“I know you don’t trust him,” Rooster said.
“Plenty of reasons not to,” Annie had muttered. “He’s ruining everything between my mom and dad.”
“Is he?” Rooster asked gently.
Annie nodded stubbornly, but her grandmother was evidently staying out of it.
“Kids want to see their parents together,” Rooster said, reaching for his coffee mug and holding it out for the waitress to refill. “That’s natural. But sometimes it isn’t for the best.”
“It is with my parents,” Annie insisted. She looked across the table and met her grandmother’s eyes, assuming Ruth would immediately agree. It came as a surprise when she didn’t.
Hearing how Max had volunteered in New Orleans wasn’t something Annie wanted to hear. She preferred to think of him as a drifter who’d taken advantage of her mother. Although she struggled to hold on to that image, she found it increasingly difficult, especially when she saw how happy he made her mother. Now that she knew that he had a good heart, it was even harder to dislike him.
But she wasn’t ready to admit that yet, she told herself as she refolded the map. Both her grandmother and mother were still asleep.
Another minor complication had come her way in the past couple of days.
She’d emailed Vance back to let him know what a great time she was having and casually asked about his adventures in Europe. He replied right away. Matt and Jessie argued constantly. Everything cost more than they’d expected. At the rate they were going, they’d be out of money in a few weeks when they’d hoped it would last them a year. He hated hostels and had trouble making himself understood.
In Annie’s opinion, if Vance was visiting a foreign country, he should make the effort to learn at least basic phrases in that language. She told him so, a comment he’d chosen to ignore. She hadn’t heard from him since, and that was fine, although she did want Vance to know she was having the experience of her life...well, other than their last day in Branson. Unfortunately, she hadn’t met anyone in Missouri the way she had in Vegas.
Jason had emailed her several times, as well. In fact, Annie hoped they’d keep in touch...
* * *
Bethanne didn’t sleep well after Max dropped her off. There was so much more she’d wanted to say, so much more she wanted to know. He’d be traveling for several days, which would make communication difficult. She’d be on the road, too, heading in the opposite direction. Once she arrived in Vero Beach, Grant would meet her. She didn’t want to think about her ex-husband, not when she was preoccupied by another man. Above all, Bethanne longed to be fair to both men. She wouldn’t mislead Grant into believing a reconciliation was possible if she decided it wasn’t. At the same time, she couldn’t help wondering if what she felt for Max would diminish in the days ahead.
“We’re ten hours from New Orleans,” Annie said as Bethanne stepped out of the bathroom, dressed and ready to go. She said this as if it were little more than a Sunday drive in the country. “It’s just six hundred miles.”
“Six hundred miles.” Ruth groaned as she completed her morning stretches. “You don’t expect to make that in a single day, do you?”
“We can.” Annie sounded completely confident as she tucked the map in her bag. “Especially if we get an early start.” Hopping off the bed, she clapped her hands. “Come on, Mom. And, Grandma, just think—every day brings you closer to Vero Beach—and Royce.”
Hearing that was all the incentive Ruth needed. Although Bethanne hadn’t pried, she knew this trip had more to do with seeing Royce than with the actual reunion.
“And what about all the knitting you’ll accomplish in ten hours, Mom?”
Because she’d spent so much time with Max, Bethanne had neglected her project. Annie had a point; she could use the long hours on the road to knit...and think. She’d only completed the first glove so far. Her goal had been to finish the pair before they returned to Seattle.
They dressed and finished packing their suitcases. While Ruth directed the bellman with their luggage, Annie arranged to have the car brought to the front of the hotel. Bethanne checked out. After she’d put their expenses on her credit card, she handed the woman behind the counter a short note for Max, thanking him for a wonderful day. In a postscript, she’d added that she was going to miss him.
“Would you please give this to Max Scranton when he checks out?” she said.
The woman looked up. “Mr. Scranton’s already left.”
Already? Max was gone? Silly as it sounded, Bethanne wasn’t prepared to hear that.
* * *
Bethanne drove, with Ruth in the passenger seat. “I don’t mind telling you I enjoyed Branson,” her mother-in-law said. “It was everything I’d dreamed it would be.”
“You enjoyed attending the shows?”
“Yes, and Rooster wasn’t half bad.” She glanced at Bethanne. “I might have misjudged him. He’s actually quite a nice man. A bit young for me, but a gentleman at heart.”
“I’m glad you had a good time.”
“Rooster.” She shook her head. “I don’t understand why he insists on using such a ridiculous name, but that’s his business. He said—”
“Onward to New Orleans,” Annie broke in. “I can hardly wait.”
“Me, too.” Ruth grinned. “My mouth’s watering for that Cajun food Emeril’s always talking about. Give me some shrimp étouffée and filé gumbo.”
“Grandma, I thought you didn’t like spicy food.”
“Normally I don’t, but I’m not about to pass this up. Besides, why did they invent antacid tablets if it wasn’t for times like this?”
“I’ve heard so much about Bourbon Street...” Annie said dreamily.
