Читать книгу Beth and the Bachelor - Susan Mallery, Susan Mallery - Страница 5

Chapter One

‘‘You bought me what?’’ Beth Davis asked as she stared at the couple sitting across from her in her living room. A thunderstorm filled the late-afternoon sky.

Maybe she’d been hit by lightning and hadn’t noticed. That would explain why she thought Mike had said what he had. She shook her head, trying to clear her obviously confused hearing. He couldn’t have said that. Something was very wrong.

‘‘It’s not so awful,’’ her friend Cindy told her. ‘‘Really. I didn’t know he’d done it, but now that I think about it, it’s kinda sweet.’’

Beth tried to laugh, but the sound that came out was more of a moan. ‘‘Sweet. Of course. I’m sure that’s what he meant.’’ She turned her attention to Mike, Cindy’s husband. ‘‘What did you mean?’’

Mike grinned. The handsome bodyguard turned security agent wasn’t the least bit upset by her reaction. If Beth had to put money on something, she would bet that he was actually amused.

‘‘I thought I was doing you a favor. You’ve been talking about it for a long time. Cindy’s mentioned it several times. So I figured I would help things along.’’

Beth rose to her feet and crossed to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the wall of her family room. Outside, a storm raged, but its wildness couldn’t compare to the panic growing inside of her. ‘‘You’ve always hated me. I see that now. Was it something I did?’’

‘‘Beth, don’t,’’ Cindy said. ‘‘If it’s really going to be this horrible for you, you don’t have to do it.’’

‘‘Actually, she does,’’ Mike told her. ‘‘Hey, it’s for char^ity.’’

Beth spun around and faced her two friends. She read the concern, along with a healthy dose of amusement in their expressions. She told herself they were trying to be helpful. They cared about her. She wouldn’t have made it through the past eighteen months if it hadn’t been for them. ‘‘But why did you have to buy me a man?’’ she asked.

‘‘I didn’t buy you a whole man. Just one night with him. A date. You’ll have fun,’’ Mike promised.

Beth made that moaning noise again. She sank into the nearest wing chair. ‘‘This is impossible.’’

‘‘No, it’s not.’’ Mike’s voice was firm. ‘‘It’s dinner at a fancy restaurant. He picks you up, you talk for a while, eat some nice food, come home. No big deal. I’ve met Todd Graham a couple of times and he seems like an okay kind of guy. Not as flashy as the newspapers say.’’

The slender thread of composure that had been holding her together snapped. Beth stared at Cindy, who was suddenly shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. ‘‘Todd Graham?’’ she asked.

Cindy nodded. ‘‘I’ve heard that he’s—’’

‘‘Todd Graham?’’ Beth repeated, cutting her off. ‘‘The Todd Graham. Local millionaire, charter member of the bimbo-of-the-month club?’’ She turned to Mike and glared at him. ‘‘You bought me a date with Todd Graham?’’

Mike looked confused. ‘‘Is that bad?’’

‘‘Not when compared with dating a serial killer.’’

‘‘I don’t understand,’’ he said. ‘‘Why does this make it worse?’’

‘‘I’m thirty-eight years old,’’ Beth said.

Mike leaned toward his wife. ‘‘Is that significant? Is this a female thing and am I missing the point?’’

Beth sprang to her feet. ‘‘I’m a thirty-eight-year-old mother of two. I have breasts and hips.’’

Mike flinched. ‘‘At the risk of being yelled at, most of the time guys actually appreciate women having those things.’’

‘‘Not when they’re this old. Todd Graham doesn’t want a woman, he wants a twenty-year-old fashion model, with a skinny body and no stretch marks. I can’t believe you did this, Mike.’’ She pointed at Cindy. ‘‘I can’t believe you let him. What am I supposed to do now? Go out with him?’’

‘‘That was the point,’’ Cindy said gently. ‘‘Beth, you’re overreacting. It’s just one night. A date for charity.’’

Beth slumped back in her chair. How could she explain this without coming off sounding like she was crazy? She drew in a deep breath—maybe it was too late to prevent that from happening. ‘‘It’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought,’’ she said. ‘‘I know you’re both worried about me and you think it’s time for me to start dating. Maybe it is. Maybe I need a jump-start. But not like this. I don’t need the public humiliation.’’

‘‘There isn’t going to be any humiliation,’’ Cindy said earnestly. ‘‘You’re a very attractive woman, Beth. He’s going to adore you.’’

‘‘I’m middle-aged, I’ve gained twenty pounds since Darren died, Todd Graham and I have nothing in common. I don’t want to meet the man. I don’t want to be compared with postadolescents who look younger than my daughter. Besides, he’s rich. I hate that in a man.’’

