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“Whatever you say, don’t let Mom catch the next plane to Portland.” Beth’s biggest fear was that once her mother met Sam, Ellie would do whatever she could to sabotage the relationship. Beth refused to let that happen.

“Beth, girl, I can hardly stop her. I’ll do my best to delay her as long as possible, but no way is she going to stay in Chicago when her baby girl is experiencing complications. I’ll do what I can to give you time to regain your strength, but you need to accept that she’s coming.”

Beth’s shoulders sank with defeat. Her aunt was right. This latest development was all the excuse her mother needed. It was nothing short of a wonder that Ellie hadn’t shown up thus far.

“Do what you can,” she pleaded. Her one ace was the fact that Sunshine and her mother didn’t get along. They avoided each other whenever possible. Beth knew some disagreement had happened in their youth that had caused this rift, but whatever it was remained a well-kept family secret. When Beth questioned her mother, Ellie refused to discuss it. As a teenager Beth had asked her aunt; Sunshine said it was over something that had happened so long ago she’d completely forgotten about it. Beth didn’t believe her but hadn’t pressed the issue. Whatever happened was clearly a sore spot between the two sisters.

“Rest now,” Sunshine urged her. “You’re going to need every bit of strength you possess when facing your mother.”

“You know I’m going to be worried the entire time.” Beth made a show of placing the back of her hand against her forehead. “The undue stress is sure to cause even more stress and complications.”

Sunshine burst out laughing. “Are you sure you weren’t a drama major?”

Beth waved her away. “Do what you’ve got to do to convince my mother I’m going to be whole and healthy without her sobbing at my bedside.”

Grinning, her aunt asked, “You need me to get you anything while I’m out?”

“Yes,” she cried. “Get me peace of mind by keeping my mother as far away from me for as long as you can.”

“On it,” Sunshine promised, smiling on her way out the door.

After Sunshine left, Beth sat up and reached for her phone to text Sam.

You spent the night?

She waited several minutes before she got an answer. She giggled when she read his response.

Not on purpose.

Her phone rang almost right away. Her smile grew even bigger when she saw it was Sam calling.

“Morning,” she greeted.

“Yeah, well, it isn’t exactly a good one. I’ve got a crick in my neck and my eyes burn and my fingers are too big to try to text. I figured I’d call. You feel better today?”

“I do.” While breathing was much easier, it was the mental aspect that had taken a swing for the better. Seeing Sam, knowing he’d been by her side the entire night, had elevated her spirits into the stratosphere.

“Good, then it was worth it.”

“I know you’re tired, so don’t worry about stopping by today,” she said. She made the offer knowing she would sorely miss seeing him.

“You don’t want me to come?” He sounded more than a little offended.

“I do … more than anything, but I think it would be better if you went home and got a decent night’s sleep.”

Her suggestion was met with a short pause. “The thing you don’t realize is that I enjoy spending time with you.”

Beth closed her eyes in order to soak in his words. “Oh Sam.”

“Don’t know how it happened. Not even sure it’s a good thing—”

“It is,” she interrupted him. “It’s a very good thing.”

“Been warned already.”

Her immediate fear was that her mother had somehow gotten word that she was seeing Sam, which was ridiculous. It wasn’t like her mother had hired spies to check up on Beth and report back her activities. As for her and Sam, they hadn’t gone out on a single date. Yet in the last few days they’d spent countless hours together, and had even spent the night together, although it was completely innocent.

“Warned? By who?” she asked.

“It’s not important.”

“Who?” Beth insisted.

“Rocco. He’s afraid I’m leading you on.”

“Oh.” This was interesting. Beth wondered if Nichole knew about this.

“Didn’t do much good, though, did it?” he teased.

“Glad it didn’t.”

Sam made a noise that sounded like a deep yawn. “I need to get off the phone.”

“You at work?” she asked.

“Not yet, but I’m telling you things I normally wouldn’t. Blame it on the fact I had about an hour of sleep the entire night.”

Beth relaxed against the pillow. “If the lack of sleep is responsible for this conversation, then I’d like to suggest you go without more often.”

She thought she heard him chuckle, but she couldn’t be sure. One thing she did know: her smile was so wide her mouth hurt.

Chapter 10

Sunshine

Sunshine stood in the hospital hallway outside of Beth’s room with a growing sense of dread. Talking to her sister was never pleasant. Their relationship had been strained for years and had grown even more so since Beth’s move to Portland. She’d spoken to Ellie more in the last three months than she had in the last five years. This rift between them started back in her college days when Sunshine was in art school.

Immediately Peter came to mind, and with his memory a flash of pain. The sharpness had receded through the years. Thoughts of him no longer crippled her as they once had. Time does that, she reasoned, dulling the razor edges of disappointment and loss.

As much as Sunshine would like to delay talking to her sister, she couldn’t. Beth was anxious and the added stress wouldn’t help the healing process. She scrolled down her contact list and hit the button. Her heart pounded in her ear as she waited for her sister to pick up. Sunshine would have much preferred to speak with her brother-in-law. Unfortunately, Phillip was sure to have left for the office by now.

“Yes?” Ellie answered, her voice clipped and short. “What is it this time?”

Stiffening, Sunshine noticed that her sister avoided saying hello because she had caller ID. It was Ellie’s less than subtle way of letting Sunshine know she didn’t welcome the call. She sighed and repressed the urge to tell Ellie she wasn’t keen to talk to her, either. Not a great way to start what was certain to turn into an unpleasant conversation. Come to think of it, they hadn’t shared a friendly chat in more than thirty years. Sad as that was to admit.

“Hello, Ellie.” Sunshine did her best to remain calm after the rude greeting.

“Hello, Louise.”

Sunshine disliked her given name, which was one reason she’d changed it. She gritted her teeth and waited several seconds until she could speak calmly. “I thought I’d give you an update on Beth.”

“I hear from my daughter. I don’t need you to act as a go-between.”

Maybe it would have been best to let her niece handle this. “You’re right, of course.”

“Nice of you to admit it, Louise.”

Again she was forced to silently count to ten as her sister pointedly tried to irritate her. “After a small glitch in her recovery, Beth is doing better.” She avoided finishing the sentence, avoided explaining. And technically Beth was doing better than yesterday.

“I’m coming to check on her myself. Now, why is it necessary for you to disrupt my morning? I have a lot to do before I leave.”

Sunshine started to respond, but before she could speak, Ellie continued.

“Just because my daughter chose to move to Portland, you seem to think it’s your duty to fill me in on matters that are none of your concern.”

“I was only—”

“Looking to rub it in my face that Beth chose to live close to you.”

Biting down on her inner cheek, Sunshine forced herself to not retaliate. “Ellie, please—”

“My point,” Ellie said, slowly releasing her breath, “is that Beth is my daughter and I don’t need you to update me on her condition.”