would happen. Between Tom’s asking Mike for a suggestion on where to take her to dinner and Liz and Hannah’s teasing after she’d entered the RV last night, Beth was sure the news would get around to the rest of the crew.
"We had dinner together, yes."
"Dinner? I heard you got back kind of late. Did they have to kill the cow before they cooked it?" Her father raised an eyebrow and gave a teasing smile, obviously hoping for more information.
"And we played miniature golf afterward, okay? Anything else you want to know?" Not that she would tell him. Beth was only willing to share so much with George. The intimate details of her evening with Tom were her business only.
"Yeah. How serious is this? Am I finally going to walk my baby girl down the aisle?"
Beth shook her head and let out another sigh, this time of exasperation. "Dad, we’ve eaten a couple of meals together. He’s a nice guy, and we like each other. That’s it. Don’t make more of this than it really is. You know I’m only here for a little while."
"Why do you say that? There’s nothing holding you in San Francisco anymore. You could work anywhere in the country with your accounting degree. And you were great at your job. It was the circumstances that forced you to leave, not your poor job performance."
"Yes, Dad, indirectly it was my performance." And lack of judgment, she added silently. "Besides, I’m not even sure if I want to keep working as an accountant. The whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth."
Her father reached out and laid his hands on Beth’s shoulders, giving her a little shake. "Now, Bethany , you worked damn hard to get where you are. Don’t let one bad experience sour you on something you honestly enjoyed doing. Just use these next few weeks to take a break and relax your mind. Maybe another opportunity will jump out in front of you."
Beth gave George a quick hug and then stepped back. "You’re right, Dad. This is my time to relax and do something totally different for a while. Have some fun before returning to the rat-race of corporate finance."
"Any of that fun going to be had with Tom?" Her father seemed hopeful for an affirmative answer.
"I’d like to say yes, but we’ll see what happens." Beth shot a quick glance at Tom, now busy wrapping up the rehearsal on stage, before giving her father an earnest look. "And Tom doesn’t know about what happened in San Francisco , so make sure you don’t say anything in front of him, okay? Promise?"
Her father dodged her question by throwing out one of his own. "Why haven’t you said anything to him? You didn’t do anything wrong."
"I haven’t said anything because it’s not his business. I consider him a friend, but it’s not something he needs to know. It’s not like we’re going to see each other once this tour is over, so why share unnecessary information?" The thought of not seeing Tom on a daily basis sent a twinge of pain through her heart, and Beth was shocked. She didn’t think she’d grown that attached to the man after less than a week. Obviously she was wrong. "Anything that develops between us will be finished in a few weeks."
And Beth knew that, logically, that was the way it had to be.
"Maybe you should tell that to Tom." George tipped his head to the side, and Beth turned to see Tom approaching from the stage. There was a smile on his face as he sauntered their way, his eyes on her the whole time. "I don’t think he has the same idea you do about your relationship."
•
Tom kept his gaze on Bethany as he neared, watching as a slight flush arose over her face. Good. He wanted her to feel as unsettled as he did, especially after what had happened between them the previous night.
"Hi," he said softly, staring into her wide blue eyes. Getting lost in them. Wanting to stay lost in them …
"A-hem."
The less than subtle disturbance made Tom tear his gaze from Beth’s in order to give a nod to her father. "Hey, George." Then he turned back to
"We had dinner together, yes."
"Dinner? I heard you got back kind of late. Did they have to kill the cow before they cooked it?" Her father raised an eyebrow and gave a teasing smile, obviously hoping for more information.
"And we played miniature golf afterward, okay? Anything else you want to know?" Not that she would tell him. Beth was only willing to share so much with George. The intimate details of her evening with Tom were her business only.
"Yeah. How serious is this? Am I finally going to walk my baby girl down the aisle?"
Beth shook her head and let out another sigh, this time of exasperation. "Dad, we’ve eaten a couple of meals together. He’s a nice guy, and we like each other. That’s it. Don’t make more of this than it really is. You know I’m only here for a little while."
"Why do you say that? There’s nothing holding you in San Francisco anymore. You could work anywhere in the country with your accounting degree. And you were great at your job. It was the circumstances that forced you to leave, not your poor job performance."
"Yes, Dad, indirectly it was my performance." And lack of judgment, she added silently. "Besides, I’m not even sure if I want to keep working as an accountant. The whole episode left a bad taste in my mouth."
Her father reached out and laid his hands on Beth’s shoulders, giving her a little shake. "Now, Bethany , you worked damn hard to get where you are. Don’t let one bad experience sour you on something you honestly enjoyed doing. Just use these next few weeks to take a break and relax your mind. Maybe another opportunity will jump out in front of you."
Beth gave George a quick hug and then stepped back. "You’re right, Dad. This is my time to relax and do something totally different for a while. Have some fun before returning to the rat-race of corporate finance."
"Any of that fun going to be had with Tom?" Her father seemed hopeful for an affirmative answer.
"I’d like to say yes, but we’ll see what happens." Beth shot a quick glance at Tom, now busy wrapping up the rehearsal on stage, before giving her father an earnest look. "And Tom doesn’t know about what happened in San Francisco , so make sure you don’t say anything in front of him, okay? Promise?"
Her father dodged her question by throwing out one of his own. "Why haven’t you said anything to him? You didn’t do anything wrong."
"I haven’t said anything because it’s not his business. I consider him a friend, but it’s not something he needs to know. It’s not like we’re going to see each other once this tour is over, so why share unnecessary information?" The thought of not seeing Tom on a daily basis sent a twinge of pain through her heart, and Beth was shocked. She didn’t think she’d grown that attached to the man after less than a week. Obviously she was wrong. "Anything that develops between us will be finished in a few weeks."
And Beth knew that, logically, that was the way it had to be.
"Maybe you should tell that to Tom." George tipped his head to the side, and Beth turned to see Tom approaching from the stage. There was a smile on his face as he sauntered their way, his eyes on her the whole time. "I don’t think he has the same idea you do about your relationship."
•
Tom kept his gaze on Bethany as he neared, watching as a slight flush arose over her face. Good. He wanted her to feel as unsettled as he did, especially after what had happened between them the previous night.
"Hi," he said softly, staring into her wide blue eyes. Getting lost in them. Wanting to stay lost in them …
"A-hem."
The less than subtle disturbance made Tom tear his gaze from Beth’s in order to give a nod to her father. "Hey, George." Then he turned back to
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