“Do you even know if he’s available?”
“Well, of course I do. I had a friend in the clerk’s office look at the paperwork he submitted his first day on the job. He’s definitely not married now, and as far as I can tell from asking around, he’s never been married.”
“He might have a fiancée or a girlfriend in Charleston or in the last place he worked,” Jeanette improvised, not wanting to suggest he might be interested in someone else right here in Serenity. “For all you know he takes off every Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with a woman he’s planning to marry.”
“I suppose that’s possible,” Mary Vaughn conceded, her expression thoughtful. Then she waved the suggestion aside. “Come on, Jeanette, he’s in his midthirties and he’s never been married. Don’t you think that’s strange?”
“I’ve never been married,” Jeanette responded. “Is that strange?”
Mary Vaughn dismissed that idea, too. “Heavens no, sugar. I can tell you’re just choosy. You’re not going to settle for any ol’ man who comes along, and why should you? With your looks, you can have any man you want.”
“If only that were true,” Jeanette commented dryly.
Not a single one of her supposedly serious relationships had led to marriage. She’d played second best to other women, to sports, to a career, and in one disastrous instance, to the man’s mama. She’d finally resolved to break that pattern and never be anyone’s second best again. If a man couldn’t put her first, she didn’t want him. And based on Tom’s declaration about his own plans to move on, to say nothing of his unfortunate tie to a woman who’d tried to ruin her, a relationship with him didn’t seem like a good route to go.
Determined to change the subject, she replaced the warm towel over Mary Vaughn’s face. “Leave that there,” she instructed. “I’ll be right back. Try to relax and let those moisturizers do their thing.”
Mary Vaughn murmured something Jeanette couldn’t understand, which was probably just as well. She liked Mary Vaughn well enough most of the time, but one of these days the woman was going to make some nasty comment about someone Jeanette liked and she was going to lose control and stuff that towel right down her throat!
* * *
Tom looked up from the pile of requisitions on his desk to find his mother standing in the doorway, her expression uncertain, her arms laden with fabric samples.
“Mother, what on earth are you doing here?” he asked as he rushed to relieve her of her burden.
“I told you I was going to buy new drapes for your office,” she said with a touch of impatience. “I brought a few samples so you can choose what you like.”
Tom had forgotten all about the offer and his promise to make sure that no one in town would object. “I’m afraid you’ve wasted a trip,” he told her, dumping the fabric onto a chair. “I haven’t even spoken to the mayor about whether it would be appropriate for you to do this.”
“Well, where is he? Let’s ask him right now. Surely no one can object to your own mother paying for drapes.”
Truthfully, they probably wouldn’t, but Tom didn’t give two hoots about what kind of material hung by the windows in his office. Ironically, he wasn’t entirely convinced his mother did, either, despite her apparent enthusiasm for the project.
“Sit down,” he said. “Talk to me. What’s this really about? Normally you’re so busy I don’t even hear from you for weeks on end. Suddenly all you can focus on are my drapes. I don’t get it. Are you bored, Mother?”
“Heavens, no. I have so many obligations, sometimes I can’t fit them all in.” Despite her convincing words, she avoided his gaze as she spoke.
“Then why are you wasting time choosing drapes for my office?”
She squirmed uncomfortably. “Because you’re never around and I miss you,” she admitted finally. “I know you want to avoid your father and his constant criticism, but that means you don’t spend any time with me, either. You’re my youngest, and my only son.”
He grinned at her. “And your favorite,” he teased.
“Don’t start that with me, young man. Mothers don’t have favorites.”
“Then why isn’t it enough for you that my sisters and their families are all right there underfoot?”
“Because they’re older and they’re settled. They’ve made good marriages and are filling their homes with children. You’re all alone. I worry about you. I won’t be around forever. You need someone in your life, a woman of substance who will challenge you and see to your needs.”
Tom barely contained a sigh. “Not this again, Mother. I’ll marry when I find the right woman.” Then he thought about her offhand comment about not being around forever. “You’re not ill, are you?”
“Of course not,” she said at once. “It’s just that you said something in Charleston to suggest that you might have met her,” she reminded him. “But when your father and I came over here hoping for at least a glimpse of her, the only woman we saw was the one who scooted off before we could even be introduced.”
“I told you—”
“I know, she’s on some committee with you,” his mother interrupted, clearly exasperated with him. “But is she the one?”
“Mother, you’re getting way ahead of yourself. I swear to you that if I get serious about anyone, you’ll be the first to know.” He walked over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “And no more talk about you not being around forever. You’re not even sixty, for goodness’ sakes. You’ll be pestering us all for years to come.”
She gave him a wan smile. “I hope so.”
He bent and picked up the samples. “Why don’t I haul all this fabric back to your car and then take you to lunch at Sullivan’s.”
Her eyes lit up. “Do you have the time? The meal we had there was surprisingly good. I’ve mentioned it to several of my friends.”
“I’m sure Dana Sue will appreciate that,” he said wryly, knowing that the restaurant was already booked to capacity most evenings.
