A Weekend Getaway (17 page)

Now he would think that he’d been right. But she couldn’t
stay in her car all night and she didn’t want to crawl back to Drew either.

She stared at the red brick house owned by the church next
door. The basement had been her playground on days like this as a child. Other
kids built snow forts, but she preferred central heat and forts made out of
sheets and couch cushions. Now she swallowed her pride and made her way through
the cold to the front door. She rang the bell and prayed her mom answered.

Unfortunately, her dad opened the door. He stood an average
height, with thick glasses and a receding hairline. His welcoming expression
morphed into a furrowed brow. He’d probably expected a parishioner seeking
guidance.

“Hi Dad. I need a place to stay just for the night.”

Her mom, dressed in a peach terry cloth robe, peered around
him. “Did you lose power, too? Come in. Come in.” Her gray bob appeared to have
just been trimmed and even without mascara, her lashes framed her blue eyes
beautifully. “Is Drew with you?”

Beth shook her head. She stared at the Welcome mat beneath
her wet feet. “I don’t want to talk about it.” A frigid wind kicked up and she
stepped inside.

Her dad closed the door behind her. “That’s the problem with
you, Bethany. You don’t tell us what’s going on. You don’t ask for our
counsel.”

Beth’s spine stiffened. “I’m thirty-four years old, Dad. I
don’t need to ask your permission any more.”

His eyes narrowed.

Her mom reached an arm around Beth’s shoulders. “It looks
like a blizzard out there. Come in the kitchen and I’ll make you some hot
cocoa.”

Beth’s posture softened. This was what she needed. To be
taken care of.

Her father sat in the living room next to his open Bible and
wiped the lenses of his glasses on his shirt. “Just so you know, as far as I’m
concerned, nothing’s changed.”

Beth’s shoulder muscles tightened. Why did his disapproval
bother her so much?

Her mom patted her back, gently heading her across the brown
shag carpet to a separate room. The kitchen had cheap yellow linoleum and
sparkling counters. A peppermint-scented candle fluttered in the center of the
1950’s metallic table.

The familiarity of it all beckoned Beth to sit. “I take it
you told Dad.”

Her mom opened the cabinets and pulled out two mugs. “Yes.”
She filled a large Pyrex measuring cup with milk and placed it in the
microwave. “He deserved to know.”

Beth crossed her legs. “Drew took it about as well as Dad.”
She ran her finger along the silvery edge of the table. “That’s why I’m here.
We had a big fight.” A sharp pain suddenly pierced her skull and she reached up
with both hands to rub it.

“Sorry, dear.” Her mom located the hot cocoa mix and a bag
of mini-marshmallows tucked behind it.

“I have some good news, though. She wants to meet me.”

Her mom turned quickly to face Beth—her eyes wide.
“Really? When? Where?”

Beth smiled at her enthusiasm. “Yes. This is the correct
reaction. Thank you.” Drew had sorely disappointed her. “This weekend.”

“Wow.” The microwave dinged and her mom completed mixing the
hot chocolate. She placed a plain white mug in front of Beth.

Beth warmed her hands on the outside of the cup. “Hannah
invited Parker, too.” She waited a beat to let that sink in. “It’s strange, I
think, because when I spoke to Mrs. Taylor she was pretty snippy with me. Then
I got this e-mail asking for Parker and me to visit.”

“You talked to her mother?” Beth’s mom slid into the chair
opposite her. “Everything’s happening so fast.”

“That’s how I feel. I’m excited but nervous, too.” She
wished Drew could go with her to Texas. She needed his support, but he
obviously wasn’t the man she’d hoped he would be. Again, her head ached.

Both mother and daughter took sips of their beverages.

It was still too hot, so Beth set her drink down. Trying to
soothe her pain, she rubbed her temples.

“Are you all right?” her mom asked.

Beth closed her eyes for a few seconds then nodded. “Any
news with Parker and the lawsuit? I can’t imagine standing in the same room
with him at this point.”

“He’s agreed to mediation, which can be less stressful than
a trial.”

Beth watched the marshmallows bumping into each other on the
surface of her drink. “But he’s still mad.”

“I’d say so.”

