I Can Make You Love Me. Karen White-Owens

purposeful steps, Peg moved through the house on high-heeled feet and turned into the family room.

      Wynn heard cries of pleasure from her children. “Nana!”

      “Come give your Nana a hug and kiss.”

      “Where’s Granddad?” Kevin asked.

      “At home. You’ll see him tomorrow. What are you watching?”

      Jimmy answered, “Cartoons.”

      “Oh, you shouldn’t watch mess like that. It’ll rot your brain.”

      “Nana, no they won’t!” Wynn oldest child responded in a logical tone.

      “Well, it could. Your nana’s going to have a cup of coffee with your mom and then I’ll come back and sit with you for a while.”

      Peg stepped from the family room and followed Wynn to the kitchen. Wynn shook her head. Peg Evans was an anomaly to her daughter. The socialite spent much of her time at charity functions, always making a point to get her photo in the local metro section of the Detroit area papers.

      “Jim.” Peg nodded at the man from a safe distance. “I saw your truck outside. Where’s your live-in love?”

      Jim’s cheeks flushed red under his brown skin. Smiling, Wynn watched the game, loving her mother’s slice and dice of Jim.

      “At home,” he muttered, turning toward the window, pretending to study the foliage in the backyard.

      Dismissing the man, Peg fingered the petals on the red rose. “These are gorgeous. Who are they from?” She turned to her daughter. “Wynn?”

      Wynn strolled passed the counter and took a seat at the island. “Remember the Carlyles?”

      Mom’s forehead crinkled into a frown as she made the connection. “The family who lived next door to us on Outer Drive?”

      “Yeah. Them. I ran into Adam in town a few days ago.”

      Her mother took a seat at the island and placed her Coach bag on the countertop. “Really! How are the Carlyles?”

      Wynn eyed Jim. He stood listening to every word. His pea-size brain was working overtime. She turned in the chair to face her mother. “Adam’s doing quite well for himself. He’s an attorney for one of the auto companies.”

      “That’s wonderful. What about his parents?” Peg scooted closer to the countertop. “How are they?”

      “Oh! This was a surprise. They’re divorced,” Wynn replied.

      Peg gasped. “No! I don’t believe it. They seemed so devoted to each other. I wonder what happened.”

      “The news surprised me,” Wynn admitted.

      “So what about Adam?” asked Peg.

      “Single. No kids. He lives in West Bloomfield.”

      Impressed, Mom’s eyebrows rose. “Very nice. Wait a minute. You got all of this from one conversation?”

      Now Wynn felt heat prick her cheeks. “No. Adam told me some of this when we ran into each other. But I learned the rest at dinner last night.”

      “Mmm,” Peg mumbled, glancing back at the bouquet sitting on the island. “And now you have roses. Interesting. Where did Adam take you?”

      Wynn chuckled silently. This would rock her mother. “Seldom Blues.”

      “Oh! I love that place.”

      “Do you know they have a private dining room that faces the riverfront? It’s beautiful.”

      “Oh my. Adam went all out,” Peg muttered, playing with the strap of her purse. “I wonder why?”

      “I think he meant to impress me.”

      Peg Evans absently tapped a nail against the counter’s surface, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Why?”

      “I’m not sure,” Wynn hedged.

      “You’re not thinking of getting involved with Adam, are you?”

      “No, Mom. We’re friends. Don’t make more of it than there is.” Wynn turned away from her mother’s penetrating gaze. Boy, was that an understatement.

      Peg blew out a relieved puff of air. “Good! You two would definitely turn a few heads.”

      “Why, Mother? Because we make such a great-looking couple?”

      Exasperated, Peg waved a hand at her daughter. “Oh stop, Wynn. You know what I mean. What would people think? You’re what? Fifteen or sixteen years older than that boy?”

      “Thirteen,” Wynn corrected. “And he’s a man.”

      Peg shrugged. “Whatever.”

      Until this moment, Jim had silently stayed on the sidelines, listening but not commenting. Now, he added his two cents’ worth. “You can’t seriously be considering going out with this guy. I mean, he’s a baby compared to you.”

      Furious, Wynn stood, facing her ex-husband. “Let me walk you out.”

      Jim put down his glass, raising both hands in a deliberate act of surrender. “Don’t shoot me. I thought this was an open forum.”

      “It’s not.”

      Nodding, he left the room. Wynn started after him but her mother caught her hand.

      “Don’t get mad at Jim,” Peg defended. “He’s just considering how everything looks to an outsider.”

      “His opinion doesn’t matter,” Wynn stated in a fierce tone.

      “Honey, you’re going to have to think seriously about this.” Peg moved to where her daughter stood and placed a reassuring hand on Wynn’s shoulder.

      “Mom, there is no this.”

      “How do you think a relationship will look to your friends? Your colleagues? Your children? You’ve got a business to run. Are you going to take Adam to business dinners with you? Introduce him as your boy toy?”

      “First of all, Adam and I went out once.” She wagged a finger at her mother. “One time. I don’t understand why you are so concerned.”

      “Honey, I don’t want you to make another mistake. You’re still paying for this one.”

      Wynn shook her head and restated the question with a twist. “Don’t you mean, what will your friends think?”

      With a delicate shrug, Peg admitted, “That, too.”

      “Mother, leave it alone. Adam probably won’t call me again.”

      “Then why are you so feisty about something that’s not going to happen?” Peg tilted her head to the side and studied Wynn. “There’s got to be a reason.”

      This conversation is over. Wynn reached for the coffeepot. Whatever I decide to do with Adam is my business. No one else’s.

      Wynn filled the coffeepot with water. After clearing her throat, she asked, “I’ve got some new specialty coffees. Would you like to try one?”

      “That would be lovely,” Peg answered, letting the conversation drop.

      But the gleam in her mother’s eyes made Wynn’s stomach cramp. This wasn’t over.

      Chapter 5

      Monday morning, Wynn hesitated outside the office to Nursing Solutions as she listened to Ramsey Lewis’s piano notes floating from under the closed door. Wynn sighed, feeling her pulse accelerate. The moment she stepped through the door, the mother of all interrogation would begin and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it. Helen wouldn’t rest until she’d extracted every detail about Wynn’s date with Adam.

      Wynn