Total pages in book: 143
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 132834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 664(@200wpm)___ 531(@250wpm)___ 443(@300wpm)
I’d rather deal with her in Asheville than have her come to the Manor and have to explain to everyone why my former mother-in-law had shown up out of the blue. And more than that, I wanted to keep her away from Nicky until I got a feel for what she wanted and how far she was willing to go to get it.
It was a simple matter to take a few hours off in the middle of the day. Griffen raised an eyebrow, but didn’t ask for further explanation. Fortunately, Hope wasn’t in the room. If she’d been there, I wouldn’t have gotten out so easily. She would have sensed my angst immediately and badgered me until I told her. After finishing my morning duties and seeing Nicky off to school, I sifted through my clothes for something to wear.
Even though I was grateful for the way my friends had helped me unpack and organize my closet, I realized this morning that my clothes consisted mainly of multiple copies of my housekeeper’s uniform and more pairs of jeans, leggings, and t-shirts than I needed considering I spent most of the week in that uniform. I had a few pairs of khaki pants and shorts and two Heartstone Manor polo shirts for the occasional days I pitched in on cleaning with Kitty and April.
The narrowest sliver of my closet consisted of the handful of dressy clothes that had made the move from Richmond. When I’d quit my corporate job and moved home, I ditched my office wardrobe, knowing I’d have neither the space nor the occasion for those clothes anytime soon. Right now, I would have given a lot for just one power suit.
I finally settled on a gray sheath dress more suitable for slightly warmer weather, a patterned silk scarf Lydia had given me years ago, and a forest-green cardigan with fluttery sleeves. Realizing I was running late, I added tights and a pair of low-heeled booties. I twisted my hair into a low bun, grabbed my purse, and raced for the car. I’d forgotten how long it took to get dressed when I wasn’t just throwing on my uniform.
The late morning sunlight filtered through the trees and dappled the mountain road in front of me, doing nothing to alleviate the tight knot in my stomach. It wound ever tighter as I closed the distance between Sawyers Bend and Asheville. The hour-long drive flashed by. It had been years since I visited the historic stone inn Lydia had chosen for our meeting.
Built on Sunset Mountain a decade after Heartstone Manor was finished, the Grove Park Inn had some of the best views in town. When I was a girl, my mother would take me there for the annual gingerbread competition. As I parked my car and walked through the grand reception area, its massive fireplaces burning cheerfully, I decided Mom and I should revive the tradition for Nicky. We could make a day of it. See the gingerbread houses, have lunch, maybe take Nicky to that arcade in West Asheville August and Thatcher had been raving about.
I managed to distract myself with fun ideas for a day in Asheville with Nicky and my mother, putting Lydia out of my mind for the few minutes it took me to find my way to the Sunset Terrace dining room. Gorgeous views, fantastic food. And, unfortunately, Lydia.
Relax, I told myself. You don’t even know for sure what she wants.
I walked down the long hallway to the dining room, gearing myself up for a fight and not focusing on what was around me. When Lydia came out of the ladies' room, she surprised the hell out of me. When her eyes hit me, her face lit with a bright smile, and she came toward me with her arms spread wide. Not the greeting I was expecting.
She looked the same as ever, her short, rounded frame stylish in red wool slacks and a matching tailored jacket trimmed in pink and red. Her frosted blond hair was sprayed firmly into the same sleek bob she’d had as long as I’d known her.
I leaned down to her embrace, the cloud of her overly sweet perfume clogging my sinuses until I had to bite back a sneeze. Gingerly, I squeezed her back.
“Lydia, it’s so good to see you,” I lied.
“I’m sure it’s not,” she said crisply. “I know you’ve been dodging me and I’ve been hounding you, but I decided this has gone on long enough.”
She pulled back and looped her arm through mine, leading me to the hostess stand, reminding me for a moment of the woman I’d known when Oliver and I had first started dating. Bossy and authoritative, but affectionate and welcoming.
Maybe—
No. Too much had happened, and we couldn’t go back. I’d never again be that young girl in love, and Lydia would never be the mother-in-law of my dreams.