Bring Me Home for Christmas (Virgin River #16)(38)

The phone rang and she realized she hadn’t concealed the number when she called Doug; it had shown up on his caller ID. “Hello?”

“I told my mother I was going to pop the question!” Doug said angrily. “I told my mother that you’d be with us at Christmas to get to know the whole family, to say yes, to talk about the wedding! You’re making me look like a damn fool!”

She frowned. She had suspected a ring was coming soon, but he hadn’t mentioned them spending Christmas with his family. In fact, he hadn’t asked her. “Doug, we talked about spending Christmas together, but I assumed it would be with my family, since you were home at Thanksgiving. And why would I need to talk to your mother about a wedding?”

“Why would we get married in San Diego if we’re going to live in Boston or Cape Cod? Now what am I supposed to say? That you went back to your old boyfriend? Some loser who barely made it out of high school?”

“Whew,” she said. “I think maybe it’s a good thing this came up now. I knew something was holding me back, but I wasn’t sure what. Now at least I know, it wasn’t Denny. I’m sorry I didn’t see it sooner, Doug. I guess this is goodbye.”

She hung up again. But this time she didn’t have regrets. This time she thought maybe she’d barely dodged a bullet.

She’d always thought of him as uncomplicated, because he was. There weren’t a lot of options with Doug. Because he had plans.

Becca made it down to the bar before Troy and Dirk left and she was able to say goodbye. She tried to hide her awkward emotions, but her life had just taken a leap. Truthfully, she came up here because she wasn’t sure she was ready to accept a marriage proposal, but she hadn’t really predicted she’d end things with Doug the way she had.

On a last-minute invitation from Paige after the guys left, she wandered over to the church but rather than attending the service, she spent her time with the little ones in the church nursery. She was no good for chasing them around but she was great at reading to them or sitting on the floor to stack blocks or roll balls with them.

She had lunch at the bar with several regulars, including Denny, but he was unusually quiet. He seemed a bit distant, which probably kept him from noticing she was a little reserved herself. He asked if she could manage on her own for a couple of hours while he checked in at Jilly’s farm. His week with his friends had probably left a lot to be done out there. “Sure. Of course,” she said. “Please, do whatever you need to do—I’m totally fine.”

Right after he left, all hell broke loose.

“Becca, your mother’s on the phone,” Paige said. “She wants to speak to you.”

“My mother?”

“Go ahead and take it in our great room—we’re all either in the kitchen or outside helping decorate the tree. You’ll have some privacy.”

“My mother?” she said again. “Called here?”

“She sounds a little upset.”

When she got to the phone and said hello, her mother launched into her. “Have you completely lost your mind?”

She sat down heavily. “I’m not sure. What are we talking about?”

“You broke up with Doug for Denny? Do you have any idea what you’ve done to yourself? What you’ve sacrificed for a foolish young man who treated you so badly?”

“Stop,” Becca said. “I didn’t do that. I told Doug exactly what I told you—that it was important for me to get a handle on the past before I could deal with the future. And how in the world do you know this? And how did you find this number?”

“Doug called me, thank God. There’s still time, Becca. He’s upset, but he’ll come around. You have to call him, apologize, tell him you weren’t thinking—”

“How did you find me here?”

“I called the number Doug gave me, but there was no answer. Your brother finally answered his cell and said I might try this number.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on an airplane right about now?” Becca asked.

“Yes! I’ll be boarding soon! Are you listening to me?”

“Yes. I hear you loud and clear,” she said. “But I don’t think you’re listening to me. I—”

“You’re throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime! I’d never have to worry about you again if you were married to Doug! You can’t possibly be giving all that up for Denny! What does he have?”

A five-year-old Nissan truck. A bunch of good friends. A couple of jobs he enjoys. A life that makes him happy.

“You should get on your plane, Mom,” she said. “I’m not talking to you about this. This is between me and Doug. Or…it was between me and Doug.”

“Becca, don’t be foolish!”

“Mother, I’m saying goodbye. I’ll call you in a couple of days. I’m sorry you’re disappointed, but you should know, I’m very relieved. I don’t want to marry Doug Carey.”

“Life isn’t some little Cinderella story, Becca. It takes more than the right size slipper to be happy—it takes security! It takes—”

She was cut off by a beep.

“I have to hang up on you, Mother. There’s another call coming on this line and it’s not my phone. I’ll call in a couple of days when we’re both calmer.” And then she clicked off. “Middletons,” she answered.