Megan’s taste buds were already working overtime. The two layers of banana and pineapple spice cake looked light and fluffy and oh so delicious. “Is that pecan brittle on top of the cake?”
John nodded. “It works well with the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting.”
William held out a fork. “Go on. I know you want to try some.”
“I’ll only have one mouthful. Promise.” Megan scooped some cake onto the fork and popped it in her mouth. She closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s delicious.”
“I’ll be sure to let Cindy know you enjoyed it. She’s eighteen years old and one of the best bakers I’ve had in my class.”
“She did a great job.” Megan dipped her fork into the cake again.
William’s eyebrows rose.
“One more,” she grinned.
“What am I going to do with you?”
Megan wiped her mouth on a paper napkin. “I don’t know. But I’m going to buy another slice of cake. I must have a sweeter tooth than I thought.”
“Or you’ve come to the right place,” William added.
“I’ll second that,” Pastor John said. “I’ll be back soon with your order.”
William scooped some cake onto his fork and gave an equally happy sigh.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” Megan said. “It was a great idea.”
“You’re welcome. You can come back whenever you like.”
She looked around the room and smiled. “I might do that.”
Chapter 16
Megan brushed her hands along the skirt of her dress.
“You look pretty,” Nora said. “One day I want to have a flower dress like yours.”
“You’re as cute as a button, too.” Megan glanced in the mirror before picking up her sweater. She’d chosen the colorful dress because it made her feel confident. And, tonight, more than any other night, she wanted to look and feel her best.
Caleb and Sam were holding their engagement party at Caleb’s house. Yesterday, Megan had taken Brooke’s advice and invited William to the party.
Nora looked through the bedroom window. “When will William be here?”
“He shouldn’t be too much longer. Do you want me to braid your hair before we go?”
“No, thanks.” Nora hugged Dolly to her chest. She hadn’t let the rag doll out of her sight since she’d arrived home.
“Let’s wait for William in the living room.”
Nora didn’t need any extra encouragement. She ran into the hallway and headed toward the front of the house.
Brooke’s home was perfect. And, best of all, it had a huge garage. When Megan had their lives a little more organized, she would fly to Milwaukee and arrange to have some of their furniture and belongings shipped to Sapphire Bay. What didn’t fit in the house could easily be stored in the garage.
“He’s here!” Nora slid off the sofa and skipped into the entranceway.
“Stay on the veranda,” Megan warned. “The concrete path is slippery.”
“Okay,” Nora yelled from the front door.
While Nora waited for William, Megan tidied the living room. There wasn’t too much mess, but it gave her something to do.
The squeal of delight coming from outside told her that William wasn’t far away. All she had to do was act like a mature, sensible adult. Regardless of what Brooke had said, Megan had taken more than her fair share of risks. And tonight would be the biggest one yet.
She picked up her jacket and turned around.
William stood in the doorway.
Megan froze. He was wearing a suit. A charcoal gray suit with a white shirt and red tie. Even his shoes were polished and shiny.
He looked at his chest. “Have I spilled something?”
“No. I’ve only seen you in a suit once before. You’re very handsome.”
If she hadn’t been paying attention to his clean-shaven face, Megan would have missed the blush spreading along his cheeks.
“Thanks. You look beautiful.”
Nora squeezed between William and the doorframe. “Are we going now? Uncle Caleb said we’re having ice cream sundaes for dessert. And Sam bought a special chocolate sauce that crackles when you bite into it.”
Megan smiled at William. “It sounds as though it’s going to be a night to remember.”
He held out his arm to Megan and his hand to Nora. “With two of the prettiest girls in Montana beside me, it can’t be anything else.”
Tears filled Megan’s eyes as Caleb told everyone how important Sam was in his life. Their engagement party was everything Megan thought it would be, and more.
A white handkerchief appeared in front of her.
She took it out of William’s hand and dabbed her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.
His mouth tilted at the corners. “You’re welcome.”
Megan wondered what it felt like to be so sure that what you felt for someone was the lasting kind of love. She thought she’d found it with her ex-fiancé, but she’d been completely wrong.
When Caleb’s speech was over, everyone toasted the happy couple and started chatting amongst themselves.
Nora tapped her on the arm. “Could I play with Sam’s little cousins?”
“Of course, you can. Make sure you stay inside.”
“I will.”
William watched Nora zigzag through Caleb and Sam’s family and friends. “She’s happy here.”
“Nora loves babies, and one of Sam’s cousins has three-month-old twins. If I’m not careful, she’ll want a puppy for her next birthday.”
“I thought you were going to say she’d want a baby for her next birthday.”
Megan’s cheeks felt as though they were on fire. “I can’t see that happening anytime soon.”
Before William could reply, Sam arrived and hugged Megan.
“I’m so glad you came. Caleb has been a different person since he met you.”
“I hope he hasn’t been too different.”
Sam looked across the room at her fiancé. “He’s the nicest person I’ve ever met. And he understands program code. What more could I want?”
