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  “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.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  “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.

  “Naturally, Katie would do this when she knew I’d be away,” Elisa said, and then sobbed once. “Yes, yes, I agree, we don’t want to lose our daughter. I’ll book the next flight back to Seattle.” Her voice caught as she spoke, and her hand trembled as she ended the call and returned her cell to her purse.

  Lauren scooted the ottoman closer to the bed. “What’s happened?” she gently asked her friend.

  Elisa covered her face with both hands and took a long moment to compose herself. “It’s just as I feared. Katie and Dietrich went to Idaho and got married. It’s a disaster, I tell you, an unmitigated disaster. They claim they know what they want, and that’s being together for the rest of their lives. Despite everything we said and his own parents’ advice, they defied us all and took matters into their own hands.”

  Lauren gently squeezed Elisa’s hand. “You’re flying back to Seattle?”

  “Yes, as soon as I can book a flight. Garry feels we need to go as a family to Pullman and assure Katie of our love and support.”

  While Lauren didn’t approve of what Katie and her young man had done, she agreed with Garry. Now that the deed was done, they needed to work together and not allow this decision to rip apart their family. “Katie seemed to know what she wants.”

  “The crazy part is,” Elisa said as she wiped the moisture from her cheeks, “I did the same thing. Garry and I were so young, and my parents were ready to string him up, and I defied them and married him despite what they wanted.”

  Lauren wasn’t aware of that, but she knew the young couple had lived with Elisa’s parents until Katie had been born. Elisa’s parents seemed to have had a change of heart; perhaps Elisa would now, too. This certainly was history repeating itself.

  “You and Garry made it work,” Lauren reminded her.

  “We did, and later my father told me he couldn’t have chosen a better husband for me even if he’d had the opportunity. He came to love and appreciate Garry. After a few years, when it became clear my brother had no interest in the business, my father willingly brought Garry into the store. It was Garry my father took under his wing.”

  “Is he as upset about this as you are?” Lauren asked.

  Elisa reached for a tissue and dabbed it beneath her nose. “He might be, but for my sake he won’t let it show. Katie has always been a strong-willed child. I should have guessed she’d do something like this.”

  Lauren hid a smile, knowing that the teenager and her mother shared more than one character trait. She agreed that the two college students were young, but she also felt that with strong family support they would do their best to make their marriage work.

  “Dietrich’s family sounds like they’re well-grounded people,” Lauren said, hoping that would encourage Elisa.

  Her friend nodded as though in a daze. “I’m sorry to leave you,” she whispered as she stood and wandered aimlessly around the room, rubbing her palms together as if she needed to generate heat.

  “Don’t worry about leaving me. I have a good idea what you want to order, and I’ll cover the rest of the show.”

  Elisa dug her suitcase out of the closet and set it up on top of the bed, opening it. She emptied the dresser drawers, dumping clothes into the case without thought or order.

  “While you’re packing, I’ll check flight times,” Lauren told her as she brought up the Internet on her cellphone, logging in with the airlines. She scrolled down the different time options. Because Las Vegas was such a popular destination, there were a number of flight choices. She read off the results, and Elisa chose one that left in a little less than three hours. While she finished packing, Lauren called and made the necessary itinerary changes.

  “I’m sorry to do this to you,” Elisa said when she’d finished.

  “I know; don’t worry. There’s only one day left. I’ll follow up on the contacts we made today and catch the early-afternoon flight out on Sunday the way we originally planned.”

  “I can’t believe Katie would do something like this,” Elisa moaned again. “Maybe I should have, seeing that her father and I did basically the same thing.”

  An hour later, Lauren walked down to the lobby with her friend and saw Elisa off in a taxi. She sighed, and then because she was at loose ends she decided to take this opportunity to play a few slot machines. That had been their original plan: dinner and fun afterward.

  Although she was tired and had gone without dinner, Lauren thought she would gamble awhile and then order room service rather than dine alone. She put her cellphone on vibrate because it was unlikely she would hear the ring above the ongoing noise and general racket taking place in the casino. It’d been a bit disappointing not to hear from Rooster. She hoped they’d be able to connect soon.

  As she sat feeding money into the slot machine, it came to her that Todd had actually done her a favor by delaying their engagement and marriage. She realiz
ed now that she’d been fooling herself when she thought she was in love with the newscaster. What she’d been looking for was stability, a husband and children. Her priorities were askew. Instinctively, Todd must have felt it, too, because he certainly didn’t seem in any rush to get to the altar—well, not until recently. He’d tried several times to contact her, but she kept her responses cool and to the point. It was over. How thankful she was now that she’d met Rooster.

  Her first twenty dollars disappeared so fast it shocked her. After wandering aimlessly through the casino, Lauren found what looked to be another fun machine. She sat down and placed another twenty-dollar bill in the slot and pushed the button. After only a millisecond’s hesitation she watched as the figures spun around in a blur. One hit and she won ten dollars. Well, this appeared to be her lucky day.

  She’d feel a whole lot luckier if Rooster were to phone about now. With effort, she pushed the thought of him from her mind, remembering something her mother told her years earlier: a watched pot never boils. If she were constantly looking at her phone, it was sure not to ring. Nevertheless, she kept it in her lap in order to feel the vibration.

  Twenty minutes later, at about the same time as she was close to losing her second twenty dollars, her cellphone started to quiver. Right away she saw that it was Rooster and her heart raced with excited anticipation.

  “Hi,” she said, so glad to hear from him that she felt breathless with happiness.

  “Hi,” Rooster repeated.

  Like always, he sounded crystal clear. It was hard to believe he was thousands of miles away.

  “How was the convention?” he asked.

  “Crowded, busy, nuts.”

  “Are you exhausted?”

  “I was,” she told him, but now, after hearing his voice, she felt a thousand times better. “What time is it there?”

  He exhaled as though he, too, had gone through a long, hard day. “Late. I don’t know. I kept my watch on California time so I’d know when I could call you.”