“I’m sure it was.” The doctor handed Megan a sheet of paper. “These are Nora’s discharge papers. One of the nurses showed me her chart a few minutes ago and I’m happy to report that she can go home.” He smiled at Nora. “Don’t build any snowmen for a few days. It’s inside activities only.”
“Can I go to school tomorrow?”
“Of course, you can. I’m sure your friends will want to know what happened.”
William studied Nora’s face. She didn’t look as though she wanted to tell anyone about today.
Megan shook the doctor’s hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Nora was a pleasure to look after. Hopefully, we won’t see you again.”
“I hope so, too,” Megan said. She looked at William. “Would you like to come back to our house? I could make you a late lunch.”
William nodded. He knew that nothing would ever be the same between them, but he hoped that after today they could at least be friends. “I rented a truck at Polson airport. I can follow you back to your house.”
Nora pushed the blankets off her legs. “Can I go with William?”
Megan started to say something, then stopped. “If it’s okay with William, that’s fine. But you’ll need your car seat.”
William lifted Nora off the edge of the bed. “It’s okay with me. On our way home, you can tell me what you’ve been doing since I left.”
Megan collected Nora’s backpack and followed them out of the ward.
While Nora chatted about her new friends, William waited until Megan was beside them. It had been the kind of day that was every parent’s worst nightmare. But, tomorrow, the sun would still rise, and the world would keep spinning on its axis—with one major difference: from today onward, at least three people wouldn’t be taking their lives for granted anymore.
Later that night, Megan leaned against the doorframe of Nora’s bedroom. William was reading her a story, complete with funny voices and lots of laughter.
It was easy to see why Nora enjoyed spending time with him. They were like two peas in a pod, each finding humor in the same quirky tales.
“That’s it,” William said. “It’s time to go to sleep now.”
“Just one more chapter,” Nora begged. “I want to know what happens to Peter Rabbit.”
“If I read the whole story, you’ll have nothing to look forward to tomorrow.” William tucked Nora’s pink rabbit beside Dolly. “Maybe your toy rabbit could tell Dolly what happens.”
Nora looked confused. “But my rabbit doesn’t know what happens, either.”
“Are you sure?”
Nora turned on her side and cuddled her two toys. “I could ask her.”
“In the morning, you could tell Megan what she said.”
“Will you be here?”
William shook his head. “I’m staying in a hotel tonight, but I could come and see you before you leave for school. Would you like that?”
“Do you promise?”
“I promise. I’ll see you in the morning.” He tucked Nora’s blankets around her and made sure she was comfortable. When he turned around, he smiled at Megan. “Mission accomplished.”
“Congratulations,” she whispered. She nodded toward the bed. Nora’s eyes were already closing as she drifted into dream time.
Megan moved out of the doorway and walked down the hallway. She didn’t need to see or hear William to know he was behind her. The hair on the back of her neck prickled as he silently followed her toward the kitchen. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“Only if it’s not too much trouble. It’s been a long day for you.”
Megan shrugged. “It’s been a long day for everyone.”
William leaned against the cupboards. “I should have told Nora more about Chicago. She feels as though I’ve abandoned her.”
“She’ll be okay. All she needs is time to get used to our new lives. She’s looking forward to visiting our friends in Milwaukee.”
“When do you leave?”
“A week on Saturday. Nora’s teacher will give her some work to do so we can spend four days there.” Megan took two mugs out of the cupboard. “If you’d like something to eat, there’s shortbread in the red container in the pantry.”
While William looked for the shortbread, Megan thought about the time they’d spent at Zac’s house. It seemed like half a lifetime ago that they’d been hiding from the terrorist organization. So much had happened to change the way she thought about the world, herself, and Nora.
“Brooke and I talked to Sam the other day.” Megan handed William a mug of coffee. “She’s going to help us create new websites. Brooke is excited about having an online store, and I might be able to do something similar with my cakes.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“We think so, too. Who knows, one day we might have stores in every state of America.” She took a piece of shortbread out of the container. “When you start your new job, will you be working from Chicago or traveling around the country?”
“I’ll be in Chicago and Washington, D.C. for most of the time.”
“Are you looking forward to going home?”
William looked into his mug. “Chicago doesn’t feel like home anymore. I’ve been gone for so long that I’m not sure where I belong.”
Megan’s heart ached for him. She knew how that felt, and it was the worst feeling ever. “Milwaukee was the same for me. I’d been gone for a long time when my parents and sister died. In the end, I decided home was where the people who are important to me live.”
“Is that why you want to be close to Caleb?”
“Partly.” She looked around Brooke’s kitchen. “Even though I’ve never been to Sapphire Bay before, it feels like home. Except for Nora going missing, everything else has fallen into place. I have a great place to build my business, I’ve met Brooke and lots of other interesting people, and we have a nice place to live.”
William’s intense gaze sent goosebumps along her skin. “Is there anything else you want?”
