Tempted By The Movie Star. Anna DePalo

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СКАЧАТЬ can see that.” Rosie beamed at her. “But you and Matt are both excused from cleaning duty.”

      Matt looked at Geena, his lifted eyebrows clearly saying I told you so.

      But she wasn’t giving up. “You didn’t expect us, but here we are, consuming food and taking up space. I’m sure I speak for Matt when I say that we’d feel a whole lot better about our unplanned visit if you’d let us do something for the cause. It won’t be a chore for either of us to scrub down a cabin or two. If we hop right on it, maybe we can finish up all four this morning.”

      “Whoa, there, Geena, ma’am.” Cade took off his hat and settled it more securely on his head. “Back up the bus. You gotta leave something for the rest of us. My lady purely loves watching me operate a vacuum cleaner.”

      Lexi sighed dramatically. “I’ll admit it. Nothing’s sexier than a man running a vacuum.” She fanned herself. “Oh, baby.”

      “I’d never want to deprive you of that.” Geena focused on Lexi, figuring she’d understand the situation even if Rosie balked. “Can we split the job, two cabins for you guys and two for us?”

      “Sure, why not?”

      “I like it.” Matt lifted his coffee mug in Rosie’s direction. “Over to you, Mom, but I hope you’ll throw in the towel. And the mop and the broom while you’re at it.”

      “Matthew Edward.” Rosie frowned at him. “Young women who come to visit Thunder Mountain are welcome to help out a little bit because that’s being mannerly. But they’re not supposed to wash windows and mop floors.”

      “Oooh, she said your whole name, bro.” Cade rolled his eyes. “Either she’s touched or annoyed. It could go either way.”

      “I’m both.” Rosie pulled a tissue from her pocket. “But mostly I’m touched.” She dabbed at her eyes and gave them all a teary smile. “When I listen to the four of you arguing for the privilege of cleaning the cabins, it gets to me.”

      “I’ll just bet it does,” Cade said. “You’re probably remembering all the years we tried to argue our way out of doing it.”

      Rosie laughed and dabbed her eyes some more. “Yes, you certainly did. Very creatively, too.”

      Cade looked over at Matt. “We were rotten, you know?”

      “I know. We should have been more grateful, more willing to—”

      “Now, hang on,” Herb said. “We’re talking about normal boys, here, right?” He put an arm around Rosie. “We would have worried if you’d all gone about your chores with a smile on your face and a song in your heart.”

      Cade chuckled. “Yeah, that would have been kind of sickening.”

      “I loved it all,” Rosie said. “The arguing, the pranks, the roughhousing. The handpicked bouquets.” She winked at Cade.

      “Who knew that was poison ivy?”

      Herb shook his head and sighed. “Everybody but you, son.”

      “So many great memories.” Rosie looked at Matt. “I’ll never forget when you had the lead in Oklahoma!”

      “Yeah, that was epic,” Cade said. “Lining up outside the auditorium an hour early to make sure we sat in front and threatening the younger guys with death if they goofed off during the performance.”

      “Instead, they were mesmerized,” Rosie said. “So was I.” She reached over and squeezed Matt’s arm. “I knew then you’d make it. I’m pretty sure I told you so.”

      “Yes, ma’am, you did.” Matt’s voice was gruff with emotion as he held Rosie’s gaze. “Always remembered it.”

      “Okay, okay.” Cade pushed back his chair. “We need to break this up before I start bawling. You don’t want to see that, Geena. It gets ugly. So, Mom, is Geena cleared to be part of the cleaning crew?”

      “Oh, all right.” Rosie got up from the table. “But not in that outfit. Come with me, Geena. While the rest of this bunch tidies up the kitchen, I’ll find you some knockabout clothes.”

      Geena followed Rosie through the living room and down the hallway. Rosie made a comment about the unseasonably warm weather expected that day and Geena responded to that, but she was more interested in the family pictures lining the hall. A quick glance revealed that most of them were group photos of teenage boys. An older one of a couple in wedding attire had to be Rosie and Herb, but nearby hung a recent wedding picture featuring the couple Geena had met the night before, the ones with the baby.

      Rosie looked over her shoulder and paused. “That’s Damon and Philomena. They have a baby girl now.”

      “I know. I met them last night...sort of.”

      “What do you mean, sort of?” Rosie walked back to stand with her in front of the photograph.

      “I was waiting in the driveway debating whether to go up and knock on the door when they came out. They were friendly until they found out who I was. Then they politely offered to escort me back to town.”

      “Oh, dear. I suppose he was trying to protect Matt. They do stick up for each other. By the way, I called Damon this morning, told him you were staying here and that you were a very nice woman.”

      “Thank you, Rosie.” Geena impulsively gave her a hug and then wondered if she should have. “You’ll have to excuse me if that was overly familiar. I just—”

      “I love getting hugs.” Rosie smiled at her. “The more the better.” She gestured to the wall of pictures. “My boys are all good huggers. Some of them came here with the idea that it was unmanly. They got over it.”

      “I wish I could have seen this place back then. It must have been something.”

      “I have videos. Maybe while you’re here we could have a movie night.”

      “I would love that.” Geena gazed at the two smiling people who’d been so suspicious of her last night. “Do you have videos of little Sophie?”

      “My first grandchild?” Rosie’s blue eyes glowed with pride. “You know I do! I’m supposed to get a studio picture for this wall any day now, too.”

      “I guess you could end up with a lot of baby pictures, couldn’t you?”

      “I hope so. I’ll start a new wall somewhere else in the house if I need to. Now, let’s go find you something cool to wear. It’ll be a scorcher today.” She led the way into a master bedroom containing furniture that was probably as old as the marriage. It wasn’t a fancy room, but the bed was neatly made with a white chenille bedspread and the surfaces looked freshly dusted.

      “This is my stash of hand-me-downs.” Rosie slid back the doors of a large wall closet tightly packed with jeans and shirts hanging from the rod and boots lined up along the floor. “Some kids leave stuff and friends donate things. Sometimes I shop at the thrift store. It’s all washed and mended.”

      “This is amazing, Rosie.”

      “Thanks.” СКАЧАТЬ