Remembering Beth: Weaver's Circle, #1

By Christa Maurice

Who makes memory?

Beth Wilson has been caring for Nonie Bennetti for years. She can see the end looming, but she doesn't expect it to arrive in the form of Nonie's grandson.

James is visiting his grandmother to hide from the publicity of a massive real estate scandal he revealed. While he's there, his mother decides it's a good time to audit Beth's handling of Nonie's finances. James wants to audit something else about Beth, but his mother is relentless. He's not hanging around anyway.

But Beth, and the small town his grandmother lives in, have a lot of appeal. Maybe it's time to stop moving around and start making some memories.

Contents warning: Meddling mothers, medical emergencies and little league games.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christa Maurice
• Release date: Jun 9, 2017
• ISBN: 9781540158826

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright 2018 Christa Maurice

Contemporary Timeline

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

You would think Beth’s best friend would be there for her in her time of need

Chapter One

About the Author

Also By Christa Maurice

Remembering Beth

A Weaver’s Circle Romance

By

Christa Maurice

Copyright 2019 Christa Maurice

eBooks are not transferable. All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE:

This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

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Contemporary Timeline

Because my series are interlocking, characters cross over into other books and they share a timeline. This list will allow you to figure out where the book in your hands falls in the timeline and if you spot a character you want to know more about, track them down in another book. The dates provided are not the years the books were published, or even the years the books were written, but when the action in that book took place. Shorts show up in my newsletter.

2007

Satellite Of Love, Maureen & Bear, Drawn To the Rhythm

2008

Heaven Beside You, Jason & Cassie, Drawn To the Rhythm

Decisions, Decisions (short), Maureen & Bear, Drawn To the Rhythm

2010

Love the One You’re With (short), Suzi

2012

Waiting For a Girl Like You, Alex & Marc, Drawn To the Rhythm

2013

Victim Of Love, Rick & Tara, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

2014

Let Me Be the One, Brian & Suzi (& Logan though not all at once), Drawn To the Rhythm

Send Me an Angel, Alan & Angie, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Kickstart My Heart (short), pretty much everybody

2015

Not Second Best, Tessa & Brett, Drawn To the Rhythm

Gift To Be Simple, Gian & Rachel, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Baby Come Back, Trent & Jenny, Rock And Roll State Of Mind

Remembering Beth, Beth & James, Weaver’s Circle

Redeeming Johnny, Johnny & Elaine, Weaver’s Circle

Saving Sue, Sue & Greg, Weaver’s Circle

2016

Try a Little Tenderness, Ryan & Taylor, Hollywood Nights

Protecting Lucy, Lucy & Dan, Weaver’s Circle

Rescuing Jack, Marie & Will (& Jack), Weaver’s Circle

Celebrating Flora, Flora & Wally, Weaver’s Circle

2017

Love Me Tender, Mick & Sarina, Hollywood Nights

Keep Coming Back To Love, Candy & Ty, Drawn To the Rhythm

Tender Is the Night, Gale & Lisa, Hollywood Nights

2018

Sacked By the Quarterback, Sonny & Mandy, Lumberjacks Football

Rushing the Passer, Hoagy & Danni, Lumberjacks Football

Dedication

For Papaw, we lost you years before we lost you and I miss you still.

Chapter One

Nonie? Beth pushed open the basement door and peered into the kitchen. The light over the sink was still on, but it had been for about three years. Nonie?

Three o’clock in the morning and here she was breaking into Nonie’s like a burglar because she heard footsteps overhead. Good thing there was no school, or she’d be toast.

Nonie? Beth slipped through the door. Nonie never got up at night. Beth always made sure she was safely in bed at eleven, with the remote in hand, before going down to her basement apartment and Nonie never stirred except to go to the bathroom. But someone had been walking back and forth for the last half hour. The old lady’s dementia was getting worse so it could be here wandering in confusion. Nonie also had a ton of stuff worth stealing. Beth hefted the baseball bat in one hand and her cell phone, finger trained on the 911 preset, in the other as she padded around the armoire in the kitchen. Nonie?

Hello? Nonie’s voice sounded more fragile than usual.

Nonie, it’s Beth. Everything all right?

Beth?

Beth from downstairs. Are you okay? Beth stepped around the antique table and paused. She hated to invade Nonie’s privacy, but the old lady got even more confused at night and anything happening in that room.

