Read Online Dare to Believe by Dana Marie Bell - Free Book Online
Authors: Dana Marie Bell
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in it, full of warmth that had been missing briefly when he’d first appeared on the porch.
Leo turned to the other man, and suddenly the two were embracing. “Wish the homecoming was under better circumstances, Dad.”
Wait. Dad?
That dark haired, walking sex advertisement was Leo’s dad?
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is Sean Dunne.”
The man lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Welcome, Miss Halloway. I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dunne. I’m so sorry about your son.”
Leo’s father nodded, his expression shadowed. “Thank you.” He turned to Leo, the shadows disappearing. “Take your woman inside and introduce her properly to your mother. She’s waiting on you.”
The man took the keys from Leo and walked to the trunk of the SUV. He turned and winked at her, popped the trunk open and began to remove their bags.
“C’mon, Ruby. Let’s go introduce you to my mother.”
Ruby couldn’t drag her eyes away from the Irish hunk even though Leo was pulling her up the porch steps. “Wow.”
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Dana Marie Bell
She didn’t even realize she’d whispered that thought out loud until Leo stopped and frowned down at her. Smiling up at him weakly, she stepped forward, ready for him to open the front door.
The door opened before she could touch it. In front of her stood the most amazingly attractive woman she’d ever seen. She wasn’t much taller or older than Ruby. The woman’s hair fell to her waist, a straight, shining curtain of glowing red-gold. Slightly tilted green eyes the color of emeralds peeked out from under the longest, most lush lashes Ruby had ever seen. Her chin was delicately pointed, her nose fine and aristocratic, her lips full and pink. She stared up at Leo, those lips trembling.
Suddenly, Ruby wasn’t feeling so good. The woman was looking at Leo with a love so deep Ruby was moved by it. If he had this woman waiting for him to come home, why had he brought Ruby?
“Welcome home, Leo.” The woman stepped into his welcoming arms, tears falling down her exquisite face.
“Hi, Mom.”
Ruby unclenched her hands, just then realizing she’d been clenching them.
Of course. Mom. Dad’s a sex god, and Mom’s a cover model. I wonder what Shane and Moira look like? Ruby had never felt quite so frumpy in her life. She was wrinkled from head to toe, her hair a mess, her eyes heavy with fatigue, her makeup long since worn off. Her self confidence took a severe hit. She took a step back, not wanting to intrude on Leo’s reunion with his mother.
She didn’t get very far. One hard hand fell on her arm, pulling her forward. Leo put his other arm around his mother’s shoulder. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is my mother, Aileen Dunne.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Ruby. Be welcome in my home.” The woman’s soft brogue had a hint of Great Britain in it, changing it slightly from the pure Irish purr of her husband’s voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Dunne.” Ruby held out her hand in greeting.
Mrs. Dunne promptly took possession of it, pulling Ruby into the house behind her. “Now, call me Aileen, please. And did that son of mine remember to bring everything you need, or did he drag you out of the house so quickly your head spun?”
“Um, number two.”
Aileen turned a dark look over her shoulder, and that was when Ruby finally believed that the stunning woman before her really was Leo’s mother. No one but a mother could look at a man like that, part exasperation, part love.
“It was a bit of an emergency, Mom.” Ruby turned to see Leo pushing his hand through his hair, grimacing slightly. “I made sure her cat was taken care of, didn’t I?”
Aileen sighed, a sound that only a mother could make, and pulled both of them into her house. Ruby bit her lip on a nervous giggle, knowing laughter wouldn’t be welcome at the
Leo turned to the other man, and suddenly the two were embracing. “Wish the homecoming was under better circumstances, Dad.”
Wait. Dad?
That dark haired, walking sex advertisement was Leo’s dad?
“Dad, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is Sean Dunne.”
The man lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Welcome, Miss Halloway. I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”
“Thank you, Mr. Dunne. I’m so sorry about your son.”
Leo’s father nodded, his expression shadowed. “Thank you.” He turned to Leo, the shadows disappearing. “Take your woman inside and introduce her properly to your mother. She’s waiting on you.”
The man took the keys from Leo and walked to the trunk of the SUV. He turned and winked at her, popped the trunk open and began to remove their bags.
“C’mon, Ruby. Let’s go introduce you to my mother.”
Ruby couldn’t drag her eyes away from the Irish hunk even though Leo was pulling her up the porch steps. “Wow.”
www.samhainpublishing.com
37
Dana Marie Bell
She didn’t even realize she’d whispered that thought out loud until Leo stopped and frowned down at her. Smiling up at him weakly, she stepped forward, ready for him to open the front door.
The door opened before she could touch it. In front of her stood the most amazingly attractive woman she’d ever seen. She wasn’t much taller or older than Ruby. The woman’s hair fell to her waist, a straight, shining curtain of glowing red-gold. Slightly tilted green eyes the color of emeralds peeked out from under the longest, most lush lashes Ruby had ever seen. Her chin was delicately pointed, her nose fine and aristocratic, her lips full and pink. She stared up at Leo, those lips trembling.
Suddenly, Ruby wasn’t feeling so good. The woman was looking at Leo with a love so deep Ruby was moved by it. If he had this woman waiting for him to come home, why had he brought Ruby?
“Welcome home, Leo.” The woman stepped into his welcoming arms, tears falling down her exquisite face.
“Hi, Mom.”
Ruby unclenched her hands, just then realizing she’d been clenching them.
Of course. Mom. Dad’s a sex god, and Mom’s a cover model. I wonder what Shane and Moira look like? Ruby had never felt quite so frumpy in her life. She was wrinkled from head to toe, her hair a mess, her eyes heavy with fatigue, her makeup long since worn off. Her self confidence took a severe hit. She took a step back, not wanting to intrude on Leo’s reunion with his mother.
She didn’t get very far. One hard hand fell on her arm, pulling her forward. Leo put his other arm around his mother’s shoulder. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Ruby Halloway. Ruby, this is my mother, Aileen Dunne.”
“I am pleased to meet you, Ruby. Be welcome in my home.” The woman’s soft brogue had a hint of Great Britain in it, changing it slightly from the pure Irish purr of her husband’s voice.
“Thank you, Mrs. Dunne.” Ruby held out her hand in greeting.
Mrs. Dunne promptly took possession of it, pulling Ruby into the house behind her. “Now, call me Aileen, please. And did that son of mine remember to bring everything you need, or did he drag you out of the house so quickly your head spun?”
“Um, number two.”
Aileen turned a dark look over her shoulder, and that was when Ruby finally believed that the stunning woman before her really was Leo’s mother. No one but a mother could look at a man like that, part exasperation, part love.
“It was a bit of an emergency, Mom.” Ruby turned to see Leo pushing his hand through his hair, grimacing slightly. “I made sure her cat was taken care of, didn’t I?”
Aileen sighed, a sound that only a mother could make, and pulled both of them into her house. Ruby bit her lip on a nervous giggle, knowing laughter wouldn’t be welcome at the
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