Sunshine set aside the same brush she had picked up only a few minutes earlier. “Peter has changed. I barely recognized him as the man I once knew.”
“Sondra said he’s difficult.”
Sunshine smiled. “What Peter doesn’t realize is that when we fail to be kind and loving, then we fail to be wise. I fear his life hasn’t gone the way he expected or wanted. I wish him well, I do, but he’s caught in a net of self-pity and resentment. I doubt anything I might have said would have reached him.” She paused and sadness leaked into her eyes. “He doesn’t understand that in his effort to penalize your friend, he has hurt himself even more.”
Her aunt was wise and beautiful. It stunned Beth that Peter didn’t recognize that in her. She was right, he was to be pitied. “Did Peter…blame you for what’s happened in his life?”
“He said he didn’t, claimed he accepts full responsibility. The sad part is he resents my success. While he might be one of the highest-priced attorneys in the city, Peter views himself as a failure.”
“But why?” This made no sense to Beth.
Her aunt reached out and cupped Beth’s cheek. “I read once that one of the saddest things in life is to die with the music still inside us. There’s tremendous talent in Peter that has been long denied. When I knew him, he was one of the most promising artists in college. His work was praised by staff and students alike. His potential was breathtaking.”
“And he gave it up?”
“He did. He walked away from it all.”
“But why? Why would he do that?”
Sunshine mulled over the question. “That isn’t easy to answer. He would like to blame outside factors, but I believe deep down Peter had a terrible fear of failure. His talent came easy for him. I remember how hard it was for him to accept even the slightest criticism. He grew defensive and argumentative.”
“You loved him, though.”
“Yes, I won’t deny that.” She turned back to her painting, but not before Beth saw the sheen in her aunt’s eyes.
Immediately Beth was struck with guilt. “I’m so sorry.”
“Please, no apologies. They aren’t necessary. You acted in love, and how could I ever fault that?”
“But—”
“I don’t want you to feel bad that the meeting with Peter didn’t go well. I’m not the least bit upset. If anything, I’m terribly sad for him.”
“You’re sure you’re all right?”
“Oh yes, very sure.”
Beth stood to leave. “I better head to the store so I can get what I need for our dinner.” Then, to lighten the mood, she said, “Sam wants to help me with the preparation.”
“Does he cook?”
“Not that I’ve seen.”
“This should be interesting,” Sunshine said, smiling again.
Beth left then, feeling better than she had when she’d arrived. She had a renewed appreciation of this wonderful, wise woman who was her aunt. Hearing about Peter, she felt a terrible sadness for him, much as her aunt did.
She couldn’t let her mind dwell on the attorney for long, though. Sam was hours away from spending time with her parents. If nothing else, this should be one interesting Thanksgiving Day.
CHAPTER 32
Sam
The minute Sam arrived for Thanksgiving dinner, Beth’s mother’s gaze narrowed in on him like the laser from a sniper’s rifle. Ellie dressed with the grace and style of a Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and possessed the eyes of a werewolf. Staking his claim, he walked directly to Beth, wrapped his arm around her waist, and wished her a happy Thanksgiving.
Beth looked up and he saw the concern in her eyes. Leaning forward, he whispered, “We got this, babe.”
Momentarily reassured, she smiled and nodded.
He kissed her cheek, broke away, and walked over to Beth’s father, who sat in a chair, reading in the cozy living room. He thrust out his hand. “Sam Carney,” he said. “And you must be Beth’s father.”
“Phillip,” the other man said. Putting aside a thick book, he stood to shake Sam’s hand.
Sam looked him square in the eyes and knew the two of them would have no problem. Phillip Prudhomme was the picture of the absentminded professor. He was slightly disheveled, the knot in his tie was loose, and his dinner jacket looked large on his shoulders. He needed a haircut, and although he’d shaved, he’d missed a spot.
