Kenzie shook her head. “Absolutely not. Besides, it’s time you met my grandmother and my son, Griff.”
He nodded, a little surprised, she thought, and maybe pleased. “All right.” The front door wasn’t bolted. She opened it and both of them walked into the foyer. She noticed Reese frowning.
“Be smarter to keep your door locked. Criminals are always looking for an easy mark.”
He was right. She tried to keep the house secure but it was difficult with three people going in and out.
“I’ll try harder.”
Reese just nodded.
As they walked into the living room, Gran rose from the overstuffed chair next to the beige tweed sofa. Except for Griff’s skateboard propped against one wall and a stack of paperback romances on the end table next to a brass lamp, Gran always kept the place neat and clean.
“Gran, this is my boss, Reese Garrett. Reese, this is Florence Spencer, my grandmother.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Spencer,” Reese said.
Gran smiled. “I’d rather you just call me Flo.” Her pale blue eyes ran over him boldly, from the top of his gleaming black hair, along the shiny lapels of his tuxedo, down his long legs, to the glossy black shoes on his feet. “Pleasure to meet you.” She turned to Kenzie. “Griff’s over at the neighbor’s. He should be home any minute.”
“Reese’s date canceled at the last minute. I’m filling in for her, so I need to get upstairs and change.” Kenzie turned back to Reese. “I won’t be long.”
He just nodded. She wondered what he thought of the town house. With its inexpensive, durable furniture, knickknacks on the shelves, and framed family photos on the walls, the place was at best comfortable and homey. She wasn’t much of a decorator. Or rather, she was too busy earning a living to worry much about it.
In time, she planned to make improvements, but for now it was enough.
She headed upstairs, quickly went to her closet, and started searching through the clothes left over from her former life. She’d been the wife of Lee Haines, a wealthy businessman, daughter-in-law of Arthur Haines, both members of the Dallas elite. The clothes weren’t new, but the designer labels were exclusive and the garments beautifully made in timeless styles that rarely changed.
Quickly sorting through her options, she chose a modest dark blue crepe gown with a beaded bodice and narrow spaghetti straps. It fit snugly at the waist and hips, then flared gently to the floor.
She tossed the dress on the bed and hurried into the bathroom to freshen her makeup, adding a little extra for the occasion. Brushing her heavy dark hair, she plaited it into a loose braid and pinned it in a knot at the nape of her neck, careful to leave a few loose strands beside each ear.
Satisfied with her appearance, she added a pair of rhinestone earrings and slipped into matching dark blue satin heels. Blue beaded clutch in hand, she headed out of the bedroom and started down the stairs, pausing halfway when she heard her son’s laughter mingled with Reese’s deep chuckle.
Her stomach fluttered and it wasn’t from nerves. Pressing her hand there, she took a deep breath and continued down to the living room.
SEVEN
Whatever Reese was about to say froze in the back of his throat. The blue beaded gown worked perfectly with Kenzie’s coloring, her mahogany hair, golden brown eyes, and fair complexion. It was modest for the most part, displaying her curves but only a hint of cleavage. The fabric rustled when she moved, an erotic sound that stirred the blood already pounding through his veins.
The dress was simple and in perfect taste. On Kenzie, it was the sexiest gown Reese had ever seen. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, but it was exactly the wrong thing to do.
“So what do you think about the coaching job, Mr. Garrett?” Griff asked, giving Reese the moment he needed to compose himself. Griffin Haines was a handsome kid with his mother’s good looks and similar coloring, the golden brown eyes and thick, dark, reddish-brown hair.
He was smart, too, same as Kenzie. Fortunately, Lee Haines’s weak chin and pale eyes had been overpowered by Kenzie’s stronger genes.
Reese’s gaze went back to her and he restarted the conversation. “Griff mentioned he played Little League baseball and I told him I’d coached a team a couple of summers ago. Griff says his coach recently quit and asked if I’d be interested.” He looked back at Griff. “Tell you what, let me give it some thought.”
Kenzie just nodded, clearly not excited at the prospect. He wondered if she could be thinking along the same lines he was. The last thing they needed was more time together.
“If you don’t want to be late, we’d better get going,” she said with a glance at the door.
Gran walked them to the entry. “You both look gorgeous. You make a beautiful couple.”
Reese managed to smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Spencer.”
“It’s just Flo, like I said.”
He nodded. “We won’t be late, Flo.” He turned to Griff. “I’ll have your mom home as early as possible.”
