Read Online Feels Like Family by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
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conversation about disappointment leading to depression and bad decisions and eating disorders, yada-yada-yada.”
“You mean I just blew this entire conversation by not including a lecture?” Erik demanded, mostly in jest, of course, though he did find these little tests of his untried parenting skills to be disconcerting.
“For which I am very, very grateful,” she assured him. She grabbed a brownie off the tray he’d just taken from the oven and took a bite as if to prove a point. “Have a good day.”
“You, too, sweet pea. Let me know how it goes when you talk to Ty.”
She smiled, looking more carefree than she had when she’d arrived. “I’ll call you tonight right after I talk to him.”
No sooner had Annie exited through the back door than Dana Sue pushed open the door from the dining room. “Was that my daughter I saw sneaking out the back?”
Erik regarded her with his most innocent expression. “Was it?”
Dana Sue rolled her eyes at his pitiful attempt at evasion. “What did she want?”
“To talk to me.”
“About?”
“Sorry, confidential.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You and my daughter are havingconfidential conversations? I’m not sure how I feel about that. It was bad enough when she was having them with Maddie.”
“I don’t think this was something she felt she could ask Maddie,” Erik said.
“Then it was about Ty,” Dana Sue guessed at once.
“I never said that.”
“Is she inviting him to prom or not?”
“I know nothing,” Erik insisted.
“We could talk about you and Helen instead,” she suggested.
“Sorry. Gotta run.”
“Run where?” she demanded.
“Someplace where you’re not,” he said readily. “But don’t take it personally. You know I love you.”
“I think you love Helen,” she countered. “Or at least like her.”
“What was that?” he asked, already closing the door. “Can’t hear you.”
The door snapped open before he could make his escape. “I said that I think you’re crazy about Helen,” she shouted after him. “And just so you know, I think she likes you back! Can you hear me now?”
Unfortunately, Erik figured half the people of Serenity had heard her. And if they had, his life had just gone from peaceful and quiet, the way he liked it, to downright complicated. There was no more popular sport in town than watching, and then discussing, a cat-and-mouse game between a man and woman.
Erik had barely walked to the outer fringe of downtown Serenity when he literally bumped right into the woman who’d become the bane of his existence. Helen was striding purposefully along with her head down and her thoughts obviously somewhere else.
“Hey, where are you heading in such a hurry?” he asked, steadying her as she blinked up at him.
To his shock her makeup was streaked and her eyes were swimming with tears. “Helen, what’s wrong?” He dug in his pocket and found a fistful of clean tissues. He handed them to her.
Even as she accepted them and mopped her eyes, bright patches of color bloomed on her cheeks. She tried to push past him. “I’m fine,” she muttered.
“Sure you are,” he scoffed. “The strongest, most in-control woman I know is walking around town crying her eyes out and claims to be fine. Not buying it, sugar. Talk to me.”
“Erik, please,” she pleaded. “Just leave me alone.”
“Sorry. It’s not in my genes to walk away from a woman in distress.”
“I’m not in distress. I’m just confused, and before you ask about what, it’s not something I want to talk about.”
“Okay, then, we’ll just go to Wharton’s and get one of those hot-fudge sundaes I hear you Sweet Magnolias turn to whenever you’re upset.”
She regarded him with surprise. “You know about those?”
“I’ve worked with Dana Sue long enough to know a lot of things,” he said.
“She blabs?”
He laughed at her indignation. “No, I have amazingly astute powers of observation for a man. Plus, I hear
“You mean I just blew this entire conversation by not including a lecture?” Erik demanded, mostly in jest, of course, though he did find these little tests of his untried parenting skills to be disconcerting.
“For which I am very, very grateful,” she assured him. She grabbed a brownie off the tray he’d just taken from the oven and took a bite as if to prove a point. “Have a good day.”
“You, too, sweet pea. Let me know how it goes when you talk to Ty.”
She smiled, looking more carefree than she had when she’d arrived. “I’ll call you tonight right after I talk to him.”
No sooner had Annie exited through the back door than Dana Sue pushed open the door from the dining room. “Was that my daughter I saw sneaking out the back?”
Erik regarded her with his most innocent expression. “Was it?”
Dana Sue rolled her eyes at his pitiful attempt at evasion. “What did she want?”
“To talk to me.”
“About?”
“Sorry, confidential.”
Her gaze narrowed. “You and my daughter are havingconfidential conversations? I’m not sure how I feel about that. It was bad enough when she was having them with Maddie.”
“I don’t think this was something she felt she could ask Maddie,” Erik said.
“Then it was about Ty,” Dana Sue guessed at once.
“I never said that.”
“Is she inviting him to prom or not?”
“I know nothing,” Erik insisted.
“We could talk about you and Helen instead,” she suggested.
“Sorry. Gotta run.”
“Run where?” she demanded.
“Someplace where you’re not,” he said readily. “But don’t take it personally. You know I love you.”
“I think you love Helen,” she countered. “Or at least like her.”
“What was that?” he asked, already closing the door. “Can’t hear you.”
The door snapped open before he could make his escape. “I said that I think you’re crazy about Helen,” she shouted after him. “And just so you know, I think she likes you back! Can you hear me now?”
Unfortunately, Erik figured half the people of Serenity had heard her. And if they had, his life had just gone from peaceful and quiet, the way he liked it, to downright complicated. There was no more popular sport in town than watching, and then discussing, a cat-and-mouse game between a man and woman.
Erik had barely walked to the outer fringe of downtown Serenity when he literally bumped right into the woman who’d become the bane of his existence. Helen was striding purposefully along with her head down and her thoughts obviously somewhere else.
“Hey, where are you heading in such a hurry?” he asked, steadying her as she blinked up at him.
To his shock her makeup was streaked and her eyes were swimming with tears. “Helen, what’s wrong?” He dug in his pocket and found a fistful of clean tissues. He handed them to her.
Even as she accepted them and mopped her eyes, bright patches of color bloomed on her cheeks. She tried to push past him. “I’m fine,” she muttered.
“Sure you are,” he scoffed. “The strongest, most in-control woman I know is walking around town crying her eyes out and claims to be fine. Not buying it, sugar. Talk to me.”
“Erik, please,” she pleaded. “Just leave me alone.”
“Sorry. It’s not in my genes to walk away from a woman in distress.”
“I’m not in distress. I’m just confused, and before you ask about what, it’s not something I want to talk about.”
“Okay, then, we’ll just go to Wharton’s and get one of those hot-fudge sundaes I hear you Sweet Magnolias turn to whenever you’re upset.”
She regarded him with surprise. “You know about those?”
“I’ve worked with Dana Sue long enough to know a lot of things,” he said.
“She blabs?”
He laughed at her indignation. “No, I have amazingly astute powers of observation for a man. Plus, I hear
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