“Hot as in...sexy?”
“Yeah. He’s the strong, silent type. The kind of man most women notice.”
“Oh.”
“Not to worry—you are, too. Well, sort of.”
He laughed. “Thanks. That’s encouraging.”
“Oh, Dad, quit worrying. Mom will do what’s best for her, and that’s what we all want, right?” Of course, what she thought was best for her mom was her dad.
“Right,” he echoed. “I wish I knew what your mother was thinking, though.”
Annie did, too. That morning she’d caught her mother staring at her cell phone as though torn by indecision. She’d stared at it for so long that Annie was about to comment. Before she could say anything, Bethanne closed it abruptly, and dropped the cell inside her purse.
Leaning back, her father raked his hands through his hair. “No matter what happens, I’ll always love her. I was an idiot.”
“We all are at one time or another.” Annie wanted to wrap her arms around her father. She wanted to reassure him that life was filled with mistakes and that the key was to learn from our errors in judgment.
That thought made her sit up straighter. She was willing to look past her father’s mistakes but not Vance’s. Maybe she was being unfair to him. Maybe she should give him a second chance.
“The thing is,” her father said, “if your mother decides we’re finished, I don’t know if I’ll be able to love anyone else.”
“Oh, Daddy.” Hearing him say that made Annie want to weep. This was the kind of love she hoped to find one day. A forever kind of love.
“Also, before I forget, I wanted to thank you for telling me how much your mother admired that Civil War button. If there’s anything else she likes, please pass the information along. I’m looking for ways to spoil her. I have six years to make up for.”
“Oh, Daddy, you can be so thoughtful.”
“Not always,” he muttered. “I want your mother to realize how much I love her.”
“If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know.”
“Great. I appreciate it.”
He seemed in an optimistic mood and that pleased Annie. She glanced down at her computer. “Can I talk to you about something else?” she asked. “I could use your advice.”
“Sure, baby, anything.”
Annie flattened the paper napkin in her lap. “You remember Vance, don’t you?”
“He’s the guy you were dating.”
She nodded. “The one I thought was about to propose.”
“Oh, right.” He frowned as if he’d welcome the opportunity to give Vance a piece of his mind.
“But instead,” she went on, “he told me he was taking off for Europe. For a year.”
“That was a real disappointment, wasn’t it, honey?”
The sympathy in his voice soothed her hurt feelings. “I was devastated,” she said. “I cried buckets.”
“He doesn’t deserve you, Annie. No one treats my daughter like that and gets away with it.”
Annie loved the way her father rushed to her defense. “Vance is coming home at the end of August.”
“So this European adventure didn’t work out the way he planned, huh?” Her father’s eyes flashed with satisfaction, as if to say this was what Vance got for hurting Annie.
“Apparently, Europe wasn’t what he expected.” She tried to hide the pleasure it gave her to tell him so. “Now he seems to think everything will go back to the way it was before he left.”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” His voice rang with righteous indignation.
“The problem is, I don’t know how I feel about Vance anymore. I’ve gone out with a couple of other guys during this trip, but it isn’t the same as being with him. He was more than my boyfriend. Vance was my best friend, too.” She sighed. “For a while I thought I missed him so much because I was just so used to being with him. I decided that wasn’t a good enough reason to get back together. But now...”
“You’ll get over him, honey. Vance needs to know he isn’t the only bird in the flock.”
“I couldn’t wait to tell him about Jason. He’s the guy I met in Vegas. Jason was nice, and so is Craig. I talked to Mom about it and, well...”
“What did she say?”
It’d been a really helpful conversation. “We discussed me wanting Vance to be sorry for the way he treated me. Mom said—” Annie paused “—she said the real problem is that I wanted to make sure Vance understood that what he did was wrong. If he’d told me about this trip, it would’ve been different but to hide it from me and then expect me to be okay with it was too much.”
“I couldn’t agree with your mother more. Like I said, Vance doesn’t deserve you. You aren’t really going back with him, are you?”
“That’s just it. I...I don’t know.”
“Don’t, honey. If he’s making plans behind your back now, that behavior isn’t going to change.”
“What do you mean? Are you saying that even if he apologizes I shouldn’t give him another chance?” Annie was surprised to find herself sticking up for Vance, but she felt compelled to be his champion.
“Annie, you’re smarter than this.”
Annie stared at her dad.
“Once the pattern’s set, nothing will change. Save yourself a lot of grief.”
She continued to stare.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked.
“So I shouldn’t forgive him?”
“No way.”
Annie blinked, more confused now than before. “But, Dad, you want Mom to forgive you.”
Her father’s eyes narrowed slightly. “That’s different.”
“Is it?”
“Yes! Listen, you can forgive Vance, if that’s what you want. But can you trust him?”
Annie sucked in her breath. “Don’t you think that’s the same thing Mom’s asking herself? Can she trust you, Dad?”
He blinked as though the question had caught him unawares. “Yes, she can. I’ve learned my lesson. I promise you before God and man that I will remain faithful to your mother. Never, ever again will I take her for granted.”
