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"It isn’t that…" Maybe it was, but only to a degree "I don’t want to give up my home"

"Then on’t," he said softly He leaned over and kissed her cheek

Thirty-Three

Andrew got to the house early on Thursday evening, the day after Bethanne had seen the Lake Washington house with Grant Courtney would be joining the with her brides Annie, who’d most likely come to the house with her afterward

Bethanne had Andrew’s favoritein the Crock-Pot and corn bread baking in the oven She’d purposely put on the apron Andrew had sewed in his high school Family and Consumer Science Education class When she was in school, the class had been called Hoed Andrew had done a good job on the apron and she wore it with pride

Her son breezed into the house, hugged her and then i you’d make the black bean soup"

"I’ve already passed the recipe on to Courtney"

"What about the one for rhubarb crunch?"

"That, too," Bethanne said, unable to hold back a sether a small family cookbook of recipes for every season The black bean was Andrew’s all-ti every college break That soup alone was practically enough to bring him home

He slid onto a stool at the kitchen counter and watched her for several seconds "I got a surprise phone call on Monday"

"Oh? Who from?" she asked absently as she stirred the soup

"Your friend Max"

Bethanne dropped the spoon, which clanged against the side of the ceraotten Andrew’s number, then realized it wouldn’t have been difficult

"He wanted to send a case of cha"

Bethanne’s ue to cooperate

"First, I told him I’d talk it over with you, but then I went ahead and made a decision I hope you don’t mind"

"Of course I don’t mind Whatever you decide is up to you and Courtney" Bethanne h her voice echoed oddly in her ears

"It’s really generous of him to offer We haven’t uy"

Bethanne just nodded

"When I ht to discuss the rehearsal dinner, he offered to send a couple cases of wine for that, too"

Bethanne paid an inordinate aht not appreciate your accepting either offer"

Andrew considered that for a ed "I say if Max wants to send us wine as a wedding gift, we should let hiift--why should I reject his?"

He had a point

"Does it bother you, Moesture"

"Me, too" Andrew slid off the stool and got thich he carried to the kitchen table, setting them on the quilted place mats

"Did…did Max ask about"He did"

Apparently, her son was going to force her to beg for every scrap of infor silverware fro to rinned "I shouldn’t be so cruel, should I?"

"No, you shouldn’t," she said, placing her hands on her hips She waited impatiently for him to fill her in on their conversation

"He told me some more about how the two of you met"

She smiled at the memory

"You didn’t tell me you rode on the back of his bike"

"More than once," she ad I’d like to see"

In the beginning she’d been terrified by every buradually she’d learned to relax and enjoy the sensation of freedom If the relationship between Max and her developed, and that reht eventually learn to ride herself

"He didn’t ask how it’s going with you and Dad, if that’s what you’re wondering," Andrew said "I think it’s been difficult for hi, but he said he promised you this tiave him the same opportunity," she re to hi him information"

That was true--and probably just as well

"We only spoke for a few ne with Courtney and get back to hi But basically we’ve decided to accept"