Where the Heart Is: a Mother's Heart, #3 by Patricia Keelyn

Author:Patricia Keelyn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: small town romance, contemporary romance, second chance at love, family life romance
Publisher: Panther Press
Published: 2015-11-10T00:00:00+00:00

MADDIE’S GOOD MOOD remained with her even when she arrived at her mother’s house on Sunday afternoon. Usually she dreaded these dinners with Adelia. This was the third Sunday in a row she’d spent at her mother’s house, and she still couldn’t figure out why her mother insisted Maddie come every week. Or why she went along with the charade.

She’d have liked to believe her mother was sincerely interested in her health, but she didn’t buy it. More likely, Adelia wanted to see Maddie for propriety’s sake. After all, how would it look if people knew Adelia never saw her pregnant daughter who lived across town? Yet, even as Maddie decided her mother hadn’t changed in the past sixteen years, something else told her she was being too hard on Adelia.

As always, Frances answered the door, smiling and greeting Maddie warmly before showing her into her mother’s sitting room.

“Ah, Madeleine, there you are.” Adelia closed the book on her lap and set it on the table next to her chair. “And how are you feeling?”

“Fine, Mother.”

“And your blood pressure?”

“It’s still normal.”

“Good.” Adelia nodded. “Good.”

Maddie figured she could record this conversation and just replay it every Sunday. It would save them the effort of repeating the same words each week. “Frances has prepared a special meal for you.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“Of course it is. You need to keep your blood pressure under control. If you were staying here, Frances could tend to your diet.”

Maddie started to respond but stopped herself. She didn’t want to argue with Adelia tonight. They’d have dinner, talk about whatever mundane topics her mother brought up, and then Maddie would go home. Back to her journal.

As always, dinner proved delicious, despite the cool atmosphere of her mother’s dining room. They’d finished eating and were headed once again toward the parlor when Maddie heard the first rumblings of thunder in the distance. Moving to the windows, she noticed the line of dark clouds moving in quickly from the west.

“It’s that time of year,” her mother said from behind her. “Seems that there’s a storm almost every evening.”

Maddie wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at the goose bumps that had suddenly appeared on her upper arms. “Maybe I should get going before it hits.”

“Why, we haven’t even had our dessert yet. And Frances has gone to such trouble.”

“But the weather . . .”

“Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of storms, Madeleine.”

Maddie stiffened at her mother’s words but didn’t answer. Instead, she kept her back to the room, her eyes scanning the darkening sky.

“I’d have thought you’d gotten over that years ago.”

Maddie turned from the windows. “No, I guess I haven’t.”

“Well, don’t blame it on me.” Adelia settled into her chair. “I told Davis to stop coddling you. If he’d listened to me, you would have gotten over it long ago.”

“I was only five, Mother.” Maddie moved to the edge of the drapes and pulled them closed.

“You’re not a child anymore. And look, you’re still afraid of a little thunder and lightning.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.