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Call Me Irresistible (Wynette, Texas #5)(6)

By:Susan Elizabeth Phillips


"You're attractive in your own way, I guess." Birdie ran a manicured thumbnail over the jeweled clasp on her black evening bag. "Kind of exotic. These days they throw that supermodel word at anybody who stands in front of a camera. But the Glitter Baby was the real thing. And look at the way she turned herself into such a successful businesswoman. As a businesswoman myself, I admire that."



       
         
       
        

"Yes, she's remarkable." Meg loved her mother, but that didn't keep her from wishing Fleur Savagar Koranda would sometimes stumble-lose a top client, blow an important negotiation, get a zit. But all her mother's bad luck had come early in her life, before Meg was born, leaving her daughter with the title of family screwup.

"I guess you look more like your daddy," Birdie went on. "I swear I've seen every one of his pictures. Except the depressing ones."

"Like the film that earned him his Oscar?"

"Oh, I saw that one."

Meg's father was a triple threat. World-famous actor, Pulitzer Prize – winning playwright, and best-selling book author. With such mega-successful parents, who could blame her for being seriously messed up? No child could live up to that kind of legacy.

Except her two younger brothers . . .

Birdie adjusted the straps on her heart-necked black sheath, which fit a bit too snugly around her waist. "Your friend Lucy is a pretty little thang." It didn't sound like an accolade. "I hope she appreciates what she has in Teddy."

Meg worked at keeping her composure. "I'm sure she appreciates him just as much as he does her. Lucy is a very special person."

Birdie jumped at the opportunity to take offense. "Not as special as Ted, but then you'd have to live around here to understand."

Meg wasn't getting into a spitting contest with this woman, no matter how much she wanted to, so she kept her smile firmly in place. "I live in L.A. I understand a lot."

"All I'm saying is that just because she's the president's daughter doesn't mean she's got anything on Ted or that everybody's going to give her special treatment. He's the finest young man in this state. She'll have to earn our respect."

Meg struggled to hold on to her temper. "Lucy doesn't have to earn anyone's respect. She's a kind, intelligent, sophisticated woman. Ted's the lucky one."

"Are you saying he's not sophisticated?"

"No. I'm merely pointing out-"

"Wynette, Texas, may not look like much to you, but it happens to be a very sophisticated town, and we don't appreciate having outsiders come in and pass judgment on us just because we're not big Washington hotshots." She snapped her purse shut. "Or Hollywood celebrities."

"Lucy is not-"

"People have to make their own mark here. Nobody's going to kiss anybody's bee-hind just because of who her parents are."

Meg didn't know whether Birdie was talking about Meg herself or about Lucy, and she no longer cared. "I've visited small towns all over the world, and the ones with nothing to prove always seem to welcome strangers. It's the down-and-out places-the burgs that have lost their luster-that see every new face as a threat." 

Birdie's penciled-in russet eyebrows shot to her hairline. "There is not one thing down-and-out about Wynette. Is that what she thinks?"

"No, it's what I think."

Birdie's face pinched. "Well, that tells me a lot, now doesn't it."

The door flew open, and an older teen with long, light brown hair stuck her head in. "Mom! Lady Emma and the others want you for pictures."

Darting Meg a last hostile glance, Birdie shot out of the room, primed to repeat their conversation to all who would listen.

Meg grimaced. In her attempt to defend Lucy, she'd done more harm than good. This weekend couldn't be over soon enough. She retied her dress at the shoulder, ran her fingers through her short, crazy haircut, and forced herself back to the party.

As the crowd raved about the barbecue and laughter spilled over the veranda, Meg seemed to be the only one who wasn't having fun. When she found herself alone with Lucy's mother, she knew she had to say something, but even though she chose her words carefully, the conversation didn't go well.

"Are you really suggesting that Lucy shouldn't marry Ted?" Nealy Jorik said in the voice she reserved for the opposition party.

"Not exactly. Just that-"

"Meg, I know you're going through a difficult time, and I'm truly sorry about that, but don't let your emotional state cast a shadow over Lucy's happiness. She couldn't have chosen better than Ted Beaudine. I promise, your doubts are groundless. And I want your promise that you'll keep them to yourself."