“Uh-huh.”
A silver and blue customized van with an extended roof suddenly pulled into the parking lot. Meg recognized it at once. Leah obviously did, too.
They glanced at each other and grinned.
“Wouldn’t it be fun to double-date sometime?” Leah whispered the question.
“Yes, it would.”
“There’s a dinner theater in Lexington—though I’m sure it’s amateurish compared to anything in Chicago.”
Meg lifted her shoulders. “Maybe we’ll have to go sometime and find out.”
Just as Meg was about to turn around and inform Cammy that her father had arrived, Nicole Foster showed up from out of nowhere. Meg watched as the woman took purposeful strides toward Vance, cornering him between his van and its open driver’s side door. From Meg’s vantage point, the conversation that ensued looked heavy, serious.
Meg exchanged curious glances with Leah.
“Maybe it’s something about her oldest son, Michael. He’s gotten into trouble here at school. He’s got anger issues. Maybe…maybe Nicole needs a male opinion about what to do with him or something.”
“That’s quite a stretch, even for you, Pollyanna.”
Leah elbowed her as repayment for the facetious remark.
Meg glanced back outside just in time to see Nicole slip her arms around Vance’s neck and lean forward.
Her lips met his. And what was worse, Meg didn’t see Vance putting up much of a fight.
Leah gasped and slapped her hand over her mouth.
“So that’s how it is. Okay, I get it.” Meg tore her gaze away. Touching Leah’s elbow, she urged her friend away from the windows, too.
Cammy watched them with a worried frown. She’d obviously overheard bits and pieces. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing, sweet pea.” There was a melodious note in Leah’s drawl.
“Your dad’s here.” Meg forced her legs to make their way to her desk.
“He is?”
“Yep, so it might be a good idea for you to pack up your things.”
“Yes, Miss Jorgenson.”
Cammy sent her a puzzled look, and Meg realized she’d sounded short. She wanted to amend her tone, but she couldn’t seem to find something—anything—to say.
Long moments of impregnated silence hovered in the room.
Leah peered over her shoulder and out the window in an attempt to glimpse further activity. Meg wished she wouldn’t even try. She felt embarrassed, confused, and incredibly disappointed. At this point, additional glances would only make her feel like she was spying. Though of course, if Vance chose to make out with that Foster woman in the school parking lot, then he could hardly accuse anyone of invading his privacy!
“I just can’t help wondering how some people’s minds work.” Leah sat down in Jordan Smith’s desk. “What are they thinking?”
“No telling.” But Meg’s own mind had already figured things out. Kissing her in the stables on Saturday, kissing Nicole right now in the parking lot—Vance Bayer seemed to be just as much a player as Kent, only coy and a hundred times more subtle. Meg could come to grips with the fact that Vance had lied to her, but how could he lie to Cammy, too?
Disappointment assailed her. She liked Vance. A lot. She’d looked forward to getting to know him better. But not anymore.
Vance walked into the room and Meg manufactured a polite smile. “Hello.”
He inclined his head. “Hi, Meg.”
She spun on her heel and began erasing the already cleared whiteboard. She supposed it wouldn’t hurt to give it another once-over.
“How was your day?”
She wasn’t sure to whom he spoke, but she allowed Cammy to answer the question.
“It was good, Daddy. And guess what? Jimmy Butterfield and Troy Thompson started fighting on the playground and had to go to the principal’s office.”
“I’m sure Mr. Sutterman took care of the matter.”
“Boys’ll be boys, eh, Vance?” The discomfort was evident in Leah’s voice. “Not that it’s okay to fight on the playground or anything, but you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I think I do.”
Hearing the warmth and amusement in his voice, Meg stopped her cleaning and studied the eraser. She concluded there was no use mourning something that never was.
She forced herself to face Vance and watched him gather his little girl’s belongings.
“Don’t worry, Miss Jorgenson, Jimmy and Troy will be better tomorrow. They’re not bad boys.”
