Dallas waved her inside. “Change your mind about staying for the meeting?”
“I can’t.” She glanced at her watch. “I have a class in forty minutes.”
“You’re teaching again?”
“Just a couple of summer courses.”
“Like you don’t have your hands full enough here.”
“No lectures.” Dakota glared, but she couldn’t manage to keep the corners of her mouth from curving slightly. “ I get paid to give them. That makes me a professional. Don’t mess with me.”
Dallas grinned at her younger sister. “Glad to see some of the old fire in you again.”
“Don’t go there.”
“What?”
“I like what I’m doing, okay?
“I’m sure you do.”
“God, you know how much I hate that passive-aggressive tone—” Dakota stopped and stared at Dallas in disbelief. “You sounded just like Mom.”
“Funny,” she said and muttered a curse.
“Seriously. You totally sounded like her.”
Dallas bristled and turned away to pour herself a cup of coffee. Of all the insults Dakota could have hurled, that was the lowest.
“No, really. I’m not trying to be obnoxious.” She shrugged. “You really sounded like her.”
Dallas sighed.
“But only for a second.”
They looked at each other and laughed. It felt good.Just like the old days. Before Dakota had gotten so caught up in her career that she forgot to enjoy life. Just like the rest of the family.
“You want a cup of coffee?” Dallas asked.
“Nope. You know I don’t drink that nasty stuff. Anyway, I gotta go.” Dakota checked her watch again and then abruptly brought her head up. “I almost forgot. Mom wants us all to come to the house for dinner on Saturday.”
Great. “What’s the occasion?”
Dakota shrugged. “I think she just wants to see everyone.”
“I think I can make it. I’ll check my calendar.”
Dakota hesitated, her serious gray eyes tentative. She obviously wanted to say something. Probably in defense of their mother’s dominating edicts. The woman never made requests. They were more like demands. And Andrea Shea expected unconditional compliance.
To her credit, she’d taught her daughters self-sufficiency, the importance of an education and to never trade on their looks. Dakota could have easily made it in modeling. With her honey-colored hair, gray eyes and wide smile, she was perfect for the camera. A real natural. But she’d been a serious and bright student who’d never given her appearance a second thought, much less attempted to parlay her looks into a career.
“Dallas, I’d really like it if you came. We haven’t had a family dinner in a while.”
A soft knock at the door drew their attention. It was one of the women with whom Dallas worked. Dressedin clean jeans and a white cotton shirt, Nancy smiled shyly. “I guess this is the place.”
“Yep. Come in.” Dallas motioned her inside. “You’re the first one. I’m really glad you came.”
“I’ll see you later,” Dakota said, acknowledged Nancy with a quick smile and then disappeared before Dallas could introduce them.
“How about some coffee?” Dallas set her cup down and picked up a clean mug.
“Sure.” Nancy glanced around the conference room, admiring the dark polished wood, the pair of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings on the cream-colored walls. Beyond the expansive windows was a spectacular twilight view of midtown. She walked closer to the glass. “Wow!”
“Do you take cream and sugar?”
“Just sugar,” Nancy said absently and then blinked at her. “Oh, I’ll get that. You don’t have to wait on me.”
“I get you the first cup, then you’re on your own.” Dallas added the sugar and then handed her the mug.
She accepted it, her eyes inquiring as they locked with Dallas’s. “Tony said you went to college.”
“Yes,” she said slowly, not wanting to invite conversation on the subject but not wanting to seem rude either. “So did he.”
“Yeah, but he dropped out after two years. He says you even have a
“I can’t.” She glanced at her watch. “I have a class in forty minutes.”
“You’re teaching again?”
“Just a couple of summer courses.”
“Like you don’t have your hands full enough here.”
“No lectures.” Dakota glared, but she couldn’t manage to keep the corners of her mouth from curving slightly. “ I get paid to give them. That makes me a professional. Don’t mess with me.”
Dallas grinned at her younger sister. “Glad to see some of the old fire in you again.”
“Don’t go there.”
“What?”
“I like what I’m doing, okay?
“I’m sure you do.”
“God, you know how much I hate that passive-aggressive tone—” Dakota stopped and stared at Dallas in disbelief. “You sounded just like Mom.”
“Funny,” she said and muttered a curse.
“Seriously. You totally sounded like her.”
Dallas bristled and turned away to pour herself a cup of coffee. Of all the insults Dakota could have hurled, that was the lowest.
“No, really. I’m not trying to be obnoxious.” She shrugged. “You really sounded like her.”
Dallas sighed.
“But only for a second.”
They looked at each other and laughed. It felt good.Just like the old days. Before Dakota had gotten so caught up in her career that she forgot to enjoy life. Just like the rest of the family.
“You want a cup of coffee?” Dallas asked.
“Nope. You know I don’t drink that nasty stuff. Anyway, I gotta go.” Dakota checked her watch again and then abruptly brought her head up. “I almost forgot. Mom wants us all to come to the house for dinner on Saturday.”
Great. “What’s the occasion?”
Dakota shrugged. “I think she just wants to see everyone.”
“I think I can make it. I’ll check my calendar.”
Dakota hesitated, her serious gray eyes tentative. She obviously wanted to say something. Probably in defense of their mother’s dominating edicts. The woman never made requests. They were more like demands. And Andrea Shea expected unconditional compliance.
To her credit, she’d taught her daughters self-sufficiency, the importance of an education and to never trade on their looks. Dakota could have easily made it in modeling. With her honey-colored hair, gray eyes and wide smile, she was perfect for the camera. A real natural. But she’d been a serious and bright student who’d never given her appearance a second thought, much less attempted to parlay her looks into a career.
“Dallas, I’d really like it if you came. We haven’t had a family dinner in a while.”
A soft knock at the door drew their attention. It was one of the women with whom Dallas worked. Dressedin clean jeans and a white cotton shirt, Nancy smiled shyly. “I guess this is the place.”
“Yep. Come in.” Dallas motioned her inside. “You’re the first one. I’m really glad you came.”
“I’ll see you later,” Dakota said, acknowledged Nancy with a quick smile and then disappeared before Dallas could introduce them.
“How about some coffee?” Dallas set her cup down and picked up a clean mug.
“Sure.” Nancy glanced around the conference room, admiring the dark polished wood, the pair of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings on the cream-colored walls. Beyond the expansive windows was a spectacular twilight view of midtown. She walked closer to the glass. “Wow!”
“Do you take cream and sugar?”
“Just sugar,” Nancy said absently and then blinked at her. “Oh, I’ll get that. You don’t have to wait on me.”
“I get you the first cup, then you’re on your own.” Dallas added the sugar and then handed her the mug.
She accepted it, her eyes inquiring as they locked with Dallas’s. “Tony said you went to college.”
“Yes,” she said slowly, not wanting to invite conversation on the subject but not wanting to seem rude either. “So did he.”
“Yeah, but he dropped out after two years. He says you even have a
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