asked me
first. Brook thinks her Dad is the only…she’s glad we divorced,
because she always thought we were too opposite, but, hell, Mitch.
This is going to bring up a whole conversation with my daughter I
do not want to have.”
“ I didn’t think of that. I
thought maybe Coy deserved a break though. He deserves to know why
you‘re so dead set against them dating.”
The music changed. Madeline glanced
over to see Ruby waltzing with an insurance salesman who was a foot
shorter.
“ Dance with me?” Mitch’s
voice rumbled under the popular love song.
She shook her head. No way could she
touch him, move against him. Sitting there was hard enough on her
senses. Shit! Her past and her daughter’s future were in route for
a head on collision.
“ Remember, we waltzed to the
truck radio that night? Out in the field?”
“ No.” Madeline lied, and he
knew it.
He smiled dryly. “Jason wants to meet
you.”
“ I’ve spoken to him.” She
shook her head. Go away, she thought, go away and let me
think.
Mitch grunted, got up, and moved
through the crowd. Madeline debated dashing for the restroom, but
before she could move, he came back with his son.
Dressed in a neat black silk shirt and
tan slacks, Jason was smiling. It was a hard one to resist, because
that cleft in his chin was shadowed, but his eyes, like his
father’s, weren’t.
He offered his hand. "Hello,” his bass
voice rumbled.
“ Hello, Jason.”
They both sat on either side of her.
She glanced at Mitch, who was leaned back, relaxed and watching,
then at Jason who was openly looking her over. “You seem to have
inherited your father’s talent,” she offered. “You play and sing
very well.”
“ Thank you.” Jason glanced
at his Dad, still smiling. “So, why’d you let Dad marry the wrong
woman?”
Madeline knew then he was a Coburn
through and through. He didn‘t care, evidently, that his question
was impertinent. “It wasn’t my decision.”
“ Really?”
She glanced at Mitch.
“ Behave. “ Mitch grinned at
Jason
“ Sorry, guess old Dovie
really messed things up.”
It was hard to be calm under a gaze
similar to Mitch’s. Though Mitch’s was intimate, personal, this
searching one was still difficult to ignore. Madeline changed the
subject. “I hear you’re building a house?”
“ Yes ma‘am. On our land, of
course. Dad’s is great, but it’s hard to impress a girl, living
with your daddy.”
She smiled. How many young men his age
could afford to build a house? Okay, so they did work hard and she
had always known that. Madeline knew Jason had worked for Mitch
since he was a young kid.
He leaned slightly and murmured under
the din of the voices and music, “I want to commission your friend
Ruby, to do some hand painted tiles and glass art for
me.”
“ I’m sure she
will.”
Jason appeared as though he wanted to
ask a million questions but eventually sighed and nodded his head.
“Break’s over, nice meeting you.” He added, “Dad had better taste
the first time around. He never looked at my mom the way he does
you, never wrote her a song either.”
He left. Mitch leaned up, looking at
her a long time. “He saw a lot in those pictures, enough to make
him question why we’re strangers now.”
“ That’s your problem, not
mine.” She flushed, because the song was obviously about making
love. That young man knew she’d had sex with his father. Shit, it
made her feel weird. People around the town presumed she had only
one lover, one anal husband, and no wild past.
Mitch grunted, smiled, and then shook
his head. “I’ve got to play this last set.” Yet he continued
watching her for a moment, as if he was waiting for her to say
something.
She didn’t. Madeline watched him get up
and looked away as he stood there another ten seconds before he
left for the stage.
Ruby came back to the table, fanning
her face.
“ Where’d you go? Nice of you
to come and rescue me.” Madeline was sharper in tone
first. Brook thinks her Dad is the only…she’s glad we divorced,
because she always thought we were too opposite, but, hell, Mitch.
This is going to bring up a whole conversation with my daughter I
do not want to have.”
“ I didn’t think of that. I
thought maybe Coy deserved a break though. He deserves to know why
you‘re so dead set against them dating.”
The music changed. Madeline glanced
over to see Ruby waltzing with an insurance salesman who was a foot
shorter.
“ Dance with me?” Mitch’s
voice rumbled under the popular love song.
She shook her head. No way could she
touch him, move against him. Sitting there was hard enough on her
senses. Shit! Her past and her daughter’s future were in route for
a head on collision.
“ Remember, we waltzed to the
truck radio that night? Out in the field?”
“ No.” Madeline lied, and he
knew it.
He smiled dryly. “Jason wants to meet
you.”
“ I’ve spoken to him.” She
shook her head. Go away, she thought, go away and let me
think.
Mitch grunted, got up, and moved
through the crowd. Madeline debated dashing for the restroom, but
before she could move, he came back with his son.
Dressed in a neat black silk shirt and
tan slacks, Jason was smiling. It was a hard one to resist, because
that cleft in his chin was shadowed, but his eyes, like his
father’s, weren’t.
He offered his hand. "Hello,” his bass
voice rumbled.
“ Hello, Jason.”
They both sat on either side of her.
She glanced at Mitch, who was leaned back, relaxed and watching,
then at Jason who was openly looking her over. “You seem to have
inherited your father’s talent,” she offered. “You play and sing
very well.”
“ Thank you.” Jason glanced
at his Dad, still smiling. “So, why’d you let Dad marry the wrong
woman?”
Madeline knew then he was a Coburn
through and through. He didn‘t care, evidently, that his question
was impertinent. “It wasn’t my decision.”
“ Really?”
She glanced at Mitch.
“ Behave. “ Mitch grinned at
Jason
“ Sorry, guess old Dovie
really messed things up.”
It was hard to be calm under a gaze
similar to Mitch’s. Though Mitch’s was intimate, personal, this
searching one was still difficult to ignore. Madeline changed the
subject. “I hear you’re building a house?”
“ Yes ma‘am. On our land, of
course. Dad’s is great, but it’s hard to impress a girl, living
with your daddy.”
She smiled. How many young men his age
could afford to build a house? Okay, so they did work hard and she
had always known that. Madeline knew Jason had worked for Mitch
since he was a young kid.
He leaned slightly and murmured under
the din of the voices and music, “I want to commission your friend
Ruby, to do some hand painted tiles and glass art for
me.”
“ I’m sure she
will.”
Jason appeared as though he wanted to
ask a million questions but eventually sighed and nodded his head.
“Break’s over, nice meeting you.” He added, “Dad had better taste
the first time around. He never looked at my mom the way he does
you, never wrote her a song either.”
He left. Mitch leaned up, looking at
her a long time. “He saw a lot in those pictures, enough to make
him question why we’re strangers now.”
“ That’s your problem, not
mine.” She flushed, because the song was obviously about making
love. That young man knew she’d had sex with his father. Shit, it
made her feel weird. People around the town presumed she had only
one lover, one anal husband, and no wild past.
Mitch grunted, smiled, and then shook
his head. “I’ve got to play this last set.” Yet he continued
watching her for a moment, as if he was waiting for her to say
something.
She didn’t. Madeline watched him get up
and looked away as he stood there another ten seconds before he
left for the stage.
Ruby came back to the table, fanning
her face.
“ Where’d you go? Nice of you
to come and rescue me.” Madeline was sharper in tone
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