Read Online The Daughter He Wanted by Kristina Knight - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kristina Knight
Ads: Link
have a romantic relationship with Paige, but he wanted to kick her parents in the shins to make them straighten up.
From what he could see Paige was the perfect daughter. He’d done some checking and learned she volunteered making receiving blankets for a charity hospital in St. Louis. She was a teacher and she was raising an amazing kid! How could her parents not see all the wonderful things about her?
She brushed against him as she took the last of the glasses to the table and a hot zing of pleasure rocketed from the light contact at his shoulder to his groin.
Eventually his body would get the message that his brain already knew: Paige was the mother of his child. She might become his friend. She was not going to be his girlfriend.
The table was quiet as they passed plates of food around.
“My friend at the gallery wants to know when you might have another piece for him,” Dot said, her gaze intent on Paige. “There is a big show for local artists coming up at the end of the month, you know.”
Paige took a bite of her salad and chewed slowly. “I’m focused on school during the year, you know that. My students need all of my attention.”
“Paige, these offers aren’t made lightly, dear, and they won’t be made for long if you keep turning them all down.”
“Is the painting in your living room for school?” Alex interrupted, sensing Dot was about to go on a tangent. “The white daisy?”
She shook her head. “That one is for Kaylie, actually. She wanted something pretty in her room. Didn’t you?”
Kaylie nodded, her wavy hair bouncing around her shoulders. “I wanted something warm so when the snow comes after Christmas my room won’t be so cold.”
“The painting was beautiful. I don’t know a lot about art, but I liked it.” He had. It wasn’t finished and he’d only caught a glimpse but the pretty garden in the painting reminded him of Paige. Her home. Herself. Pretty and interesting.
“Thank you.” She mouthed the words across the table and Alex lifted his shoulder. Paige grinned and finished her salad.
“So you are painting, then?” Dot was like a dog with a bone and Paige rolled her shoulders, as if relieving tension. He could only imagine how her mother’s nagging affected her but ordered himself to focus on the chicken, not the woman. “You have the chance to really make something of yourself, Paige. Teaching painting to uneducated children who don’t understand Impressionism much less the Renaissance isn’t using the talents you were blessed with—”
* * *
“I LIKE MY JOB, MOTHER ,” Paige interrupted before her mother could really get going. This was the same argument they’d been having since before Kaylie was born, and unlike when she was a child, Paige didn’t need her parent telling her she was wasting her talents. As much as she liked painting she was no van Gogh. Besides, she liked teaching, and she had told her mother so. For the millionth time. “I like educating the children about art history, and I can see how their work changes with that knowledge throughout the year. Some of them are really good.”
“But, sweetheart—”
“Mommy’s paintings are the best in the school. I seen them in the library.” Kaylie enunciated the last word. She had barbecue sauce all over her face and she turned a megawatt smile to Paige. Dot shot an annoyed look at Kaylie.
Alison scraped her chair back. “Who wants dessert? I know I’d love some chocolate cake.” She looked around the table at the still-half-full plates. “Okay, chocolate cake it is. Kaylie, why don’t you help me cut a few slices?” She held out her hand and Kaylie jumped up from the table.
“Can we cut them in shapes?”
“Sure, kiddo,” Alison said as she slid the glass doors open. “We’ll make cutout cake slices.”
Their voices trailed off as she slid the door closed behind them. She refused to have the rest of this conversation before virtual strangers so Paige turned to the
From what he could see Paige was the perfect daughter. He’d done some checking and learned she volunteered making receiving blankets for a charity hospital in St. Louis. She was a teacher and she was raising an amazing kid! How could her parents not see all the wonderful things about her?
She brushed against him as she took the last of the glasses to the table and a hot zing of pleasure rocketed from the light contact at his shoulder to his groin.
Eventually his body would get the message that his brain already knew: Paige was the mother of his child. She might become his friend. She was not going to be his girlfriend.
The table was quiet as they passed plates of food around.
“My friend at the gallery wants to know when you might have another piece for him,” Dot said, her gaze intent on Paige. “There is a big show for local artists coming up at the end of the month, you know.”
Paige took a bite of her salad and chewed slowly. “I’m focused on school during the year, you know that. My students need all of my attention.”
“Paige, these offers aren’t made lightly, dear, and they won’t be made for long if you keep turning them all down.”
“Is the painting in your living room for school?” Alex interrupted, sensing Dot was about to go on a tangent. “The white daisy?”
She shook her head. “That one is for Kaylie, actually. She wanted something pretty in her room. Didn’t you?”
Kaylie nodded, her wavy hair bouncing around her shoulders. “I wanted something warm so when the snow comes after Christmas my room won’t be so cold.”
“The painting was beautiful. I don’t know a lot about art, but I liked it.” He had. It wasn’t finished and he’d only caught a glimpse but the pretty garden in the painting reminded him of Paige. Her home. Herself. Pretty and interesting.
“Thank you.” She mouthed the words across the table and Alex lifted his shoulder. Paige grinned and finished her salad.
“So you are painting, then?” Dot was like a dog with a bone and Paige rolled her shoulders, as if relieving tension. He could only imagine how her mother’s nagging affected her but ordered himself to focus on the chicken, not the woman. “You have the chance to really make something of yourself, Paige. Teaching painting to uneducated children who don’t understand Impressionism much less the Renaissance isn’t using the talents you were blessed with—”
* * *
“I LIKE MY JOB, MOTHER ,” Paige interrupted before her mother could really get going. This was the same argument they’d been having since before Kaylie was born, and unlike when she was a child, Paige didn’t need her parent telling her she was wasting her talents. As much as she liked painting she was no van Gogh. Besides, she liked teaching, and she had told her mother so. For the millionth time. “I like educating the children about art history, and I can see how their work changes with that knowledge throughout the year. Some of them are really good.”
“But, sweetheart—”
“Mommy’s paintings are the best in the school. I seen them in the library.” Kaylie enunciated the last word. She had barbecue sauce all over her face and she turned a megawatt smile to Paige. Dot shot an annoyed look at Kaylie.
Alison scraped her chair back. “Who wants dessert? I know I’d love some chocolate cake.” She looked around the table at the still-half-full plates. “Okay, chocolate cake it is. Kaylie, why don’t you help me cut a few slices?” She held out her hand and Kaylie jumped up from the table.
“Can we cut them in shapes?”
“Sure, kiddo,” Alison said as she slid the glass doors open. “We’ll make cutout cake slices.”
Their voices trailed off as she slid the door closed behind them. She refused to have the rest of this conversation before virtual strangers so Paige turned to the
Similar Books
