Silently she vowed that in the future, she would spend some of the money she earned to buy her daughter new clothes.
"Why don’t you go downstairs and watch TV with Mr. Brodie?" she asked. "I’ll be down in a few minutes."
"Okay." Lily headed for the bedroom door and Meri went to work on herself. Unbraiding her loosely plaited hair, she brushed it till it gleamed, then swept it up in a twist and secured the heavy mass with a clip, letting a few strands escape beside her ears.
Running out of time, she slipped into the only good outfit she had brought for herself. A short black skirt and pink satin blouse. She belted the outfit with a wide silver belt, added a pair of dangly silver earrings, and slipped her feet into a pair of very high black heels.
She checked her image in the mirror, pressed her hands against her stomach to calm her nerves. She was only staying one more night. She wanted to look good for Ian, wanted him to see past the jeans and T-shirts she had been wearing since they met to the woman she was underneath.
With a last glance in the mirror, she summoned her courage and headed downstairs.
His father sat at the head of the table, Heddy next to him on one side. Ian sat across from Meri, who sat next to Lily. Since the moment he had walked into the dining room and seen the polished mahogany table set with his mother’s most treasured possessions, caught the glitter of silver and her beautiful antique stemware, the evening had taken on a surreal quality.
Now as Ian glanced around the room, he felt as if he were seeing into some preordained future, some skip in time that showed him the family he was meant to have.
Since he’d entered the dining room and seen Meri waiting for him, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. She’d looked beautiful in jeans and a work-stained T-shirt. She was stunning in pink satin and high heels.
As she and Heddy served the meal, he had to force himself to follow the conversation. Every instinct urged him to haul Meri out of her chair, toss her over his shoulder like a caveman, and carry her off to his bed.
He had the weirdest feeling his father was experiencing some of the same primitive urges. Heddy was wearing an ankle-length cream lace dress, the bodice cut low, exposing her ample cleavage. Five years without a woman was a long time for a man as virile as Daniel Brodie. He was practically salivating as he looked at Heddy.
And the looks she was casting his way said if he had the courage, she was his.
"So what do you think, son?" Daniel asked. "Maybe having a couple of horses out in the pasture again might be a good idea. They’d keep the grass from getting too high."
With his eyes fixed on Meri, he missed some of what his father just said. Was his dad really thinking of getting horses again? He could hardly believe his ears.
When he didn’t reply, but just kept staring at Meri, she stepped into the breach. "I think it’s a great idea," she said.
"So do I," Heddy added, smiling. "There’s an auction the end of next month. I hear they have some very good brood mares coming up for sale. Maybe you could find one you’d like to breed."
"I wouldn’t mind raising a couple more colts," Daniel said, taking a sip of wine from one of the stemmed goblets.
"I love colts," said Lily.
"I think it’s a great idea, Dad," Ian finally said, forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation. "Who knows, you might even make some money."
Daniel smiled and nodded, apparently pleased with the notion.
It seemed like a blink before Heddy was serving her famous chocolate-chip bread pudding, along with the rich dark coffee Meri had brewed.
Then supper was over and they cleared the dishes together. Meri and Heddy washed while Ian dried, and Daniel put the dishes back in the sideboard, Lily keeping up a running dialog as he worked.
"My, it’s really getting late," Heddy said with a glance at the antique oak
"Why don’t you go downstairs and watch TV with Mr. Brodie?" she asked. "I’ll be down in a few minutes."
"Okay." Lily headed for the bedroom door and Meri went to work on herself. Unbraiding her loosely plaited hair, she brushed it till it gleamed, then swept it up in a twist and secured the heavy mass with a clip, letting a few strands escape beside her ears.
Running out of time, she slipped into the only good outfit she had brought for herself. A short black skirt and pink satin blouse. She belted the outfit with a wide silver belt, added a pair of dangly silver earrings, and slipped her feet into a pair of very high black heels.
She checked her image in the mirror, pressed her hands against her stomach to calm her nerves. She was only staying one more night. She wanted to look good for Ian, wanted him to see past the jeans and T-shirts she had been wearing since they met to the woman she was underneath.
With a last glance in the mirror, she summoned her courage and headed downstairs.
His father sat at the head of the table, Heddy next to him on one side. Ian sat across from Meri, who sat next to Lily. Since the moment he had walked into the dining room and seen the polished mahogany table set with his mother’s most treasured possessions, caught the glitter of silver and her beautiful antique stemware, the evening had taken on a surreal quality.
Now as Ian glanced around the room, he felt as if he were seeing into some preordained future, some skip in time that showed him the family he was meant to have.
Since he’d entered the dining room and seen Meri waiting for him, he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off her. She’d looked beautiful in jeans and a work-stained T-shirt. She was stunning in pink satin and high heels.
As she and Heddy served the meal, he had to force himself to follow the conversation. Every instinct urged him to haul Meri out of her chair, toss her over his shoulder like a caveman, and carry her off to his bed.
He had the weirdest feeling his father was experiencing some of the same primitive urges. Heddy was wearing an ankle-length cream lace dress, the bodice cut low, exposing her ample cleavage. Five years without a woman was a long time for a man as virile as Daniel Brodie. He was practically salivating as he looked at Heddy.
And the looks she was casting his way said if he had the courage, she was his.
"So what do you think, son?" Daniel asked. "Maybe having a couple of horses out in the pasture again might be a good idea. They’d keep the grass from getting too high."
With his eyes fixed on Meri, he missed some of what his father just said. Was his dad really thinking of getting horses again? He could hardly believe his ears.
When he didn’t reply, but just kept staring at Meri, she stepped into the breach. "I think it’s a great idea," she said.
"So do I," Heddy added, smiling. "There’s an auction the end of next month. I hear they have some very good brood mares coming up for sale. Maybe you could find one you’d like to breed."
"I wouldn’t mind raising a couple more colts," Daniel said, taking a sip of wine from one of the stemmed goblets.
"I love colts," said Lily.
"I think it’s a great idea, Dad," Ian finally said, forcing himself to concentrate on the conversation. "Who knows, you might even make some money."
Daniel smiled and nodded, apparently pleased with the notion.
It seemed like a blink before Heddy was serving her famous chocolate-chip bread pudding, along with the rich dark coffee Meri had brewed.
Then supper was over and they cleared the dishes together. Meri and Heddy washed while Ian dried, and Daniel put the dishes back in the sideboard, Lily keeping up a running dialog as he worked.
"My, it’s really getting late," Heddy said with a glance at the antique oak
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