Love Believes (Sully Point, Book 5) (16 page)

Beth took her clothes from him, inspecting each
piece. "I think we're safe. Now I'm starved. Is there any food in this house?"

"The spaghetti you brought last night, and
the cake. That's it."

"Come on, let's get dressed and go heat it
up."

"We're good at heating things up."

She laughed with him. He loved her laugh. So fresh
and real, nothing fake or forced about it. The sound of her laughing, or the
look on her face after making love, the way her clear green eyes watched him,
or the feel of her red soft lips against his...he didn't know which he loved
more. Then he realized what he was thinking. Was he falling in love with her?
Was he in love with her already?

And just that fast, he knew that he was. This
wasn't a fling, some affair that he knew would end. He never wanted this to
end. But...did she feel the same way?

They were eating spaghetti when it happened. He
blurted out, "I think I love you, Beth."

She dropped her fork on the plate with a clatter.
"What did you say?"

"I think...no, I know...I love you. I didn't
mean to say it, it just came out."

"You didn't mean it?" She shook her
head.

"No! I did mean it, I do mean it. I just
didn't realize my own feelings...and I don't know how you..."

She jumped up from her chair at the square white
table in the kitchen and ran to him and kissed him. "You silly man. Of
course, I love you. I think I've loved you from the start. But I didn't know if
you saw this as just an affair or what."

"Not an affair," he said. "I don't
want this to end. I've never felt like this about anybody."

"Me either."

"But you haven't lived as long as I have. Who
knows but that you might meet someone...?"

"Hush. I know, William. I absolutely know
that you are the man I was meant to be with. So no second-guessing. I love you.
The end."

He kissed her slowly and they moved away from the
table. "I can think of a better dessert than coconut cake," he
whispered into her ear.

"Only if a bed comes with it," she said.

He laughed and tugged at her hand. "I knew we
shouldn't have bothered to dress."

* * * *

Beth walked into Julia's Place floating on a cloud.
William loved her! And she loved him, and everything was perfect.

"Beth, there you are."

She jolted to a stop at the sound of her mother's
voice. "Mom?"

Her mother walked in from the coffee room. "I
thought you'd be here soon. Julia told me you had an errand to run but should
be back after lunch. So I had lunch with your father and then he went to the
hardware store. I came back here and you weren't here, but Julia was kind
enough to make me some hot tea."

"Great! Did you want to see my office?"

"Well, yes. That and I want to measure you.
Are you doing something different with your makeup? Your face is glowing."

"Wait a minute. You came here to the office
to measure me?"

"It will only take a minute. You know I'll
need your proper size if I'm going to be making or buying clothes for
you."

"Mom, you know you don't have to..."

"Yes, but this is what I do. Acting is your
passion, as I'm trying to understand. Fashion, designing, that is mine. Let me
do this, please."

Beth smiled at her mother. "Okay, you talked
me into it. Let's go upstairs and get it done."

With her mother talking about Joshua's latest
discovery about the sim card in his father's cell phone, Beth thought rapidly.
Were there any love bites on her skin? Because if she knew her mother...

"Okay, darling. Strip down to your undies so
I can get a proper measurement."

"Mom...fine." She sighed and went to her
office door to close and lock it. "But don't go crazy with creating new
designs just for me."

"Why not? I could call it my Maribeth line,
since you refuse to use your given name." Sophia's face lit up at the
idea.

Beth had to laugh. She had a distinct feeling that
Maribeth clothing would be on the market next year. "It just always seemed
like a mouthful to say. I like the short version."

"Yes, I know. Let me get my measuring
tape...here we go."

The next few minutes Beth stood like a mannequin
while all her measurements were taken and recorded on her mother's computer
tablet.

"All done! Thanks for letting me do that. Now
what's this I hear about you and Mr. Christopher?"

Beth dropped her handful of clothes on the floor
as she looked at her mother. "Nothing, there's nothing to hear. What did
you hear?"

