Evolving Dreams (New Beginnings Series)

by Tepe, Mandie

  Tobi had planned her hot date with Sonny that night, so Meg knew she’d have a nice quiet evening to think. Or not, she thought. Her head was pounding from thinking too hard anyway. Maybe she’d take the night off while her dad and Keith did some thinking for her back in Illinois.

  Meg was nesting on the sofa in her favorite sock monkey pajama pants and tank top with her pink fuzzy blanket wrapped around her. She had her face scrubbed clean and was settling in to watch the better part of a season of So You Think You Can Dance on Tobi’s DVR when the doorbell rang.

  Tobi called out, “Can you let him in, hon?”

  Meg set her mug of hot cocoa on the end table and rolled herself off the sofa, still wrapped in the blanket. She opened the door. “Hey, Sonny! How are you?”

  He couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “Hi, Meg. Fine, thanks. You?” He didn’t know the particulars, but he knew Trace had broken up with her.

  “I’m peachy.” She plopped back onto the sofa, her legs curled under her. “Have a seat. Tobi’ll be out in a minute.” She leaned over to pick up her mug and the fuzzy blanket fell away from one shoulder, leaving it bare.

  Sonny grinned as he sat on the edge of one of the armchairs. “Well, Meg, you look cozy.”

  She grinned back, “Well, Sonny, you look hot.”

  Tobi came around the corner just then. “Hey! You’re not trying to steal my date, are you?” she asked Meg.

  Meg threw her arms out. “Looking like this? Hah! I was just admiring his great leather jacket.” She turned back to Sonny. “You clean up good, Sonny.”

  “Thanks.” He stood up and let out a low whistle as he walked a circle around Tobi. “Meg, as cute as you look all cozied up like that, you can’t compete with this.” He kissed Tobi’s cheek and she blushed.

  “Don’t I know it,” she replied.

  Sonny held Tobi’s coat for her as she told Meg not to wait up for her. Meg just rolled her eyes.

  “It’s kind of chilly out there, guys. Are you sure you don’t want to stay in? I’ve got a So You Think You Can Dance marathon going with hot cocoa on the side.”

  “No thanks, Meg. We’ve got reservations.” He winked at her as he held the door open for Tobi.

  Meg heard Tobi say, “Ooh . . . reservations . . .” as he closed the door and they moved on down the hall. Then she turned off the lamp on the table next to her and hit the play button on the remote.

  As Sonny and Tobi took the elevator down to the lobby, he said, “She seems like she’s doing really good. You know . . . after the break up and all.”

  Tobi rolled her eyes at him and muttered, “Men . . .”

  “What?”

  “If you tell Trace this I’ll kill you. She’s not doing good. She was putting on a show for you so you’d think she’s doing good.”

  “Oh,” he said in a small voice.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Early Friday morning Meg made another call home before she left for work. She didn’t worry about waking her parents because of the two-hour time difference. When her mom answered, Meg chirped, “Morning!”

  “Hi, Meg! It must be the crack of dawn out there. Everything okay?”

  “Yes. I wanted to call and talk to you before I left for work. Are you busy?”

  “Not really. Nothing that can’t wait.”

  “Good. I just wanted to let you know . . . after conferring with Daddy and Keith yesterday, I think I’ve made my decision.” Meg took a deep breath. “I’m going to take the job.”

  “Oh, Meg!” Sheila exclaimed. “I think that’s great! Have you let them know yet?”

  “No, I wanted to talk to you first. I’m planning to sign the contract today.” Meg bit her lip. “I know you were expecting me to come home next week. I think I should change my plans, though. I’d like to start house hunting next week. If I start now I could be settled in by Thanksgiving and I’d come home for that. Then I’d have a few weeks to come back to the west coast and try to make some contacts in LA before Christmas. That’ll give me at least two full weeks over Christmas to spend with you guys. Does that sound okay?”