Meg realized she’d been frowning hard, but not because of her students. “I’m sure you’re right, Cammy. Everything will be all right tomorrow.”
Vance looked at her, and she saw the diffidence in his eyes. A result of guilt? Embarrassment? He’d done plenty of public kissing in the last four days. Maybe there was more hellion left in Vance than Meg had thought.
“Ready, Cammy?”
“Ready.”
Vance peered over her head at Meg. “See you in the morning.”
“I’ll be here.”
Vance backed up the wheelchair and steered Cammy toward the door. As he passed by the window, Meg saw him casually glance in the direction of the parking lot. Was it her imagination, or did he miss a step?
She looked at Leah, whose eyes missed nothing. Her friend pressed her lips together but didn’t say a word.
Until they were alone in Meg’s car some minutes later.
“Can you believe it? Nicole’s out of her mind! Flinging herself at Vance like some hussy.”
“It wasn’t a fling. The move was very deliberate.”
“You’re miffed at Vance, aren’t you? I can tell. But that was all Nicole in the parking lot. Talk about a sneak attack! Poor Vance.”
“Sure, and Vance was as defenseless as a newborn baby, right?” A frown weighed on Meg’s brow.
“He pushed her away.”
“He did not. Looked to me like he kissed her right back.”
Leah inhaled sharply. “Heavens, no! He pushed her away.”
Meg didn’t want to debate the issue, but it certainly seemed more like a romantic tête-à-tête than a “sneak attack.”
“Listen, it doesn’t matter.” Meg squared her shoulders. “There’s nothing between Vance and me anyway. We mentioned going out together sometime. Big deal. If it never happens, I’m okay with it. In fact, I just e-mailed my mother this morning, and I felt like it was really important to let her know that my happiness here in Miracle isn’t dependent on whether I have a man in my life.”
“What is your happiness dependent on?”
“On—” The question momentarily threw her. She had to think about it. “My happiness is dependent on my new job, my family,” Meg aimed a grin at Leah, “and my friends.”
“That’s awesome, but—” Leah paused, appearing thoughtful. “Well, not to be a pessimist or anything, but jobs can be lost and family members and friends can desert you when you need them most.”
“I know that.” Meg couldn’t help thinking that Dillon was a prime example of betrayal.
“Make a left up ahead.”
Meg did as her friend bid her.
Still belted in, Leah scooted sideways in her seat. “So what do you hinge your happiness on?”
“Okay, let me rephrase my previous reply. My happiness is based on my success, teaching kids, and making a difference in their lives.”
“Admirable, but, again, temporal.”
“Huh?” Meg briefly took her eyes off the road and cast a quick glance at Leah. “What answer are you fishing for?”
“I’m not fishing, exactly. I’m just trying to make the point that true love, joy, and peace aren’t derived from people or accomplishments. They come from having a relationship with God.”
Meg thought it over. She’d heard a lot about having a “relationship with God” lately. But the philosophy seemed out of context here. “So what’s God got to do with Vance kissing Nicole Foster in the school parkin
g lot?”
“Well, love and happiness and all that.”
“I don’t love Vance.” Meg shifted in her seat, suddenly uncomfortable. She felt like she’d just fibbed. But how could she have, when he barely knew Vance?
“Slow down. We’re almost to my house. Make a right turn.”
Following Leah’s directions, Meg sped her car up the long driveway. She was met by a neatly groomed yard and a long ranch home with white siding. “Pretty place.”
“I wish you could come in. Maybe next time. You can stay for dinner.”
“Sounds fun.”
“Thanks for the ride.” Unlatching her seatbelt, Leah opened the door and climbed out. “The Donahues live four houses down the road, but considering the surrounding acreage, that amounts to about a half mile.”
“Got it.”
“And the Bayers’ house isn’t far from the Donahues’ place.”
“You’re telling me this, why?” Meg couldn’t hold back the gibe.
“I don’t know.” Leah slung the strap of her leather satchel over her narrow shoulder. “Just thought that when you’re done visiting with the Donahues, you could stop and say hi to Vance.”
