A Weekend Getaway (23 page)

CHAPTER
TWENTY

Beth pressed her ear to the hotel’s adjoining wall and heard
Ivy and Parker yelling. Even though she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t help
herself.

Him: “What the hell?”

Her: “I didn’t mean to. . .”

“This is so screwed up. . .”

“Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!”

“Maybe this is for the best.”

“Damn it, Ivy! Go home. I don’t want you here.”

A couple minutes later, a door slammed. Stilettos pounded
their way down the hall.

Beth wanted to go to Parker, but didn’t know if she should.
She replayed the day in her mind. It had started off with so much promise.
Hannah opened up about her photography, her adoptive father, and her desire to
travel.

Meanwhile, Parker had held Beth’s hand the whole time they
strolled in the park. It had almost felt like they were a family, a real
family. What if she’d told him about Hannah sixteen years ago and they’d
married? Everything could have been perfect.
instead
of this haphazard emotional mess that she’d created. She’d tried to pretend
that they could pick up in the middle of Hannah’s life, but clearly the Taylors
didn’t want that. To make matters worse, Ivy showed up and threw a match on a
pile of dynamite. As usual.

After several minutes that seemed like hours, Beth realized
she didn’t want to be alone. She knocked on Parker’s door. “Is everything
okay?”

“No.” He opened the door anyway and invited her to sit on a
damask loveseat near the window.

Her mind raced as she took his suggestion. “Can you believe
the way Connie blew up at us?”

He plopped down next to her. “Ivy just sauntered in and told
the woman her only child might die.” He rubbed his forehead as if he had a
headache.

“I know. That was a disaster. Why did Ivy do that?”

“She was probably jealous that I was here with you.”

“Really?” She couldn’t imagine that. Ivy had never seemed
insecure to her.

“Or maybe she was curious about Hannah. Who knows?”

“She certainly made a sticky situation worse. I was going
stir-crazy in my room. There’s no way I’ll be able to fall asleep tonight. We
need to fix things, but I have to get back to work by Monday.” Words tumbled
out of her mouth too fast, leaving him no time to respond.

Leaning back, he pulled her head onto his chest. “Come
here.” He stroked her hair softly.

She listened to his strong heartbeat. “I really don’t want
to go home tomorrow. It wasn’t a long enough visit.” She paused. “When are you
going back?”

His fingers continued toying with her hair. “I don’t know. I
want to stay. Be here to answer any questions Hannah or Connie might have.
Assuming Connie will ever let me speak to Hannah again.”

“Exactly. We can’t leave it like this.” She pondered the
situation, which was exacerbated by geography. “I wish she lived closer.”

“I wish a lot of things.”

“Me, too.” She wished she and Parker could start over again.
She wished they hadn’t rushed into bed the first time. She wished he’d been as
smitten with her as she had been with him. But that wasn’t the world she lived
in. “I am glad for the snowstorm, though. I’m glad I got to know you better.”
She’d always lusted after him, but she hadn’t really known him. She hadn’t
known that he was Belgian, that his father had a Mustang, that he loved
Toblerones
. All she’d seen was a handsome and smart guy. He
hadn’t really been three-dimensional to her back in college.

He bumped his chin against her head when he nodded. “Having
you along for the drive made the time go faster. I guess I’m thankful for the
cancelled flight, too.”

Something still worried her. Surely they’d moved past it by
now, but she needed to clarify things. “It’s been a very emotional experience,
hasn’t it?”

Again, he nodded.

She stared at the partially-healed paper cut on her thumb.
“So the next time we’ll see each other might be in the courthouse.”

She felt his muscles tense.

He stopped stroking her hair. “Beth, no offense, but I’m
burdened with a lot more stress than you are. I learned that I have a terminal
disease and that I have a child I’ve never known about. I guess my way of
dealing with it was to go on the offensive.” He took a rib-expanding breath. “I
can see now why you did what you did. I’m not happy about it, but. . . I’ll
just have to accept it.”

“And the lawsuit?”

“Dropped.”

“Seriously?” She glanced up at him. She needed to see his
expression.

His brown eyes looked weary. “Definitely. It was vindictive of
me. Lately I’ve been angry at the world. But it’s time I learn how to let go.”

