Blossom Street Brides (22 page)

“Busy. I heard from Rooster.”

“From New Zealand?”

“Yeah, apparently he’s pretty miserable.”

Bethanne smiled and leaned against the thick decorative pillows piled along the backboard of her bed. “I thought he was looking forward to this trip, taking a few days’ vacation and exploring the country.”

Max chuckled softly. “That was before he met Lauren.”

“Oh, poor Rooster.”

Max snickered. “You’d think they’d been torn apart by circumstances beyond his control.”

“Hey, hey,” Bethanne chided. “If I remember correctly, Rooster traveled with you when you insisted on following me halfway across the country. Don’t be so hard on him. He’s falling in love, and I, for one, am glad to see it.”

“This is different than with you and me.”

“Oh?” she teased. “And how’s that?”

Max seemed to need a few moments to form a reply. “Okay, you win, it’s the same for him as it was for us. Have you talked to Lauren lately?”

“Not since last week at the yarn store, but from what she said, she’s missing Rooster, too. She’s leaving with her boss for Las Vegas soon.”

“Business or pleasure?”

“A little of both, from what she said. Same as Rooster.”

“It isn’t like Rooster and Lauren aren’t talking. From what I understand, despite the time difference, they’re spending copious amounts of time on the phone with each other. It’s a wonder he’s getting any business accomplished whatsoever.”

Bethanne was sympathetic toward Max’s friend. “One would think you of all people would be a tad more understanding.”

“Okay, you’re right. I should be, shouldn’t I, seeing that it wasn’t so long ago that I fell head over heels in love with you?”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Definitely very glad, seeing that her own feelings for her husband had intensified tenfold.

“I’m quite enjoying seeing Rooster in love. It seems Lauren is turning his life upside down the same way you did mine.”

“From everything I’ve seen, Lauren feels the same way about him.”

Max paused, almost as if he dreaded bringing up the subject. “So, tell me, how did your dinner go with Annie?”

Earlier in the day, Bethanne had sent Max a text telling him about the note. She debated whether she should mention the meeting with Grant and then quickly decided it wasn’t a good idea to keep secrets from her husband.

“That bad?” he asked, when she didn’t immediately answer.

“It was a setup. Annie wasn’t at dinner.”

“Let me guess. Grant came instead.”

“Yup.”

“And what did he have to say?” Max’s voice cooled considerably.

“Not much, but not from lack of trying. He wanted to be sure I knew how he felt about me possibly moving to California.”

“I imagine he did,” he stated in the same chilly tones.

“I didn’t give him the opportunity to speak his mind. His opinion doesn’t matter, and if Annie chooses to look for work elsewhere, then that’s solely her decision.”

“Annie’s threatening to quit?”

“Yes, but …”

“Will she?”

“Probably, but Max, I refuse to let her blackmail me with her threats. At this point, I’m beginning to think her leaving the company might be a good idea.”

“No,” he burst out immediately. “This isn’t what I want for you or Annie. The two of you have worked together from the start. I refuse to be the one responsible for tearing your family apart.”

“Annie needs to grow up.”

“You’re right, she does, but not like this.”

“Max …”

“Honey, I apologize. I regret ever bringing up the subject of you leaving Washington State. It was a selfish mistake on my part. My only excuse is that I was overly tired from the long ride.”

“But what you said …”

“I know what I said and I’ve been kicking myself ever since. The last thing I want is for you to uproot your entire life for me; what we have now isn’t perfect, but it’s working.”

Bethanne felt like crying. “Is it working, Max?” she asked softly. “I’m miserable without you. If we could be together it would be so much better.”

“I agree, but that isn’t possible for either of us in our current situation. You’ll be with me in a few days, and we’ll have the entire weekend. Let’s concentrate on the time we have together instead of what we don’t have.”

In other words, concentrate on the positive. “It seems like an eternity since I last saw you.”

“It feels like that to me, too.”

“And you berate Rooster for being lovesick and missing Lauren.”

He chuckled. “Guess you’re right. I shouldn’t be so judgmental.”

Bethanne smiled, loving her husband all the more.

“Now, no more talk about you moving to California, understand?”

“Got it,” she confirmed.

