Page 47 of An Engagement for Erica

“What?” she asked. “Why?”

“I should know about your family if we are engaged, don’t you think?”

He turned and was grinning at her. He’d thought of this all last night. Not that he imagined his grandfather would catch on if he didn’t know the facts, but why not?

They said they were going to at least go on a date at some point, might as well start now.

“I suppose you’ve got a point. Just want an overview of everyone?”

“Sure,” he said. “I know some of it. Your brother is a surgeon, married to Daisy who works at Blossoms as a jeweler. Your father is a neurosurgeon, but we won’t be bringing that up.”

“Thank God,” she said. “I was going to ask you that. I don’t want to drag my family into this and make it more complicated.”

He wasn’t so sure he liked the word “drag” but couldn’t dispute it when she was doing him a favor.

“Your parents are divorced,” he said. “Your mother is remarried.”

“Yes. Jerry is a pediatrician,” she said. “They live in Greenwich. I don’t see her much and am happier for it.”

He grinned at her smile. “I had that feeling with my father.”

“You had it worse,” she said. “I mean, Harmony and I thought we had it bad, but since I’ve got inside knowledge of what people thought of your dad, I should consider myself lucky.”

“Thanks to my grandfather, I didn’t have to deal with it as much as I might have had to,” he said quietly.

Which was why he was willing to do something so crazy like this if it would help his grandfather recover.

“My mother was difficult,” she said. “My father detached. I think Theo had it worse for a long time, but being so young and going off to college, he was able to escape and was closer to my father. As close as my father let anyone get to him. But that left me and Harmony. Harmony just kind of floats through life in my mother’s eyes.”

“But not yours?”

“No. She is a hard worker. She’s so sweet and friendly and loved by everyone. I know that sounds weird, but it’s true. I don’t think anyone has disliked her unless it’s on the fact she’s so well liked.”

He laughed. “I get that.”

“She’s beautiful inside and out. She lucked into a huge media following working at her last job. She was working for a PR firm helping companies build their social media following, setting up content doing marketing and other things. She wasn’t one of these people just riding the influencer rage, but that is a big part of her income right now.”

“Really?” he asked. “Maybe I should use her.”

“She and I do work together. I’ve sent some of my clients to her. She uses and reviews products. She does events. Her primary business is helping companies set up their own social media accounts, how to utilize them the best. She doesn’t justdo social media, but brochures and other marketing media for them.”

“Sounds like she could be spreading herself thin,” he said.

“I think she is. She works as much as me, but my mother thinks it’s all fluff. She is smart enough to know a lot of the things she does on social media and her followers or the companies that pay her to review products will fade away.”

“Just like you said, could be a fad.”

“That’s right. So she is trying to build her business with more sustainable services and clients. It’s working for her.”

“I’m glad,” he said. “Anything else I need to know about your family?”

“I think we are good for now,” she said. “Tell me about your family. Your mother doesn’t live around here, you said.”

“Florida,” he said. “With her partner, Norman. She’s going to be flying up soon. I talked to her about waiting until my grandfather was home and settled. I’m closing on my house next week and will have a guest house, so I’ll get that set for her.”

“That will make it easier than having her staying with you,” she said.

“She could, but there comes a time when it’s hard to have your mother in the house with you at my age.”

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