Having recently shaved, Sam felt almost nude. It would take a few days for him to grow accustomed to not having facial hair. A nice side benefit had been Beth’s reaction. When she first saw him, her eyes had grown warm and soft as she reached up and stroked his bare cheeks.
“Well, what do you think?” he’d asked.
“I like it. But then I like you with your beard, too.”
Phillip returned to his chair and reached for his book, as if escaping into the written word and academia was where he belonged, where he was most comfortable.
“Good to see you again, Ellie,” Sam said, turning to greet Beth’s mother.
“You…too,” she said, and withdrew her hand quickly, as if she were afraid his grip would cripple her fingers.
Beth joined Sam and he wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her close to his side. His hope was that Ellie got his message. Beth was staying with him. They were a couple.
“Need any help, babe?” he asked Beth. He could see Sunshine busily working in the kitchen. He knew both Beth and her aunt had been preparing food since early that morning.
“Thanks, but we’ve got everything under control,” Beth told him.
“You need anything, all you need to do is ask.” He noticed Ellie hadn’t gotten anywhere close to the kitchen. She sat in a chair next to her husband and held a glass of white wine, sipping from it occasionally.
Sam took another chair and was about to reach for the television remote when Ellie spoke.
“What was that you called Beth?” her mother asked him conversationally.
“When?”
“Just now. Did you call her baby?”
He nodded. “Babe. It’s a term of affection.”
“Babe,” she repeated, as though amused. Her lips moved, but it looked more like sarcasm than humor. “I find that interesting.”
“Really?”
“Well, yes, it’s rather ironic.”
“Why is that?”
Beth’s mother studied him briefly as if she needed to use small words in order for him to understand. “You must know my daughter moved to Portland to show us she could live independently of her father and me. Then as soon as she has her own apartment and a job far beneath her skill, she chooses to let someone call her babe, as if she were an infant in need of care.”
“Like I said, it’s a term of affection,” Sam repeated.
Ellie shook her head slightly, as if his answer was beyond her comprehension. “How exactly did you two meet? I assume you aren’t one of her charity piano students.”
“Mom, you already know how we met. It was a blind date,” Beth said, coming out from the kitchen to stand at his side. She sat on the side of the chair and placed her arm around his shoulders.
“A blind date,” Ellie repeated, frowning. “Who would possibly think to match up the two of you?”
“A friend from school,” Beth supplied.
Sunshine carried out the water pitcher and set it on the table. She shared a look with Sam as though to suggest he not rise to the bait.
Ellie’s question was an insult, but Sam let it pass.
“What friend?” Ellie asked, as though Nichole should immediately be stripped from the friend list.
“Nichole is another teacher,” Sam explained. “She’s married to Rocco, who is my best friend. They arranged for Beth and me to have dinner together.”
“The funny part is,” Beth said, smiling down on Sam, “when we first met, neither of us were terribly impressed with the other.”
Sam swore he could drown in her warmth.
“But then Sam was there at
the accident scene,” Beth explained.
“He caused it?”
“Ellie!” Phillip laid aside the book and looked pointedly at his wife.
“You know Sam didn’t cause the accident, Mom,” Beth answered. “Sam was at the stoplight when I got hit by another car. He was the one who helped me most.”
“She was hurt,” he said, picking up the story. “We didn’t know how badly at the time, and I held her hand until the nine-one-one team arrived.”
“I don’t know what would have happened without Sam,” Beth added. “We’ve been together ever since. He’s important to me, Mom.”
Ellie nodded slowly. “I’ve read about incidents like this where someone saves the life of another and then that person feels an obligation to look after the other. Phillip,” she said, looking to her husband, “what’s the name of that syndrome?”
“What syndrome?”
“You know the one. It’s like what happened in Stockholm, only it’s when someone helps another and then the person saved feels an obligation…or is it the other way around? I don’t quite remember how it goes.”
“Mom, that’s ridiculous.”
“I never heard of any such syndrome,” Sam said.
