Page 66 of Summer Weddings
“No.” Bethany grew a little sad, thinking about her longtime friend. She did miss Randy, even now, five years after their breakup.
Both Chrissie and Susan seemed deflated at the news of Bethany’s lost love.
“Would it be all right if we left now?” Chrissie asked abruptly.
“That’s fine,” Bethany told them. “Thanks for your help.”
The two disappeared so quickly all that was missing was the puff of smoke.
If nothing else, the girls certainly were entertaining, Bethany thought. She returned to the task of cutting large letters out of colored paper.
The sun blazed in through the classroom windows, and she tugged her shirt loose, unfastened the last few buttons and tied the ends at her midriff. Then she pulled her hair away from her face and used an elastic to secure it in a ponytail.
Half an hour later, most of the letters, all capitals, for the wordSeptemberwere pinned in an arch across the bulletin board at the back of the room. She stood on a chair and had just pinned the thirdEwhen she felt someone’s presence behind her. Twisting around, she saw Mitch standing in the open door.
“Hi,” she said cheerfully, undeniably pleased to see him. He was dressed in the khaki uniform worn by Department of the Interior staff. His face revealed none of his emotions, yet Bethany had the feeling he’d rather not be there.
“I’m looking for Chrissie.”
Bethany pinned theRin place and then stepped down from the chair. “Sorry, but as you can see she isn’t here.”
Mitch frowned. “Louise Gold told me this was where she’d be.”
Bethany remembered that Louise Gold was the woman who watched Chrissie while Mitch was at work. She’d briefly met her the day before.In addition to her other duties, Louise served on the school board.
“Chrissie was here earlier with Susan.”
“I hope they behaved themselves.”
Bethany recalled their probing questions and smiled to herself. Pushing back the chair, she said, “They were fine. I asked Chrissie for her help, remember?”
Mitch remained as far away from her as possible. Bethany suspected he’d rather track a cantankerous bear than stay in the same room with her. It was not a familiar feeling, or a pleasant one.
“She must be over at Susan’s, then,” he said.
“She didn’t say where she was headed.”
He lingered a moment. “I don’t want Chrissie to become a nuisance.”
“She isn’t, and neither is Susan. They’re both great kids, so don’t worry, okay?”
Still he hesitated. “They didn’t, by any chance, ask you a lot of personal questions, did they?”
“Uh…some.”
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and an expression of weariness crossed his face. He sighed. “I’ll look for Chrissie over at Susan’s. Thanks for your trouble.”
His gaze held hers. By the time he turned away, Bethany felt a little breathless. She was sure of one thing. If it was up to Mitch Harris, she would never have left San Francisco.
Well, that was unfortunate for Mitch. Because Bethany had come to Hard Luck with a plan, and she wasn’t leaving until it was accomplished.
Chapter2
“Daddy?”
Mitch looked up from the Fairbanks paper to smile at his freckle-faced daughter. Chrissie was fresh out of the bathtub, her face scrubbed clean, her cheeks rosy. She wore her favoriteBeauty and the Beastpajamas.
His heart contracted with the depth of his love for her. No matter how miserable his marriage had been, he’d always be grateful to Lori for giving him Chrissie.
