The Swear Jar

by Osorio, Audra

  Friday morning, Tom and Lucy arrived before Duncan. They wondered how the Board meeting went. They were a little worried things may not have gone as Duncan wanted.

  “Do you think the Board said no?” Lucy asked worriedly. “And he’s taking it badly?”

  “If the Board said no, it’s more likely that he’s bailing out Anne for throwing a fit.”

  “Tom, you’re so funny. NOT. Where is he? The suspense is killing me.”

  “Here he comes. He has a spring in his step. If he stops to smell the flowers, we’ll have to call a doctor for a bad case of puppy love.”

  Duncan beamed as he called out a hardy greeting. Tom and Lucy exchanged looks and turned to him. Duncan was happier than they had seen him in a long time.

  “I guess it went well last night?” asked Lucy.

  Duncan nodded enthusiastically. “The Board approved Miss Meara’s appointment. I spoke with her last night. I’ve asked her to come in today to discuss the details.”

  “MISS Meara?” said Tom, teasing.

  “That’s wonderful, Duncan! Ignore Tom,” said Lucy. “I guess Miss Meara accepted?”

  “Yes. She starts Monday.”

  “Why is she coming today? Couldn’t you have told her the details over the phone? And can’t she fill out the paperwork on Monday?” Tom asked, grinning.

  “I guess. She could fill out the papers on Monday.” Realizing he didn’t have a plausible reason for Meara’s visit, he stared blankly.

  “Tom, stop teasing him. Now look at what you’ve done. He’s nervous enough, now he has to think about his motivations? She agreed to come today. Leave the poor man alone! Duncan, having her visit today makes a pleasant start to the job. It gets the little details out of the way. Do you have her keys and paperwork all ready?” Lucy patted Duncan’s arm reassuringly.

  “I’m working on it this morning.” His smile returned.

  “So get cracking! It’s nine o’clock, half the day is over!” Lucy smiled. “Anne will come and smooth over any rough spots. Tom, go shelve some books and leave Duncan alone!”

  “Yes, ma’am” replied Duncan and Tom together.

  Tom winked, Duncan chuckled, and both headed off in different directions. They both knew better than to hassle Lucy. At noon, Duncan left to have Meara’s keys made. Tom and Lucy flipped a quarter to see who took lunch first. They weren’t going to miss Meara’s visit. Duncan got back with ten minutes to spare. Tom had lost the coin toss. He finished his sandwich while standing in the doorway of the Circulation Office. Duncan raised an eyebrow. Tom grinned mischievously.

  “There’s no sign of her, but no phone call either. Don’t be nervous,” Lucy said. “She’ll be here.”

  “I’m not nervous. Who’s nervous?” Duncan replied. ”What’s there to be nervous about?”

  “That was convincing.” Tom rolled his eyes.

  “Looks like you made it just in time, Duncan,” Lucy said, nodding towards the front doors. “Here they come now.”

  “Anne’s half way up the walk, but Meara’s lagging behind. What’s up?” asked Tom.

  “Anne took Meara for a hike this morning. I hope Anne didn’t wear her out,” Duncan replied, looking concerned.

  “Doesn’t Anne always wear her out?” Tom laughed. “A hike would be twice the torture. I’d be surprised if she doesn’t fall asleep on you.”

  Duncan contemplated curling up with Meara on the loveseat in his office. He imagined stroking her dimple while she was tucked into his embrace. He saw himself kissing her gently while she dozed. He raised his eyebrows and exhaled.

  Lucy said, “She sees you, so wake up and smile.”

  Duncan snapped out of his daydream. Anne bounded into the library with Meara close behind. They greeted Tom and Lucy. Duncan smiled and Meara smiled back. Duncan had on jeans and a short-sleeved, dark blue Henley. Meara had on denim shorts and a sky blue, cotton blouse with a modestly low neckline. He saw the gentle swell of her cleavage. His mind started to wander, so he held out his hand for her to shake.

  “Miss Meara, it’s good to see you again. How are you, Anne? How did the death march go?” he asked.

  “She sneezed two dozen times and only tripped twice. It went well,” Anne grinned.

  “She let me bring bug spray, sunscreen, and water this time, so I’m alive. I tried to ditch her in the woods, but she must have had breadcrumbs with her. She thinks she has my afternoon planned, but I’m not falling for it.” Meara growled.

  “I’m glad it turned out all right. Miss Meara, would you like to step into my office?” asked Duncan.

  “Yes, Mr. Phillips, that sounds good.”

  Duncan led the way to his office. He looked back at Tom, Lucy and Anne. Giving two thumbs up, Tom added a wicked grin, making Duncan nervous. Lucy whacked Tom on the back of the head. Duncan winked and closed the door.

  “What plans did you have for Miss Meara this afternoon?” asked Tom, leaning towards Anne.

  Anne said, “I want to go to Maple Tree Farm. We’re planting a vegetable garden. She isn’t sure how to get there and doesn’t want to get lost. How lost can we possibly get?”

  “Isn’t Maple Tree Farm right by Duncan’s house?” Tom turned to Lucy.

  “Yes, I visited Brenda when she was ill. I had to pass right by there.”

  “Duncan knows where it is,” said Tom. “I think he should escort you there.”

  “Right. Get those two out of the library,” replied Lucy. “That could work.”

  “How long will they be in there?” asked Anne. “I want to get some books and movies.”

  “You have time. Why don’t you go browse?” Lucy said.