A woman with dark, shoulder-length hair leaned over Sam’s shoulder. “How about a wedding dress that’s going to knock the socks off your fiancé? If you’re interested, I’ve got a gorgeous gown hanging in my closet.”
Sam sighed. “Megan and William, this is my sister, Shelley. She was supposed to get married last year, but she called it off at the last minute.”
Shelley held out her hand. “Mom and Dad still haven’t forgiven me. How do you know Caleb and Sam?”
“I’m Caleb’s sister,” Megan said quickly. When Shelley looked confused, she added, “It’s a long story.”
“Don’t worry. There will be lots of family events where you can tell me about it. But I promised Bailey I’d bring her one of Caleb’s famous ice cream sundaes. Would you like one?”
Megan shook her head. “I’m okay, but William might want one.”
He shook his head. “Not for me, thanks. I had too much chocolate cake.”
“It was wonderful, wasn’t it?” Shelley said. “I’ll have to get the recipe off whoever made it.”
William smiled. “You’re standing beside the baker. Megan made the cake.”
Shelley looked impressed. “As soon as we’ve eaten our sundaes, I’ll be back. It was the most delicious cake I’ve ever tasted.”
By the time Megan moved out of the path of a runaway five-year-old, Shelley was halfway across the room. “I’ll have to bring a notebook next time there’s a family occasion. It’s difficult keeping track of everyone’s names and where they fit into Sam’s family tree.”
“I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“That would be great. If we could find a couple of chairs, that would be even better. My feet are killing me.”
William looked at her five-inch heels and frowned.
“I know. I should have worn something with less of a hee
l. But these are my favorite shoes. I don’t wear them very often.”
“I was going to say how good they look.”
Megan wrapped her arm around William’s elbow. “It’s coffee time. If you keep sweet talking me, who knows where we’ll end up.”
William’s smile was enough to make her heart race. The sooner she talked to him about their future, the better everyone would be.
William should have realized that Megan was about to talk about the one thing he was trying to ignore.
After they’d left the kitchen, they found some chairs on the edge of the living room. Most of the other guests were enjoying dessert in another room.
Megan seemed nervous, but he put that down to being surrounded by Caleb’s soon-to-be extended family. It wasn’t until she cleared her throat that he knew something important was happening.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day. About hope and looking for the good in the world.” She clasped her hands on her lap. Megan was more nervous than William had ever seen her. “I’ve been so busy planning for Nora’s and my future that I didn’t consider what was going on around us. Until a short time ago, you weren’t in any of our plans. None of this was. And then I met you. I thought if I changed what I was going to do, it would ruin everything. But I didn’t appreciate what was happening between us.”
William’s hand shook so much that he had to leave his coffee beside Megan’s. “I need to tell you something.”
“It’s okay. I understand if this is a shock. I don’t usually change my mind so quickly, but—”
“I’ve accepted a job in Chicago.”
Megan’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I’m driving back to Bozeman tomorrow morning. I’ll pack most of my things and organize a company to take them to Chicago. I fly out of Bozeman on Friday.”
Megan cleared her throat. “How long are you staying in Chicago?”
“It’s not a contract. It’s a permanent position.”
“Permanent?” Megan’s face lost all its color. “Your dad must be excited.”
“I haven’t told him, yet. I only found out this afternoon that I got the job. I’ll be leading a team of fifteen special agents and working closely with the Pentagon. Jobs like this don’t come along very often.”
“Congratulations. It sounds exciting. I need to…I need to check on Nora. I’ll be back soon.”
As soon as Megan left, William took a deep breath. She’d been close to tears, but following her out of the room wouldn’t help.
Accepting the position in Chicago wasn’t an easy decision. His dad would be over the moon, but he hadn’t known how Megan would react. And now that he knew how she felt about him, he wasn’t sure he’d done the right thing.
Later that night, someone knocked on Megan’s front door. She’d almost expected to see William standing on the veranda, but it was Brooke.
“Are you all right?” Brooke pulled her jacket more firmly around her chest. “You didn’t seem happy when you left the engagement party.”
Megan wiped her eyes. “I’m okay. Do you want to come inside?”
“That would be great. It’s freezing out here.” Brooke stomped her feet on the doormat and walked through the front door. “I hope you don’t mind me barging in, but the lights were on and I was worried about you.”
“I’m glad you’re here. Would you like something to eat or drink?”
Brooke’s gaze dropped to the tub of ice cream in Megan’s hands. “Is that butter pecan?”
Megan nodded. “It was on special at the supermarket. I’ve eaten so much that I feel sick.”
Brooke looked inside the half-full container. “Why doesn’t that surprise me? Come on. I’ll pour you a glass of water. It might help balance out all the sugar you’ve eaten.”
There wasn’t a drink on earth that could do that, but Megan wasn’t complaining. It was nice to have company, someone she could talk to about what had happened.
“Where’s Nora?”
“She’s asleep.” Megan left the ice cream on the kitchen counter. “William has accepted a job in Chicago. I don’t know how I’m going to tell Nora that he won’t be back.”