Annie hoped that was true. She believed him—she had to—and prayed her mother did, as well.
Thirty
Bethanne, Annie and Grant drove to the airport in his rental, while Royce was taking Ruth in his own car. It was obvious to Bethanne, and no doubt everyone else, that the older couple had picked up where they’d left off fifty years earlier. All the resentments and regrets had apparently been laid to rest. Ever since the night of the prom, they’d spent nearly every minute together. And the class reunion the other evening had been, according to Ruth, the second-best event of the year.
Plans were already in motion for Royce to visit Seattle the following month. Andrew and Courtney’s wedding was the perfect reason. Bethanne wouldn’t be surprised if they decided to marry before the end of the summer. That would mean one of them would need to move and she wondered how they’d handle it.
“Did you enjoy your stay in Florida?” Grant asked as they approached the Orlando airport. The direct flight into Seattle would have them back in familiar territory within five and a half hours.
“Very much,” Bethanne told him. The highlight for her had been prom night, when she’d felt so close to Grant.
“That was a lovely thing you did for my mother,” Grant said. “You and Annie. It meant the world to Mom.”
Grant had played no small part, although he was eager to give her the credit.
“I had a great time, too.” Annie leaned forward from the back seat. “Even in Branson.”
“Ah, yes, you and Andy Williams,” Bethanne said, teasing her.
“Mom, promise you won’t tell anyo
ne about that, okay?”
Bethanne tried not to smile. “Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”
“Thank you.”
“I hope you’ll let me drive you home,” Grant said as they took the exit to the airport off the Bee Line Expressway.
“Andrew said he’d pick us up,” Bethanne told him. “We planned that before we left.” She’d missed her son and there seemed to be a hundred things she needed to discuss with him. Now that the wedding was just a few weeks away, they had to go over all the details for the rehearsal dinner.
“We can call him from the airport,” Grant said. “There’s no need for him to go out of his way when I have a car arranged.”
Bethanne shrugged. She didn’t want to make an issue of this, although she’d looked forward to reconnecting with their son. They’d talked while she was on the road, but nothing compared with a face-to-face conversation.
“Well, what do you think?” Grant pressed.
“It’s fine, if that’s what you want.” She made an effort to disguise her lack of enthusiasm.
Grant didn’t speak for several minutes. “I guess what I’m saying is that I want to be with you for as long as I can. If you’d rather ride home with Andrew, I understand.”
Bethanne offered him a brief smile. “I’m happy to spend time with you, too.”
He smiled and held her look. “Are you, Bethanne?”
“What do you mean?” she asked. She noticed that his hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“Annie and I had a short conversation earlier. She wanted my opinion of Vance and whether she should forgive him. I more or less told her to ditch him. Any man who’d treat my daughter the way he did isn’t worthy of dating her.”
“Daddy,” Annie protested from the back seat.
“Then she reminded me that I was asking you to forgive me.”
“I forgave you a long time ago,” Bethanne said.
“But do you trust me?”
She hesitated. “I think so.”
“I don’t want there to be a single doubt in your mind. I told Annie and I’m telling you that there’ll never be a repeat of what happened with Tiffany. I give you my word.”
Bethanne looked straight ahead. He’d given his word before, standing in front of the minister at her family church; he’d promised to love and protect her, to remain faithful until death. She wished she could block out the doubt and tell him what he wanted to hear. It would be so easy to claim she trusted Grant. So easy to assure him that the thought of his cheating again had never entered her mind. Only, she’d be lying.
“Do you believe me?” he asked.
“I believe you’re sincere,” she said, not quite answering his question.
“You can trust me, Bethanne.”
She smiled, hoping that would provide him with the reassurance he seemed to need.
She tried to concentrate on their relationship, on giving them another chance. Yet she couldn’t dismiss her feelings for Max. She wanted to be with him. But she was with Grant, who so clearly loved her.
Grant placed his hand on her knee and Bethanne smiled over at him again, a noncommittal smile. He was trying so hard. But she couldn’t give him the answer he was asking for, not now and maybe not ever. As she kept telling him, she was very different from the woman he’d once loved; the changes in her life had been dramatic. One thing was sure—she’d meet this challenge the way she’d met every other one in the past six years.
When they boarded the plane without Ruth, Bethanne was afraid her mother-in-law would miss the flight. Ruth was the last person to walk on, having waited outside security as long as she could in order to be with Royce. When she settled into her seat next to Bethanne, her face glowed with happiness.
“Royce is booking his flight to Seattle right this minute,” she said, fastening her seat belt.
“So you’ll be together again soon.”
Ruth nodded. “Bethanne,” she whispered, “am I an old fool? Is it possible to fall in love again at my age?”
“Ruth, good grief, you’re not old! Besides, age shouldn’t matter. Does Royce make you happy?”
“Oh, yes, but, well, there are complications. His family’s in Florida and mine is in Washington.”
