The Older Man by Laurey Bright

Author:Laurey Bright [Bright, Laurey]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-01-30T05:40:46+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Grant called three days after Christmas.

“Ellen?” Rennie queried. “Is she all right?”

“She’s fine. Beginning to miss you but she isn’t fussing about it. Something’s come up, though.”

“What?” Rennie asked sharply.

“It’s okay. Nothing bad. A friend of my mother’s has a beach house in Northland. It was booked for the holidays, of course, but the family that was supposed to have it for five days over New Year has cancelled. My mother suggested that we take it — it’s a big house and there’s a downstairs room with its own bathroom where she could be away from the children. And three bedrooms upstairs, one with bunks.”

“It sounds ideal.”

“Yes. I’d like to get away from here for a few days. Also it’s a chance to wean the children away from this place. Make it a bit easier for me to move them to another house later on. And they’re dead keen.”

“Ellen is?”

“Yes, even Ellen is.” He paused. “On condition that you come with us.”

“Of course I’ll come,” Rennie said immediately. “If that’s what you’re asking me.”

“Yes, I am. Um — my mother thinks you should come, too. I don’t think she trusts my expertise with children, she’s afraid that she’ll have to look after them if there isn’t another female on the premises.”

“She won’t have to do a thing,” Rennie promised. “Tell her I’ll take care of everything.”

She danced toward her room, hugging herself. Marian, coming out of the kitchen, smiled at her with raised brows. “Good news?”

“Great news!” Rennie told her. “We’re having a holiday by the beach — Grant and the children and me. Oh, and his mother. We leave tomorrow morning.”

“You’ll be well chaperoned, by the sound of it,” Marian commented.

“Yes, I will.” Rennie laughed. “I expect that’s why he didn’t mind asking me. I guess his mother’s supposed to protect him.”

“Rennie!” Marian followed her into the bedroom. “What are you up to?”

Rennie sat down on the dressing table stool, smiling. “Nothing,” she said innocently. “But I think I may be in love!”

Marian came over and put a hand on her shoulder. “Rennie, darling,” she said gently. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes. Well, maybe not entirely. I’ve never felt quite like this before. But oh, isn’t it great?” She turned and put her arms about Marian’s waist.

Looking down at her, Marian stroked her hair. “Yes,” she said. “Of course it is. Only remember what I said about not rushing into anything. Do you know how Grant feels about things?”

“He thinks he’s too old for me.”

“He could be right, you know. He’d be closer to my age than yours.”

Rennie lifted her head. “What does that matter? I don’t care!”

“No, darling, but maybe he does. It might not be just that he’s too old for you. Perhaps he also feels that you’re too young for him.”

Rennie’s eyes clouded. “Not when he kisses me,” she said defiantly.

“Has he kissed you often?”

Rennie shook her head. “He thinks he shouldn’t. But when he does, I know how he feels.”

Her mother said, “I know it isn’t fashionable to say so, but men are different from us, Rennie.

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