“Stop worrying.” He pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. “You’re going to be a big hit. I promise.”
“You said your mother can be difficult.”
“For lack of a better word. But don’t worry, she’ll behave. And if she gets out of hand, I’ve got your back.” With that, he pushed open the door and announced their arrival.
Too late to turn back now, she thought, squaring her shoulders and pasting on a friendly smile. She stepped into Jeremy’s childhood house, struck by how well the inside matched their front yard, cheery and bright. Welcoming to strangers. Her shoulders dropped in relief. “What a beautiful home,” she breathed. What had she expected? The Spanish Inquisition?
Jeremy nodded. “Jade’s responsible for much of the décor. She managed to convince Mom to update a bunch of the rooms with a splash of color. Wait till you see the living room. It’s in through here.” He waved her through the foyer and to the left.
They moved into the living room, decorated in varying shades of greens with a honey-hued, wide-planked floor and beige carpets placed strategically beneath comfy-looking floral furniture. The place wasn’t expansive like the homes she was accustomed to living in and visiting, but she could sense the love and care that went into its upkeep.
He introduced her to an older blonde woman, conservative compared to her artsy son with his earrings and tats. She was warm and courteous as promised, inviting Elizabeth and Jeremy to grab a seat while she fetched their drinks.
“Can I help?” Elizabeth asked, eager to learn the source of the delicious scent wafting into the room. As was becoming her habit since moving upstate, she’d consumed two cups of coffee for breakfast and worked through lunch, grabbing a power bar or sandwich whenever she got the chance. She’d managed to drop a few pounds, so maybe the new routine wasn’t as bad as her family would think if they knew.
“Don’t trouble yourself. Jeremy told me how much you’ve been working with that new shop of yours. You look like you could use a healthy slice of strawberry rhubarb. I just made some, so you’re in luck.” Mrs. Engel turned to her son. “Want a slice?”
“Sure. Cut Elizabeth’s extra-large.” He teased. “This woman’s got a sweet tooth like Grandma Bertie.”
Mrs. Engel smiled. “Jade and your grandmother should be back soon. I think they’re curious.” She threw Elizabeth an apologetic look before disappearing into the kitchen.
Uh oh. Maybe his mother wasn’t the one he should’ve warned her about. Maybe the inquisitors were on their way. She glanced around the room, considering her exit strategy.
“That’s a good sign.” Jeremy spoke softly, as if being careful to avoid being overheard by his mother in the next room.
She turned to him. “What is?”
He tugged her hand gently to sit with him on the sofa. “I told my mother that you loved strawberry rhubarb, that it’s your favorite dessert from the Adirondacks. I think she’s trying to impress you.”
His mother returned with their plates and forks, setting them on the coffee table in front of the sofa before sitting in a nearby chair. “So?” She looked between them then lifted her hands as if eager for their rating.
Elizabeth took a bite of the concoction, the sweet and sour a perfect mixture for her taste buds, the crust firm yet moist. “Mmm. It’s delicious. Thank you.”
“Terrific as usual,” Jeremy added. “Did I tell you Elizabeth enjoys baking, too? From what I hear, she can make a mean strudel.”
“Is that so?” Mrs. Engel beamed at her. “I could never get that one quite right.”
“I’d be happy to make it with you sometime, if you’d like,” Elizabeth said. “If you can show me how to make those kraastengels Jeremy has raved about.”
“That would be nice, dear.” His mother shot him a look of approval then turned back to her. “I’d really like that.”
“Oh, there’s Grandma and Jade now,” Jeremy observed, standing to peer out the front bay window. He turned to his mother, who’d also risen from her seat. “I’ll help with Grandma.”
Elizabeth focused on devouring another forkful of dessert while Jeremy was in the foyer and Mrs. Engel disappeared into the kitchen again.
Soon Jeremy returned with a spunky, gray-haired woman on his arm.
Elizabeth rose to greet the elderly lady.
“Grandma Bertie, I want you to meet my friend, Elizabeth.”
