know a young man right here in Washington. He’s already worked his way up to department manager. Good head on his shoulders has Henry,” Daniel continued, pulling a name out of his hat. “Got a future ahead of him. I’ll just give him a call.”
“Hold on, just hold the hell on.” Lurching out of his chair, D.C. stared at his grandfather. “You’re going to call some stiff-necked banker named Henry and try to fix him up with Layna?”
“He’s a good lad, comes from a nice family.” Daniel blinked innocent blue eyes. “It’s the least I can do for Myra.”
“The least you can do is stay out of it. Layna’s not interested in being bartered off to some banker.”
“What a thing to say. Bartered indeed.” As glee danced in his heart, Daniel scowled at his grandson. “I’m speaking of arranging a perfectly acceptable social connection between two young people.” He jabbed the air with his cigar. “And if you’d concentrate on finding the proper woman for yourself, you wouldn’t have time to get on your high horse about someone else’s business. What’s Layna Drake to you, I’d like to know.”
“Nothing!” D.C. threw up his hands and shouted it, pleasing his grandfather enormously. “She’s nothing to me.”
“Glad to hear it.” The boy’s hooked good and proper, Daniel decided, and thought he’d just reelhim in a bit more. “Couldn’t be more ill suited to each other. You don’t want to be casting your eyes in that direction, lad. What you need is a fine, sturdy girl, one who’ll give you lusty babies and won’t be worrying if her nail polish chips. That lass is too elegant for you, when you’re needing more the earthy sort.”
“I think I’m the best judge of what I need,” D.C. said coolly.
Daniel got to his feet, shot D.C. a narrow-eyed stare. “You’d do best to listen to the wisdom and experience of your elders.”
“Hah!” was D.C.’s response to that, and it took all Daniel’s willpower not to laugh out loud and kiss his grandson with soaring pride.
He watched steely-eyed as D.C. stalked into the hall and shouted for Layna.
“What are you up to, MacGregor?” Alan murmured.
“Watch, see and learn, boy.” He remained standing and stone-faced as Layna came down the hall. The ice in her voice could have frosted glass at fifty paces.
“What in the world are you shouting about?”
“Come on.” D.C. grabbed her hand, pulling her down the hall.
“What? Let go of me.”
“We’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving.”
He solved the problem in a way that made Daniel’s heart swell with family pride. D.C. scooped her off her feet and carried her out the door.
“Now that’s a MacGregor. He’s—sweet Lord, here comes your mother.” Daniel shoved whiskey and cigar into his son’s hands and bolted for the side door. “Tell her I’ve gone to take a turn around the garden,” he ordered, and escaped.
Shelby came in first, pushing a hand through her hair. “What’s all the shouting?” she demanded, then scanned the room. “Where’s D.C? Where’s Layna?” And her eyes narrowed. “Where’s your father?”
“Well …” Alan contemplated the cigar, decided he might as well enjoy it. “The best I can tell you is …” He smiled, puffed on the cigar as his mother and Myra came into the room. “My father told D.C. that Layna wasn’t suitable, which naturally put D.C.’s back up—as intended. After snarling at The MacGregor, he carried a very annoyed Layna out of the house.”
“Carried her out?” Myra put her hand over her heart as her eyes filled with romantic tears. “Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t see. I just knew one more little push would …” She trailed off as she caught the bland stares of her companions. “What I mean to say is … hmm.”
“Myra.” Anna puffed out a sigh. “I can’t believe, after all these years, you’d actually
encourage
Daniel this way. And you,” she said to her son. “Who do you think you’re fooling
“Hold on, just hold the hell on.” Lurching out of his chair, D.C. stared at his grandfather. “You’re going to call some stiff-necked banker named Henry and try to fix him up with Layna?”
“He’s a good lad, comes from a nice family.” Daniel blinked innocent blue eyes. “It’s the least I can do for Myra.”
“The least you can do is stay out of it. Layna’s not interested in being bartered off to some banker.”
“What a thing to say. Bartered indeed.” As glee danced in his heart, Daniel scowled at his grandson. “I’m speaking of arranging a perfectly acceptable social connection between two young people.” He jabbed the air with his cigar. “And if you’d concentrate on finding the proper woman for yourself, you wouldn’t have time to get on your high horse about someone else’s business. What’s Layna Drake to you, I’d like to know.”
“Nothing!” D.C. threw up his hands and shouted it, pleasing his grandfather enormously. “She’s nothing to me.”
“Glad to hear it.” The boy’s hooked good and proper, Daniel decided, and thought he’d just reelhim in a bit more. “Couldn’t be more ill suited to each other. You don’t want to be casting your eyes in that direction, lad. What you need is a fine, sturdy girl, one who’ll give you lusty babies and won’t be worrying if her nail polish chips. That lass is too elegant for you, when you’re needing more the earthy sort.”
“I think I’m the best judge of what I need,” D.C. said coolly.
Daniel got to his feet, shot D.C. a narrow-eyed stare. “You’d do best to listen to the wisdom and experience of your elders.”
“Hah!” was D.C.’s response to that, and it took all Daniel’s willpower not to laugh out loud and kiss his grandson with soaring pride.
He watched steely-eyed as D.C. stalked into the hall and shouted for Layna.
“What are you up to, MacGregor?” Alan murmured.
“Watch, see and learn, boy.” He remained standing and stone-faced as Layna came down the hall. The ice in her voice could have frosted glass at fifty paces.
“What in the world are you shouting about?”
“Come on.” D.C. grabbed her hand, pulling her down the hall.
“What? Let go of me.”
“We’re leaving.”
“I’m not leaving.”
He solved the problem in a way that made Daniel’s heart swell with family pride. D.C. scooped her off her feet and carried her out the door.
“Now that’s a MacGregor. He’s—sweet Lord, here comes your mother.” Daniel shoved whiskey and cigar into his son’s hands and bolted for the side door. “Tell her I’ve gone to take a turn around the garden,” he ordered, and escaped.
Shelby came in first, pushing a hand through her hair. “What’s all the shouting?” she demanded, then scanned the room. “Where’s D.C? Where’s Layna?” And her eyes narrowed. “Where’s your father?”
“Well …” Alan contemplated the cigar, decided he might as well enjoy it. “The best I can tell you is …” He smiled, puffed on the cigar as his mother and Myra came into the room. “My father told D.C. that Layna wasn’t suitable, which naturally put D.C.’s back up—as intended. After snarling at The MacGregor, he carried a very annoyed Layna out of the house.”
“Carried her out?” Myra put her hand over her heart as her eyes filled with romantic tears. “Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t see. I just knew one more little push would …” She trailed off as she caught the bland stares of her companions. “What I mean to say is … hmm.”
“Myra.” Anna puffed out a sigh. “I can’t believe, after all these years, you’d actually
encourage
Daniel this way. And you,” she said to her son. “Who do you think you’re fooling
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