Heart of Stone by Lenora Worth

Author:Lenora Worth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2003-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

“How could you do this to Daddy?”

The question, posed by Laurel at the breakfast table the next morning, threw Tara into a tailspin.

“What are you talking about?”

Laurel rolled her eyes, then threw down her half-eaten piece of toast. “I saw you last night, Mom. With him.”

Her heart accelerating, Tara motioned to Amanda and Marybeth. “Go get your backpacks. It’s almost time for the bus.”

“But—” Marybeth protested, staring intensely at Laurel.

“No buts,” Tara replied. “I need to have a word with your sister, in private.”

“Great,” Amanda said, getting up from the table. “We never get to hear the good stuff.”

“Just go, now,” Tara ordered with a finger pointing toward the stairs.

The two girls stalked away, whispering to each other as they tossed curious glances over their shoulders.

“And don’t try to listen on the stairs,” Tara called.

Then she turned back to Laurel. “What do you think you saw, Laurel?”

Laurel sent her a chilling look through eyes made up too heavily with kohl liner and dark blue eye shadow. “I saw you kissing that man.”

“Stone? You saw me kissing Stone?”

“Yes. He was all over you, Mom! And you won’t even let me near Cal without a chaperon!”

Tara took time to count to ten and calm her nerves. “Were you spying on me, Laurel?”

“No!” She got up to slam her dishes into the sink. “I came downstairs to show you my outfit, to prove to you that it wasn’t too skimpy. But when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw you with him.”

“And what did you do then?”

“I watched, then I turned and ran back upstairs.” She whirled to grab her suede purse. “You sure didn’t waste any time.”

Tara reached out a hand to her daughter. “Hold on. First of all, I am an adult and I have every right to date other people. Second of all, nothing is going on between Stone and me. I purposely told him last night that can never happen again.”

“You mean, you won’t kiss him again?”

“Yes. That’s what I mean.” Tara motioned for Laurel to sit down. “Honey, Stone and I are getting to know each other, and we’re doing business together. He wants to buy my land—”

“Our land,” Laurel said, her eyes flashing.

“Okay, our land,” Tara corrected. “And he’s offered me a job.”

“A job?” Laurel jumped up again. “Mom, you can’t work for him.”

“And why can’t I? It would mean more money for us, a way out of our debts. I might be able to keep this house.”

“I don’t care,” Laurel said, her hands waving in the air. “I don’t want you around Stone Dempsey.”

Tara felt the weight of that demand down to her very bones. Laurel would never accept another man to replace her father. Which was why Tara could only concentrate on the job Stone had offered, and not the man who’d given her the job. “I don’t have a choice. I need to make enough money to take care of us, honey. Stone has offered me a good salary.”

“And what else

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