Especially since with everything else—she was a phenomenal business woman. Toni was the whole package—which made life a living nightmare for Richard.
“So tell me, what’s going on in my daughter-in-law’s world.” His mom, if anything was persistent.
“Not much,” she offered with a smile that fell short of sincere. “I cancelled all of my textile buying trips. China, Italy, India and Turkey. I have turned down two job offers out of state—one being a twenty-five million dollar commercial project.”
Holy hell!
Richard’s heart slammed to a stop. “How much was the other one for?”
She turned to him and met his gaze. Surprise etched on her pretty face. He already knew it was because he had initiated conversation. “Ten million.” She replied flatly.
Turning down jobs like that is going to kill her career.
They sat there staring at each other a moment. Sadness blinked at him from behind her long lashes. She then turned back to his mom. “Other than that, my friend Felix has helped me fill in the extra time on my hands by teaching me the fine mastery behind working with phyllo dough and let me tell you, I have mastered it and can make the fanciest hors d'oeuvres.” Her last word carried the heaviest amount of bitterness and more than a bit of sarcasm.”
Piper shot an unamused look to him. “Didn’t you know Toni turned down jobs?”
He glanced at Toni who was back to staring at her plate. She remained quiet and continued to look unhappy. He had no one to blame but himself. He met his sister’s gaze. “She didn’t mention it.”
Toni glanced up and stared at him. He knew by the spark of temper in her eyes that she was dying to say something. Her lips parted to speak, but noise came from the hall and Erik strode into the room.
“Hello everyone, I’m back from Japan,” he announced.
“Uncle Erik!” Lauren squealed, as she jumped up from the table and ran over to his brother. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, so much I brought you back presents.” He gave the teen a hug then his gaze fell on Toni. “Mom. You didn’t mention we’d have such gorgeous company for dinner.”
Richard exchanged an eye roll with Piper as Erik walked over to where Toni sat. “And who might you be?”
Toni smiled sweetly—a little too sweetly. “Well, Erik, I’m your brother’s wife. You’d have known that if you had found a little time to answer your mother’s phone calls.”
His mother bit back the smirk and Piper suddenly found the drapes hanging in the floor to ceiling dining room window fascinating. Erik glanced at Richard. “You actually got married?”
“I did. Erik this is Toni.”
Erik turned back to Toni and grinned. He raked his gaze over what he could see with her seated at the table and cast a lopsided grin. “Welcome to the family. I can hardly wait to get know you.” He winked and Richard wanted to punch his brother. “I know I’m going to love you.” Erik’s tone grated his nerves.
“I bet.” Toni turned to Richard. “You’re right, he is a flirt. Now maybe you can explain to him the difference between a pick up bar and a dining room.”
Piper burst out laughing and turned to Erik. “She has your number.”
His mother’s expression became animated and a broad grin crossed her lips. “I love this girl.”
“You’re father’s right,” his dad chimed in. “You’d have made a hell of a lawyer.”
Toni turned to his dad. “I object.”
The two locked gazes and his dad chuckled. “Sustained.” He cast a wink. “I hear you’re a damn good interior designer.”
His wife smiled and for the moment and the first time in weeks, looked happy. “Thank you, sir.”
Richard’s cell phone went off and he reached into his suit pocket. He glanced at the number. Dammit! “Excuse me please, I have to take this.”
“Really?” His wife’s tone held icy coolness.
“It’s important,” he explained. “Excuse me.” He got up from the table and answered the
“So tell me, what’s going on in my daughter-in-law’s world.” His mom, if anything was persistent.
“Not much,” she offered with a smile that fell short of sincere. “I cancelled all of my textile buying trips. China, Italy, India and Turkey. I have turned down two job offers out of state—one being a twenty-five million dollar commercial project.”
Holy hell!
Richard’s heart slammed to a stop. “How much was the other one for?”
She turned to him and met his gaze. Surprise etched on her pretty face. He already knew it was because he had initiated conversation. “Ten million.” She replied flatly.
Turning down jobs like that is going to kill her career.
They sat there staring at each other a moment. Sadness blinked at him from behind her long lashes. She then turned back to his mom. “Other than that, my friend Felix has helped me fill in the extra time on my hands by teaching me the fine mastery behind working with phyllo dough and let me tell you, I have mastered it and can make the fanciest hors d'oeuvres.” Her last word carried the heaviest amount of bitterness and more than a bit of sarcasm.”
Piper shot an unamused look to him. “Didn’t you know Toni turned down jobs?”
He glanced at Toni who was back to staring at her plate. She remained quiet and continued to look unhappy. He had no one to blame but himself. He met his sister’s gaze. “She didn’t mention it.”
Toni glanced up and stared at him. He knew by the spark of temper in her eyes that she was dying to say something. Her lips parted to speak, but noise came from the hall and Erik strode into the room.
“Hello everyone, I’m back from Japan,” he announced.
“Uncle Erik!” Lauren squealed, as she jumped up from the table and ran over to his brother. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too, so much I brought you back presents.” He gave the teen a hug then his gaze fell on Toni. “Mom. You didn’t mention we’d have such gorgeous company for dinner.”
Richard exchanged an eye roll with Piper as Erik walked over to where Toni sat. “And who might you be?”
Toni smiled sweetly—a little too sweetly. “Well, Erik, I’m your brother’s wife. You’d have known that if you had found a little time to answer your mother’s phone calls.”
His mother bit back the smirk and Piper suddenly found the drapes hanging in the floor to ceiling dining room window fascinating. Erik glanced at Richard. “You actually got married?”
“I did. Erik this is Toni.”
Erik turned back to Toni and grinned. He raked his gaze over what he could see with her seated at the table and cast a lopsided grin. “Welcome to the family. I can hardly wait to get know you.” He winked and Richard wanted to punch his brother. “I know I’m going to love you.” Erik’s tone grated his nerves.
“I bet.” Toni turned to Richard. “You’re right, he is a flirt. Now maybe you can explain to him the difference between a pick up bar and a dining room.”
Piper burst out laughing and turned to Erik. “She has your number.”
His mother’s expression became animated and a broad grin crossed her lips. “I love this girl.”
“You’re father’s right,” his dad chimed in. “You’d have made a hell of a lawyer.”
Toni turned to his dad. “I object.”
The two locked gazes and his dad chuckled. “Sustained.” He cast a wink. “I hear you’re a damn good interior designer.”
His wife smiled and for the moment and the first time in weeks, looked happy. “Thank you, sir.”
Richard’s cell phone went off and he reached into his suit pocket. He glanced at the number. Dammit! “Excuse me please, I have to take this.”
“Really?” His wife’s tone held icy coolness.
“It’s important,” he explained. “Excuse me.” He got up from the table and answered the
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