go on the spur of the moment. I didn’t realize until we got there that you’d recently told everyone you were getting married. As you can see, we’re home early.
Sorry we missed the big event."
"Don’t worry about it. No one else from my side of the family bothered to show up, either. Believe me, it wasn’t a problem. No one was missed. Where’s Kim?"
"Inside talking to her mother." Glen glanced over his shoulder into the dark hallway. "Here she comes.
Kim, darling, meet your new sister-in-law. I’ve already made our apologies for having missed the wedding."
The attractive young woman who came to stand beside him had the grace to blush. Kimberly Langley was tall and sleek. She was wearing gray trousers and a cream-colored shirt that added to her look of patrician elegance. Her dark brown hair was cut in a heavy bob. She nodded brusquely at Angie.
"Hello. Mother and Aunt Helen have been telling me about you."
"Nothing good, I imagine." Angie said cheerfully.
Owen shot Angie a warning glance then looked at his stepsister. "For the record, Kim, I expect Angie to be treated with respect. She’s my wife and anyone who doesn’t treat her as my wife will answer to me."
"Nobody’s arguing with you, big brother," Kimberly said smoothly. "We all understand that this is a difficult situation for everyone concerned. For the sake of the company, I think we can all manage to stay civil until the stock offering."
"Yeah, I had a hunch you’d see it that way. I’ll be in my study if anyone wants me." Owen climbed the stairs, stepped around Kimberly and went into the house.
Kimberly followed him with her eyes, then turned to study Angie. "I hope you knew what you were getting into when you married my brother."
"As a matter of fact, I didn’t," Angie admitted, smiling brightly. "But I’m certainly learning fast.
Always nice to find oneself surrounded by a warm, welcoming family, isn’t it?"
"Mother was right. You are rather rude, aren’t you?" Kimberly swung around on one well-shoed heel and disappeared into the house.
Glen waited until his wife was out of sight, then his blue eyes met Angie’s. The sardonic humor was gone and in its place was a more serious expression. "I apologize on behalf of my wife. I assure you, she only gets like this when she’s in the bosom of her family. I’ve concluded that Sutherlands tend to bring out the worst in everybody. I always feel like an outsider when I come here."
"I understand." Angie went up the steps. "I’ve had the same feeling since I got here."
Glen chuckled as he followed her indoors. "I can’t tell you how glad I am to make your acquaintance, Angie. Something tells me you and I are going to discover we have a great deal in common. I suggest we combine forces and stick together against these dark, brooding Sutherlands. What do you say?"
Angie smiled, grateful for a friendly face in the gloomy house. "It’s a deal."
At that moment she felt the hair on her nape prickle. She glanced down the hall and saw Owen
lounging in the doorway of his study, his thumb hooked in his belt. She knew he had overheard Glen’s remark about joining forces against the Sutherlands.
Owen held her gaze for a moment, his eyes unreadable. Then without a word he went into the study and closed the door very softly.
6
He should HAVE SEEN it coming, Owen told himself later. It was a natural alliance. The two outsiders in the family, Angie and Glen Langley, were bound to discover just how much they had in common.
Owen had watched the pair covertly during dinner. Now, as everyone made a polite show of having a cup of coffee together in the living room, he could see the battle lines shaping up rapidly. He wondered if he had made a major miscalculation. The possibility made him go cold inside.
When it came to business, he always knew just what he was doing. But when it came to dealing with family, he was not nearly so sure of himself.
Langley and Angie were sitting by themselves on a
Sorry we missed the big event."
"Don’t worry about it. No one else from my side of the family bothered to show up, either. Believe me, it wasn’t a problem. No one was missed. Where’s Kim?"
"Inside talking to her mother." Glen glanced over his shoulder into the dark hallway. "Here she comes.
Kim, darling, meet your new sister-in-law. I’ve already made our apologies for having missed the wedding."
The attractive young woman who came to stand beside him had the grace to blush. Kimberly Langley was tall and sleek. She was wearing gray trousers and a cream-colored shirt that added to her look of patrician elegance. Her dark brown hair was cut in a heavy bob. She nodded brusquely at Angie.
"Hello. Mother and Aunt Helen have been telling me about you."
"Nothing good, I imagine." Angie said cheerfully.
Owen shot Angie a warning glance then looked at his stepsister. "For the record, Kim, I expect Angie to be treated with respect. She’s my wife and anyone who doesn’t treat her as my wife will answer to me."
"Nobody’s arguing with you, big brother," Kimberly said smoothly. "We all understand that this is a difficult situation for everyone concerned. For the sake of the company, I think we can all manage to stay civil until the stock offering."
"Yeah, I had a hunch you’d see it that way. I’ll be in my study if anyone wants me." Owen climbed the stairs, stepped around Kimberly and went into the house.
Kimberly followed him with her eyes, then turned to study Angie. "I hope you knew what you were getting into when you married my brother."
"As a matter of fact, I didn’t," Angie admitted, smiling brightly. "But I’m certainly learning fast.
Always nice to find oneself surrounded by a warm, welcoming family, isn’t it?"
"Mother was right. You are rather rude, aren’t you?" Kimberly swung around on one well-shoed heel and disappeared into the house.
Glen waited until his wife was out of sight, then his blue eyes met Angie’s. The sardonic humor was gone and in its place was a more serious expression. "I apologize on behalf of my wife. I assure you, she only gets like this when she’s in the bosom of her family. I’ve concluded that Sutherlands tend to bring out the worst in everybody. I always feel like an outsider when I come here."
"I understand." Angie went up the steps. "I’ve had the same feeling since I got here."
Glen chuckled as he followed her indoors. "I can’t tell you how glad I am to make your acquaintance, Angie. Something tells me you and I are going to discover we have a great deal in common. I suggest we combine forces and stick together against these dark, brooding Sutherlands. What do you say?"
Angie smiled, grateful for a friendly face in the gloomy house. "It’s a deal."
At that moment she felt the hair on her nape prickle. She glanced down the hall and saw Owen
lounging in the doorway of his study, his thumb hooked in his belt. She knew he had overheard Glen’s remark about joining forces against the Sutherlands.
Owen held her gaze for a moment, his eyes unreadable. Then without a word he went into the study and closed the door very softly.
6
He should HAVE SEEN it coming, Owen told himself later. It was a natural alliance. The two outsiders in the family, Angie and Glen Langley, were bound to discover just how much they had in common.
Owen had watched the pair covertly during dinner. Now, as everyone made a polite show of having a cup of coffee together in the living room, he could see the battle lines shaping up rapidly. He wondered if he had made a major miscalculation. The possibility made him go cold inside.
When it came to business, he always knew just what he was doing. But when it came to dealing with family, he was not nearly so sure of himself.
Langley and Angie were sitting by themselves on a
Similar Books
