Page 532 of Summer Heat
“Yeah.” He tsked. “She worked in a factory. It made her sick.”
“I’m sorry.”
He inclined his head. “I missed her very much for a long time, but it has been five years. It is not so sad anymore. My children are happy. That’s good.”
In the long driveway, Louise finally heard Lance’s car. He came in a moment later, wearing an expression she had not seen since his youth. It was sheepish, a sheepishness he tried to hide with a grin. With her alert mother’s eyes, she took in the dishevelment of his hair and frowned.
But when Tamara came in, unable to hide her blush, Louise saw Lance take her arm protectively.
Louise smiled. “Did y’all have a good time?”
Lance’s hand slid down Tamara’s arm and closed around her hand, as if to give the woman strength. “We sure did. Rode the Ferris wheel and got stuck.”
“Oh, no. Not at the top!”
Tamara widened her eyes. “Too close for me.” Her smile, shy and beautiful, flashed.
“I’m afraid of heights.”
Lance chuckled. “So is Tamara.” He nudged her. “Or at least she pretended to be.”
“He’s so irresistible,” Tamara replied dryly.
Louise gave her a wink. “He’s always thought so.”
“Hey, no fair ganging up on me.” He looked at Alonzo. “Jump in anytime.”
Alonzo nodded sagely. “I will.”
“How is Cody?” Tamara asked.
“Sound asleep. I gave them a snack and a quick bath and they went out like a couple of puppies. I promised I’d make French toast and strawberries for breakfast.”
Tamara looked abashed. “He’s never had a grandmother. It’s something I always wished for him.”
“Well, since none of my sons show any signs of giving me any more, it’s a pleasure for me and Curtis, too. The only reason we have children is to have grandchildren, you know.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Louise wanted to ask questions, wanted to probe a little, to see if there had been some past connection between Lance and Tamara. Heaven knew, he sure seemed to like her.
But Louise thought she’d know if Lance was hiding something. He was a terrible liar. If Cody was his son, he didn’t know it, and that might doom the budding romance between Lance and Tamara. Whatever you said about her devil-may-care middle child, he’d always had a strong sense of fair play.
Tomorrow, she’d see if she couldn’t get a little more information. For tonight—
Then she remembered. “Lance, you need to run down to the guest house and show Mr. Chacon how to light that old furnace before you run Tamara home.”
“Sure. If it’s okay with you?” he looked at Tamara.
Tamara went a shade or two paler as she cut an apprehensive look toward Louise. “I’ll just go peek in on Cody.”
She was hiding something. Louise would stake her life on it. She stood. “I’ll show you where he is.”
* * *
Tamara walked alongside Louise, down a luxurious hallway, thickly carpeted and hung with family photos. Everything was neat and tidy, and Tamara thought with despair of her own haphazard housekeeping. She was too busy to keep things this neat.
“You have a beautiful home,” she said politely.
