A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street #8)(91)

“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 backseat. “Even in Branson.”

“Ah, yes, you and Andy Williams,” Bethanne said, teasing her.

“Mom, promise you won’t tell anyone 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 backseat.

“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.