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“The easy chair will be sufficient. I can’t be dozing with a wedding to plan.”
Caleb brushed a lock of hair off her forehead. “Hey, trust your mom and sisters and Bobby and me to take care of all that, will you? You need your rest. You’ve got a pair of babies to deliver, you know.”
She smiled a little nervously. “I want it simple, Caleb. No doves or violins or…or goose liver.”
He made a silly pout. “Bobby, call the Pope and tell him we won’t need him to perform the ceremony after all, will you?”
“Very funny,” she said. But she saw the odd, speculative look Bobby sent them.
Caleb was already helping her to her feet, walking her into the living room and lowering her to the sofa. He tucked a stack of pillows behind her before ordering her to lie back, and then he stuck a few more under her feet. “I read that elevating the feet can ease the strain on the back.” Even as he said it, he pulled off her shoes, let them thud to the floor.
“When you have time to do all this reading is beyond me,” she muttered, deciding to give in to the pampering. She was achy and tired, and it felt good to be babied. That tiny voice of doubt whispered at her not to get too used to it, but she brushed it aside.
“Wait till you hear what I’ve learned about potty training.” Caleb winked at her. And she thought that it wouldn’t be so bad to live with this guy. At least…if that was what he intended.
She wondered if it was. Wished it could be. Hated herself for daring to wish such a big wish.
She fell asleep on the sofa in spite of her determination not to, and the nap was easily a couple of hours long. But the commotion in the kitchen woke her up at once. The deep booming voice belonged to some man who had no qualms about speaking at full volume. “Are you out of your mind! What are you thinking?”
“Hey, just a goddarn minute, mister fancy-suit! Who in all hades do you think you are, storming into my kitchen, yellin’ like a lunatic, anyway!” Vidalia’s tone was just as loud and twice as mean.
Maya started to get to her feet just as Kara reached the foot of the stairs. “What’s going on out there?” Kara asked.
“Damned if I know,” Maya said. “Help me!” She held out a hand. Kara took it and pulled her to her feet. The yelling was still going on when the two of them walked into the kitchen. A man in a calf-length black wool coat stood just inside the door, having apparently just come in from outside. He leaned on a gleaming brass-handled walking stick. He had a face like a mountain of solid granite, after it had been blasted through to make room for a road to pass. Chiseled and lined and hard…but only on one side. The other side seemed oddly lax. The man towered a good six feet tall, even though he was leaning over just slightly, weight on the walking stick. He was waving a newspaper around in his other hand and saying, “Get out of my way, woman! This doesn’t concern you!”
Vidalia was in his face, her forefinger poking him repeatedly in the chest to emphasize her words, “It’s my house, mister, and you’d better believe anything in it concerns me!”
Behind her, Caleb shrugged. “You gotta admit, she has a point, Dad.”
Maya gasped, and the three of them turned around, spotting her there. Caleb quickly took Kara’s spot beside her, his arm sliding protectively around her shoulders, his gaze doing a quick scan of her face. One she was getting used to. He was always looking at her like that, as if checking to be sure she was okay. As if he could see in her eyes if she wasn’t.
“Maya, I’d like you to meet my father, Cain Caleb Montgomery the Second.” She looked from Caleb to the older man, who was scowling hard. “Dad, this is Maya. Soon to be your daughter-in-law and the mother of your first grandchildren.”
“Over my dead body,” the old man growled.
Vidalia leaned up into his face. “That can be arranged.”
He glared at her, one eye narrowing slightly more than the other.
“Mom, please,” Maya said, moving out of Caleb’s embrace to place a calming hand on her mother’s shoulder. Vidalia moved aside at Maya’s urging, and Maya stood before her future father-in-law. A more intimidating presence she couldn’t even begin to imagine. Even with the obvious damage the stroke had dealt him, he was an imposing man. But she lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “I understand you being upset about this, Mr. Montgomery. But I promise you, I would never do anything to hurt your son or your family.”
His brows went up. “I’m not sure if you’re a good actress, woman, or if you’re as clueless as you pretend to be, but trust me, the harm has already been done. And continues to be done.”
“Father—” Caleb began, a deep threatening tone in his voice.
“No, Caleb, let him speak. Please. I want to hear how he thinks I’ve harmed your family.”
“Our reputation! Our line! By God, girl, we can’t have a girl of your background muddying up our family tree!” He shook the newspaper again. “Illegitimate, they say! Father was a bigamist, for landsakes! Ties to organized crime. Mother who—”
“Mother whowhat?” Vidalia asked, gripping the front of his shirt in her fists.
He stopped talking, looked down at the woman. “You? You’re the saloon-owning mother?”
“You’re damn straight I am, mister, and I’m about to forget my manners and toss your sorry carcass out into the nearest briar patch.”
He blinked down at her, his eyes wide.
“Mom,” Maya said, “at least this one didn’t call you a barmaid.” Not that she expected it to help.
