CHAPTER 28

Beth

Beth had read the first few lines of the letter before she realized what it was and stopped. It was too personal, too private. Yet from those few lines alone she was able to look inside her aunt’s heart. Love and forgiveness throbbed in every word. That was when she realized the decision had been made for her. It didn’t matter if Peter Hamlin was married. Her goal wasn’t to reunite two lovers; it was to help them along the path of recovery from the emotional wounds they each carried.

Monday, during her break for lunch, Beth called the law firm again, hoping to chat with the semiretired receptionist Sondra Reacher.

“Hamlin, Wilkens and Bower,” the receptionist answered.

“Oh good, it’s you,” Beth blurted out.

“I beg your pardon.”

“It’s Beth Prudhomme,” she said. “Remember? We talked earlier?”

“Are you the girl asking about Mr. Hamlin?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I thought I put you through to him once already. Let me tell you he wasn’t happy about it, either.”

“You did, and I appreciate it. And you’re right, he wasn’t interested in talking to me.”

The older woman made a huffing sound. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

“I was wondering,” Beth ventured carefully, “would it be possible, would you mind talking to me about a personal matter involving Mr. Hamlin?”

Her request was received with an eerie silence until Beth was convinced the line had been disconnected. “Hello?”

“I’m here. I have a question for you, missy—are you trying to get me fired?” the woman asked incredulously.

“No, never—”

“Is this a setup?” she demanded next.

“No, I swear.” This wasn’t going well, and Beth instantly regretted asking the favor.

“These young girls the firm has answering the phone these days aren’t worth near what I am. They know it and have got it out for me.”

“I’m sorry,” Beth said. “I didn’t mean to offend you. The reason I’m asking is because I know someone who knew Mr. Hamlin years ago. Someone he loved and who loved him.”

“When was this?” Sondra Reacher asked, lowering her voice.

“Nearly thirty years ago.”

“And you know this person how?” she demanded.

“I’m her niece,” Beth supplied.

After a short hesitation, Sondra whispered into the phone. “I can’t talk here. Too many ears, if you know what I mean. Give me your phone number and I’ll call you back this evening.”

Excited now, Beth quickly relayed the phone number. “There’s a two-hour time difference between here and Chicago and I’m not out of school until three-thirty, so please don’t phone until after six your time.”

Her words were met with a short hesitation. “Just how old are you, child? You still in school?”

“I’m a teacher.”

“Okay, then. You’re not underage or anything?”

“No, not at all.”

Her voice dipped again. “You do realize this could get me fired.”

Beth’s hopes did a tumble. “If you’d rather not, I understand and I won’t blame you for being cautious.”

“My husband would have disapproved, but he’s been gone three years so I do what I want these days. That’s one of the compensations of being a widow.”

“You’d risk your job to talk to me?”

“You gonna tell anyone it was me?”

“No.” And she wouldn’t. Beth fully intended to keep her promise. She was willing to accept full responsibility for whatever fallout came from their conversation.

“Then I’ll talk. Mr. Hamlin needs help and if this person…your aunt, can take that gruff edge off him, then it will be worth the risk.”

“Thank you,” Beth whispered in gratitude.

“Don’t thank me yet.”

—

Beth kept her phone within easy reach as soon as she walked out of the school building. When it rang, Beth jumped with the anticipation of it.

“Hello,” she said excitedly, seeing that the area code was from Chicago. “This is Beth.”

“I know who it is,” Sondra Reacher said. “You’re the one who gave me this number, remember?”

Beth grinned at her brusque tone. “I remember.”

“Now, what is it you want to know about Mr. Hamlin?” the woman asked, getting straight to the point.

Too late, Beth realized she should have been better prepared. She had a number of questions but wasn’t sure where to start.

“Is Mr. Hamlin married?”

“He used to be. He’s been divorced now for nearly twenty years.”

Twenty years. That was a long time to remain single. “Children?” she asked next.

“Two. Girls, both of them pretty as a picture. One’s married and made him a grandfather last June.”

Sunshine would love knowing that. “Is he close to his daughters?”

The question was answered with a snicker. “Mr. Hamlin isn’t close to anyone. You spoke to him. After the first minute you should have been able to tell he isn’t into teddy bears and lollipops. My guess is he’d like to be closer, but his ex is having none of that.”

“That breaks my heart.”

“Don’t know what that woman fed those girls. Can’t say for certain, but now that they are older I think their relationship with their father has improved.”

“You said you’ve been with the firm nearly forty years. So you must have been there when Mr. Hamlin came on board.”

“I was hired when the senior Mr. Hamlin was part of the firm. God rest his soul. He never made a secret of the fact that he wanted his son to go into law and join the practice. He didn’t mention it to me personally, you understand. At the time the office was small and one can’t help overhearing conversations.”

“Right.” That made sense to Beth.

“The younger Mr. Hamlin was determined to attend art school, though. His father refused to finance his efforts and was unhappy when he found a way to enroll all on his own. One time the missus showed up at the office and it was clear she’d been crying. The two of them went into the office and closed the door. I don’t know what was said, but it was about the same time as the younger Mr. Hamlin left for art school. I believe the missus backed her son.”

“My aunt is an artist,” Beth murmured. “That’s where they must have met.”

“Sounds plausible.”

“I’m guessing but I think it was when my aunt and Mr. Hamlin broke up that he dropped out of art school.”

“Could be,” the older receptionist agreed. “What I can tell you is that as soon as his son switched to studying law the elder Mr. Hamlin was as happy and carefree as a kid on the last day of school. Before long the senior Mr. Hamlin was bringing the younger by and arranging for him to meet Mr. Bower’s daughter.”