They spoke for several additional moments, and by the time they disconnected, Bethanne felt as if she were floating on a cloud. Until Max mentioned it, she hadn’t realized how tense she’d been over this potential move. Max had asked it of her, and she took his request to heart, giving the matter serious consideration.

She wasn’t sure what she’d tell Annie. Whatever she decided, Bethanne wanted to make it clear that her daughter’s threat wasn’t a key factor in this sudden turnaround.

“Annie, Annie, Annie,” Bethanne whispered, and closed her eyes, seeking wisdom in dealing with her daughter and her daughter’s dislike of Max.

“Hi.” Rooster’s voice came over the line as clear as if he was sitting directly across from her in a restaurant booth. Lauren found it hard to believe that he was still in New Zealand.

“Hi, yourself,” she said, sitting on the edge of her bed, her suitcase propped open. “I’m packing for Las Vegas.” She was scheduled to be away for only three days. The problem was that she hadn’t learned to pack light. Elisa, who was far more seasoned, would get everything inside a carry-on while Lauren struggled to hold it down to two suitcases, which, of course, was ridiculous. “I’m trying to decide what to pack and what not to take. It’s an art form.” Rooster had been away nearly two weeks, traveling from city to city across New Zealand. “Are you tired of living out of a suitcase yet?” she asked. Rooster, who was accustomed to traveling light, had probably packed everything he needed for two weeks inside a briefcase.

“What I’m tired of is not being able to be with you,” he murmured.

Lauren felt the same way. “It seems like you’ve been away for months.” She didn’t mean to complain or sound disgruntled. A dozen times a day she thought of things she wanted to share with him; the time they spent on the phone had become the highlight of her days. Rooster made her laugh and her heart sing. This bond, this connection, grew stronger with each conversation.

His being in the South Pacific wasn’t so different from his being in California, she supposed. Distance wasn’t the concern, being apart was, and now that they’d found each other, it was torture not to be able to be together. Soon, though. Rooster was due back in the States shortly after she returned from Las Vegas. He’d already booked his flight to Seattle; as far as Lauren was concerned, it couldn’t come fast enough.

“Your day went well?” she asked, knowing he was playing tourist now, as the main objective of his trip had already been accomplished.

“It was fine; New Zealand is an incredible country.” He was on the south island now, and he went on to tell her about visiting the city of Christchurch. “What about your day?” he asked.

Lauren released a deep sigh. “It’s Elisa again, and how she’s dealing with Katie’s pregnancy. We’ve worked together for a long time now, and she’s my friend, a good enough friend for me to speak my mind. Really, I couldn’t keep quiet any longer, so I sat her down and we had a heart-to-heart.”

“That couldn’t have been easy.”

“It wasn’t, but she’s driving her daughter away when Katie needs her mother’s love and support more than ever. Her own parents supported her when she told them she was pregnant. It astonishes me that Elisa can’t see that. According to her, it’s different with Katie; times have changed. While I had to agree that times have changed, the situation hasn’t. Katie is nineteen and old enough to make her own decisions without Elisa interfering.”

“How’d Elisa take what you had to say?”

For all the times she’d discussed Elisa and Katie, it was as if Rooster knew them personally. He didn’t, of course, and, in fact, Elisa had yet to meet him. “I was a bit concerned Elisa wouldn’t appreciate my comments, but in the end, I think she did, especially after she learned that I’ve been texting back and forth with Katie.”

Learning that Katie had reached out to Lauren had come as a shock to the girl’s mother. “Between mother and daughter, Katie’s the one showing maturity. Elisa’s an emotional wreck and she’s insisting Katie come home for the summer and stay away from Dietrich. Instead of helping, she’s driving a huge wedge between them. They’ve always been close, and it’s tearing Elisa apart.”

“She sounds like a bit of a control freak.”

“When it comes to her children, she is fiercely protective. Her problem is that she views Katie as a child in need of her mother, and while Katie needs her family and their support, she also needs the freedom to make her own decisions.”

“You’re a good friend.”

“I’d like to think so,” Lauren said. The conversation
hadn’t been easy, but she was convinced it’d helped her friend. Afterward, Garry had thanked her.