Sophia came over and picked up the clothing,
setting it on the desk. "Darling, you may be able to get away with that
face on stage or even with some people, but not with me. As long as you've been
alive, you tend to drop things when you are truly startled or hiding something.
I've heard rumors everywhere! There's that Maelynne woman, and I think she
continues to say stuff about you two, even though you both tried to shut her
down. Then there's the family, with everyone at some point giving me the idea
that something is going on. I'm not going to give you any grief over it, if
it's true. My only hope for you is that you're happy. That's all."

"Oh Mom," Beth said with tears forming
in her eyes. "I am so happy. We're in love." And then she proceeded
to cry on her mother's shoulder while being held and patted on the back.

"What are these tears about then?"

"Partly because I'm happy...and partly
because I'm scared I'll lose what I've got right now."

"Beth Carter, you look at me." Sophia
pushed her daughter away so she could look into her eyes. "Don't ever be
afraid of losing love. It can prevent you from having true happiness. Love for
all you're worth. Jump in with all of who you are. Risk everything. It's how
I've lived my life and I've never regretted it. Not for a moment. Believe in
your love."

Beth wiped her eyes, and slowly nodded.
"You're right."

"Why are you trying to give the impression
that nothing is going on with you two?"

"Because we wanted it to be just us. We don't
want interference from people like Maelynne and other town gossips. We didn't
want pushing or prying from family," she said ruefully. "Guess I blew
that one with you."

Sophia handed her clothing a piece at a time and
Beth began putting it back on.

"He's older than you, right? That's one thing
I've heard."

"Yes, about ten years."

"I can understand why you don't want people
talking about you, with new love and all. And I'm afraid your father would want
to question your Mr. Christopher quite thoroughly after what happened with that
Benton attacking you. Plus, he won't like the age difference."

"Mom, you aren't going to tell him, are
you?"

Sophia sighed, pushing back her glorious mane of
hair. "All right. I won't tell him. But I expect you to tell him at some
point. I'm willing to let you have your secret for now, but don't let it go on
too long, darling. Now, I'm off to meet up with Maggie. She says there's a
lovely woman with a unique yarn store on Main Street."

"I love you," Beth said as she hugged
her mother.

"I love you, too, baby girl."

Beth laughed and unlocked the door, swinging it
open. "I guess I'll always be that to you."

"Always...oh, hello! Is this Mr.
Christopher?"

Beth glanced up quickly to see William stopped at
the top of the stairs. He walked over, with one raised eyebrow.

"Hello, I'm William Christopher."

Shaking his hand, Sophia said, "I'm Sophia
Carter, Beth's mother."

His eyes opened wider. "Oh! It's very nice to
meet you. You have a lovely daughter who is a quite talented actress
and--"

Beth held up a hand. "William, stop. She
knows."

"She knows?" he asked warily.

"But she's going to keep our secret for
now."

"Ah, I see. Well...thank you, Mrs.
Carter."

"Call me Sophia, please."

"Please, call me William."

"Oh, I think that will wait until we've been
officially introduced at the family gathering this weekend. I need to go now.
Nice to meet you, Mr. Christopher. You be good to my daughter," she said
as she speared him with a look.

"Always, Sophia. Always."

She smiled at him then, and went down the stairs.

Beth motioned for him to come into her office, and
shut the door behind him. "I'm sorry. She just...knew! It was eerie. But
she'll keep quiet for now."

"Are we doing the right thing...keeping it a
secret for now?"

Beth moved forward to stand in front of him and
put her arms around his neck. "Just for a while, let's have this for
ourselves. How about after the play, we tell everyone?"

He smiled a big smile at her, eyes twinkling.
"That I can live with, easily. And this way we get the fun of sneaking
around." He gave her a light kiss that Beth knew was about to deepen when
a knock on the door happened.

They pulled away from each other abruptly, and
then she started to giggle. Opening the door, they found Julia standing there
with a notebook computer in her hands.

"Beth? What's so funny?