They took his mother’s silver Cadillac over to Sullivan’s, where the parking lot was already jammed with cars. Dana Sue greeted them at the door, looking frazzled.
“Obviously, you’re not part of this invasion by the Red Hat Society,” she said to Tom. “Hello again, Mrs. McDonald. It’s nice to have you back. We’re a bit crowded, but if you’ll give me two minutes I’ll get a table set up for you in the bar area. Will that be okay?”
“It’ll be fine,” Tom assured her. “Thanks, Dana Sue.”
His mother was gazing around the packed room. “I’ve heard about these Red Hat women,” she said. “They look as if they’re having fun, don’t they? And I love all those red hats and purple accessories. They’re a bit garish, but very lively.”
“They sound lively, too,” Tom said, listening to the roars of laughter.
“I’ve spotted several groups like this around Charleston at various restaurants,” his mother commented. “Most of the women seem to be my age or older. I wonder what they do.”
“Maybe Dana Sue can tell you that,” he suggested just as she returned to lead them to a table as far from the commotion as possible. “Dana Sue, do you know anything about what these Red Hatters do?”
“I don’t know that they do anything in particular,” Dana Sue said. “I just know they come in once a month for lunch and seem to have a wonderful time. I’ve always thought everyone should take that kind of break from their hectic lives, get together with friends just to catch up and laugh. Helen, Maddie, Jeanette and I do that from time to time, but not nearly enough these days.”
A young waitress rushed up. “Dana Sue, crisis in the kitchen!”
“I’m on my way,” Dana Sue assured her. “You’ll have to excuse me. Someone will be over to take your order in a minute.”
“Go, we’re in no hurry,” To
m said.
He glanced up then and saw Jeanette rushing through the front door. She smiled when she saw him, but the instant she spotted his mother, dismay flashed in her eyes and she bolted.
“Mother, I’ll be right back,” he said, hurrying after Jeanette as she sped toward the kitchen.
He entered the kitchen right on her heels to find chaos as Dana Sue, Erik and their sous chef tried to keep up with the rush of orders. Dana Sue spotted Jeanette first, then Tom.
“If you two need a quiet corner to talk, this isn’t it,” she said as she dished up chicken salad with walnuts and grapes on a row of plates. “Go in my office.”
“I’m just here to pick up Maddie’s order for the café,” Jeanette said, ignoring him. “She’s tied up with a vendor.”
“Five minutes,” Dana Sue said. “And out of my kitchen, both of you.”
Tom exited at once, then held the door for Jeanette. “Since you have to wait, now’s the perfect time for you to say hello to my mother. Perhaps you can both put that unfortunate incident behind you once and for all.”
Jeanette frowned. “Unfortunate incident?” she said, her voice low. “Please. I won’t let you try to minimize what happened, Tom. Your mother tried to ruin me. If I’d worked for a boss other than Bella, she might have succeeded.”
He was about to tell her not to be so dramatic when his mother stepped up beside him.
“Is everything all right?” she said, her words directed at him, but her gaze locked on Jeanette.
Tom saw the precise instant recognition dawned. His mother looked as if she’d just tasted a sour lemon.
“You!” she said, practically quivering with indignation. “I’m not entirely surprised to find you in this nothing little town. I imagine Bella ran you out of Charleston.”
Bright patches of color darkened Jeanette’s cheeks. She shot an apologetic look at Tom, then drew herself up to face down his mother. This wasn’t going to go well. He could tell even before she opened her mouth. Since he couldn’t decide which of them to drag away, he was forced to let it play out.
“Actually, Bella supported me one hundred percent,” Jeanette told his mother. “I’m in Serenity because I had the opportunity to manage spa services at an exceptional new spa. I’ve been here for three years. We’ve gotten rave reviews from the media and our customers.” She fixed her gaze on his mother. “And you know the most amazing part, not one single customer has ever complained about her skin care here. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me I’m darn good at what I do and that if someone had a problem with a treatment, just maybe it was because she never told me she was allergic to certain ingredients.”
Undaunted by Jeanette’s suggestion, Tom’s mother gave Jeanette her haughtiest glare. “You are a very rude young woman,” she declared. “And incompetent, as well. I have half a mind to call your current boss and report exactly what you did to me.”
“Mother,” Tom protested, “you’ve known about your allergies for years.”
“That’s not the point!” his mother huffed.
“It’s exactly the point,” Jeanette said. “You knew you were in the wrong, but you tried to get me fired anyway. What gives you the right to toy with someone’s life that way? Is it just because you’re rich and you think you can get away with it? People like you make me sick.”
Tom winced. Jeanette was obviously out of patience and way beyond thinking about the consequences of her words. He was tempted to clamp a hand over her mouth, but in her present mood, she was likely to bite it.
“Forget about trying to make trouble for me again,” Jeanette continued. “My current boss has heard all about you and, believe me, none of it was flattering. For another thing, you spreading these lies amounts to defamation of character and my attorney has already advised me I should sue.”
His mother regarded her with shock. “You wouldn’t dare!”
Jeanette’s eyes blazed with righteous indignation. “Try me,” she said, not backing down an inch.
