Flirting with Disaster (16 page)

“Then look for him there and leave me out of it,” Amanda suggested.

“Are you going to tell me where the man goes for lunch or not?” Nadine persisted.

Amanda sighed. “I want to go on record telling you that I think this is a huge mistake.”

“Okay, I get it. Now tell me where I'll find him.”

“It's been a long time since I've run into him socially, you understand, but he used to play golf at the country club every morning, then have lunch there afterward.”

“Perfect,” Nadine said. “It's almost lunchtime now.”

“But you can't go barging into the country club,” Amanda protested. “It's members and guests only. They'll toss you right back out. You'll wind up in the middle of an embarrassing scene.”

Nadine didn't mention that embarrassing scenes were nothing new for her. “Not when I tell them I'm there as Mr. Winslow's guest, I'm sure,” she assured Amanda. “Trust me, sugar, I've crashed fancier places than this. I know just how to handle it.”

As soon as she hung up, she sorted through the outfits in her closet and found the most discreet suit she owned. She added the one piece of tasteful jewelry she'd managed to keep after her last marriage had blown up around her, then put on the subtlest bit of makeup. She could look classy when she had to. Between the outfit and her charm, she figured no one would keep her out of that country-club dining room till she'd found old Mr. Winslow and had her say.

Too bad he had such a sour disposition. Otherwise she might almost enjoy the prospect of sitting down across from him for a little intelligent conversation over a fancy meal. She was sick to death of burgers, and much as she adored her son, he wasn't inclined toward chitchat, at least not with her.

Unfortunately, as it was, she had a hunch that even if she did manage to order and eat a few bites before Winslow had her tossed out she'd still wind up the day with nothing more than indigestion.

 

The country-club dining room preferred by Juliette was a place of damask napkins, fresh flowers and polished silver. Waiters moved silently among the antique tables, delivering food with impeccable timeliness. The stiff, formal setting had always made Maggie want to send china crashing to the floor just to set off some commotion in the room. Maybe her arrival with Josh on her arm would accomplish the same goal.

She stood in the doorway, letting her eyes grow accustomed to the darkened interior.

Beside her Josh muttered wryly, “Is anyone in here actually alive?”

“That's a matter of conjecture,” Maggie responded. “I'm pretty sure that at least one of the men over in that corner had himself freeze-dried on his death and left there to read his newspaper in perpetuity.”

Josh shuddered. “I don't suppose it's occurred to anyone to open the drapes?”

“Not when the candlelight is so flattering to aging complexions,” Maggie said.

“No wonder you rebelled.”

“Trust me, this place is only the tip of the iceberg that was my life. Now let's go meet Mother, who's the rest of it.”

Maggie found Juliette at her usual table in the center of the room, from which she could observe and be observed by everyone else. Her mother's eyes widened, and not entirely in appreciation at the sight of Josh.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Juliette said.

“Mother, meet Josh Parker. And don't worry, he won't throw your seating chart out of whack. He's taking Dinah's place.”

“Mrs. Forsythe,” Josh said. “I see now where your daughter got her beauty.”

Juliette's gaze snapped from Maggie to Josh at that. “You flatter me,” she said, but there was a hint of approval in her eyes.

“It's not flattery if it's true,” Josh said, holding out a chair for Maggie, then seating himself between her and her mother. “Now, I expect you to tell me all about your daughter. She's an enigma to me.”

Juliette studied him intently. “What is it you'd like to know?”

“Whether she's always as stubborn as a mule, for starters.”

Maggie watched her mother's lips twitch at the question.

“She's always been a handful,” Juliette confirmed, then leaned toward him. “But then, so was I.”

Josh chuckled. “I imagine you were.”

Mission accomplished, Maggie concluded, sitting back and starting to relax. This was going better than she could possibly have imagined.

At the stroke of twelve, as announced by the antique grandfather clock across the room, Frank Forsythe crossed the dining room and pulled out a chair. He scowled at Josh.

“Who're you?” her father demanded.

“Josh Parker, sir, a friend of Maggie's.”

“Do I know you?”

“No, sir, I don't believe we've met.”

“I know that name, though. Parker, Parker,” he muttered. His expression brightened, then faded. “You're the one building the house that has George in such an uproar.”

Josh nodded. “Indeed I am.”

Juliette's eyes widened. “You are? Oh dear, this could prove awkward.”

Maggie sat up straighter. “Why would it be awkward, Mother?”

“Because she invited me to join you,” George said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Maggie. “Juliette, you've always arranged lively parties, but you may have outdone yourself today.”

