A Weekend Getaway

by Karen Lenfestey

  He checked caller i.d. and was caught off-guard. “It’s Ivy.” He answered it. “Yes?”

  “My plane just landed at Dallas-Fort Worth. Should I take a cab or will you pick me up?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Beth heard Parker yell into his cell phone. She clutched her sandwich so hard her fingertips left dents in the bread.

  “No,” he said. “No.” He rolled his eyes. “Fine. See you there.” He shut off his phone and stuck his sandwich back inside the plastic bag. “My wife flew in to meet Hannah.”

  Hannah tilted her head and her mahogany hair slipped off her shoulder. “The one who isn’t the mothering type?”

  He snickered. “That’s the one. She’s on her way to your house, so we’d better get going.”

  They gathered up their uneaten lunches and hiked back to the Mustang.

  Hannah jingled the car keys. “Can I drive home?”

  Nodding, they agreed. Beth definitely wasn’t anxious to see Ivy, so if the car stalled a few times, all the better. Why would Ivy want to meet Hannah if she and Parker were on the verge of a divorce? But Beth didn’t dare say any of this in front of the teenager. Once again, this was Parker’s news to share.

  Back at the adobe house, Hannah led them inside. Connie graded papers on a loveseat in front of the TV. She still wore a T-shirt, jeans and pink slippers. Clicking off the gardening show, she looked up. “Back so soon?”

  Parker took a seat across from her on the sofa. “I got a surprise. My wife has flown in and will be here soon.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” Connie smoothed the sides of her auburn hair, still in a loose bun. “I hope she doesn’t think I’m always this shlumpy.”

  Taking the cooler to the kitchen, Hannah raised her voice to be heard. “What are you talking about? This is how you dress every weekend.”

  Connie shrugged. “Teenagers.”

  Beth smiled sympathetically, sitting on a Navajo blanket tossed over the couch. “I can’t believe how grown up and mature she is.”

  The woman nodded. “Most of the time I can’t complain.”

  “Pretty soon she’ll go off to college and meet people from all different walks of life.” Hannah returned to the living room, her camera no longer hanging around her neck. Beth waited for the adolescent to sit next to Connie before she continued speaking. “I remember when I went to college, I couldn’t believe how many of my classmates had traveled places I’d only read about in books. I was so envious.” Hoping she wasn’t coming on too strong, she paused.

  Connie placed her papers on the coffee table and dropped her red ink pen for emphasis. “She told you about the class trip.” She glared at her daughter.

  Beth looked to Parker for back up. He scooted forward and started talking with his hands. “It’s a wonderful opportunity. What’s the point of learning a foreign language if you can’t use it? Plus Europeans are so friendly.”

  Connie twisted her wedding band. “I’m not sure what Hannah told you, but it isn’t right for us.”

  “What do you mean by that?” Beth figured winning Connie over on the Europe trip would help win Hannah over.

  The middle-aged woman cleared her throat. “For one thing it’s pricey.”

  Parker clasped his hands together. “I’d be glad to pay for it as an early graduation gift.”

  Connie pinched her lips together. “I can’t let you do that.” She shot Hannah another look. “I can’t believe you asked them to plead your case. This is between you and me.”

  Hannah crossed her arms and leaned away from her mom. “But you’re being unreasonable. You treat me like a little kid. I’m sixteen years old.”

  Every muscle in Beth’s body tightened. She’d stepped on a land mine and now sat in the middle of a family fight. “We wanted to say that if it’s only because of the money, it would be a shame to not let Hannah go.”

  At this, Connie sent Beth a withering look.

  The doorbell rang.

  Thank God.

  The three adults took a collective breath. Hannah remained slumped against the corner of the couch while her mother stood to answer the door. Ivy’s willowy frame wore a scarlet silk blouse, black pencil skirt and high heels. She carried a Gucci purse.

  Parker stood and walked forward as if he could serve as a barrier between Ivy and the rest of them. “Connie Taylor, let me introduce to you my wife, Ivy.”

