Suzy, Gray reluctantly left the bathroom, and the bedroom door closed quietly behind him. Beth looked at her sister when he left and said, “You know he loves you. Is there any doubt left in your mind after all this? I’ve never seen a man look at a woman the way he looks at you. I love you, sis, and I know you better than anyone else so I’m saying this with nothing but love, ‘don’t screw this up.’ Don’t run away from him or try to chase him away. He’s the best thing that ever entered your life so grab onto him with both hands and don’t let him go. He’s not Jeff, he’s a good man.”
“You’re forgetting, Beth, Jeff was a good man, too, and look how that turned out. Maybe I turn good men into bad people. “
With an unladylike snort, Beth said, “Jeff was a spineless weasel, and I have no idea what you ever saw in him. I’m all for equal rights, but wouldn’t you like to be with a man who actually wears the pants in the relationship at least part of the time? Jeff never seemed to have an opinion of his own; he was always in your shadow. I’m surprised he had enough ambition to cheat on you without someone advising him to.” Suddenly, as if realizing she’d said too much, Beth’s hand flew to her mouth, “Oh God, I’m sorry. Oh crap, I was just running off at the mouth. Please forget I said all of that.”
At first, Suzy was surprised, Beth rarely said anything negative about anyone and she’d no idea that she viewed Jeff in this light. Now that the wounds were less raw, she could actually admit that Beth was right. Jeff had always deferred to her, and sometimes she’d felt more like his mother than his lover. If they had ever been equals in their relationship, it had been long ago. Maybe she just couldn’t let anyone take care of her. As soon as she had that thought, she pictured Gray. She’d actually loved having him to lean on the last few days and never once had she felt threatened or annoyed by it.
She smiled at her sister and reached over to squeeze her hand. “You go, girl. I think you have more of me inside you than we either imagined. Never apologize for being honest with me, and by the way, I agree. Now, about these ugly clothes you packed for me, where the hell did they come from?” As they both doubled over in laughter, Beth admitted that they were hers, and she’d just been trying to pack things that would be easier for Suzy for relax in while she was healing. Beth promised she’d go pack some of Suzy’s things that afternoon. Soon Suzy was starting to feel loopy from the pain medication, and Gray came back to carry her to the sofa in the living room where he had a breakfast tray waiting for her.
Chapter Ten
Both she and Beth looked at the tray almost drooling. Gray had prepared French toast, and bacon along with a glass of orange juice. He put her tray over her lap and gave her a playful tweak of the nose as he was straightening. “Beth, I made you a plate, as well. Would you like to eat here or in the kitchen?”
Beth looked at Gray like he’d just announced he’d run over her cat. “I…I already had something before I came. Th …thanks, though.” Beth turned away from the sight of her sister eating the mouth-watering French toast and murmured something about straightening the bathroom.
“Beth, you don’t have to do that, I’ll take care of it,” Gray offered.
Gray looked puzzled as Beth hurried from the room, as if she hadn’t heard him. He looked at Suzy in confusion. “Did I do something to offend her?”
“No, don’t worry about it. She’s funny about food. She used to be heavier, and she worries a lot about what she eats. I’ve always been able to eat like a horse without gaining weight, but it’s been a struggle for Beth all of her life.”
Nick had walked in from the kitchen and was obviously listening to their exchange. “Wow, that’s hard to believe. She’s really too thin now. I
“You’re forgetting, Beth, Jeff was a good man, too, and look how that turned out. Maybe I turn good men into bad people. “
With an unladylike snort, Beth said, “Jeff was a spineless weasel, and I have no idea what you ever saw in him. I’m all for equal rights, but wouldn’t you like to be with a man who actually wears the pants in the relationship at least part of the time? Jeff never seemed to have an opinion of his own; he was always in your shadow. I’m surprised he had enough ambition to cheat on you without someone advising him to.” Suddenly, as if realizing she’d said too much, Beth’s hand flew to her mouth, “Oh God, I’m sorry. Oh crap, I was just running off at the mouth. Please forget I said all of that.”
At first, Suzy was surprised, Beth rarely said anything negative about anyone and she’d no idea that she viewed Jeff in this light. Now that the wounds were less raw, she could actually admit that Beth was right. Jeff had always deferred to her, and sometimes she’d felt more like his mother than his lover. If they had ever been equals in their relationship, it had been long ago. Maybe she just couldn’t let anyone take care of her. As soon as she had that thought, she pictured Gray. She’d actually loved having him to lean on the last few days and never once had she felt threatened or annoyed by it.
She smiled at her sister and reached over to squeeze her hand. “You go, girl. I think you have more of me inside you than we either imagined. Never apologize for being honest with me, and by the way, I agree. Now, about these ugly clothes you packed for me, where the hell did they come from?” As they both doubled over in laughter, Beth admitted that they were hers, and she’d just been trying to pack things that would be easier for Suzy for relax in while she was healing. Beth promised she’d go pack some of Suzy’s things that afternoon. Soon Suzy was starting to feel loopy from the pain medication, and Gray came back to carry her to the sofa in the living room where he had a breakfast tray waiting for her.
Chapter Ten
Both she and Beth looked at the tray almost drooling. Gray had prepared French toast, and bacon along with a glass of orange juice. He put her tray over her lap and gave her a playful tweak of the nose as he was straightening. “Beth, I made you a plate, as well. Would you like to eat here or in the kitchen?”
Beth looked at Gray like he’d just announced he’d run over her cat. “I…I already had something before I came. Th …thanks, though.” Beth turned away from the sight of her sister eating the mouth-watering French toast and murmured something about straightening the bathroom.
“Beth, you don’t have to do that, I’ll take care of it,” Gray offered.
Gray looked puzzled as Beth hurried from the room, as if she hadn’t heard him. He looked at Suzy in confusion. “Did I do something to offend her?”
“No, don’t worry about it. She’s funny about food. She used to be heavier, and she worries a lot about what she eats. I’ve always been able to eat like a horse without gaining weight, but it’s been a struggle for Beth all of her life.”
Nick had walked in from the kitchen and was obviously listening to their exchange. “Wow, that’s hard to believe. She’s really too thin now. I
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