“Did you know he was moving to Chicago?”
Megan shook her head. “I didn’t even know he’d applied for the job. We’d decided to be friends. I’d decided to be friends. But when William isn’t here, I miss him.”
“I know that feeling. Regret can be as nasty as bedbugs. It bites you in all the wrong places when you least expect it.”
“Did you make a decision you wish you hadn’t?”
Brooke handed Megan a glass of water. “It was the right decision, but for all the wrong reasons. I left my job and friends because I was scared. That doesn’t achieve anything.”
“I didn’t want William to live in the same town as Nora and me. I guess I was having flashbacks about my ex-fiancé. If I let William close, it would be horrible when he left.”
“Why did you think he would leave? He doesn’t seem the type of person who would change his mind once he’d made a commitment to someone.”
Fresh tears filled Megan’s eyes. “No, he isn’t. That’s me. I keep planning my life as if I live in a bubble. When something changes, I panic and focus on where I want to be, not how I’ll get there.”
“And a change in plans could be disastrous.”
“Exactly. What am I going to do?”
Brooke picked up the tub of ice cream. “For starters, we’re going to put this in the freezer. Then we’ll turn on the TV and watch a movie. And if we’re lucky, it will be a really soppy romance. We can cry all night and blame the hero and heroine.”
Megan hugged Brooke. “You have the best plans.”
“Remember the bubble. This isn’t a plan, it’s a suggestion. If something happens, we’ll find another way to drown your sorrows.”
“That sounds even better.” Megan walked into the living room and found the remote control and a box of tissues. It could be a long night.
Chapter 17
Three days later, Megan still hadn’t told Nora that William was moving to Chicago. She was hoping Nora became used to not having him around. So far, she hadn’t asked to call him and they hadn’t sent him any drawings.
Megan didn’t know how long that would last, but she hoped it would be for a while.
Nora rushed into the kitchen. Her backpack bounced against her shoulders, jiggling the plastic containers inside.
“Try not to run too much while the cookies are in your backpack,” Megan said to her. “Otherwise, the children in your class will only have crumbs to eat.”
Nora stood on tiptoes to take her drink bottle off the counter. “I’m ready to go to school.”
“I’ll meet you in the entranceway. I have to get my jacket.”
With a happy smile on her face, Nora disappeared into the hallway.
Megan walked into her bedroom and opened the closet. Hanging on the left-hand side was her red jacket. It was bright and warm and made her feel happy.
As soon as she saw Nora, she smiled. “I’m ready, too. Let’s go.”
Nora held her hand. “One of the boys in my class has a dad who doesn’t live with him. They only see each other at the weekends.”
“Oh. That’s…interesting. Apart from eating cookies, what are you looking forward to today?”
“Thomas the turtle is getting a friend. Mrs. Polanski said it’s a boy, but he doesn’t have a name. Can we ask William if he wants to build a snowman with us this weekend?”
Megan bit her bottom lip. “He won’t be able to come to Sapphire Bay this weekend.”
“Is he busy?”
Megan opened the door of her truck and clicked Nora’s safety harness into place. “He’s very busy.”
“Can we call him and ask?”
“That’s not a good idea, Nora. He’s starting a new job next week.”
Nora’s eyes lit with excitement. “Is he coming to live with us again? I
could draw him some more pictures. William loves my pictures.”
Megan put the keys in the ignition and took a deep breath. “William is going to live in the same city as his dad. It’s a long way from here.”
“But he can still come and see us. I like William’s truck and, when we go for long drives, he tells the best stories.”
Megan shook her head. “He won’t be able to see us very often. He would have to fly in a plane and it would take a long time.”
“When will we see him again?”
With a heavy heart, Megan turned to Nora. “He’s going to stay in Chicago forever. We won’t see him again.”
“Like Mommy?” Tears gathered in Nora’s eyes.
“No, not like Mommy. William hasn’t gone to heaven. He’s going to live in Chicago.”
“But why can’t we see him again?”
“William has a different job. He needs to help other people now.”
“I still need him. He could help us.”
Megan opened her door and sat beside Nora on the back seat. “It’s not as easy as that. Chicago is a long way away. You can still send William pictures of what you’re doing. “
“I want him here.”
“I know you do, but he’s not coming back.”
Nora sat silently in her car seat.
“I’m sorry, Nora.”
She dropped her chin to her chest. “Can we go to school now? I want to see Thomas the turtle.”
Megan kissed the side of her niece’s face. “It will be okay.”
The single tear falling down Nora’s face told a different story.
And the saddest thing was that Megan didn’t know if their lives would ever be okay again.
Megan added butter to the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl. She needed to take her mind off what had happened this morning and making a batch of cookies would help.
“Is everything all right?” Brooke asked. “You haven’t said very much since you arrived.”
Megan looked up from the bowl. “We had a rough morning. Nora wanted William to visit us this weekend. I told her he’s moving to Chicago and couldn’t see us anymore.”
A Christmas Wish Page 18