walk home,” Melanie threatened.
Ashley grinned. “It might be worth it.”
“Yeah, we’d have Mike all to ourselves,” Jo agreed. “Who knows what secrets we could pry out of him?”
Melanie turned to Mike. “Ignore them. I love them, but they’re pains in the butt. They have absolutely no idea of boundaries when it comes to social conversation. It’s a trait they picked up from our father. Since it drove all of us nuts when he did it, you’d think they’d know better.”
He laughed. “I think I can handle your sisters.”
This time she was the one who muttered, “Ha!”
To prove his point, he turned to Ashley, who was clearly the leader of the pack. “Tell me, how’s your social life these days?”
“As if she has time for one,” Maggie murmured.
“Ah, not so hot?” Mike guessed, picking up on the comment. “I have some friends I could introduce youto while you’re here. They’re a little rough around the edges, but I imagine you could whip them into shape in no time.”
“I’m not here looking for a project,” Ashley said haughtily. “If I wanted someone in my life, I’m sure I could find a suitable candidate in Boston.”
He chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that sounded downright snobbish, Ms. D’Angelo. Something wrong with a blue-collar guy?”
“Not as long as it’s an Italian-silk-blend blue collar,” Maggie taunted.
Ashley frowned at her. “I am not a snob,” she said, promptly rising to the bait.
“But a blue-collar guy wouldn’t suit you, isn’t that what you just said?”
“No. I said…” Her voice trailed off. “Oh, never mind. You’re only doing this to prove you can hold your own. You don’t give two hoots about my social life.”
“Sure I do,” Mike insisted. “You’re Melanie’s sister. I want you to be happy.”
“And Melanie?” Ashley asked tartly. “Are you trying to make sure she’s happy, too?”
“Doing my best,” he said easily. “Of course, she’d be a lot happier if I stopped pestering her about getting that garden at Rose Cottage into shape, right, Melanie?”
“Absolutely,” she said at once. “In fact, now that my sisters are here, why don’t you make them help? They’re as much at fault as I am for the disaster the garden’s become.”
“Good idea,” he said at once. “What time should I be there in the morning? Say, six? It should be just about daylight then. With all of you working in the garden, we can get the job done in no time. I hope none of you mind getting your hands dirty.”
Ashley glanced at her perfectly manicured nails, then stared at him in horror. “Not a chance, Mr. Mikelewski. Besides, isn’t Melanie paying you to take care of the garden?”
“Nope. I’m a volunteer supervisor.”
Surprise registered in Ashley’s eyes. “Is that so? And this is your profession, landscape design?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why would you offer your services for nothing?” she asked. “What exactly are you expecting in return?”
“A garden that looks like it did in its heyday,” he said simply. “That’s my only mission.”
“Told you,” Melanie muttered to her sisters.
Oddly enough, she didn’t look especially pleased to have whatever she’d told them confirmed. Mike figured he’d think about that later. For right now, it was enough to know that he’d apparently thrown the skeptical, inquisitive Ashley off the scent.
“Then what was that kiss about?” Ashley demanded. “Don’t you dare toy with her.”
“Ashley, that’s enough,” Melanie said, blushing furiously.
“It most certainly is not enough,” Ashley retorted. “I won’t allow this man to take advantage of you.”
“Don’t yell at my daddy,” Jessie whispered, catching all of them by surprise.
Ashley immediately looked chagrined. “Sweetie, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at him.”
Jessie regarded her skeptically. “Then why did you?”
“I lost my head for a minute, that’s
Ashley grinned. “It might be worth it.”
“Yeah, we’d have Mike all to ourselves,” Jo agreed. “Who knows what secrets we could pry out of him?”
Melanie turned to Mike. “Ignore them. I love them, but they’re pains in the butt. They have absolutely no idea of boundaries when it comes to social conversation. It’s a trait they picked up from our father. Since it drove all of us nuts when he did it, you’d think they’d know better.”
He laughed. “I think I can handle your sisters.”
This time she was the one who muttered, “Ha!”
To prove his point, he turned to Ashley, who was clearly the leader of the pack. “Tell me, how’s your social life these days?”
“As if she has time for one,” Maggie murmured.
“Ah, not so hot?” Mike guessed, picking up on the comment. “I have some friends I could introduce youto while you’re here. They’re a little rough around the edges, but I imagine you could whip them into shape in no time.”
“I’m not here looking for a project,” Ashley said haughtily. “If I wanted someone in my life, I’m sure I could find a suitable candidate in Boston.”
He chuckled. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that sounded downright snobbish, Ms. D’Angelo. Something wrong with a blue-collar guy?”
“Not as long as it’s an Italian-silk-blend blue collar,” Maggie taunted.
Ashley frowned at her. “I am not a snob,” she said, promptly rising to the bait.
“But a blue-collar guy wouldn’t suit you, isn’t that what you just said?”
“No. I said…” Her voice trailed off. “Oh, never mind. You’re only doing this to prove you can hold your own. You don’t give two hoots about my social life.”
“Sure I do,” Mike insisted. “You’re Melanie’s sister. I want you to be happy.”
“And Melanie?” Ashley asked tartly. “Are you trying to make sure she’s happy, too?”
“Doing my best,” he said easily. “Of course, she’d be a lot happier if I stopped pestering her about getting that garden at Rose Cottage into shape, right, Melanie?”
“Absolutely,” she said at once. “In fact, now that my sisters are here, why don’t you make them help? They’re as much at fault as I am for the disaster the garden’s become.”
“Good idea,” he said at once. “What time should I be there in the morning? Say, six? It should be just about daylight then. With all of you working in the garden, we can get the job done in no time. I hope none of you mind getting your hands dirty.”
Ashley glanced at her perfectly manicured nails, then stared at him in horror. “Not a chance, Mr. Mikelewski. Besides, isn’t Melanie paying you to take care of the garden?”
“Nope. I’m a volunteer supervisor.”
Surprise registered in Ashley’s eyes. “Is that so? And this is your profession, landscape design?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why would you offer your services for nothing?” she asked. “What exactly are you expecting in return?”
“A garden that looks like it did in its heyday,” he said simply. “That’s my only mission.”
“Told you,” Melanie muttered to her sisters.
Oddly enough, she didn’t look especially pleased to have whatever she’d told them confirmed. Mike figured he’d think about that later. For right now, it was enough to know that he’d apparently thrown the skeptical, inquisitive Ashley off the scent.
“Then what was that kiss about?” Ashley demanded. “Don’t you dare toy with her.”
“Ashley, that’s enough,” Melanie said, blushing furiously.
“It most certainly is not enough,” Ashley retorted. “I won’t allow this man to take advantage of you.”
“Don’t yell at my daddy,” Jessie whispered, catching all of them by surprise.
Ashley immediately looked chagrined. “Sweetie, I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at him.”
Jessie regarded her skeptically. “Then why did you?”
“I lost my head for a minute, that’s
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