Ryan had just set their drinks on the coffee table and settled next to her when his phone started ringing. She supposed it was to be expected since he’d been out of the country. It wasn’t as if his being tied up with work was anything new. In the past, though, she’d never hesitated to needle him or distract him. Something that had both exasperated and thrilled him in equal parts.

But now she sat quietly as he fished his BlackBerry out of his pocket.

His lips thinned a bit before he put the phone to his ear.

“Hello, Mom.”

Kelly sighed. That hadn’t taken long.

Ryan wasn’t one of those guys who was tied to the apron strings, but he respected his mother, as any son should, and like most children, she supposed, had a bit of a blind spot when it came to her.

Or maybe he just didn’t want to see her as the conniving vindictive witch that Kelly knew her to be. Kelly was sure his mother had her good points. She obviously loved her sons. But she’d never be someone Kelly would warm to. Ever.

“Yes, we’re back. Listen, Mom, why did you send Roberta there? I don’t appreciate you interfering. I won’t tolerate any disrespect toward Kelly. You need to accept that she’s with me. If you can’t do that, then you and I are going to have a serious problem.”

Kelly’s eyes rounded. There was anger in Ryan’s voice and his eyes were hard.

“We’ll see,” he continued. “Right now Kelly and I need some time together without interference, no matter how well meaning. I’ll call you when we’re ready to have dinner together.”

Ugh. It took all of Kelly’s control not to make a face. But this was Ryan’s mother. This was her child’s grandmother, no matter how much Kelly wished it to be different.

“I love you too, Mom. Let me go. We just got in and we’re both tired.”

He tossed the BlackBerry on the couch. Kelly looked inquisitively at him.

“Mom wants to express her apologies for Roberta’s actions. And her own. She wants to have dinner with us one night. I told her I’d be in touch when we were ready for that.”

There wasn’t anything she could say so she remained silent. She leaned forward to pick up her glass of orange juice to mask the awkwardness of the moment and leaned back, sipping at the sweet and tart drink.

He glanced at her propped-up feet and then frowned. “Your feet are pretty swollen.”

She lifted one and sighed. “Yeah. Apparently I’m a water-retaining cow.”

“Are they hurting? Want me to rub them?”