Girls in Love Read Free

it could have brought the more timid to tears. She was going to give her mother a piece of her mind. The words were already forming on her lips when her mother turned around and flashed the biggest smile Greer had practically ever seen on her.
    “Darling!” her mother cried theatrically, holding her arms out from the end of the porch. An expansive, blue ocean stretched beyond her silhouette, the horizon dotted with white sails.
    Greer was nearly distracted—she’d forgotten howutterly beautiful it was here—but instead she scowled. “You look like someone just gave you a six-carat diamond necklace.”
    Cassandra Hallsey blinked innocently, as if she couldn’t care less about diamonds, which was patently untrue. Sometimes Greer thought that if given the choice between her daughter and the Hope Diamond, Cassandra would take the latter. Greer’s mother waved her outstretched hands, motioning Greer closer. “Darling, this is Michael. He is a lobsterman; isn’t that fascinating? He came to drop off today’s catch for our dinner.”
    Greer looked at the man who was standing on their porch in a faded T-shirt and wrinkled canvas pants. She saw that he was nearly speechless in the face of Cassandra’s flirtations. Greer almost felt sorry for him. Cassandra Hallsey was a force of nature, and she looked as good as money could make her; she’d had her share of Botox and then some, and she’d taken private Pilates classes every day for nearly a decade.
    Michael smiled at her, and Greer had to admit that he was cute, all suntanned and windblown. But still—he was half her mother’s age, and he spent his days killing fish.
    “Hi,” she said coolly.
    “He says that a yellowfin tuna can weigh up to four hundred fifty pounds! Isn’t that incredible?” Cassandra gushed. She tossed her coppery hair over her shoulder.
    Greer turned to her mother and realized, belatedly, that Cassandra was wearing Greer’s own Tommy Hilfiger miniskirt. The nerve! Greer thought. Even if it did look pretty good on her—Cassandra had great legs, almost as good as Greer’s—it was totally ridiculous. When did her mother turn into such a cougar?
    Greer knew one thing for certain: She was not going to be competing for male attention with her mother. That was simply unacceptable.
    Michael cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was telling this pretty lady here—”
    “My mother ,” Greer interrupted.
    “Um, yeah. I was telling her that yellowfins like to swim with dolphins, because dolphins are better at finding the little fish that yellowfins like to eat…” He trailed off uncertainly.
    “Fascinating,” Greer deadpanned. She reached out and grasped her mother’s arm. “Don’t you have a manicure appointment to schedule?”
    Cassandra pulled away playfully, her green eyes sparkling. “First I have to pay this man for his delightful services.”
    Ugh , Greer thought. The way her mother said it made it sound like Michael had done a lot more than drop off the fish for the big Tuttle reunion dinner. Gigolo much? Greer almost asked him. But she knew he was innocent—whatever was happening between the two of them was all her mother’s doing.
    Michael handed Cassandra the bill, and Cassandra took it from him gratefully, like it was a bouquet of roses. She leaned against the railing to sign it, making sure she gave the fisherman a good eyeful of her tanned, full bosom.
    Michael stared—how could he not? Only a priest would be able to ignore those things.
    When Cassandra returned the bill along with a stack of twenties, Greer half expected her mother to give him a kiss. But instead she gave a playful wave and a big, still-beautiful smile. “Don’t be a stranger,” Cassandra called as Michael headed down the steps to the beach.
    Greer waited until he was out of earshot. She took a sip of her Evian and said coolly, “You’re wearing my skirt.”
    Cassandra turned to her, her face a mask of innocence. “Well, it fits me so perfectly. How many