William said, "Oh I was just telling her
about the time I almost fell off the stage ad libbing."

"Okay..." Julia said. "I came up
because I thought we could go ahead and have our meeting about the costumes.
Maybe you should stay too, William."

He nodded and they pulled up chairs around Beth's
desk. As Julia started explaining her idea, Beth kept her eyes on the
information she presented on the computer. She knew if she looked at William
she wouldn't be able to keep from smiling at him. Be an actress! She told
herself. This might be the hardest part she ever played.

* * * *

Beth stood at the large window, looking out at the
moonlight dancing among the trees. Further out, she could see the shining tops
of waves. It was a full moon, and the light of it made the night seem like a
fairyland.

She was wearing a sleeveless long golden nightgown,
fitted with lace and satin at the top, and then flowing full to her feet. The
night beckoned, and if it had been warmer, she'd have run out there to be in
the moonlight.

The stairs creaked as William came down to join
her. "I woke up and missed you. Everything okay?"

She turned to him and smiled. "Everything is
wonderful. I was just looking at the moonlight."

He came to stand behind her, his bare chest warm
as she leaned back against him. He'd only pulled on pajama bottoms, but he felt
cozily heated from being in bed.

"I was thinking about us," she said.
"Wondering things. Like, where do you want to live after you finish the
Playhouse? Would you want to go back to the city?"

"Wherever you are, that's where I want to
be."

"That makes two of us feeling that way,"
she said with a laugh. "I guess I assumed you'd want to work in the city
again."

"Not all the time. I need time away from
there. Sully Point might be a nice place to have a second home to retreat to.
We could give part of our time to the Playhouse here."

"That sounds nice. Now, a bigger
question...do you want kids?"

He got tense for a moment, but then relaxed again.
"You know, I never thought I'd have kids, but that was because I never
anticipated finding someone to spend the rest of my life with. Can we agree to
table that one for a while?"

"Yes. I know I want to work, and not be sidetracked
by raising kids right now. Maybe later, though."

His arms hugged her.

"Okay, here's the biggie...when you cast me
in the role of Corie, did you pick me because you were attracted to me? Or do
you think I'm good enough for the part?"

He turned her in his arms so that she could see
his face. He looked very serious and intent. The moonlight silvered his
gray-blue eyes, making him look almost otherworldly. "Listen to me well,
Beth. I would never compromise my professional integrity by an attraction I
might feel. You really are that good, more than good enough. I knew the minute
I heard you reciting the monologue from
Gypsy
, on the stage that first
time at the Playhouse. Don't ever doubt that you have what it takes to make it
in this business."

She searched his face and what she found there
made her lips curve into a smile. "Are you sleepy still? Or do you think
you could stay awake for a bit?"

He grinned at her. "What do you think?"

"I think I have big plans for you in that big
bed upstairs."

"Ah. Do you know, I think I could accommodate
you."

The walked hand in hand up the wide stairs. He let
go of her hand and walked over to open the curtains.

"I want to see your body bathed in moonlight,
my love."

"William," she said, her heart full of
love for him.

He met her eyes and walked steadily to her across
the room. When he got to her, their lips met with a rich sweetness. Beth felt
like she was falling into him, into their love, their bliss.

It was a night of tender exploration, and
satisfaction unlike anything she'd ever known. Falling asleep, her head on his
chest, hearing his heartbeat, she knew she'd given herself completely to this
man. It was the best night of her life.

Chapter 7

Maggie met her mother for a late lunch at the
Lobster Shack the next day. She was running late, and began apologizing as she
was sitting down at the table. "So sorry! I got caught up in my project
and..."

Sophia laughed. "That's fine. I already
ordered a salad for both of us."

Maggie felt stricken. "We're having more than
salad, right? Because I don't think the baby can subsist on only a salad."

Sophia laughed again. "You're right, I'm
sure."

"I want a big roast beef sandwich, with lots
of horseradish sauce on it," Maggie announced.