Blossom Street Brides (Blossom Street #10)(86)

Even though she’d suspected it wouldn’t do any good to reach out to her ex, Bethanne felt she’d had to try.

“Thank you for your time,” she said, and with that she cut off the call.

As far as she could see, the only option left open to her was to wait until Annie became disillusioned with her father. That might take weeks or even months, but in due course it would happen. Grant wouldn’t be able to help himself. Eventually, his true self-centered nature would reveal itself. Then, and not before, would Annie be willing to face the truth. Until that time, all Bethanne could do was wait and pray that it wouldn’t be long until her relationship with her daughter was restored.

Although she tried, Bethanne’s mind wasn’t on business. An hour later, when her phone rang, she automatically reached for it.

“This is Bethanne,” she said.

“Hi, it’s Lauren.”

Bethanne sat up straighter. Max had been deeply concerned about Rooster. Something had happened between the newlyweds that had caused them to split. From what Max had said, Rooster refused to discuss it. Concerned for his friend, Max had asked Bethanne if she’d had a chance to speak to Lauren. She hadn’t. After some thought and discussion, they decided to wait until Lauren reached out to Bethanne. This was the first time she’d heard from the other woman.

“Lauren, it’s good to hear from you.”

“Can we meet for coffee?” Lauren asked.

“Of course. When?”

“Is this afternoon too soon?”

“Not at all.” Bethanne knew Max would be relieved.

They set a time, after work, and agreed to link up at The French Cafe. As soon as she was off the phone, Bethanne reached for her cell and sent Max a text.

Meeting Lauren this afternoon.

It didn’t take long to get a reply: Excellent.

The rest of the day passed quickly, and Bethanne and Lauren arrived at the cafe at about the same time. They each ordered coffee and sat at a table in the corner that offered them privacy.

Bethanne studied her friend. Lauren looked sad and beaten down. Rather than make eye contact, she stared down at her coffee as if she were reading tea leaves broadcasting her future. Bethanne waited for Lauren to speak; after all, she was the one who had asked for this meeting.

It took a few moments before Lauren asked, “Have you talked to Rooster lately?”

“No,” Bethanne told her. “Have you?”

“No.”

Which was the crux of the matter, Bethanne knew, and she boldly asked, “Why not?”

Lauren’s thin shoulder lifted with a shrug. “Most everyone tells me I made a terrible mistake rushing into this marriage.”

“Is that what you feel?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what I feel any longer. I’m confused and miserable. I feel like I’ve made a terrible mess of my life.”

“From what Max tells me, Rooster shares your misery.”

Her head came up, and it looked for an instant as if Lauren was about to break into tears. Sadness radiated off her like summer heat off asphalt.

“Whatever it is, it’ll work itself out,” Bethanne assured her, and at the same time realized she was speaking to herself as much as her friend.

“Did you know Rooster had been married before?” Lauren asked, sitting up straighter now.

“No.” This was news to Bethanne. Not that it mattered one way or the other. “That upsets you?” she asked, wanting to be clear.

“Not in itself … It’s just that Rooster never told me. I don’t know that I can be married to a man who keeps secrets like that. It makes me wonder what else he might be hiding.”

Bethanne took the first sip of her coffee while she gave this matter some thought.

“What does that say about our future together?” Lauren asked her. “What else might he choose not to tell me down the road? On the outside it might seem like a small thing, but my fear is that this could be indicative of his nature … and I can’t deal with that.”

Bethanne’s hands cupped her mug. “I can’t tell you why Rooster chose not to tell you. The marriage must have been years ago. Max has known Rooster for a long time and never mentioned it.”

“He said he was young and immature,” Lauren volunteered.

“Did he give you a reason for not telling you?”

“Not really … and he didn’t seem to have any regrets about keeping it a secret. He did admit that he probably should have told me—but he didn’t offer an apology.”

“Isn’t this something the two of you can work out?” Bethanne pressed. From what Max had said, the newlyweds hadn’t spoken in almost two weeks. More and more, this situation reminded her of what was happening between her and Annie.

“I’d like to square matters between us,” Lauren agreed, “but … it’s more than not knowing about his first marriage.”

“Oh?”

“People who have met the two of us claim that Rooster is all wrong for me. That we’re too different, and while the attraction might be there now, it will wear off in time.”

Unable to hold back her amusement, Bethanne smiled. “Oh, Lauren, I heard all those negative voices, too. Look at Max and me. When we first met he was riding his motorcycle aimlessly across the country and I was on a road trip with family. As far as I knew, he didn’t have steady employment, and from all outside appearances, he was nothing more than a drifter.”