Part 20 (2/2)
Max looked even better than she remembered. For a moment all Bethanne could do was stare. He didn't immediately see her, but when he did, a slow smile crossed his face.
”Hi,” she said, standing and walking toward him.
”Hi.” He met her halfway.
Bethanne held out her hands to him, and Max took her fingers in his.
”I didn't ride all this way to hold hands,” he said. ”I'm desperate for one of those hugs of yours.”
She was equally desperate to give him one, knowing the kisses would come later. As they embraced, she closed her eyes. His arms felt so good around her, so right.
”Twenty hours on the bike and all he wants is a hug?” Rooster laughed. ”There's definitely something wrong.”
”Twenty hours?” Bethanne asked, breaking away to study him.
”We took off the minute he got your message,” Rooster elaborated.
”Where were you?”
”Doesn't matter. I'm here now,” Max said, glaring at his friend.
”Vegas,” Rooster supplied.
”Oh, Max.” She held her palms against his face, wanting more than anything to kiss him. She couldn't. Not here in the hotel lobby, but soon. Very soon.
Seventeen.
”Daddy,” Annie said the minute she was in her a.s.signed seat at the Moon River Theater. She didn't appreciate having to attend this show with her grandmother, especially since her mom got out of it. Fortunately, that meant the seat beside her wasn't occupied. ”It's Annie,” she said, leaning into the empty seat and doing her best to keep her voice down.
”Hi, sweetheart. Did you get to Branson okay?”
”We made it fine.”
”What's that noise?”
Annie wouldn't have believed old people could make such a racket. The noise level was as high as a rock concert. Well, maybe not quite quite as high, but it was up there. She pressed one finger to her other ear. as high, but it was up there. She pressed one finger to her other ear.
”I'm sitting with Grandma, waiting for Andy Williams to come onstage, but I thought I should call you right away.”
”Grandma dragged you with her to see Andy Williams?” He sounded far too amused, in her opinion.
”Don't go there, Dad. Grandma also got tickets for the Twelve Irish Tenors, and she expects me to go to that one, too.” She leaned even farther into the empty seat so Grandma Hamlin wouldn't hear. This was ridiculous. If she wanted to listen to tenors, she'd attend church services more often.
Her father laughed outright.
”Dad, this isn't funny!”
”Sorry, sorry.”
He wasn't nearly as apologetic as he should be.
”I'm glad you made it safely to Branson,” he said. ”Thanks for the updates on your travels. Otherwise, I'd be worried about the three of you on the road.”
”That's not why I'm calling,” Annie said. She didn't like being a tattletale, but someone had to tell him what was happening with her mother and Max.
”What's wrong?” Any amus.e.m.e.nt left his voice.
”It's Mom.”
Her father went completely silent.
”Did you hear me, Dad?”
”Is she talking to Max again?”
”It's worse than that. He's here.”
”In Branson?”
Although he couldn't see her, Annie nodded. ”She sent him a text message sometime yesterday. I don't know when.” On second thought, maybe she did. ”Actually, I think it was while we were at a Dairy Queen in Texas. She started acting all weird.”
”Do you have any idea what she said to Max?”
”Just that she'd be in Branson for the next two days.”
”How do you know?”
”I, uh, read it. And I read his reply. She got really mad at me. Max said he'd meet her here.” She felt even more like a tattletale but her father needed to know.
”Annie,” her father said, his voice solemn. ”I appreciate you telling me this. However-and this is important-you have no right to be reading her private messages.”
”I know,” she mumbled. ”But Mom was there in the room. And she didn't do anything to stop me. Maybe she wanted wanted me to see it,” she said mutinously. me to see it,” she said mutinously.
”It doesn't matter. Don't do that again.”
”Okay, okay.”
”So-Max is in Branson?”
”Yup.”
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