Shelly spread the table with a plastic cover and set out their plates and service. She clamped four slices of bread into the long-handled, multipurpose toaster grill and held it over the fire. Within minutes breakfast was ready.
As Megan chewed her bacon, eggs, and toast, she couldn’t resist a peek at the neighbors. Scott and Randy sat at their table, minus a cloth. Megan couldn’t see their breakfast, but assumed it was palatable since they were eating. When Scott turned toward her and waved, she lifted her hand and looked away.
By nine thirty Shelly, Megan, and Derek headed down the trail through the woods toward the chapel. When they broke free of the trees, they entered a clearing that sloped toward a large lake surrounded by a sandy beach where several people took advantage of the roped-off area for swimming. Beyond the swimmers, sailboats and racing motorboats dotted the lake as far as the eye could see. A pavilion consisting of a shingle roof held up by natural rock posts sat away from the water.
Megan followed Shelly to one side, farthest from the lake, where they set up their chairs. A scattering of people had already arrived and more trailed in. Soon lawn chairs and folding camp chairs took on orderly rows on either side of the pavilion.
The woman at the electronic keyboard touched a few notes, and a man picked up a guitar and strummed. Megan always liked to listen to the instruments warming up.
Derek twisted in his seat and motioned to someone behind him. Megan turned, too. Scott and Randy stood in the back, looking around as if uncertain what to do.
They walked around a group of people until Scott stood beside Megan on the outer end of the row. He grinned and knelt beside her. “This is the first time I went to church and there weren’t any seats left.”
She stifled a giggle. “Seats aren’t provided.”
“You didn’t mention bringing any, either.” He accused her.
“Sorry.” She covered her mouth with her fingertips, but a soft snort escaped.
Scott shook his head, giving her an exaggerated frown. “You wouldn’t laugh at me, would you?”
“No! Honestly, I never thought. The preacher and his wife came around last night to invite everyone, but you didn’t come in until later. They mentioned we’d need our own chairs.”
Scott sank the rest of the way to the ground Indian fashion and rested his arms on his bent knees. Megan tried not to notice how his shirt brought out the blue of his eyes. He smiled a little half smile and said, “Since you didn’t bother to tell me everything we needed to know, we’ll just hide here where no one can see us.”
Megan giggled and Derek jumped up. He bounced in front of Shelly. “Mom, I can sit by Randy, and his dad can have my chair. Is it okay?”
Shelly smiled. “That’s fine with me.”
Derek hopped past Megan. “Is it okay with you, Mr.…?” His voice trailed off.
“Scott is fine, Derek, but I don’t want to take your chair.”
“Please. I’d rather sit by Randy than my mom and aunt.”
Scott laughed as he stood. “In that case, I shall gladly take your chair. Thank you.”
He sat between Megan and Shelly and looked from one to the other “Now I feel like I’m intruding.”
Megan shook her head, as music filled the air. “I’m glad you came.”
While she stood with the others and lifted her voice in singing, “This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made,” she realized she was glad Scott and Randy had joined them. Whether for friendship, or if he truly wasn’t married, for something more, she didn’t know, but Scott was the first man in over nine years who had attracted her attention.
Maybe she’d better find out his marital status for sure. Right after church. Just as soon as she figured out how to ask without looking like an idiot—again.
~Two~
Megan joined her voice with the handful of worshipers as they sang Amazing Grace, one of her favorite hymns. After that, the preacher shared the Word of God in an interesting sermon. The distant throttle of motorboats and an occasional shout from swimmers provided a pleasant background noise. A hint of honeysuckle drifted past on the breeze, and Megan filled her lungs. Derek and Randy, sitting on the ground to her left, were quiet, even attentive, as far as she could tell.
Scott also seemed intent on the message. She chanced a peek, and met his gaze. With a quick smile, she turned to stare straight ahead. Maybe he wasn’t as intent as she’d thought.