Nonie wasn’t answering. Beth slipped down the hall toward Nonie’s bedroom door. I’m coming in, okay Nonie?

I’m all right. I just have a little nose bleed.

Beth pushed open the door. Little? Nonie and the bed were dark in places they should have been white. Jesus.

Don’t blaspheme, Nonie snapped.

Beth dropped the bat and the phone, rushing forward. Pinch your nose closed.

Nonie pinched her nose. Then she took her hand away from her face and looked at it. I think I have a nose bleed.

Beth tried to lurch backward for her phone while lunging forward to pinch Nonie’s nose closed. She expected to rip in half someday. Nonie, you need to pinch your nose closed so it will stop bleeding. Do you have it pinched closed? Keep it pinched. Beth kept her eyes on Nonie while crouching and reaching back for her phone. The moment she stopped reminding Nonie to keep her nose pinched, Nonie would forget what she was doing. That would make talking to the 911 operator tricky. Do you have your nose pinched good and tight? Remember just like you did for Bobby Simmons. He used to have terrible nose bleeds because he picked his nose all the time.

That’s a filthy habit, Nonie said.

Beth found the phone. It had snapped closed, and she had to open it again, but her fingers found the preset no problem. That was a regular facet of her life lately. You just keep your nose pinched closed so it will stop bleeding. Beth switched on the light. The room looked like a slasher flick gone wild. How could such a tiny woman lose so much blood?

911. What is your emergency?

Hello this is Beth Wilson at 3291 Irvin Street in Weaver’s Circle. My neighbor Nonie Bennetti has a—No Nonie, don’t take your fingers off your nose. Beth juggled the phone to her other hand and pinched Nonie’s nose closed herself. Has a severe nose bleed. I need paramedics to get her to the hospital.

Nonie tried to turn her head to escape Beth’s hand.

Nonie, sit still or it’s going to keep bleeding. Mrs. Bennetti has dementia, and she’s—Nonie.

Ma’am, paramedics are on the way. Will they be able to get into the house?

Beth grabbed Nonie’s head with both hands trying to keep her from escaping. The phone dropped to the floor. She missed real telephones that you could pin between your cheek and shoulder. These flat little sci fi communicators were great for shoving in a pocket, but they absolutely sucked for talking on when you needed both hands. How was she going to get the front door unlocked? She couldn’t even talk to 911 on the phone without Nonie losing track.

What’s going on? Nonie demanded. Her voice rang with panic.

Don’t worry Nonie, the guys are going to take you to the hospital. I have to open the door. Can you hold your nose, please?

Nonie got a grip on her nose and Beth grabbed her phone off the floor.

I’m sorry, I dropped the phone, Beth said into it, jogging through the house and flipping on lights on her way to the door.

Does she have any other problems we should know about? the operator asked.

Other problems? For eighty-six, Nonie was in excellent health. She just couldn’t remember anything that had happened within the last thirty years or so including the last five minutes, and the last five seconds. No, she’s just very old and has dementia. Beth flicked on the porch light and opened the door. The air was cool for June. An paramedic truck swerved around the corner, lights flashing. The paramedics are here. Thank you. Beth snapped her phone case shut and stuffed it in her pocket.

The truck stopped in the driveway and familiar paramedics leaped out. Hi Beth, how’s Nonie tonight? one of them asked.

Nose bleed, Billy.

I heard. Billy hustled past her with his partner on his heels. You wash up and get her hospital kit. We’ll be ready to go in a minute. Hello Nonie. Little nose bleed tonight?

Beth pulled her phone out again as she walked down the hall to the spare room where she kept Nonie’s hospital kit. She needed to call the family. Shudder.

James stopped on the quiet street in front of his grandmother’s house. He was a complete failure. Two months ago he’d been a highly paid accountant for one of the largest real estate companies in Georgia. His life could be described in three words: wine, women, and song.

Then he’d discovered his boss’s fun new hobby. Real estate fraud. He’d called the SEC about thirty seconds after the fraud became apparent. Everyone in the office hated him, including the two women he’d been flirting with and the rest of his weekend band. The loss of the band eliminated all the other women he’d been flirting with. That left him with wine, but his newly unemployed status limited him to the battery acid from the bottom shelf. Oh, and the added joy of having been on the news meant everyone in the grocery store knew his face and many of them weren’t happy with him.

So now he was visiting family. Also known as moving in with his grandmother until after the trial when he might be able to get something