Rory (Hope City #7) - Maryann Jordan Page 0,62

Thank God Sandy and I don’t have to go through that. A wrinkle settled in his brow as he realized that his mom had met Sandy as Harper’s Maid of Honor—not his girlfriend. Thinking of his mom’s reaction when one of her children found a significant other, he sucked in a deep breath. Great… just fuckin’ great.

20

“Where on earth did that man of yours get sunflowers this time of year?”

Sandy looked over the tall vase of beautiful yellow flowers and grinned at Todd. “I have no idea, and I hope he didn’t spend much, but they’re gorgeous!”

“They are beautiful,” Barbara said. “I wonder why he got sunflowers?”

“He said they reminded him of me.”

Todd and Barbara stared at each other, clutched their hands together, and “awwed” at the same time. Laughing, Sandy looked down as her phone rang. “Oh, dear, it’s my dad.”

“Time to leave,” Todd quipped, and with Barbara’s hand still in his, they headed out of her office, shutting the door behind them.

“Hey, Dad,” she greeted.

“Sandra, how are you?”

“I’m good. Busy. How’s Martha?”

“She’s itching to have you come for dinner. She was going to call, but I told her that I would since I haven’t talked to you in a while.”

Martha was her father’s wife, one he married long after Sandy’s mom walked out when she was a child. For all the tales of a wicked stepmother, they were completely wrong when it came to Martha. She was as nurturing as Sandy’s mother was not. And considering that for years she’d been left to her grandmother’s loving-but-strict care, Martha was like a breath of fresh air when she entered their lives. As an adult, she and Martha were friends, but as much as she was working, she hardly had time for anyone anymore.

“Well, just let me know when you’re available, and I’ll clear my schedule,” she said.

“Your Aunt Judith said that you might have a date to bring along to the dinner.”

Stunned, she jerked, her mind racing as she tried to imagine where she and Rory had been that her stuffy Aunt Judith would have seen them. “Um…”

“He’s quite the catch, Sandra. I didn’t think you acted like you cared for him much, but with his portfolio, he’s very up-and-coming.”

Blinking, she stared at her sunflowers, trying to discern who her father was talking about. Before she had a chance to ask, he continued.

“Anthony’s father has given him a lot of responsibility with that new building. I put the bug in their ear that they should consider you for the interior designer. Glad to see they took my advice.”

Her face grew hot, and she wondered if it was possible to explode from an overload of irritation. “I can’t believe you told the Partridges to hire me! Dad, how will I ever be taken seriously in this business if you stick your nose in where it’s not wanted?”

“Now, hold on, Sandra. I only mentioned to them that you were an interior designer. I didn’t tell them to hire you. They did that on their own. Anyway, it seems like it finally brought you and Anthony together.”

If her head had not exploded yet, she was sure if the conversation with her father continued, it might. “Dad, I’m not dating Anthony. If Aunt Judith saw me, it was because we had a working luncheon. I’m not interested in Anthony, but I am dating someone else. So, if Martha wants to extend the invitation to him as well, that’s fine. If not, then I’ll work a visit to see you two when I can. But for now, I need to get back to work. Love you, Dad. Goodbye.”

She was not surprised that five minutes later her phone rang again. This time the caller ID let her know her stepmother had been filled in by her dad. She sighed heavily, although she knew that Martha would be much more receptive to her dating news.

“Hi, Martha. Before you try to subtly find out what’s going on, I’ll give you the scoop. Yes, I’m dating someone. No, he doesn’t belong to the same country club that Dad does. In fact, he doesn’t belong to any country club. Yes, he’s wonderful. No, he doesn’t work in business. He’s a paramedic. And yes, I really, really, really like him.”

Laughter burst forth through the phone, and she relaxed, hearing Martha’s appreciation of her rendition. “Oh, Sandy, I can’t wait to meet him.”

“Look, Martha, I don’t mind bringing him to dinner, but I’m not going to have Dad grill him about