CHAPTER 31

Beth

Beth knew she should be concerned with her parents’ pending visit over Thanksgiving. She didn’t trust her mother not to use the time as a subtle way of undermining her life. However, Beth’s main concern revolved around her aunt Sunshine. Her aunt had said shockingly little about the dinner Beth and Sondra Reacher had arranged between Sunshine and Peter Hamlin. What she did say was elusive and vague.

“You’re looking preoccupied,” Sam mentioned as they left the rehab facility. They’d performed well together from the beginning, but over the weeks they had gelled as musicians. “Are you worried about your parents’ visit?” he asked.

Beth offered him a fragile smile. “Yes and no. I have no worries about Dad, but Mom concerns me. I don’t trust her.”

“Don’t let it bother you, babe. We got this.”

His confidence inspired her. While she appreciated his positive attitude, it was only one of the matters that weighed heavily on her mind. If there was anything to be glad about, worrying over her aunt took her mind off the upcoming holiday.

Instead of having Sam drive her directly back to her apartment, Beth suggested they stop off for coffee. She had some news she wanted to share that she’d learned after her meeting with her fellow music teachers.

Sam pulled into the parking lot at a Starbucks. “Something on your mind?” he asked, and looked concerned. “We’re good, right?”

“Better than good,” she assured him.

Sam collected their order; he had coffee and she wanted a latte. Beth found a vacant table in the back of the Starbucks.

She was grateful that their spot gave them some privacy. The closest occupied table was three down.

“What’s up, babe?” Sam asked once they were comfortably seated. He cupped his coffee with both hands and studied her as if unsure what to expect.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I wanted to talk to you about what you told me about your past relationships.”

Right away, he bristled. “There’s only been one, Beth, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s off-limits.”

“But I learned something and—”

“Off-limits, babe.”

She sipped her latte and mulled over her next move. Sam had said very little about Trish and his daughter. Clearly it was a painful subject he didn’t want to discuss, and that disappointed her because she had wonderful news to share with him. Only Sam didn’t want to hear it.

“Now, about Thanksgiving,” Sam said in a blatant effort to change the subject. “I’ve met your mother, but this is the first opportunity I’ll have to meet your dad. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I’ve decided to have my hair cut and shave off the beard, too.”

“Sam,” Beth objected, shaking her head. “No way. You don’t need to change who you are for my parents.” What she didn’t want to tell him was that it wouldn’t make the least bit of difference how much Sam altered his appearance. Her mother in particular didn’t need a reason to find fault with any man Beth chose to date. Especially one who hadn’t been handpicked and vetted by her.

Sam reached across the table and took her hand in his. His fingers gave hers a gentle squeeze. “You’re important to me, and while I won’t be intimidated by your parents, I want to start off on the right foot with your dad in particular. Cutting my hair and getting rid of this beard is a small price to pay. Truth is, I’ve been meaning to do it for some time. Your parents coming to town is the incentive I need.”

Beth’s heart swelled with love and appreciation. “Be yourself, Sam. That’s all I want.”

He pressed her hand to the side of his face. “Aren’t you even a little bit curious what I look like without all this hair?” he asked.

Actually, Beth did wonder. Until now, she’d never given it much thought. The beard was part of Sam. The long hair, too.

Sam squinted at her. “What’s up? You’re looking at me funny.”

“I’m trying to picture you without a beard.”

He winked at her and gave her one of his special smiles. “You’ll see soon enough.”

Beth sipped her latte and sighed, thinking about her aunt. “You did warn me,” she murmured, thinking out loud.

“Warn you about what?”

Beth looked up. “That dinner I arranged for my aunt and Peter Hamlin.”

“I thought you said it went fine?”

“That was what Sunshine led me to believe, but I think she’s not telling me the full truth.”

“It didn’t go well?”

“I don’t think so. When we spoke she said it was a real surprise for them both, but she didn’t say it was a pleasant one. I quizzed her about it and all she’d tell me was that they spent time catching up.”

Sam studied her as if trying to read between the lines of her aunt’s comment. “What were you expecting to happen, Beth?”

That was the same question she’d asked herself countless times since her talk with Sondra Reacher earlier that evening. “I don’t know…I thought, I hoped, they would reconnect and give their relationship a second chance. In retrospect, that sounds foolishly romantic and a little silly, doesn’t it?”

