Page 106 of Seeing Harper

“As he should! I’m not a damn prize to be bargained with like in the middle ages.”

“Manipulation runs high in that one,” Summer mumbled.

“Oh, yeah. He’s more Alpha than anybody suspects. He just barely controls his impulses, but in all honesty, he’s getting better with age. And blow back from this latest episode,” Libby said.

“What did you tell him about coming home?” Harper asked.

“No.”

“No?” Harper asked.

“Yep. I didn’t answer him until this morning, and it was one simple word… No.”

“He’s probably fit to be tied,” Summer said.

“No doubt. But it’ll be a long time before he makes the mistake of trying to tell Harper, or me, or anyone else what they should and shouldn’t be doing without taking their own wants into consideration,” Libby said.

“One would hope so,” Harper said.

“What I hope is that somebody has some good ideas for lunch,” Summer said.

“I can cook something,” Renata said, sitting up anxiously on her pool float.

“Girl! No, we are having girl time today,” Libby said.

“I thought we had girl time yesterday, and Sunday night, too,” Summer said, hoping her mother would cook and she wouldn’t have to do it herself.

“We did. But since I’m considering going home in the morning, this will be our last day, unless I leave him for good. Then I might need to rent Kaiser’s apartment across the driveway.”

They all laughed.

“Oh, I know! What if we order from the restaurant? What are their specials today?” Renata asked.

“They have roast beef in brown gravy, mashed potatoes and English peas for their special. And peach cobbler for dessert. But they also have Salisbury steaks if you don’t want roast beef. And you can get mac n cheese, and corn or steamed veggies,” Libby said. “I know because I still have their lunch specials memorized from when I work there from time to time.”

“Who’s going to pick it up?” Renata asked.

Summer lifted her head, then lowered her sunglasses to peer at her mother. “That’s code for Summer get up and go get our lunches if I’ve ever heard it.”

“Aww, so nice of you to offer!” Renata said. “My credit card is in my wallet. We’ll phone it in so it will be ready when you get there.”

“I want the roast beef but with the mac n cheese option, with corn,” Summer said.

“I want the special,” Harper said. “And I’ll treat today.”

“No way! You’re our guests!” Renata insisted. “What do you want, Libby?”

“I’ll take the mac n cheese option with steamed veggies. But I want Salisbury steak instead of roast beef.”

“Done,” Renata said, slipping off of her float and wading in shoulder deep water to the stairs. “I’m going to call it in, you go get it, Summer.”

“I’ll come with you,” Harper said.

“Peach cobblers all around?” Renata asked as she picked her phone up off her towel.

“Yes!” came back at her from all directions.

Chapter 18