Page 37 of Happenstance
Like my mother, Lana’s Nan’s brow was raised. Except hers was out of impatient confusion. It was an interesting expression, and not one I’d seen very often. I tipped my head and studied the lines in her face. Crinkles in the forehead, with the mouth tipped down at the corner. Could I mimic that? Would I ever have to?
“So, she’s agreed to move in with you.”
Her eyes morphed to shock, deepening the lines etched across her face, while smoothing out others.Interesting.
I tore my gaze away from Greta, glanced over at my dad, and nodded. “Yes.”
“Fantastic,” he clapped his hands. “We’ll be needing contract B then, Richard.”
I thought that was it. We’d sign the contract and it would be done. Greta had other plans.
“My granddaughter is not living here,” she barked out. “That woman you call a wife…”
“Won’t be a problem,” my dad stepped in, stopping the impending disagreement, and quite possibly Greta Crawford’s early demise. “Besides, they’ll only be here for a couple of weeks, before they can move into the house Parker bought.”
This time it was Lana who looked at me with big round eyes. Her shocked expression was different from her Nan’s. She didn’t have the same deep lines. Maybe that came with age?
“That’s very kind of you,sir,” she said to my dad, “Butyoudidn’t have to do that.”
Getting the hidden meaning behind her words, I chuckled. “He didn’t do anything. I bought the house.”
I don’t need daddy’s money, Angel.
She gritted her teeth at me.
I stared back at her.
“Yes,” my dad piped in, “Parker was granted early access to his trust, so you will be well provided for, as will the baby. Considering all the advantages that your child will be getting, a trust, first spots in the best schools, and of course, the finest tutors money can buy, it’s only fair you give this relationship a chance, don’t you think?”
I couldn’t agree more.
“If it’s a boy, you mean?” Lana pointed out.
“You seem to have forgotten, Lana, I have a daughter as well. And she has all the same things the boys do.”
Their voices faded out as my gaze zeroed in on the old woman on the other side of the table. Whatever anger or distaste she had with the situation was gone. The only thing I could see on her face now was fear. Complete, and utter, pale faced terror.
“A boy, I didn’t think of that.” She spoke so softly, I was probably the only one who heard it. Something sparked across her brown eyes. Guilt, maybe, or worry? “The sooner Lana moves in, the better.”
My brow rose.
Well, this is an interesting turn of events.
“Nan?” Lana cried out. “What the hell?”
“Lana, honey,” a stern look washed over her face as she placed her hand on Lana’s. “Your child deserves both its parents. You can’t do this on your own.”
You can’t do this on your own?My gaze narrowed. Something definitely wasn’t right here. I’d watched Lana grow up. I’d seen the way her grandmother supported her. Heard all the times she told her she could do it. This woman, speaking to my angel right now, was not the Greta Crawford I knew. She was hiding something.
Chapter 12
Lana
“Are you okay?”
I used my hand to shield my eyes from the sun and gave Harper a small smile. “I’m good.”
It was incredibly sweet that she was worried. Though if it was up to me, she wouldn’t have a reason to worry about me. Unfortunately, Parker had other ideas. He’d proudly announced that we’d be moving in together the day after Nan and I signed the contract.
