“Do you mind if Charles and I join you?” Phoebe asked.
Noticing the look of disappointment on Tom’s face, Meghan gave a polite smile. It was obvious that he wanted some alone time with her as much as she wanted it with him, but the situation had no easy exit.
“Why, of course not,” she said. “We’d love to have you.”
“Count me out,” Lila volunteered. “I’m bushed. Lucas is an early riser, and I like to be there when he wakes up.”
They slipped on sweaters and started down the block. Before they were halfway to the corner, Charles began telling of a trip to Germany where, before the wall came down, he’d seen barbed-wire fences. In the middle of his describing how the soldiers stood ready to shoot, Meghan suggested it might be a bit nippy for the lake.
“Let’s just go to the far end of Baker Street and back,” she said.
Tom gave a weary nod of agreement.
For the remainder of that week, Meghan worked at the clinic. While there were a few instances where she calmed a nervous animal or weighed a dog that refused to step onto the scale, there was nothing quite as notable as what she’d done with Chelsea. Had there been another such incident, Tom would have brought up the issue right then and there.
Thinking perhaps he might have missed something while he was with a patient, on Thursday afternoon he asked, “Anything unusual happen yesterday or today?”
She shook her head. “Nothing worth telling about.”
“No more rusty nails?”
Meghan gave him a playful nudge.
“Come on,” she said, laughing. “I know you’re just teasing me.”
“No, I’m not,” Tom replied, suppressing a sigh.
On Friday, Emily called to say she was feeling quite a bit better and would be returning to work on Monday.
“Glad to hear it,” Tom replied in a flat, rather unenthusiastic voice.
Spurred on by the knowledge that this would be their last afternoon of working together, Tom waited until Meghan was settled in her spot at the reception desk, then suggested they commemorate the week with dinner at the Starlight Lounge.
“Not many people could have stepped in and taken over as you did,” he said. “Pulling that nail out of Chelsea’s paw showed real skill.”
Meghan laughed. “Are you gonna keep teasing me about that forever? I’ve already said I was sorry.”
“No, no. There’s nothing to be sorry about. Caring for an animal that way is a God-given gift. It’s something to celebrate, not be sorry about.”
He’d planned to wait until they were at the Starlight Lounge, maybe start with a glass of wine, relax with a plate of canapés, and then creep up on the subject. But now here he was, smack in the middle of what he’d planned to say. He had to continue.
“You have a way with animals. They trust you. Not everybody has that. Look at the way Sox follows you place to place.”
“Well, of course he does; he’s my dog.”
“It’s not just Sox. What about Bruiser? If anybody else tried to walk him on a leash, he’d be snapping and snarling, but he let you do it because he trusted you. And that day with Agatha’s cat. You knew right off she had a hairball.”
Meghan scrunched her nose and eyed him with a look of bewilderment. “I don’t see what—”
“I’m planning to grow the business,” he continued on, “and before long I’m going to need a full-time assistant.”
“You’ve got Emily. She’s coming back on Monday.”
“Emily’s a receptionist. She’s great with the customers but has no interest whatsoever in working with animals. I need someone to assist me, somebody who can step in for surgeries.”
“So you’re planning to hire another vet?”
“Dammit, no, Meghan, I’m asking you to do it.”
She gasped. “Me? I don’t know one end of a scalpel from the other. Pulling a nail out of a dog’s paw is one thing, but—”
He took her by the shoulders and held her at arm’s length. “Stop talking and let me explain. I’d like to sponsor you to become certified as a veterinary technician. You can do most of the course work online and get the necessary hands-on experience here working with me.”
She looked at him with her eyes wide.
“What about the Snip ’N’ Save?” she said.
Tom cringed. It was the one answer he feared.
“I know how much the Snip ’N’ Save has meant to you, but Tracy seems happy doing it, and she’s got Sheldon.”
“What if Tracy leaves? What if after Lucas finishes his therapy, she decides to go back to Philadelphia? Daddy built the Snip ’N’ Save. I can’t just walk off and let it die.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her close.
