‘No. Head in the clouds. Just like your mother.’
The tone of disgust caused Alicia to flush. She was a more fragile person than her perfectly groomed image presented, very nervy and too anxious to please. He was recalling Laura’s comment that her mother needed her when she leapt to Alicia’s defence.
‘Oh, I think Mum’s totally grounded when it comes to her garden.’
‘Garden…movies…’ Costarella scoffed. ‘Alicia has led both of you astray with her interests. I had high hopes for you, Laura. Top of your school in mathematics…’
‘Well, I have high hopes for myself, Dad. Sorry I can’t please both of us,’ she said with a rueful smile.
‘Gardening…’ he jeered.
‘Landscape architecture is a bit more than that, Dad.’
No hesitation in standing up for herself.
Costarella huffed. ‘At least you can cook. I’ll say that for you. Enjoying the meal, Jake?’
‘Very much.’ He shot an appreciative smile at Laura. ‘Top chef standard. The soup was delicious and I’ve never tasted better lamb and baked potatoes.’
She laughed. ‘Top chef recipes from a TV cooking show. All it takes is dedication to following the instructions. You could do it yourself if you had the will to. It’s not a female prerogative. In fact, most of the top chefs are male. Do you cook for yourself?’
‘No. Mostly I eat out.’
‘Need a woman to cook for you,’ Costarella slid in.
It was a totally sexist remark and he saw the recoil from it in Laura’s eyes, followed by a derisive flash at him…if he thought the same.
He turned to Costarella and allowed himself one risky remark, grinning to take away any sting. ‘Given that most top chefs are male, a man might be better.’
Eddie found this hilarious, cracking up with laughter.
‘What’s so funny?’ his father demanded.
‘It’s just that lots of guys in the service industry are gay and I don’t see Jake as gay,’ he spluttered out.
Laura started giggling, too.
‘I’m not,’ Jake said.
‘Certainly not,’ Costarella declared emphatically.
‘We know you’re not,’ Laura assured him, still tittering.
‘Absolutely.’ Eddie backed up. ‘Laura wouldn’t think you were sexy if you were gay.’
‘Eddie, behave yourself,’ Alicia cried.
‘Impossible,’ his father muttered, though his ill humour had dissipated at this affirmation that his daughter was vulnerable to the attraction he favoured.
Laura rose from the table. ‘Now that you’ve embarrassed both of us, Eddie, I’m going to serve sweets, which I hope will be tart enough to glue up your mouth.’ She smiled at her mother. ‘It’s lemon-lime, Mum.’
‘Oh, my favourite!’ Alicia glowed with pleasure. ‘Thank you, dear.’
Jake watched her head off to the kitchen again. It would be risky business, taking on a connection with her, complicating what had been his undeviating purpose for too many years to mess with when he was in sight of the end. She could become a distraction. He’d been single-minded for so long, read justing his thinking to include a relationship with Costarella’s daughter was probably not a good idea, however tempting it was.
Cynically dating her for short-term benefits at work was no longer an option. He was genuinely attracted to her. Strongly attracted to her. She had his skin prickling with the desire for action between them. Costarella expected him to make a move on her. He wanted to make a move on her. The tricky part was controlling it.
‘How come you’re not sharing Mother’s Day with your own Mum, Jake?’ Eddie suddenly asked.
‘I would be if she were still alive, Eddie,’ he answered ruefully.
‘Oh! Sorry!’ He made an apologetic grimace. ‘Hope the bereavement isn’t recent.’
‘No.’
‘Guess I’m lucky I’ve still got mine.’ He leaned over to plant a kiss on Alicia’s cheek.
‘Yes, since you’ve always been a mother’s boy,’ Costarella sniped.
There was a flicker of fear in the look Alicia darted at her husband. Jake imagined she had been a victim of abuse for so long, she felt helpless to do anything about it.
‘I’ve been admiring the very artistic centre-piece for the table,’ he said, smiling at her to take the anxiety away. ‘Are they flowers from your garden, Alicia?’
‘Yes.’ Her face lit up with pleasure. ‘I did that arrangement this morning. I’m very proud of my chrysanthemums.’
‘And rightly so, Mum,’ Laura chimed in, wheeling the traymobile into the dining room. ‘They’re blooming beautifully.’
She served the lemon-lime tart with dollops of cream to everyone, continuing her praise of her mother’s talent for horticulture.
Jake watched her. She was beautiful. And smart. And so lushly sexy, temptation roared through him, defying the reservations that had been swimming through his mind.
As she resumed the seat beside him, he turned to her, his eyes seeking to engage hers with what he wanted. ‘I’d like to see this garden. Will you show it to me when we’ve finished lunch?’
Startled, frightened, recoiling. ‘Much better for Mum to show you, Jake. It’s her creation.’
‘He asked you, Laura,’ Costarella immediately bored in. ‘Not only should you oblige our guest, but your mother has already shown Eddie around the garden. She doesn’t need to repeat herself, do you, Alicia?’
‘No, no,’ she agreed, her hands fluttering an appeal to her daughter. ‘I’m happy for you to do it, Laura.’
Caught.
She had to do it now whether she wanted to or not.
Jake aimed at sweetening the deal for her. ‘I’m interested in seeing it through your eyes. You can tell me how it fits your concept of landscape design.’
‘Okay! I’ll flood you with knowledge,’ she said tartly.
He laughed. ‘Thank you. I will enjoy that.’
Surrender under fire, Jake thought, but no surrender in her heart. It made for one hell of a challenge…their walk in the garden. The adrenaline charge inside him wanted to fight her reluctance to involve herself with him, yet that same reluctance gave him an out from Costarella’s heavy-handed matchmaking…keeping the more important mission on track, without distraction.
He would make the decision later.
In the garden.
LAURA told herself it was just a job she had to take on and get through—escort Jake around the garden, bore him to death with her enthusiasm for built environments and deliver him back to her father, who had announced his intention to watch a football game on television in the home theatre.
Eddie helped clear the table, following her to the kitchen to have a private word with her as they stacked the dishwasher. ‘You’re the main target today, Laura. No doubt about it now,’ he warned. ‘I’d say Dad wants Jake as his son-in-law.’
‘It’s