  Sheila laughed, “Sounds like you’ve thought it through pretty thoroughly. That sounds like a great plan. Maura should be delivering the baby just before Christmas. The timing is perfect.”

  “I know. Almost like it was meant to be. It’s kind of scary, actually.”

  “Don’t be scared. I’m taking it all as a good sign.” Sheila paused and wondered briefly if she should bring up the subject of Trace. She decided to take the bull by the horns. “And you’re okay with being so close to Trace?”

  “I really don’t think it’s an issue, Mom. I doubt I’ll even run into him. It’s a big city and he’ll be mostly around Coronado. I don’t think anyone from the SDDI has had occasion to run into the SEALs before I came along,” Meg chuckled, then sobered. “Seriously, I think I can trust myself to be strong enough not to show up unannounced on his doorstep.”

  “I think you’re being very strong. I know what a heartbreak this has been for you.”

  “Well . . . it happens to everyone eventually, I suppose. I don’t know why I should be immune.”

  A light bulb went off over Sheila’s head. “Hey! Can I come out and help you house hunt? I could fly out on Sunday!”

  “Would you really want to do that? You were just here last weekend.”

  “Yes! It would be fun. Then, when we find you a place we can shop for furniture and household stuff.”

  “I think it would be great. What about Daddy? Will he mind if you leave him for a few days?”

  “No! He’ll be working during the week. He can fend for himself.” Meg could hear clicking on the other end of the phone, then Sheila said, “I’m logging onto the computer now to look for flights. Here we go . . . Sunday afternoon . . .”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to wait ‘til Monday? You could spend Sunday with Daddy.”

  “Well . . . we’re going to keep Aubri Saturday night, then after Sunday school on Sunday morning, your dad is taking her to the petting zoo.”

  “You won’t want to miss that.”

  Sheila laughed, “I wasn’t invited. This is just a Papa-and-Aubri date.”

  “Aw . . . that’s sweet,” Meg cooed. “It would be great if you could come in on Sunday. We can get started first thing Monday morning.”

  “Are you looking to buy a house or rent? There are usually a lot of real estate ads in the Sunday paper,” Sheila said.

  “I’m thinking I’ll rent. The contract runs for a year-and-a-half, so until I know this is really a long term thing for me, I’m safer renting.”

  “I think that’s smart. Okay . . . I can fly out at three thirty-five on Sunday afternoon and would arrive there at quarter after seven. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds great. I’ll be there to pick you up. Don’t rent a car.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll book us a hotel suite. Tobi’s place is really small so we don’t want to crowd in on her. Besides I have a bunch of stuff I’m moving out of my studio today, so we’ll have more room to put it in a suite.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Let’s go for it. I’m booking the flight right now.”

  “Wait!” Meg exclaimed. “Give me the information and let me book it for you. I don’t want you having to pay for a trip to come out to help me.”

  “Don’t be silly! I’m booking it myself.” Sheila giggled, “I can’t wait. This is going to be so much fun.”

  “Thanks, Mom.”

  “Do you want me to get the stuff you have stored in our basement packed up and ready to ship? We can have Daddy ship it when we get your new address.”

  “No, no . . . I can pack it up and ship it when I’m there for Thanksgiving. Thanks anyway.”

  “Okay. Well, I’m going to let you go so I can call Daddy at work and fill him in. I’ll let Maura and Keith know you’ve made a decision too.”

  “Alright. I have to get ready for work. It’s a big day!”


  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

  It was difficult, but Meg was able to hold her tongue with Tobi before work. She thought it would be more professional to give Marcy the news first. After that, though, word spread among the faculty like wildfire. Meg finished packing up her studio and a couple of the security guys loaded up her things and dropped it by Tobi’s apartment—all by noon. After lunch, she met Marcy back in her office where the school’s legal counsel and a notary public waited to witness her signing the contract. She also signed the salary documents.

  Marcy, several of the other administrators and Estelle walked with her to the auditorium where the students and staff had all been assembled for the big announcement. Meg knew that Estelle’s students would miss her, and she just hoped she could step up and fill the spot adequately. After that Meg was free to go.