Lauren ran her hand over the top of the bedspread and lowered her voice to that of a husky whisper. “I dreamed about you last night.”

“Was it a good dream?” Rooster sounded amused.

“The best. We were on your bike together, and I was holding on to you with my head pressed against your back. The wind was in my hair and I felt completely at peace, warm and protected.”

“I’ll take you on another bike ride, if you wish. I’ve wanted to go up to Mount Rainier sometime. How does that sound to you?”

“Fabulous.” In her mind, she pictured a meadow filled with wildflowers and Rooster lying down with his head in her lap, chewing on a long blade of grass. It seemed so peaceful and quiet, so perfect. And so dissimilar from other relationships she’d had through the years.

They spoke for another hour, disregarding the time difference. Even then, it was hard to pull herself away. That night, when she crawled into bed and closed her eyes, her dreams were once again filled with Rooster.

“Are you as exhausted as I am?” Lauren asked Elisa as they opened the door to the hotel room they shared. They’d arrived in Las Vegas late Friday afternoon and checked into the hotel for the gem conference.

Then early Saturday morning they were up before eight,
and after breakfast collected their conference badges and attended the show, walking for what seemed like miles. Elisa had set up a series of meetings with key accounts and dealers she and Garry had worked with previously. In addition to selling jewelry, Garry also designed unique pieces, having learned the trade from his father-in-law.

“Remind me to let Garry do this show next year, and I’ll be the one to visit Antwerp.” In addition to the gem show, which was held twice a year, the couple routinely flew into Antwerp for diamond purchases.

Elisa collapsed in a chair in the mini-suite and propped her legs up on the ottoman. She wiggled her toes as if to test whether there was any feeling left in her feet.

Lauren sat on the edge of the bed and reached inside her purse for her cell to see if she’d missed a call from Rooster. With the noise in the convention center, it would have been difficult to hear her cell, but apparently Rooster was either sleeping or his day had been as busy as hers. Still, Lauren couldn’t help being disappointed.

While there wasn’t a missed call or voice mail from Rooster, Lauren saw another text from Katie:

Dietrich and I have made our decision. I doubt it’s one my mother will approve of, but this is my life
.

Lauren could only speculate what that might mean. She liked Katie a great deal, but Elisa was one of her best friends. Fortunately, Katie’s relationship with her father remained strong, and the pregnant teenager had kept the lines of communication open with her family.

“You’re frowning,” Elisa said, studying her.

Lauren continued to study her phone, speculating about what Katie’s message meant. At the same time, she wondered if it would be a good idea to mention Katie’s message to Elisa or not. Thankfully, the decision was taken away from her when Elisa’s cell rang.

Grabbing it out of her purse, Elisa glanced at the readout. “It’s Garry.” She took the call and said, “Hi, sweetheart. You wouldn’t believe the day Lauren and I have had. I swear we’ve walked ten miles, but it’s been worth it. We found the most incredible …” She paused. “What?” she demanded. “This is a joke, right?”

Lauren watched as her friend sank onto the edge of the bed as though her legs had gone too weak to hold her upright. All color seemed to drain from her face.

“Did you talk to Dietrich’s parents?” Elisa’s eyes went to Lauren, and she gestured helplessly. “Certainly they objected. Earlier in the week, they seemed to agree with us.”

Lauren knew that Elisa and Garry had been able to connect with Dietrich’s parents, who shared their concern over their son and Katie’s situation. They, too, felt that Katie should return to her family and deliver the baby, and if Dietrich and Katie continued to feel strongly about each other, they could marry at some future date. It seemed a sensible plan all around. Unfortunately, neither set of parents had taken into account Dietrich and Katie’s wishes.

“No, no, no,” Elisa cried as she covered her eyes with her hand. It looked as if she were about to break into sobs.

Lauren sat on the ottoman across from her friend, wanting to be supportive and helpful.

“Garry,” Elisa said emphatically, “what are we going to do?” A short silence ensued. “I don’t know … it couldn’t possibly be legal, could it? Yes, yes, I know she’s of age, but …” The rest of what she intended to say faded into thin air.

Lauren released a soft sigh. If she were a betting woman, she’d wager that Dietrich and Katie had taken matters into their own hands and eloped.