“And now you’re sneaking out after church. Not to go to the office, I hope.”
“No. Not today,” Maggie assured him.
She began edging toward the parking lot.
“You’re certainly in a hurry to go somewhere,” Joan commented, eyeing Maggie curiously.
“I just need to get home to take Eve to the dog park,” Maggie replied, realizing how lame that sounded.
“If you’re on a scheduled deadline to walk your dog on a Sunday afternoon, we need to do an intervention,” Sam teased.
Maggie looked at the concerned faces of this gentle couple who had completely taken her into their hearts.
“To be honest,” she relented, “I’m meeting a blind date at the dog park. I need to get home to change clothes.”
She watched as their expressions changed from concerned to surprised, and back again.
“Blind date?” Joan managed to croak.
“What about Dr. Allen?” Sam cut in. “Aren’t you seeing him?”
Maggie sighed heavily. “I was. In fact, I’m still interested in him. But I really blew it. I was always too busy at Town Hall to spend time with him. I even forgot to pick him up from physical therapy a couple of times. He had to take a cab home.”
Sam let out a breath. “That’s not good. Not good at all,” he said, stating the obvious.
“Have you tried to patch things up, dear?” Joan asked. “I know he really cared for you. We both hoped we’d be going to a wedding soon.”
“I’ve tried. I really have. Thought I was making progress. Then he suddenly shut me out. I don’t know what happened. Maybe he met someone else.”
“Not that I know of,” Sam replied. “But then, he keeps these things to himself. He never told me that you two had broken up. And I’ve been giving him rides from physical therapy. You’d think he would have mentioned it.”
They had been sauntering toward the parking lot while they talked and had reached Maggie’s car. She pressed her key to unlock her door.
“Not so fast,” Sam stated firmly. “Tell us about this blind date. Who set you up?”
“He’s someone I met online.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Joan asked in alarm. “Aren’t there weirdoes and perverts online? People disappear all the time and they never find the bodies.”
Maggie laughed. “I’ll be fine. This is through DogLovers.com. We’re meeting at two o’clock today at the dog park. So we’ll be in public with lots of people around us. Especially on a nice day like today. I’ll have my cell phone with me. And Eve. I’ll use common sense. Don’t worry about me,” she said, giving Joan’s arm a comforting pat.
“I’m going to worry about you,” she stated flatly.
“Don’t give him your address or phone number until I check him out,” Sam admonished.
“Quit fussing. I’ll be careful,” Maggie assured them. “Tell you what—I’ll call you when I get home. How would that be?”
“I’ve got a better idea,” Joan said. “Why don’t you come over for dinner. On the way home. Bring Eve. It’ll be like that first time we met when you moved into Rosemont.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I insist. It’ll make us both feel better. Perfect plan.”
“We miss you,” Sam added simply.
How could she refuse these people she loved?
Maggie laughed. “Sounds great. I’ll pick up a pie from Laura’s for dessert. I’ll see you later, probably by four,” she said as she slid into her car. “And don’t worry about me. Everything’ll be fine. We’ll probably have nothing to talk about, and I’ll be out of there in fifteen minutes. See you later.”
***
Maggie shivered as she entered Rosemont through her kitchen door. The sun was warm but the air was deceptively cold. “Hello, girl,” she said as she patted the squirming Eve. “We’ve got a date this afternoon. Yes, you’re invited. And I’m going to put your new blue-and-white sweater on you. It’s cold out there. Maybe I should wear something to match. What do you think?”
Eve wagged her tail furiously. Good lord, she thought. I’m planning an outfit to match my dog? What’s happened to me?
Maggie headed for her bedroom. “Come on, girl. We’ve got work to do. I need your opinion,” she said as they raced up the stairs.
***
After forty-five minutes of rummaging around in her closet and a twenty-minute consultation with Susan over the phone, Maggie settled on her sapphire-blue cashmere sweater and boot-cut jeans—the same outfit she had worn when John took her skating. Did this mean she had a date outfit now? How cliché. Could she help it that the weather had turned so cold and it was the best-looking thing she had? Besides, it matched Eve. Not that it mattered, she told herself sternly.
