street, I’d feel the same way.”
“You do know her parentage is in question.”
“Of course it isn’t. Her parents were married for years before she was born and would still be together if her mother had lived. You knew her mother, remember? She was a gracious woman, and your good friend. You always referred to her as a true lady.”
“I don’t mean her parents. I’m referring to the first Hannah Tolliver who everyone knows had three or four lovers. You can’t be sure who the father was in a case like that.”
“Let me go to sleep, Mom. I’m not going to worry about something that happened or didn’t happen a century ago.”
“You may not worry, but I do. These are my grandchildren we’re talking about.”
“No, you may be talking about them. I’m going to sleep.” He pulled the blankets up to his chin and turned his back to his mother. After a few seconds, she left the room.
* * * *
Hannah dressed in jeans and a tee and pulled on a jeans jacket. “Okay, Melia, I’m ready.”
“Really, Hannah, really? You’re going like that?” Melia swept a hand over her own cropped top showing bare midriff and a flounce of a skirt that skimmed her bottom. She stomped a glitter-spangled, strappy stiletto heel. “How do I meet the man of my dreams if I tag along with a geeky friend who will be totally ignored by all red-blooded males?”
“I’m not trying to attract any men, red or blue or purple blooded.”
“I am. I can’t be seen in the company of a woman who doesn’t even try.”
“What would you have me wear? I’m too tired to argue. I’ll put on anything you say.”
Melia searched the walk-in closet and came out with a sheer, white blouse and a short white skirt and red, distressed leather boots. “Put these on.” She laid the clothes on the bed. “Sweep your stupid ponytail to one side and skinny these boots up your thighs.”
Hannah groaned but dressed in the outfit Melia chose. “Happy, now?”
“Your hair?”
Hannah tugged her ponytail to one side of her head. “That’s all I can do. Is it enough to attract your Mr. Right?”
“It’ll have to do, I guess. And I’m not looking for Mr. Right. I’m looking for Mr. Right Now.”
“This outfit will probably get me arrested,” Hannah mumbled. “Okay. Now, quid pro quo time. Will you do me a favor tomorrow?”
“Anything, sweet cheeks.” Melia appeared to be studying Hannah’s bottom.
Hannah tugged the hem of the short skirt. “I need some space tomorrow. My dad’s in his computer room. Go down and tell him I’ll be staying at your house tonight and that tomorrow we’re going shopping all day.”
“Are we?”
“No, I have somewhere to go tomorrow and my dad would have a fit if he knew.”
“Where? Can I come with?” Melia bounded down the stairs.
“To the mine and no, you can’t come.”
Melia ran into the room where Walter Janes sat at his computer. He put down the papers in his hand when he saw her.
“Daddy, Walt, I’m kidnapping your daughter for a couple of days. We have some serious shopping to do.”
“Okay, girls, have fun.” He waved to Hannah who stayed in the doorway because she couldn’t lie to her father’s face. She shook her head at his referring to her and Melia as “girls.” At twenty-four, they hadn’t been girls for years.
Melia turned to Hannah with a thumbs-up signal and a shrug. “Piece of cake,” she whispered as they rushed out of the library, into the vestibule and out the front door. “You driving or am I?”
Hannah drove because she needed her car tomorrow and feared she’d be stranded if Melia hooked up with someone tonight. Halfway through the movie, Melia disappeared into the lobby for the third time and never returned.
Hannah made her way to her car in the dimly lit parking lot. She saw Melia plastered to the side of a grey van with a hunk of a man leaning over her. Hannah watched for a few minutes until the man lifted Melia up to his groin and she
“You do know her parentage is in question.”
“Of course it isn’t. Her parents were married for years before she was born and would still be together if her mother had lived. You knew her mother, remember? She was a gracious woman, and your good friend. You always referred to her as a true lady.”
“I don’t mean her parents. I’m referring to the first Hannah Tolliver who everyone knows had three or four lovers. You can’t be sure who the father was in a case like that.”
“Let me go to sleep, Mom. I’m not going to worry about something that happened or didn’t happen a century ago.”
“You may not worry, but I do. These are my grandchildren we’re talking about.”
“No, you may be talking about them. I’m going to sleep.” He pulled the blankets up to his chin and turned his back to his mother. After a few seconds, she left the room.
* * * *
Hannah dressed in jeans and a tee and pulled on a jeans jacket. “Okay, Melia, I’m ready.”
“Really, Hannah, really? You’re going like that?” Melia swept a hand over her own cropped top showing bare midriff and a flounce of a skirt that skimmed her bottom. She stomped a glitter-spangled, strappy stiletto heel. “How do I meet the man of my dreams if I tag along with a geeky friend who will be totally ignored by all red-blooded males?”
“I’m not trying to attract any men, red or blue or purple blooded.”
“I am. I can’t be seen in the company of a woman who doesn’t even try.”
“What would you have me wear? I’m too tired to argue. I’ll put on anything you say.”
Melia searched the walk-in closet and came out with a sheer, white blouse and a short white skirt and red, distressed leather boots. “Put these on.” She laid the clothes on the bed. “Sweep your stupid ponytail to one side and skinny these boots up your thighs.”
Hannah groaned but dressed in the outfit Melia chose. “Happy, now?”
“Your hair?”
Hannah tugged her ponytail to one side of her head. “That’s all I can do. Is it enough to attract your Mr. Right?”
“It’ll have to do, I guess. And I’m not looking for Mr. Right. I’m looking for Mr. Right Now.”
“This outfit will probably get me arrested,” Hannah mumbled. “Okay. Now, quid pro quo time. Will you do me a favor tomorrow?”
“Anything, sweet cheeks.” Melia appeared to be studying Hannah’s bottom.
Hannah tugged the hem of the short skirt. “I need some space tomorrow. My dad’s in his computer room. Go down and tell him I’ll be staying at your house tonight and that tomorrow we’re going shopping all day.”
“Are we?”
“No, I have somewhere to go tomorrow and my dad would have a fit if he knew.”
“Where? Can I come with?” Melia bounded down the stairs.
“To the mine and no, you can’t come.”
Melia ran into the room where Walter Janes sat at his computer. He put down the papers in his hand when he saw her.
“Daddy, Walt, I’m kidnapping your daughter for a couple of days. We have some serious shopping to do.”
“Okay, girls, have fun.” He waved to Hannah who stayed in the doorway because she couldn’t lie to her father’s face. She shook her head at his referring to her and Melia as “girls.” At twenty-four, they hadn’t been girls for years.
Melia turned to Hannah with a thumbs-up signal and a shrug. “Piece of cake,” she whispered as they rushed out of the library, into the vestibule and out the front door. “You driving or am I?”
Hannah drove because she needed her car tomorrow and feared she’d be stranded if Melia hooked up with someone tonight. Halfway through the movie, Melia disappeared into the lobby for the third time and never returned.
Hannah made her way to her car in the dimly lit parking lot. She saw Melia plastered to the side of a grey van with a hunk of a man leaning over her. Hannah watched for a few minutes until the man lifted Melia up to his groin and she
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