An Engagement in Seattle - Debbie Macomber [149]
“Your mother and I are going for a drive,” he said as casually as he could, hoping Lesley would leave it at that. He should’ve known better.
She hurriedly finished rinsing the pan she’d used to bake biscuits and reached for a hand towel. “I’ll come with you.”
“Don’t be offended, but we’d both rather you didn’t.”
Lesley blinked and leaned against the sink. “I don’t know if talking to my mother when she’s in this frame of mind is a good idea.”
“We either clear the air here and now, or all three of us are going to spend a miserable five days.”
“But, Chase…”
“Honey, listen.” He paused and glanced over his shoulder. June had gone for a sweater, but would return at any moment. “You and I need to talk, too. I’m sorry about starting off on the wrong foot with your mother. I promise I’ll do my best to make things right. I owe you that much—and a whole lot more.”
Lesley lowered her gaze.
“I realize June’s not the only one I offended,” he said gruffly, walking toward her. If he didn’t kiss her soon, he was going to go stark raving mad. Lesley must have felt the same way because she moved toward him, her steps as eager as his own. His heart reacted immediately, gladdened that she wanted to end this terrible tension between them.
He clasped his hands about her waist and caught her, drawing her into the shelter of his arms.
The sound of June clearing her throat behind him was like a bucket of cold water tossed over his head. He released Lesley and stepped away from her.
“We won’t be long,” he said, as evenly as he could.
June was fussing with her sweater when he turned around, smoothing out the sleeves. Her back was straight with unspoken disapproval. She looked prim and proper and determined to save her daughter from his nasty clutches. Chase sighed inwardly and prayed for patience.
Lesley followed them out to the front porch and watched as Chase opened the passenger door and held out his hand to help June inside. His mother-in-law ignored him and hoisted herself into the front seat.
So that was how it was going to be.
Knowing what to expect, Chase threw a look over his shoulder at Lesley and shrugged. He’d do his best, but he wasn’t a miracle worker. He couldn’t force Lesley’s mother to accept him as her son-in-law, nor could he demand she give her approval to their marriage.
He climbed into the seat beside her, and started the engine. “I don’t know if Lesley had a chance to tell you, but Twin Creeks is a small town,” he said, as he pulled onto the dirt and gravel road. “The population is around forty.”
“Forty,” June repeated, sounding shocked. “Did Lesley tell you she was born and raised in Seattle?”
“Yes.”
“There were almost that many students in her kindergarten class. What makes you think a woman who’s lived in a large populated area all her life will adjust to a place like this?”
Chase was ready for this one. “Lesley knew Twin Creeks was small when she agreed to marry me.” True, she hadn’t known how small, but she’d had the general idea.
“You haven’t answered my question,” June said primly, her hands tightly clasped.
“I’m hoping love will do that,” he said simply.
“Aren’t you asking a good deal of a woman you’ve only known a few weeks?”
“Yes, but—”
“It seems to me,” Lesley’s mother interrupted, “that neither of you has given the matter much thought. Lesley won’t last a month in this primitive lifestyle.”
Chase was fast losing his patience. “It seems to me that you don’t know your daughter as well as you think you do.”
“I beg your pardon,” she snapped. “Do you suppose I don’t realize what you did? You seduced my daughter, convinced her to marry you and then practically kidnapped her to get her to move north with you.”
Chase pulled over to the side of the road. He couldn’t concentrate on driving and hold on to his