“Well, I’m not paying him anything.” Her hackles rose. “As
far as I’m concerned, he should pay
me
for pain and suffering. I did spend twelve hours in labor.”

Her mom smiled. “You’d do it again, though, if you had the
chance.”

Beth blinked back the sadness. “In a heartbeat.”

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

“This can’t be good,” Beth mumbled as she sat at O’Hare
Airport staring at the large snowflakes filling the sky. She’d arrived two
hours early and made her way through security. Unfortunately, off and on all
morning, the blue-gray sky had been blotted out by white. Fidgeting in her
chair, she checked the display board to see if her flight had been cancelled.
Supposedly it was still going. Relief and worry wrestled in her gut. It might
not be safe to take off in this kind of storm yet the only place she wanted to
be was hundreds of miles away.

Over the PA a male voice spoke quickly. “Flight 1120 to
Dallas-Fort
Worth.
. .” Beth grabbed her carry-on bag.
“.
. . is now boarding first class passengers.” She
released her grip. She was not first class.

She tried to read her Kindle, but her focus kept returning
to the large glass windows. The American Airlines logo painted on the side of
the plane was a blur. They’re the experts, she told herself. If they thought it
was safe to fly, then she should trust them.

She forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. Just when
her lungs filled, she froze. Parker. Parker stood in line, boarding with the
first class passengers.

Her leg started bouncing. Great. They were on the same
flight. What were the chances of that? Apparently, pretty good.

Had he seen her? Holding a leather briefcase in his left
hand, he said something to the ticket taker that made the petite woman laugh.
Parker always was charming. But he could turn on you, she now realized. Just
thinking of the lawsuit ramped up her heartbeat.

Her mom figured Parker would never be awarded the full
amount he was asking for, but that wasn’t to say he might not get more than her
whole year’s salary. Beth didn’t have that much in savings. Who did? Besides
rich people like Parker, of course. He had no idea how stressful this was for
her.

Once he walked through the boarding gate and disappeared, she
released the breath she’d been holding. He didn’t seem aware of her presence.
The voice on the PA announced that the rest of the passengers could now board.
She gathered her possessions and rushed toward the line.

Behind her, a man spoke in a confident voice to his wife.
“They wouldn’t let us board if they were worried about the storm getting
worse.” Beth tried to take comfort from his words as she squeezed her boarding
pass.

Once she stepped on the plane, the casualness of those
around her, placing their carry-ons in the overhead bins and adjusting their
seats, calmed her. Just like any other flight. She took her place near the wing
and gazed out the window. She shook her head at the mounting layers of snow.

A seventy-something woman sat next to her with a soft-sided
bag in her lap. “I don’t see how they can fly in this.”

“I know.” Beth snapped her seatbelt as if that would protect
her in a crash. Her palms started to sweat.

The woman unzipped the bag to reveal a Yorkie inside. The
dog, wearing a red sweater, seemed to smile at them.

Beth appreciated the distraction. “He’s cute. Can I pet
him?”

“Sure. His name is Buddy.”

The dog turned his head as Beth reached over and stroked his
crown.

Then she sat there. They all did. Forever. She checked her
watch and realized that they were late taking off. Again she sighed. Was she
happy or upset? She didn’t know which to favor.

Beth turned to the gray-haired woman. “Where are you and
Buddy headed?”

“I’m going to visit my sister’s family for an early
Christmas celebration because they’re going to Jamaica on the 25th. I never had
any children of my own, so I always spend the holidays with her kids and
grandkids.” Wistfulness touched her eyes and a moment passed. “What’s your
destination?”

Beth hesitated before she gave her answer. “I’m going to
meet my daughter. It will be the first time I’ve seen her since I gave birth to
her.” She shivered at the thought.

The woman’s eyes widened. “You gave her up for adoption?”

“Yes. I was too young.” Why did she feel the need to explain
herself to somebody she just met?

The woman swallowed. “I wanted to adopt, but my husband was
against it.”

“Oh.”

“And now Henry’s gone and I’m all alone.” She stroked
Buddy’s fur as if it brought her comfort. “Are you nervous?”

“Definitely. I’m worried she won’t understand.”

