CHAPTER 32
Richie was glad Duncan could spell him with Claudia. The woman was beautiful … and talented
… but she was a piece of work to deal with every hour of every day.
It was late afternoon and he was surprised to find Amanda alone in the kitchen trying to do
something with a chicken.
"Uhm … you're cooking dinner?" he asked warily.
"I am …" she said. But when she looked back down at the dish she was preparing her face fell.
"Or maybe I should just call out for pizza."
Richie laughed. "Where's the chef? I'm surprised she's not in here whipping up something
fantastic.
"She's in her room." Amanda replied soberly.
"Is she sick? Is something wrong with the baby?" he asked with concern.
"The baby is fine … and I don't think she's sick … She's just … tired …"
"That doesn't sound like her." Richie said, turning to go up and check on her.
"I think she wants some time to herself." Amanda called to him. "She's been up there all day …"
Ignoring the warning, Richie took the stairs two at a time and rapped gently on her door.
"Beth … it's Richie … "
"Richie? Uhm … I really don't feel like company." Beth replied.
"Are you ok? Is there something I can get for you?"
"No … please … I just want to rest."
Richie started to ask her again, but knew her answer wouldn't change.
"What's going on?" Adam asked as he came up the stairs, he was covered in sweat and
obviously had been running.
"Amanda says she's been in there all day." Richie replied.
"She's probably … tired …" Adam said, but deep down he knew better. He knew she was
avoiding him the way he'd avoided her the day before. She was trying to give him his space by
self-imposing her own isolation.
"I don't know man … this isn't like her. I think something is wrong." Richie shook his head. "Do
you think I should get a doctor?"
"I don't need a doctor." Beth said as she opened the door. She'd heard them talking and knew
just like it wasn't fair for Adam to make her worry … it wasn't fair for her to make everyone else
worry …
"Do you feel like coming downstairs?" Richie asked.
"Yeah … in a minute … I want to wash my face first though …" she replied. "I was getting
hungry anyway."
"Hope you like pizza." Richie said as he started down the stairs.
"I thought Amanda was making the chicken I'd thawed."
"Is that what it was?" Richie made her laugh with his assessment of Amanda's culinary
shortcomings.
"Did you get some rest?" Adam asked, still standing outside her room.
"A little." She replied, moving past him.
"Feel up to a drive?" he asked. "After I shower that is? … You've been cooped up in this house
for two days … and it's going to be a nice night.
"What about the pizza?" Beth asked, resisting the urge to ask him why he wanted to be alone
with her now when it was obvious she made him uncomfortable …
"I was thinking we could stop at that Chowder House near the beach."
"Ok" Beth replied, closing the bathroom door behind her.
She put on jeans and a deep blue sweater before brushing her hair out, leaving it unbound for a
change. For several minutes she stood looking at her reflection, wondering why she was going
with him … why could he possibly want to be alone with her?
She heard Adam on the stairs and grabbed her jacket, following him into the main room.
"You going somewhere?" Richie asked.
"Beth was getting a little stir crazy … I thought some fresh air would be good for her … we're
going up by the beach to the Chowder House."
"Sounds great." Richie replied. "Mind if I tag along?"
"Uhm not so fast … what about those three pizza's we ordered?" Amanda said. She was not
going to let him get in the way of whatever was going on. "Besides … if you go with them … who
is going to keep me company?"
"Ok ok … I'll stay with you … but I'm picking the movie this time …" he said as the doorbell rang,
announcing the arrival of the pizza.
Beth pulled on her jacket and Adam retrieved his long duster from the hall closet … making sure
his sword was concealed in the lining.
"Don't you ever worry about catching cold?" Beth asked, nodding towards his still damp hair.
"Can't recall ever catching one." He answered truthfully. She noticed he'd dressed a little neater
than usual. His usually bulky sweaters had been replaced by a button down and more form fitting
pullover. She tried not to stare at how great he looked as she handed him her keys.
They didn't talk on the way to the Chowder House, the silence a tell tale sign of the tension
between the two.
Over dinner they didn't seem to have much to say either. Adam knew he needed to break the
ice, but didn't have a clue how to get back the casual repoir that came so easily until the day
before. And then opportunity found him. Beth hadn't really eaten all day, and Adam managed to
make her smile when he chided her for finishing two bowls of Chowder.
"Those were small bowls." She shot back as she let him lead her down to the quiet side of the
docks. "And I am eating for two …"
"I can't wait to see how that attitude is going to pan out around your eighth month." He chuckled.
Beth's smile faded. "I didn't think you would be around by that time … I mean … hopefully this
whole mess will be over and you can get on with … your life." She blinked against the wind that
cut through her.
Adam didn't reply, but put an arm around her … leading her to a bench that overlooked the cliffs
but had a wall behind it to protect them from the wind.
"Do you come here often?" she asked as she watched the waves crashing and the moonlight
playing on the surf.
"I spent most of yesterday and this afternoon here." He admitted.
"Oh." She replied softly.
"I had a lot on my mind … a lot to think about." He said, looking out at the water.
Beth didn't say anything. She had no idea where this conversation was going. Looking at his
profile, she saw how serious he was and wondered why he'd brought her here.
"I'm sorry I shut you out. It wasn't something I planned … I just didn't expect being with you
would mean dealing with something I've been trying to get past."
"You don't owe me an explanation Adam."
"Yes … yes I do." He replied, turning to look at her directly.