“I know you can’t,” he said solemnly. “I would never ask you to, but maybe you could talk to Tracy, ask if she’s planning to stay, and see if she’d be interested in taking over.”
“What if she says yes now and then two or three years from now—”
“If that happens and you want to go back, I won’t stop you.”
“You won’t be angry or disappointed?”
He gave a small, almost regretful-sounding laugh.
“I can’t swear I won’t be disappointed,” he said. “But I can promise you I won’t be angry. Even though I believe you have a unique gift for working with animals, your happiness is far more important than my keeping or losing an assistant.”
Meghan hesitated. “This is so sudden; I need time to think it over. I’ve got the Snip ’N’ Save to consider. I can’t just walk away. I have to make certain Tracy is ready to handle the magazine alone and is really going to stay.” Even as Meghan spoke of these concerns, the idea of working at the clinic, day after day, week after week, was filling her heart with a warm glow.
That evening they didn’t go to the Starlight Lounge. Meghan suggested they save such an extravagance for when they were in more of a celebratory mood. Even though there was a chill in the air, they went back to the Garden. As they sat beneath the stars and drank hot cider spiced with cinnamon sticks, she thought back on that first night and how over the months they had come to mean so much to each other.
Meghan didn’t doubt her fondness for Tom, and it was true she had a soft spot in her heart for animals. But how could she leave the Snip ’N’ Save? Over the years, the magazine had come to be a part of her. Walking away would be like tearing loose an arm or a leg.
Besides, it was the only piece of her daddy she had left.
Finding an Answer
That night, Meghan found it impossible to sleep. Even with Sox curled up beside her, she felt restless. For hours she lay there stroking his tummy and wondering what to do. This week she’d loved every minute of being at the clinic—so much so that it hardly seemed like work. But was it because of the animals or simply being near Tom?
And she couldn’t just dismiss the issue of the Snip ’N’ Save. Thinking back over the years, Tracy had proven herself to be flighty—passionate about something one minute and ready to drop it like a hot potato the next. What if she agreed to stay and then next year or the year after, Dominic came to the door asking her to come back to Philadelphia? Would she stay or go? It was possible either could happen.
Granted, she’d said she was never going back, but Meghan couldn’t count the number of times she’d heard muffled sobs coming from Tracy’s room late at night. Saying something and believing it yourself were sometimes two entirely different things.
If not for the Snip ’N’ Save, she would say yes to Tom in a heartbeat, but as things stood now, she felt doing so would be disloyal to her daddy.
Maybe it was just a question of time. It was possible that after Tracy had stayed for two or three years, Meghan could be more certain of her dependability. Then such a decision would be easier.
Opportunity doesn’t wait forever, though.
After hours of running through these thoughts, Meghan became so tired she could no longer hold her eyes open an
d drifted off to sleep.
It was early morning when Meghan heard her daddy’s laugh and caught the fragrance of his pipe tobacco. He was back, right here in the house. She hurried down the stairs and into the office. He was at the desk with Tracy beside him.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, and smiled.
“Daddy, I thought you were . . . ” The word dead felt strange in Meghan’s mouth, so she substituted, “Gone.”
“I am,” he replied. “But before I leave here, I thought I’d give Tracy a few pointers.”
Tracy turned with a proud grin. “Daddy says I’m a really good designer, good enough to take over the magazine.”
“Daddy!” Meghan felt a swell of resentment rising in her chest. “Don’t you realize Tracy might not stay? Dominic has called her a dozen times or more. She could easily enough decide to go back to him. I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of the Snip ’N’ Save. You know I’m the one; I’ve always been the one.”
He eyed her with a stern look.
“No, Meghan, you’re not,” he said. “That thought is yours, not mine. The only thing I want you to do is find yourself some real happiness and take care of the dog I gave you. Now don’t you think it’s high time you got started?” His stern expression morphed into a soft smile.