When the service ended, they stood for prayer. As soon as the preacher said, “Amen,” Derek and Randy took off in a run, no doubt having planned their getaway sometime during the sermon.
Shelly and Scott yelled at the same time.
“Derek!”
“Randy!”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Shelly demanded.
“We just want to watch the boats.” The boys ran back, and Derek pointed toward the lake. “We’ll stay away from the water, I promise.”
Shelly looked at Scott. “It’s up to you. I trust Derek to keep his word and not do anything stupid.”
Scott nodded. “Randy knows better than to get in the water, but I’d still like to keep him in sight.”
The expression on his face hardened as he turned to the boys. “You stay where we can see you and well away from the water.” He glanced at his wristwatch. “Ten minutes, guys, that’s all.”
Megan looked at Scott’s stern, inflexible expression and shuddered to think of the consequences if either boy dared to disobey. One glance at Derek told her he felt the same way. Randy grinned and spun around. “All right! Come on, Derek.”
He took off with Derek in hot pursuit. Scott’s deep chuckle followed them. So his tough image was for show only. For a while he’d looked as forbidding as a cop about to make an arrest.
“What do you do for a living?” Megan let her gaze slide over his well-defined biceps.
Scott smiled. “I’m assistant professor of history at UMC. Or rather, I will be when classes start this fall.”
“How interesting.” Shelly spoke before Megan could. “My little sister is a teacher, too.”
“Your little sister?” Scott looked from Megan to Shelly and back. One eyebrow lifted.
Shelly laughed. “Yes. Megan teaches third grade at Banner Hills Elementary, just north of Columbia.”
A strange look crossed Scott’s face. He shook his head. “Amazing. My son and I just moved into Banner Hills last week. He’ll be going to school there.”
“What grade is he in?” Megan shifted her folding chair to a more comfortable position.
“Fourth.”
“Too bad.” Megan looked across the sand to the two boys who seemed to be getting along like old friends. “I would have loved to have him in my class.”
“Derek is in fourth, too,” Shelly said. “Maybe they’ll be in the same class. Do you know who Randy’s teacher is?”
Scott nodded. “Mrs. Steward.”
Shelly smiled. “Wait until the boys hear this. This is just her second year here, isn’t it, Megan?”
Megan nodded. “Yes, but she seems to be good. She treats the children well.”
“I’ve heard other parents say she’s a good teacher. They like her.” Shelly smiled up at Scott. “Which is great as far as I’m concerned, because Derek will be in her class, too.”
Megan stood to the side while her sister and Scott talked about school from a parent’s perspective. The emptiness caused by her early morning dream became an ache in her stomach that she pressed with her open hands. She turned away to watch the boys who were now sitting on the beach several feet from the waterline. Another hour of sun, and the sand would be too hot to sit on. She lifted her face toward a cooling breeze as the boys jumped to their feet and raced toward the chapel.
“Looks like your boys have seen all the boats they want to.” Megan nodded toward the approaching boys.
Shelly turned from Scott and shook her head with an indulgent smile. “I wonder what they want this time.”
“
Mom.”
“Dad.” The two boys called as they got close enough to be heard.
“Can we go swimming now?” Derek and Randy stopped short of the adults. Huge grins covered both their faces.
Pain sliced through Megan’s heart. Both had blond hair and large brown eyes. If not for the second biggest mistake of her life, her son could be standing with his cousin, begging to go swimming.
“Not now, son.” Scott spoke first.
“But you said we were going swimming this afternoon.”
“Yeah, Mom.” Derek added his complaint to Randy’s. “You promised.”
“This afternoon means after we eat, not before,” Shelly said. “When I’ve seen some grub go in and fill you up, then I’ll talk swimming.”
“But Mom, we want to go together.” Derek glanced up at Scott. “All of us.”
“I don’t mind that,” Shelly said. “But I still intend to eat first.”
“Can we eat together?” Derek bounced, an eager expression on his face. “They could come over to our camp. Okay, Mom?”