For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. William had a fantastic job opportunity, and she wasn’t standing in his way. If she had some crazy, mixed-up idea about living happily ever after, it would have to stay locked inside her heart.
“I want to be happy and healthy,” she said quickly. “What about you?”
“I want to find somewhere to call home.”
Megan cradled her mug. The heat of the coffee warmed her cold hands and made her wish that things could have been different between them. “I’m sure you’ll find it. It will just take time, that’s all. I want to ask you something, but you don’t have to say yes.”
William’s eyebrows rose. “Should I be worried?”
“Not really. I want you to know that you don’t have to stay in a hotel tonight. We’ve got two extra bedrooms. If you want to stay here, you’re more than welcome.”
He shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I should go. Was it okay to tell Nora I’d be here in the morning?”
“Of course, it was. We leave for school at eight-fifteen. If you’d like to have breakfast with us, we’ll be awake any time after six-thirty.” Listen to you, Megan thought. She sounded as though she was coordinating a military operation. At least it was better than showing William how disappointed she felt.
“I’d like to have breakfast with you.” He took his jacket off the back of the chair and pulled it on. “I’m glad today worked out for the best.”
“So am I,” Megan said softly. “I appreciate you coming all this way. You must have a lot of work you’re trying to finish.”
William stuck his hands in his pockets. “I needed to come. I’ll see you in the morning.”
After Megan said goodbye, she sat in the kitchen, staring at her coffee mug. Why couldn’t her life be simple?
Early the next morning, a soft knock sent Nora rushing toward the front door. “It’s William!”
Megan wiped her hands on the dishtowel and slow
ly walked into the hallway. She’d tossed and turned for most of the night, dreading his arrival. It would be the last time they’d see each other, and her heart was already breaking.
By the time she arrived in the entranceway, the door was open and Nora was wrapped in William’s arms.
“How are you after yesterday’s adventure?” he asked Nora.
The smile on Nora’s face disappeared. “I’m okay. I’m sorry about leaving the school.”
“You know how dangerous that was, don’t you?”
Nora nodded. “I won’t do it again.”
“I know you won’t.” William hugged her once more before lowering her to the ground.
His gaze connected with Megan’s.
A shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to wrap herself in his arms, feel the prickly edge of his unshaven face against her cheeks, and tell him she would move to Chicago. But she couldn’t. Not now, and maybe never.
She took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Hi. Nora and I made pancakes for breakfast.”
“With raspberry sauce and yogurt,” Nora added. “’Cos it’s a special occasion.”
William’s eyebrows rose. “It is?”
Nora nodded and slid her hand into William’s. “Aunty Megan said you’re going home today. If you like our pancakes, you might come back for more.”
William glanced at Megan before looking down at Nora. “I won’t be coming back for a long time.”
“I know, but a long time is better than never.”
Megan didn’t know what was worse—the hopeful expression on Nora’s face or the sadness in William’s eyes.
Instead of adding her tears to what was happening, she turned toward the kitchen. “Let’s have breakfast. The pancakes don’t taste nearly as good when they’re cold.”
By the time they walked through the doorway, Nora was chatting to William, laughing while she told him about Peter Rabbit and Mr. McGregor’s vegetable patch.
Megan listened to the sweet conversation with her bottom lip clamped between her teeth, hoping to keep her tears from spilling down her cheeks. She should be grateful that laughter had replaced the sad mood from a few minutes ago. Instead, she was miserable. With a heavy heart, she took three glasses out of the cupboard.
“The pancakes smell amazing,” William said from behind her.
He was looking over her shoulder, standing so close that Megan could feel the heat from his body. She gripped the edge of the counter as her knees turned to jelly.
“What can I do to help?”
Megan took a deep breath and tried to control her pounding heart. “You could turn on the coffeepot. Other than that, we’re ready for breakfast.” As soon as she turned around, she knew she was in trouble. William’s intense gaze told her he knew exactly what she was thinking.
He brushed his hand along her cheek. “I know this isn’t easy.”
“I’ll be okay.” She wiped her eyes, then plastered another smile on her face. “When does your flight leave?”
William’s eyes narrowed. “In two hours.”
“You must be looking forward to going home.” She took two steps sideways and opened the refrigerator door. With a trembling hand, she took a carton of milk off one of the shelves. “Could you pour a glass of milk for Nora?”
He silently took the carton out of her hand, switched on the coffeepot, and moved across to the table.
Nora was waiting for them.
Megan sighed when she saw the napkin tucked inside the neck of Nora’s sweater. The red and gold pattern reminded her of the day they’d spent with Caleb and Sam. The first Christmas Megan had ever had with her brother.
She placed the pancakes in the middle of the table and sat down.
Nora smiled at William. “You go first, William, ’cos you’re our guest.”
He lifted two pancakes onto his plate. “How many would you like, Nora?”
“One, please.”
After they’d all smothered their pancakes in raspberry sauce and vanilla yogurt, William took the first bite. “Mmm…I’d forgotten how good your pancakes taste.”
