It was a beautiful night. Carmela and Raoul had set the long table on the terrace, a blaze of color with Leonora’s collection of Mexican pottery and her extraordinary linens in shades of blues, yellows, and greens. Robbie arrived shortly before Ben, Maggie, and Emma, and Harley, a de facto family member, had come in last, as usual, bringing a case of excellent California wines with him.
Raoul and Ben manned the bar and grill and kept the margaritas, wine, and beer flowing. Surrounded by her raucous brothers and loving family, Beth felt her frayed nerves soften. No one asked about Bill. She assumed they had all been briefed about her pathetic situation and had been instructed that the subject was off limits. Her parents’ doing. She smiled across the table at her father, who had never looked happier.
Noticing his eldest daughter, Ben Senior left off playing with Emma and two of the farm dogs and crossed the terrace to stand beside her, arm circling her shoulders. Beth leaned into his warm embrace. “You’re in heaven, aren’t you, Dad?”
“You betcha, sweetie. How you holdin’ up?”
“Okay. Good to see all the goofballs together. They do get each other going, don’t they?”
“Yup. Robbie looks well, don’t you think? More like your mother every day, except for his tan.”
Fair-haired, with his mother’s deep green eyes, Robbie looked strong and fit. The outdoor life in Sedona clearly agreed with him. “Yes, he does. Mom’s been at him since the minute he walked in the door to move home and start Morgan’s Run Adventure Tours.”
He chuckled. “Sounds a bit lowbrow to me.”
“Hey, you two,” Ben said. He held a pitcher of margaritas. “Beth, you want a refill?”
She shook her head. “Not if I want to make it through dinner.”
“Dad?”
“Never touch the stuff, as you well know. Won’t say no to another Dos Equis, though.”
He held up his empty bottle, and Ben nodded. “Be right back. How’re you doin’, sis?”
“Fine, just tired. Same as I was ten minutes ago when you asked me. Have you and Maggie told the guys about the baby?”
“Thought I’d announce it at dinner. I suspect Kyle already guessed when he heard Maggie ask for lemonade.”
The news of Maggie’s pregnancy was greeted with a round of applause and toasting. Emma and Maggie hoisted lemonades, the rest glasses of California pinot noir. The wine complemented the ribs and chicken Raoul had grilled, with three miniburgers for Emma and huge grilled portabella mushrooms for the vegetarians, Ben. Ben looked as if he might burst with pride as he accepted congratulations from his loving family.
Midway through dinner, Sam said to no one in particular, “So, I hear Lang Dillon’s around.”
Ruthie stole a glance at her sister. “Of course he’s around. He and Rose are throwing tomorrow’s anniversary bash.”
“I’d have thought Martha would have hired a legion of caterers and support staff.”
“She has,” Leonora said, glaring at her son. “But her children are footing the bill, so they’ve taken over. I believe Rose has done most of the planning, but since her brother’s return, he’s pitched right in.”
“Thanks to Rose’s lists,” Maggie said quietly. “Emma and I saw Lang in town the other day and he was very busy, completing his many assignments.”
“He’s nice,” Emma said through a mouthful of french fries. “And funny.”
“We had a lemonade at Gracie’s,” her mother added.
All eyes stared at her, including her husband’s. “You didn’t mention that,” he said.
“Oh, no? Must’ve slipped my mind, we’ve been so busy.” She smiled at him, hoping he would drop the subject.
“Okay, okay,” Beth said, suddenly tired of all the pussyfooting around her life. “”I’ve seen Lang a few times. He’s a nice guy. We’re friends. He’s been very kind to me. And, yes, Emma, he is very funny. As for Bill and me, I haven’t decided what to do there, but I will let you know when I do.”
“You’re not thinking of going back to him?” Sam asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know. We’ve been together for ten years. It’s not easy to throw it all away overnight.”
“But, Beth,” Robbie said before glancing at his father, whose hand was up.
“Can we please change the subject, my chickens?” Leonora said, motioning for Carmela to begin to clear plates for dessert.
The remainder of the meal was spent talking about recent events on the ranch and farm. Harley entertained them with stories of the last two pack trips and the obnoxious city slickers. While Ben Senior did not allow his own children to joke about the paying customers, he had always given Harley more latitude and enjoyed the tales as much as they all did.
Beth was pleasantly tipsy when she finally went to bed. She hoped for a better night’s sleep. There were six missed calls from Bill but none from Lang. Apparently, he had taken her seriously and was letting her go. Despite the fact that she had demanded he do so, she was disappointed. Chiding herself, she slipped into bed and closed her eyes.