Page 88 of Love Is Brewing

“It is annoying,” his mother said. “I remember when Sam was alive and we lived on base. We’d move somewhere new and I wouldn’t know many, but they’d come up to me and say something along the lines of the family with all the kids.”

“Ouch,” Phoebe said. “That’s not a way to be labeled.”

“No,” his mother said. “But I always had some reply for them. Even with all my kids, they were better behaved than most...out in public.”

“Because we were afraid of our mother.”

“As you should be,” his mother said, winking.

“I had a grandfather that we always feared,” Phoebe said. “But he was an asshole.”

Elias burst out laughing. “Did you just compare my mother to your old-fashioned sexist grandfather?”

“Oh my God,” she said. Her face turned bright red and he felt so bad that she looked as if she might cry. “I’m so sorry. Never. I’m so embarrassed.”

“Looks like my son isn’t the only one that can put his foot in his mouth. It’s okay, sweetie,” his mother said. “I’ve dropped in unexpectedly and everyone is off their game. We can start over.”

“Thank you so much,” she said. “My grandfather was a jerk. He treated women poorly and had no respect for them. My father and brothers are nothing like him.”

“Sounds like someone I would have loved to give a piece of my mind to.”

“And I would have loved to see it,” she said. “My mother and you, I bet you’ll get along well. She’s said a few things to my grandfather in the past.”

“Good for her. Especially since your grandfather was her boss, correct?”

Which meant his mother did do a lot of research.

“He was. But my father always stood by my mother and my grandfather knew. Name and reputation were important. My grandfather would never risk it.”

“You mean your father stood by his woman?” he asked innocently.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. You’re forgiven for saying that.”

“Did Elias call you his woman?” his mother asked. “What a tool! See, puts his foot in his mouth. But love has you forgiving each other.”

Leave it to his mother to throw the L word out there.

He turned to Phoebe quickly to see her reaction and she flushed again.

Which of course told him nothing about how she felt.

Not surprising there. It felt as if he was always going to be left guessing.

28

NARROW-MINDED

“Ididn’t know you were dating Elias,” Kayla said to her five days later.

Phoebe expected her staff to have found out long before now.

“Elias Carlisle?” Sophie yelled from the front.

Ellen popped her head out of her office too. So much for stopping to see Kayla in her office to ask her something quickly.

It was turned around on her before she could get her question out.

Now everyone was making their way closer.

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