Page 194 of Duty and Desire
“Perhaps, if my girls can give Lottie the impression we’ve got a modicum of manners and aren’t one step down from lunacy, I could sleep tonight. Rather than tossing and turning at the thought my son’s new girlfriend is buying a one-way ticket somewhere very far from here to get away fromus,” Ingrid suggested smoothly before taking a sip of what appeared to be a martini with olives from a stylish glass.
Clearly, after my intro to the Morrison women, she’d retrieved her cocktail.
Actually, probablybecauseI was receiving said intro, she’dhadto retrieve her cocktail.
“And hecanfeed himself, Signe,” Ingrid continued. “And as it appears Lottie has full use of all her limbs, I’m sure she can too.”
Mother spoke, Signe gave big eyes to her sisters, all three of them, put a corn muffin and salmon sandwich on her plate and retreated from the coffee table where all the food was laid out.
When she did, Paul dropped a heavy arm on her shoulders.
Rick cleared his throat and started, “Lottie, if you could?—”
“Don’t,” Lene interrupted him.
“I’m just—” Rick tried again.
“Nope,” she cut him off.
“Laynz, she won’t be?—”
“Shut it,” Lene bit.
“I’d be happy to sign your poster and ask the Rock Chicks to sign your books,” I offered. “I even know the author and can ask her too. They all like doing that, so they’ll be happy to and so will I.”
Rick smiled big at me. “Thanks, Lottie.”
“Not a problem,” I told him.
He gave a look to his wife.
She rolled her eyes.
“Lottie, now that we have some calm in the storm my girls are so adept at blowing, why don’t you tell us a little about you?” Ingrid invited, and then, class act that she was, guided my way, “I hear you have a mother and sister that live in town.”
“Yes,” I agreed.
“I’d enjoy meeting them,” she replied.
“And they you. They already love Mo. I’m sure you’ll be fast friends.”
Her gaze darted to her son and came back to me. “They’ve met?”
Uh-oh.
Mo hadn’t shared.
He also didn’t share now.
He was nonchalantly drawing off a bottle of beer.
This meant I had to do it.
“He came to dinner at my mom’s house.”
“Of course they love Mo,” Trine butted in. “Mo’s lovable. Tammy’s parentsadoredhim. I think her mother is still wearing black in grief that Tammy messed that up.”
“Treenz,” Signe clipped. “Don’t mentionTammy.”