“Not in the least. You have such a warm, generous heart, and seeing them find love again would be natural for you.”

Sam was being more than kind when she felt like she deserved to be chastised for stirring up old hurts that were none of her business.

“Are you thinking nothing good will come out of their dinner?”

“Doubtful,” Beth admitted. “I asked Sunshine if she was going to keep in touch with Peter and she gave me a sad smile and said probably not.”

Beth didn’t have a clear picture of what had actually transpired between the two. She knew they’d had ample opportunity to talk and square things away. But it didn’t sound like anything of importance had taken place. And she was even more convinced of that after she’d heard from Sondra Reacher.

“What I really wanted,” Beth said, clearing her thoughts, “was for there to be healing. I don’t know entirely what went wrong between them, other than the fact that my mother played a role in their breakup. But there’s more going on than I’m aware of.” Her throat grew thick and she swallowed hard. “Oh Sam, I think I might have stirred up a hornet’s nest.”

Sam stood and took the chair next to her, placing his arm around her shoulder. Beth leaned closer to him, seeking his warmth. “You have every right to say you told me so. You did warn me.”

“You meant well.”

“I did.” Little good that did anyone now, especially Sondra Reacher, who, thanks to Beth, was without a job.

Beth exhaled a long breath with the decision to tell him everything. “I talked to Sondra this afternoon. She’s the receptionist I worked with to set up the meeting with Sunshine and Peter.”

“I remember.”

“Mr. Hamlin fired her.”

“What?”

“The first thing he did when he got back was to call her into his office.” It was unfortunate that Sondra worked Mondays. Perhaps if Mr. Hamlin had taken a few days to cool down, he might have had a change of heart.

“What excuse did he use?”

“She said he didn’t give her any excuse. All he said was that her services would no longer be needed and that she should pack up her things and leave. He had one of the interns escort her from the office.” That must have been especially humiliating to the woman who had served the law firm for nearly forty years.

Sam didn’t comment, but his arm tightened around her shoulders.

“I was excited for Sunshine and made this surprise out to be something wonderful. After I talked to Sondra I realized that the dinner must have been a disaster and Sunshine didn’t want to tell me how awful it was.”

Sam kissed the top of her head. “Your heart was in the right place, so don’t beat yourself up over it. Move on. I’m sure that’s what Sunshine is doing.”

Beth wanted to believe that, but she wasn’t convinced.

“If nothing else, you gave them the opportunity to set the past straight, and that was a gift all of its own. If it didn’t work out, that’s not on your head. That rests on the two of them.”

Sam’s encouraging words helped and Beth was able to sleep that night.

—

Tuesday afternoon as soon as she was free to leave the high school, Beth drove to her aunt’s. She found Sunshine as she most often did, working in her studio.

Her aunt glanced over her shoulder and brightened when she saw Beth. “I imagine you’re here to discuss Thanksgiving. I ordered a fresh turkey. A little traditional, I know, but that is what your mother would expect. I’d much rather serve Thai, which is what I did last year. I had several friends over and it was a marvelous meal. Best sticky rice ever.”

“I want to help.”

“I should hope so,” Sunshine teased. “Cooking was never my strong suit, and you know your mother. Everything has to be perfect. I don’t even have a matching set of silverware. Can’t imagine what she’ll think of that.”

Beth remembered Thanksgiving dinner from past years and the elaborate table settings her mother prepared. They were worthy of inviting Martha Stewart to join in the celebration or anyone from the DIY Network, for that matter. Her mother took pride in making sure every detail of their meal was perfection. The meal itself was catered and the guests were carefully scrutinized and evaluated for their potential usefulness long before invitations were mailed.

Thanksgiving at Sunshine’s would be something of an experience for her mother. As for her father, Beth didn’t think he much cared or noticed. He gave Ellie free rein when it came to entertaining.

“If you do the turkey and the stuffing, I’ll see to the side dishes.”

They reviewed the menu and Beth paid special attention to her aunt, looking for any signs of depression or unhappiness. She wanted to apologize for intruding on her aunt’s life but was afraid bringing up Saturday would hurt more than help.

“When do your parents arrive?”

“Tomorrow. Around three.”

“Are you picking them up at the airport?”

Beth shook her head. “Mom ordered a car service to take them directly to the hotel. She asked to meet Sam and me for dinner that evening.”

Sunshine cocked one brow in question.

