunday dinner.
How many is all ?
My parents, my seven siblings and my two daughters. I don t think any of the
cousins will be there though. This isn t a full family business deal.
Your parents had eight children? Rigo remained still but inside he was reeling.
He couldn t imagine having so many siblings.
Yeah.
What would a full family business deal entail?
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Francesca Hawley
My father has two brothers. Ingmar has five children and Georg has six. All of
them live in or near town. Some of my cousins are married and have children too. A full
family corporate dinner is a large event, she concluded dryly.
Goodness. Rigo shook his head.
Scared yet? she teased.
Perhaps. But I shall soldier on bravely. He looked into her eyes. Because you re
worth it.
Oh. She blinked rapidly, biting her lip.
He traced the curve of her cheek, now pink and warm with his compliment. You
are, you know.
I am what?
Worth it. He lowered his head to kiss her, but before he could, she tugged out of
his arms.
I need to get my shoes on or we ll be late. She ran from the room and up the
stairs.
We won t be late, we have over two hours before the shower, he murmured softly
to the empty room a half smile on his face.
Erika ran into her room, breathing fast. Do not panic. No. He was just being nice.
Don t assume anything. Just because he said his assistant was calling every Erika
Bergstrom in Minnesota didn t mean she really was. And just because he said she was
worth facing her huge family didn t mean he was falling in love with her. She groaned.
No, it just meant she was falling in love with him. She wanted to beat on the walls and
scream with frustration, but he d hear her.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. It was just a bridal shower& and
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