A Turn in the Road - Debbie Macomber [17]
“Annie,” he cried, “you don’t mean that!”
“Wanna bet?” They had the attention of half the restaurant. The entire room seemed to go quiet. Not wanting to be the subject of anyone’s dinner conversation, Annie ran toward the elevator. A line had formed, waiting to be taken down to street level.
Vance hurried after her. “I was afraid you were going to be upset. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but Matt said—”
“I already know what Matt said.” Annie crossed her arms and stared fixedly at the elevator door, willing it to open. Pressing her lips together, she did her best to ignore him. There was nothing Vance had to say that she wanted to hear.
“Come on, Annie. I hate leaving when you’re upset with me.”
She turned her back and looked in the opposite direction.
“Annie, please.”
What was taking the elevator so long? All she could think about was escaping Vance as quickly as possible.
“Okay, fine, be mad.”
She didn’t need any encouragement from him.
“Give me the silent treatment. See if I care.”
She pretended not to hear.
“All I want to know is if this means you won’t be driving us to the airport.”
She whirled around, shocked that he could even ask.
“Well?” He spoke with an air of defiance.
She shook her head. “No, Vance, I won’t be driving you to the airport, but have a nice trip. In fact, have the time of your life because that’s certainly what I intend to do.”
The elevator arrived and, after it emptied, the line moved forward. Annie stepped inside and, just before the doors closed, she took one last look at Vance, standing in front of her, still holding the black linen napkin in his hand. She gave him a short, sarcastic wave.
“Ta-ta,” she said as the door glided shut.
Five
The phone rang, waking Bethanne from a sound sleep. No one called in the middle of the night unless it was an emergency. Caller ID indicated her daughter’s name. With nervous, uncooperative fingers Bethanne answered. “Hello?”
“Mom!” Annie wailed.
Shifting into a sitting position, Bethanne rubbed her eyes. “Annie, what’s wrong?”
Annie tried to speak but Bethanne couldn’t understand a word she said. And what she did grasp made no sense. “Vance is going away?” Bethanne asked.
“To Europe with Jessie.”
This came out in a screech, which led Bethanne to believe Jessie was most likely a girl. So tonight’s dinner at the Space Needle wasn’t the marriage proposal Annie had so eagerly anticipated. While Bethanne was grateful, she hurt for her daughter.
“Oh, baby, I’m so sorry.”
“I… He actually wanted me to drive them to the airport. Can you believe that?” The anger was coming through loud and clear.
“He said he couldn’t ask me to go to Europe with him because I had another year of school and…and responsibilities.”
“Everyone has responsibilities,” Bethanne said, stifling a yawn.
“I… Mom?”
“Yes, sweetheart?”
“This is what it was like when Daddy told you about…the lovely Tiffany, isn’t it? You didn’t know, you didn’t even suspect. You were completely oblivious to what was going on right in front of you. Well, so was I.” She sniffed loudly. “I feel so stupid.”
“Oh, Annie.”
“How could Vance be so insensitive?”
Bethanne remembered the shocked, numb sensation that had come over her when Grant left. Unlike her, Annie didn’t have a twenty-year marriage; still, she’d just been given a small taste of what Bethanne had experienced.
“Mom?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Can I go to Florida with you and Grandma Hamlin?”
“Uh…”
“I can’t bear to stay here alone.”
Bethanne resisted the urge to remind her that Grant and her brother would be in town. And she had lots of friends. Annie was far from being alone. On the other hand, having her accompany them wasn’t a bad idea. “I’m sure your grandmother will be fine with it, and I’d love to have you.”
“Thanks, Mom,” she said, still sniffling.
“Do you want to come home and sleep in your old room?” Bethanne asked, thinking that what Annie really needed was to feel loved and protected.
“No…I’ll