A tear came to Meghan’s eye. “But, Daddy, what if Tracy leaves?”
Using the old familiar phrase, he said, “The probability is she won’t, but if she does, so what?”
“Your Snip ’N’ Save,” Meghan said, her throat feeling tight. “I’ve got to keep it alive because—”
“Nonsense,” he said. “This is just a business. It’s not me. The Snip ’N’ Save was a way for me to earn a living and still spend time with Lila and you girls. I never considered that either of you would step into my shoes. I never envisioned my girls spending their life squinting at a computer screen rearranging coupons. I want you and Tracy to follow your heart. I want you to experience a love like your mama and I had.” He gave a soft chortle, then added, “This is your time, Meghan. Be happy and enjoy it. Don’t worry—wherever you go or whatever you do, I’ll still be with you. I’m your daddy, and that’s never going to change.”
The phone rang, and Meghan woke with a start.
The first light of morning was creeping into the sky. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, remembering the dream. Even now it seemed so real that she wondered if she hurried downstairs, would she actually find her daddy sitting at the computer? Dropping back onto the pillow, she tried to recapture the dream, but it was gone.
That morning, after the breakfast dishes were cleared from the table and Lucas was napping in his crib, Meghan took Tracy aside.
“We need to talk about the Snip ’N’ Save,” she said. Her words were small and fluttery, like a baby bird learning to fly.
Tracy’s eyes narrowed, and she pinched her brows together. “Is this because I redid the Golf World ad? That illustration they were using was not good.”
“This has nothing to do with an ad. It’s about management of the magazine.”
“Jeez . . . ” Tracy gave a sigh of discouragement. “Now that I’ve got the hang of it and I’m enjoying myself, you wanna take it back?”
“Take it back? No. Absolutely not.” Meghan laughed. “So you really do like doing the Snip ’N’ Save?”
“Yeah.” Tracy gave a sheepish grin. “The guy at Golf World said I’ve got an eye for design, and I’ve gotta admit I feel good doing it.”
“You enjoy the design element, but how would you feel about taking over management of the magazine?”
Tracy’s eyes widened. “Management? But isn’t that your job?”
“Now it is, but I’d like to try my hand at something new.”
Meghan told her about Tom’s offer and how working with animals was something she really wanted to do.
“The thing is, I’d have to know you’re not going back to Dominic, that you’ll stay here and love the Snip ’N’ Save as I have.”
Even as her words still hung in the air, Meghan heard her daddy’s voice repeating what he’d said in the dream.
This is just a business. It’s not me.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going back to Dominic,” Tracy replied. “I absolutely am not. And I swear I’ll take care of the Snip ’N’ Save, just like you have.”
Meghan’s smile was wide, and they hugged.
“Of course,” Meghan added, “in the future, if your heart takes you somewhere else, I think Daddy would understand.”
When Tom rang the doorbell that evening, Meghan wore a silk dress that matched the blue of her eyes and bared her shoulders. Her hair was an upsweep of curls pinned in a sparkling clip. He eyed her head to toe and gave a grin of approval.
“You look amazing,” he said. “Are we celebrating a special occasion?”
She nodded. “I thought maybe we’d go to the Starlight Lounge.”
The previous day she’d sounded rather doubtful about taking his offer, so Tom was almost afraid to ask.
“Does this mean . . . ” He left the remainder of the question unspoken.
Her mouth curled into a smile as she grabbed her shawl and hooked her arm through his.
“It means you’ve got yourself a new assistant.”
The Starlight Lounge was a dinner club with a glass ceiling over the dance floor and tables lit only by candlelight. It was a place where waiters appeared and disappeared without a sound and music floated through the air soft as a cloud. They sat side by side at a banquette with Tom’s thigh against hers and his fingers cupping her hand as she told of the dream.
When the waiter appeared, Tom ordered a bottle of champagne and a plate of appetizers. They toasted the new venture and then danced. He pressed his hand to the small of her back and held her so close the thump of her heart felt as if it were part of his own.
