Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #6)(65)

“There’s nothing to forgive. You love your son.”

“I love you, too, Phoebe. I wish this had worked out differently.”

“So do I.”

Max squeezed her hand. “Thank you for being honest with me.”

“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention our conversation to Clark.”

“I won’t,” he assured her.

“Phoebe,” Marlene Snowden said, startling her as she stepped into the room, holding a cup of coffee. “You’re dating someone else now. It didn’t take you long, did it?”

“Marlene,” Max protested.

“Clark told me. He was in the cafeteria because you refused to see him. You were with that other man this weekend, weren’t you?” Marlene Snowden demanded in a shrill voice. “No wonder we couldn’t reach you.”

Phoebe ignored the accusation.

“How dare you accuse my son of cheating!” Marlene continued. “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”

“I think it’s time I left,” Phoebe said. She kissed the back of Max’s hand and walked out of the room.

Thankfully, Clark’s mother didn’t follow her. She wished Max the very best, she’d miss him painfully, but she could never marry his son.

Chapter 23

Anne Marie Roche

Beach towels tucked under their arms, Ellen and her friend, Hallie Reynolds, paced anxiously in the apartment, waiting for Anne Marie.

“Hurry, Mom!” Ellen cried. “We’ll be late.”

“No, we won’t,” Anne Marie said as she grabbed the sunblock and threw it in her beach bag. She’d lathered each of the girls earlier. They were all headed to the water park, and even now, Anne Marie wasn’t quite sure how she’d let Ellen and Tim talk her into this. She wore her swimsuit under her shorts and T-shirt, but she had no intention of going in the water. She’d leave that to Tim and the girls. Anne Marie planned to lie on the grass or the beach or whatever was there and laze away the afternoon reading.

“Mom!” Ellen cried again. “If you don’t hurry up, everyone else will get the best spots.”

“I’m almost ready.” Anne Marie quickly put on lip gloss and paused to check her ref lection in the bathroom mirror. She ran a brush through her hair, then plopped a brand-new straw hat on her head. This was about as good as it got. She joined the girls, who’d linked arms around each other’s necks. They’d met at the day camp and become instant friends. For the last few weeks, they’d been inseparable. After making sure Baxter had enough water, Anne Marie loaded the girls into her car. They squealed with delight at the prospect of spending the whole afternoon at the water park. When Tim had suggested the outing last weekend, Ellen had been so excited she could barely hold still. Anne Marie couldn’t possibly have declined after that. So here she was, on her one free day of the week, wearing an old swimsuit, a cheap hat and sunglasses. It’d been years since she’d worn this swimsuit. At least it f it, although she had to admit it wasn’t even close to being fashionable. But that was f ine, because she didn’t intend for anyone other than Ellen to see it.

“Tim is my mom’s boyfriend,” Ellen told Hallie on the way to the water park. She was obviously pleased about imparting this information.

Anne Marie stopped herself from correcting her daughter just in time. Her relationship with Tim was far too complicated to explain. He’d dropped by the bookstore on Saturday and afterward they’d all gone to a movie. When it ended, he’d taken them to dinner at a pizza place, where he’d brought up this Wednesday outing. Tim wasn’t her boyfriend, of course, but Anne Marie had begun to enjoy his company. So had Ellen—who’d started asking a few too many questions about this purported romance. However, except for that night at the diner, she’d only seen him in Ellen’s presence. Nothing “romantic” could happen in those circumstances, and yet…Anne Marie wouldn’t have minded if he’d tried to kiss her. Or wanted to see her on her own. Thinking of Tim in that way was the very last thing she would’ve expected. She suddenly recalled that at her stepdaughter, Melissa’s, wedding, she’d caught the bouquet. Anne Marie had laughed at the time, telling everyone it was clearly a mistake. Then, all these months later, she’d met Tim, and now everything was falling into place. She was attracted to him, he was her daughter’s father—it all seemed to f it. A picture of the three of them creating a family was so tempting, she had to force herself to be sensible. She’d started to build this fantasy and it had to stop.

When they arrived at their destination, Anne Marie had to drive to the farthest reaches of the parking lot before she located an empty space.

Ellen and Hallie were f idgeting, eager to get to the water. The second she turned off the engine, the girls unfastened their seat belts and leaped out of the car. Anne Marie was stuck hauling the beach bag with their inf latables, changes of clothing and everything else. As they neared the ticket stand, she saw Tim waiting there, as they’d agreed earlier.

When he saw them, he hurried over to Anne Marie and took the heavy bag from her arms.

“Thanks,” she murmured.

He smiled at her, then asked the girls, “Are you two ready for some fun?”

In response, they gave high-pitched squeals. Once inside the park, they chose a shady spot to arrange their towels and other paraphernalia. Tim helped Anne Marie spread out the blanket she’d brought, while the girls, unable to wait a moment longer, raced toward the wave pool.