Page 153 of Forbidden Harmony

She sighed and stepped back. “Can you bringhim inside?”

Preacher hesitated before helping Daniel intothe house. He leaned Daniel against the wall as a man came down the stairs,belting a robe around his waist. “Belinda, who is… Daniel, is that you, son?”

“Hey, Dad!” Daniel stumbled forward, laughingwhen his Dad caught him around the waist. “You wanna make me some toast?”

His dad brushed the hair out of Daniel’seyes. “Son, you’re drunk.”

“Nah, just a little tipsy.”

His father slid his arm around his waist. “C’mon,kid, let’s get you into the bed in the spare room.”

“Yeah, sure, okay. Hey, thanks for the ridehome, Preacher.” Daniel waved at him. “You’re all right, man.”

As Addison’s father helped Daniel up the stairs,her mother smiled at Preacher. “So, you’re our Addie’s Preacher. I’m so happyto meet you. I know it’s late, but will you come into the kitchen and havesome tea?”

He stared blankly at her. Addie’s Preacher?What the hell was happening.

He had no idea but having a cup of tea withAddison’s mother was number one on the list of very bad ideas. “Oh, uh… I shouldprobably get going.”

“Just one cup,” she said. She walked downthe hallway and disappeared into the kitchen. After a moment, feeling like a verylarge sandbag had been dropped onto his head, Preacher followed her.

She’d already turned on the electric kettleand put tea bags into three mugs. “I guess I should ask if you like tea,” she said.

“I do.”

“Good,” she said. “Sit down, Preacher.”

He sat, or rather his knees unhinged and hemostly fell into the chair. He watched in stunned disbelief as Addison’s motherset out a delicate porcelain cream and sugar set and a plate of ginger cookiesbefore pouring hot water into the mug and handing it to him.

She smiled when she caught him staring atthe cream and sugar set. “Isn’t it divine? I bought it at a flea market in thislittle town in England. Clark and I went to Europe for our fifteenth anniversary.Have you ever been to Europe?”

“No,” he said.

“Have a cookie,” she said and pushed theplate toward him.

“Mrs. Moore, I appreciate the cookies but -”

“Call me Belinda,” she said. “Thank you somuch for giving Daniel a ride home. Clark and I do appreciate you looking outfor our boy.”

“It was no problem.” He shifted in hischair. “He, uh, he gave me this address by mistake.”

“I’m not surprised,” she said. “He seems tohave had a terrible lot to drink.”

She sipped at her tea. “So, it really islovely to meet you. Addison has told us so much about you.”

“She has?”

“Yes. She hasn’t stopped talking about yousince we got home. It’s a shame that it didn’t work out between the two ofyou. It’s clear that Addison is very taken with you. Why, she wasn’t thisupset when she found out that dirty dink Harrison cheated on her.”

“I… she… what?” he said.

Addison’s father walked into the kitchen.Preacher stood and shook his hand when he held it out to him. “Clark Moore.”

“Simon Wells,” Preacher said.

“Good to meet you,” Clark said. “Are you afriend of Daniel’s?”

“Honey, Simon is Addie’s Preacher.”

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