“Your family’s grown,” Bethanne continued. “You can come for visits and vice versa.”
“My friends are in Seattle.”
“Same goes for them. Plus you’ll make new friends and reconnect with old ones.” Bethanne leaned over and squeezed her arm. “Do you love Royce?”
“With all my heart, and he loves me.”
“Then you’ll work something out.”
Ruth went very still. “I wish it was that simple. I think these weeks apart will be good for us. They’ll give us time to mull over some decisions.”
“They will,” Bethanne agreed, although she hoped Ruth would be more successful at reaching a conclusion than she’d been.
Grant sat with Annie across the aisle, and they had their heads close together almost the entire flight. More than once Grant laughed out loud at something Annie said, and she basked in her father’s approval. There was no sign of the angry, rebellious girl Annie had been at sixteen.
Bethanne took the opportunity to knit, while Ruth watched a movie. When they landed in Seattle, Andrew was waiting in baggage claim. Bethanne’s spirits rose the instant she saw her son.
“Andrew,” she said, rushing forward. Her six-foot-tall son threw his arms around her and lifted her from the ground.
“Welcome home,” he said.
“It’s good to be back.” Bethanne felt as though she’d been away far longer than eighteen days. She wanted to unpack her suitcase the minute she stepped into the house and start a load of laundry. And then she’d walk from room to room in a small private ritual she had, something she did whenever she’d been traveling. She’d touch all the things she loved the most, the objects and pictures and mementos that made this house her home, the one place on earth where she truly belonged and that belonged to her.
“I thought your father phoned and told you he was giving me a ride.” Bethanne slipped her arm around Andrew’s waist.
“He did and I told him if he’d ordered a car, he should take care of Grandma and Annie. I said I’d drive you home. He didn’t mention it?”
“No.” But they’d barely spoken once they arrived at the Orlando airport. Bethanne had bought a Sudoku puzzle book and a couple of magazines after they’d checked their luggage and gone through security. She’d read the magazines while they waited at the gate, and on the plane he’d sat with Annie. As soon as they were airborne, Bethanne had taken out her knitting and finished her project.
Grant hugged his son, too, and although Andrew hugged him back, Bethanne noticed a decided coolness in her son’s attitude toward his father. Grant still had work to do if he hoped to repair that relationship.
Father and son collected the suitcases from the baggage carousel, while Annie sought out the driver Grant had arranged.
“Bethanne,” Ruth said, clasping Bethanne’s elbows. “I can’t thank you enough. This was the trip of a lifetime for me.”
“I’m grateful, too,” Grant told Bethanne. He hugged her before they parted. “Would you like to go to dinner Tuesday night?”
After all the meals out, she’d prefer to stay in but hated to disappoint Grant. “That would be nice.”
“We still have things to talk about.”
She nodded. “I’ll see you Tuesday, then.”
“Perfect. I’ll call first.”
As Bethanne and Andrew started toward the parking garage, Annie found them. “Mom, I had a great time. Thanks so much.”
“Thank your grandmother.”
“I will. I’ll see you Tuesday at the office, okay? Bye, A
ndrew. Talk soon.”
Bethanne had decided they should take Monday off to deal with chores and relax before going back to work. She nodded, readjusted her purse strap across her shoulder. “Bye, sweetie.”
Andrew was quiet on the way to the car. It wasn’t until they’d driven out of the parking garage that he spoke. “Are you okay, Mom?”
“Of course.”
He glanced at her. “Frankly, you don’t look that good.”
“Thanks a lot,” she said humorously. Leave it to her son to be that blunt. “I’m fine... Oh, Andrew, I’m afraid I’ve met someone I...really like.”
“Believe me, I’ve heard all about Max from Annie. Even Dad called me because he was worried. I’m glad. He could use a bit of competition.”
“Have I lost my mind?” she asked. “Just when it looks like everything’s coming together for your dad and me, I meet Max.” She valued her son’s opinion; Andrew knew her better than anyone.
“You haven’t lost your mind, Mom. You’re too down-to-earth for that.”
She immediately felt a sense of relief. “What seems to bother everyone is that I know so little about him. The crazy part is that it doesn’t seem to matter. I know what’s important—that he loved his wife and that he’s a good person, a really good person with a big heart.”
“Then that’s enough for me, too.”
“Thank you.” She meant that in the most profound way. She was grateful for his kindness and his faith in her.
“So, what about you and Dad?” Andrew asked next.
If Bethanne had an answer, she wouldn’t be in this emotional mess. “He was wonderful the whole time I spent with him. He realizes what he did was wrong. Now he wants to...start over again.”
“Is that possible, Mom?”
For years she’d been convinced a reconciliation was completely out of the question. Yet over the course of the past week, Grant had proven that he was willing to do whatever it took.
“Is it?” Andrew repeated.
Bethanne couldn’t be anything but honest. “I’m beginning to think it might be.”
Her son exhaled slowly. “You can actually forgive Dad for what he did to you? To all of us?”