“Friend? You mean lady friend, don’t you, boy?” The old woman teased with a glint in her bright blue eyes.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Engel. I’ve heard so much about you.” So this was the woman she should thank for those gorgeous baby blues he’d inherited.
“Help me over to the sofa so I can get a better look at her.”
“Grandma, you’re full of it.” A younger version of Jeremy’s mother stepped into the room. “You can see just fine. In fact, you probably have better vision than all of us combined since your cataract surgery.” Jade rolled her eyes for Elizabeth’s benefit.
So this was the older sister Jeremy admired so much. “Nice to meet you.” She smiled and nodded.
Jade smiled back before looking around. “Where’s Mom?”
“I’m right here.” Mrs. Engel appeared with a tray of glasses filled with pink lemonade and more plates of pie. She suspected Jeremy had told his mother about her favorite Adirondack beverage, too. It was very sweet the way his family was welcoming her. Would hers go out of their way for him, or would they suspect his motives for dating her and view them as an unequal match like Jeremy assumed?
“Please call me Grandma Bertie, dear. Everyone else in town does.”
The elderly woman sitting next to her on the sofa pulled Elizabeth’s thoughts back to the present. “That’s very kind of you, ma’am, I mean Grandma Bertie.”
Handing a glass of lemonade to her mother-in-law and Elizabeth, Mrs. Engel addressed her two adult children. “Since I have the two of you here, would you mind helping me move that furniture in Jack’s old bedroom up into the attic? I keep asking your father but he keeps forgetting.”
Jeremy turned to Elizabeth. “You mind?”
“I’ll keep your lady friend company while you help your mother.” Grandma Bertie teased her grandson with a mischievous wink.
Elizabeth waved a hand in dismissal. “I’ll be fine.” An Engel version of the Inquisition was about to start. Unable to think of a graceful way to get out of it, she had no choice. Game on.
The old lady waited for the three to disappear upstairs before setting her glass on the table and turning to Elizabeth. “So, you’re the reason my youngest grandchild has been so happy this summer. We enjoyed a lovely Sunday dinner at his home recently and I heard you were behind it. I was disappointed you weren’t able to join, but I’m pleased to finally meet you. I want to hear all about you.”
Wow. Jeremy had opened his home to his family. Good for him. He really was moving forward like he’d said. “I’ve really no idea where to start. I don’t want to bore you with the details.”
“Start from the beginning, dear. Those are always the best stories, don’t you agree? And don’t worry about boring an old lady, I get excited just by waking up every day.”
Elizabeth had to smile. “Well, I guess it makes sense to start with how I ended up moving to the Adirondacks…” She gave Grandma Bertie the abridged version of her family connection with the region, leaving out the part about her great-grandfather’s company and subsequent wealth. With some prodding from the older woman, she also shared her dreams for the future and how Jeremy and she had met.
“Ah, what lovely stories. But you have yet to share what I really want to know. Do you love him?”
Elizabeth took a long gulp of her drink and smiled. “I like him very much. We have lots of fun together.” And she smiled some more.
But Grandma Bertie wasn’t fooled, not one bit. Her gray curls bobbed as the old lady bounced in her seat with excitement. “Welcome to the family, young lady.”
&nbs
p; Elizabeth froze then shook her head. “No, I didn’t mean that. We’ve just met.” If Grandma Bertie repeated what she’d just said to Elizabeth, who knew how he would react? He’d made it clear on their first date that night at the drive-in that he would show her a good time, but he had no plans to settle down. It wasn’t his gig.
Wise blue eyes pinned hers. “What are you waiting for, girl?”
She shrugged. “Like I said, we’ve just started dating.” And I need him to say it first.
“The boy’s pushing thirty,” the elderly woman announced, her tone adamant. “My husband had four mouths to feed by that age.”
“Times are different.” Jeremy and she were different.
Grandma pointed to a low bookshelf on the opposite wall. “Would you do an old lady a big favor and bring that album over here?”