Maggie surveyed herself in the mirror. She remembered gliding across the deserted rink at The Mill that night, with the cold wind whipping her hair to bits and her hand securely tucked into the crook of John’s strong arm. She thought back to the easy flow of their conversation. And how much she wanted him to kiss her goodnight. And how disappointed she’d been that he hadn’t; the tragedy of the fires and subsequent chaos had intervened.
All of that led her to where she was today. She had been so sure that John would be part of it all. How had she become careless and preoccupied enough to drive him away? She had to admit that he was right—their split had been her fault. She sighed miserably.
Maggie turned her attention back to her reflection in the mirror. It was pointless to rehash all of this. Crying over spilt milk, as her aunt used to say. She was meeting someone new at the dog park, and it was time to get going. Swollen, red eyes would not help with a first impression. She forced a smile at her reflection.
“Come on, Eve. Time for you to get dressed.”
***
John tossed the Sunday paper onto the coffee table and returned his attention to the lackluster football game on the screen. The score remained 3-0 late in the third quarter. He checked his watch. Still a bit early to head out to the dog park, but he was bored and restless waiting around his living room.
“Roman,” he called. “Let’s go meet this gal. Who knows, she may have a friend for you, too.” He was almost out the door when his home phone began to ring. He paused, then pulled his Golden Retriever back into the house with him, and picked up the receiver.
“John,” said the familiar voice. “It’s Sam Torres.”
John instantly snapped into doctor mode. “Sam. Is anything wrong with Rusty?”
“No. Sorry. He’s still the best dog on earth. Didn’t mean to scare you. I know this is last minute and everything, but Joan was just saying how she never sees you anymore and asked me to call and invite you to an early dinner. Tonight. Are you busy?”
John hesitated, caught off guard. He certainly didn’t have any plans other than to stop by Pete’s for takeout. Again. He drew in a breath. Why not?
“That’s awfully kind of you. I’d love to. What time?”
“Why don’t you come by about four? Would that work? We can visit, and you’ll still get home at a decent hour.”
“Perfect. I’ve got surgery at six tomorrow morning. That’ll suit me just fine. I’ll see you later. And please, tell Joan thank you.”
***
John arrived at the dog park half an hour early. He let Roman off the leash and allowed him to run; he’d need to work off some steam and sniff everything before he’d be ready to settle down and be sociable.
They circled the park and closed in on the area by the south entrance. He watched the parade of humans and canines pass by, noting the connection between people and their dogs. He could always tell the new, tentative friendships from the established, long-term relationships; the ones where commands had to be clearly communicated and the ones where they were intuitively understood. Long-established bonds of love. At least he’d been lucky in that department. If DogLover7717 turned out to be one more in the long line of flaky women he had met online,
he still had Roman. The thought, however, gave him little comfort.
His attention was drawn to a very familiar terrier mix wearing a ridiculous-looking blue-and-white sweater, being led by an even more familiar woman in a sapphire-blue cashmere sweater. His heart leapt to his throat. What in the world was Maggie Martin doing at the dog park today of all days? He hadn’t seen her here in months. This could get awkward.
He checked his watch. It was five minutes before two. He turned away, hoping she hadn’t seen him. If she had, he’d say a quick hello and send them on their way.
Maggie spotted John and Roman just as he noticed her. Maybe we can just ignore each other, she thought. What are the odds of running into him? She made her way over to the opposite side of the entrance and took up a position under a large oak tree where Eve busied herself sniffing and rooting out a spot to mark. Maggie snuck a look in John’s direction and was disconcerted to see that he appeared to be hanging around the entrance, just as she was. She turned away and tried to figure out what to do while still keeping an eye out for DogLover7718.