“And apparently the French Quarter is quite a shopping experience,” Bethanne added.
They stopped in Little Rock, Arkansas, for a late breakfast. Annie took over the driving after that, while Bethanne sat in the back and worked on her knitting. She was distracted by thoughts of Max and ended up ripping out several rows.
“We should call Dad,” Annie said just outside Jackson, Mississippi, early that afternoon.
“We should,” Ruth agreed.
Grant hadn’t called in a couple of days, which was unusual. He seemed to be following his own advice and giving her the space she needed. But Bethanne suspected he was nervously waiting for her to get in touch with him.
“I’ll call him,” Ruth volunteered, and reached for Annie’s cell phone, which rested on the console between them. She’d come to use it quite a bit this trip. Bethanne wouldn’t be surprised if she bought one of her own.
Mother and son spoke about the trip for a few minutes before she turned around to hand the phone to Bethanne.
“Hello, Grant,” Bethanne said.
“Hi,” he said back. “How was Branson?” He sounded tentative, unlike his usual confident self.
“Wonderful.” If he was waiting for her to fill him in about her time with Max, then he’d be disappointed.
“When do you plan to get to Vero Beach?” Grant asked.
“No later than Monday, although it depends on how many stops we make along the way,” Bethanne told him.
“I’ve always wanted to visit New Orleans,” Grant said. “It would mean more if I could see it with you.” He paused. “Do you think that might be possible someday?”
“I don’t know...” And she didn’t. Rather than dwell on that, she asked, “When do you fly into Orlando?”
“Monday afternoon.”
“Great.”
“Do you mean that, Bethanne?” he asked in a husky whisper. “Do you honestly mean that?”
“I do,” she said. Being away from the demands of her business and the wedding plans would give her a chance to assess their relationship and decide if it was possible to step ba
ck in time. She wondered if she’d changed too much—and if Grant had changed enough.
“Tell Dad hello for me,” Annie said.
“I will,” Bethanne promised, and she did. She was grateful for the closeness father and daughter shared. She hoped that one day Andrew and Grant would find a common bond, too, and that her son would be able to forgive his father.
They spoke for a few more minutes and then Bethanne passed the phone back to Ruth.
They arrived in New Orleans around five-thirty that afternoon. For the past three or four hours, Ruth and Annie had traded off driving. By the time they got to their hotel on Canal Street, Bethanne was more than willing to call it a day. She was tired and uncharacteristically cranky.
After they’d checked in and had their suitcases brought up to the room, Annie and Ruth convinced her to explore the French Quarter with them, despite her protests.
“You’ll feel better once we have something to eat,” Ruth said.
They had no difficulty finding a fabulous restaurant. New Orleans was legendary for its food, and anyone they asked was willing to make recommendations. Bethanne loved the bistro’s shaded courtyard and enjoyed every bite of her pecan-coated catfish and every sip of her Sazerac, a classic New Orleans cocktail. And the bread pudding with bourbon sauce... As Annie said, it was to die for.
Afterward, although she was tired and eager to get back to the room, Bethanne wandered into an antiques store in the Quarter and studied the cameos. She owned a couple of them, which she treasured, but didn’t intend to collect more.
“May I help you?” a pleasant clerk inquired.
“Just looking, thanks,” Bethanne said as she continued down the aisle. Both Annie and Ruth had followed her inside. They each found a different area to explore. The wooden floors creaked with age as Bethanne examined the contents of a display case.
“We recently got in something quite unusual, if you’re interested in a memento that’s out of the ordinary,” the clerk said. She moved behind a glass counter and brought out a small box.
Inside was a plain fabric button. Bethanne couldn’t see anything special about this particular button, other than its obvious age.
“This was sewn in the collar of a Confederate uniform,” the woman said as she reverently took the button from its protective box and held it in the palm of her hand. “I have a photograph of it here.” The clerk laid a picture of a tattered gray uniform beside the now-empty box. “When young men left for the War Between the States, their sweethearts would often soak a button in perfume. Once it was dry they’d sew it into their loved one’s uniform collar, reminding the soldier of all he’d left behind. That way, whenever he was lonely for his home and his sweetheart, all he had to do was breathe deeply.”
“That’s so romantic,” Annie said, coming to stand next to her mother.
“How much is it?” Bethanne asked.
The clerk named a price that shocked her. “For a button? Thank you, but no. That’s way out of my price range.”
“Mom, you should get it,” Annie urged.
Bethanne shook her head. “What would I do with it?”
“Keep it as a souvenir of our trip,” Annie said. “It’s different and historical and so romantic.”
Bethanne considered it for a moment. “I think I’d rather buy something else.”
“Something more reasonably priced, you mean,” Ruth commented, having joined them, as well.
The three shopped a bit longer. Annie bought a number of small items for her girlfriends and Ruth purchased pralines to bring to her own friends at home. In the end, Bethanne didn’t get anything; she wasn’t in much of a buying mood. She missed Max.
As soon as they returned to their hotel room, Ruth changed into her pajamas and was asleep almost immediately.
