A Holiday Fling by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online Page A

was pleasant to everyone, but for Greg she had a private smile that melted him in his tracks.
    The three days since he’d arrived in England were the happiest he could remember. By day he and Jenny worked like maniacs to stage her production, sharing ideas and problems with easy camaraderie. The nights were even better as they talked and laughed and made love until they fell asleep in each other’s arms. Usually with Plato sprawled against Greg’s ankles. The three of them slept well together.
    Greg was doing a lighting check when Jenny appeared. "My mother put together a buffet supper for family members involved in the show. The kids have finished, but the adults are eating now. Care to join us, or are you too busy?"
    He suppressed a small twitch. Though the family members he’d met were great, he hadn’t met her father yet, and Dr. Lyme might not approve of some ramshackle American hanging out with his younger daughter. Reminding himself that he wasn’t in high school, he said, "Sure. It would be nice to get out of here for a while."
    He grabbed his coat and joined Jenny for the walk to her parents’ house. The fresh air was welcome after the long day inside. Taking his hand, she led him along a path that edged a field and decanted them by a sprawling brick house. "This was called a villa when it was built in Edwardian times," Jenny explained. "My father wanted all the woodwork painted lime green in honor of the family name, but Mother wouldn’t let him."
    "Sounds like your father has a sense of humor."
    "He has to, to put up with the rest of us," she said blithely as they walked inside through the unlocked front door.
    The small front hall opened to reception rooms on both sides. The parlor on the right contained a tall Christmas tree, with the dining room visible beyond. High ceilings and handsome moldings gave a formal air to the house, but the furnishings were comfortable and just worn enough to be welcoming.
    Jenny hung both their coats, then took Greg into the dining room, where platters and Crock-Pots were set on a sideboard so family members could help themselves to a quick meal. Alice Lyme wasn’t present but Patricia Holmes and her husband, Ken, were already eating, and a white-haired man who had to be Dr. Lyme was nursing a cup of coffee at the head of the table.
    Taking Greg’s arm, Jenny led him into the dining room. "Hi, all. Dad, you haven’t met my friend Greg Marino, have you?"
    Dr. Lyme stood. Tall and angular, he had formidably bushy eyebrows. "No, but Jenny has talked of you a great deal."
    "I was afraid of that," Greg said fatalistically. "I swear, practically none of it is true."
    The doctor laughed and offered his hand. "It was good of you to come all this way to help out."
    As they shook hands, Greg said, "I’m glad Jenny asked me. I’m having a wonderful time."
    "You’re from Ohio, I think? I once did a fellowship in Cincinnati." Dr. Lyme sighed nostalgically. "Cincinnati chili. Not like anything else I’ve ever eaten."
    "That’s because its ancestors are Greek, not Mexican." Greg made a mental note to send some Cincinnati chili spice packets to Dr. Lyme. "Our local specialty."
    That started a lively discussion about regional foods while the new arrivals served themselves and sat down. Luckily, Greg managed not to step on the collie-ish dog that was snoozing peacefully under the sideboard. Given the way Jenny fussed over the elderly pooch, he suspected that stepping on its tail would get him exiled permanently from the house.
    Dr. Lyme replenished his coffee. "Is everything in hand for the rehearsal?"
    "So far, so good," Jenny replied. "One of the horn dancers broke his right antler, but we were able to super- glue the end on again."
    Greg grinned, amused at the contrast of old and new. "I’ve been meaning to ask why moose antlers are worn for a dance."
    "Not moose—red deer. The horned god is a pagan deity and tied up with fertility and nature," Patricia explained with