must admit, we’re all quite eager to get to know you a little better.” She winked at Ethan, who seemed to be radiating tension Claire had never witnessed in him before.
“Now don’t go scaring her away,” Ethan warned.
Claire dragged her eyes to his, holding them there. Now that was rich.
“But it’s a beautiful cottage!” cried Milly, who was identifiable by her many strands of pearls and matching earrings. She was older than Barbara by several years, it seemed, and had a wild look in her eyes. “Barbara rents it out for a pretty penny nearly every week of the year. Lots of honeymooners enjoy the amenities.” She winked, and Claire felt her teeth graze into some semblance of a smile.
Ethan stepped forward. “Really, Mom. We’re fine at the hotel. We don’t want to take away the room from a paying guest.”
Claire mentally fist-pumped. An excellent point—surely his mother couldn’t argue with that.
But Barbara just handed Claire the glass of lemonade with a smile and said, “Now don’t you worry. I cancelled this weekend’s reservation the moment I heard about the wonderful Claire. Besides, you can’t have your hotel room back. To compensate for the inconvenience, I gave the couple one of the rooms you’d booked at the hotel—I have connections like that. Two rooms, the front desk said.” She clucked her tongue. “They must have made a mistake.”
“Mom—” Ethan’s voice had taken on a tone of warning, but Barbara was not to be deterred.
“I’m a modern woman, Ethan. I know how the world works now. In my day people waited for marriage, but then, in my day, people weren’t still unattached in their thirties, either.”
The older women of the group all exchanged knowing looks.
“Mom, I think Claire might be comfortable—”
“Oh, settle down, Ethan, I know when to back off, you know. And Claire knows what I’m referring to. Times have changed! And I pride myself on rolling with it! Besides, something tells me Claire and I are going to get along just fine,” she said, looping her arms through Claire’s as she led them out the back door and toward their honeymoon suite.
***
Amelia was still sitting on the old wicker bench when they approached the cottage, her tattoo on full display near the straps of her tank top. She set her book aside when Ethan said hello, her gaze immediately shifting to Claire with impassive interest. Ethan steeled himself as panic set in, wondering if this was such a good idea after all, if it might have been easier to face them all alone, put up with the insinuations and the warnings and even the threats, and then go on his way, back to the city, back to his life. Back to his ways , as they called it.
“So this is the woman we’ve heard all about,” Amelia remarked, standing to smooth her long cotton skirt and extend a hand to Claire. “She seems normal,” she accused, lifting an eyebrow at him.
Ethan balled a hand into a fist, but he could see Claire swallowing her laughter from his periphery. “And how are you, Amelia? Will I be meeting your wedding date this evening?”
As soon as the words came out, he regretted them. Amelia’s eyes narrowed on him, and all at once she was grabbing her book, and making a big, clumsy show of leaving.
“Nice,” Claire whispered, shaking her head at him in disapproval.
“Amelia!” Ethan called out at his older sister, who was scrambling barefoot up the stone steps to the back patio, her shoulders squared in fury. “Amelia, come on. I didn’t mean to upset you!” But it was no use. She was sliding open the sunroom door without a glance back.
Well, great. He hadn’t been home even fifteen minutes and already he was in trouble with at least one member of the family, when all he’d wanted for the weekend was to avoid it.
“She’s on edge,” his mother said. “We’re all doing our best to tiptoe around her. I strongly suggest you do the same, Ethan. Between you and me, I think it’s hard on
“Now don’t go scaring her away,” Ethan warned.
Claire dragged her eyes to his, holding them there. Now that was rich.
“But it’s a beautiful cottage!” cried Milly, who was identifiable by her many strands of pearls and matching earrings. She was older than Barbara by several years, it seemed, and had a wild look in her eyes. “Barbara rents it out for a pretty penny nearly every week of the year. Lots of honeymooners enjoy the amenities.” She winked, and Claire felt her teeth graze into some semblance of a smile.
Ethan stepped forward. “Really, Mom. We’re fine at the hotel. We don’t want to take away the room from a paying guest.”
Claire mentally fist-pumped. An excellent point—surely his mother couldn’t argue with that.
But Barbara just handed Claire the glass of lemonade with a smile and said, “Now don’t you worry. I cancelled this weekend’s reservation the moment I heard about the wonderful Claire. Besides, you can’t have your hotel room back. To compensate for the inconvenience, I gave the couple one of the rooms you’d booked at the hotel—I have connections like that. Two rooms, the front desk said.” She clucked her tongue. “They must have made a mistake.”
“Mom—” Ethan’s voice had taken on a tone of warning, but Barbara was not to be deterred.
“I’m a modern woman, Ethan. I know how the world works now. In my day people waited for marriage, but then, in my day, people weren’t still unattached in their thirties, either.”
The older women of the group all exchanged knowing looks.
“Mom, I think Claire might be comfortable—”
“Oh, settle down, Ethan, I know when to back off, you know. And Claire knows what I’m referring to. Times have changed! And I pride myself on rolling with it! Besides, something tells me Claire and I are going to get along just fine,” she said, looping her arms through Claire’s as she led them out the back door and toward their honeymoon suite.
***
Amelia was still sitting on the old wicker bench when they approached the cottage, her tattoo on full display near the straps of her tank top. She set her book aside when Ethan said hello, her gaze immediately shifting to Claire with impassive interest. Ethan steeled himself as panic set in, wondering if this was such a good idea after all, if it might have been easier to face them all alone, put up with the insinuations and the warnings and even the threats, and then go on his way, back to the city, back to his life. Back to his ways , as they called it.
“So this is the woman we’ve heard all about,” Amelia remarked, standing to smooth her long cotton skirt and extend a hand to Claire. “She seems normal,” she accused, lifting an eyebrow at him.
Ethan balled a hand into a fist, but he could see Claire swallowing her laughter from his periphery. “And how are you, Amelia? Will I be meeting your wedding date this evening?”
As soon as the words came out, he regretted them. Amelia’s eyes narrowed on him, and all at once she was grabbing her book, and making a big, clumsy show of leaving.
“Nice,” Claire whispered, shaking her head at him in disapproval.
“Amelia!” Ethan called out at his older sister, who was scrambling barefoot up the stone steps to the back patio, her shoulders squared in fury. “Amelia, come on. I didn’t mean to upset you!” But it was no use. She was sliding open the sunroom door without a glance back.
Well, great. He hadn’t been home even fifteen minutes and already he was in trouble with at least one member of the family, when all he’d wanted for the weekend was to avoid it.
“She’s on edge,” his mother said. “We’re all doing our best to tiptoe around her. I strongly suggest you do the same, Ethan. Between you and me, I think it’s hard on
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