neighbor, but she had to ask anyway. “Would the dog’s owner happen to be the dashing William Armstrong?”
“As a matter of fact, yes. And I prefer you not mention that to your grand-mére .”
“Why not? I thought she liked William.”
“She does, but she doesn’t need to know what I’m doing every moment of the day. Her overprotective behavior is driving me insane. And she might make more out of my relationship with William than it is. We’re only friends.”
“Are you sure about that, Mother?”
Anne looked incensed over the conjecture. “Don’t you start, too.”
Renee eyed her mother, searching for any signs that she’d been engaged in questionable activities with her neighbor, and found none. No smeared lipstick, no glassy love-struck look in her eyes. “Did you find the dog?”
Anne frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You said the dog was lost.”
“I meant we went to walk the dog.”
“At midnight?”
“Give it a rest, Renee.”
Renee couldn’t suppress her smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unlike you to do that sort of thing.” Very unlike her mother to keep company with a man since her beloved husband’s death. But she deserved some happiness, and companionship.
“Again, William’s only a friend,” Anne said with a good measure of defensiveness. “A very good friend. And a good listener. He’s been very helpful when I’ve told him about my concerns with the hotel.”
Renee patted her mother’s cheek. “You shouldn’t worry about that. Things are picking up. We’re going to be fine.”
“But I do worry, especially after everything that happened last weekend with that horrible blackout. I’m afraid we might not recover if people don’t believe the hotel is prepared for emergencies. Or if they think it’s not safe to stay there.”
“Just let me handle it. That’s my job. But right now I need to get Adam back to the hotel. And rescue Pete from the queen’s clutches.”
Her hazel eyes went wide. “He’s with her now?”
“Yes. Didn’t you see them when you came in the front door?”
Anne didn’t bother to hide her chagrin. “Actually, I came in the back door.”
Renee pointed at her. “Aha! You’re afraid of Grand-mére .”
“I told you, I’m tired of her watching over me like a warden.”
Nothing Renee hadn’t experienced herself. “ Grand-mére is so overbearing. And she’s always been too stubborn.”
Anne pushed Renee’s hair away from her shoulder. “I hope that one day you and your grandmother will finally get past your rift. It’s been almost twenty years, chère. It’s time.”
Renee wasn’t certain she could ever forget how her grandmother had insisted she wouldn’t make it in California when she’d decided to attend college there, and eventually remain after obtaining her marketing degree. Celeste had belittled her for even trying. “Maybe someday, Mother.” A prospect Renee didn’t embrace just yet.
In order to avoid any more talk of the past, she strode back into the room and knelt at Adam’s side. When she lifted him into her arms and stood, his eyes drifted open and he yawned. “Where’s Uncle Pete, Renee?”
“Just down the hall, sweetie. Let’s go find him.”
Once in the hall, she found her mother still hanging around. “You look so natural, holding that little one, Renee.”
Which interpreted meant, “You should have a baby, chère .” At one time Renee had wanted that, but several years ago, she’d begun to believe being a mother wasn’t in the cards. Yet spending time with Daisy Rose had resurrected a deep-seated longing, one she’d tried desperately to ignore. But with Adam in her arms, his cheek resting on her shoulder, his tiny arms circled around her neck, that yearning tried to make itself known again.
She reminded herself a baby wasn’t in her future. Neither was a life partner. Not unless someone came along who could treat her as an equal, respected her for who she was. Loved her with everything
“As a matter of fact, yes. And I prefer you not mention that to your grand-mére .”
“Why not? I thought she liked William.”
“She does, but she doesn’t need to know what I’m doing every moment of the day. Her overprotective behavior is driving me insane. And she might make more out of my relationship with William than it is. We’re only friends.”
“Are you sure about that, Mother?”
Anne looked incensed over the conjecture. “Don’t you start, too.”
Renee eyed her mother, searching for any signs that she’d been engaged in questionable activities with her neighbor, and found none. No smeared lipstick, no glassy love-struck look in her eyes. “Did you find the dog?”
Anne frowned. “Excuse me?”
“You said the dog was lost.”
“I meant we went to walk the dog.”
“At midnight?”
“Give it a rest, Renee.”
Renee couldn’t suppress her smile. “I’m sorry. It’s just so unlike you to do that sort of thing.” Very unlike her mother to keep company with a man since her beloved husband’s death. But she deserved some happiness, and companionship.
“Again, William’s only a friend,” Anne said with a good measure of defensiveness. “A very good friend. And a good listener. He’s been very helpful when I’ve told him about my concerns with the hotel.”
Renee patted her mother’s cheek. “You shouldn’t worry about that. Things are picking up. We’re going to be fine.”
“But I do worry, especially after everything that happened last weekend with that horrible blackout. I’m afraid we might not recover if people don’t believe the hotel is prepared for emergencies. Or if they think it’s not safe to stay there.”
“Just let me handle it. That’s my job. But right now I need to get Adam back to the hotel. And rescue Pete from the queen’s clutches.”
Her hazel eyes went wide. “He’s with her now?”
“Yes. Didn’t you see them when you came in the front door?”
Anne didn’t bother to hide her chagrin. “Actually, I came in the back door.”
Renee pointed at her. “Aha! You’re afraid of Grand-mére .”
“I told you, I’m tired of her watching over me like a warden.”
Nothing Renee hadn’t experienced herself. “ Grand-mére is so overbearing. And she’s always been too stubborn.”
Anne pushed Renee’s hair away from her shoulder. “I hope that one day you and your grandmother will finally get past your rift. It’s been almost twenty years, chère. It’s time.”
Renee wasn’t certain she could ever forget how her grandmother had insisted she wouldn’t make it in California when she’d decided to attend college there, and eventually remain after obtaining her marketing degree. Celeste had belittled her for even trying. “Maybe someday, Mother.” A prospect Renee didn’t embrace just yet.
In order to avoid any more talk of the past, she strode back into the room and knelt at Adam’s side. When she lifted him into her arms and stood, his eyes drifted open and he yawned. “Where’s Uncle Pete, Renee?”
“Just down the hall, sweetie. Let’s go find him.”
Once in the hall, she found her mother still hanging around. “You look so natural, holding that little one, Renee.”
Which interpreted meant, “You should have a baby, chère .” At one time Renee had wanted that, but several years ago, she’d begun to believe being a mother wasn’t in the cards. Yet spending time with Daisy Rose had resurrected a deep-seated longing, one she’d tried desperately to ignore. But with Adam in her arms, his cheek resting on her shoulder, his tiny arms circled around her neck, that yearning tried to make itself known again.
She reminded herself a baby wasn’t in her future. Neither was a life partner. Not unless someone came along who could treat her as an equal, respected her for who she was. Loved her with everything
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