CHAPTER 31
Adam didn't return to the house until very late that night. Duncan was listening to a concerto and
reading a book in the main room, and Amanda had fallen asleep upstairs in the spare room
across from Beth's.
"Find out anything?" Duncan asked, as Adam took off his coat and laid it over the chair.
"Not much … checked a few of Mitchell's old hang outs. He's made the rounds but no one's seen
him in the past few days."
"You missed a good dinner." Duncan commented as he turned a page.
"I stopped by Joe's …" Adam replied.
"She was worried about you … since you didn't say anything about leaving or call in …"
Adam didn't reply.
"Want to talk about it?" Duncan pried.
"About what?" Adam knew exactly what.
"About how much she gets to you … About why you spent the day avoiding her."
"Give it a rest MacLeod … you have no idea what you're talking about."
Mac shrugged. "It's your business …"
"Funny how you keep forgetting that." Adam replied, picking up his coat and striding toward the
stairs before turning and asking MacLeod if he was staying the night.
"Tonight? Staying I guess … Amanda's asleep." Duncan replied.
Without another word Adam started up the stairs, not missing the soft sound of Beth's door
closing as he stepped on the third stair. For a long moment he stood staring at the low light
under the door … and then watched as it went dark … only then continuing up to his room.
Beth had heard Adam come in and started to go downstairs … until she heard his cross words
with Duncan. Her insides wrenched at the coldness in his voice. She was sorry she'd made him
so uncomfortable … she wished things had never changed. Realizing she was the last person he
wanted to see, Beth padded back to her room and closed the door.
The next morning, Adam slipped downstairs at the crack of dawn, thinking he could get out of the
house before anyone else was up. He was surprised to find Beth coming back in from the garden
with Barkley.
"I thought you were going to let one of us do that?" he asked, noting how her eyes seemed tired
and her face a little pale.
"He had to go out … and I didn't think you would want to be bothered … you got in so late." Beth
replied, averting her eyes.
"It's not a bother … I'd rather you be safe than worry about whether I'm inconvenienced."
"My mistake." She said before feeling the need to move quickly into the bathroom with another
wave of morning sickness washing over her.
Adam poured the glass of soda he knew she'd be coming for and waited a few minutes … but
Beth didn't emerge. Several more minutes passed and he began to worry. These things usually
passed quickly for her …
"Beth … are you all right?" he tapped on the door.
"I'm fine Adam … please … just go do whatever you were planning."
He could tell from the catch in her voice that she was crying and he hated himself, knowing he
was probably the reason. The morning sickness had just given her a reason to escape his curt
tone and sour expression.
"Beth … I'm sorry …"
She didn't respond, but he could hear the stifled sobs and felt even worse.
Amanda came into the main room and saw him standing beside the closed door. "What's going
on? She asked, pulling the robe she'd borrowed from Beth around herself.
"She's not feeling well …"
"And you care?" Amanda was ticked off at him for not bothering to even call so Beth wouldn't
worry all night if he was all right.
"Don't start …" he warned.
A few minutes later he heard the door knob turn and stepped back as Beth emerged.
"You ok sweetie?" Amanda asked, bringing the soda she'd found on the counter over to the
young woman and encouraging her to sit down beside her on the sofa.
"I'll be all right." Beth replied, the water she splashed on her face doing little to disguise the fact
that she'd been crying. "It doesn't last long."
Amanda looked up across the room at Adam and gave him a scathing look of disapproval.
"I think I'll get dressed." Amanda announced, thinking these two needed to talk out whatever was
going on.
"I'm sorry I worried you." Adam said, coming to lean against the mantle with a cup of coffee.
"What makes you think I was worried?" Beth gave him a little of his own back.
"MacCleod told me …"
"Well forgive me if after all that's been going on I get a little nervous when we don't hear from you
for over 18 hours … I got this crazy idea Devan or Mitchell might have gotten to you." She tried
to keep her tone detached, but he knew he'd worried her needlessly.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want you to be sorry Adam … God …" Beth buried her face in her hands and then looked
back up at him. "You don't owe me any explanation … I've been nothing but a burden to you
since the moment you got into town …"
"I haven't done anything I didn't want to do."
"I'm just saying … if you really want out of this … I'll understand. I don't want you to be
uncomfortable."
"I told you … I won't let them hurt you. I intend to keep that promise." He replied flatly.
"Then would you mind … if you are going to stay out so long again … would you mind at least
calling? You don't have to talk to me or tell me where you are or what you are doing … I just
need to know you're ok … Blame it on the hormones or whatever … but I just need to know."
Adam nodded, satisfying her. Beth didn't say anything else, but took the rest of her soda and
went upstairs to her room.