  Beth wished she could disappear into the seat cushions. Hannah may have technically been the illegitimate one in the room, but Beth felt as if she didn’t belong. She waved half-heartedly at Ivy as she entered the house.

  Sticking her nose in the air, Ivy ignored Beth. Parker placed his palm on the small of Ivy’s back and guided her to take a seat on the far end of Beth’s couch. Fortunately, he sat between them.

  Connie kicked her slippers into a nearby closet and faced Ivy. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  Ivy’s crimson lips smiled. “This is that Southern hospitality everyone talks about, isn’t it? I’ll take a Perrier.”

  “I don’t think we have any. I could get you some tap water or iced tea.”

  Ivy fluttered her hand. “Never mind.” She rolled her shoulders. “I hate flying. All of those people breathing recycled air. I keep telling Parker he should buy us a private jet, but he won’t listen.”

  Parker put his hand on her forearm as if to quiet her. “Let me introduce you to the wonderfully talented Hannah. Last night she won an art show.”

  Smiling at the girl, Ivy gestured toward herself. “I’m an artist, too. I sing.”

  Hannah chewed on her lower lip. Beth understood her confusion. This meeting was supposed to be about Hannah, not Ivy.

  Looking at Parker, Ivy said, “She has your eyes.”

  Everyone except Hannah nodded.

  Ivy fluffed her dark curls then smoothed her skirt. “What have I missed? Have you gone line dancing? Seen a rodeo?”

  Parker laughed softly and patted her arm again. “No, but we did have a juicy steak last night. One of the best I’ve ever tasted.”

  “The food on the plane was terrible. Did I tell you that? I told the flight attendant they’d better get me something edible or deduct the price of the meal from my ticket.”

  Beth wondered if there was any way to escape as Ivy sucked the life out of the room. She was killing the last few hours she had with Hannah. How could Beth get up tomorrow and fly back to Indiana? There was so much more she needed.

  Ivy inhaled air so loudly everyone turned to stare. She pointed at Hannah with a long, French tipped nail. “Oh my God. If she looks like you, does that mean she has it?”

  Hannah perked up. “Has what?” Her eyes studied Ivy for a few seconds, then Parker, then Beth.

  Beth could barely breathe.

  Connie sat straighter. “Tell us what you mean, Ivy.”

  Parker swallowed, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbing. Beth wanted to hold his hand in support, but didn’t dare. He faced Hannah. “Have you ever heard of Huntington’s disease?”

  Their daughter’s brow furrowed. “I don’t think so. Does that run in your family?”

  He nodded. “My father had it and my grandfather. And I have it, too.” He cleared his throat. “There’s a fifty percent chance that you have it.”

  Her eyes squinted. “What’s Huntington’s like? You seem healthy enough.”

  He cracked his knuckles. “In the beginning stages, it’s not too bad. It’s little things, like being irritable, having trouble making decisions and small involuntary movements.”

  “And later?”

  “The movements become uncontrollable. I won’t be able to drive or work or even take care of myself. It’s a terrible way to go.”

  “You mean it’s terminal? You’re dying? And I might have this hideous thing, too?” Hannah stood. “First my dad dies and now you’re sick? This is great. Glad to get to know you.” At that, she buried her face in her hands and ran down the hall to her
room. The door slammed and Beth flinched.

  He started to chase after her, but Beth whispered, “Let her go.”

  Connie’s face flamed red. Her foot knocked the table leg and some of her students’ papers fell onto the floor. “You have got a lot of nerve.” She wagged her finger at Parker. “Just last night you said you didn’t have any medical history to report. When the truth is, my daughter could have a horrible disease!” She rose and grew more animated. “You come into my house and try to buy Hannah off with diamonds. When that doesn’t work, you offer to send her to Europe even though I’ve already told her no. When all along you’re withholding this huge secret.”

  She turned and thrust her finger in Beth’s face. “And you’re just as bad. You lied about not knowing who Hannah’s father was. For all of these years, you’ve let my daughter live a lie!”

  Beth recoiled while Ivy sat and watched the show.

  Connie shook her head and inhaled to continue her rant. “Worst of all, your lies affect Hannah.”

