by Peggy Webb
Hugs,
Bea
Chapter One
“Mother, this is a foolish thing to do.”
“Bea has grown fond of the idea.”
“What I think about my sister’s opinion won’t do to tell.”
Glory Ethel Adams studied her son. Her Sammy was a fine figure of a man: tall, handsome and well built, with the black hair and eyes of his daddy. He was smart, too. President of the bank and on every board that was worth being on in Florence. The governor of Alabama even consulted Samuel Adams on financial matters.
There was no doubt about it, Samuel was a powerful man... and a son to be proud of. But she did wish, just this once, he’d remember that family didn’t need so much bossing and telling what to do.
She shifted in her chair and fanned herself with the letter in her hand. It was hotter than usual and it made her wish she’d lost that fifteen pounds she’d been planning to lose since Christmas. But it was too late for that now.
Rising from her chair, she smoothed out the letter and placed it on her son’s desk.
“Just read the letter, Sam. It might change your mind.”
Samuel didn’t usually lose patience with his mother, or with anybody else for that matter, but this business of marrying a man she had met through Match.com was enough to make a saint curse.
He shoved the letter aside.
“I know all I need to know about Jedidiah Rakestraw. He’s some old codger who is clever enough to take advantage of a lonely divorcee with money.”
Glory Ethel burst out laughing.
“I don’t see a damned thing funny about that, Mother.”
“I’ve never had a lonely day in my life, and Jed is fifty! Furthermore, I don’t give a hoot in a fiddle about the money. I’d give it all to the first beggar who came along if you didn’t have it tucked away in safe investments.”
His mother was impossible. That’s all there was to it. Impatiently, Samuel picked up the letter and scanned its contents. It was even worse than he expected.
Folding it into a neat rectangle, he stood up and came around the desk. Maybe he could reason with her.
“He sounds educated enough, I’ll grant you that.”
“He’s brilliant. He’ll give me plenty of intellectual stimulation. And now I’ve made you sweat, I’ll let you in on a little secret. He made so much money in the stock market, he was able to retire at the age of forty-eight!”
“It’s not intellectual stimulation I’m worried about; it’s his family. Just listen to this.” He reopened the letter and began to read selected passages. “‘You’ll love the way Molly has turned out. She’s grown into something of a hellion—a woman after your own heart, if I’m not mistaken. As you know, she went to Paris to study art and became an artist’s model. I expect every art collector who is anybody knows about the famous nude statue Venus de Molly.”
Sam lifted one sardonic eyebrow to show what he thought of that.
“I think it’s cute, Sam.”
“What I think won’t do to tell in polite society.”
“Good lord, Sam. You act as if I’m marrying a perfect stranger. He’s Molly’s daddy, for goodness’ sake. You remember that cute little girl who went to summer camp with Bea and remained her friend all these years.”
“Good lord, Mother. You act like we know these people. I could count on my fingers the number of times Bea has actually seen this girl.”
Glory Ethel chuckled. “It’s not the end of the world.”
No, he thought. It was just the end of everything he’d worked for these last twenty years—rebuilding the family fortune and the family name. Venus de Molly. Good Lord!
He studied his mother. He didn’t want to hurt her; all he wanted to do was convince her not to make a foolish mistake. Briefly he consulted the letter again, looking for arguments to win his case.
“And if that scandalous daughter isn’t enough, there are his friends. What kind of man has friends who have a double wedding with their dogs... and serve an Alpo wedding cake at the reception?”
“A lively man. And I intend to marry him.” Ethel picked up her purse, the hefty summer straw bag that held everything from lipstick, which she seldom used, to a dog-eared copy of The Canterbury Tales, which she did use. Sometimes she fancied herself to be the Wife of Bath.
Samuel knew that stubborn look on her face. He tried one last ploy.
“There’s no telling what impact this man will have on us. His daughter is a nude model. We don’t need another scandal in the family. Just think about it awhile longer.”
“I’m fifty-two, and I intend to strike while the iron is hot.”
Sam didn’t even want to think about his mother’s hot iron.
She patted his cheek. “Sam, you’re a smart man and I respect your opinion, but I’ve never taken orders from my children, and I don’t intend to start now. I’m going to marry Jedidiah Rakestraw. And there’s not a damned thing you can do about it.”
“He’s already got you cussing.”
“That’s not all he’s liable to do. I might even take up gambling and lying and heavy petting.”
“Good Lord, Mother! Can’t you be serious? You don’t even know this man.”
“Yes, I do. He came to Florence last month for the specific purpose of getting to know me. And if you weren’t so all-fired stubborn, you’d know him, too. He wanted to meet you.”