  She went back to Tobi’s to make sure the guys had stacked her boxes as out of the way as possible. There wasn’t a lot room in the apartment, but they had done a good job of stashing it all in as small an area as could be managed. She would haul it over to the hotel suite on Sunday when she checked in before Sheila’s flight arrived.

  It was shortly before three o’clock and she didn’t know if Monte and Tatiana would be working, but decided she could always leave a message if they were. She called to give them the big news and Tatiana answered. She was thrilled that Meg would be settling so close and got off the phone pretty quickly so she could call and give Monte the news.

  Meg had planned to meet her Institute friends for dinner after they finished work for the day. They had a double celebration planned. They were celebrating the end of her six weeks with them, but even more so, they were celebrating her decision to join the faculty team. She was sure it would be a wild time, and she was looking forward to cutting loose.

  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

  Trace walked into Maxie’s and looked around for the guys. It was Friday night and the place was packed. He had left Arizona after his final jump that morning. He’d qualified for his advanced certification and flew back to Coronado, arriving late that afternoon. After reporting to his commanding officer, he’d gone home, unpacked and decided to go out and find his friends instead of staying home alone on a Friday night. He was tired, but excited about the week’s training.

  He noticed his friend, Lila—one of Maxie’s waitresses, bustling by. “Hey, Lila!” He leaned in to kiss her cheek.

  “Trace! Long time no see. Looking for the guys?”

  He nodded. “Some crowd, huh?”

  “Yeah . . . but hopefully the tips will be good. I’m gonna need a massage after this.” She grinned at him. “Need a beer?”

  “I sure do. You know what I like.”

  “Got it! The guys are back in the corner.” She pointed toward the back. “Back by the last pool table.”

  “Thanks, Lila,” he said as he headed that direction, weaving through the crowd.

  She called after him, “I’ll get your beer and bring it on back in a minute.”

  He waved and kept moving until he found Sonny, Charley and Titus. For such a goofy guy, Charley had almost supernatural powers of observation—which was valuable in a Navy SEAL. He noticed Trace’s arrival first. “McKenna! When’d you get back?”

  “A couple of hours ago.” He snagged an empty chair from a nearby table, dragged it over and sat down.

  Sonny looked him over. “Looks like you’ve either been in the desert all week, or laying by a pool with a hot babe somewhere.”

  Trace snickered, “This is a jumping-out-of-planes-in-the-desert tan, dude.”

  “How was it?” Titus asked.

  “Great! Heaven! Anytime you can spend all day everyday for four-and-a-half days jumping out of planes, life is good.”

  Charley asked, “But did you get the certification?”

  “Of course!”

  “Okay, then. Want a beer?” Charley started looking around for a waitress.

  “Lila’s bringing me one.”

  They spent some time asking questions about the training program until Lila showed up with his drink.

  Charley piped up, “Hey, McKenna . . . guess what? Sonny here took Tobi out while you were gone. Do you believe that?”

  Trace glanced at Sonny, who looked a little embarrassed. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised.”

  Sonny didn’t say anything and Trace raised his eyebrow. “Don’t want to talk about it, huh?”

  “Nothing to say,” he answered as he shifted in his seat. “It was fun. Dinner . . . no big deal. Let’s change the subject.” He cast around looking for something else to say. “I saw Meg when I went to pick her up.” He looked appalled as he realized he had said the exact wrong thing the second it was coming out of his mouth. He looked at Trace’s face, which had turned to stone.

  Even Charley, who was not the most sensitive guy on the planet, could feel the tension. He glanced over at Titus who jumped in and saved the day by saying, “Hey, the table’s free. Let’s shoot some pool, McKenna.”