A squat man with long gray hair pulled into a ponytail and a disagreeable-looking pit bull mix strode through the entrance at two o’clock on the dot and stopped, scanning the area for someone or something. Maggie froze; she didn’t want this to be DogLover7718. She hesitated, waiting for him to approach. He shouted to a young boy in the distance who ran to him, crying “Grampa.” Maggie sighed in relief.
John and Maggie hovered on opposite sides of the entrance, studiously avoiding each other like competing Olympic skaters warming up on the ice. Roman finally settled the matter by giving a quick bark in greeting and bounding over to say hello to Eve and Maggie. John had no choice but to follow suit.
“Hello. Sorry about that. Roman, come here, boy,” he admonished as he produced a leash and snapped it on his collar. His instincts as a vet overcame his impatience to send Maggie on her way, and he bent down to greet Eve. He ran over her with practiced hands and looked into her eyes and ears. “She seems well; back to normal. How is she? Eating and eliminating regularly?” he asked professionally.
“Yes. She’s doing just fine. Thanks to you. We had quite a scare.”
He waved away the compliment. “I won’t keep you. It’s a beautiful day for a walk. I’m sure she’s anxious to be on her way.” He wanted to add “especially since you so rarely take her for walks, with your busy schedule,” but he restrained himself. No point in picking a fight. What she did was none of his business.
Maggie sighed. “Actually, I’m waiting for someone. We’re going to meet here. At two o’clock.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess he’s running late.”
John drew in a sharp breath and turned suddenly to face her, which struck Maggie as very odd. Why would he care if she were waiting for someone at the dog park?
“I don’t want to hold you up. Nice to see you,” she said, pulling on Eve’s leash in an attempt to separate the two dogs who were happily and inappropriately sniffing each other.
“Actually, I’m meeting someone here at two o’clock, too.” They regarded each other steadily, and John was the first to smile.
“Are you, by any chance otherwise known as DogLover7717?” he asked.
As a chagrined smile spread across her face, he extended his hand.
“Allow me to introduce myself. DogLover7718.”
Maggie took his hand.
“It looks like fate is telling us to give this another chance,” he murmured. “What do you think?”
“I’d be delighted. I never wanted to break up. You were completely right about things. I’ve changed my ways; I really have.”
He tucked her hand into his elbow. With Roman and Eve pulling on their leashes and urging them forward, the pair and the pups began to stroll companionably through the bright afternoon.
“Why were you on DogLovers.com? I thought you and Frank Haynes were an item.”
Maggie stopped dead in her tracks. “Are you nuts? I’ve made a sort of peace with Frank—and he’s actually done a few decent things recently—but I still don’t trust him as far as I can throw him. Why in the world did you think I was seeing Frank?”
John looked at her solemnly. “Because the night I dropped off Eve’s medicine at your front door—that Saturday night—Frank’s car was parked in front of Rosemont and the only lights on in the place were on the second floor.”
“What? Yes, Frank was there and he was on the ‘bedroom’ floor, but it is not what you’re thinking.”
She drew in a sharp breath, and he could see she was gathering a head of steam. He instantly regretted bringing the topic up, but he had to know.
“I was foraging through Rosemont’s attic that day and got myself locked in—without my cell phone. I was panicked about getting out of there and worried sick about missing Eve’s dose of antibiotics. I was even trying to find sheets and curtains to tie together to make a rope to climb down on Sunday afternoon if no one found me by then.”
“I had no idea,” John muttered.
Maggie cut him off. “I was freezing and miserable when Frank Haynes pulled up. I was supposed to meet with him at Town Hall that morning to go over some documents. When I didn’t show up, he drove them out to Rosemont to leave them for me. I was able to get his attention from the attic window. He got in the house with my hidden key and managed to force open the attic door.”
“That must have been very frightening. Thank goodness he came by.”
“No kidding,” she continued. “There was absolutely no hanky-panky.”
“No. I realize that now. I’ve been a fool. I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“You most certainly should not have,” she stated firmly.
They resumed walking, John searching for what to say next.
