Ethan nodded. What she said was true. The arguments he’d overheard between Rake and their father still rang in his ears. His brother had been so determined to follow his own dream and nothing was going to get in his way. Ethan wondered if their father had kept his opinion to himself, would Rake have left like he had?
“Mari and he hardly spoke as kids. Rake was too busy trying to be the best boxer he could so when I found out he’d married her, well, I was surprised.”
“Not as surprised as I was, Mom. Guess we both got it wrong.”
“But you and she were smitten with each other. Even I could see that. Mari hated confrontations and I blame that on her mother. So, trying to get in between your brother and your father only made Jeff angry. He didn’t think anything less of her until he found out she’d gone with Rake. I wonder if he doesn’t hold her partly responsible sometimes.”
“Seriously? How is that even worth considering?”
“He had such high hopes for her. I think he felt let down when she left. It reminded him too much of the way her mother acted when she didn’t get her own way. At least that’s what he said at the time.” It was no secret that Mari’s mother was his father’s dream girl in college. She’d chosen someone else but that didn’t stop his father offering Mari a home when she needed one.
“She’s nothing like her mother and we all know that. That woman was so conniving, using us to get what she wanted. Mari’s nothing like her. Nothing.”
“I know that and even though Betty came back and stole from us, I doubt he could be really angry with her.”
“So he takes it out on her daughter instead?” His father was an idiot.
“Sad to say, but, yes. That’s what I think anyway.” Pearl leaned over and counted the cartons of cherries before marking off the sheet she was working against. “Another order filled.”
“Want me to take them into town?”
“Thanks, honey, but it’s okay. I have another order to do first then I’ll take a drive in later this afternoon. Maybe pick up some groceries while I’m there. You have enough to do but I appreciate the offer.”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I’ll only be doing a half day today so if you need me, yell.”
“Will do.”
He climbed into his truck and was just about to drive off when she called out to him to stop and pushed a box of cherries into the truck. “Give these to Mari and tell her I’ll call about tomorrow. I can’t wait to see my grandson.”
“Thanks, Mom.” Ethan headed into town, ready to do some more destroying on the ballroom ceilings.
*
“Thank you for the cherries, Pearl. Noah is making himself sick eating them.”
Pearl’s laughed sounded nervous over the phone. “I don’t blame him. I remember you and Ethan doing the same thing many a time.” She paused. “I wondered if I could come over tomorrow and visit, meet Noah?” When Mari didn’t answer straight away she hurried on. “I don’t want to make things hard for you, honey, but I’m not going to miss out on catching up with all I lost when you left just because my husband walks around with his head in the sand. I really want to see my grandson and I’m not going to wait for Jeff to forgive you to spend time with him.”
And you’d make the best grandmother too. “Maybe I can talk to Jeff and make him see things can work out between us.”
“I hope so, honey. I can’t wait to see Noah and nothing is going to take the shine off of that for me.”
“He’s excited too. I’ve been telling him all about you and he can’t wait to catch up.”
A barely restrained squeal came over the phone and Mari smiled.
“Fabulous. Sundays are my farm-free days. I come into town for coffee dates or go to the nursery for more plants for my patch. I still like to potter around in my kitchen garden. You should come out one day and see it. Ethan built a fence around it to keep out the chickens. It’s lovely if not a little overgrown.” She prattled on, her nerves showing.
Mari’d waited years for the opportunity to bring Noah home and meet his family and even though she was petrified of how things would go from here on in, it was time to let go of her fears and just do it.
“What time were you thinking?”
“You tell me, dear. I know you have the hotel open for dinner so maybe it would be better if I came over in the morning.”
“That’d be great. How about ten-ish and we can have coffee and cake? Bella’s always bringing something sweet over and I’m sure your taste buds haven’t changed that much.”
“You remembered?” Emotion welled in her voice and Mari could have kicked herself. If Pearl started crying again, there was no guarantee Mari would hold it together either.
“Of course I did. How could I forget the Sunday mornings I spent with you in the kitchen? My life was blessed because of what you did for me.” She swallowed down the emotion. “I’d better go, Ethan’s getting ready to leave and I need to talk to him about something. I’ll see you then. Bye now.” She hung up before he could walk out and moved over to block his escape. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.”
His lazy grin gave her a flash of memory. Her sitting on the bleachers leaning back on her elbows