Scott slowly shook his head. “I don’t know. Seems to me we’ve imposed enough for one day.”
“Oh, forget it.” Shelly brushed his objections aside. “You haven’t done any such thing. We’d be delighted to have you join us, wouldn’t we, Megan?”
“Yes, of course we would.” Megan looked up and her gaze caught Scott’s for a moment. And held.
His lopsided smile stirred emotions in Meagan she thought were forgotten. He turned his attention back to the boys. “In that case, we’d better be getting back to camp so we can get this bothersome job of eating out of the way. Then, we can get down to the serious stuff of life, like swimming and dunking a kid named Randy and his new buddy, Derek.”
Scott held his hand out above Randy’s head. “Hey, give me five.”
Randy laughed and jumped to smack his dad’s open hand with his. Then Scott turned to Derek. “You, too.”
Derek’s eyes shone. He also had to jump to reach Scott’s hand.
“Way to go.” Scott grinned at them. “Hey, I’ll race you back to camp.”
Before the words were out of his mouth, both boys took off at high speed. Scott turned to the women and shrugged. “Sorry, but it looks like I gotta run.”
Shelly laughed. “Good luck catching those two.”
Scott closed the distance separating him from the boys, while Megan and Shelly started at a slower pace.
“Wow.” Shelly voiced Megan’s thoughts. “That’s some professor.”
“He seems to be good with the boys, at least.” Megan didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that Scott held her attention. There was no room in her life for a man. To become interested in Scott Landis would be a painful waste of time.
“That’s true. But I thought you might have noticed the dark, curly hair and those deep blue eyes that can go from steel gray to warm, ocean blue all in the space of a mood swing. I won’t even mention the athletic build and the fact he’s already caught the boys who, by the way, could outrun me as if I were standing still even if I had a head start.”
“All right, Shelly.” Megan held up her hand. “I get the picture. You’ve got a crush on our neighbor and want me to back off.”
Shelly laughed. “Not on your life, little sister. I don’t go for the knock-’em-out-gorgeous, studious type. History professor?” She shuddered. “Nah, you can have him.”
“Oh, thanks loads.” Scott and the boys disappeared into the woods, but Megan still saw them running across the sand in her mind. Yeah he was pretty gorgeous. But a history teacher? Wasn’t that some kind of physical oxymoron? He should be a policeman like she’d first thought. At the very least have an outdoor job instead of being stuck inside behind a desk.
By the time Megan and Shelly reached their campsite, Scott and the boys had the table filled with sandwich makings and three varieties of chips. Four two-liters of soft drink surrounded a package of Styrofoam cups and paper plates.
Scott grinned at the women. “I see you finally made it.”
“Yes, and I see you’ve raided the camper next door.” Shelly shook her head at all the food on their table.
“It was just sitting over there. Someone might as well eat some of this.” Scott motioned for them to sit. “Come on in and make yourselves at home.”
Megan moved first. “Come on, Shelly. I’m getting hungry, and the boys aren’t going to wait much longer.”
“All right.” Shelly plopped on the bench beside Megan. “And since you’re so hungry, why don’t you pray before we eat?”
Scott watched them with a curious gleam in his eyes. Megan smiled across the table at him and bowed her head.
As soon as Megan’s “Amen” left her mouth, the boys sprang up to make sandwiches.
Megan smiled. “I guess I wasn’t the only hungry one here.”
“We aren’t hungry, just anxious to get this eating prerequisite out of the way.” Scott grabbed a couple of slices of bread and slapped some sandwich spread on each of them.
Megan and Shelly shared an amused look then laughed. Shelly said, “Well, Megan, you heard the professor. Swimming is the main subject, so let’s get to it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Megan opened a two-liter and poured some of the bubbly liquid into a cup. “If we’re going to eat his food we’d better listen to what he has to say.”
Scott looked up from his thick sandwich. “Hmmm. Do you think that would work in the classroom? If I bring snacks, the students will listen? Or promise swimming.”
