The Red Hat Society's Domestic Goddess Read Free

it some time. But I have to ask you something, Mom.”
    “Of course you can stay here.” But it was a little late to ask that since he’d apparently already brought some stuff down
     to Pop’s old apartment. It consisted of a bedroom, a bathroom, and a family room, with a little kitchenette in one corner.
    Steven blinked, surprised again. “Well, that, too. I didn’t think…”
    “It’s okay.” That he hadn’t asked her first. “Don’t worry about it.”
    Obviously he didn’t think she had a life. But she did and she actually needed more time for it. She’d thought she’d only had
     Mitchell left to marry off before she could retire her tiara and take that time for herself.
    There was someone else she’d flirted with the idea of making time for, though, but it was definitely too soon for him. And
     Millie was so old-fashioned, she’d never actually learned to flirt. Was it as easy as getting a dye job?
    “Mom? Are you okay?”
    She nodded, pushing the crazy thought from her mind. She didn’t really need anyone or anything else in her life. Even with
     Pop married and moved out, it was too full now for her to fit in all the things she wanted to do, like shopping and gambling
     excursions with her Red Hat Society chapter, The Red Hot Hatters of Hilltop. She’d always wanted to travel, but Bruce had
     been such a homebody, and they’d had Pop and the boys to take care of then, too. She really wanted to take a cruise like several
     members of her Red Hot Hatters often did. She blew out a resigned sigh before assuring Steven, “I’m fine, just tired.”
    He snorted. “From cleaning Mitchell’s place. I would have moved in with him, but I couldn’t stand his mess.”
    Which multiplied by Steven’s would have given Millie nightmares. She would have had to beg Mitchell to hire a maid.
    “I’m happy to have you here,” she insisted. But she hoped it wouldn’t be for long. While she wouldn’t mind his company, Steven
     belonged home with his family. Theconnection between a mother and child as strong as ever, she could
feel
his heart breaking, and hers ached, too.
    He let out another ragged sigh. “Thanks, Mom. I need to ask you for another favor, though.”
    “Anything.”
    “I need you to go…” he drew in a quick breath, “to my house.”
    He couldn’t call it home. He’d only been gone a few hours, but he couldn’t call it that anymore. Panic pressed on Millie’s
     heart. She refused to believe it was too late, though. Maybe she could still help.
    But how could she, who had never interfered before, interject herself into the middle of a battle between a husband and wife
     when she had no real idea what their problems were?
    “Steven, I don’t think it’s my place…”
    “I just need you to pick up my briefcase. I’ve looked through the boxes I brought downstairs.”
    Boxes? He’d already moved
boxes
of his stuff from his home to the basement?
    “And I checked the trunk again. I can’t find it. I brought it home with me to do some work this afternoon. Can you go get
     it for me? I can’t go back there.”
    “Steven, you’re going to have to… for Brigitte.”
    “I can’t go back
because
of Brigitte. It’s too soon. We all need time to adjust.”
    Millie worried that he was adjusting pretty quickly, then she saw his eyes and the tears he couldn’t blink away. He was hurting,
     and he didn’t want his daughter to see him in that kind of pain.
    Millie
hated seeing him in that kind of pain.
    “Of course.” She blinked fast, pushing back her own tears. “I’ll go right now.” And give him a chance to pull himself together.
She
needed one, too.
    She’d conveniently left the car running for a quick getaway. Hands trembling, she opened the door, then tossed the duster
     into the backseat. She rammed the Taurus into reverse, then glanced into the rearview mirror
after
she’d already started moving. Too late.
    A man stood behind the car, his outstretched arm clutching a leash.