Though the day hadn’t quite worked out the way Susan had hoped, she was very content sitting in the living room with a cup of tea.
Bethany bounced her head to the music on her iPod as she stretched doing her bedtime routine. Susan felt bad for her. As far as she knew, no one in Bethany’s family had reached out to her in the past few days since she’d been there. Susan’s mother had called three times in the past few days and so had her sister. Why was it so hard for families to communicate?
Bethany let out a long breath as she unfolded herself from her mat and stood tall stretching her arms over her head.
“When are you going to join me?” she asked as she opened her eyes and took the ear bud out of her ear.
“One of these nights,” Susan said sipping her tea.
“Yeah, when you’re not shacking up with my cousin.”
Susan smiled. “A week ago if you told me I’d be sleeping in the arms of a man I would have laughed at you.”
“At least you picked from the right side of the family.”
It was unmistakable, the sadness in her voice. “I think you’re part of his side,” she said. “Aren’t we going to dinner at the same house tomorrow?”
“Yes.” Bethany rolled up her mat and then folded herself into the oversized chair next to her. “Do you think my father will ever accept me? Or my brothers and sisters?”
Did she think Susan had an actual opinion on this or was she simply asking to ask? “I don’t know. I don’t understand the dynamics of your father’s side of the family. But it does seem that right now they are all a bit out of sorts and perhaps in time everything will work out.”
“How can you be so optimistic?”
Susan shrugged. “I don’t know. Because my family has overcome everything.”
“And your father gambled away other people’s livelihood?”
Susan felt the sadness in Bethany’s statement sink into her gut. “No.”
“I’m not sure what he’s done can be fixed and I hope that it doesn’t tear you and Eric apart.”
Was that a possibility? That heaviness turned from sadness to pure panic. She should have thought about it a little harder before she began sleeping in his bed.
It was a typical pattern wasn’t it? A man loses someone close to him and he turns his attention to someone outside of his family to cope? Then his animals die and he needs comfort.
Susan’s hands began to shake.
She thought about what he’d said to her. That “L” word had surfaced and now what was she supposed to think about it?
With a glance at the clock on the bookshelf, which had been a gift from her own grandfather, she noticed it was already past ten o’clock. Sure, Eric had showed up on her doorstep even later, but she had been sure he would have at least called after his father left this morning.
That wasn’t fair. Wasn’t she busy once she’d returned home? She’d been menu planning for her meeting with Lydia. She’d Skyped with her mother and they’d talked about visiting her in Georgia. They’d talked about Eric and her mother was very intrigued in him.
Bethany had gone to the grocery store with her and they’d decided on what to take to dinner at Glenda’s tomorrow. Susan was going to make a decadent red velvet cake. Bethany had settled on a bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece.
The man needed his space. That was something that was hard for her to ever understand. Her ex-husband had needed his too. Perhaps that’s why she was now so worried about the future of this new relationship. Her ex-husband often chose that solitude over time with her. He’d hike for days. He’d camp with a daypack and sleep under the stars, which was something that didn’t thrill her. How often did he take off on his bike and not come back for days?
She’d taken it personally. But it had been personal—to her.
Why would her husband need his space like that? And now why did Eric?
She gripped her trembling hands together. Again, this wasn’t fair to Eric to get upset over. She’d fallen into the new relationship just days ago. His grandfather had only passed a week ago and here she was getting too emotional over him.
He needed his space and damn it she was going to give it to him and not get sentimental over it.
Tomorrow she was going to head out to Lydia’s and go over the plans she’d been working on. Perhaps she’d walk out with a contract. That would make the evening even sweeter. Then she’d head out to Glenda’s for dinner.
He’d appreciate her giving him the space he needed. She could be the woman who didn’t need constant attention. She could offer up that condolence when he needed it, the passion when it consumed them, and silence when the situation demanded it.
It was new. She couldn’t put her whole heart into it yet—but the truth was she had. In the past four days, she had fallen head over heels in love with Eric Walker. If he walked out of her life, she might actually crack, no matter what she’d just told herself.
He’d call her tomorrow, she told herself as she unfolded herself from the couch.
“Going to bed?” Bethany asked.
“Yes.”
“I didn’t upset you with what I said did I? About my father tearing you and Eric apart?”
Susan shook her head. She’d nearly forgotten what had set her head into that tailspin.
“No. I have a lot to fit into tomorrow. I need to sleep.”
“I’d be happy to drive us out to the Walker’s tomorrow, in case you want to stay.” She gave her a wink.
“That’ll be fine,” she said walking out of the room and up the stairs, her stomach still tight from the fear that everything was going downhill.