around. â âWhat the devil do you call it?â âA date. Mature adults not otherwise involved in a committed relationship get to do stuff like that.â âSounds like fooling around to me.â Mitchellâs jaw tightened. âShe tell you Claudia Banner was her great-aunt and that Claudiaâs passed on?â âI think the whole town is aware of those facts by now.â âI donât give a damn about the town. Iâm only interested in whatâs going on between you and Octavia.â Nick lounged against one of the old-fashioned counters, folded his arms, and studied Mitchell with morbid fascination. âMind if I ask why youâre so concerned with the subject of my social life?â âBecause youâve got a reputation for lovinâ âem and leavinâ âem and givinâ your girlfriends The Talk so they know up front that youâre not serious. Iâll be damned if Iâll stand by and let you treat Claudia Bannerâs niece that way. That girlâs got no family around to look after her, so Iâm gonna do it. You treat her right or youâll answer to me. We clear on that?â âVery clear. Can I pick up my mail now?â Mitchellâs brows bristled, but he reluctantly got out of the way. âYou know something, Harte?â âWhat?â âIf you had any sense, youâd get married again. Settle down and give that boy of yours a mother.â âThe day I want advice on my personal life from a Madison, Iâll be sure to ask.â
In the end they went with the gold metal frame. Octavia privately thought that the black did a better job of accenting Winstonâs gray fur, but Carson was entranced with the flashier look. When they finished the project, she put the picture together with the others she had prepared for the show. âWinston looks great,â Carson said, satisfied. âI canât wait for the show. I was afraid maybe you wouldnât want to hang my picture because Dad kept bothering you.â âAre you kidding?â She ushered Carson out of the back room into the gallery and closed the door behind them. âIâd never let my personal feelings get in the way of hanging a beautiful picture like yours. Wouldnât be good business.â âGreat-Granddad says all business is personal. People just donât like to admit it.â âEveryone knows that your great-grandfather is brilliant when it comes to business.â âYeah.â Carson looked proud. âHe says Iâm gonna be brilliant at business, too. He says that in a few years Iâll be running my own company.â âIs that what you want to do?â âSure.â She hid a smile. There was not so much as a flicker of doubt in the words. âNice to know where youâre going so early in life.â âUh-huh.â Carsonâs small brow puckered slightly. âThanks for going out with Dad last night.â âYouâre welcome.â âHeâs been acting a little weird lately.â âIâm sorry to hear that.â âItâs not your fault.â Carsonâs expression was intent and very serious now. âItâs just that everyone keeps telling him that he oughta get a new wife so I can have a new mom.â âPressure.â âYeah. Thatâs what Uncle Rafe and Uncle Gabe say. I heard Granddad tell Grandma not to put so much pressure on Dad, but she and Aunt Lillian and Aunt Hannah all say he needs some pressure.â âHmm.â âThey think Dad doesnât want to get married again because heâs still sad about my mom being in heaven and all.â âWell, that may be true,â she said gently. âMaybe.â Carson was clearly dubious. âI donât remember her, but Dad does. He says she was really pretty and she loved me a lot.â âIâm sure she did