least with the remodeling Mom’s done, Maddie and Krystal shouldn’t get in your way. What do you think of what she’s done to the house?”
“It was a bit of a shock at first, but I think it looks good.”
He nodded in agreement. “It was a good project for her. Shane offered to deal with the contractors, but she insisted on doing it all herself. And she did just fine, although I think Maddie helped her.”
Mention of the other woman gave Dylan the opportunity to ask the questions he hadn’t wanted to ask his mother. “How did Madeline Lamont end up renting from Mom? I thought she only took in college students.”
“Maddie was Mom’s first boarder. She came here shortly after Dad died. She was with some theater production that came to the Twin Cities.”
“She’s an actress?”
“A dancer.”
“Is that what she does for a living?”
“She’s not performing anymore, just teaching.”
Again the image of Maddie dressed in the harem pants flashed in Dylan’s memory. “There’s a big demand for belly dancing in the Twin Cities?”
“Not belly dancing. Ballet,” he corrected. “The belly dancing is something she does on the side.Mainly she teaches kids ballet and tap at a studio just a few blocks from here.”
“Mom said something about her working at a food co-op, too,” he went on. “Is she one of those health food nuts who won’t eat anything that isn’t organically grown?”
“Just because she’s conscious about her health doesn’t make her a nut. And why all the questions about her anyway?” He paused with his fork in midair. “You’re not thinking that she might be a pleasant distraction while you’re here, are you?”
He clicked his tongue. “If she’s a distraction it won’t be the pleasant kind.”
“Why not? She’s hot and she’s smart. What more could a man want? And she can still beat me at chess.”
Dylan agreed with his brother about her being hot but kept his opinion to himself. “She may be your type, but she’s definitely not mine,” he told Garret, wanting to dispel any notion Garret had that he was interested in the woman.
“I’m glad to hear that, because she’s taken.” There was no mistaking the warning in his brother’s voice.
“By you?” Dylan asked with a sly smile.
“No, but she does date a very good friend of mine.”
“Well, your friend has nothing to worry about from me. Even if I were looking for a woman—which I’m not—I wouldn’t be looking in Madeline’s direction. If anything, I’ll be doing my best to avoid her as much as possible.”
He stared at him in amazement. “That’s the firsttime I’ve ever heard anyone say that about Maddie. It might be a good idea if you didn’t share your opinion of her with Mom. She regards Maddie as the daughter she never had.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“You sound as if you disapprove.”
“I’m just worried about Mom, that’s all. I’d hate to see her be taken advantage of by anyone.”
Garret laughed. “You don’t need to worry about that with Maddie.”
“You sound awfully confident.”
“That’s because I am.” He’d already finished his lunch and shoved aside his plate, resting on his elbows as he asked, “Have you met Krystal?”
Dylan shrugged. “Other than a brief introduction, we haven’t talked,” he answered honestly. “Why?”
Just then Garret pushed his lab coat aside to reach for the beeper on his waist. “I’m being paged. I have to go.” He quickly drained the remains of his coffee and was about to load his dishes back on the tray when Dylan stopped him.
“I’ll get them. You go attend to your emergency.”
Garret smiled. “Thanks.” Before he left he said, “I’ll try to stop by the house tonight, but if I don’t, I’ll see you in the morning before you go into surgery.”
Dylan nodded.
As he walked out of the cafeteria, he called over his shoulder, “Don’t worry about a thing. Pete’s the best.”
Dylan hadn’t been
“It was a bit of a shock at first, but I think it looks good.”
He nodded in agreement. “It was a good project for her. Shane offered to deal with the contractors, but she insisted on doing it all herself. And she did just fine, although I think Maddie helped her.”
Mention of the other woman gave Dylan the opportunity to ask the questions he hadn’t wanted to ask his mother. “How did Madeline Lamont end up renting from Mom? I thought she only took in college students.”
“Maddie was Mom’s first boarder. She came here shortly after Dad died. She was with some theater production that came to the Twin Cities.”
“She’s an actress?”
“A dancer.”
“Is that what she does for a living?”
“She’s not performing anymore, just teaching.”
Again the image of Maddie dressed in the harem pants flashed in Dylan’s memory. “There’s a big demand for belly dancing in the Twin Cities?”
“Not belly dancing. Ballet,” he corrected. “The belly dancing is something she does on the side.Mainly she teaches kids ballet and tap at a studio just a few blocks from here.”
“Mom said something about her working at a food co-op, too,” he went on. “Is she one of those health food nuts who won’t eat anything that isn’t organically grown?”
“Just because she’s conscious about her health doesn’t make her a nut. And why all the questions about her anyway?” He paused with his fork in midair. “You’re not thinking that she might be a pleasant distraction while you’re here, are you?”
He clicked his tongue. “If she’s a distraction it won’t be the pleasant kind.”
“Why not? She’s hot and she’s smart. What more could a man want? And she can still beat me at chess.”
Dylan agreed with his brother about her being hot but kept his opinion to himself. “She may be your type, but she’s definitely not mine,” he told Garret, wanting to dispel any notion Garret had that he was interested in the woman.
“I’m glad to hear that, because she’s taken.” There was no mistaking the warning in his brother’s voice.
“By you?” Dylan asked with a sly smile.
“No, but she does date a very good friend of mine.”
“Well, your friend has nothing to worry about from me. Even if I were looking for a woman—which I’m not—I wouldn’t be looking in Madeline’s direction. If anything, I’ll be doing my best to avoid her as much as possible.”
He stared at him in amazement. “That’s the firsttime I’ve ever heard anyone say that about Maddie. It might be a good idea if you didn’t share your opinion of her with Mom. She regards Maddie as the daughter she never had.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“You sound as if you disapprove.”
“I’m just worried about Mom, that’s all. I’d hate to see her be taken advantage of by anyone.”
Garret laughed. “You don’t need to worry about that with Maddie.”
“You sound awfully confident.”
“That’s because I am.” He’d already finished his lunch and shoved aside his plate, resting on his elbows as he asked, “Have you met Krystal?”
Dylan shrugged. “Other than a brief introduction, we haven’t talked,” he answered honestly. “Why?”
Just then Garret pushed his lab coat aside to reach for the beeper on his waist. “I’m being paged. I have to go.” He quickly drained the remains of his coffee and was about to load his dishes back on the tray when Dylan stopped him.
“I’ll get them. You go attend to your emergency.”
Garret smiled. “Thanks.” Before he left he said, “I’ll try to stop by the house tonight, but if I don’t, I’ll see you in the morning before you go into surgery.”
Dylan nodded.
As he walked out of the cafeteria, he called over his shoulder, “Don’t worry about a thing. Pete’s the best.”
Dylan hadn’t been
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