SUNDAY AT TALLIE'S

Tallie is the glue that holds the O'Shea family together. Even before Bernie died, Tallie qualified for Mother of the Year every day. Though her eight adopted children are adults, they still return to the traditional Sunday dinner at Tallie's whenever they can. To reconnect with each other, to share events in their lives, and to enjoy Tallie's home cooking. 

Coming November 2012, Tallie will have her own story in CHALLENGING THE LEGACY. Be prepared for some surprises as secrets from her past are revealed.

Welcome to Tallie O'Shea's!

**The sexy voice on the phone made Grady an offer the woman obviously thought he couldn't refuse.
As he erased the message, Grady wished his convictions were as solid as those of his oldest brother, Collin. He thought becoming a cop would give him a profession where he could use his skill for seeing details, yet his nerdiness would be covered by a uniform that commanded respect. Seemed like a good idea at the time, and his work on the bomb squad gave him great satisfaction. 

However, the media attention focused on him since the explosions in Halo was intrusive and unsettling. Women approached him on the street and tracked him on the Internet, wanting to add a notch labeled "bomb expert" to their bedposts. 

Now, nothing in his life seemed to fit. His job. His duplex. Offers of one-night stands when he wanted a committed relationship. A long-term relationship with a woman strong enough to accept the danger of his work, and love him anyway. Did such a woman exist? 

An image of Layla drifted into his mind. Yet she seemed as ambivalent about him as he was about his life. Sometimes they connected at what seemed like a soul-deep level, then she scurried away.

Perhaps that's why Tallie called to be sure he would be at Sunday dinner today. Because Layla had professed her undying love for him and wanted to throw herself at his feet. Grady chuckled at his flight of fancy.

Or desperation. 

So with realism battling fantasy, Grady pulled into the driveway at Tallie's. His libido revved when he noticed Layla's car also parked near the house. Along with Beth's car, Marly's and a number of other vehicles he recognized, and a vehicle with an out-of-state license plate. Since planning for Beth and Collin's wedding was the main focus at the O'Shea household lately, perhaps the out-of-state vehicle was a friend or relative of Beth's. 

Whatever the case, Grady doubted he would have any time alone with Layla, so called on the years of manners Tallie had drilled into him and all his siblings to be polite. Nothing more. 

Grady strode into the house with his usual smile on his face. Immediately, he sensed something different. His siblings stared at him just a moment too long before saying hello, and Tallie seemed very serious.

"So, what's going on?" Grady asked.

The siblings turned back to their own concerns as Tallie took Grady's arm and led him toward the study. "Someone's come to see you."

"Okay. Why is that such a big deal?"

Tallie hesitated. "She says she's your biological mother."

**Excerpt from CHASING THE LEGACY, copyright Genene Valleau, writing as Genie Gabriel.