Nora grinned. “They’re the best. Dolly likes them, too.”
William smiled at the red-headed rag doll sitting beside Nora. “What are you doing in your class today?”
Nora’s fork froze above her pancake. “I don’t know.”
“Because you weren’t at school yesterday?”
Nora’s narrow shoulders rose. “Kind of. What if everyone makes fun of me for leaving?”
Megan frowned. “They won’t do that. They’ll be happy you’re okay.”
“Sometimes they say mean things,” Nora said softly.
The pancake in Megan’s mouth turned to sawdust. “What do they say?”
“That I talk funny.”
William put down his knife and fork. “They might not have met anyone from Milwaukee before.”
“That’s what my teacher said. She said everyone talks differently, just like we look different. But we can still be friends.”
Megan thanked their lucky stars for Mrs. Polanski. “She’s right, Nora. The world would be a boring place if everyone looked and sounded the same.”
A wistful smile drifted across Nora’s face. “Not if they looked and sounded like William. Then I wouldn’t miss him so much.”
For a brief moment, William closed his eyes.
Coming here this morning must be just as hard for him as it was for Megan. They both cared about Nora and, deep inside her heart, she knew they cared about each other.
“William is only a phone call away,” Megan reminded Nora. “And he loves your drawings.”
Nora smiled at William. “And you like Aunty Megan’s baking, too. We could send you some cakes and cookies.”
William cleared his throat. “I’d like that.”
With a happy sigh, Nora picked up her knife and fork and ate her pancake.
Megan wasn’t sure she could pick up her knife and fork, much less eat her pancake. Saying goodbye to William was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do—and this would be the second time this week.
Chapter 19
William sat in his favorite, overstuffed armchair, reading the newspaper. He didn’t need to raise his head to know his father was staring at him.
“What is it, dad?”
“How long have you been living in Chicago?”
William lowered the newspaper. “Four weeks.”
“And in that time, how often have you smiled?”
He didn’t have to think too hard about his answer. He hadn’t smiled since he’d left Sapphire Bay. William had known moving back home wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t anticipated just how difficult it would be.
“It doesn’t matter how much I’ve smiled. I came here to do a job and spend more time with you.”
James Parker snorted. “Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. And just for the record, you didn’t have to come here. I was willing to move closer to you.” He pulled himself out of his chair and walked into the kitchen.
William didn’t know why his dad was so concerned about his happiness, but that was nothing new. Most of the time they were as different as night and day but, occasionally, his dad surprised him. Like now.
James handed him a parcel. “This arrived for you this afternoon. I’ve turned on the coffee pot.”
In oversized letters, Nora had written a message on the back of the box. Yummy cookies for my best friend. The smiley face she’d drawn at the end of the sentence made William’s heart ache. He missed the joy that Nora brought into his life and her simple way of looking at the world.
And he missed Megan. They’d only talked to each other a few times since he’d arrived in Chicago. The short conversations had left him feeling miserable. Even his emails to Nora made the distance between them unbearable.
A knife appeared under his nose. “Use this. If it’s anything like the other parcels, you’ll need more than brute strength to open it.”
Each
week, a parcel had arrived from Sapphire Bay. The boxes were always covered in lots of layers of tape. Nora must have spent a long time making sure each box would reach Chicago unopened.
William sliced along the edges and pulled back the flaps.
“I’m shocked,” James said with a dramatic gasp. “Was that a smile?”
“You’d better behave yourself or I won’t share what’s inside.”
James leaned forward and breathed in the sweet smell of cocoa. “Chocolate chip,” he said wistfully. “I haven’t tasted cookies as good as Nora and Megan’s since your mom died. You can’t begrudge a man one of the few pleasures in his life.”
“Eating cookies?”
“Eating Megan and Nora’s cookies.”
William handed the parcel to his dad. “Help yourself, but don’t take them all.”
“As if I’d do that,” James muttered. He reached into the box and took two cookies. “It takes a lot of skill to create the perfect cookie. Megan’s business must be booming if all her baking is as good as this.”
“I don’t know how she’s doing.”
“Why haven’t you asked her?”
“I’ve only called Megan to thank her and Nora for the parcels they’ve sent.”
His dad frowned. “That’s called a wasted opportunity. Sounds to me like you need to think about what you want in life.”
William’s appetite disappeared. When his dad handed him the box, he left it on the coffee table. “I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted.”
His dad bit into one of the cookies. “You could have fooled me. Do you love her?”
“I’m assuming you’re talking about Megan?”
“Unless there’s another woman you’re madly in love with then, yes, I’m talking about Megan.”
William stared into the fireplace. He’d never stopped loving her. Even when she decided to stay in Sapphire Bay, he’d wanted the very best for her. But, after everything that had happened, he wasn’t sure he was the person Megan needed in her life.
“Just looking at you is giving me indigestion,” his dad complained. “What’s wrong with calling her?”
A Christmas Wish: Sapphire Bay, Book 3 Page 20