Maggie glanced at Josh to see how he was taking this turn of events, but she couldn't read anything from his expression. In fact, his gaze seemed to be directed toward the entrance to the dining room. When he muttered an oath, she whirled around to see what had caught his attention and spotted Nadine.

“What the hell is she doing here?” he said, getting to his feet just as Nadine saw him. “I'll get her out of here.”

“Don't you dare,” Maggie said, standing. “I'll ask her to join us.”

“Magnolia, where are you going?” Juliette called after her.

“I'll be right back, Mother. I've just seen someone Josh and I know. I'm going to invite her over.”

Josh was right on her heels. “Don't do this,” he warned. “I'll take her home.”

“You most certainly will not.” She beamed at Nadine. “Come join us.”

Nadine looked from Maggie's smiling face to Josh's scowling one and backed up a step. “I had no idea you two would be here.”

“Then why are you here, Mother?” Josh demanded.

“Actually I wanted to talk to George Winslow. Amanda told me I might find him here.”

Maggie beamed. “Then you're in luck. He's at our table. Isn't this the perfect coincidence?”

Nadine blinked at that. “He is? Whose idea was that?”

“Not mine,” Maggie said. “My mother's the one with the strange taste in dining companions.”

“Maybe I should go,” Nadine said, looking more hesitant than ever.

“That was my suggestion,” Josh said, then added grimly, “Maggie has other ideas.”

“Absolutely. I say the more the merrier. Before you got here, the odds were definitely stacked against me and Josh. You'll even things up.”

“Are you sure?” Nadine asked.

“Positive,” Maggie assured her. “I can't tell you the last time I looked forward to a luncheon with more enthusiasm.”

Beside her, Josh chuckled for the first time since Nadine's unexpected appearance. “Don't overdo it, darlin'.”

Maggie patted his cheek. “You ain't seen nothin' yet,
darlin'.
It's going to be a genuine pleasure watching my mother's social graces be put to a real test.”

F
rom the moment he'd spotted Nadine in the doorway, Josh had been filled with a sense of dread. No good could come from her being here, not with George Winslow in the room, to say nothing of Maggie's folks.

He was especially worried about Juliette. She'd obviously had an agenda for this luncheon, and Maggie was turning it on its head. He didn't want Nadine caught in the crossfire, but he couldn't think of a single way to keep this disaster from playing out.

When they arrived back at the table, Maggie's father was deep in conversation with George. Still, at the arrival of the women, both men instantly stood, their manners instinctive. Then Winslow realized who was with Josh and Maggie.

“You!” he said, his voice filled with blustery disdain. He whirled on Juliette. “You invited this woman to join us? What on earth were you thinking?”

Juliette returned his indignant look with a considering expression. “I'm as surprised as you are, but I gather you've met?”

“More than once, unfortunately,” George confirmed.

“Well, I haven't had the pleasure,” Juliette said smoothly. She held out her hand to Nadine. “I'm Maggie's mother and I'm delighted you could join us,” she said graciously, though it was plain she had no idea on earth who Nadine was. It was apparently enough that Nadine's mere presence had riled George Winslow. To Josh she appeared surprisingly eager to fan those sparks.

No one looked more startled by Juliette's words than Maggie. Yet Nadine seemed to accept the greeting as her due. She gave Juliette one of her totally disingenuous smiles and said, “Thank you for allowing me to come at the last minute, Mrs. Forsythe. I didn't mean to interrupt your luncheon. I had no idea my son and Maggie would be here.”

“Ah, you're Josh's mother,” Juliette said, as if that explained everything. She waved to get the attention of a waiter. “Johnson, we need another place setting, if you please.”

“Certainly, Mrs. Forsythe.”

“You're allowing this woman to stay?” George demanded.

“Oh, sit down, George,” Juliette said impatiently. “It's my luncheon. You don't get to approve the guest list.”

“Perhaps not, but I also don't have to stay.”

Nadine turned to him and inquired mildly, “You're not afraid of me, are you, Mr. Winslow?”

The florid color in his cheeks deepened. “Afraid?” he scoffed. “Hardly. But I've allowed you to offend me in public twice already. Why should I permit it again, especially here among friends and associates of mine?”

“And here I came all this way just to see you and apologize,” Nadine said sweetly, leaning close and holding his gaze. “Won't you stay and allow me to do it properly?”

Winslow looked understandably confused by her cheerful demeanor. Even Josh was befuddled by this turn of events. What had possessed Nadine to decide to apologize to a man she clearly held in disdain, and justifiably so, in Josh's opinion? Not that his opinion seemed to count for much with this crowd.

