Page 78 of Summer Weddings
“Thank you.”
“I heard John’s got his eye on you.”
Bethany didn’t comment. Although she’d been in the café a number of times since her first visit, she was never completely comfortable with Ben. She’d moved to Hard Luck with an open mind about him. She had no plan other than getting to know this man who’d fathered her.
She’d learned about him only a year ago. Despite the initial shock, this new knowledge didn’t change her feelings toward either her mother or Peter Ross. She just wanted to discover for herself what kind of man Ben Hamilton was.She certainly didn’t intend to interfere in his life. Nor did she intend to embarrass him with the truth. The year might well come to a close without his ever finding out who she was.
In all honesty, Bethany couldn’t think of a way to casually announce that she was his daughter. For a giddy moment, she was tempted to throw open her arms and call him Daddy. But no—he’d never been that.
Ben lingered at the table. “If you want the truth, I was surprised you were coming here with John.”
“Really.” Bethany picked up her water glass.
“I kinda thought you were sweet on Mitch.”
The glass hit the table with an unexpected thunk, garnering the attention of the restaurant’s two other occupants.
Ben rubbed the side of his face. “What I’ve seen, Mitch is taken with you, as well.”
Bethany stared down at the table and swallowed nervously. “I’m sure that isn’t true.”
Low laughter rumbled in Ben’s chest. “I’ve seen the way you two send looks at each other. I’m not blind, you know. Yes, sir, I see plenty—lots more than people think.” He tapped his finger against his temple to emphasize the point. “I might be a crusty old bachelor, but I—”
“You never got married?” she interrupted him.
“No.”
“Why not?” She turned the conversation away from herself, at the same time attempting to learn what she could about his life.
“I guess you could say I never found the right woman.”
His answer irritated Bethany. Her mother was one of the finest women she’d ever known. The desire to defend her mother, tell this character about the heartache he’d caused, burned in the pit of her stomach.
“How…how long have you been in Alaska?” she asked instead.
Ben seemed to need time to calculate his answer. “It must be twenty years now. The O’Halloran boys were still wet behind the ears when I made my way here.”
“Why Hard Luck?” she asked.
“Why not? It was as good a place as any. Besides,” he said, flashing her a grin, “there’s something to be said for having the only restaurant within a four-hundred-mile radius.”
Bethany laughed.
The door opened and John Henderson rushed in, a little breathless and a whole lot flustered. He hurried over to the table, and his eyes lit up at the sight of her. He seemed speechless.
“Hello again,” Bethany said.
John remained standing there, his mouth open.
Ben slapped him on the back. “Aren’t you going to thank me for keeping her company?”
John jerked his head around as if suddenly noticing Ben. “Uh, thanks, Ben.”
“No problem.” He turned to walk back to the kitchen, but before he did, Bethany’s eye caught his and they shared a secret smile. For the first time Bethany felt she’d truly communicated with the man she’d come three thousand miles to meet.
* * *
Dinner turned out to be more of an ordeal than Bethany had expected. By the time he’d paid for their meal, Bethany actually felt sorry for John. During the course of their dinner, he’d dripped gravy down the front of his shirt, knocked over the sugar canister and spilled his coffee, most of which landed on her skirt. The man was clearly a nervous wreck.