“Yes, but Sam, pardon me for being blunt, but you don’t look to be an educated man.”
Despite his determination not to make waves, he bristled. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh dear, that did sound rude, didn’t it? You’ll need to forgive me. I should have put that another way. What is it you do for a living, Sam?”
“Mom, you already know Sam is the head mechanic at the Bruce Olson GM dealership.”
Ellie’s stare made him feel like he’d crawled out from under a rock. It irritated him, and he decided then and there that he was through playing nice with this woman.
“I left college because I discovered I’m much better with my hands.” He looked pointedly at Beth. “Isn’t that right, babe?”
Ellie’s face reddened.
“Sam.” Beth groaned, silently pleading with him. She turned to her mother then and glared at her. “What’s with all the questions? You’ve met Sam. You know him.”
“I met him, yes, but there wasn’t time to get to know him. You say he’s important to you, so I feel I should learn more about him.”
Sam didn’t believe that for a moment. Ellie Prudhomme was doing her best to belittle him. He loved Beth and would do anything for her, but he wasn’t going to allow anyone, not her mother or anyone else, to look and act as if he was dirt under their carefully manicured fingernails.
“Who are your people, Sam?” Ellie asked next.
“My people?”
“Your family,” she clarified.
“Mary Alice and Joe Carney.”
“The Prudhomme name goes back several generations,” Ellie said proudly. “My husband can trace his family tree all the way back to the Mayflower.”
“My family tree goes all the way back to Ellis Island and then to Ireland,” he said. “I come from good people, Mrs. Prudhomme, if that’s your concern. We don’t have a pedigree, but we have big hearts, determination, and guts. The Carney family is grounded and there’s a lot of love. I want Beth to meet my parents and they want to meet her. My brothers and sister, too.”
“Just how many of you are there?” Ellie asked, wide-eyed.
“Two brothers, one sister. All married,” he answered. “They live in California, near Sacramento.”
“How…” Ellie paused, as if searching for the right word. “American,” she concluded.
It wasn’t her words as much as the way Beth’s mother studied him. He’d given it his best shot. As much as he loved Beth, as much as he wanted this meeting to go smoothly, he was not going to allow this ridiculous woman to put down his family, Beth, or himself.
“Does anyone object if I turn on the television?” Sam asked, as he reached for the remote to the television. “The Seahawks have a game against the Denver Broncos that starts in about thirty minutes.”
“Football on Thanksgiving?” Ellie asked, as if there was something wrong with a society that would allow such a travesty of poor taste to occur on a national holiday.
Sam ignored the question and turned on the TV, changing it to the proper channel.
The time had come for Sam to man up. “Phillip,” he said. When Beth’s father glanced up from his book, Sam cleared his throat. “Mr. Prudhomme, I want you to know that I love your daughter.”
Ellie gave no indication she’d heard, but Sam noticed that the chardonnay sloshed in her wineglass as if she’d jerked.
Phillip considered Sam’s words. “Beth is an easy girl to love.”
“She’s a woman,” Sam corrected. “And you’re right. She is easy to love. From the day I met her, she’s turned my world upside down. She’s the most caring person I’ve ever known. She’s thoughtful and wise, generous in spirit, and one incredible person. Just being around her makes me a better man.”
Beth stood frozen just outside the kitchen, and he noticed a tear roll down her cheek.
“Mom and Dad,” she said, returning to the room. She stood next to Sam and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I love Sam, too.”
In all these months, neither of them had verbalized the words. Sam knew long ago he had strong feelings for her. He’d tried to deny it, mainly because giving his heart to another woman scared him unlike anything human. It seemed unfair that he should admit it to Beth’s parents before he told her, but it was necessary. Sam wanted it clear where he stood with Beth and that he wasn’t going to slink away in the middle of the night because he’d been intimidated.
Ellie looked to her husband and desperately whispered, “Phillip, say something. Surely you recognize this relationship will never work.”