“Thank you.” Her lips pulled up into a tight smile. “Thank
you so much. That is such a relief.”

“Let’s not talk about it ever again.”

She placed her head back against his shoulder and enjoyed
the caress of his palm on her hair.

A moment later, she felt him kiss the top of her head.

She refused to move. If she moved, it might break the spell.
Closing her eyes, she listened again to his heartbeat. She felt the warmth of
his body against hers. Time moved ever so slowly as the night seeped in. Eventually
they fell asleep.

In the morning, she crept off the settee and grabbed her
cell phone. There was no way she was leaving today. Connie said she’d never let
her speak to Hannah again. Beth couldn’t exit on that note.

While Parker slept, she texted her boss and said she
wouldn’t be in on Monday. She also included the link to Hannah’s art portfolio,
hoping her idea for beautiful labels would soften the impact of her absence.

A moment later her phone rang. It was Luke. He started
speaking without even saying hello. “Everything is crazy right now. Somehow a
glitch in the computer system sent customers the wrong products and increased
the quantities tenfold.”

“Oh, no.”

“Which means the phones are ringing off the hook. Everyone
is helping handle the onslaught. I worked all day yesterday and missed my 10K.
I’m headed in again today. So, I hope you enjoyed your little vacation, but
you’d better get your butt in to work ASAP!”

Worried she’d disturb Parker, she crossed the room and
talked quietly. “Did you have a chance to look at the collages I sent you?”

“No. Aren’t you listening? You are the head of customer
service and we are in crisis mode. I’m tired of covering for you. You need to
do your assigned job. Now!”

Her shoulders tightened at his reprimand. She’d always done
her job. No one had ever accused her of doing less.

Besides her job, what would compel her to rush back to the
frigid north? She’d never have a baby with Drew. Which meant she’d lost her
boyfriend and her home at the same time. Truth be told, she’d grown tired of
listening to people curse and complain to her about someone else’s mistakes.
She was tired of being a punching bag.

Swallowing a gulp of air, she steeled herself. “I’m sorry
things are busy right now. Just because the computer system screwed up, doesn’t
mean that I’m heading back there. I’m miles away doing something even more
important.”

“Unless you’re in the hospital, I don’t care. Get in here.”

The hand holding the phone to her ear trembled. “I’m
sorr
--” She glanced at Parker who’d roused from his slumber
and sat watching her. “No. I’m not sorry. Just no. I can’t come in.”

“Then you’re fired.”

She caught her breath. “Don’t you think that’s a little
extreme? I’ve been a loyal employee for thirteen years.”

“You’re not so loyal right now.”

“I. . .
I.
. .I”

“I’ve got to go. Good luck finding another job.” He hung up
on her.

She stared at Parker. His thick, brown hair stood up on one
side, making him look especially adorable. “I won’t be needing you to drive me
to the airport today after all. I’ve decided to stay and try to patch things up
with Hannah.”

“And what did your boss think of that?”

“He fired me.” Her whole body began to shake and her knees
buckled. Parker hustled over and put his arms around her. Just like the first
day of speech class, he caught her before she fell. “I’m not the kind of person
who gets fired. I’m a work ‘til my fingers bleed kind of person. I’m a kick me
while I’m down and I’ll keep coming back kind of person.”

He helped her walk to the loveseat. “Your boss is an ass.”

She forced herself to take air in and out of her lungs.
Somehow doing the right thing for her personal life meant screwing up her
career. “I just can’t leave yet.”

He sat beside her and stroked her hair. “I understand.” He
waited until she calmed down. “Are you all right?”

A nod. “I mean, Hannah is my child. My only child. This
could be the last time I ever see her. I want to soak up every minute with her
that I can.”

He pulled back and looked at her. “I’m glad you’re staying.”

They both smiled. For a moment, she sensed his lips might be
moving closer to hers. She held her breath and waited.

But no, she’d misinterpreted things. Once again, she’d allowed
her mind to build a relationship with him that didn’t exist. Had he really even
kissed the top of her head last night or had she imagined that, too?

He stood and started pacing. “Let’s make a plan.”

“My suggestion is we call and apologize profusely.”