“You mean the two law partners acted as matchmakers.”

“It was more than that. Both men made it clear that they expected the two to marry one day.”

“Expected?”

“Oh yes. Marriage with the daughter of one of the other senior partners would cement Peter the younger’s position as a junior partner. His daddy was all for that.”

Beth didn’t know the politics of a law office. “But what did Mr. Bower get out of this arranged marriage?”

“More than he deserved,” Sondra Reacher said with a huff. “Carolyn Bower was and still is a heartless soul.”

Beth could only guess what that implied. From the sound of it, Peter had gotten the short end of the deal. Right away her romantic heart kicked in, making it all the more important for her aunt to set matters straight with the man she loved. Like the plot of a book, she suspected that because he was broken-hearted he’d fallen victim to his father’s schemes, given up studying art, and married the woman he didn’t love. Fanciful for sure but plausible.

“Forgive me for asking this, but is Mr. Hamlin easily…swayed by outside forces?” Beth asked, afraid if he betrayed her aunt he might well do it to someone else.

“What?” the receptionist demanded. “No, you have it all wrong. Mr. Hamlin isn’t like that at all.”

Beth was glad to hear it.

The receptionist asked a question. “Tell me about your aunt?”

“Her name is Sunshine.”

Sondra Reacher laughed. “She one of those hippies who doesn’t realize the sixties are long over?”

“No, it’s a nickname from her childhood. Her real name is Louise.”

“There’s a famous artist with that same name. Only reason I know is because Mr. Hamlin has a painting in his office by her.”

Beth grinned, greatly encouraged by learning this. “That’s my aunt.”

Another pause. “Are you telling me that Mr. Hamlin was once in love with the artist Sunshine?”

“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.”

“Now, that’s a case for the textbooks. Holy moly. You should have said so earlier.”

Beth didn’t know why it would make a difference who it was her boss had once loved.

“Did I hear you right when you said Sunshine never married?”

“Yes.”

Again there was a pause, but this time it had an entirely different feel to it. Beth could sense the other woman’s excitement buzz through the phone.

“Are you telling me you think your aunt is carrying a torch for Mr. Hamlin?”

Beth felt like she was walking on shaky ground. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m thinking so.” She debated on adding what she’d read in the letter and then decided to go for it. “I saw part of a letter she’d written him years ago. In one of the first lines, she claimed that she would always love him.”

“Well, this is a conundrum.”

Beth smiled at the older woman’s choice of words. “Yes, I’d say it is.”

“What would you like to see happen?” Sondra Reacher asked.

That was a good question. “I suppose in my heart of hearts I’d like for the two of them to find a way to be together. I believe that if they were to see each other it might be possible for them to clear the air.”

“Not gonna be easy. Mr. Hamlin isn’t the tenderhearted young man he once was.”

“I got that message when I spoke to him,” Beth reminded her.

“Did you know that afterward he asked me to make certain none of your calls came through to him again?”

Beth’s hand tightened around her phone. “He did not say that!”

“He did.”

Beth could see reuniting the two of them was going to be more of a challenge than she’d anticipated.

“So girl, how are you going to make this happen?” Sondra Reacher asked as if Beth had all the answers.

“I don’t know. Do you have any suggestions?”

“Give me a minute to think on it,” the woman suggested.

Beth had the feeling it was going to take more than a minute.

“Your aunt doing any art shows in the Chicago area in the near future?”

Beth didn’t keep tabs on her aunt’s travel schedule. “I don’t know, but I can find out.”

“You do that.”

“What are you thinking?” Beth asked. “Sunshine’s paintings have been featured in Chicago art shows a dozen times, if not more.”

“Maybe we could convince Mr. Hamlin to attend one of her shows.”

“We?” Beth repeated, stunned. “And exactly how do you intend to make that happen? Mr. Hamlin left instructions that he no longer wishes to speak to me.”

“Listen, the two of us are in this together. I’ve spent the better part of forty years seeing that man live in misery. He had a selfish, self-centered wife who divorced him after having multiple affairs. His only joy has been his two daughters who, despite Mr. Hamlin’s best efforts, were influenced by their mother. I admire him for all he did to keep in touch with his daughters. If I have the opportunity to bring a little sunshine into his life…” She paused and laughed. “I didn’t intend that pun, but it’s fitting, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

“If we have the chance to help him to be happy, then I think we should do it.”

“I agree.” Beth’s excitement grew with each word the other woman spoke.

“Now, tell me, does your aunt know you’re meddling in her life?”

Beth was afraid to admit it. “I…I haven’t said anything to her about this.”

“Thought so. Don’t know much about her, but my guess is she’s not a woman who lets someone do her talking for her.”

“She isn’t.”

“What made you decide to get involved? Was it that letter you mentioned?”

“No, I stumbled upon that just recently. My aunt said his name once when we were out to eat. It was the look that came over her, and I knew that whomever this Peter was who shared fish tacos with her had been someone special in her life.”

“Fish tacos. You asked me about that on your first phone call, didn’t you?”

“I did. My aunt explained that she and Peter went to this hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant every Friday night and shared an order of fish tacos.” Then she had a thought. “Any chance Mr. Hamlin will be in the Portland area?”

“Portland, Oregon, you mean, because if you do, I’m thinking I saw something recently about a conference being held out your way that he was planning on attending.”

This was almost too good to be true. “Really?” She couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.

“Pretty sure.”

“If that’s the case, then all we need to do is figure a way to get the two of them together.”

Silence followed as they both mulled over the problem.

“Got it,” the receptionist cried out, startling Beth.

“You do?”

“Yup. We’re gonna do it with fish tacos.”