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"I believe anything you order will fit intothe selections
"I don’t think I ever told you I don’t like bean burritos," she blurted out
"You don’t?" He sent her a shocked look over the top of his menu "But…but we ordered it every ti In their dozens of meals at Zapata’s, not once had he asked why she never ate her half of the burrito
"I thought you were just being generous," he said "You know--saving more for enuinely crestfallen "I’ so oblivious"
Bethanne was relieved that the waitress returned at that moment for their order She chose the Tex-Mex salad, while Grant ordered chicken enchiladas and a bean burrito combination plate
As soon as the waitress left the table, Bethanne took a long drink of her h her She sat back in her chair and waited Grant had asked for thisShe was curious to hear what he had to say
"I’veto their son’s fiancée "I like her a great deal She’s very down-to-earth, a good match for Andrew, I think"
"I think so, too," Bethanne mur the wedding the them, which makes sense" It was rare to see Grant visibly nervous, but he see eye contact He cleared his throat "I’d like to contribute"
"You’ll need to take that up with Andrew and Courtney," Bethanne said
He nodded absently They both knew that Andrew had a of sorrow for Grant She knew he hoped the wedding would provide hi closer to Andrew "So, is there anything I can do?" Grant asked
"I’iven Andrew and Courtney contact information and steered them toward people I trust" The couple had estions, this was their wedding She’d walked a fine line, trying to advise thes are expensive," Grant observed
"True enough" Bethanne had seen people spend upward of thirty thousand dollars
"I’d like to help financially" He rested his hands on the table
She sipped her arita "That’s kind of you, Grant, but you should be telling Andrew and Courtney this, not enerous with the children," Bethanne conceded A slight exaggeration, but close enough to the truth
"I al at his hands "I wasn’t sure, you know, if it was a good idea to tell Andreanted to help financially… I thought itfrom you"
Bethanne waited until he met her eyes "No, you tell Andrew," she said "He loves you, Grant You’re his father"
Grant bowed his head in a gesture of agreement or maybe just avoidance
"Is that the reason you asked ht as well be blunt--it would’ve saved her a lot of angst if he’d coht out and said so
He didn’t answer for aelse I’d like to discuss," he said quietly She strained to hear him over the raucous …do you think--" He hesitated "Would you object if the two of us sat together at the church? As Andrew’s parents?"
"Sat together?" Bethanne kept her expression neutral
"Most divorced couples don’t," he acknowledged
"True"
"I’d like to present a united front to our guests and, more importantly, to our farimace He hadn’t been concerned about this "united front" when he’d abandoned theive? She was shocked by how easily her anger still surfaced, when she’d assumed that she’d moved past the pain
"It won’t be aard, if you think about it," Grant reasoned "You haven’t reain Wouldn’t it feel a bit odd for the two of us to sit separately?"
"You’re single now, but you haven’t always been," she said tartly
Grant stiffened "All I’ the cereree, I’d appreciate it, but if not…" He took a deep breath, as if to caluess what I’ a rather poor job of it, is that I’ll accept whatever you decide"
Bethanne couldn’t suppress her retort "In other words, you want the world to know all is forgiven? That we’re still friends? That’s a noble thought, but I’e"
He looked down at his drink "I know it ive hed heavily "I apologize, Grant," she said "I don’t hate you Really" She’d given him twenty years of her life He was the father of her children And there was a part of her that still loved him
Grant’s eyes flickered with hope "Can we do that? The two of us together for Andrew’s sake on the most important day of his life?"
"I’ll think about it," she promised