“He might have company.”
“Only one way to find out.” Leah flashed a grin. “See you tomorrow.”
Before Meg could reply, her friend closed the door and headed for the side door.
Chapter Eighteen
Vance paced the kitchen while Cammy ate her dinner. He knew he made poor company this evening; he felt so flustered he could barely form a cohesive thought. So he’d taken Cammy out of the wheelchair and propped her up on the sofa in the living room. With a tray across her lap and a movie, The Hiding Place, playing on the TV, she was contented. She would, of course, have preferred an episode of Hannah Montana to the story depicting Corrie ten Boom’s experiences with the Nazis during World War II, but as part of her punishment for lying, he had banned television on school nights. The DVD was a stretch, but in his preoccupation with what happened this afternoon, Vance made the exception.
This afternoon—unbelievable! What was Nicole thinking?
He ran his hand through his hair and walked into the dining room, where he paused, folded his arms tightly across his chest, and stared out the front windows.
She’d kissed him right there in the school parking lot! Vance had been so stunned, it had taken him several seconds before he could peel her off of him.
Next she said she loved him and didn’t want to marry Professor Amir Gaspar. She begged Vance to give her a reason not to marry him.
He gave her not a single one. How could he?
She clung to him with tears in her eyes. While he pitied her, he mostly felt irritated and embarrassed. Nothing even resembling love filled his senses.
It definitely couldn’t match what he felt when he kissed Meg. At that moment in the stables, the air around them seemed electrically and magically charged. Vance hadn’t experienced anything like it since Angie died.
Never with Nicole. She’d been good company over the summer months, and they’d shared some fun times with mutual friends. But how in the world could she translate a few dates into love?
Vance rubbed his stubbly jaw before massaging the knot of tension forming in the back of his neck. Engrossed in his thoughts, he barely saw the bicycle riders outside, pedaling by his house.
He figured Meg probably saw the incident this afternoon. He sensed her distance when he picked up Cammy. After a few subtle questions, Cammy confirmed that both Miss Jorgenson and Miss Lawton had been standing by the windows, talking, just before he arrived.
Great. Just great.
Maybe it was insensitive, but Vance cared more about Meg’s opinion of him than he did about Nicole’s dilemma.
“Daddy, I’m done eating.”
“Coming, punkin.”
Vance steered his mind back to the here and now. He walked into the living room and removed the tray. Carrying it to the kitchen, he set it down on the table and decided to clean up later. For now, he’d sit through the rest of the movie with Cammy. Afterwards, they’d do her physical therapy, just as they did every night. Then he’d allow her to read for a while. Once she fell asleep, maybe Vance would work up the nerve to give Meg a call.
When Meg arrived home from the Donahues’, she received the message that Vance had called. But it was late, and she felt so stuffed with pork roast, spoon bread, and rhubarb pie that she didn’t call him back. Instead, she waddled upstairs to her room and spent a few hours reviewing tomorrow’s lesson plan before crawling into bed.
The next morning, there was neither time nor privacy for her and Vance to have a conversation. When school let out, Kent was hanging around and finally spoke to Vance about Cammy and the rowing machines. He added that the school’s HCA, or handicap assistant, agreed to stay by Cammy’s side the entire time. Vance was hesitant at first, but he finally gave his permission.
That evening, Leah convinced Meg to attend a home Bible study. She said that it was attended by a small group of women around their age, and that it was a great way for Meg to make a few more friends.
“Besides, with my car in the shop, I could use a lift. I’ll pay for the gas.”
For whatever crazy reason, Meg agreed; however, her expectations weren’t high.
But when Sarah Berger, the hostess of the Bible study, began reading a poem about how each individual was “fearfully and wonderfully” made, Meg couldn’t help but give her full attention. She’d always assumed she was an inconvenience that had to be dealt with until she became a self-sufficient adult. But hearing how God created her, just as Grams created her intricate patchwork quilts with careful planning, dedication, and great effort, struck Meg as quite profound.