“So that’s why you suddenly turned so cold to me?” Maggie asked, glancing over at him.
John nodded.
“You’re an idiot,” she stated.
John nodded again. “I really am sorry. And I’ve missed you terribly,” he said, tightening his grip on her hand. “We’ll need to get that attic door fixed,” he added lamely in an attempt to change the subject. “What’s up there?”
He sensed the complete change in her demeanor before she answered. “John, you wouldn’t believe it. That attic is full of the coolest stuff. Fascinating household accounts and records that probably should go to the Historical Society. And an entire collection of vintage silver.”
He had no idea what vintage silver was, but her almost reverent tone indicated how happy the discovery had made her. Just talking about it had lightened her mood and that was enough for him. They walked their dogs for the next hour while he happily learned more than he ever wanted to know about the subject.
They were approaching the south entrance when Maggie checked her watch. “Oh, my gosh. It’s almost four! I’m going to the Torreses’ for dinner. I’m supposed to be there at four, and I’ve got to pick up a pie at Laura’s first.”
John burst out laughing. “When did this get scheduled? Sam caught me on my way out the door this afternoon to invite me for dinner tonight.”
“Right after church today. They knew I was meeting a blind date. Joan was so worried I’d be kidnapped and dismembered in a ravine that I promised I’d stop by afterward to show her I was all right. Those little sneaks!”
“They wanted us back together, for sure,” John said.
They smiled at each other. “We’d better get going,” Maggie said.
“Not yet, young lady,” he replied as he pulled her into his arms for a slow, luxurious kiss. Even Eve and Roman seemed to approve as they ceased pulling on their leads and waited patiently.
When the reunited couple’s lips finally parted, Maggie rested her head briefly on John’s chest before reluctantly stepping back. “We’re going to be late. I’m sure Joan is getting anxious about me. Why don’t we arrive together?”
“Good plan. I can’t wait to see the looks on their faces.”
“We’re lucky to have such caring friends.”
“We’re lucky in a lot of ways,” John replied as he planted a kiss on the top of her head.
***
As promised, Maggie called Susan much later that night to report on her meeting with the mysterious dog lover. “You’ve got to be kidding! It was John? No way!” Susan exclaimed.
“You should have seen us hovering by the entrance, stealing glances at each other before we realized what was up.”
“Like the plot of a movie with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks,” Susan interjected.
“Exactly,” Maggie laughed. “And then it came out that he actually thought I was seeing Frank Haynes,” Maggie sputtered, the thought striking her as both irritating and ridiculously funny.
“What? That’s preposterous. Haynes is a weasel.”
“And you should have seen Joan and Sam when we showed up for dinner together. They were trying to fix us up again. Not too subtle. They loved how it all came together. Sam practically turned himself inside out, grinning.”
Susan sighed. “I’m really happy for you, Mom. John is a nice guy. I always thought he was crazy about you. I was so disappointed that you two broke up. But what about the other guy? DogLover7719. What are you going to do about him?”
“I’ve already sent an email and cancelled. First thing I did when I got home. Now that I’m back with John, I couldn’t possibly go out with someone else.”
Maggie switched the focus to her daughter.
“What’s new on your end? Anyone interesting online for you?”
“Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see,” Susan replied with a yawn. “I don’t have the energy to get into all of that now. I’ve been meaning to tell you that Mike and I have decided about the holidays,” she stated firmly.
“Oh? And what have you decided?” Maggie asked, bemused. Her children were back to being their bossy selves.
“Mike, Amy, the girls, and I will all come to Rosemont for Thanksgiving. I’ve got the week off, so I’m coming on the Friday night before, and they’ll arrive on Tuesday.”
Maggie couldn’t hide her delight. “That’s wonderful! I thought Mike couldn’t get the time off. I can’t wait to see the twins. I miss you all so much. It’ll be fun to have you here. And it’ll be like Rosemont’s coming out party,” she said in a rush.
Weaving the Strands Page 13