Mike rose to his feet. ‘‘That’s it. I’m outta here.’’ He crossed to Beth, bent down and kissed her cheek. ‘‘This is about to turn into female talk and you’re going to say things I know I don’t want to hear. Beth, I bought you this date because I thought it would be fun for you. If you don’t want to go because you feel it’s morally wrong, I’ll respect that. If you’re just scared to get out there, then you’re going. If you don’t, I’ll never come over and fix a leaky faucet again.’’

She glared at him. ‘‘I’ve learned to fix my own faucets.’’ He didn’t answer, he just raised his eyebrows.

‘‘Fine,’’ she said. ‘‘I think it’s very rude of you to point out the fact that I messed up the last time. I take this moment to remind you it was a small flood.’’

‘‘I mean it,’’ he said. He smiled at his wife. ‘‘See you soon,’’ he told her, and left.

‘‘He really meant well,’’ Cindy said when Mike had left. ‘‘He worries about you. We both do.’’

Beth wanted to bury her head in her hands, but she felt she’d already humiliated herself enough for one day. ‘‘I know. It’s just I can’t do this. I’d feel ridiculous. Like I had to buy a man.’’

‘‘It’s worse for him. He was the one for sale. Think of him as slave labor.’’

Beth knew Cindy was trying to help. Unfortunately no words were going to undo the knot in her stomach. ‘‘I’m not ready.’’

‘‘Yes, you are. You’re just afraid. You pushed me to start dating for months after my divorce. You were doing it because you cared about me. I’m returning the favor.’’

‘‘I should have kept my mouth shut,’’ Beth mumbled. She looked at her friend. Cindy’s expression was one of concern. ‘‘I know you worry about me, but you don’t have to. I’m fine.’’

‘‘You said you wanted to start dating.’’

‘‘I lied.’’

‘‘You can’t stay in mourning forever.’’

‘‘Yes, I can. I like it here. It’s safe. I have a very full life. My children, my work, the community, my friends.’’ Cindy tucked her short, light brown hair behind her ears. ‘‘You’re lonely.’’ She held up her hand. ‘‘Wait. Let me finish. I know how you feel because I remember what it was like after my divorce from Nelson. If you were a different person, I wouldn’t be pushing. But you’re the kind of woman who wants to be part of a couple. You need that.’’

Beth pulled one knee up to her chest. ‘‘I don’t,’’ she said fiercely. ‘‘I don’t need any more than I have. I’m very content.’’ She paused, half expecting some of the lightning from outside to leap indoors and strike her for lying.

Cindy didn’t say anything—she didn’t have to. The women had been friends long enough for each to be able to read the truth.

‘‘Not him,’’ Beth said quietly. ‘‘You’re right. It’s time for me to get out there and do whatever it is when people date these days.’’

‘‘I don’t think it’s changed all that much.’’

Beth didn’t even want to think about that. ‘‘Not this way,’’ she continued. ‘‘Todd Graham is way out of my league. I would feel horrible the entire evening. He would be bored, I would probably forget where I was and start cutting his meat for him.’’

Cindy grinned. ‘‘Nice try, but it’s not going to work. Both your kids are teenagers. They haven’t needed you to cut their meat for years.’’ Her smile faded. ‘‘I’ll admit that Todd Graham isn’t anyone’s idea of a simple first date, but that’s part of what’s so great about this.’’

Beth blinked. ‘‘I’m sorry but you’re going to have to explain that to me a little more.’’

‘‘It’s practice,’’ Cindy told her. ‘‘He’s not your type and you’re not his. So nothing’s going to happen. You already know that. Think of it as a trial run for a real date—one that matters with someone you might like to be involved with. If you were to meet the perfect guy, you would want to have a little experience under your belt, right?’’

Beth mulled the idea over in her mind. She didn’t think there was going to be a perfect guy for her. She’d already had a wonderful eighteen-year marriage. She’d done the ‘‘in love’’ thing. If she were to get involved with a man, it would just be for companionship.

‘‘I am out of practice,’’ she admitted. ‘‘I started dating Darren when I was in high school, and we got married just after I turned nineteen.’’

‘‘That’s my point. Todd will be your transition guy.’’

Beth smiled. ‘‘One date does not a transition guy make.’’

‘‘Fine. He’ll be your first practice session. No expectations.’’

‘‘I’d like not to throw up during the meal.’’

Cindy laughed. ‘‘Great goal. I’m sure Todd would appreciate it, as well. So there you are. You’re going to find out how much dating has changed by going out with a man you’ll never see again. Your assignment is to carry on normal conversation for the two or three hours you’re with him and to not throw up. You can do this.’’