“I had a business meeting in Montgomery.”
Glory Ethel relented a little. After all, it wasn’t Sam’s fault he was so bossy. He’d had to be the man in the family since he was fifteen. She patted his stern face once more.
“Sammy...Sammy. Come with me to Tupelo. Jedidiah and I want our children to get to know each other before the wedding.”
“He knows Bea. That’s enough.”
“All our children.”
“I can’t think of a single reason I’d want to know a woman who gets paid for taking off her clothes.”
“For starters, she’s going to be a member of the family.”
Not if he had anything to do about it. But he knew better than to tell his mother that. His legendary stubbornness was inherited from her.
“I’m going to Tupelo with you, but this doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about the Rakestraws. I’m only going to take care of you and look after the family’s interests.”
Glory Ethel smiled. Sam was a dictator, but he was a benevolent and reasonable one. She was counting on the Rakestraws to change his mind… especially Molly. Venus de Molly. How intriguing.
Samuel kept one eye on his mother as he picked up the phone to make arrangements with the Rakestraws. He knew that self-satisfied smile on her face. It meant nothing but trouble.
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About Peggy Webb
Peggy Webb is a USA Today Bestselling author from Mississippi with 70 books to her credit. She writes romance and the hilarious Southern Cousins cozy mystery series starring Elvis, the basset hound who thinks he’s the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll reincarnated. Her peers call her a “comic genius.” She also writes literary fiction under the pen names Anna Michaels (for Simon & Schuster) and Elaine Hussey (The Sweetest Hallelujah, MIRA, July 30, 2013). Pat Conroy calls her literary work “astonishing.” This critically acclaimed author has won many awards, including a Romantic Times Pioneer Award for creating the sub-genre of romantic comedy. Several of her romances have been optioned for film.
Peggy is a member of Novelists, Inc., Authors Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Romance Writers of America. She is excited about bringing her romance classics back to readers as E-books. The award-winning Touched by Angels and A Prince for Jenny, as well as the Donovans of the Delta series, have all been Kindle Top 100 bestsellers.
Follow the author on her websites: www.peggywebb.com, www.elainehussey.com and www.annamichaels.net and on Facebook and Twitter
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Other E-Books from Peggy Webb
Classic Romance
Dark Fire
A Prince for Jenny, sequel to Touched by Angels
The Edge of Paradise
Duplicity (Rave review, RT Reviewer’s Choice)
Where Dolphins Go (RT Reviewer’s Choice, women’s fiction, optioned for film)
Night of the Dragon (time travel romance)
Christmas in Time (time travel, prequel to Only Yesterday)
Only Yesterday, (time travel, sequel to Christmas in Time)
Summer Jazz
Taming Maggie (#1 on romance bestseller list)
That Jones Girl (sequel to the Mississippi McGills series)
The Donovans of the Delta Series:
Donovan’s Angel (Paul Donovan’s story)
Sleepless Nights (Tanner Donovan’s story)
Hallie’s Destiny (award winning book, Hallie Donovan’s story)
Any Thursday (Hannah Donovan’s story)
Higher Than Eagles (Jacob Donovan’s story)
The Mississippi McGills Series (spin-off from Donovans of the Delta)
Valley of Fire (Rick McGill’s story)
Until Morning Comes (Jo Beth McGill and Colter Gray Wolf’s story)
Saturday Mornings (Andrew McGill’s story)
Forever Friends series
Can’t Stop Loving You (Book 1, Helen’s story)
Only His Touch (Kat’s story, Book 2)
Bringing Up Baxter (B. J.’s story, Book 3)
Angels on Zebras (Maxie’s story, Book 4)
Romantic Suspense, originally published as Bantam Fanfare
Witch Dance
From A Distance
E-books Coming Soon
The Secret Life of Elizabeth McCade
Southern Cousins Mysteries, Peggy Webb (available in print and e-books)
Published by Kensington
Elvis and the Dearly Departed, 2008
Elvis and the Grateful Dead, 2009
Elvis and the Memphis Mambo Murders, 2010
Elvis and the Tropical Double Trouble, 2011
Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse, 2012
Coming SOON
Jack Loves Callie Tender (prequel to the series, digital only)
Elvis and the Bridegroon Stiffs, Book Six of the Southern Cousins Mysteries
Novels written as Anna Michaels (available in hardcover and e-book)
The Tender Mercy of Roses ( Gallery, Simon & Schuster)
The Language of Silence (Gallery, Simon & Schuster, coming December of 2013)
Novels written as Elaine Hussey (available in trade paperback, e-book, and audio)
The Sweetest Hallelujah (MIRA, July 30, 2013)
