The Doctor's Secret Bride(21)
Michelle knew she might catch hell from Erik for her impetuous behavior, but what was done was done. The important thing was that Precious had a great time, and she’d found a new friend in Peter.
“Grandma! Grandma!”
“Wait, Precious!” Michelle raced after the vanishing figure and turned a corner to see Precious enveloped in the arms of a woman who looked young enough to be her mother.
“How’s my favorite granddaughter?” she said, grinning at Precious.
So this was Erik’s mother?
“I’m your only granddaughter, Grandma.” Precious giggled.
“Yes, you are. But you’d still be my favorite even if I had a hundred.”
“Oh, Grandma.”
The woman stared at Michelle. “Is this your new nanny?”
“Uh-huh. Her name is Michelle.”
A subtle smile lit her face as she lowered Precious to the floor. She held a hand out to Michelle. “I’m Felicia, Erik’s mother.”
“Hello, Mrs. LaCrosse.”
She chuckled. “No dear, I’m not Mrs. LaCrosse. It’s Felicia Ryce, but you can call me Felicia.”
Erik’s mother was tall, with bouncy, black shoulder-length hair. She didn’t look anything like a grandmother at all. She was classy and beautiful with a face that reminded Michelle of Diahann Carroll. Her smile was warm and genuine, as was her handshake. But why was her name Ryce and not LaCrosse like Erik’s? Precious had told her about her two grandmas, Felicia and Danielle. She knew Erik’s father was married to Danielle and living in the resort mountain town of Granite Falls. She’d assumed that Felicia had kept her married name after divorcing Erik’s father—lots of women did that. Perhaps she’d remarried to somebody named Ryce… No, there was no ring on her finger, so…
“How do you like the job so far?” Felicia asked.
“I just started yesterday and I’m tired already,” Michelle said, giving the woman a wide smile. “Your granddaughter has more energy that a fully grown thoroughbred.”
Felicia grinned. “I know what you mean. You definitely have to take your vitamins to keep up with Precious.” She frowned as she inspected her granddaughter. “Why is she so dirty? She looks like she needs a good scrubbing.”
“I went to the park, Grandma. And it was so much fun, and I met Yasmine and Peter. He taught me how to spit, real far. You want me to show you?”
“Not in the store, baby. You only spit outdoors. Aren’t you supposed to be at piano right now?” She directed her question to Precious, but her eyes were centered on Michelle.
“I canceled her lessons,” Michelle said with quiet emphasis. “She was out late last night and I thought she needed a day off from her rigid schedule. Erik said they stopped by to visit you.”
Felicia started laughing, almost doubling over with the humor.
Michelle frowned, wondering what on earth could be amusing the woman so.
“They did, and now I understand why he didn’t want to go home,” she said, sobering up a little. “Precious, baby, why don’t you go to the end of this aisle and get your grandma two cans of tomato soup, and a can of lentils? Take your time.”
She gave Michelle a whimsical grin when Precious was out of earshot. “I like you already. It’s about time a woman stood up to that boy of mine. My son is a wonderful man; he was a great husband, but Lord he could be so bloody demanding, has been since the day he was born.”
Michelle recalled the feel of Erik’s firm lips on hers last night, and his strong arms pinning her to his hard lean body as he kissed her into submission. He was indeed demanding. A shiver ran up her spine as she pictured herself lying beneath him, naked and submissive, as he took her, hard and fast. God, she didn’t even know she liked it that…#p#分页标题#e#
“When Cassie died, Erik didn’t have a clue what to do with Precious.”
She startled as Felicia’s voice pulled her out of her licentious daydream.
“So he signed her up for every extracurricular activity that came across his path. I’ve spoken to him, but he thinks because he’s her father, he knows what’s best for Precious. He couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“I know,” Michelle agreed, wondering what the woman would think of her if she knew what she’d been thinking about her son a moment ago. “Precious doesn’t even like horses.”
“Cassie loved them. She rode almost every day until she got pregnant with Precious, and never after she was born. She had a new second love.”
Michelle guessed Erik must have been her first.