Richie was glad Duncan could spell him with Claudia. The woman was beautiful … and talented
… but she was a piece of work to deal with every hour of every day.
It was late afternoon and he was surprised to find Amanda alone in the kitchen trying to do
something with a chicken.
"Uhm … you're cooking dinner?" he asked warily.
"I am …" she said. But when she looked back down at the dish she was preparing her face fell.
"Or maybe I should just call out for pizza."
Richie laughed. "Where's the chef? I'm surprised she's not in here whipping up something
fantastic.
"She's in her room." Amanda replied soberly.
"Is she sick? Is something wrong with the baby?" he asked with concern.
"The baby is fine … and I don't think she's sick … She's just … tired …"
"That doesn't sound like her." Richie said, turning to go up and check on her.
"I think she wants some time to herself." Amanda called to him. "She's been up there all day …"
Ignoring the warning, Richie took the stairs two at a time and rapped gently on her door.
"Beth … it's Richie … "
"Richie? Uhm … I really don't feel like company." Beth replied.
"Are you ok? Is there something I can get for you?"
"No … please … I just want to rest."
Richie started to ask her again, but knew her answer wouldn't change.
"What's going on?" Adam asked as he came up the stairs, he was covered in sweat and
obviously had been running.
"Amanda says she's been in there all day." Richie replied.
"She's probably … tired …" Adam said, but deep down he knew better. He knew she was
avoiding him the way he'd avoided her the day before. She was trying to give him his space by
self-imposing her own isolation.
"I don't know man … this isn't like her. I think something is wrong." Richie shook his head. "Do
you think I should get a doctor?"
"I don't need a doctor." Beth said as she opened the door. She'd heard them talking and knew
just like it wasn't fair for Adam to make her worry … it wasn't fair for her to make everyone else
worry …
"Do you feel like coming downstairs?" Richie asked.
"Yeah … in a minute … I want to wash my face first though …" she replied. "I was getting
hungry anyway."
"Hope you like pizza." Richie said as he started down the stairs.
"I thought Amanda was making the chicken I'd thawed."
"Is that what it was?" Richie made her laugh with his assessment of Amanda's culinary
shortcomings.
"Did you get some rest?" Adam asked, still standing outside her room.
"A little." She replied, moving past him.
"Feel up to a drive?" he asked. "After I shower that is? … You've been cooped up in this house
for two days … and it's going to be a nice night.
"What about the pizza?" Beth asked, resisting the urge to ask him why he wanted to be alone
with her now when it was obvious she made him uncomfortable …
"I was thinking we could stop at that Chowder House near the beach."
"Ok" Beth replied, closing the bathroom door behind her.
She put on jeans and a deep blue sweater before brushing her hair out, leaving it unbound for a
change. For several minutes she stood looking at her reflection, wondering why she was going
with him … why could he possibly want to be alone with her?
She heard Adam on the stairs and grabbed her jacket, following him into the main room.
"You going somewhere?" Richie asked.
"Beth was getting a little stir crazy … I thought some fresh air would be good for her … we're
going up by the beach to the Chowder House."
"Sounds great." Richie replied. "Mind if I tag along?"
"Uhm not so fast … what about those three pizza's we ordered?" Amanda said. She was not
going to let him get in the way of whatever was going on. "Besides … if you go with them … who
is going to keep me company?"
"Ok ok … I'll stay with you … but I'm picking the movie this time …" he said as the doorbell rang,
announcing the arrival of the pizza.
Beth pulled on her jacket and Adam retrieved his long duster from the hall closet … making sure
his sword was concealed in the lining.
"Don't you ever worry about catching cold?" Beth asked, nodding towards his still damp hair.
"Can't recall ever catching one." He answered truthfully. She noticed he'd dressed a little neater
than usual. His usually bulky sweaters had been replaced by a button down and more form fitting
pullover. She tried not to stare at how great he looked as she handed him her keys.
They didn't talk on the way to the Chowder House, the silence a tell tale sign of the tension
between the two.
Over dinner they didn't seem to have much to say either. Adam knew he needed to break the
ice, but didn't have a clue how to get back the casual repoir that came so easily until the day
before. And then opportunity found him. Beth hadn't really eaten all day, and Adam managed to
make her smile when he chided her for finishing two bowls of Chowder.
"Those were small bowls." She shot back as she let him lead her down to the quiet side of the
docks. "And I am eating for two …"
"I can't wait to see how that attitude is going to pan out around your eighth month." He chuckled.
Beth's smile faded. "I didn't think you would be around by that time … I mean … hopefully this
whole mess will be over and you can get on with … your life." She blinked against the wind that
cut through her.
Adam didn't reply, but put an arm around her … leading her to a bench that overlooked the cliffs
but had a wall behind it to protect them from the wind.
"Do you come here often?" she asked as she watched the waves crashing and the moonlight
playing on the surf.
"I spent most of yesterday and this afternoon here." He admitted.
"Oh." She replied softly.
"I had a lot on my mind … a lot to think about." He said, looking out at the water.
Beth didn't say anything. She had no idea where this conversation was going. Looking at his
profile, she saw how serious he was and wondered why he'd brought her here.
"I'm sorry I shut you out. It wasn't something I planned … I just didn't expect being with you
would mean dealing with something I've been trying to get past."
"You don't owe me an explanation Adam."
"Yes … yes I do." He replied, turning to look at her directly.