Phillip looked from his wife to his daughter and grinned.
Sam reached for Beth’s hand. “I don’t mean any disrespect, but it seems to me Beth is an adult. She can make her own decisions on who she chooses to love.”
“My daughter is an educated—”
“Mom,” Beth said, cutting her off. “Sam is right. I love him,” she said, and looked at him smiling, “and he loves me.”
“But Kier…”
“Oh please,” Beth exploded. “Kier is not half the man Sam is, and if you don’t see that, then I pity you.”
Sunshine applauded from the kitchen.
“Stay out of this,” Ellie flared at her sister. “It’s your influence that’s destroying my daughter’s life.”
“Daddy,” Beth said, ignoring her mother. “I’m happy with my life. I can’t ever remember being happier.”
“That you would choose a mechanic over Kier tells me otherwise,” her mother cried, as though she couldn’t believe what was happening.
“Kier, Mother?” Beth said again. “What exactly does Kier do? He isn’t even employed.”
“He doesn’t need to work,” her mother supplied, as if that was all the qualifications she needed to recommend him. “His grandfather left him a trust fund that has secured his future. You could have everything you’ve ever wanted.”
Beth wrapped her arm around Sam’s. “Don’t you see, Mom, I already do.”
Ellie glared at her husband as if she expected him to leap to his feet and challenge Sam to a duel. “Phillip, for the love of heaven, will you say something?”
Beth’s father sighed and smiled at his daughter and Sam. “Congratulations, you two. Now, I’ve been smelling that turkey roasting for hours. How long before we eat?”
“Phillip?” Ellie cried. “Are you insane?”
“Nope. I’m hungry.”
“Just need to mash the potatoes and slice the turkey and we’re ready to eat,” Sunshine said. “Sam, would you mind carving the bird?”
“I’d be honored.” He headed into the kitchen, pulling Beth in with him.
The perfectly roasted turkey sat on a cutting board in the kitchen with a knife and a pronged fork.
Phillip ret
urned to reading his book and Ellie stood in the center of the room as if she didn’t know what to do with herself.
Beth began placing food on the table. Sam noticed how she stole glances in his direction, smiling as she moved about the kitchen.
“I refuse to be a party to this farce,” Ellie announced.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sunshine told her sister. “It’s Thanksgiving. We both have a great deal to be grateful for. Come sit and enjoy the bounty.”
“Mother, please,” Beth added, gently pleading with her mother.
For his part, Sam was ready to call her a taxi, but Beth might not appreciate the suggestion.
“Ellie,” Phillip added forcefully. “Sit down and keep your mouth closed for once in your life. Our daughter loves a good man.”
“A mechanic who drinks beer? Heaven help us. What am I going to tell my friends?”
“What friends?” Phillip asked. “Far as I can see, you associate with a bunch of gossip-mongers. Time for you to realize that.” Setting his book aside, he stood, hugged his daughter, and shook Sam’s hand before he pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. As though paralyzed with shock, Ellie remained standing alone in the middle of the living room. After several minutes, she exhaled, tilted her chin at a proud angle, and joined the others.
Sam thought Ellie was about to break into tears, but she managed to hold herself together. Phillip rubbed his hands and smiled. “Looks like a feast to me. Since Sam is carving the turkey, I’ll say grace.”
“Dad,” Beth whispered, and it sounded a little like a plea.
Ellie closed her eyes. “Phillip, please.”
Beth’s father waited until he had everyone’s attention and then instructed them to join hands.
He bowed his head. Sam did as well, although he had no idea what had concerned both of the women in the other man’s life.
“Good friends,” Phillip said, “good meat. Good God, let’s eat.”
Sam grinned. Yup, he was going to get along just fine with Beth’s father. He opened one eye and snuck a look at Beth, who was grinning, too.
Thanksgiving had gone as well as could be expected, and Sam was pleased.