“First off, I’d like to say how sorry I am—”
The sudden ringing of the doorbell interrupted Drew’s speech and Megan leapt up from the couch to get the door. Any interruption right then would be very welcome.
It was Cora and she looked great. She was wearing a slim black skirt and a short sleeve gray cashmere sweater.
“Oh, you have company. Should I come back in a little while? I am a little early,” Cora asked.
Drew looked flustered, but stood up from the chair and walked over to Cora.
“Hello, I’m Drew. Please don’t leave on my account. I was just here to ask a favor of Megan.”
Megan was a little confused. A favor?
“Of course, you should stay, Cora. Don’t be silly. What can I do for you, Brother Jarvis?”
Drew sat back down and cleared his throat a few times. “Well, I’ve discussed the situation with my three daughters at length, and they’re convinced you’re the only one who will do.”
Megan looked down at her toes, worried now about what Drew might say in front of Cora. The only one who would do what? She braved a glance at him and dared to ask. “Do what?”
“Well, the reason we’ve been inviting you over for dinner so much lately is because, as you know, my wife died a couple years ago. Since then, the girls have had only me to depend on for advice. Well, since they’ve become teenagers, it’s gotten a trifle more complex. The girls had a meeting and came to me with the idea. We were wondering if we could do a little trade. We invite you to dinner, and you act as a beauty and social consultant for my daughters. They looked over the whole ward and decided that you were the one they wanted. What do you say?”
Megan smiled in acute relief. “Of course I will. Dinners or not, I’d be happy to help. Besides, it sounds like fun.”
Drew stood up beaming, acting much more relaxed. He had come through for his girls and they would be happy to see him tonight. “Wonderful. I’ll have the girls call you and set everything up.”
Megan showed Drew to the door, and turned in time to catch an odd expression on Cora’s face. She looked as if she had been zapped.
“Cora?”
“Who was that man, Megan? He seems familiar to me for some reason, but I can’t place him.”
Megan picked up her purse and sunglasses and followed Cora out the front door. “Drew Jarvis. He’s in my ward. He has five children—three girls, and two little boys. He’s a professor at the community college, he’s very nice, and—I’m glad to report—wonderfully uninterested in me.”
Cora stopped in mid -stride. “Wonderfully uninterested?’ What do you mean, Megan?”
Megan, who was used to the Excursion by now, hopped up easily into the passenger side.
“I mean, I was terrified he was looking at me to fill his wife’s shoes. Thank goodness he only needs me on a consultation basis. That’s about all I’m cut out for.”
Megan smiled as she said it, but knowing it was probably true still put a shadow in her eyes. Cora put one of her favorite CDs in the player and sang her heart out all the way to Salt Lake. As they reached the downtown area, Cora switched to light classical. Megan was relieved by the change and hoped her ears would stop ringing before the night was over. She knew what she was buying as soon as she got her commission check. Ear plugs.
It was a quick trip up to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and even quicker to find The Roof. It was a Tuesday night, so fortunately it wasn’t too crowded. They both loaded up their plates and headed for their secluded seats by the window. The view was spectacular, but Megan had eyes only for the food. She hadn’t seen such food in years. Since her wedding breakfast to be exact. Poor Cora, she was going to keep her here all night long if that’s what it would take to eat her fill. She was in heaven and she never wanted to leave.
“So, Megan, what do you say to me setting you up on a date? I know the perfect guy. You’ll just love him, I know it.”
Megan choked on her jumbo shrimp and had to spit it into a napkin before she fully recovered. “Excuse me? What did you say?”
As if unaware of Megan’s mishap, Cora took a delicate bite of her calamari before meeting Megan’s eyes, which were still watering.
“Well, you’re such a wonderful girl, I just thought it might be fun for you to hook up with someone just as great. I can vouch for him. He’s perfectly harmless. And good looking. I think he’s gorgeous.”
Megan took a cautious sip of water to test her throat. It seemed to be working again.
“No.”
Cora put her fork down. “Why?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
Megan laughed and stabbed a forkful of salad. “You’re stubborn, I can tell. But I have to warn you, I’m determined to take a long and refreshing break from dating. I haven’t had a date worth dressing up for in at least three years.”
Cora frowned, not even hungry anymore. This wasn’t turning out the way she had imagined it. How could an attractive, nice young girl not want to date anymore? Did her son know this already? Was that the reason for this peculiar charade?
“Why do you hate men so much, Megan?” Cora asked.
Megan looked aghast, swiveling around to see if anyone had over heard Cora. “Please don’t say it like that. I’m not militant or anything, and I don’t hate men. I just have bad luck with them. That’s all. I’ve always been a complete failure at relationships. You name it—father, mother, friends, employers, everybody. But especially men. Trust me, you’d lose your appetite if I told you all of my horror stories.”
Cora put her elbows on the table and massaged her forehead with her fingertips. She was going to need some aspirin. Maybe if she played the money card, Megan would come running. It couldn’t hurt, and she wouldn’t even blame Megan. She was so poor, so she was bound to jump at it.
“This guy I know is very rich, Megan. Very. You could eat in restaurants like this every night if you wanted to. And if it worked out, and you two got married, then just think of what kind of lifestyle you would have. No more worrying about money. That’s worth the gamble, isn’t it?”
