Where Azaleas Bloom by Sherryl Woods

Author:Sherryl Woods [Woods, Sherryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, General, Fiction
ISBN: 9780778313694
Google: umqig8U5kkgC
Amazon: 0778313697
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-08-27T21:00:00+00:00

13

Lynn was alone in the boutique when Wilma Morrow, Ed’s mother, walked through the door, took one look at her and paled.

“You! What on earth are you doing here?” she said as if she’d found Lynn in a brothel or some equally disreputable place.

“Working,” Lynn responded, keeping her tone polite. “May I help you?”

Wilma’s gaze narrowed. “This is totally inappropriate,” she muttered. “How could you do something like this? Did you take this job to deliberately humiliate my son?”

Lynn stared at her incredulously, her determination to remember that she was dealing with a customer, not her mother-in-law, instantly out the window. “You’ll need to explain that to me,” she said evenly. “This is a respectable job.”

Wilma waved a perfectly manicured hand dismissively. “Well, of course it is, but that’s not the point. Morrow women are well-provided-for by their husbands. Any suggestion otherwise is food for gossip in this town. You ought to be home taking care of your children.”

Lynn kept her gaze steady and managed to keep her voice even, though she was shaking inside with outrage. “I’m working to take care of my children, something your son wasn’t doing.”

Wilma looked momentarily shaken. “That can’t be right. Ed would never neglect his family. That’s not how he was raised.”

“Perhaps not, but those are the facts.”

“Explain yourself,” Wilma ordered.

“Sorry, if you want to know more you’ll have to speak to your son,” Lynn said, deciding it would serve no purpose to reveal the truth beyond what she’d already said. Besides, it might be satisfying to know that Ed was having to explain himself to his shrew of a mother. Just thinking about it made it easier to smile as she said, “Now, if I can show you something, I’ll be happy to. Otherwise, I have new stock I need to price and put on the racks.”

Wilma blinked rapidly. “You’re dismissing me?”

“Not at all,” Lynn said sweetly. “Feel free to stay as long as you like and look around.”

She was about to turn her back and return to the task she’d been doing when she heard Wilma’s huff of disapproval.

“It’s little wonder that Lexie behaves the way she does with you as her mother. The child has absolutely no manners, something she obviously learned from you.”

Lynn drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, but the effort was wasted. By the time she faced her mother-in-law, she was fuming. “My daughter is one of the most incredibly polite teenagers I know. If she was rude to you, perhaps you should consider what you did to cause it.”

“Excuse me?” Wilma said, drawing herself up indignantly for the second time.

“Not sure what I’m talking about?” Lynn queried. “Let me explain. You said something completely inappropriate to my daughter about me. She took offense. Because it was so hurtful, she’s flatly refused to tell me what you said, but until you apologize, it’s unlikely she’ll be coming over for any visits. And, just to clarify, that’s her decision, not mine.

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