Love, Marriage and Family 101 by Anne Peters

Author:Anne Peters [Anne Peters]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459273139
Publisher: Harlequin

Chapter Seven

“I could have told you that.” As the new voice intruded into their tête-à-tête, Mike took a step away from Hally who, after another amused glance at him, greeted the woman cheerily.

“Hi, Mom. You two done for the day?”

“I think so, yes.” Edith turned intrigued eyes to Mike. “You’re Corinne’s father.”

“Guilty.” With a grin, he offered his hand. “Mike Parker.”

“Your daughter looks like you.” She took his hand with left one, which reminded him that she’d recently been injured. Her grip was surprisingly strong, though, for a woman who was slender almost to the point of frailty. “I’m Edith Halloran.”

“A pleasure.” Edith Halloran. Mike marveled that he hadn’t made the connection before. Halloran was not exactly a commonplace kind of name, after all. “My mother has several of your pieces,” he said.

“Really?” More pleased than Mike would have figured an artist of her renown would be on hearing something like that, Edith turned to Corinne who had lagged behind. “You didn’t tell me your grandmother had some of my art,” she said, drawing the visibly reluctant girl into their circle.

“I didn’t know she did.” Corinne shot her father a glare as though she thought he had deliberately put her in a bad light. “Where exactly does she have them, Dad?”

“Well…” Pretending Corinne’s question hadn’t been an obvious attempt to put him on the spot, Mike kept his voice even. “For starters there are those two stained glass panels on either side of the front door.” He glanced at Edith. “My mother’s name is Iris and there’s a single iris in the center of each of the panels.”

“Oh, but how delightful.” Edith pressed her clasped hands to her lips, as artlessly pleased and excited as a child who’d been given a gift. “I remember them exactly because they were one of my first custom orders.” She frowned, hand to brow. “I probably should recall the name of the firm who commissioned the pieces. I’m hopeless when it comes to the business end of things…some architectural firm…”

“McManus and Associates,” Mike supplied, restoring Edith’s beaming smile.

“That’s right. McManus. Remember, darling?” she said to Hally who’d been watching and listening and feeling quite pleased with how well everyone seemed to be hitting it off. “Those Tiffany-style lamps and fixtures?”

Hally didn’t, but knew better than to say so outright. Edith firmly expected everyone who knew her, but especially her own family, to take as much proprietary pride in each piece of her work as she did.

And so Hally let a noncommittal “Hmm,” serve as her reply, knowing Edith would choose that to mean yes. As her eyes met Mike’s, however, the expression of amusement in his made it clear she hadn’t fooled him. She blushed guiltily and he winked at her before turning his full attention back to Edith.

Hally followed suit, but only inasmuch as that she physically turned her head in her mother’s direction. Her emotional awareness remained centered on Mike Parker in a way that deeply disturbed her, especially since she seemed unable to do anything about it.

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