Page 26 of All I Want for Christmas

I had no doubt about that, but I also knew she hadn’t been kind to Joe after his father died. Maeve had gone to see him in El Dorado twice and both times, she’d seen Betsy at her finest, meaning her worst.

“Again,” I said, “you’ll need to talk to Joe about that.”

“Rose,” she pleaded with tears in her eyes. “I love my son, and I’d love to get to know you and your daughter too—Hope, is it?”

We hadn’t told her Hope’s name, but it wouldn’t have been hard to find out. Which is why it seemed like she hadn’t put much initial effort into investigating her grandchild if she thought she had a grandson.

“Betsy,” I said, “I refuse to go behind Joe’s back.”

“How would you feel if Hope turned her back on you when she’s grown? Wouldn’t you do anything you could to reconcile, even going to her husband asking for help?”

“Or her wife,” I said. “She’s too young to know who she’ll end up with.”

Betsy cringed at that, confirming what I’d suspected. She was still as judgmental as she’d been before. She was merely better at hiding it now. There was no denying that other than her parents, she was alone. But there was also no denying she’d gotten herself there.

“Before Kate’s death, there might have been a chance of Joe relenting, but your absence from Kate’s memorial service was too much for him. He swore he was done.”

She looked away, a tear falling down her cheek. Was it real or part of her performance to convince me to help her?

“I was too distraught,” she said. “My doctor gave me too much Xanax, and I slept for two days straight. When I came to, I realized I’d missed it.”

I had to wonder if she was being truthful, but it still wasn’t enough of an explanation. Besides, I wasn’t the one who needed to hear it.

“Betsy, I’m going to need you to leave,” I said, motioning to the door. It went against everything in me to be so rude, but to entertain her any longer felt like a betrayal to Joe.

She started to say something when the bells on the front door jangled again. We both turned our attention to the entrance, to see Neely Kate walking in, carrying two cups in a drink carrier and small pastry bag. My heart plummeted as a stunned Neely Kate froze in the doorway.

Betsy’s back stiffened as she gave Neely Kate her full attention, not that I was surprised she recognized the visual proof of her husband’s infidelity, and with an underaged girl, no less.

It took Neely Kate a few seconds before coming to her senses. “I see we have a visitor,” she said, trying to sound cheerful as she walked over to her desk, but I knew she was on guard, not that I blamed her.

Betsy looked as taken aback at the sight of my best friend, and it suddenly occurred to me that had Betsy been watching the office, waiting for Neely Kate to leave before making her attempt to ask me to intervene with Joe.

“Betsy was just leaving,” I said stiffly, hoping she got the message.

But Betsy continued to stare at Neely Kate before she took a step forward. “You’re Neely Kate, aren’t you?”

Neely Kate tensed. “Yes.”

“I’m Betsy Simmons, Joe’s mother.” She took a breath, contrition covering her face. “I only recently learned about your existence, and I’d like to offer you my sincerest apology.”

Neely Kate gasped. “Excuse me?”

“I bear no ill will toward you, Neely Kate,” she said. “You’re an innocent caught in all of this. I hear that you and Joe have a relationship now.”

I was shocked to see Neely Kate momentarily speechless, but then again, she’d been preparing to be attacked, not apologized to. I had been prepared for it too. Joe had said his mother hadn’t been pleased to learn of her existence.

“You hurt Joe,” Neely Kate finally said. “You broke his heart.”

“I know,” Betsy said, clasping her hands in front of her. “That’s why I’m here. To make amends.”

“He doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.”

Betsy cast a look over her shoulder at me, then turned back to my best friend. “I know, and I deserve every bit of recrimination that he has for me. But I’d still like to make up for my past actions and have a relationship with him.”

Neely Kate’s face softened. “I don’t think he’s open to that.”

“I know,” Betsy said, her voice breaking. “Do you thinkyoucould talk to him? Surely you of all people know what it’s like to be parentless. I don’t wish that for Joe. We need each other.”

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