Bannon Brothers
Page 38
“That must be her gallery,” Bannon said.
“Yes.”
He switched off the ignition. “Want to walk from here?”
“Just give me a minute to think.”
“You okay?”
“I’ll be fine.”
He leaned back and studied the quilts, squinting at the crazy, joyful patterns.
“Let’s go,” Erin said suddenly.
Bannon sat up and opened his door, getting out. When she didn’t move, he went around to her side and leaned in, giving her a kiss on the cheek. “If you want to go alone, I understand.” He looked at his watch for a fraction of a second. “We’re about half an hour early.”
“Oh. I don’t want to sit here. Come with me.” She looked up at him with a touch of panic.
He opened her door and she got out, not bothering with brushing her hair or straightening her top. Erin reached for his hand.
There was no one on the porch when they got to the house and she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Then they heard a crash from inside. A quilt on the lower railing billowed out and a huge black-and-white cat shot off the porch in pursuit of a small critter that vanished in less than a second.
“Max, you’re nothing but a nuisance! That was my new vase!” a kind voice said with a trace of annoyance. The woman who’d spoken opened the screen door and stepped outside, looking down at the swinging cat flap at the bottom.
Bannon just stared. Luanne looked so much like Erin, it took his breath away. Older, yes, with a few pretty wrinkles that said she liked to smile, with shorter hair, and not as willowy as her daughter—but just as beautiful.
Erin gave a low gasp and Luanne turned. It was as if Bannon wasn’t there. The woman’s blue eyes widened. Her hello died away.
“I—I remember you,” Erin said slowly. Tears welled and ran down her cheeks. “I thought I wouldn’t. But I do.”
She stood there, stunned. Bannon took her arm to steady her but Erin brushed his hand away and took a step forward.
“Oh my God. It’s you,” Luanne whispered. “I told myself I wouldn’t believe it until I saw you. It’s true. You’re really here.”
Erin rushed up the stairs into her mother’s open arms. Bannon didn’t know what to say or do. He wasn’t going to cry. But he wanted to.
Damn. Not like him. He went around the porch to find Max and get his jeans carefully sniffed for evidence of a feline rival. He would soothe the cat with a chin scratch. Something to do. They could hang out together for a few minutes. Mother-and-daughter reunions like this didn’t happen every day.
In a little while, he heard Erin call his name. Luanne’s lilting voice joined in. He strolled around back to them, followed by the cat.
“I see Max has made a friend,” Luanne said. She was a little more composed, but only a little. “He has good taste. So you’re the famous Bannon, huh?”
“Guess so. What has she been saying?” He gave Erin a wary look.
“Only good things. Champagne or lemonade? I have both in the fridge.”
Bannon looked into Erin’s wet eyes and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “Lemonade for me. I think we should save the champagne for later.”
“Tell you what,” Luanne said brightly. “You two can take the bottle and have a picnic on the beach at sunset all by yourselves. This celebration is just beginning. You aren’t going home until tomorrow, right?”
“That’s right. And a picnic sounds good to me,” he said to Erin. “What do you think?”
She laughed and went into his open arms, resting her hand over the buttoned pocket. Erin looked up at him, then to her mother, who was leading the way into the house. The screen door closed behind Luanne.
“Bannon, what is that?” Erin murmured. Her finger traced the circle in his pocket until he caught her hand by the wrist.
“Um, that’s the little thing that keeps falling off the other thing on the dashboard thing. I put it in my pocket while you were sleeping.”
Erin gave him a dubious look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“That’s because it’s the first time you’ve been in my car. And you were asleep practically the whole way.”
“But—” she began. He touched his lips to hers. She tried again. “It feels like a—”
Bannon bent down and kissed her until she stopped asking questions. Then they went up the steps with their arms around each other’s waists, a little flushed and a lot happy. Luanne let the door swing wide, not minding the frosty pitcher of lemonade that sloshed in her other hand.
“My goodness.” She chuckled. “Maybe I shouldn’t say this, but you two certainly look like a couple.”
“We are,” Bannon said.
Erin pinched him on the side. He didn’t bat an eye.
“Really?” Luanne looked delighted. “I couldn’t be happier. Come on in and tell me more.”
They went inside, laughing.
If you liked this Janet Dailey book,
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TO SANTA WITH LOVE!
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SOMETIMES YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
Summer’s over and the leaves are falling . . . and free-spirited Jacquie Grey plans to head west and start a whole new life. Her solo road trip is going great—until she collides with rancher Choya Barnett in Arizona. Good thing that no one’s hurt. But she can’t afford to fix her car until he proposes hiring her to take care of his little boy and his house. Too bad it’s only temporary—the tall, handsome Choya is a serious temptation. . . .
UNTIL YOU FIND IT . . .
Jacquie and Choya begin an unlikely friendship, fueled by a fierce, unspoken attraction and a desire to find something real they can each hold onto. Before they know it, Christmas and all its joys are around the corner—along with the wonderful gift of lasting love. . . .
KENSINGTON BOOKS are published by
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Copyright © 2011 by Janet Dailey
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.
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Library of Congress Card Catalogue Number: 2011927357
ISBN: 978-0-7582-5576-1