Summer on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #6)(83)

“Amen,” Ellen said, opening her eyes.

“Amen,” Anne Marie echoed and kissed Ellen’s cheek. She stroked Baxter’s silky fur, then left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Restless and unsure, Anne Marie folded her arms and paced the kitchen, mulling over the conversation with her daughter. The truth was, she’d been hostile toward Vanessa. Well, maybe not hostile, but certainly not hospitable. She resented the other woman, who’d ruined the perfect scenario she’d created for Ellen, Tim and her.

Anne Marie was shocked to discover how strong her feelings for Tim were. She hadn’t expected that in the beginning. But the transformation in her attitude had been gradual. He’d been so good, so natural, with Ellen. Anne Marie had watched him closely, initially unwilling to trust him, yet he’d earned her trust. Earned it to the point that she’d lowered her guard. She’d half convinced herself she was falling in love with him. When he’d told her about Vanessa, she’d been angry and embarrassed, but in retrospect she understood that Tim had been in a diff icult position. He’d already sprung the news that he was Ellen’s biological father. He’d tried to be fair, giving Anne Marie a chance to get used to that reality before he introduced Vanessa into their lives, as well. Whether it was the best way to handle the situation didn’t matter. What was done was done. Unfortunately her relationship with Vanessa had started badly.

They were both at fault, because both felt threatened. If it was ever going to be made right, Anne Marie would need to reach out to the other woman.

The next morning, she decided to get in touch with Vanessa as soon as possible. She’d have to ask Tim for her phone number; she’d call him later. After taking Ellen to day camp, she opened the bookstore. She was still counting cash into the till when she saw Tim standing at the door. He looked as if he hadn’t slept all night.

“Good morning,” she greeted him cheerfully. He frowned.

“It isn’t a good morning?” she teased, smiling at him. Slowly he smiled back. “It is now,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to be in such a happy mood.”

“Why not?”

He scratched his head. “Vanessa didn’t feel things went well last night.”

Anne Marie broke a roll of quarters and added them to the register drawer. “They didn’t, but I take responsibility for that.”

“You do?”

“I wasn’t as…friendly as I might’ve been to Vanessa. I owe her—and you—an apology.”

Tim just stared at her, as if he wasn’t sure he should believe what she’d said. “You?”

“I should’ve taken Vanessa’s feelings into account more. She felt I’d intruded on her territory, didn’t she?”

“Well…yes, something like that.”

This next part was the most diff icult. “You were right—I’m afraid I read more into the situation between you and me than I should have. That probably caused a certain amount of animosity in our initial meeting.” She was embarrassed to admit this, but he already knew. It wasn’t as though she’d done a good job of hiding her feelings.

“I’m sorry about that.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” she said, eager to change the subject. “If you’ll give me Vanessa’s phone number, I’ll call her and see if I can make amends. I’m sure she feels as awkward about what happened at the game as I do.”

Tim stepped closer to the counter as he scribbled a number on the back of his business card. “Can you tell me exactly what did happen?”

Anne Marie shrugged. “It was nothing really. Just undercurrents between the two of us.” Basically they’d stared daggers at each other. It had been a juvenile display that Anne Marie regretted.

“What did Ellen think of Vanessa?” Tim asked. Anne Marie didn’t answer immediately. “She told me that if you love Vanessa, she must be very special.” No need to mention the comment about Vanessa speaking to her as if she were a baby. Some of the tension seemed to leave Tim’s shoulders. “She actually said that?”

“She did.”

“You don’t mind if I tell Vanessa, do you?”

“Not at all.”

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you so much.”

He was almost at the door when she stopped him. “It’s time, you know.”

He turned around. “Time?”

“For you to tell Ellen that you’re her father. In her heart I think she already knows. The news isn’t going to upset her.”

Tim swallowed hard and nodded. “Would it be okay if I came by this evening?”

“That would be perfect. In the meantime, I’ll contact Vanessa.”

Anne Marie waited until midmorning to call Tim’s friend. At f irst the conversation didn’t go well.

“What do you want?” Vanessa demanded the instant she answered her cell phone.

Anne Marie had to bite her tongue to keep from responding in kind. “It seems to me that you and I should try to be friends,”

she said calmly.

“Yeah, like that’s going to happen.”

“It will if we both make the effort,” Anne Marie told her. “The thing is, I behaved badly last evening and I want to apologize.”