She patted Beth’s forearm with her bony hand. “She will. A
friend’s daughter adopted two kids and they have a good relationship with their
birth mother. Adoption sure has changed since my day. It used to be so hush-hush.
It’s better now.”

Beth nodded. She hoped Hannah thought so. Drew hadn’t been
very understanding, however. Her stomach flip-flopped at the memory. She wasn’t
sure they could ever get past this.

“Dear?” The kind lady with the lined face studied her. “Are
you all right?”

“Sorry.” Beth shook her head as if to toss aside the
negative thoughts.

A voice came over the PA. “Good morning. As you can see, we
have quite the winter wonderland out there today. I’m afraid that we are not
cleared for takeoff. All flights have been cancelled.”

The volume inside the cabin rose in a crescendo of
reactions: groans, “I told you
so’s
”, cheers, and
grumbles. Beth noticed her hands gripping the armrests of her seat. She let go
and reached over for one last stroke of Buddy’s coat. “Nice to meet you both.”

The elderly woman unfastened her seatbelt. “Thanks. You seem
like a sweet girl.” She tucked in the Yorkie’s head and zipped up the carrier.
“I wonder if they can get us on another flight tomorrow.”

Beth wondered the same thing. Tomorrow night was the art
show. She looked around at all of the passengers disembarking. “It’s an awful
lot of people who’ll want another flight.” She hoisted her carry-on bag over
her shoulder as the woman wished her good luck.

When she returned to the waiting area, she stood there
dazed. The crowd anxiously discussed their options. She heard someone mention
trying to get a rental car.

Could she drive there? In this weather--all alone? She
chewed on her thumbnail, watching the flurries.

Someone bumped her shoulder. She turned as he said, “Sorry.”
They made eye contact. Parker.

His mouth opened, but he didn’t speak.

“Hi,” Beth finally said. “I guess we aren’t going to make it
to Hannah’s art show.”

“I’m still going.” The words burst out of him.

“What? How?”

“Road trip.”

Envy swirled inside her chest. She wished she were as
confident as he was. “Oh. Yeah. Maybe I will, too.” But she didn’t know. Her
car was only so-so on wintry roads.

They stood there in awkward silence. A friendship gone sour.
But they weren’t ever really friends. Friends wouldn’t have slept together then
never talked about it. A friend would’ve noticed that Beth was going through a
difficult time. A friend wouldn’t have kept this big a secret from the other. A
baby. They’d had a baby together. She’d loved him, hated him and eventually
forgiven him—all without his knowledge.

He shifted his weight. “What kind of car do you drive?”

“A Chevy.”

“I have an SUV with all-wheel drive, traction control. It
handles great in this kind of weather.”

Why was he bragging about his SUV? “Well, have a safe trip.”
She walked away and bundled up.

As she trudged through the five inches of snow in the
parking lot, she worried about driving in this. Lake effect snow. She’d be
lucky to make it home, let alone all the way to Texas.

Her exposed skin burned from the cold. Behind her, she heard
the loud rumble of a snow plow. She hurried to the side so it could clear a
path through the parking lot. Unfortunately, it piled the snow even higher
behind the row of cars. She finally made her way to the long-term parking lot
to discover that a gigantic mountain of plowed snow fenced in her car.

She tossed her suitcase inside and climbed in the front
seat. She turned the key, checked behind her and gunned it. The rear tires
initially pulled her vehicle back, but then they started spinning. Whirring
sounds and a lack of movement let her know the sad truth. She was stuck.
Forward a little bit, then hit the gas! Rocking back and forth was her best
option. Her only option. She tried it several times. Forward and back. Forward
and back.

Finally, she gave up. She slammed it into park and got out
to survey the situation. Her rear wheels were encased in snow. She needed a
shovel or salt or something.

With no time to feel sorry for herself, she popped the
trunk, hoping for some winter supplies. Jumper cables, one of Emma’s coloring
books and a case of Healthy Habits fiber bars. Nothing to help her dig her way
out. She pulled her gloves up higher on her wrists and started scooping with
her hands.

The wind blew bits of snow into her eyes, but she kept
clawing. She was making some progress in clearing a path behind one tire.
Inside her jacket, she started to sweat while her cheeks stung from the cold.

