A Turn in the Road (Blossom Street #8)(94)

Thirty-One

Bethanne pressed the receiver to her ear and held her breath with each ring. She was nearly gasping by the time Max picked up.

“It’s Bethanne,” she said, struggling to talk. “Don’t say anything, please. This isn’t going to work. I’m so sorry.” She was on the verge of sobbing. “Grant is trying so hard and he wants us to reconcile and…and I owe him that. We were married all those years and until the affair he was a good husband, a good father. He’s sorry and I can’t be confusing myself with you…so I won’t be talking to you again.” Despite her effort to make this as quick as possible, to say what she had to say and be done with it, a sob escaped.

She brought her hand to her mouth and managed to stifle a second one.

“Are you finished?” Max asked.

“Yes…I don’t have anything more to say. I’m sorry, Max, so sorry. At any other time, I really think we could’ve made this work.”

“This is your final decision.”

She knew this break had to be definite. “Yes.”

“You don’t want to wait until after Andrew’s wedding?”

Drawing this out any longer would make it even more difficult. “No.”

“Why did you change your mind?”

If she confessed that she hadn’t stopped thinking about him all the while she was in Florida with Grant, she’d only confuse matters. She couldn’t let Max know that she had to get him out of her head if she intended to work things out with Grant.

“Bethanne?”

She couldn’t answer for the lump in her throat.

“Bethanne,” he said softly. “Are you crying?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

She laughed then, and the sound mingled with that of a sniff so it sounded almost as though someone was strangling her.

“If I could hug you right now, I would.”

She wished it was possible. She needed to feel his arms around her, needed the comfort of his embrace.

“Are you sorry we met?” he asked.

“No.” Away from him, she’d wavered. But now that she heard his voice, she knew she didn’t have a single regret.

“I’m not, either.”

“I need to go now.” She couldn’t talk to him because she was afraid she’d reverse her decision.

“All right, but I have to tell you something first.”

“Okay.” It probably wasn’t a good idea to listen, but she couldn’t help herself.

“When we last spoke, you said you couldn’t think about any of this, about Grant or me, until after your son’s wedding. I agreed. I’m holding you to that, Bethanne. Whatever decision you make needs to wait until after July 16—that’s when the ceremony is, right?”

“But…”

“I won’t call you. But you should understand that I’m not giving up easily. I’m here for the long haul.”

“But… Grant’s trying so hard,” she said again.

“So would I if I were in his shoes. The fact is, I’m trying, too. I care about you, Bethanne. I didn’t think I could fall in love again. You proved me wrong.”

With every word he spoke, her resolve seemed to melt.

“Like I said, you won’t hear from me, but I want to see you after the sixteenth. If, at that time, you feel a relationship between us won’t work I’ll accept that. But you’re going to have to tell me to my face and not over the phone.”

“Don’t, Max, please don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t love me. This is hard enough.”

Her plea was met with silence.

“I wish I could be more accommodating,” he finally said. “But I’m not a man who loves easily or often. I can’t turn my feelings on and off like a faucet. This is what I feel, and it’s not going to change no matter what you decide.”

“I’ve got to give Grant a chance.”

“Then you should.”

He didn’t offer a single argument. “Why are you being so amenable about this?”

“Am I? I was kicking myself for being too hard on you.”

“You want me to let Grant try to persuade me?”

“Yes, because that’s the only way you can decide. We’ll meet after Andrew’s wedding,” he continued. “The two of us are going to sit down and you’re going to tell me then what your decision is. Not now. Not when you just got off a flight and you’re feeling tired and pressured.”

“Yes,” she whispered. She knew now that she’d been unfair to him. “You’re right…I should never have called.”

“I’m glad you did. Just hearing from you gives me hope.”

She had to talk about something else before she started crying again. “Did everything go well with you and your brother?”

“Extremely well. I’m resuming my position in the business. What’s your email address? I’ll send you a link so you can check it out.”

She rattled it off before she could change her mind.

“I’ll talk to you in a few weeks.”

“Goodbye, Max.”

“Goodbye, my love.”