by Debby Mayne
Before Pete could reply, Jeremy spoke up. “He has no choice since we’re not starting on the bathroom until after we eat.” The look on Jeremy’s face left no doubt in Pete’s mind that Gina had gotten him involved in the matchmaking.
Chapter 11
Once again, Bethany had been blindsided by the fix-up, but after the initial shock of seeing Pete, she was flattered these people would go to so much trouble for her. The look on Pete’s face was priceless. He’d obviously been as surprised as she was, and somehow that made her happy. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he seemed pleased about it.
“Let me help you in the kitchen,” Bethany said as she followed Gina toward the back of the house.
Gina glanced over her shoulder. “You don’t have to. Why don’t you stay out there and chat with the guys?”
Bethany cleared her throat and decided honesty would be best in this situation. “Because I need a few minutes to regroup, or I just might make a bumbling idiot of myself.”
The smile on Gina’s face let her know she’d made the right decision. “In that case, would you mind ladling some of that salad dressing into the bowl?” She crinkled her nose. “I think even a bumbling idiot can do that.”
Bethany laughed. “Then by all means, let me at it.”
They chatted as they assembled the rest of lunch, until Jeremy wandered into the kitchen. “Will we be eating any time soon?”
“Yes.” Gina cut him a playful eye roll, and she swatted at him when he reached for the bread. “We’ll be out there in just a few minutes. Why don’t you and Pete wash up while you’re waiting?”
“Aw, do I hafta?” He winked at Gina as he left the kitchen.
Still grinning, she shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder whether I have one kid or two.”
“He’s very sweet,” Bethany said. “But I thought he had a job. What’s he doing home in the middle of the day?”
“They don’t like the workers putting in too much overtime, and he had to work last weekend, so . . .” She opened her arms wide and shrugged. “I’m stuck with him.”
“At least he’s able to do stuff around here. My husband Charlie wasn’t real handy.”
“Jeremy is a little too handy sometimes. We always have a mess around here with one project or another.” Gina handed Bethany a platter filled with cold cuts. “I’ve heard Charlie was a sweet guy. Your mother really liked him.”
Bethany nodded. “Sometimes I thought they might even be in cahoots. It was uncanny how they could practically finish each other’s sentences.”
“That happens.”
“Yes, especially with Naomi.” Bethany noticed Gina’s look of confusion when she called her mother by name, so she explained once again.
Gina grinned. “I’ve been wondering about that. Let’s go eat before the guys scarf down all the bread.”
Pete led them in the blessing. Jeremy was the first to add his “Amen,” and he instantly reached for the cold cuts before Gina swatted at him again.
“Guests first. Where are your manners, Jeremy?”
“Sorry.” Jeremy sheepishly handed a bowl of salad to Bethany and waited for it to come all the way back around the table before he dug in.
Pete winked at Bethany before turning to Jeremy. “You don’t have to worry about Bethany. She can hold her own at the table.”
Bethany darted a playful frown back at him. “You should talk.”
“This is good,” Pete said. “Kudos to the cooks.”
Gina rolled her eyes. “We didn’t actually cook anything.”
“Hey,” Bethany said. “I’ll take any compliments he’s willing to give.”
“Are you saying he doesn’t compliment you enough?” Gina lifted an eyebrow as she glanced at Pete.
He held up his hands. “Hey, I think Bethany’s great.”
Gina smiled at him before turning toward Bethany. “We all know that.”
Bethany enjoyed the banter with friends and thought about how they should get together more often. Jeremy and Pete acted as though they’d been friends all of their lives. Lunch was over much too quickly.
Pete pushed back from the table and stood. “I hate to eat and run, but we need to get on that project.” He gave a comical bow toward Gina and then turned and bowed to Bethany. “Thank you, ladies, for a scrumptious lunch.”
Jeremy nodded and headed for the bathroom, while Pete followed. Bethany could hear them discussing the best way to fix the drain in the tub.
Bethany stood and started gathering plates. “Let’s get this stuff cleaned up.”
“You don’t have to.”
“But I want to.” Bethany turned to face Gina. “So did you really need my advice on something festival related, or was that just a ruse to get me over here?”
Gina smiled. “Busted. But you have to admit, it was fun.”
“It was.”
“Then let’s do it again sometime soon, and maybe next time we can include Sherry and Brad. We’ve gone out with them several times, and it’s always a blast. I used to think Sherry was quiet, but Brad really brings out the fun side of her.”
Bethany started to say getting together as couples sounded like a good idea, but then she thought about the signal that might send to Pete. She knew he enjoyed hanging out with her, but she also remembered how he used to say he had no intention of being tied down. “I don’t know.”
“Do you have a problem with Pete?”
“No, of course not. Why would you ask that?”
Gina leaned against the counter and folded her arms. “Because you seem to have a good time with him, until you remember where you are. Then you clam up.”
Bethany shrugged. She didn’t want to put any of the blame on Pete. “I guess that’s because I had such a good marriage.”
“And that’s the very reason you should enjoy yourself now. I didn’t know Charlie, but I’m sure he would have wanted you to go on living. Loneliness is such a terrible thing.”