Grateful for the change in subject, Elizabeth fetched the heavy leather-bound photograph album. “This is heavy.”
His grandmother laughed, her wrinkled fingers caressing the cover of the album now on her lap. “Should be, it’s filled with forty years of my memories.” She patted the sofa next to her. “Sit. I want to tell you about Jeremy’s family since, being a man, he will hardly do that himself. Engel men tend to be on the quiet side, you must know.”
The sounds of furniture scraping along overhead floors had ceased a few minutes ago, but the three other Engels were still nowhere to be seen. Mrs. Engel must have located another chore she wanted checked off her honey-do list while she had willing helpers around. Or, was getting Elizabeth alone with Grandma Bertie the plan all along? Sugar her up with her favorite treats then divide and conquer by stealing away Jeremy so his grandmother could work her magic. She smiled. She’d have to keep a close eye on those older Engel ladies.
“Of course.” Elizabeth settled in, eager to learn more about the complex man she adored. She turned the pages on account of the old woman’s arthritis and listened while Jeremy’s grandmother shared interesting details about her own courtship and pointed out photos of various Engel relatives.
“Ah, and there we are, my Al and me, at Jeremy’s baptism.” The old woman’s eyes shone with a mixture of love and sadness.
Elizabeth’s eyes moved from the adorable baby in his grandmother’s loving arms to the pretty daisy pin on her jacket and pointed to it. “So pretty. Love it.” Where had she seen that piece before?
The older woman laughed. “I think that boy adored my brooch from the time he first set eyes on it. Funny. I’d planned on giving it to my granddaughter. You don’t know Jade well yet, but you’ll learn soon enough that she’s a tad on the tomboy side. Not one for dressing up and wearing jewelry. I’m surprised she agreed to wear a wedding band.”
Elizabeth tried to focus on Bertie’s words, but her mind was working overtime, trying to match the daisy pin in the photo to one she remembered seeing in real life.
“But Jeremy adored it. It only made sense that I gave it to him when I moved to Florida after my husband died.” She smoothed her hand over the photo and spoke in a hushed voice. “Don’t tell the others, but your new beau was always my favorite grandchild. We had a special bond. True, he was my youngest grandbaby, but more than that, he loved reading from the age of two, and did you know, I was an English teacher—how do you young people say it?—back in the day. I’m so proud of him. He always loved playing with words as much as fighting with his brother, Jack.”
Elizabeth’s heart tugged at the woman’s show of support for her grandson having published. To her, he was a success because he’d followed his dream. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t making money at it yet. She glanced back at the photo, her eye drawn to the jeweled flower once more. “Where did you get the brooch, if I may ask?”
“Oh, let’s see.” Bertie patted the image. “It’s been in the family for a few generations. My grandfather gave it to my grandmother before he went to war then it was passed onto my mother and then me. I had it appraised once. It has value not so much because of the number of jewels, but more because it’s a custom piece, crafted by a jeweler who later made some of Tiffany’s most popular designs at the turn of the century.”
Footsteps clattered down the stairs and soon Jeremy entered the room. “How are my two favorite ladies?” He smiled, moving to sit next to Elizabeth.
The woman glanced at her grandson. “I’d be fine with her getting the brooch.”
Jeremy stiffened. “Why do you say that?”
“This reminded me,” Grandma answered, tapping the photo before covering a yawn with a wrinkled hand.
At that moment, Jeremy’s mother and sister clattered down the stairs to join them. Jade held a huge cardboard box in her arms.
“Amazing how much stuff of ours is still in the attic,” Jade announced. “Just found this when I was searching for that rock collection Ben and I had as kids.” She pulled out a yellowed drawing pad. “Want it?” she asked her brother.
Jeremy stood and accepted the item from his sister. “Yeah, thanks.” He addressed his mother. “I’ll go through all those boxes in the attic once cool weather hits.”
“You ready for a rest, Grandma Bertie?” Jade asked.