Beth wasn’t so sure. ‘‘If it was anyone else but him, I would agree. Todd Graham. What kind of name is that? It sounds like something made up by an escort service.’’

‘‘And you would know this how?’’

For the first time since hearing the news about Mike’s little gift, Beth laughed. ‘‘I’m generalizing.’’

‘‘Say you’ll go,’’ Cindy urged. ‘‘If nothing else, next time a well-meaning friend bugs you, you can tell him or her that you’re dating.’’

‘‘That has appeal,’’ Beth admitted.

What she wanted to do was run screaming from the room. Unfortunately that wasn’t an option. Cindy would hunt her down and talk and talk and talk until Beth acquiesced, just to be left in peace. She’d dealt with Cindy’s tenacity before. And if Cindy didn’t convince her, Mike would be back.

She thought about Darren, her wonderful husband. Why’d you have to go and die? She’d asked the question dozens of times in the past eighteen months and not once had there been an answer.

‘‘I’ll go,’’ she said.

‘‘You won’t regret it,’’ Cindy promised.

Beth nodded even though she had a bad feeling that her friend was very, very wrong.

* * *

‘‘I’m a cow,’’ Beth said the following Saturday as she stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror in her bathroom.

Jodi, her beautiful sixteen-year-old daughter, met her gaze in the reflective glass. ‘‘You’re lovely, Mom. And you know you shouldn’t think like that. You’re always telling Matt and me to have positive thoughts.’’

‘‘Good point.’’ Beth tried to turn the litany of negative images around. ‘‘I’m not an ugly hag,’’ she said.

Jodi groaned. ‘‘No, that’s not good, either. How about—

I’m an attractive, vital woman and any man would be lucky to have me.’’

‘‘Easy for you to say,’’ Beth told her daughter as she kissed her cheek. ‘‘Because it’s completely true. Any man would be lucky to have you.’’

‘‘Mo-om.’’

‘‘Okay, okay.’’ She squared her shoulders and returned her attention to the mirror. ‘‘I’ll try to think more positively.’’

In honor of her first date in over twenty years, she’d had her short, red hair trimmed a whole week early. Despite the April humidity, it had fluffed nicely after her shower and her fringed, slightly spiky bangs were even. She’d used a tad more makeup than usual—a smoky shadow that accentuated her blue eyes—and she’de even dug out some old lip liner to help her lipstick last longer.

After eight changes of clothing, including trying on her red dress twice, she’d settled on an old favorite, a cream-and-navy dress with a matching cropped jacket. The round neck flattered her face, and it was cut high enough to not even hint at cleavage. Cindy had been after her all week, advising ‘‘if you’ve got it, flaunt it’’ but Beth had decided her nearly forty-year-old breasts would be more comfortable behind a couple of layers of clothing.

She’d vacillated between pearl earrings and gold hoops, finally settling on the pearls. A simple gold watch, sheer stockings and navy pumps completed her outfit. Cindy had loaned her a small navy clutch.

Her gaze turned critical. There were tiny lines around her eyes, but her skin was still pretty tight, and as clear and pale as it had been at twenty. She would never see a size eight again, but at five feet eight inches, the twenty pounds she’d gained since Darren’s death were fairly easy to hide. If she started her walking again and cut back on the choc olate, she could drop it in a couple of months…or six. Or she might just stay a size twelve.

‘‘You’re beautiful,’’ her daughter said, giving her a hug.

Beth took in Jodi’s copper hair and bright, young smile. ‘‘Thanks, kid. My entire goal is not to make a fool of myself, so I’ll think cool, elegant, sophisticated thoughts.’’

‘‘Hey, Mom, you clean up pretty good.’’

Beth turned and saw her youngest, fourteen-year-old Matt, lounging in the bathroom doorway. While Jodi had inherited her rich hair color and blue eyes from her mother’s side of the family, Matt was his father’s son. Medium brown hair, brown eyes and glasses made him look like a much younger Darren. Beth’s heart still ached when she looked at her son. At first, seeing him had made her miss her husband more, but now being able to see Darren’s reflection in his son’s expression gave her comfort.

‘‘Thank you,’’ she said, then grinned at Jodi. ‘‘That will be my affirmation for the evening. ‘I clean up good.’’’

‘‘I’m ignoring you,’’ Jodi said as she leaned toward the mirror and began experimenting with eye shadow.

‘‘So what time are you going to be home?’’ Matt asked. ‘‘Because we’re having this really big boy-girl party. I’ve ordered three kegs and Jodi promised one of her friends would be the stripper.’’

