she? Would she?
Sue's cheeks turned crimson beneath his scrutiny. Dear God, the woman really was trying to play matchmaker. He sighed and shook his head, hoping she would catch on, but she jumped to her feet.
"I'll get the lasagna. Spinach. I hope that's all right with everybody."
"Sounds lovely." Taylor shifted in her chair and her knee brushed against his. She jerked back as if burned.
Gordon would deal with Sue later. Realizing that Taylor was as uncomfortable as he was disturbed him. He inched his legs closer to his mother, hoping to spare Taylor further distress.
Hell, why should he spare her? She was the one who up and left ten years ago. She was the one who made the choice to abandon him and everything they'd meant to each other. No, let her squirm. The more, the better, in fact.
He maneuvered his legs back directly in front of him.
She slid hers away.
He stretched his right leg out, his calf finding her shin. There, that was better. He forked salad into his mouth and chewed on a cherry tomato, casting her a surreptitious glance from the corner of his eye. Her face was as red as the tomato.
Suffer . A small voice in the back of his mind told him he was being rude, and even unreasonable, but he told it to shut up and let him have his revenge. After all those years of hoping she would come back to him...
Yes, revenge was sweet. He rubbed his calf against her shin very slightly, so it could pass as an accident. Oh, yeah . Revenge could be very sweet indeed, as long as it didn't backfire.
"Taylor, how are your folks? I've missed your mother, though she sends a Christmas letter every year."
His mother's voice made Gordon flinch inwardly, as if he'd been Ryan's age again and she'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Of course, Taylor Bowen had become his cookie of choice around age sixteen. He focused on her again, noting the glisten of moisture along the side of her neck. He twitched his lips, wanting to taste her. Damn.
"They're fine, Mrs. Lane."
"Call me Priscilla, please. You used to. And how about that handsome brother of yours? Mike, isn't it?"
"He's practicing medicine in Denver, actually."
"Denver?" His mother looked appalled–not unusual. "And he hasn't come for a visit? That's only fifty miles from here."
"He's very busy, but he'll come up to visit me, I'm sure." She smiled. "In fact, he's promised to help me secure a research grant. Uh, if I don't go back east, that is."
"But what about Digby?"
Taylor blinked and played with her napkin. "I'm only here for three years. Remember?"
"Well, perhaps you'll change your mind before then," his mother said. "About a lot of things."
What the devil... ? His mother's voice sounded much calmer and friendlier now. She was treating Taylor as if nothing had ever happened. In fact, it seemed as if she suddenly wanted them to–
No.
"I'm sorry I was hard on you earlier, but it's a mother's instinct to protect her young."
Gordon coughed and grabbed his iced tea again.
"And though Gordon is pushing thirty–"
"Twenty-nine," he corrected, then chomped on a piece of ice with all his suppressed fury.
"Like I said, pushing thirty," his mother continued unruffled, "he'll always be my little boy."
Ryan let out a hoot and a snort.
"Watch it, squirt," Gordon growled. "Thanks, Mom, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm big enough to take care of myself now."
"So you say."
Gordon placed his face in his hands and groaned. "I don't believe this."
"You aren't the only one."
Taylor's voice surprised him and he looked between his fingers. Her face was still
Sue's cheeks turned crimson beneath his scrutiny. Dear God, the woman really was trying to play matchmaker. He sighed and shook his head, hoping she would catch on, but she jumped to her feet.
"I'll get the lasagna. Spinach. I hope that's all right with everybody."
"Sounds lovely." Taylor shifted in her chair and her knee brushed against his. She jerked back as if burned.
Gordon would deal with Sue later. Realizing that Taylor was as uncomfortable as he was disturbed him. He inched his legs closer to his mother, hoping to spare Taylor further distress.
Hell, why should he spare her? She was the one who up and left ten years ago. She was the one who made the choice to abandon him and everything they'd meant to each other. No, let her squirm. The more, the better, in fact.
He maneuvered his legs back directly in front of him.
She slid hers away.
He stretched his right leg out, his calf finding her shin. There, that was better. He forked salad into his mouth and chewed on a cherry tomato, casting her a surreptitious glance from the corner of his eye. Her face was as red as the tomato.
Suffer . A small voice in the back of his mind told him he was being rude, and even unreasonable, but he told it to shut up and let him have his revenge. After all those years of hoping she would come back to him...
Yes, revenge was sweet. He rubbed his calf against her shin very slightly, so it could pass as an accident. Oh, yeah . Revenge could be very sweet indeed, as long as it didn't backfire.
"Taylor, how are your folks? I've missed your mother, though she sends a Christmas letter every year."
His mother's voice made Gordon flinch inwardly, as if he'd been Ryan's age again and she'd caught him with his hand in the cookie jar. Of course, Taylor Bowen had become his cookie of choice around age sixteen. He focused on her again, noting the glisten of moisture along the side of her neck. He twitched his lips, wanting to taste her. Damn.
"They're fine, Mrs. Lane."
"Call me Priscilla, please. You used to. And how about that handsome brother of yours? Mike, isn't it?"
"He's practicing medicine in Denver, actually."
"Denver?" His mother looked appalled–not unusual. "And he hasn't come for a visit? That's only fifty miles from here."
"He's very busy, but he'll come up to visit me, I'm sure." She smiled. "In fact, he's promised to help me secure a research grant. Uh, if I don't go back east, that is."
"But what about Digby?"
Taylor blinked and played with her napkin. "I'm only here for three years. Remember?"
"Well, perhaps you'll change your mind before then," his mother said. "About a lot of things."
What the devil... ? His mother's voice sounded much calmer and friendlier now. She was treating Taylor as if nothing had ever happened. In fact, it seemed as if she suddenly wanted them to–
No.
"I'm sorry I was hard on you earlier, but it's a mother's instinct to protect her young."
Gordon coughed and grabbed his iced tea again.
"And though Gordon is pushing thirty–"
"Twenty-nine," he corrected, then chomped on a piece of ice with all his suppressed fury.
"Like I said, pushing thirty," his mother continued unruffled, "he'll always be my little boy."
Ryan let out a hoot and a snort.
"Watch it, squirt," Gordon growled. "Thanks, Mom, but in case you haven't noticed, I'm big enough to take care of myself now."
"So you say."
Gordon placed his face in his hands and groaned. "I don't believe this."
"You aren't the only one."
Taylor's voice surprised him and he looked between his fingers. Her face was still
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