Megan thought about trying the shrimp again. Maybe Cora would stop talking if she saw that her victim had her mouth full. Nope, no such luck. Cora looked determined, and not in the least put off by Megan’s reluctance to bite at the bait she was dangling.
“Even worse, Cora. Money ruins people. Unfortunately, I know first hand. It turns people into slaves. They have to have this and they have to have that. And if that person has a better this, then you have to run out the next day and get a better one. I lived practically my whole life playing that game. My parents still are and they’re molding my little sister to play right along beside them, just like they did me. I couldn’t handle that type of life again, thank you very much. I’ll stay poor and grateful for what I have.”
Cora grew quiet and thoughtful. Well, she wasn’t a gold digger, that was for sure, but there was more here that Megan wasn’t telling. Cora was determined to find out. In the meantime, she had to set Megan up with her son. It was the first step towards her grandchildren getting here—and they had been waiting long enough.
“Yes, men can be obnoxious, tiresome, and exhausting, but what about kissing? When’s the last time you had a really good kiss? Hmmm?”
Megan laughed softly and shook her head as she remembered Trevor’s kiss from Saturday night. It really hadn’t been that bad. But she could still see the deep red imprint of her hand on his cheek and hoped it had faded.
“The last man who kissed me was a complete moron. The kiss wasn’t half bad, but there’s more to life than kissing.”
Cora figured she’d just have to pull a play out of her son’s book then. Bribery was a very handy tool when it came to maneuvering people.
“I’ll make a deal with you. Even though my nephew is a realtor, I’ll refer all my friends to you if you just go out on one date with this young man. What do you say?”
Megan lo
oked at Cora as if she had just turned into a cockroach.
“Uh uh. No way,” Megan said confidently. “You’re so nice, you’ll refer them to me anyway. Gotcha!”
Seeing Cora’s expression, she had to laugh. But she had made a rule not to give into emotional manipulation when she moved out of her mom and dad’s house and she wasn’t going to start giving into it now. But she did feel a little sorry for Cora. She was so set on matchmaking that it was ruining their evening. Megan sighed as she realized that she was going to let Cora set her up on a blind date. Ugh!
“All right, Cora. I have a deal for you. It’s the only deal you’ll get from me, so take it or leave it. I will go out on a date with this fabulous young man of yours if you agree to do the same. With a man of my choosing. We’ll double date. What do you say?”
While she was waiting for Cora to speak, Megan looked down at her plate and realized she had eaten everything in sight. She was ready for seconds. But when Cora said nothing, Megan looked at her curiously.
“Cora?”
The older woman was speechless. She had been beaten at her own game, and she couldn’t do a thing about it. Her? Go on a date? The last man she had dated had been her husband, and he had died more than twenty-eight years ago. She had been so busy working and raising her son that she had never had the time or the desire to date. Sure, she could have dated after Trevor had moved out, but by then, who cared? She was forty-seven-years old. Who would want to go out with her? Just the thought had her face turning red. She couldn’t do that to Jack! Her Jack was probably in heaven right now, looking down at her shaking his head. She was sealed to Jack for eternity. No way could she go out on a date with some stranger. But what would Trevor say if she told him she had failed? Her grandchildren! They were waiting for her! What should she do?
Megan tilted her head, waiting for a response from Cora.
For such a verbal person, two minutes without saying a word seemed an eternity.
“Cora? Did I say something to offend you? We can drop this dating stuff if you’d like. There are many more interesting things to talk about. Like a zillion.”
Cora rubbed her hands over her face and tried to smile up at Megan, who stood up by their table with her plate in her hand.
“Don’t worry about me, honey. You just go fill up your plate again. I’m still working on mine.”
Megan walked towards the dessert table wondering what in the world had floored Cora. A little of her own medicine had evidently gone a long way.
Nine
CORA DROVE UP TO her house and, by the lights on, knew immediately that Trevor was inside waiting for her. Waiting to hear good news. And all she could do was disappoint him. She sighed as she expertly pulled into her garage and took much longer than needed to find the front door. What could she say? She knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that everything was set, all he needed to do was show up and the girl of his dreams was his. Or there was the truth. Cora put her hand on the doorknob and took an extra breath of courage. Before she could exhale, Trevor was swinging the door wide open for her.
“Mom! I’ve been waiting forever. How’d it go?”
Cora closed her eyes, knowing what she was going to say and knowing that he wasn’t going to like it. Cora laid her purse and keys down on the hallway table and walked wearily towards her rocking chair.
“I’m sorry, Trevor, but I don’t think I can set you up. You’re a big boy now. I’m sure if you try really hard you can do this all by yourself. All it takes is a little effort.”
Trevor stood over his mom, who was now sitting down. She looked . . . intimidated?
“What happened tonight, Mom? Why the sudden change? You were all gung ho about setting me up this afternoon. Tell me, did Megan do something to upset you?”
Cora looked up at her son and burst into tears. Forget the lot, the house, the grandkids, everything. She just couldn’t go on a date. She’d never be able to look at Jack’s picture hanging on her bedroom wall again.