His mother blinked rapidly, then turned on her heel. “Tom, suddenly I’m not at all hungry. We should go.”
“I’ll be right there, Mother.” He met Jeanette’s gaze. She was looking just a little shaken. “Did you really have to do that?” he asked mildly.
She winced. “What? Stand up for myself? Yes, I believe I did. It was something I should have done four years ago when the unfortunate incident happened.”
He shook his head, then gave her a quick kiss. “Just so you know, you were formidable. I’ll call you later.”
And then he left to try to make amends with his mother, not on Jeanette’s behalf, but on his own. He probably should have jumped to her defense, but he’d been so taken aback and, yes, impressed by Jeanette’s tirade, he hadn’t been able to interrupt. The woman was amazing...and just a little scary!
* * *
Outside, he found his mother in the passenger seat of her car, all but quivering with outrage. “How well do you know that little trollop?” she inquired.
“Careful, Mother,” he warned as he slid behind the wheel. “Jeanette is a friend.”
His mother looked horrified. “Well, I forbid it!” she declared.
Tom laughed. “I’m a little old for you to be deciding who my playmates should be.”
“I’m telling you that woman is a menace. I don’t care what she says, I’m calling her boss to report her.”
Tom’s expression sobered at once. “No, Mother, you’re not doing that.”
“I most certainly am. I believe I’ll call the licensing board or whatever it is that regulates that business, as well.”
“You do that, and you and I are done,” he told her quietly.
She looked startled for an instant, then her gaze narrowed. “Why do you mind? You should be grateful that I’m taking care of the matter before she stirs up bad publicity for one of your businesses here in town. Unless this woman means more to you than you’ve admitted.”
“Let’s leave my friendship with Jeanette out of this,” he said. “Don’t you think that you trying to get her fired will stir up bad publicity? Come on, Mother, that’s exactly what you want. You’re hoping to publicly humiliate her, even though you were the one at fault.”
She touched a hand to her cheek. “If you’d only seen what she did to me,” she said, her expression miserable. “My face was covered with these huge red blotches. And I had to attend a major event that night wearing so much makeup I’m surprised my face didn’t crack.”
“You could have stayed home,” Tom suggested. “You’ve had hives before when you’ve tried a new skin lotion that contained whatever ingredient it is you’re allergic to. Jeanette was absolutely right about that. You should have told her about your allergy.”
His mother regarded him with dismay. “Why are you taking her side against your own mother?” she asked, then gasped. “She’s the one, isn’t she? She’s the woman you’re interested in.”
Tom debated giving an evasive answer, but what would be the point? They might as well have this out here and now. “Yes, she is. And I would consider it a personal favor if you would drop this whole ridiculous matter. You were more at fault than she was, and you know it.”
“Thomas Winston McDonald, don’t you even consider getting involved with that woman!” she commanded. “Aside from my issues with her, she is beneath you. She does facials, for heaven’s sake. You need to find a woman who’s your social equal, not some little trollop who’s probably a high-school dropout.”
Tom regarded her with pity. “I warned you, Mother,” he said quietly, opening the door and exiting the car. “We’re done here.”
“Thomas, get back in this car,” she demanded.
He closed the door and walked away. He knew this wouldn’t be the end of it. By nightfall, his father would know all about his i
ll-advised choice of female companionship and then things would really get out of control. On days like this, he wished they’d just write him off and stay the hell out of his life.
* * *
When Jeanette returned to the kitchen to pick up Maddie’s order, she felt sick to her stomach. She had never in her life talked to anyone the way she had to Mrs. McDonald. On one hand, she was exhilarated to have finally spoken up to a woman who was little better than a bully. On the other, that woman was the mother of a man she was attracted to.
She wove through the chaos in the kitchen, found a stool and sat down out of the way. Sighing, she grabbed one of the huge iced red-hat sugar cookies Erik had made for the group’s dessert and bit into it.
“Don’t let Erik catch you with that,” Dana Sue murmured, pausing next to her, several boxes of baked goods for the spa in her arms. She set them down. “Are you okay? You look a little flushed.”
“I told off Tom’s mother,” she admitted.
“Oh boy,” Dana Sue said, regarding her with sympathy. “How’d that go?”
“Let’s just say I don’t think she and I will ever be bosom buddies,” Jeanette said wryly.
“How about Tom? Whose side did he take?”
“I think he was too stunned to say much, but he didn’t seem mad at me.” She grinned, despite her mood. “To tell you the truth, I think he was on my side. He said he’d call me later.”
“Good for him,” Dana Sue said. “Some men have trouble choosing a woman they like over their own mother.”
“Been there, done that,” Jeanette told her. “Tom gets real points with me for not jumping immediately to her defense and for keeping an open mind.”
“Enough points to get you to go out with him?”
Jeanette sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Dana Sue pulled up another stool. “Okay, I have about two minutes. Let’s talk about this. You’re attracted to him, right?”
Jeanette nodded.
“Then what’s holding you back?”
“I already know how it’s going to end.”
Welcome to Serenity Page 12