  Beth started to hyperventilate. She wasn’t used to getting yelled at face-to-face. She struggled to catch her breath. “Mrs. Taylor, I mean, Connie, wait a minute.”

  “No, you wait a minute! Neither of you has a clue what it means to be a parent. Being a parent means putting your child’s needs first. Staying home with her when she’s too sick to go to school, taking her to tutoring because she needs more of a challenge than regular kids, and deciding when she’s old enough to leave the country without you. These are the tough, selfless decisions a mother has to make. And neither of you has any right to come in here and tell me how to raise my daughter!”

  Beth felt as if she’d swallowed sand. She watched Parker try to placate Connie, but Beth couldn’t hear his words over the ringing in her ears.

  Connie headed for the front door and pulled it open. “As far as I’m concerned, I never want to see any of your faces ever again!”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Beth pressed her ear to the hotel’s adjoining wall and heard Ivy and Parker yelling. Even though she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t help herself.

  Him: “What the hell?”

  Her: “I didn’t mean to. . .”

  “This is so screwed up. . .”

  “Calm down.”

  “Don’t tell me what to do!”

  “Maybe this is for the best.”

  “Damn it, Ivy! Go home. I don’t want you here.”

  A couple minutes later, a door slammed. Stilettos pounded their way down the hall.

  Beth wanted to go to Parker, but didn’t know if she should. She replayed the day in her mind. It had started off with so much promise. Hannah opened up about her photography, her adoptive father, and her desire to travel.

  Meanwhile, Parker had held Beth’s hand the whole time they strolled in the park. It had almost felt like they were a family, a real family. What if she’d told him about Hannah sixteen years ago and they’d married? Everything could have been perfect. instead of this haphazard emotional mess that she’d created. She’d tried to pretend that they could pick up in the middle of Hannah’s life, but clearly the Taylors didn’t want that. To make matters worse, Ivy showed up and threw a match on a pile of dynamite. As usual.

  After several minutes that seemed like hours, Beth realized she didn’t want to be alone. She knocked on Parker’s door. “Is everything okay?”

  “No.” He opened the door anyway and invited her to sit on a damask loveseat near the window.

  Her mind raced as she took his suggestion. “Can you believe the way Connie blew up at us?”

  He plopped down next to her. “Ivy just sauntered in and told the woman her only child might die.” He rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

  “I know. That was a disaster. Why did Ivy do that?”

  “She was probably jealous that I was here with you.”

  “Really?” She couldn’t imagine that. Ivy had never seemed insecure to her.

  “Or maybe she was curious about Hannah. Who knows?”

  “She certainly made a sticky situation worse. I was going stir-crazy in my room. There’s no way I’ll be able to fall asleep tonight. We need to fix things, but I have to get back to work by Monday.” Words tumbled out of her mouth too fast, leaving him no time to respond.

  Leaning back, he pulled her head onto his chest. “Come here.” He stroked her hair softly.

  She listened to his strong heartbeat. “I really don’t want to go home tomorrow. It wasn’t a long enough visit.” She paused. “When are you going back?”

  His fingers continued toying with her hair. “I don’t know. I want to stay. Be here to answer any questions Hannah or Connie might have. Assuming Connie will ever let me speak to Hannah again.”

  “Exactly. We can’t leave it like this.” She pondered the situation, which was exacerbated by geography. “I wish she lived closer.”

  “I wish a lot of things.”

  “Me, too.” She wished she and Parker could start over again. She wished they hadn’t rushed into bed the first time. She wished he’d been as smitten with her as she had been with him. But that wasn’t the world she lived in. “I am glad for the snowstorm, though. I’m glad I got to know you better.” She’d always lusted after him, but she hadn’t really known him. She hadn’t known that he was Belgian, that his father had a Mustang, that he loved Toblerones. All she’d seen was a handsome and smart guy. He hadn’t really been three-dimensional to her back in college.

  He bumped his chin against her head when he nodded. “Having you along for the drive made the time go faster. I guess I’m thankful for the cancelled flight, too.”