“She won’t go on a blind date unless I go on a blind date, too. She wants to double date.”
Trevor hadn’t seen his mother cry since he graduated from college. What was this? Trevor knelt down by his mom’s side and put his arm around her. As he patted his mom’s knee and told her it was all right, it came to him. His dad. That was what this was all about. Trevor shook his head and frowned. He wasn’t sure he wanted his mom to go on a blind date with some strange guy either, but if it meant seeing Megan again . . . .
“What about going on a date scares you, Mom? I’ve been around a lot of men, so I can fill you in. There’s no reason to be scared. Occasionally they’re smelly, but I know this from personal experience: they usually shower and brush their teeth before picking up dates. Let’s see—oh, and the conversation thing isn’t that scary. It’s actually kind of fun. Sometimes it even beats old reruns of Bonanza. Every now and then anyway. And they usually pay for dinner and the movie, or whatever. But, if you’re scared of that part, then I’ll make sure you have an extra twenty in your purse in case he thinks you’re going dutch.”
Cora raised her red, bleary eyes up to meet her sons and reached for his hand, not even cracking a smile at his joking.
“What if he tries to kiss me, Trevor? The last man I kissed was your father, and I’ve always wanted to keep it that way. That’s the scary part.”
Trevor leaned over and kissed his mom on the forehead, very gently.
“Mom, you don’t have to go on a date, ever, if that’s the way you want it. I don’t want you to be scared or sad. I’ll find some other way to work this out. Why don’t you go on to bed? You look tired. Do you want me to fix you some hot chocolate?”
Cora shook her head sadly. She wouldn’t be dreaming of dark-haired grandchildren that night. The only thing she could think of was how she had failed her son. He had needed her and she had let him down.
“I really messed things up, didn’t I, Trev?”
Trevor reached into his pocket and felt the box holding the diamond engagement ring. He couldn’t seem to put it down.
“Mom, just so you know, my last three dates didn’t feel the need to kiss me good night. I didn’t even get a hand shake from the last two. You know, Megan did say she wanted to double date. You would never even have to be alone with the man. I can be the one who takes you home. But it’s up to you. Like I said, I don’t want you to be scared about this in any way.”
“Poor Megan, the last man who kissed her was a complete moron. What are my chances?”
Cora got up from her rocking chair and walked into the kitchen, thinking about what Trevor had said. It might work if she was with a group of people. She could pretend she wasn’t even on a date at all. Maybe.
Trevor watched his mother walk into the kitchen, and felt a slight tremor of foreboding. Megan couldn’t have meant him. Surely.
Ten
MEGAN FLOATED THROUGHOUT THE next day. There was nothing that could get her down. She had a client! A crazy, wonderful client. Her luck was definitely changing. Okay, so the phone hadn’t rung once in the past two hours, but she had hope! Her floor time was from one to six and she was ready for anything. Megan was so energized (or was it bored?) that she found an old bottle of Windex and went to work on the windows. She was only halfway through when the phone finally rang. Megan sprinted across the office and picked up the phone on the second ring.
“Western Realty, this is Megan Garrett, can I help you?”
“Megan, this is your mother. Your father is having some people from a magazine over tonight for dinner. We need you to be here. They’re doing a story on him for Business World. This is very important to him. We need to show them a united front. Can you be here by five-thirty for pictures? Dinner will be served at six. Oh, and wear something nice. All right, dear?”
Megan glanced at the clock. It was five and her floor time wasn’t up till six. She expelled all the air in her lungs, not looking forward to the tug-o-war that was about to take
place.
“Sorry, Mom, if you had told me even yesterday, I might have been able to swing something, but I can’t leave the office till six. I can probably make it for dessert if you’d like.”
Trish Garrett didn’t like the word no. She never had. “That’s just not acceptable, dear. After all we’ve done for you, don’t you think you could do this one thing for your father? After the fiasco of your wedding, don’t you think you’ve embarrassed him enough for one lifetime? I really think showing up tonight would be in your best interest. After all, it would be a start in making things up to your father.”
Megan opened the top drawer of her desk and reached to the far back for her bottle of Tylenol. Her mother had a bad habit of causing her pain.
“If it was so important to him that I be there, why am I just now finding out about it?”
Megan tried to keep her tone of voice even and courteous, but she felt a sudden burst of anger at the attempt to humiliate her into submission. She knew anger never helped any situation, so she concentrated on a memory she had of her mom when she was a little girl. She had been lost at the mall and her mom had found her, crying and upset. And she had made it all better. It was the best memory she had of her mom and it came in handy at times like this.
“Oh, I’m sure I sent you an invitation, Megan. You probably just misplaced it. You can’t blame me for your poor organization.”
Her mother was lying. She had a really bad habit of doing that.
“Is Linette going to be there?”
There was a pause from her mother. Obviously she had hit the nail on the head.
“As a matter of fact, Linette just informed me that she won’t be able to be here till eight.”
So that was the real reason behind the sudden invitation. She had to come up with a daughter quick, and she had been desperate.
“Tell the magazine that pictures will be after dinner. Goodbye, Mom.”
A Trusting Heart Page 6