Right Next Door: Father's Day the Courtship of Carol Sommars by Debbie Macomber

Author:Debbie Macomber
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Women
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-12-16T05:10:06+00:00

“So, tell me about this man who brings color back to my little girl’s cheeks,” Angelina Pasquale said to Carol as she carried a steaming plate of spaghetti to the table.

Carol’s mother didn’t know how to cook for three or four; it was twelve or fifteen servings for each and every Sunday dinner. Her two older sisters lived in California now, and only Tony and Carol and their families came religiously for Sunday dinner. Her mother, however, continued to cook as if two or three additional families might walk in unannounced for the evening meal.

“Mama, Alex Preston and I just met last week.”

“That’s not what Peter said.” The older woman wiped her hands on the large apron tied around her thick waist. Her dark hair, streaked with gray, was tucked into a neat bun. She wore a small gold crucifix that had been given to her by Carol’s father forty-two years earlier.

Carol brought the long loaves of hot bread from the oven. “Alex is Jim’s father. You remember Peter’s friend, don’t you?”

“He’s not Italian.”

“I don’t know what he is. Preston might be an English name.”

“English,” Angelina said as if she was spitting out dirty dishwater. “You gonna marry a non-Italian again?”

“Mama,” Carol said, silently laughing, “Alex helped me when my car broke down. I owe him dinner, and I insisted on taking him out to repay him. We’re not stopping off at the church to get married on the way.”

“I bet he’s not even Catholic.”

“Mama,” Carol cried. “I haven’t the faintest clue where he attends church.”

“You taking a man to dinner instead of cooking for him is bad enough. But not even knowing if he’s Catholic is asking for trouble.” She raised her eyes as if pleading for patience in dealing with her youngest daughter; when she lowered her gaze, they fell to Carol’s feet. She folded her hands in prayerlike fashion. “You wear pointed-toe shoes for this man?”

“I didn’t wear these for Alex. I happen to like them—they’re in style.”

“They’re gonna deform your feet. One day, you’ll trip and end up facedown in the gutter like your cousin Celeste.”

“Mama, I’m not going to end up in a gutter.”

“Your cousin Celeste told her mother the same thing, and we both know what happened to her. She had to marry a foot doctor.”

“Mama, please don’t worry about my shoes.”

“Okay, but don’t let anyone say your mama didn’t warn you.”

Carol had to leave the room to keep from laughing. Her mother was the delight of her life. She drove Carol crazy with her loony advice, but Carol knew it was deeply rooted in love.

“Carol,” Angelina said, surveying the table, “tell everyone dinner’s ready.”

Peter was in the living room with his younger cousins, who were watching the Dodgers play Kansas City in a hotly contested baseball game.

“Dinner’s on the table, guys.”

“Just a minute, Mom. It’s the bottom of the eighth, with two out.” Peter’s intense gaze didn’t waver from the screen. “Besides, Uncle Tony and Aunt Paula aren’t back from shopping yet.”

“They’ll eat later.

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