“You really came here to see me and apologize?” Winslow asked skeptically.

“Indeed I did,” Nadine assured him.

“Now will you sit down, George?” Juliette demanded. “You're drawing attention to us. If anyone's creating a spectacle, it's you.”

Winslow finally sat, but Josh noticed he kept a careful distance between himself and Nadine. Josh leaned down and whispered in Maggie's ear, “What do you think she's up to?”

“I have no idea, but it's taken the heat off me, so I don't really care.”

“I thought that's why I was here,” he commented.

She grinned. “I think your work here is done. Nadine's stolen the spotlight.”

Josh wasn't comforted. “Why does that scare the daylights out of me?” he muttered.

“I have no idea,” Maggie said. “She's your mother.”

“And I haven't known what to make of her since I was a toddler.”

“Sit back and relax. Maybe you'll learn something,” Maggie advised. “Nadine looks like she knows how to handle herself in any situation. She didn't bat an eye at this turn of events.”

Josh didn't doubt for an instant that there would be a lesson learned from all this. He just hoped it didn't involve jail time.

 

Never in a million years would Maggie have dared to assemble this precise gathering of guests, but to her complete astonishment, it appeared to be working in some bizarre way. Nadine's appearance had caught George completely off guard, and he was slowly succumbing to her self-deprecating brand of humor. Even Juliette seemed to be watching their exchange with amazement.

“Mother, you've done it again,” Maggie said with genuine appreciation when Josh excused himself to make a phone call, probably to report to Caleb the miracle that was taking place at their table—détente between George and Nadine.

Juliette regarded her with a puzzled expression. “Done what?”

“Pulled off the impossible. Your luncheon is a total success.”

“Don't give me the credit for that. You can thank your young man and his mother for making things interesting. I'd been anticipating a dreary exchange between your father and George about how misguided you've been over this whole construction business. I assumed the most exciting moment would come when you got your back up and stormed out.” She regarded Maggie with a knowing look. “I assume this has turned out precisely the way you'd hoped.”

“I had nothing to do with Nadine's arrival,” Maggie said.

“But you deliberately included Josh to distract me, did you not?”

Maggie grinned. “Perhaps.”

“Well, the tactic certainly worked. He's quite distracting.”

Maggie thought she heard a note of real approval in her mother's voice. It caught her by surprise. “Then you like Josh?”

“Does my opinion really matter?”

“Of course,” Maggie said.

Juliette's lips curved slightly. “If I'm hesitant in expressing it, it's because my approval usually sends you running in another direction.”

“I'm trying to get past that, but just so you know, Josh is not
my
young man. He's a friend.”

Juliette studied her thoughtfully. “That's something new for you, isn't it?” she asked.

Leave it to her mother to understate the obvious. “I've been friends with other men,” Maggie said testily.

“Very few, darling. You have passionate flings that you know will alarm your father and me, and then you move on. Warren was the one exception to that pattern.”

“And just look how swimmingly that went,” Maggie said. “I think it's probably best if we leave Warren out of this. He has nothing to do with anything anymore.”

“And Josh? Would you prefer to leave him out of the conversation, as well?”

“That's probably a good idea.” Though she'd said earlier she wanted to hear her mother's opinion, it was true that it did tend to affect her in a perverse way. If Juliette approved of Josh, it would send Maggie fleeing. If her mother had taken an instant dislike to him, Maggie would most likely fling herself into his bed later this afternoon. Maybe for once, she ought to base where things went on her
own
opinion of the man.

And that seemed to be changing hourly, given how he'd scored on every test she'd thrown at him.

 

Nadine knew there was a lot riding on her ability to get through to George Winslow. She'd grown quite fond of Amanda and her children since she'd gotten to know them. She wanted to see them settled in a home of their own. And, of course, she wanted to prove to Josh that she was determined to turn her life around and be the kind of mother he could be proud of. After all the mistakes she'd made, she knew it would take quite a lot to convince him she'd changed.

Every time she was tempted to tell George he was a pompous ass, she bit her tongue and smiled instead. It was taking a terrible toll on her, but it seemed to be having a mellowing effect on him. In fact, she was discovering he could be quite charming when they stayed away from the topic of building Amanda's house.

“You know, George, you should lighten up more often,” she told him bluntly when everyone else at the table had their attention focused elsewhere. “You're a real handsome man when you're not scowling at everyone.”

“And you're refreshingly honest,” he admitted with evident surprise. “Of course, that's a less attractive trait when you're telling me off.”

