Free Gettin' Lucky (Love and Laughter) by Kimberly Raye Page A

Lucky added, “Your dad’s trying real hard to impress her and he wants us to help him. I’ll let you in on a little secret, I haven’t gotten all dressed up like this in a long time, myself.” Try never. Oh, well, she was fibbing for a good cause. Surely that counted for something.
    Bennie gave her a thorough once-over. “You should do it more often. Your hair looks real nice. The clothes, too.” Another quick glance and she started to giggle. “But I can tell you aren’t used to wearing heels.”
    Lucky glanced down at her throbbing feet. “Does it really show that much?”
    Bennie nodded, suddenly all serious sympathy, and got up to place a hand atop Lucky’s. “If you help me scratch, I’ll distract Grandmother whenever you have to stand up.”
    Lucky smiled. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”
     
    WHILE LUCKY WHEELED and dealed with Bennie, Tyler listened to Helen drone on about her newest charity project and kept a watchful eye on the door. Where the hell were they?
    “...we’re planning a special theme for the event, grandmothers and granddaughters, and it’s sure to be one of the biggest galas this season.”
    “Wonderful,” he murmured as Mabel walked in with a tray of canapés.
    Helen surveyed the hors d’oeuvres. “My Clara uses artichokes instead of mushrooms.”
    “Artichokes overwhelm the taste,” Mabel declared, despite the warning look Tyler gave her. “Mushrooms bring out the spices used in the bottom layer of homemade relish.”
    Helen shook her head. “Perhaps that’s the way things are prepared out here, but in Houston we do things a little differently. My chef, Clara, trained at La Dubois in Paris. Did you know that, Tyler?”
    “Don’t think I’ve ever heard of it.” Tyler didn’t miss the flush of anger creeping into Mabel’s face. Uh-oh.
    “Come now,” Helen said, and laughed. “La Dubois is one of the best restaurants in the world. Five-plus stars. Now, now,” she added when Mabel’s face looked ready to explode. “No one expects five-star cuisine way out here, dear. I’m sure your mushrooms are very... tasty.”
    “I like mushrooms,” Tyler piped in, but it didn’t ease the harsh lines around Mabel’s mouth. He gave Mabel his biggest smile. “So what’s for dinner?”
    “Your head on a platter,” Mabel whispered as she whisked past him with the platter of canapés.
    “I’m afraid I didn’t hear her.” Helen cast a curious gaze on him. “What did she say?”
    “It’s a surprise.” Tyler poured himself a glass of Scotch and downed it in one quick gulp. “Mabel loves surprises.”
    “You really shouldn’t drink so quickly. It looks positively uncivilized. Speaking of which, where is your father?”
    “He had an upset stomach. He’ll be having dinner in his room.”
    “Did he have some of Mabel’s canapés?”
    “Afraid not. He saved them all for you.” Okay, as much as he wanted to please Helen, he had his limits.
    “He shouldn’t have bothered, but what a...lovely gesture, I suppose. Such a sweet old thing. Do give him my regrets. I was looking forward to seeing the poor man again.”
    “Rest assured, he’s equally heartbroken.” Or he would be heartbroken, if he had to sit and listen to Helen all evening. She was too much a reminder of Tyler’s mother, and her presence never failed to cause a bout of depression in Ulysses, and an insatiable craving for Maalox.
    He motioned to Helen. “Let’s go into the dining room.”
    “Merle’s still not here.” She glanced at the diamond Rolex circling her wrist. “If it’s a business dinner, he’s early, but tack on the word social , and he’ll be late every time. I should have taken his cellular phone away before I got out of the car. By the way, where is Bernadette?”
    “Right here, Grandmother.” Bennie appeared in the doorway.
    Tyler’s gaze moved to the lace-scalloped white dress Bennie wore, the matching quarter-inch pumps. He blinked. His Bennie? Wearing a dress and smiling