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“Bad for the town?” He started to smile.
“You’re getting us a terrible reputation.”
He ran a hand over his hair.
“Let me get this right. You planned this so that I wouldn’t spend a weekend with another woman?”
“Well done. You caught up, Einstein,” she said angrily. Then she thought about it. “For the town’s sake. Not mine.”
“Right.” He tried not to a grin. “For the town.”
He zipped up his boots and stepped towards Kirsty.
“I’m going to sort that out.” He pointed to the front window and watched her wince with guilt. “You call your mum.”
She frowned at him.
“As for you,” he said. She gulped. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Before she could object, he leaned towards her and kissed her hard.
“Crazy women,” he muttered as he went to sort out the damage.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Just when Lake thought that things couldn’t get any more complicated, his parents turned up. He was standing outside his shop, supervising the glaziers as they installed a new pane of glass, when the old converted school bus rolled to a stop beside him. Rainne flew out of the shop behind him and ran at the bus.
“Eric, Joyce.” She squealed with delight as she bounced on the spot, hardly containing her excitement at seeing them.
Lake continued to watch the guys fit the glass. He wasn’t going to even pretend that his folks were there for him.
“Darling,” his mother said as she climbed down from the bus. “You look wonderful. Are you drinking those teas I sent you?” Rainne nodded. “I thought so. Your skin is glowing.”
Lake suspected the glow had more to do with young Alastair than with the herbal teas his mother had sent. His father came around from the driver’s side of the bus. All long, loose limbs as usual, and still as skinny as a pole. He hugged Rainne with his usual detached air.
“You came,” Rainne gushed. “I didn’t think you would.”
“And miss the big show?” Joyce said.
Although anyone could tell by looking at her that she was mystified by the whole thing. Lake scoffed to himself. If it wasn’t a “cause” then it didn’t usually penetrate the fog around his mother’s head. And the lingerie shop definitely wasn’t a cause. He was surprised they’d bothered to make the trip.
Then it hit him. They had an ulterior motive. He looked at Rainne’s beaming face and wished she wasn’t so damn trusting. With an inward sigh, he went to greet his parents. It was glaringly obvious that they weren’t going to bother greeting him.
“Mum. Dad,” he said with a nod.
His dad looked at him blankly and his mother pursed her lips with disapproval. At thirty-eight, parental approval was low on Lake’s list of priorities.
“I wish you would use our names,” his mother said. “We do have them, you know?”
“I know,” Lake said.
They stood in silence while panic grew in Rainne’s eyes. His sister was like a weather station, tracking the moods of everyone around her.
“So,” his mum said, turning to Rainne. “This is your shop.”
She smiled, but she didn’t fool anyone. She wasn’t impressed.
“Technically, it’s Lake’s shop,” Rainne said.