Bethany lifted an eyebrow. “Something you know firsthand?”
“Yes, but not anymore. In fact, even if I wanted to be lonely, I don’t think that’s possible in Bloomfield.”
“True.”
The sound of commotion coming from the front of the house caught their attention. “Did someone have a party and forget to invite me?” Naomi popped into the kitchen, grinning and glancing over her shoulder every couple of seconds. “Where did that sister of mine go? She was supposed to be right behind me.”
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“That’s not a nice way to speak to your mother.” Naomi turned and grinned at Gina. “Where is that precious little angel child of yours? I brought her something.”
“She’s still at school.” Gina closed the distance between herself and Naomi as she went in for a hug. “What did you bring her?”
Naomi fished around in the oversized hobo bag and pulled out a figurine that looked exactly like one Bethany had donated to the festival committee. “This sweet, adorable little girl knickknack looks just like Lacy when she chased butterflies in the garden a few months ago.” Naomi cut a glance toward Bethany and nodded. “Yes, that used to be one of yours, but you donated it, and I bought it from the garden club, so it’s not yours anymore.”
Gina looked at the ceramic face. “She does look just like her. Lacy will like that.” Then she turned to Bethany. “Is it okay with you?”
“Yes, of course. Like Mom said, I donated it, and she bought it, so it’s perfectly fine with me.”
Bethany didn’t want to be rude, so she stopped, bit her tongue, and decided to save the questions for later. Naomi cast a cautious glance her way but quickly redirected her attention.
Silence filled the kitchen for a few seconds, but Bethany knew that wouldn’t last long with her mother in the room. “In case you’re wondering, no, I didn
’t let myself in. Jeremy opened the door before I even had a chance to knock.”
That did answer one question for Bethany. “Are you here just to bring that?” Bethany pointed to the figurine Naomi had placed on the counter.
“Nope. I wanted to see if you and Gina had some time this afternoon to attend a meeting.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Where is Mary? Sometimes that girl wanders off like a toddler in a toy store.”
“What meeting?” Gina asked, bringing her back to the reason for Naomi’s visit.
“The Welcome to Bloomfield Festival committee meeting.” Naomi glanced back and forth between Bethany and Gina.
Jeremy entered the kitchen, walked up to Gina, and placed his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll be here when Lacy gets home from school if you want to go.”
Gina nodded. “Sure, I’ll go, but I don’t know what good I’ll do.”
Naomi looked at Bethany. “Can I count on you to be there too?”
How could Bethany say no with three pairs of eyes looking at her? “Sure, I’ll be there. What time?”
Naomi glanced at her watch. “In about fifteen minutes. We’re meeting at the community center.”
Jeremy stepped away from Gina and motioned for her to go. “You better start getting ready then.” He turned to Naomi. “I don’t know why, but she never leaves the house without doing something to her face.” He winked and gave his wife a flirty smile. “I think she looks great now.”
Bethany grinned. “I suppose I could use a little lipstick.”
Naomi started toward the door and stopped. “There you are, Mary. Why didn’t you come inside?”
“I was looking at the flower garden.” Mary straightened up and grinned at Gina. “You’ve done a wonderful job with these plantings.”
Naomi looked at the flowers as if for the first time. “Your yard does look pretty. Maybe we can have you present a new member workshop and talk about how to start a flower garden. The rest of us are repeating ourselves, and I’m sure Pamela would like some new blood on the speakers’ bureau.”
Gina obviously enjoyed the flattery. “I’d love to . . . I mean, that is, if you really think I’d have something worthwhile to say.”
Naomi flipped her hand. “Of course, you have something worthwhile to say. C’mon, Mary, let’s go on ahead and start setting everything up.”
As soon as the door slammed behind her, Jeremy chuckled. “She’s a sweet lady.” He paused. “Interesting, but nice. I bet it was fun growing up with her for your mother.”
“Yeah, a laugh a minute,” Bethany agreed. “She is very interesting.”
He gave her a curious look but didn’t hold it long. “We’ll be done in the bathroom in a few minutes. I’ll let Pete know you’re leaving soon to go to your meeting.”
Pete came out and thanked Gina for lunch. Bethany watched him shift his weight from one foot to the other, clearly uncomfortable as he finally turned toward her. “Mind if I call you later?”
“Sure.” Bethany smiled, knowing Jeremy and Gina were trying hard not to interfere.
Bethany and Gina decided to walk to the community center, since they were only a couple of blocks away, and it would be easier than finding a parking spot downtown in the middle of a weekday. Bethany was happy to hear Gina in such a good mood as she chattered away about how much Lacy loved school and how she had quite a few more friends than she’d had back home. And now she was excited at the prospect of getting more involved in garden club activities.
“If it weren’t for your mother, I don’t know where we would be right now,” she said. “Naomi has been one of the most influential people in my life, and I’ve only known her a short time.”
“Mom has always had that effect on people.”
Gina frowned. “I’m puzzled about something.”
Bethany stiffened. “What’s that?”
“You and Naomi seem rather uncomfortable around each other. Is there something I’m missing? Did something happen that upset you?”