Adam didn't return to the house until very late that night. Duncan was listening to a concerto and
reading a book in the main room, and Amanda had fallen asleep upstairs in the spare room
across from Beth's.
"Find out anything?" Duncan asked, as Adam took off his coat and laid it over the chair.
"Not much … checked a few of Mitchell's old hang outs. He's made the rounds but no one's seen
him in the past few days."
"You missed a good dinner." Duncan commented as he turned a page.
"I stopped by Joe's …" Adam replied.
"She was worried about you … since you didn't say anything about leaving or call in …"
Adam didn't reply.
"Want to talk about it?" Duncan pried.
"About what?" Adam knew exactly what.
"About how much she gets to you … About why you spent the day avoiding her."
"Give it a rest MacLeod … you have no idea what you're talking about."
Mac shrugged. "It's your business …"
"Funny how you keep forgetting that." Adam replied, picking up his coat and striding toward the
stairs before turning and asking MacLeod if he was staying the night.
"Tonight? Staying I guess … Amanda's asleep." Duncan replied.
Without another word Adam started up the stairs, not missing the soft sound of Beth's door
closing as he stepped on the third stair. For a long moment he stood staring at the low light
under the door … and then watched as it went dark … only then continuing up to his room.
Beth had heard Adam come in and started to go downstairs … until she heard his cross words
with Duncan. Her insides wrenched at the coldness in his voice. She was sorry she'd made him
so uncomfortable … she wished things had never changed. Realizing she was the last person he
wanted to see, Beth padded back to her room and closed the door.
The next morning, Adam slipped downstairs at the crack of dawn, thinking he could get out of the
house before anyone else was up. He was surprised to find Beth coming back in from the garden
with Barkley.
"I thought you were going to let one of us do that?" he asked, noting how her eyes seemed tired
and her face a little pale.
"He had to go out … and I didn't think you would want to be bothered … you got in so late." Beth
replied, averting her eyes.
"It's not a bother … I'd rather you be safe than worry about whether I'm inconvenienced."
"My mistake." She said before feeling the need to move quickly into the bathroom with another
wave of morning sickness washing over her.
Adam poured the glass of soda he knew she'd be coming for and waited a few minutes … but
Beth didn't emerge. Several more minutes passed and he began to worry. These things usually
passed quickly for her …
"Beth … are you all right?" he tapped on the door.
"I'm fine Adam … please … just go do whatever you were planning."
He could tell from the catch in her voice that she was crying and he hated himself, knowing he
was probably the reason. The morning sickness had just given her a reason to escape his curt
tone and sour expression.
"Beth … I'm sorry …"
She didn't respond, but he could hear the stifled sobs and felt even worse.
Amanda came into the main room and saw him standing beside the closed door. "What's going
on? She asked, pulling the robe she'd borrowed from Beth around herself.
"She's not feeling well …"
"And you care?" Amanda was ticked off at him for not bothering to even call so Beth wouldn't
worry all night if he was all right.
"Don't start …" he warned.
A few minutes later he heard the door knob turn and stepped back as Beth emerged.
"You ok sweetie?" Amanda asked, bringing the soda she'd found on the counter over to the
young woman and encouraging her to sit down beside her on the sofa.
"I'll be all right." Beth replied, the water she splashed on her face doing little to disguise the fact
that she'd been crying. "It doesn't last long."
Amanda looked up across the room at Adam and gave him a scathing look of disapproval.
"I think I'll get dressed." Amanda announced, thinking these two needed to talk out whatever was
going on.
"I'm sorry I worried you." Adam said, coming to lean against the mantle with a cup of coffee.
"What makes you think I was worried?" Beth gave him a little of his own back.
"MacCleod told me …"
"Well forgive me if after all that's been going on I get a little nervous when we don't hear from you
for over 18 hours … I got this crazy idea Devan or Mitchell might have gotten to you." She tried
to keep her tone detached, but he knew he'd worried her needlessly.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't want you to be sorry Adam … God …" Beth buried her face in her hands and then looked
back up at him. "You don't owe me any explanation … I've been nothing but a burden to you
since the moment you got into town …"
"I haven't done anything I didn't want to do."
"I'm just saying … if you really want out of this … I'll understand. I don't want you to be
uncomfortable."
"I told you … I won't let them hurt you. I intend to keep that promise." He replied flatly.
"Then would you mind … if you are going to stay out so long again … would you mind at least
calling? You don't have to talk to me or tell me where you are or what you are doing … I just
need to know you're ok … Blame it on the hormones or whatever … but I just need to know."
Adam nodded, satisfying her. Beth didn't say anything else, but took the rest of her soda and
went upstairs to her room.