A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street #8)(93)

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?”

“I’ll never be able to completely erase the pain he brought into our lives,” she admitted, “but I think I can let go of the bitterness.”

“What about your feelings for Max?”

She shrugged helplessly. “I wish I knew what to do. In some ways I wish I’d never met him.”

“But you did.”

“I know.” Max had seriously complicated her life. But before she could give that any further thought, Andrew turned onto her street.

This was the home she loved, the one she’d been determined to keep after Grant left. It represented far more than a house in a nice neighborhood. It was a symbol of her determination to rise above what Grant had done. She felt its welcome the minute Andrew pulled into the driveway.

She unlocked the front door and walked inside while her son dealt with her luggage. As he carried her bags upstairs to the master bedroom, she scooped the mail off the floor.

“You need me to do anything else?” he asked, walking back downstairs where Bethanne was sorting through her mail. Other than bills and a letter from an elderly aunt, there didn’t seem to be anything of importance.

“No, I’m fine. Thank you for everything.”

Andrew kissed her cheek, then headed for the front door.

“Can you and Courtney stop by on Thursday?” she called after him. “We should discuss the rehearsal dinner.”

“Sure,” he said, turning toward her. “What time?”

“How about six? I’ll put something in the Crock-Pot.”

“Courtney’s got a bridesmaid thing, so she’ll come later, but six works for me.” He paused.

“Mom, I know you’re troubled about this situation with Dad. I doubt I could give you any pearls of wisdom, but I’m sure you’ll make the right decision.”

“I’d appreciate hearing your opinion.” She set the mail down and looked at her son.

“First, I want you to know that whatever you decide is fine by me. As far as I’m concerned, Dad doesn’t deserve a second chance, but that’s neither here nor there. All I really want to say is that you should go with your gut instinct. You did that when you started Parties and it’s never failed you yet. It won’t now.”

“But I don’t know what my instinct’s saying,” she muttered.

“Yes, you do. Just relax, sit back and listen to your inner voice.”

He made it sound easier than it was. She walked him to the door, hugged him one last time and watched him pull out of the driveway. As soon as the car disappeared around the corner, Bethanne decided unpacking and laundry could wait. She visited each of the downstairs rooms, performing her coming-home ritual, before going up to her bedroom. Halfway there, she stopped and closed her eyes. Andrew had advised her to listen to her inner self. She concentrated hard and made a genuine effort to hear whatever message her intuition was trying to send. She heard her pulse roaring in her ears, but the message, unfortunately, wasn’t clear.

Once in her room, she sat on the bed and, after debating for a couple of minutes, reached for the phone. Her hand closed around the receiver, and without further hesitation, she punched out the cell number that was engraved in her memory.