A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street #8)(92)

“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, Andrew. Talk soon.”