“I think while you’re with Beth, I’ll drive into Tucson and kill Bill Sampson,” Ben said, kissing the back of his wife’s neck, nuzzling, as his hands reached round and stroked her belly. Still newlyweds, they fell more in love each day.
Maggie stood at their new kitchen sink, the window above it affording a spectacular view of the Valley. “You will do no such thing. Leave it alone, Ben. I mean it. Bill’s not a bad guy, just weak and stupid.”
“And a bastard,” he whispered, knowing Emma was in the next room.
“That, too. Poor Beth. I thought they’d be together for the long haul.”
“Not me. Always thought he was a slippery customer.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“Then why were they together for ten years and he still hadn’t proposed?”
“Maybe he did and Beth wasn’t ready? No one can say what goes on in relationships behind closed doors.”
“Hmm. I’d still like to kill him, and I’m sure between Harley, Robbie, Sam, and Kyle, we could get a great posse together and string him up.”
“Do your brothers know yet?”
“Not unless Ruthie or my parents called them. But all three’ll be here for the Dillons’ party.”
“Which Bill was invited to.”
“And won’t be coming.”
“Well, I’m off. Dad should be here for Emma soon. Are you sure you’re okay waiting for him?”
“Absolutely. Have fun, sweetie.” He gave her a long, lingering kiss and an affectionate pat on her bottom as she grabbed her purse and headed out.
“Love you both!” she called and headed to the truck.
Fifteen minutes later, the two women were seated in a back booth at Gracie’s Diner in the center of town. “What can I get you, ladies?” Stacy, the waitress smiled down at them, pouring coffee for Beth and setting down Maggie’s pot of tea.
They each ordered the omelet special, and Stacy headed off. “Is she still dating Jeb?” Beth asked, watching the redhead disappear through the kitchen doors.
“Far as I know.”
“Did they go to school together?”
“There’s a couple of years’ age difference,” Maggie said. “And I think Stacy grew up in Yuma. Dad runs the rodeo every year.”
“They’d be cute together. I love Jeb. Such a cutie.”
“That he is, and he knows it, too.” Maggie gazed at her sister-in-law, eyes filled with warmth. “How you holdin’ up?” “Well, my day started with a phone call from Bill on my cell that was broken in pieces on the floor.”
“Oh, Beth, how was that?”
“Horrible. He wants to see me, but I told him to stay away.”
Maggie nodded. “When you’re stronger. When you’re ready.”
“Oh, God, Maggie, what am I going to do? My whole life was Bill. I mean, I have the farm and I love my work and my family, but everything else was him. I left the Valley on purpose. To have a life beyond the ranch, and we did.”
“And you will again, if that’s what you want.”
“But it was all him, all his friends. My entire social life is gone if I don’t stay with him.”
“Are you considering that?”
“No…maybe. I don’t know. It’s just I feel so numb and empty without him. Knowing I won’t be going home to cook dinner together and share stories of our days. Even when he’s away, we always talk at night, sometimes for hours. Bill’s the only person I’ve ever been able to do that with.”
Stacy appeared with the omelets, asked if they needed anything else, and quickly departed.
Beth looked down at her food and felt sick. She tried to take a bite and the food almost choked her. “I had no sleep last night, except for about fifteen minutes just before sunrise. I don’t do well with no sleep.”
Maggie reached over and squeezed her hand. “Give it a couple of days. If it doesn’t get better, I’m sure the doctor can prescribe a mild sleep medication.”
“And before you know it, I’ll have lapsed into drug addiction and alcoholism.”
“No, you won’t, but you’re in shock. You need sleep to recover.”
“Would you take him back?”
“Oh, Beth, you’re the only one who can answer that. When you’re feeling stronger, maybe you can talk and see how you feel? People certainly do work through things like this and stay together.”
Beth stared at her sister-in-law for a moment. “We’ve never talked like this, have we?”
Maggie smiled. “Thank goodness, we’ve never needed to.”
“No, I mean close, about personal things.”
“No, I guess not.”
“I’m sorry, Maggie.”
“For what?”
“For all the years you struggled to raise Emma alone.”
“I wasn’t alone. My dad’s been with me every step of the way.”
“Yes, but you could have used a friend. Here we’ve been working together all these years and I never once asked you to go for coffee, or a meal. Never reached out and asked if you could use help or anything.”
“Beth, you’ve been an amazing friend. Look what you and all your siblings did for Emma.”
“But that was only because my knucklehead brother came to his senses and our parents woke up and corralled us together. I’m talking about before.”
“Well, I would put that off your list of worries at the moment. The farm and stables are separate operations, and we rarely bump into each other. And since Emma’s birth, I haven’t been the most approachable person, if truth be told. I kept to myself for self-protection. Rarely let anyone near me. Look what your poor brother went through, trying to get to know me.”
They laughed, and each took a bite of a delicious omelet filled with vegetables and oozing with Gruyère cheese, an artisan brand produced locally. Beth’s included farm-cured bacon; Maggie’s did not. Gracie bought almost all of her ingredients from the Valley. The bacon and eggs came from the farm at Morgan’s Run, as did the vegetables. The second bite was a little easier to swallow, and Beth forced herself to take a third, then a fourth.
By the time Maggie pulled up at the big house, Beth felt calmer, warmed by the breakfast and her sister-in-law’s company.
“Thanks, Mags.”
“Anytime.”
“You headed home?”
“No, I’ve got work clothes in the back of the truck. Lessons all afternoon.”
“Well, thanks again.”
“My pleasure. I’ll check in later, okay?”
Beth smiled and Maggie reached over to take her hand. “You know, in a way, we’re a lot alike. I’ve never had many women friends, just Dara. Friends?”
“Friends,” Beth said, squeezing her hand. “Have a great afternoon with the kiddies.”