look tired,” Anna murmured when she cupped D.C.’s face in her hands.
“Been working.” He kissed her again, then deliberately looked past Layna. “Nice to see you, Aunt Myra.”
When he kissed her cheek, Myra made certain she had a good strong grip on his hand. “You remember Layna, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” He looked at her now, straight on, measuring. “How’s it going?”
“Very well.” Her hands wanted to tremble, so she kept them neatly folded in her lap.
“Sit down and keep Layna company, darling.” Myra was up and nudging him to the chair. “I need to ask Daniel about … an investment,” she improvised.
“I’m terribly sorry.” Keeping her voice low, Layna struggled to fix a casual smile on her face. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. Aunt Myra asked if I’d bring her to see your grandparents. We’re supposed to stay for dinner, but I can make an excuse.”
“What for?” He leaned back and wished to God he’d gotten the damn whiskey before he’d sat beside her. “It doesn’t bother me.”
That stung. She’d been suffering for days. “I don’t want to spoil your evening with your family. I realize the last time—we were angry with each other.”
“I got over it.” He lifted a brow in challenge. “Didn’t you?”
“Of course.” She lifted her chin, cloaked with dignity. “I simply thought since you stalked off like an irritable child you might be uncomfortable having me here.”
“As I recall, you’re the one who ran out of the club, like a scared rabbit.” His lips curled in a sneer. “You don’t make me uncomfortable, Layna.”
* * *
“Just look at them, Daniel.” Myra spoke out of the corner of her mouth as she pretended not to watch the couple across the room. “You can practically see the air sizzle around them.”
“Don’t know what’s taking them so long,” Daniel complained. “Boy’s just scowling at her. I tell you, I worry about him.”
“Oh, they’ve just had a tiff, that’s all. It’s just as I told you, Layna’s been sulking for days. I’m justglad you decided to come see for yourself. This might give them the next little nudge.”
“I’ve got my work cut out for me.” Daniel sighed and sipped lovingly at his whiskey. “Don’t you worry, Myra, we’ll have the two of them wedded and bedded by summer.” He tapped his glass against her teacup. “You have my word on it.”
* * *
And being a man of his word, Daniel didn’t loiter. He got to work on D.C. the minute Myra lured Layna out of the room to look at Shelby’s studio.
“Pretty young thing,” Daniel said casually, and pricking his ears for his wife’s voice, pulled out a cigar. “Could be sturdier, though. Needs some meat on her bones.”
“Her bones look fine to me.” D.C. cocked his head. “If Grandma comes back in while you’re smoking that, she’ll scalp you bald.”
“She won’t catch me.” Content, Daniel puffed out smoke and wiggled his eyebrows at his son. “Alan, I’ll have a real glass of whiskey this time.”
“It’s not worth my head.”
“Coward,” Daniel muttered, but settled back with his cigar. “Myra’s telling me the girl’s too buried in her work just now. No social life.”
“Her choice.” D.C. shrugged, and catching Daniel’s sorrowful look, sighed and handed over what was left in his own whiskey glass.
“You’re a fine, respectful lad.” Daniel sent his son a beetle-browed look that made Alan laugh. “At least we’ve got one here who isn’t afraid of his poor old granny. Now, as I was saying … that young lass has Myra fretting day and night. Glad I got down to get a good look at her again, see what she’s made of. Girl needs the right man beside her. A banker, I’m thinking, or an up-and-coming executive.”
“What?” D.C. stopped sulking long enough to tune in. “A banker? What the devil are you talking about?”
“Why, seeing that Layna has some proper companionship. Happens I
“Been working.” He kissed her again, then deliberately looked past Layna. “Nice to see you, Aunt Myra.”
When he kissed her cheek, Myra made certain she had a good strong grip on his hand. “You remember Layna, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” He looked at her now, straight on, measuring. “How’s it going?”
“Very well.” Her hands wanted to tremble, so she kept them neatly folded in her lap.
“Sit down and keep Layna company, darling.” Myra was up and nudging him to the chair. “I need to ask Daniel about … an investment,” she improvised.
“I’m terribly sorry.” Keeping her voice low, Layna struggled to fix a casual smile on her face. “I didn’t realize you’d be here. Aunt Myra asked if I’d bring her to see your grandparents. We’re supposed to stay for dinner, but I can make an excuse.”
“What for?” He leaned back and wished to God he’d gotten the damn whiskey before he’d sat beside her. “It doesn’t bother me.”
That stung. She’d been suffering for days. “I don’t want to spoil your evening with your family. I realize the last time—we were angry with each other.”
“I got over it.” He lifted a brow in challenge. “Didn’t you?”
“Of course.” She lifted her chin, cloaked with dignity. “I simply thought since you stalked off like an irritable child you might be uncomfortable having me here.”
“As I recall, you’re the one who ran out of the club, like a scared rabbit.” His lips curled in a sneer. “You don’t make me uncomfortable, Layna.”
* * *
“Just look at them, Daniel.” Myra spoke out of the corner of her mouth as she pretended not to watch the couple across the room. “You can practically see the air sizzle around them.”
“Don’t know what’s taking them so long,” Daniel complained. “Boy’s just scowling at her. I tell you, I worry about him.”
“Oh, they’ve just had a tiff, that’s all. It’s just as I told you, Layna’s been sulking for days. I’m justglad you decided to come see for yourself. This might give them the next little nudge.”
“I’ve got my work cut out for me.” Daniel sighed and sipped lovingly at his whiskey. “Don’t you worry, Myra, we’ll have the two of them wedded and bedded by summer.” He tapped his glass against her teacup. “You have my word on it.”
* * *
And being a man of his word, Daniel didn’t loiter. He got to work on D.C. the minute Myra lured Layna out of the room to look at Shelby’s studio.
“Pretty young thing,” Daniel said casually, and pricking his ears for his wife’s voice, pulled out a cigar. “Could be sturdier, though. Needs some meat on her bones.”
“Her bones look fine to me.” D.C. cocked his head. “If Grandma comes back in while you’re smoking that, she’ll scalp you bald.”
“She won’t catch me.” Content, Daniel puffed out smoke and wiggled his eyebrows at his son. “Alan, I’ll have a real glass of whiskey this time.”
“It’s not worth my head.”
“Coward,” Daniel muttered, but settled back with his cigar. “Myra’s telling me the girl’s too buried in her work just now. No social life.”
“Her choice.” D.C. shrugged, and catching Daniel’s sorrowful look, sighed and handed over what was left in his own whiskey glass.
“You’re a fine, respectful lad.” Daniel sent his son a beetle-browed look that made Alan laugh. “At least we’ve got one here who isn’t afraid of his poor old granny. Now, as I was saying … that young lass has Myra fretting day and night. Glad I got down to get a good look at her again, see what she’s made of. Girl needs the right man beside her. A banker, I’m thinking, or an up-and-coming executive.”
“What?” D.C. stopped sulking long enough to tune in. “A banker? What the devil are you talking about?”
“Why, seeing that Layna has some proper companionship. Happens I
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