Meghan, too, felt their heartbeats, perfectly matched, synchronized, a symphony that was meant to be. As they danced, she nuzzled her head against his shoulder, and their bodies moved as one, swaying to the music, falling deeper and deeper in love. Later, after they’d had their fill of Chateaubriand and roasted vegetables, she tilted her head back against the leather upholstery, drew a deep breath, and gave a soft sensuous sigh.
“This has been the most wonderful evening.”
He traced his finger along the curve of her cheek and down her throat.
“Yes, it has,” he said. Then he leaned close and kissed her neck in that tender spot just below her jawbone.
She felt the warmth of his kiss slide down her chest and come to rest in her heart.
It was the smallest hour of the morning when they returned home, and by the time Tom kissed her good night, any reservations Meghan once had about following her heart were gone. Vanished like a missing button or a forgotten thought. There was only the future.
Thanksgiving
Lila began cooking a week ahead of time, and by Thanksgiving morning she had four pies, a chocolate cake, ginger cookies, and so many side dishes the buffet groaned beneath the weight. That morning she was up before the crack of dawn, sliding a twenty-six-pound turkey into the oven and adding watermelon-rind pickles to the relish tray. After the coffee was turned to brew, she hollered up the stairs for the girls to get moving.
“We’ve got a lot to do,” she said, “and our guests will be here by noon.”
Lila was certain this was going to be the best Thanksgiving they’d had in years. Tracy was back home, Lucas was starting to talk, and Meghan was about to begin a new adventure. And if all that weren’t enough to be thankful for, there would be twelve people at the table. In addition to Lila and the girls, Tom would be there and Phoebe was coming with Charles.
Earlier in the week, after Tracy had learned Lila had invited the Harpers from three doors down, Ida Wentworth, and Fred Cummings, she’d decided to invite Gabriel.
On Tuesday afternoon as they were finishing lunch at the café, she’d said, “I don’t know if you’re up fo
r this or not, but Mama has a slew of people coming for Thanksgiving, and Lucas would love it if you could join us.”
She lifted the coffee cup to her mouth, took a tiny sip, and then, peeking over the rim of the cup, added, “I’d like it, too.”
His mouth pulled to the side as if he were thinking it over, then it eased into a smile.
“I’d be honored,” he said.
Tracy smiled. At first, she’d been hesitant about inviting him, afraid that he’d think her too forward and be forced into making some clumsy excuse about having previous plans. Now she was glad she had. “You won’t be sorry. My mama’s a real good cook.”
“It wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t,” he’d replied.
For the remainder of the afternoon, Tracy had wondered about the meaning of his remark. Was it a way of being polite, or was he telling her something? Although she never did come to a conclusion, when Gabriel knocked at the door, she was wearing a russet-colored top and a brand-new smoky brown eye shadow that made her eyes sparkle.
Tom arrived just minutes after Gabriel. He kissed Meghan, then shook hands with Gabriel.
“I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said. “Awesome work you’re doing with children.”
Lila came into the living room with a tray of hors d’oeuvres and smiled when she saw the two young couples standing in a group talking as they were. Gabriel and Tracy weren’t really a couple—they were merely friends—but for the moment Lila chose to see it differently. To her, the group looked exactly as she’d imagined her family would be one day: close to one another and home for the holidays.
Before long, the room was filled. In one corner, the Harpers were talking about how fortunate they’d been to land on Baker Street. Over by the fireplace, Charles was pontificating on the treasures of the Louvre.
“You absolutely must see it,” he told Phoebe, but he said nothing of how she was to get there.
Giddy with delight, Lila scurried back and forth to the kitchen delivering platter after platter of canapés and hors d’oeuvres, filling wineglasses, and chatting with the guests as she breezed by. Handing Meghan a tray of crab puffs to be passed from guest to guest, she whispered, “Your daddy would have loved this.”
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