realized I missed the little demands and instructions for improvement."
Amy sat speechless while her father poured a glass of wine for Jed. "Interestingly enough, I never really thought of my daughter as the sort of woman who, uh, fusses. I always had the impression her mother and I were the ones who fussed over her."
"Oh, she's good at it," Jed said. "And I don't mind. I can handle white wine. The trick is to hold your breath and swallow fast." He accepted the glass from Slater and leaned back in the lounger. He grinned at Amy. "But she's got a few other habits I may have to modify. I've never seen anyone with such limited taste in music."
"You've never said anything about the music I play. I had no idea you didn't like it."
Gloria shuddered in mock revulsion. "I refuse to take responsibility for Amy's current musical tastes. She was exposed to classical music while she was growing up, and—"
"Hah," Amy interrupted, looking triumphant. "That's what you think, Mom. I used to sneak in my rock n roll on the side."
"Then you have no one to blame but yourself for your present appalling tastes, my dear," Slater said as he finished handing out drinks and sat down beside his wife. "We did our best."
Amy cast her eyes heavenward, apparently seeking divine intervention. "I'm not here more than two hours and everyone is already picking on me."
"It's probably a conspiracy," Jed offered, aware that he was enjoying himself. He was very conscious of the fact that the Slaters were checking him out as a suitable mate for their daughter and it amused him.
The irony of the situation was not lost on him. "If I were you, Amy, I'd get paranoid."
She stared at him, all humor leaving her eyes for an instant. "Maybe you're right."
Jed swallowed his wine, wondering what had put her over the edge. One moment she had been a picture of amused exasperation. The next there had been a haunted look in her eyes. One of these days, in his own good time, he'd find out what it was that kept Amelia Slater hovering on the brink.
"My daughter tells me you were recently in an accident, Jed?" Gloria looked at him with ready sympathy.
"Nothing serious. I had a disagreement with a car. I lost."
"Good lord, how awful." The older woman shook her head. "Where did it happen?"
Jed swirled the wine in his glass. "The Middle East. I was on assignment there with my company."
Douglas Slater glanced at him inquiringly. "Amy says you're an engineer?"
"That's right." Then, because he knew what the next question would be, Jed added, "Mechanical engineer." Douglas Slater, after all, would know to ask that kind of question.
"And you work for a company that has overseas projects?"
Jed relaxed back against the lounger, idly massaging his leg through his cotton slacks. "A small consulting firm that's gotten a couple of major projects recently. I've been busy. Haven't seen nearly as much of Amy as I'd like." He looked directly at Amy, who looked astonished.
The honest surprise in her face made him want to give her a small shake. Was she really so oblivious to his growing desire? Maybe he shouldn't have left her alone at night for the past few days. His idea had been to give her a little time to adjust to their changing relationship. He had been determined not to rush her now that the initial hurdle had been crossed. But she seemed to have retreated back into her nice, safe cage of friendship.
There were a few more pointed, parental questions about his work which Jed fielded easily enough while Amy tried unsuccessfully to interrupt. Jed had the impression she didn't like the way her parents were delicately dissecting his occupation and financial status, just as if he were, indeed, a suitor for her hand.
He almost had the impression that she might be trying to protect him from her parents' inquiries.
Personally, he was finding the game entertaining. The last time he'd been put through this he'd been eight years younger and a good deal more nervous. To be strictly
Amy sat speechless while her father poured a glass of wine for Jed. "Interestingly enough, I never really thought of my daughter as the sort of woman who, uh, fusses. I always had the impression her mother and I were the ones who fussed over her."
"Oh, she's good at it," Jed said. "And I don't mind. I can handle white wine. The trick is to hold your breath and swallow fast." He accepted the glass from Slater and leaned back in the lounger. He grinned at Amy. "But she's got a few other habits I may have to modify. I've never seen anyone with such limited taste in music."
"You've never said anything about the music I play. I had no idea you didn't like it."
Gloria shuddered in mock revulsion. "I refuse to take responsibility for Amy's current musical tastes. She was exposed to classical music while she was growing up, and—"
"Hah," Amy interrupted, looking triumphant. "That's what you think, Mom. I used to sneak in my rock n roll on the side."
"Then you have no one to blame but yourself for your present appalling tastes, my dear," Slater said as he finished handing out drinks and sat down beside his wife. "We did our best."
Amy cast her eyes heavenward, apparently seeking divine intervention. "I'm not here more than two hours and everyone is already picking on me."
"It's probably a conspiracy," Jed offered, aware that he was enjoying himself. He was very conscious of the fact that the Slaters were checking him out as a suitable mate for their daughter and it amused him.
The irony of the situation was not lost on him. "If I were you, Amy, I'd get paranoid."
She stared at him, all humor leaving her eyes for an instant. "Maybe you're right."
Jed swallowed his wine, wondering what had put her over the edge. One moment she had been a picture of amused exasperation. The next there had been a haunted look in her eyes. One of these days, in his own good time, he'd find out what it was that kept Amelia Slater hovering on the brink.
"My daughter tells me you were recently in an accident, Jed?" Gloria looked at him with ready sympathy.
"Nothing serious. I had a disagreement with a car. I lost."
"Good lord, how awful." The older woman shook her head. "Where did it happen?"
Jed swirled the wine in his glass. "The Middle East. I was on assignment there with my company."
Douglas Slater glanced at him inquiringly. "Amy says you're an engineer?"
"That's right." Then, because he knew what the next question would be, Jed added, "Mechanical engineer." Douglas Slater, after all, would know to ask that kind of question.
"And you work for a company that has overseas projects?"
Jed relaxed back against the lounger, idly massaging his leg through his cotton slacks. "A small consulting firm that's gotten a couple of major projects recently. I've been busy. Haven't seen nearly as much of Amy as I'd like." He looked directly at Amy, who looked astonished.
The honest surprise in her face made him want to give her a small shake. Was she really so oblivious to his growing desire? Maybe he shouldn't have left her alone at night for the past few days. His idea had been to give her a little time to adjust to their changing relationship. He had been determined not to rush her now that the initial hurdle had been crossed. But she seemed to have retreated back into her nice, safe cage of friendship.
There were a few more pointed, parental questions about his work which Jed fielded easily enough while Amy tried unsuccessfully to interrupt. Jed had the impression she didn't like the way her parents were delicately dissecting his occupation and financial status, just as if he were, indeed, a suitor for her hand.
He almost had the impression that she might be trying to protect him from her parents' inquiries.
Personally, he was finding the game entertaining. The last time he'd been put through this he'd been eight years younger and a good deal more nervous. To be strictly
Similar Books
