Abby squeezed Beth’s hand. “Forgiven. Just don’t repeat it. I’m here for you.”
“Abayomi,” Granny said, pushing herself up from her recliner. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. Come over here and give me a hug.”
Abby gave Granny a hug, and after some pleasantries, Granny resettled in front of the TV, and Beth and Abby went into the kitchen to chat.
“So how are you?” Beth asked. “How is married life treating you?”
“The honeymoon is over and we drive each other nuts,” Abby said with a short laugh. “But Clint is worth it.”
“How long did you date, again?” Beth asked. It had been fast, and there hadn’t been a wedding for anyone to attend. Beth had bought her friend a present online and had it shipped. That had been four years ago now, near enough to her own canceled wedding to sting.
“Oh, we were crazy. We dated for six months, then he popped the question and we eloped.” Abby glanced around. “So does this mean that you and Collin are back together, or...”
“No, still very much broken up,” Beth said with a tight smile.
“And he left you pregnant.” Abby shook her head in disgust. “I hope you’re going for a pound of flesh over that. You know that Clint’s a lawyer—”
“No, no. I wasn’t pregnant when we broke up.” Beth licked her lips. “This was...a different mistake.”
“Oh.” Abby paused. “Okay...”
“For once, Abby, I did something spontaneous.” She shot her friend a pleading look. She didn’t need judgment right now. She needed a little sympathy. “The father is some guy from a bar. It only took four drinks and being dumped...and it was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”
“No, I get it,” Abby replied. “I always thought Collin was a bit dry. I only saw him those few times, but I didn’t think he was a great match for you. Not a bad guy, just...unimpressive, I guess.”
Beth smiled ruefully. “I think I settled in a lot of ways with Collin. He was good on paper, you know? He was—ironically, he was the kind of guy Linda approved of! But after Danny, I was tired of risk. I just wanted someone stable and safe.” She sighed.
Danny had made her feel things she’d never felt since. No guy could match the way he made her heart pound. He’d been romantic and sweet...but it was more than romantic gestures. It was the way her heart lurched when he looked into her eyes or the butterflies she felt when he held her hand. She’d loved him, but when she found out how much he’d hidden, her confidence had been severely shaken. How could she trust him with the rest of her life if he couldn’t trust her with his personal history?
Besides, she’d seen the way Danny had fallen in love with his boy. As he should—it was only right. But she didn’t share his tenderness—she’d still been in shock! And she’d suddenly seen herself in a role she’d never imagined before: stepmother. She’d be in Linda’s position, taking a back seat to his child...
“Have you seen Danny yet?” Abby asked.
“Yeah, he bought my dad’s store,” she said. “So I’ve been going over there to get some of the things we want to keep for memories.”
“And what did he think about your pregnancy?” Abby asked with a grin. “Because you are adorable. You have to know that. You’re all out front.”
“He yelled at me when I tried to climb a stepladder.” Beth chuckled. Was it wrong to feel a bit satisfied at having gotten a rise out of him? Even if it hadn’t been intentional, and if he’d ended up being right.
“Danny hollered at you?” Abby laughed. “He’s normally so...stoic.”
“Apparently, I can still annoy him like no one else,” Beth replied drily. “I’ve still got that, at least.”
“He’s single right now,” Abby added. “He has Luke, you’re expecting your baby...”
“Abby, he lied to me.” Beth shook her head. “Having a kid is heart-level stuff. He should have told me. If he could hold back his son, what else did he hold back?”
“I know.” Abby sighed. “He was wrong.”
“He was more than wrong,” Beth said. “He wasn’t the man I thought he was.”
Abby nodded. “I get it. I don’t know what I’d have done in the same situation.” She paused. “So, what’s the plan here? Are you back for good?”
“I think so,” Beth replied. “I’ll have to find a job, and I’ll raise my daughter. I don’t have a lot of choice right now.”
A baby changed absolutely everything. Life wasn’t going to be easy, and the reality of her situation had been growing heavier over the last few days.
“Abby, I’m scared.” Beth blinked back tears. “This wasn’t the plan.”
“What you need is to get busy!” Abby said.
“You are the first person to say that,” Beth sighed. “Everyone else tells me to put my feet up.”
“Oh, forget them. I know you.” Abby leaned forward. “Get involved with something. You know what I’m doing right now? I’m volunteering with the North Fork Christmas pageant. We were in it every year when we were kids, remember?”
“I loved it,” Beth said with a smile.
“Well, it takes a lot of people to run. We could use more volunteers.”
“Yeah?” Beth paused, thinking. “I can’t bend or lift very much. I’m not sure how useful I’d be...”
“We’ll give you something to do that involves sitting or standing.” Abby glanced down at Beth’s belly. “Or just sitting. Whatever you want. Just come. It’ll be fun, and you’ll see other people and get out of your head a little bit. It’s Christmas, after all!”
Abby cocked her head, waiting, eyebrows raised.
“Is it at town hall this year?” Beth asked.
“It’s at town hall every year,” Abby said with a roll of her eyes. “Nothing changes in North Fork. You know that.”
“Okay, well...sure. You’re right. I should get out more.”
Abby grinned in satisfaction. “Perfect. Come for the practice tomorrow at six. They’ll put you to work. That’s a promise.”
Beth needed to get out of the house, away from the store that only reminded her of how hard her family had landed. And she needed to wipe her heart free from both Collin and Danny. Neither of them had been good for her, and she knew it.
Besides, Beth had plans to make. She was going to be a mother, and everything would be different. She might not have the right man by her side in this, but she also didn’t have the wrong one. She’d raise her daughter well, and that took some forethought. Danny was in the past, and she certainly wasn’t going to get distracted now.
* * *
DAN SLOWED HIS truck to a crawl. Granny was walking down the sidewalk, her red coat pulled close around her and her chin held high. She marched with determination, not even giving his rumbling motor a glance.
It was cold out there today—as it was every day this time of year. This was northern Canada, after all, and the citizens of North Fork didn’t let the weather stop them from anything. He’d moved here from Vancouver, and the mild weather he’d experienced in that coastal city hadn’t prepared him for the driving cold. Yet over the past almost nine years that he’d spent in Alberta, he’d found