The Queen's Lady. Shannon Drake

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      He smiled slyly. “You cost me a hundred bucks.”

      “How’s that?”

      “I bet Grace you wouldn’t come at all.”

      Beth chuckled. “No wonder she was so happy to see me.”

      “I’m happy to see you, too. You haven’t exactly been a regular visitor to Riverbend,” he reminded her.

      “I have a very demanding job,” she said, then immediately added, “Or I should say I had a very demanding job.”

      “Does that mean you’re still unemployed?”

      She could see concern in her brother’s eyes and it touched her. Even though they were separated by distance, they had remained close over the years, and she had confided in him often about the difficulties she’d had getting along with the athletic director at the college for the past year. Ed had been a rock of support when she’d made the decision to quit her job, and he understood her anxiety about her uncertain future.

      “Yes. I told them in the spring I wasn’t going to renew my contract,” she said, not wanting to rehash the betrayal she’d felt on not only a professional but a personal level. As an athletic trainer she had always put the well-being and safety of her students first. To have someone question her judgment, then overrule her decision to keep a player out of a game was a breach of professional conduct she couldn’t tolerate.

      “I’m glad to hear that. I was worried they might have coerced you into returning to your position.”

      She shook her head. “That won’t happen. I think it’s probably a good time for me to take a break from working in college athletics, anyway. I plan to do some clinical work.”

      “I bet Julian Bennett would find a permanent spot for you if you asked him.”

      “My home is in Iowa,” she reminded him gently.

      He smiled. “I know, but you can’t blame a brother for trying.”

      Their conversation was halted as Grace announced it was time to eat. Dinner turned out to be a bit chaotic as the five little girls chattered and giggled their way through spaghetti and meatballs. By the time it was over, Beth was convinced that her sister-in-law had her hands full and didn’t need to worry about another houseguest, even if that guest was family.

      She brought up the subject as she and Grace finished cleaning the kitchen. “I think I should check into a motel—just for the weekend.”

      “You will not,” Grace stated emphatically.

      “She will not what?” Ed asked, coming into the kitchen.

      “Beth wants to go to a motel for the weekend.”

      “You already have a full house,” Beth told her brother. “You don’t need me.”

      “Yeah, we do. To help clean up,” Ed teased.

      “I can do that without putting someone out of a bed,” Beth said.

      “This is really bothering you, isn’t it?” Ed returned.

      “Yes.” She set her dish towel aside. “You’re not going to be offended if I go to a motel, are you?”

      “No,” her brother replied slowly, “but it doesn’t make any sense to pay for a room when you have a place of your own at your disposal.”

      She gave him a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

      “The Queen Mary. Thanks to Abraham Steele, it’s half yours.”

      Beth shook her head. “Oh, no. I couldn’t sleep there.”

      “Why not?”

      “You need to ask?”

      He gave her a look of disbelief. “Because of Charlie?”

      She hated the way her stomach muscles tensed at the mention of her ex-husband. For fifteen years she’d been able to pretend that Charlie Callahan didn’t exist. But now, thanks to one legal document, the window to that corner of her memory was reopened. A beneficiary of Abraham Steele’s last will and testament, Beth was now in the uncomfortable position of being in a partnership with a man she hadn’t expected to ever see again.

      “I told you I wanted to sell my half to him,” she said as calmly as possible.

      “Yes, but right now that half belongs to you and you have a right to use it. Besides, Charlie’s not even going to be in Riverbend this weekend. I talked to him yesterday and he told me he was going out of town. Some builders trade show in Indianapolis.”

      She chewed on her lower lip. Using the houseboat would solve the problem of where she was going to sleep tonight. And it would be nice to have a quiet room all to herself where she wouldn’t feel she was inconveniencing anyone.

      “Why are you hesitating? You have every legal right to use the boat, Beth,” Ed assured her.

      This wasn’t about her rights. It was about memories. Ever since she’d learned she’d inherited the houseboat, unwelcome images had begun creeping into her consciousness. Too much had happened on that houseboat, things best forgotten.

      “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea, that’s all,” she told him. “I can go to a motel.”

      “Trust me, Beth. The Queen Mary is nicer than any motel around here. Abraham completely remodeled it before he died.”

      Which meant she might not even recognize the place. Maybe she could stay on the boat and not be plagued with memories of the past. “Don’t I need a key or something?”

      “I have one.” Ed disappeared, only to return a few minutes later carrying a small key ring and a black leather-bound folder. “You’ll need this, too.”

      “What is it?” she asked as he handed her the folder.

      “All the information you’ll need to use the boat. I’ve already looked at it and it’s pretty self-explanatory. Basic stuff about the water and electricity. There are diagrams in there, as well.”

      Seeing the amount of information in the folder added to Beth’s trepidation. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I don’t know the first thing about houseboats.”

      “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go with you to Steele’s marina and answer any questions you have. Do you remember the way, or do you want me to drive and you can follow in your car?”

      “I remember where it is, but I’m not sure I should drive my car.” She went on to tell him about the engine light coming on.

      “Why don’t you leave it here and I’ll take a look at it in the morning?” he suggested. “I can drive you to the marina tonight and pick you up in the morning.”

      “I’d appreciate that.”

      “Are you sure you won’t stay with us?” Grace asked as they СКАЧАТЬ