  He stood up to follow Titus and watched him rack the balls. Charley looked over at Sonny in relief.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  By the time Thanksgiving week rolled around, Meg had completely reinvented her life. She and her mother had found a cute little townhouse in an affordable gated complex. It wasn’t as close to the SDDI as Tobi’s place, but it wasn’t too much further away. Her favorite part was that it was near the beach. Not on the beach, but only a couple of blocks away. It was easy to get to and she could smell the ocean air from the postage stamp-sized balcony off her bedroom. They had a lot of fun shopping for furniture. She didn’t have to worry about kitchen appliances, because those came with the apartment.

  Her parents insisted on buying her bedroom furniture, even as she tried to stop them. “We bought Maura and Keith’s bedroom furniture for them when they got married and set up housekeeping together. This is something we want to do for you too,” Sheila had insisted. “We’re doing this, so you may as well save your breath.”

  Meg had finally given in. They found a beautiful iron bed with slightly distressed ivory paint and four towering bedposts. The ceilings in the townhouse were nice and high, so the proportions of the bed and armoire were perfect. They finished it off with a dresser and bedside tables to match the armoire, which was stained the soft gray color of driftwood. It was a beautiful, feminine room decorated in the colors of a muted sunset over the ocean.

  The living and dining room areas carried the beach cottage theme with beautiful comfy club chairs and a sofa upholstered in clean stripes of turquoise, cream and bright greens and white washed tables. There were large windows that let in lots of light. She enjoyed every minute of making her little house her own and she smiled every time she walked through the front door.

  One of the first things she did after her living arrangements were settled was to meet with one of the ministers at Bayside Christian Church. She went in to find out how she could become a member of the church and what that entailed. She left with a membership and a list of the church’s ministry opportunities and was encouraged to pick out some activities to join.

  A few days later she had received a call from Sara, a young mother at the church, who was involved in the drama ministry there. She was interested in starting a program for elementary school-age girls—a worship dance group. The worship minister had told her about Meg and her special talents. Would Meg be interested in helping out in this new program? She jumped at the chance and arranged to meet with Sara and a couple of others who were trying to get the group off the ground. Meg, Sara and Brittany—a cute teen who was on her high school’s dance team, met at a coffee shop near the church. The children’s minister, Brent, joined them to oversee their initial plans. The church leadership would, of course, have to give their stamp of approval before they got started.

  All in all, Meg was happy with the way her life was settling in
. She was putting down roots . . . professionally and personally. She had her friends from the Institute and, even though she hadn’t officially started work there yet, she spent a lot of time with them. She was getting to know her new city, working on the church project, and trying to plan out her first semester at the Institute.

  She was so busy, she almost didn’t have time to miss Trace. Almost. No matter how tired she was, in the dark of night he crept back into her mind . . . and her heart. She resisted the urge to reach out to him, and never gave into the temptation to ask Tobi if Sonny ever mentioned his name.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Meg let herself into her townhouse, dragging her bags behind her. She dropped everything and slumped against the door. How come you always ended up bringing so much more stuff home after a Christmas trip than you left with? It was a few days after the New Year and she had spent a fun-filled two weeks with her family. Maura had had the baby, little Riley, the day before Meg arrived for the holiday. He was beautiful and Aunt Meg got in lots of snuggling time with both him and Aubri.

  She picked up two of her bags and carried them toward the stairs to stash them in her bedroom as the doorbell rang. She dropped them again and went back to answer the door.

  Tobi stepped in, looked around at the bags and asked, “Are you just getting home?”

  “Yeah, my flight was delayed a few hours. There’s a snowstorm up north somewhere and it’s messing with everyone’s flights. Could’ve been worse, I guess.”

  “You look tired. I should have called first, but I was bored so I thought I’d just drop in and see if you wanted to order in dinner.”

  “I do. I’ve been gone so long, I can’t remember what’s in my ‘fridge or my pantry. Probably not much.” She grabbed one of her smaller bags, zipped it open and started digging around in it. “My mom sent you something. Where is . . . oh! Here it is!” She pulled out a fancy jar with a ribbon tied around it, the bow crushed from the trip. She handed it to Tobi.