“God put all the days of our lives together, knowing where each piece goes.” Conviction shown in Sarah’s brown eyes, but her voice had a sweet ring to it. “No one is a mistake, a fluke. In fact, each of us has a specific work or purpose to fulfill.” She read from her Bible then, citing Psalm 139.
After the study, Meg mingled with the seven other ladies in attendance. She’d already met several of them at church and decided they were friendly and sincere.
“Think you’ll come back next week?” Leah asked as Meg drove her home.
“I might. I feel—” Meg searched for the right word. “Uplifted.”
“Cool. That’s what it’s all about.” Leah paused. “Wanna bring the dessert next week?”
“No, because that would mean I’d have to bake, and who’s got time for that?”
“Not me,” Leah confessed. “And my mom works full-time, too, so I can’t ask her.” A pause. “If you haven’t noticed, it’s my turn to bring the goodies, and I’m trying to get out of it.”
“I noticed.” Meg bit back a laugh, but then an idea struck. “I’ll bet Grams would whip up something. I’ll ask her.”
“You think? I mean, I don’t want to impose.”
“Grams loves to make food for people, but if she’s too busy, she’ll let me know. Besides, there’s always the grocery store.”
“Oh, no, no, no,” Leah said with dramatic flare. “The Titus Two woman does not bring a store-bought dessert to Bible study.”
“Titus Two?” Meg hadn’t ever heard the phrase before. “Sounds like some buff thing Kent might be into.”
“No, that’s Midas,” Leah said on a giggle, “not Titus.”
“Not him, either. King Midas turned everything to gold.”
“Hercules, then?”
“Yeah, in Kent’s dreams.”
Meg turned and drove her car up the Lawtons’ driveway. By the time it rolled to a stop, whoops of hilarity filled the vehicle. Meg couldn’t help envisioning Kent morphed into He-Man, and she laughed until her stomach muscles cramped.
Leah admitted to thinking of the same cartoon character. “Oh, my goodness, that’s so funny!”
Meg wiped her teary eyes and audibly expelled the last of her mirth. “I must be
overtired.”
“I know I am.”
“So what’s Titus Two all about, for real?”
“It’s a chapter—half a chapter, really—in the Bible. The Book of Titus. It instructs older women to teach good things to younger woman, and it encourages married women to keep their hearts in their homes, even if they have to work someplace and earn money.”
“Keep their hearts in their homes.” Meg pondered the idea.
“As opposed to being consumed by a career and looking outside their marriages and families for happiness.”
“A lot of women would stay out of trouble if they took that advice.” Meg thought of her mother. What would have happened if she’d kept her heart in her home? She and Dad might still be married.
Leah opened the car door. “So, about the Bible study—you’ll come next week?”
“Sure.”
“Great. It’s a date.”
“The only date I’ve got.”
“Ditto.”
Smiling, Meg watched her friend get out of the car and walk into the house. Then she drove back to Grams’ place.
The back door was unlocked when she arrived, and she let herself in. A nightlight shone in the spotless kitchen, and on the stovetop Meg found a note saying that Vance had tried to get a hold of her again. But now it was after ten o’clock, so she decided it was too late to return his phone call.
The next two days played out much the same way, and the evenings were consumed by dinners with her students’ families. On Saturday Meg accompanied Donna and Kelly to a mall in Lexington, where Kelly returned the two extra homecoming dresses. She came home with them, stayed for dinner, and—at Donna’s insistence—agreed to spend the night. The two women stayed up late chattering, and it was good for Meg to finally have an in-depth conversation with her stepmother. She found herself liking Donna more and more.
The next morning, Meg attended Sunday service with her dad’s family—her family, too, she reminded herself. In light of all that had happened between them, it seemed fitting to her that the church was located on Redemption Road. Meg had driven by the round, red brick structure scores of times since moving here, but she hadn’t found the time to investigate it.
Love Finds You in Miracle, Kentucky Page 17