  Something still worried her. Surely they’d moved past it by now, but she needed to clarify things. “It’s been a very emotional experience, hasn’t it?”

  Again, he nodded.

  She stared at the partially-healed paper cut on her thumb. “So the next time we’ll see each other might be in the courthouse.”

  She felt his muscles tense.

  He stopped stroking her hair. “Beth, no offense, but I’m burdened with a lot more stress than you are. I learned that I have a terminal disease and that I have a child I’ve never known about. I guess my way of dealing with it was to go on the offensive.” He took a rib-expanding breath. “I can see now why you did what you did. I’m not happy about it, but. . . I’ll just have to accept it.”

  “And the lawsuit?”

  “Dropped.”

  “Seriously?” She glanced up at him. She needed to see his expression.

  His brown eyes looked weary. “Definitely. It was vindictive of me. Lately I’ve been angry at the world. But it’s time I learn how to let go.”

  “Thank you.” Her lips pulled up into a tight smile. “Thank you so much. That is such a relief.”

  “Let’s not talk about it ever again.”

  She placed her head back against his shoulder and enjoyed the caress of his palm on her hair.

  A moment later, she felt him kiss the top of her head.

  She refused to move. If she moved, it might break the spell. Closing her eyes, she listened again to his heartbeat. She felt the warmth of his body against hers. Time moved ever so slowly as the night seeped in. Eventually they fell asleep.

  In the morning, she crept off the settee and grabbed her cell phone. There was no way she was leaving today. Connie said she’d never let her speak to Hannah again. Beth couldn’t exit on that note.

  While Parker slept, she texted her boss and said she wouldn’t be in on Monday. She also included the link to Hannah’s art portfolio, hoping her idea for beautiful labels would soften the impact of her absence.

  A moment later her phone rang. It was Luke. He started speaking without even saying hello. “Everything is crazy right now. Somehow a glitch in the computer system sent customers the wrong products and increased the quantities tenfold.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “Which means the phones are ringing off the hook. Everyone is helping hand
le the onslaught. I worked all day yesterday and missed my 10K. I’m headed in again today. So, I hope you enjoyed your little vacation, but you’d better get your butt in to work ASAP!”

  Worried she’d disturb Parker, she crossed the room and talked quietly. “Did you have a chance to look at the collages I sent you?”

  “No. Aren’t you listening? You are the head of customer service and we are in crisis mode. I’m tired of covering for you. You need to do your assigned job. Now!”

  Her shoulders tightened at his reprimand. She’d always done her job. No one had ever accused her of doing less.

  Besides her job, what would compel her to rush back to the frigid north? She’d never have a baby with Drew. Which meant she’d lost her boyfriend and her home at the same time. Truth be told, she’d grown tired of listening to people curse and complain to her about someone else’s mistakes. She was tired of being a punching bag.

  Swallowing a gulp of air, she steeled herself. “I’m sorry things are busy right now. Just because the computer system screwed up, doesn’t mean that I’m heading back there. I’m miles away doing something even more important.”

  “Unless you’re in the hospital, I don’t care. Get in here.”

  The hand holding the phone to her ear trembled. “I’m sorr--” She glanced at Parker who’d roused from his slumber and sat watching her. “No. I’m not sorry. Just no. I can’t come in.”

  “Then you’re fired.”

  She caught her breath. “Don’t you think that’s a little extreme? I’ve been a loyal employee for thirteen years.”

  “You’re not so loyal right now.”

  “I. . . I. . .I”

  “I’ve got to go. Good luck finding another job.” He hung up on her.

  She stared at Parker. His thick, brown hair stood up on one side, making him look especially adorable. “I won’t be needing you to drive me to the airport today after all. I’ve decided to stay and try to patch things up with Hannah.”

  “And what did your boss think of that?”

  “He fired me.” Her whole body began to shake and her knees buckled. Parker hustled over and put his arms around her. Just like the first day of speech class, he caught her before she fell. “I’m not the kind of person who gets fired. I’m a work ‘til my fingers bleed kind of person. I’m a kick me while I’m down and I’ll keep coming back kind of person.”