Chapter 12
Sascha never encountered a stranger. Normally she felt comfortable with everyone, but meeting Gregory’s parents put her on edge.
His parents, both green-eyed blondes, appeared too eager to meet her.
Montague Landry gave her a light hug and was more subdued, yet she could sense he hoped she was the one Gregory had settled on to marry.
Janet Landry seemed almost desperate, eager to welcome her to their home, and gave her a hug that said she didn’t want to let go of her, afraid she would just vanish. Gregory couldn’t have told them he was dating her, could he have?
His mother chattered nonstop. Was she nervous? Normally, Sascha didn’t have an anxious fiber in her body, yet Mrs. Janet Landry wore her down.
“You know, dear,” she said as she led them into the den, “I just knew you would be a redhead.”
Sascha smiled at Gregory. It figured. So what did he tell them about her, exactly?
Rose soon joined them and gave Sascha a hug as if she were her long-lost sister. Sascha appreciated it and hugged her back.
“I’m sorry about your apartment,” Rose said, her words sounding genuinely concerned.
“Thanks. I would feel a lot worse about it if I had to return there to live. When I move into the carriage house on the Worthingtons’ acreage, I’ll be buying new furniture.”
Mrs. Landry frowned to hear that Sascha was moving into a house on the Worthingtons’ property. Maybe she thought Sascha had moved in with Gregory already.
“We’re so upset about the break-in too. Rose told us about it. Gregory said he’d paid for you to entertain at his party the night the man ran the limo off the bridge. I can’t imagine how terrifying it had to have been that the maniac came after you, for heaven’s sake,” Mrs. Landry said.
Surprised that Mrs. Landry knew about her profession and didn’t seem bothered by it, Sascha saw her in a different light. She had expected to be looked down on and to be considered too low-class to join their family.
Sascha opened her mouth to speak, but Mrs. Landry spoke again. “Gregory hasn’t dated in over a year. Did he tell you, dear?” She motioned to a cushy, cozy, two-seater love couch for Sascha and Gregory to sit on.
Gregory didn’t seem to be bothered that his mother had told her she hadn’t dated anyone special in so long.
After they took their seats, Sascha’s whole body warmed.
Not only did Gregory’s leg touch hers as if they were joined at the hip, but his hand also drifted over her thigh with reassurance.
His actions didn’t go unnoticed, either, as his mother smiled.
A maid hurried into the room and served canapés and spicy wine, breaking the tension.
His mother spoke again. “Rose said you tell fortunes and dance, but Gregory wasn’t able to spend much time with you at the Worthingtons’ party.”
After her last comment, Mrs. Landry smiled broadly in the sunlight-filled room. Two walls of glass looked out over a swimming pool, the water sparkling in the mid-afternoon sun. “And that Stephanie has been intruding on the three of you to such an extent that she’s clearly a nuisance.”
Sascha’s lips parted, surprised to hear Mrs. Landry call Stephanie a nuisance when she had threatened to tell Gregory’s parents he had “thrown” her out of his house when they were supposed to be such close friends.
Mrs. Landry said, “I think Stephanie turned a bit green over the impression she had that you intrigued my son so. Still, I’m quite miffed with him for putting your life in danger.
He should have known that the fanatic would come after his girlfriend next.
Gregory says you’re staying with him now, for safekeeping. ”
Clearing her throat, Sascha intended to speak, but Mrs. Landry continued, “That’s best, you know. He has all kinds of security features at his place. You should be safe there.”
“But he should have more than one bodyguard,” Sascha hurried to say.
“Oh, my goodness, yes, my dear. I’ve told him so many times. Maybe with your influence, you’ll convince him to get some more.” She tilted her head down at Gregory. “He won’t listen to me.”
Sascha noticed Mr. Landry sitting back in his chair, just taking in the conversation. She imagined he only spoke when he worked at their chain of furniture stores, unless his wife accompanied him.
“So when is the big day?” Mrs. Landry asked, breaking the second of silence.
Gregory chuckled. “You’re going to scare Sascha away.”
“Nonsense. I can see she’s not the kind who scares easily. Are you, dear?”
Sascha opened her mouth, but Mrs. Landry said, “You mustn’t delay it too long. All kinds of plans need to be initiated.”
Gregory ran his hand over Sascha’s skirt-covered thigh. “We won’t, Mother. As soon as we can agree on a date.”
This time, Sascha’s mouth dropped wide open. Was Gregory nuts for encouraging his mother in the fairytale?