“No, not at all. I love my mother dearly, but I never know what she’s going to do next, so I’m always a little on guard around her. She’s been that way all my life. That was fine when I was a little girl, but once I became a teenager, I didn’t like it so much.”
“Do you like it now?”
Bethany shrugged. “I can’t say I like it, but I don’t dislike it either. It’s just that sometimes I think she needs to back off.”
Gina laughed. “That’s not her nature—to back off, I mean. Jeremy noticed right away that she treats everyone younger than her like we’re all her children.”
“Even though we’re not children anymore. I’ve always hated that.”
Gina held up a finger. “Aha! So that’s why you always seem so annoyed around her. You feel as though she treats you like a child.”
“Pretty much.”
“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Gina waved her hand around. “Oh, never mind. It’s really none of my business. So what do you think we’re going to do at this committee meeting?”
Bethany laughed. “There’s no telling, knowing my mother.”
“Or Pamela.” Gina let out a hearty laugh. “This should be a lot of fun.”
“Like I told Jeremy, a laugh a minute.”
Gina grinned at Bethany. “You have a rather wry sense of humor. No wonder Pete likes you so much.” She paused. “He’s such a nice, good-looking guy, I’ve wondered why he’s still single.”
“That’s one question I know the answer to.”
One of Gina’s eyebrows arched as she looked at Bethany. “And the answer is?”
“He’s a confirmed bachelor. He likes to date different people and doesn’t want to be tied down to one woman.”
To Bethany’s surprise, Gina erupted into a fit of laughter. “Is that what you think?”
“I’m pretty sure that’s the case. He used to tell us all the time that he was happy for other couples, but no one would ever catch him getting married.”
“Was that when you were with Charlie?” Gina asked.
“Yes. In fact, there wasn’t a time I wasn’t with Charlie.”
“So you never dated Pete when you were a teenager?”
“No,” Bethany replied. “But I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to let anyone else know.”
Gina pretended to zip her lip. “Not a word to anyone.”
“Before I started dating Charlie, I had the biggest crush on Pete.”
“Aha! I knew it must have started a long time ago.”
“Oh, nothing actually started back then. It was unrequited puppy love.”
Gina chuckled. “Something is simmering below that strong, silent surface Pete wants you to see. He really likes you. I can totally see why. You are one special lady.”
“Thank you.” Bethany wished she had the confidence Gina exuded. She couldn’t help but compare herself to the woman who’d traveled to Bloomfield with her daughter when her husband was out of town, gone back home, and convinced him they should pick up and move everything to a place they’d only visited for a short while. It took strength and guts to do what she’d done. And now they were so happy and connected, Bethany forgot they’d only been in Bloomfield for a little more than a year.
“Here we are,” Gina said as they reached the sidewalk leading up to the front door of the community center. “I hope I can help, at least in some small way.”
“Oh, I’m sure you can help more than you realize.”
Gina shook her head. “I’ve never felt like anyone really valued my opinion all that much. Growing up, I was always just the pretty girl in town. No one ever expected me to have brains.” She paused, looked Bethany in the eye, and tapped her head with her index finger. “But I do.”
That admission surprised Bethany. She’d never thought of Gina as anything less
than smart, and her obvious beauty never overshadowed that.
Bethany grinned back at her friend who clearly trusted her to share her own hang-ups. “I know you do. If it makes you feel any better, my mother thinks you’re really smart, and even more importantly, you’re a wonderful mother.”
Gina positively beamed. “Thank you so much for telling me that. By the way, you’re more like Naomi than you might think.”
“How so?”
“You’re an encourager just like her.”
Bethany blinked. She’d never thought about herself being anything like her mother, and she took it as a compliment. “Thank you, Gina. What a sweet thing for you to say.”
“It’s the truth.” Gina pushed the door open with one hand and grabbed Bethany by the arm with the other. “Now let’s go inside and do some committee work.” She giggled. “Even saying that is so cool! I’ve always wanted to say I was on an important committee.”
Her enthusiasm made Bethany laugh. “I don’t know how important a festival committee is, but sure, let’s go.”
“Oh, it’s important. It shows off what a fun place Bloomfield can be.”
Once they entered the community center meeting room, it took a few seconds for Bethany’s eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Before she even saw Murray, she knew he was there from all the squawking.
“Took you two long enough,” Andy said.
“What took you so long . . . squawk . . . What took you so long?”
“You’re late.” Naomi glanced at the clock. “You two should have been here at least ten minutes ago.”
“Late for an important date . . . squawk!”
“Such a silly bird,” Pamela said with affection-laced annoyance.
“Silly bird . . . squawk . . . Silly bird.” Murray stilled as Pamela glared at him, and then he slowly turned his back to the people sitting at the table. “Quiet on the set . . . squawk!”
Andy planted his face flush with the cage. “Stop it right now, Murray. If you can keep your beak shut for the next half hour, I’ll give you some candy.”
As Murray jumped around squawking about getting a treat, Gina headed straight for Andy and Pamela, wedged herself between the two of them as she placed her arms around their shoulders, leaned down, and gave both of them a hug. “I’m so excited to be on a committee with this group.”
