got my apple butter, anyway.” She patted her bag and then smiled at the man who was slowly pulling her closer.
“I assume you know Karen,” Mrs. Hogan said, gesturing toward the blonde woman who was standing next to her.
“Of course. Ramsey is a small town,” Terri told her.
“She could have a good deal more done, but at least she looks as if she’s trying,” Mrs. Hogan said.
Karen raised an eyebrow. “How kind,” she said faintly.
“Mother, I think that’s quite enough,” Lucas said. “You’re getting tired, I’m sure.”
“Tired is one word for it, anyway,” Mrs. Hogan replied.
“I’ll have the car brought around,” Lucas told her. “We’ll go back to the hotel so you can have a rest.”
“That’s probably for the best,” Mrs. Hogan agreed.
“Did you want to stay and enjoy the festival?” Lucas asked Terri.
“Not even a little bit,” she told him.
He laughed and then stepped forward to take his mother’s arm. “Let’s get you back to the car,” he said, glancing back at Terri and winking.
“You probably want to go home, don’t you?” he asked Terri as they pulled into the hotel’s parking lot.
“I have papers to grade,” she told him.
“Come back and have dinner with me,” he said.
“With us,” his mother interjected.
“With us,” he amended.
“What time?” she asked, trying not to sound as reluctant as she felt.
“Six?” he replied. “Mother prefers to eat early.”
“It’s best for one’s digestion,” Mrs. Hogan said.
The car stopped and the driver helped Mrs. Hogan out of the car.
“Jack can take you home and then pick you back up just before six,” Lucas told Terri. “Bring an overnight bag when you come back.”
She opened her mouth to object, but he was already walking away. The car drove her back to her house while she tried to decide what she wanted to do. By six, with all of her work out of the way, she’d decided that taking an overnight bag wouldn’t hurt. Thomas was staying with Ed again. She could sleep on the couch in Lucas’s suite and do even more to convince people that they truly were a couple.
When she reached the Riverside, the driver helped her out of the car and took her bag from her. “I’ll have this delivered to Mr. Hogan’s suite,” he promised her.
“Great,” she muttered before she walked into the building.
“Darling,” Lucas said, walking across the lobby to her. “I thought we could have dinner in my suite tonight.”
Terri was painfully aware of the crowd of people around them. It seemed as if they were all staring at her. “It will be nice to have some time alone with you and your mother,” she replied as he led her toward the elevators.
He opened a door on the top floor and then ushered her inside. “Mother won’t be joining us,” he said as he shut the door behind himself. “Today’s outing took too much out her.”
“Oh, dear. Is she okay?”
He shrugged. “I never know if she’s serious or simply being dramatic. Regardless, we should open a bottle of wine and celebrate.”
Terri giggled. “That’s a horrible thing to say.”
“But true,” he countered. He ordered wine while they looked at the menu together, then they sat down together with their wine in the small living room.
“The food should be here soon,” he said as he slid an arm around her. “Tell me about your first kiss.”
Terri took a sip of wine and then laughed. “I’m not sure I want to start telling those sorts of stories.”
“I’ll tell you mine first, if you prefer.”
Two hours later, full of wine and wonderful food, Terri felt as if she knew Lucas much better. They’d shared stories about first kisses, first crushes, first times, and first broken hearts. As she put her empty wine glass on the table, she yawned.
“Tired?”
“It’s been a long day.”
“We should go to bed.”
She nodded. “The living room only has loveseats, no proper couches. I assume there are two bedrooms in this suite?”
He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “Actually, there’s only one. I thought maybe we could share tonight,” he said before pulling her into a kiss that left no doubt in her mind exactly what Lucas had in mind for the rest of the evening.
Chapter 13
When Lucas lifted his head, he gave her a curious look. “Does that mean you’re staying?” he asked softly.
Terri took a deep breath. Spending the night with the man was a terrible idea, but she was still incredibly tempted. While she was still trying to work out what she wanted to say, Lucas’s