Page 56 of Summer Weddings
Epilogue
H alf an hour later, Bethany made her way into the dimly lit cocktail lounge and came upon Ben sitting alone at a table, nursing a bottle of beer.
His shoulders slumped forward and his head was bowed.
It looked, she thought sadly, as if the weight of nearly thirty years of regret rested solidly on his back.
He raised his eyes to meet hers when she walked over to his table. “Do you mind if I sit down?” she asked, feeling tentative herself. She understood that the way she’d confronted Ben had been a mistake; she wished more than anything that they could start over.
He nodded, his expression concerned as she slid out the chair and sat across from him.
“Do you want a drink?” he asked.
“No, thanks.” The wine and brandy last night had loosened her tongue. She didn’t want to repeat that mistake. “I’m so sorry…”
“I’m the one who’s sorry,” Ben cut in. “I’m not proud of the way I reacted yesterday—my only excuse is shock.”
“I couldn’t have done a worse job of it,” she said.
His face tightened, and his eyes grew suspiciously bright. “It’s so hard to believe I could have a daughter as beautiful as you, Bethany. My heart feels like it’s going to bust wide open just looking at you.”
Bethany smiled tremulously, close to tears herself.
“Your mother…the resemblance between you is striking. I didn’t see it at first, but now I do.” He took a swallow of his beer and Bethany suspected he did it to hide his emotion. He set the bottle back on the table. “How’s Marilyn? The cancer?”
“She’s better than ever, and there’s no sign of the cancer recurring.”
“She’s…she’s had a good life? She’s happy?”
Bethany nodded. “Very happy. Mom and Dad have a good marriage. Like any relationship, it’s had its ups and downs over the years, but they’re still in love, and they’re truly committed to each other.” She paused and drew in a deep breath. “They don’t know that I’ve—that I found you.”
He lowered his head. “Do you plan on telling them?”
“Yes, and you can be assured I’ll handle it a lot more diplomatically than I did with you. I accepted the teaching contract in Hard Luck because I knew you were here, but originally I’d never intended to tell you.”
“Not tell me?”
“All I wanted was to get to know you, but once I’d done that, it didn’t seem to be enough. We’re very alike, Ben, in many important ways. But before I knew that, I was afraid of the kind of man you’d be.”
He sipped from the beer bottle. “I’m probably a disappointment… .”
“No,” she rushed to tell him. “No! I’m proud to be your daughter. You’re a warm, generous, caring person. Hard Luck Café is the heart of the community, and that’s because of you.”
“I can’t be your father,” Ben murmured. “Your mother’s husband—Peter—he’ll always be that.”
“That’s true. But you could be my friend.”
His face brightened. “Yes. A special friend.”
Bethany stretched her hand across the table and Ben squeezed her fingers. “Where’s Mitch?”
“He’s in the lobby waiting for us.” Bethany smiled, and the happiness bloomed within her. “This seems to be a day for clearing the air.”
Ben placed some money on the table and they walked out of the lounge. “Are you going to marry him?” he asked. “Put him out of his misery?”
“Oh, yes. I came to Hard Luck wanting to meet you, and instead I found two men I’ll love for the rest of my life.”
Mitch hurried toward them, and they met him halfway. Grinning widely, Ben slung an arm around their shoulders, drawing them close. “Well, my friends. This seems to be an evening to celebrate. Dinner’s on me!”
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