The old woman nodded, her eyes drooping. “I could use a soak first.” Grandma Bertie winked at Jeremy and Elizabeth as soon as her daughter-in-law and granddaughter left to fetch the old woman her requested items. “That’ll keep them busy for a few minutes.” She patted Jeremy’s shoulder with a frail hand. “You need to grow up one day. I won’t be here forever to watch over you.”
“Now, you don’t like people bossing you around, why would you want to boss me, Grandma? I do things in my own sweet time, just like you.”
“No, just like my Al.” She leaned against the arm of the sofa.
He held out a hand for Elizabeth and she stood, confused. He didn’t plan on leaving already, did he?
“Well, I hate to leave so soon, but Elizabeth and I have to go. Forgive me?” He flashed his grandmother that heart-melting smile no woman could resist.
“You get that from your grandfather, too.” Grandma Bertie patted the side of his cheek as he leaned down to kiss her goodbye.
“It was nice meeting you, Grandma Bertie.” Elizabeth called over her shoulder, following Jeremy out of the room.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, dear. Don’t be a stranger, now, you hear?”
They met Jade and Mrs. Engel in the foyer.
“You’re not going, are you?” Jade asked, this time carrying a large container of steaming water.
Jeremy answered for the two of them. “Grandma’s exhausted. You know she won’t rest unless we leave.”
Elizabeth glanced up at him. They both knew Grandma had been acting. What was the real reason he was in such a hurry to leave now? Was it something that happened while he was upstairs or something his grandmother said when he returned?
“Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to our baking session.” His mother reached out to give her a brief hug in spite of the box of Epsom salts she held in one hand.
“Thanks for the pie and lemonade. Really hit the spot.” Elizabeth turned to his sister still standing there with the heavy container.
Jade smiled. “Have Jeremy give you my number so we can get together over coffee or whatever when you have a chance.” She indicated her awkward load. “Well, I should get this to Grandma before the water cools.” She nodded and blew a kiss in their direction then headed toward the living room.
Mrs. Engel gave her son a quick hug and kiss before she also disappeared into the living room.
Elizabeth turned with questions she wanted answered in time to glimpse the hurt in his eyes before he whipped open the front door and stomped down the walkway ahead of her.
She’d thought the visit had been going quite well. What had she done?
Chapter Thirteen
‡
Jeremy was quiet as they walked out to his new car parked outside his parents’ home. He opened the passenger door for her without a word and
she sat, inhaling the new car smell she loved as she watched him walk around the front of the vehicle. He slipped into the driver’s seat next to her and, before she could say anything, turned the stereo system’s volume high. She sat back, willing to give him his space.
As they neared private road that led to her rented summer house, he finally spoke. “You mind if I don’t come in tonight? I have work to finish.”
Okay, so she’d told herself the past ten minutes that she was overreacting, that he wasn’t avoiding talking to her but instead was merely enjoying the pleasure of his new vehicle. But there was no denying the truth now. His guard was back up. What the hell had happened at his mother’s house? “You want to talk about it?”
He slowed the car as he navigated the long, narrow road. “What?”
“Whatever it is that made you change your plans, rush out of your parents’ house. I thought we may even stay there, hang out until your father got home from his shift. You had mentioned something along those lines originally, yes?”
He looked down at his hands gripping the steering wheel.
“Do I embarrass you?”
His head snapped up. “Never.”
“Then tell me, what’s the problem? You usually can’t wait to get me alone. Has the novelty worn off so soon? Do you have regrets?” She hated the hurt she heard in her voice as she uttered those last words, but she had to know. He wasn’t going to send her away without telling her the truth. She deserved that, at the very least. She rubbed her arms through the thin silk of her blouse.
“Cold?” He spoke above the country artist crooning about summer nights in Alabama.
She shook her head and gazed at the house coming into view as Jeremy drove into the large circular drive. After experiencing the Engels’ cozy, welcoming home this afternoon the Warrington’s house suddenly struck her as foreign and pretentious.
He stopped the car, turned off the music, and parked. “What’s wrong?”
His Kiss (Summer in New York Book 2) Page 12