Megan laughed. “Trust me, it doesn’t work. At least not in third grade. Party day is pretty much a free for all.”
Scott smiled. “Have you taught long?”
“Seven years. How about you?”
“This is my first attempt at college level. I taught in secondary schools for ten years. I was just starting my second year of teaching when Randy showed up.” Scott’s half smile played on his lips. “After a couple of sleepless nights, I was ready to leave the bottle fixing and diaper changing to my wife and head back to school.”
“Oh, Dad.” Randy nudged Scott with his shoulder.
The three adults laughed. Derek took a huge bite of his sandwich and ignored them. Randy rolled his eyes and shook his head, then turned toward Derek. “Let’s go over to our table. Can we, Dad?”
“Got tired of our company already?” Scott grinned when Randy nodded. “Sure, but stay in sight until we’re ready to go.”
“Okay.” The two boys fixed another sandwich each and grabbed a bag of chips and one of the bottles of soft drink before they ran across the grass to set up their own picnic.
“You mentioned your wife.” Shelly hesitated.
“I lost my wife eight years ago.” A muscle twitched in Scott’s jaw.
“I’m sorry.” Shelly reached across the table to place her hand on his arm. “I understand more than you know. My husband died just two days before Derek was born.”
Scott’s expression softened. His voice became little more than a whisper. “Then, he never knew his son.”
Shelly’s smile held a touch of sadness. She shook her head. “No, he never did. And Derek never knew his dad.”
Megan shifted on the hard bench. She chewed her food and listened, but only because it would be rude to get up and run off like the boys had done. She looked across the grass, but she couldn’t escape the conversation at her table.
“Derek and I live with my mother now. She’s also widowed and helps with Derek when I work. It’s been great not having to rely on baby-sitters and daycare.”
Then Shelly smiled at her sister. “Megan has a cute little house across town.”
“Oh, really?” Scott smiled at Megan, and his gaze dropped to her bare ring finger.
Shelly had brought her into the conversation to keep her from feeling left out. She understood that and appreciated the thought. Still, did they have to tell all her secrets to a stranger? Then she mentally shrugged. What difference did i
t make? She could give him the basics without telling everything.
“Just to set the record straight, I live alone except for Bagheera.” She held up her left hand and wiggled her fingers toward Scott. “See, no ring. I’m a true old maid school teacher with a cat.”
His eyebrows shot up, and then he laughed with Shelly. He stood and looked toward the boys. “I don’t know about you ladies, but we need to go swimming. Shall I send Derek over to get ready?”
“Yes, please.” Shelly stood and began closing containers and bags.
Megan walked around the table gathering groceries until her arms were full. “I’ll walk you home. Can you carry the rest?”
“Sure.”
Scott filled his arms with the rest of the leftovers on the table and Megan led the way to his camper.
She stopped when they reached the boys. “Hey, Derek. If you want to go swimming, you’d better get your swim trunks on.”
Both boys leapt from the table as if springs had been released.
~*~
When Megan entered Scott’s kitchen, she made a point of looking at the gas stove, and he grinned.
He put his load on the counter. “Hey, if I’d bought propane, we’d never have met. I think that would’ve been a tragedy.”
He liked her quick smile. “I’m sure Derek would think so. He’s made a friend. However, Randy and Derek would’ve probably become friends anyway, considering they’ll be in the same class this coming year.”
“I wasn’t thinking about the boys.” Scott watched her smile falter and wondered why.
Of the two women, Shelly seemed more outgoing, but there was something special about Megan. Something vulnerable in the way she’d defended her unmarried state. He wanted to get acquainted with her. Find out more about what or who had hurt her. Maybe see if he could help her move beyond her painful past. He wasn’t a mind reader, but he didn’t have to be to notice that every time he and Shelly had talked about the boys, she turned away, and that didn’t make sense. She obviously doted on Derek, yet she shrank from a normal conversation pertaining to him.
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