She laughed. “I'm afraid that's part of the package. I don't hold back.”

“Sure you do,” he corrected. “You think I don't know how hard it's been for you not to rip into me today? I can see it in your eyes, Nadine, but you're controlling your temper because you think it'll help your son.”

She opted for honesty. “Okay, you caught me. This job's real important to Josh and I like Amanda. I don't want to see someone come along and mess things up for them. You have the power to do that.”

“So you decided to make nice with me,” he concluded.

She nodded.

“That took gumption, I'll give you that. So did getting up in my face when we ran into each other before. Not many people would risk that, knowing the influence I have in this town.”

She shrugged. “I didn't have a lot to lose.”

“But your son and Amanda did,” he concluded. “Otherwise, you wouldn't have backed down, am I right?”

She smiled. “Afraid so.”

He fell silent, his expression troubled. “I suppose you might as well know that I haven't let this drop. I spoke to someone in the diocese this morning about having Caleb replaced. They're going to look into it.”

Nadine regarded him with shock. “You did what? What is wrong with you?”

His back stiffened. “I felt I had no choice.”

“We always have a choice, George. I can't honestly say that I know Caleb all that well, but I know he's been a real rock for Amanda and the kids. Everyone else seems to like and respect him. That ought to count for something. You're just acting out of spite because he wouldn't do your bidding.”

He studied her with a genuinely perplexed expression. “You really think I'm wrong?” he asked as if the idea had never before occurred to him.

Nadine realized he'd probably never considered the possibility that he could be misguided about anything. He'd probably spent his entire adult life surrounded by yes-men who never questioned a word he uttered.

“I know you're wrong,” Nadine replied flatly, trying to think what she could possibly say to get through to him and make him do the right thing. “Caleb surely doesn't deserve to be fired for doing something decent for a member of his congregation. And if you'd just stop throwing your weight around and take the time to get to know Amanda, you'd see how much she deserves this break the church is giving her.”

“I've known that girl since she was in diapers,” he countered with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“But that's just it,” she said, regarding him intently. “You knew Big Max's girl. You don't know the woman. Not many people could have faced what Amanda has and come out of it strong, instead of beaten down. That's an admirable thing, George. I think even that stubborn daddy of hers would be proud of her if he'd give her half a chance.”

He sighed heavily. “To be honest, I don't disagree with that. That's exactly why I stirred things up about this house. I thought if I stopped it, Amanda would have to go back home. In my own bumbling way, I've been trying to push those two back together. It's been hell seeing the toll their separation has taken on my friend, even if it was all his own stubborn, hotheaded doing.”

“But you're going about it all wrong,” Nadine protested. “It's up to her daddy to take the first step, not Amanda. The way I heard it—you heard it, too—she's tried before and he's turned her away. Not even a dog will keep coming back once it's been kicked enough times.”

She turned to Maggie, whom she knew had been blatantly eavesdropping. “You agree with me, don't you? If Big Max wants his daughter back, it has to be on her terms.”

“Absolutely,” Maggie said.

Nadine turned to Mrs. Forsythe, who'd also been openly eavesdropping on their exchange. “What's your opinion?”

“I have to admit that I never understood how Big Max could turn his back on his child.” She glanced pointedly at Maggie. “There's nothing my daughter could do that would make me disown her.”

Nadine switched her attention to Mr. Forsythe. “You've been awfully quiet,” she said. “Do you approve of the way Big Max handled things with Amanda?”

“All that's water under the bridge,” he said. “Seems to me now that making amends is more important. Life's short enough and family's the only thing that matters.”

Nadine's gaze caught Josh's as he slipped back into his seat beside Maggie. “The only thing,” she agreed. “I wish I'd understood that sooner myself.”

“Well, I think we've all gotten far too somber,” Juliette said decisively. “I propose we ladies order dessert, something totally decadent, and let the men go smoke their cigars and talk about golf or whatever it is they talk about when we're not around.”

Maggie chuckled. “Maybe the men would like dessert, too, Mother.”

“Perhaps so, but I'm sure they'd be happier having it someplace where they don't have to listen to us talk about the latest fashions.”

“Absolutely,” Mr. Forsythe said at once, getting to his feet with an eagerness that was matched by George. Josh rose a little more slowly, but he dutifully followed the two older men from the room.

“I think you just threw Josh into the lions' den,” Maggie observed when they'd gone.

“He'll hold his own,” Nadine predicted.

Juliette nodded. “Yes, something tells me that young man can hold his own with just about anyone.” She glanced at Maggie. “Even my daughter.”