‘‘Ma-att.’’ Jodi spun toward her brother. ‘‘Don’t joke about that. Mom’s nervous enough.’’ She gave her mother a comforting smile. ‘‘There isn’t going to be a party. Sara is coming over and we’re going to study for our trigonometry test next week. I don’t know what Matt is going to do but he’ll be doing it alone.’’

Matt raised his eye brows. ‘‘I plan to annoy my sister and her friend because Sara always wears really tight clothes and I want to look at her body.’’

‘‘You’re disgusting,’’ Jodi announced, and turned her back on him.

‘‘I’m fourteen and I’m honest. According to my health teacher, boys my age are awash in hormones. I’m just being normal. You’re just jealous because you don’t get to your sexual peak until you’re almost forty.’’

Matt’s gaze turned speculative. Beth knew how his adolescent mind worked and she did not want to have a conversation with her children about the fact that she was just two years shy of forty and therefore close to her supposed sexual peak.

‘‘Did you write your paper for English?’’ Beth asked.

Matt groaned. ‘‘Yeah. I just finished it and left it on the kitchen table. You can look it over, then yell at me in the morning about all the grammar mistakes.’’

She smiled. Her kids were the best part of her life. ‘‘Sure thing.’’ She headed out of her bathroom and started for the kitchen. ‘‘The tuna casserole is going to be ready in about twenty minutes. There’s ice cream and some cake.’’

She paused by the counter. Matt and Jodi had trailed after her. ‘‘Jodi, I rented a couple of movies for Matt. He can use the television and VCR in my bedroom so you and Sara can study in the family room.’’

‘‘Great,’’ Jodi said. ‘‘We’ll be fine. I’m sixteen, and even though Matt’s still a baby, he’s sorta mature.’’

Matt assumed a boxing stance. ‘‘Say that again, sister, and I’ll show you mature.’’

Jodi dimpled. ‘‘You can’t hit me. I’m a girl.’’

Matt groaned. ‘‘Come on, Mom. Just once let me hit her. Just once. Please?’’

Beth ruffled his hair. ‘‘Sorry. No. You can’t hit women.’’

‘‘But she deserves it.’’

‘‘So do you sometimes, but I don’t hit you.’’

He straightened. ‘‘That’s because I’m the same height as you and I’m a tough guy.’’

Beth stared at her baby, who actually was almost her height. Jodi had reached five eight and stopped, but Matt was going to easily pass six feet.

Matt took a step back. ‘‘She’s got that look, Jo. The one where she starts talking about how cute we were when we were little. You’d better run for it.’’

The sound of a car engine distracted them all. Beth felt her stomach dive-bomb her toes. Dear Lord, she was going to throw up.

‘‘He’s here,’’ Matt called as he raced to the front of the house. ‘‘It’s a limo, Mom,’’ he yelled back. ‘‘Black and really cool looking. So how rich is this guy anyway? You think he wants to buy me a car?’’

Jodi touched her arm. ‘‘You’ll be fine. You look great. Just smile. If there’s a lull in conversation, ask about him. Guys love to talk about themselves.’’

‘‘How do you know all this?’’ Beth asked.

Jodi grinned. ‘‘I’m repeating the advice you always give me. It works.’’

Beth could feel her chest tightening. She was going to pass out or something equally embarrassing. ‘‘At least I raised my kids right,’’ she said as she kissed her daughter’s cheek.

She walked slowly toward the front door. Matt knelt on the sofa facing the window and motioned for her to come look out with him. ‘‘The driver is turning the car around at the end of the cul de sac. You can’t see in the windows or anything. This is so great. Maybe you could really date this guy, Mom. I’d pretend not to like him and he’d give me money to change my mind. What do you think?’’

She bent over and kissed the top of his head. ‘‘I think you have a great imagination, which is why I push you so hard when you write those English papers. I know what you’re capable of.’’

‘‘I wonder if the driver is in a uniform and everything,’’ Matt said, ignoring her comment. ‘‘How much do you think Mike paid for this date?’’

Beth didn’t want to wonder about that. She didn’t want to think about the fact that she wasn’t ready for this at all. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Todd Graham was going to take one look at her and run in the opposite direction, or at least wish that he could. He went through postadolescent models the way other people went through tissues, tossing them into the trash when they got a little used.

She reminded herself this was for charity. That if Todd hadn’t wanted to go on a date, he shouldn’t have been in the bachelor auction to begin with. Then she repeated Cindy’s words that this was just practice…nothing more. Better to get the first-night jitters over with someone who didn’t matter. And if it got really, really horrible, she would just walk out of the restaurant, get a cab and come home. She’d made sure she had enough cash in her purse.

She drew in one deep breath for courage, walked to the front door, flipped on the porch light…and waited.