Annie was busy on her iPhone, answering emails. Taking the opportunity to soak in the tub, Bethanne sought a quiet thirty minutes to herself. A bubble bath was a luxury she hadn’t enjoyed in a while. As she lay in the hot bubbly water, she closed her eyes.
She was completely relaxed when Annie stepped into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the tub.
“Do you need anything, sweetie?” Bethanne asked.
Annie didn’t say anything right away. “I’m glad Max isn’t here,” she mumbled.
“I know.” Bethanne tried not to sound defensive.
“I can see how much you like him.”
“I do.” Bethanne understood her daughter’s concerns. “You’re afraid Max might ruin any chance of a reconciliation between your father and me. Look, Annie, I know how much you want me to get back with your father. But what you need to remember is that nothing’s the same as it was six years ago. Our family will never return to the way it used to be. You and Andrew are adults now. I’d never attempt to convince either of you to enter a relationship you didn’t feel was right. I expect the same courtesy and respect.”
Her daughter blinked and then nodded.
“We understand each other?”
Annie nodded again. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Give Dad a chance. Just give my dad a chance.”
Twenty-Three
“Mom,” Annie whispered. She hadn’t slept. The glowing digital alarm by her side told her it was a little after three. There was a strip of light under the door from the hallway, but except for that and the clock, the room was dark. Grandma Hamlin snored softly in the other bed.
“Hmm?” her mother returned groggily.
“Are you awake?”
“I am now,” Bethanne said, and rolled onto her back.
Annie stared at the ceiling. “Are you mad at me?”
Her mother sat up, leaning against the pillows, and studied Annie. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“Because of what I said about Max,” she whispered. “The thing is, I think I might really like him if it wasn’t for Dad.” Annie had lain awake, examining her feelings, and realized that Max and Rooster were good guys, kind and helpful. She had no idea what would’ve happened at the lake if they hadn’t come by when they did.
“You really care about him, don’t you?” Annie sighed. Her father could have put an end to this romance and he hadn’t. More than that, he’d actually insisted they leave Bethanne alone to make her own decision. Annie admired his attitude, which she viewed as brave and selfless, but she wanted to shout at him to do something and fast. He wouldn’t listen, though. Both her parents were such complicated people.
“I do care about Max.” Her mother’s voice was tender.
“It’s kind of weird watching my mother fall in love with someone other than my father.”
“I can’t say I’m in love with him, Annie. It’s too soon for that. I’m...infatuated with Max, but we haven’t faced any real difficulties yet. I think it would be easy to fall in love with him one day. I like Max a lot, and I hope things work out so we can be together, but they might not.”
“But you love Dad, too, right?” She felt as if the dream she held of seeing her parents reconcile was crumbling at her feet.
“I do care a great deal for your father. I can’t dismiss our years together because of an error in judgment he made.” Her mother lay down again. “However, I doubt that you woke me up to chat about your father and me. What’s up, sweetie?”
Annie sighed, unsure where to start. “I heard from Vance again.” She made it sound like he’d only emailed her a couple of times. The fact was, Vance had contacted her nearly every day since he’d left for Europe with Matt and Jessie. She hadn’t answered most of his emails.
“You mentioned that he’s homesick and wants to come back to Seattle.”
“He can’t. His ticket home isn’t good until next year. When he tried to change it, the airlines wanted to charge him for a
whole new ticket. He doesn’t have that kind of money and he can’t ask his parents. He says the airline’s being unreasonable and I agree with him.”
“He must have known that when he booked his flights.”
“But he already paid for his return ticket!”
“He’s had a pretty quick change of heart, hasn’t he?” Bethanne commented. “He’s only been in Europe a couple of weeks.”
“Yes...”
“What aren’t you telling me, Annie?”
That was the problem with her mother, Annie thought. She read between the lines far too easily.
“Okay.” She closed her eyes tightly. “Vance wants me to meet him in France at the end of the month.” There, she’d said it, and held her breath while she waited for her mother’s reaction.
“What do you think about that?”
Annie should’ve known. Her mother always did this. She turned everything into a question. “I’m not sure,” she admitted. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I need advice.”
“All right,” her mother said. “Obviously, this is bothering you. Otherwise, you’d be fast asleep.”
“And so would you,” Annie added, smiling.
“True.”
Her mother didn’t sound upset, though, and that was reassuring.
“First, how do you feel about Vance?”
“Now or before we left?”
“Now.”
“Well... I miss him. Before he decided to go to Europe, we talked practically every day. We were almost always together, which is one reason I was so upset when I found out he was going to Europe with Matt and Jessie.”
“He kept it a secret.”
“He wanted to tell me, or so he said, but Matt told him not to.”
“And he listened to his friend instead of doing what he knew was right.”
“Yeah.”
“Did he say why he wants you to meet him in France?”
Annie folded her hands behind her head and stared up at the ceiling some more. “He said he’s tired of being a third wheel. Matt and Jessie are having all these arguments and he’s afraid he doesn’t have enough money to last a year and—”