She stood up to catch her breath. In a moment, she’d work on
the other tire and try to force her way out. A Jeep drove by, slowly making its
way through the parking lot. Lucky person!

She walked to the other side of the car and knelt down to
dig. The sound of another car driving by gave her hope that she could get out
of this mess. Her cheeks felt numb. A third vehicle approached and stopped.

“Beth?” said a male voice.

Looking up, she pushed a blonde strand of hair out of her
face. It was Parker in a sleek white SUV. Great.

He rolled down his window even farther. “Need some help?”

Desperation had started taking hold. But this guy was suing
her. She’d never forget that. “Nope. I’ve almost got it.” She bent down and
kept scooping the snow.

A door opened and a shadow fell over her. Parker had exited
his vehicle and now stood behind her. “It doesn’t make sense for both of us to
drive.”

She rose to face him. “Don’t worry about me.”

His breath formed little clouds in front of his face. He
buttoned his wool coat. “Why don’t you leave your vehicle here and come with
me?”

She studied his brown eyes, his neutral expression. Why was
he making this offer? Clearly, he harbored ill will. “You don’t have to do
that.”

 
“Hannah wants to
see both of us.” He wrapped a maroon scarf over his mouth and tucked his hands
in his pockets. “It’s a long trip. You can take over driving if I get tired.”

It wasn’t pure charity. They could help each other out. Her
heart skipped a beat. She could still see Hannah. Parker was going to help make
her dream come true. “I don’t know what to say.” The pull to see her flesh and
blood overcame her. Despite their animosity, she caved.

She opened her passenger door and reached for her luggage
but Parker gently took it from her. He loaded it in the back of his vehicle,
and then they both climbed into his SUV.

They passed snow plows and the flashing lights of emergency
vehicles as they crept through the city. Beth chewed on her lower lip. They
drove in silence with the only voice coming from his GPS: “Take I-94 East for
8.9 miles to I-57 South.”

Beth tried to read her Kindle, constantly glancing up
nervously as Parker navigated the slushy roads. Outside her window a sedan slid
haphazardly into a ditch. Wincing, she realized there was no way her little
Chevy would’ve made it this far.

Reaching the end of a chapter, she realized she didn’t have
a clue what had happened in it. She looked over at Parker—his strong
hands on a steering wheel emblazoned with a black horse and a coat of arms.
Since when did Porsche make SUVs? Her gaze moved upward to Parker’s perfect
profile. Flat forehead, strong nose, square jaw. The kind of face that could be
carved into marble and displayed in a museum.

Good manners forced her to speak first. “Thanks for the
ride.”

He stayed focused on the road. “Thanks for telling Hannah
how to reach me.”

The vehicle remained fairly quiet except for the purring
engine and the tires spinning. She realized the heated leather seat supporting
her was the most comfortable she’d ever sat on. Her eyes closed. But she
couldn’t relax. She returned to reading.

Finally, unable to take the strained silence, she turned off
her Kindle. “What’s Hannah like?”

A smile played at his lips. “Hannah’s great. Athletic and
smart.” The smile faded. “I wish I knew her better. I don’t think I left a very
good first impression.”

“Oh?” Beth had read Hannah’s blog, but had Parker?

“I tried to buy her a necklace, but she didn’t want it.” His
Adam’s apple dipped.

“She probably just wants to get to know you.” Beth struggled
to imagine how things would go. They’d all attend the art show, but then what?
Would they spend the weekend hanging out? Or would Hannah be satisfied that
she’d seen Beth and send her on her way?

“I’ve never met a female who didn’t like jewelry. It threw
me.”

“I don’t like jewelry.”

He nodded. “I guess you’re right. You two have that in
common.”

Excitement tingled up her arms. She and her daughter were
alike in some way. Perhaps they would snap together like two puzzle pieces.
“Don’t think of Hannah as another female. Think of her as a teenager. They’re
harder to please. What did you care about when you were sixteen?”

He smirked. “Girls and cars. I remember my dad taught me how
to drive a stick shift so I could go on my first date. I can still hear him
yelling at me as I ground the gears.” He chuckled. “I killed it more than once
when I stopped on a hill, so he took me out to a deserted country road. He made
me start and stop it over and over again on this steep incline until I felt confident.”