closed twice before she pursed it tight and turned away with as haughty a look as she dared risk.
"All right, Mom! Way to go." Cal whispered from behind. "That was some bad ass attitude."
Jenny's hand slipped into hers, and the three of them observed the invading army.
Evan tightened her grip on Jen's hand. Five hours to go. She'd pull this thing off if it killed her. She smiled up at her tall son. "Glad you approve. Because you're officially drafted. I have to see to the floral arrangements, so after you've eaten, would you—"
"And me," Jenny said
She ruffled her hair. " And Jenny, please find out where Maud keeps the linen. There's a special table cloth she wants to use in the dining room. And after you've done that, I'd like you to..."
* * *
Linc didn't arrive home until after six. Confident Maud would have everything under control, he went straight to his room. Stepping out on his deck, he looked down to the patio. Tables dotted it, and spilled out onto the lawn. A three-piece orchestra was tuning up under a gaily striped canopy, and two men were working behind the bar. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly; it was going to be a busy night. He was showered, shaved, dressed, and downstairs fifteen minutes before the first guest was due to arrive. He made a quick stop in the library to pour himself a finger of scotch and drifted toward the kitchen.
The house was vibrant, alive with color and scents. Flowers were everywhere. He bent to smell an arrangement of carnations in the hall, momentarily closing his eyes. Maud, as usual, had done a fantastic job. Still, it was a good thing he only staged one of these blasted PR events a year. Although he admitted the timing was right on this one. It would serve as a distraction, keep his mind off a certain green-eyed woman. No doubt she was curled up in the cabin with a book big enough to be a cornerstone in one of his buildings. He wondered what his bookworm would think about this kind of party. He wondered, too, exactly when she'd become his bookworm. He strode into the kitchen.
Two steps into that madhouse, he stopped. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Maud?"
The buzz of activity stopped, and four pairs of eyes shot to him.
At his sharp tone, Evan looked up from the counter she was wiping, and a wayward strand of her long hair fell over her eyes. She brushed at it with the back of a hand, knowing in doing so she probably left a smudge on her forehead. She was tired, hot, and rumpled. Linc, on the other hand, looked immaculate in navy slacks and a casually tailored linen jacket. His shirt was blue-white. He didn't wear a tie. A wafer-thin gold watch glinted at his wrist. He was spectacular. Just looking at him made the back of her knees sweat. She put the damp cloth she was using in the sink.
Ignoring his lord-of-the-manor glower, and too tired to fight, she answered him quietly. "Her mother took a bad turn. Maud had to go to the hospital and meet her sister. She phoned a half hour ago. She's going to stay with Marion tonight. She says she hopes you won't mind."
"Of course I don't. When did she leave?" He shot a get-back-to-work look at the caterers before turning his attention back to Evan.
"One, maybe one-thirty." She hiked her shoulders. This was the first time she'd stopped working all day. She hadn't been aware of how exhausted she was.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Yes, it's too bad. But she did say her mother's feeling better."
"I meant I'm sorry this"—he lifted his glass and waved it around the tumultuous kitchen—"fell to you. It isn't part of our deal. If I'd known I would have..."
Evan cocked her head. "You'd what? Have come home and handled the arrangements yourself?" She grinned. "I have a hard time seeing you in an apron."
He stepped closer to her. "You should be angry."
"Yeah, well, right now I'm too tired to be mad." She moved away from him. "But if you think you can take over, I've got a bath and a book waiting for me at home."
When a
"All right, Mom! Way to go." Cal whispered from behind. "That was some bad ass attitude."
Jenny's hand slipped into hers, and the three of them observed the invading army.
Evan tightened her grip on Jen's hand. Five hours to go. She'd pull this thing off if it killed her. She smiled up at her tall son. "Glad you approve. Because you're officially drafted. I have to see to the floral arrangements, so after you've eaten, would you—"
"And me," Jenny said
She ruffled her hair. " And Jenny, please find out where Maud keeps the linen. There's a special table cloth she wants to use in the dining room. And after you've done that, I'd like you to..."
* * *
Linc didn't arrive home until after six. Confident Maud would have everything under control, he went straight to his room. Stepping out on his deck, he looked down to the patio. Tables dotted it, and spilled out onto the lawn. A three-piece orchestra was tuning up under a gaily striped canopy, and two men were working behind the bar. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly; it was going to be a busy night. He was showered, shaved, dressed, and downstairs fifteen minutes before the first guest was due to arrive. He made a quick stop in the library to pour himself a finger of scotch and drifted toward the kitchen.
The house was vibrant, alive with color and scents. Flowers were everywhere. He bent to smell an arrangement of carnations in the hall, momentarily closing his eyes. Maud, as usual, had done a fantastic job. Still, it was a good thing he only staged one of these blasted PR events a year. Although he admitted the timing was right on this one. It would serve as a distraction, keep his mind off a certain green-eyed woman. No doubt she was curled up in the cabin with a book big enough to be a cornerstone in one of his buildings. He wondered what his bookworm would think about this kind of party. He wondered, too, exactly when she'd become his bookworm. He strode into the kitchen.
Two steps into that madhouse, he stopped. "What the hell are you doing here? Where's Maud?"
The buzz of activity stopped, and four pairs of eyes shot to him.
At his sharp tone, Evan looked up from the counter she was wiping, and a wayward strand of her long hair fell over her eyes. She brushed at it with the back of a hand, knowing in doing so she probably left a smudge on her forehead. She was tired, hot, and rumpled. Linc, on the other hand, looked immaculate in navy slacks and a casually tailored linen jacket. His shirt was blue-white. He didn't wear a tie. A wafer-thin gold watch glinted at his wrist. He was spectacular. Just looking at him made the back of her knees sweat. She put the damp cloth she was using in the sink.
Ignoring his lord-of-the-manor glower, and too tired to fight, she answered him quietly. "Her mother took a bad turn. Maud had to go to the hospital and meet her sister. She phoned a half hour ago. She's going to stay with Marion tonight. She says she hopes you won't mind."
"Of course I don't. When did she leave?" He shot a get-back-to-work look at the caterers before turning his attention back to Evan.
"One, maybe one-thirty." She hiked her shoulders. This was the first time she'd stopped working all day. She hadn't been aware of how exhausted she was.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"Yes, it's too bad. But she did say her mother's feeling better."
"I meant I'm sorry this"—he lifted his glass and waved it around the tumultuous kitchen—"fell to you. It isn't part of our deal. If I'd known I would have..."
Evan cocked her head. "You'd what? Have come home and handled the arrangements yourself?" She grinned. "I have a hard time seeing you in an apron."
He stepped closer to her. "You should be angry."
"Yeah, well, right now I'm too tired to be mad." She moved away from him. "But if you think you can take over, I've got a bath and a book waiting for me at home."
When a
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