“Good, you know how much I want grandchildren, son.” She stood and motioned to the dining room. “Lunch is ready.”
Sascha meant to speak to Gregory in private after his parents made their way to the dining table. Instead, he looped his arm through hers, apparently anticipating a heated discussion, and walked her to the room ahead of them.
Her temperature rose several degrees as she took her seat next to him at the long cherry wood table. How could he tell his parents they intended to marry? That she had even been asked and said “yes?”
She glanced at the table set with serving dishes of shrimp, slices of ham, roast beef, pastrami, bread, and a bowl of spinach salad. Every gold-rimmed plate looked like it could have served royalty.
Mrs. Landry passed the shrimp to Sascha, and she forked some onto her plate. “You know, Gregory, you should get Sascha a nice engagement ring. Make sure that the fellows who might be interested in her know she’s not available.”
He smiled. “Yes, first thing after lunch.”
Sascha’s face heated, and she figured it turned cherry just like when he’d made her angry before.
He patted her lap under the white lace tablecloth. “Right, honey?”
“Yes, that’s the way to go, son. You can’t lose with diamonds, you know.” Mrs. Landry smiled at her husband.
“So right, dear,” Mr. Landry said, winking at Sascha.
Sascha couldn’t believe his voice sounded so much like Gregory’s, deep, manly, heroic.
Mrs. Landry concentrated on making a ham sandwich, and her chatter finally ceased. Was she relieved to hear her son would marry and no longer felt nervous about Sascha’s visit? Ugh.
What kind of game did Gregory play anyway?
He only assumed she wanted his money after all.
Why would he want to hurt his mother by making up a falsehood?
There was no figuring men. He probably thought it would conveniently make his mother quit asking about his love life.
But this turned out to be much worse. Next, wedding arrangements would be in order.
Sascha folded a slice of pastrami onto a piece of white bread, not sure what to do about the whole mess. She didn’t want to upset the Landrys. But she certainly had every intention of setting Gregory straight.
What if her Aunt Meg got word that she was marrying someone who wasn’t even her soulmate?
Jeez, the threat of a curse would raise its ugly head again.
Gregory hadn’t a clue how he’d escaped the earlier one when she’d found herself naked in his bed and thought he’d made love to her.
Shoot, how could he unravel her world in seconds flat like that again?
Everyone remained quiet as they ate their meal, though twice Gregory’s hand slid to Sascha’s thigh with a gentle squeeze, and she pushed it away. There wasn’t any way he could make up to her after what he had pulled. His lips inched up into a smile as his green eyes met her annoyed look.
She twisted her mouth in exasperation. She would fix him. “Remember, I have some internet searches to do this afternoon.”
He chuckled. “I told you. You don’t need to do any.”
“Oh, don’t you just love the internet?” Mrs. Landry asked. “I do. I’ve found out more interesting stuff that you can’t even imagine. So what are you looking for on the internet, dear? We could do a search here.”
“She thought she might find out some clue about the fanatic who’s after me.”
“Oh no, dear. Leave that to the police. They’re much more capable and paid to do their job too.”
“I also intended to look for—”
“An online dating service. She’s curious about how they do matches online.”
Mrs. Landry laughed. “Well, I’ll say, I’ve checked on some of those myself.
I read an article a while back about how well it worked for some.
But you’ve got to be careful too. One man promised fifteen different women he would marry them.
They had ordered wedding dresses and everything.
He said he was a war hero. He was for real, and he was serving on Active Duty in the Army at the time.
Once the truth came out about his con—he was an officer even, and certainly not a gentleman—he was up on charges.
He was quickly kicked out of the service.
He left out the little fact that he had a wife already when he arranged to marry all these other women. ”
Gregory nodded. “Yeah, it’s a real gamble. You never know what kind of clown you could really end up with.”
“But what if you find your soulmate?” Sascha dipped a jumbo shrimp into a hot and spicy cocktail sauce. Dripping in red sauce, she raised it to her lips.
She glanced over at Gregory, whose gaze was riveted to her lips, planted around the succulent meat.
He cleared his throat. “How would you know if he truly was your soulmate?”
Mrs. Landry smiled. “Soulmates. Ahhh, that’s what your father and I are. Cute term. I like it.”
Cute term. Now she could see how Gregory would never believe her concerning the concept of soulmates. Cute term. Ugh.
“Well, son, she has already found hers—you. So you don’t have anything to worry about there.”
He leaned over, kissed Sascha’s cheek, and waggled his brows. “You’re absolutely right.”