“I didn’t say anything to Sam about it, though. I’ll go on my own,” she said, feeling uncertain. When he met her mother again and her father for the first time, Beth would rather her aunt was there as a buffer.

“You don’t need to worry about Sam.”

Sunshine was right. Sam was perfectly capable of holding his own with her mother. He had once already.

“I don’t plan to take them to my apartment, either.”

“Beth, why ever not? You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“I know,” she said. “I’m just convinced Kier made it sound like I live in a shady part of town. For sure it’s far beneath Mom’s standards, but it’s mine and I love it. I won’t stand to hear her criticize any part of the life I’m living. Far as I’m concerned, I’m preventing an argument.”

Sunshine nodded approvingly. “Smart.”

Beth refused to defend her choices. Then, feeling she couldn’t ignore what happened with Sunshine and Peter, Beth found the courage to broach the subject.

“Sunshine,” she said tentatively, “I have the feeling the dinner with Peter didn’t go as well as you want me to believe.”

Her aunt picked up her paintbrush and turned back to the canvas. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, for one thing, I heard from my coconspirator that Mr. Hamlin fired her first thing Monday morning.”

Sunshine’s head sagged as though the news weighed heavily upon her. She seemed to take the news personally. “Did he really?”

“I realize she probably shouldn’t have been so free with his personal information. I feel terrible about that.” Sondra had been less upset about her dismissal than Beth had.

“Peter said he was going to let her go,” Sunshine whispered, “but I didn’t actually think he’d go that far.”

“Sondra worked part-time and is semiretired. She says she’s fine with it. What bothers me is knowing that I was responsible for her losing her job.”

Sunshine set aside the same brush she had picked up only a few minutes earlier. “Peter has changed. I barely recognized him as the man I once knew.”

“Sondra said he’s difficult.”

Sunshine smiled. “What Peter doesn’t realize is that when we fail to be kind and loving, then we fail to be wise. I fear his life hasn’t gone the way he expected or wanted. I wish him well, I do, but he’s caught in a net of self-pity and resentment. I doubt anything I might have said would have reached him.” She paused and sadness leaked into her eyes. “He doesn’t understand that in his effort to penalize your friend, he has hurt himself even more.”

Her aunt was wise and beautiful. It stunned Beth that Peter didn’t recognize that in her. She was right, he was to be pitied. “Did Peter…blame you for what’s happened in his life?”

“He said he didn’t, claimed he accepts full responsibility. The sad part is he resents my success. While he might be one of the highest-priced attorneys in the city, Peter views himself as a failure.”

“But why?” This made no sense to Beth.

Her aunt reached out and cupped Beth’s cheek. “I read once that one of the saddest things in life is to die with the music still inside us. There’s tremendous talent in Peter that has been long denied. When I knew him, he was one of the most promising artists in college. His work was praised by staff and students alike. His potential was breathtaking.”

“And he gave it up?”

“He did. He walked away from it all.”

“But why? Why would he do that?”

Sunshine mulled over the question. “That isn’t easy to answer. He would like to blame outside factors, but I believe deep down Peter had a terrible fear of failure. His talent came easy for him. I remember how hard it was for him to accept even the slightest criticism. He grew defensive and argumentative.”

“You loved him, though.”

“Yes, I won’t deny that.” She turned back to her painting, but not before Beth saw the sheen in her aunt’s eyes.

Immediately Beth was struck with guilt. “I’m so sorry.”

“Please, no apologies. They aren’t necessary. You acted in love, and how could I ever fault that?”

“But—”

“I don’t want you to feel bad that the meeting with Peter didn’t go well. I’m not the least bit upset. If anything, I’m terribly sad for him.”

“You’re sure you’re all right?”

“Oh yes, very sure.”

Beth stood to leave. “I better head to the store so I can get what I need for our dinner.” Then, to lighten the mood, she said, “Sam wants to help me with the preparation.”

“Does he cook?”

“Not that I’ve seen.”

“This should be interesting,” Sunshine said, smiling again.

Beth left then, feeling better than she had when she’d arrived. She had a renewed appreciation of this wonderful, wise woman who was her aunt. Hearing about Peter, she felt a terrible sadness for him, much as her aunt did.

She couldn’t let her mind dwell on the attorney for long, though. Sam was hours away from spending time with her parents. If nothing else, this should be one interesting Thanksgiving Day.