“You know me. I don’t say sorry unless I mean it.”

“Listen to me, Connie was right. We’ve been meddling and
deceitful. She has every right to ban us from Hannah’s life.”

“No! I can’t let that happen.”

“Then it’s time to grovel.”

He picked up the phone and dialed. “Connie, it’s Parker. I
hate the way we left things last night. Could Beth and I come over and talk?”
His brow crinkled. He didn’t look as if he were getting what he wanted. He
raked his hand through his mussed up hair.

Beth grabbed the phone from him. “Mrs. Taylor? It’s Beth.
What Parker and I want to say is that we’re sorry. We were one-hundred percent
wrong and we beg for your forgiveness.”

Connie paused.

Beth charged forward. “I know it might be easier if we took
some time apart to process everything that’s happened, but the truth is we
don’t have that luxury. Parker and I live hundreds of miles away. He might be
able to provide some guidance for what Hannah is going through.”

A measured breath came over the line. “That’s true.”

Together they scheduled another meeting. Beth and Parker
arrived at the Taylors’ place soon after breakfast. Hannah opened the door in a
purple robe and scowled at Beth. Dark circles cradled her tired eyes. “What are
you doing here?”

Dressed in jeans and a polo shirt, Connie came up behind
Hannah and clasped her shoulders. “Please come in.” They both stepped back and
allowed Parker and Beth to enter.

The four of them took seats in the living room as they had
the day before. Parker leaned forward, his elbows resting on each knee. “I’d
like to join Beth in apologizing for creating any havoc in your lives. Thank
you again, Connie, for letting us into your home.” He faced Hannah. “I know you
received some upsetting news yesterday. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you myself. Now
that you’ve had time to think, is there anything you want to ask me?”

Hannah crossed her legs. “I looked it up on-line. It sounds
like a pretty sucky way to go.”

He nodded. “It is.”

“And you have it?”

“Looks that way.” He remained forward, as if his body
language could offer her comfort. “If you did your research, then you realize
there’s a blood test that can reveal if you have it or not.”

Hannah grimaced as she fiddled with her robe’s sash. “I
think I want to know.”

Her mother, who looked just as pained, rubbed her palm
across Hannah’s back. “Are you sure? If there’s no cure, then what’s the use?”

Hannah stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with
everyone. “It’s my life and I want to know. The Children’s Medical Center of
Dallas does testing. I want to call tomorrow and schedule an appointment.”

Beth fidgeted in the ensuing silence. Picking at her
cuticles, she cleared her throat. “I’ve had a change in plans and it turns out
I can stick around a while longer. I could go with you for the test.” She shifted
in her seat. “In fact, how’s the job market in Dallas?” Maybe she could move
there.

Hannah’s head jerked up. “Job market?”

“I’ll be searching for a new employer.” She had nothing to
go back to now. Perhaps this was serendipitous. Now she could spend more time
getting to know her daughter. They could go for more hikes in the park, talk
about boys and go on college visits together.

“I just remembered,” Hannah said. “There’s something I want
to show you in my room.”

Beth liked the sound of that. “Is it some more of your artwork?
You are so talented. I bet Parker would like to see it, too.” She glanced at
him and he nodded, a grim look on his face.

“No.” Hannah stood. “It’s what I want to wear to the
Christmas dance. Mom says it’s not appropriate.” She made air quotes around the
last two words.

At that, Beth rose and followed the teenager down the hall
filled with family photos. She paused briefly to look at each one, watching her
baby grow up before her eyes. From a roly-poly infant, to a beaming toddler, to
a freckle-faced child to a svelte, almost-grown woman. Pain bore a hole inside her
chest.

She noticed Hannah waiting for her in the doorway at the end
of the hall, so Beth tore herself away from the gallery. The chemical odor of
chlorine emanated from the bathroom where a one-piece swimsuit hung over the
shower curtain rod.

Once Beth entered the lavender bedroom, Hannah closed the
door behind them. Sunlight streamed through the window’s lace curtains onto
pictures of wildflowers and butterflies taped on the walls. On the bedspread
rested a
Bratz
doll with big, almond-shaped eyes,
too-long hair and a heart-shaped guitar. A memento from a childhood long gone.