  Anne trotted off to the Youth Services Department. Tom and Lucy exchanged looks.

  “Should we tell Anne Maple Tree Farm has a petting zoo?” asked Lucy.

  “No, let her find out for herself. She needs to have fun too,” Tom chuckled. “With Anne to play chaperone, Duncan and Meara can’t get into too much trouble.”

  Thirty minutes later, Duncan’s door opened. Meara was smiling shyly. Duncan was beaming happily. Anne returned with an armload of books and DVDs. Tom checked them out for Anne.

  “That’s quite a collection. How long will those last you?” asked Duncan.

  “Probably until next week,” Anne replied. “Aunt Meara, I got ‘Robin Hood’ on DVD for you.”

  “Do you like swashbuckling heroes, Miss Meara?” teased Tom.

  “No, she likes Sir Guy,” Anne said.

  “Ah, bad boys!” said Tom.

  “I don’t like bad boys. Sir Guy is not a true bad boy. He loved Maid Marian, at least at first. But she didn’t love him, so he turned bad. I wonder if Sir Guy would have been different if Maid Marian had loved him. About half way through the movie, I don’t like him anymore,” said Meara, shaking her head.

  Duncan listened to her intently. If she wanted a knight in shining armor that treated her like a lady, he wanted a shot at being that knight.

  “Hi, everyone!” came a voice from behind Meara.

  Meara turned to see a blonde woman waving. She was a little taller than Meara, petite and fit. She had merry green eyes and an infectious smile. Meara couldn’t guess her age, but the woman wasn’t much older than Meara. Meara smiled back at this friendly woman, instantly liking her.

  Chapter Five

  “Sherrie! I thought you weren’t coming back until Monday!” Lucy said.

  “I heard we were getting a new employee. I thought I’d pop in and see if I could meet her. And I know the paychecks are here,” Sherrie said, laughing.

  “Sherrie, meet Meara, the new Head of Youth Services. Meara, meet Sherrie, Circulation Assistant extraordinaire,” said Duncan.

  “I hope you’ll like working here, Meara. Duncan, Tom and Lucy are the greatest people. And who is this?” asked Sherrie.

  “This is Anne, Meara’s niece, and unofficial staff member,” Duncan said.

  Sherrie was attractive, outgoing, friendly and slightly closer to Du
ncan’s age. Meara couldn’t tell if she wore a wedding ring. Her smile faded. She felt stupid thinking Duncan would be interested in her. It was more likely he was interested in Sherrie. If he was watching Sherrie, she would know she was an idiot. She slowly turned in his direction, meeting Tom’s gaze first. He slowly shook his head, winked and smiled.

  “Sherrie, you never said how your vacation went. Did Dave get to use his camping gear? He was so excited about it. That husband of yours is a real outdoorsman! Did he do any fishing?” Tom asked.

  Meara shyly turned towards Duncan. He had been watching her the whole time. She smiled at him, turning slightly pink. He smiled back, oblivious of the conversation going on around him. Her butterflies fluttered and his heart skipped a beat.

  “Anne, what do you have planned for this afternoon?” asked Lucy.

  “I want Aunt Meara to take me to Maple Tree Farm for plants, but she’s too chicken.” Anne threw out the challenge.

  “I’m still learning the roads around here. If we get lost, we’ll be lost for good,” Meara replied.

  “Say, Duncan, isn’t Maple Tree Farm out by you?” asked Lucy, gently prompting him.

  Duncan replied, “Yes, it is. I’d be happy to give you good directions, guaranteed not to get you lost.”

  Tom and Lucy shook their heads. Sherrie could tell they were up to something. She wasn’t sure what was going on between Duncan and Meara. Sherrie was intrigued.

  “Even with directions, she gets lost. For years, she visited this one library where her girlfriend worked and she got lost every time,” Anne said, throwing up her hands.

  “Thank you for the vote of confidence,” replied Meara, sighing.

  “Duncan, it’s Friday and it’s not busy. Why don’t you take Meara and Anne to the farm yourself?” asked Sherrie, starting to understand the situation.

  Tom, Lucy and Anne nodded approval. Meara blushed. Duncan saw his chance to be her knight.

  “Lady Meara, it would be my pleasure to escort you and Princess Anne to Maple Tree Farm.” Duncan placed a hand over his heart, giving a slight bow.

  “That’s very kind of you, Sir Duncan. Are you sure?” asked Meara. “I don’t want to take you away from work if you’re busy.”

  “Please do take him! The mice want to play a little this afternoon,” chuckled Tom.

  “I can spare the time. I wouldn’t want you to be missing on Monday,” replied Duncan.

  “Then Sir Duncan, I humbly accept your offer.” Meara gave a slight curtsy. “Is that acceptable to you, PRINCESS Anne?”

  “Let’s go!” chirped Anne.

  Duncan, Meara and Anne said goodbye to everyone and headed out to the parking lot. Sherrie turned to Tom and Lucy. She had her hands on her hips.

  “Spill,” Sherrie said. “What’s the deal with those two? I’ve never seen Duncan like that. My boss is mooning over a pretty girl? I like her.”

  Out in the parking lot, the first obstacle to their road trip emerged. They looked at each other and shrugged.

  “One car or two?” asked Anne. “It doesn’t make sense to use two cars. She can’t follow people.”

  “Mr. Phillips, I hate to say it, but she’s right. My following skills are as bad as my direction skills.”

  “We’ve spoken about parameters, Miss Meara. Here is my first parameter. When we are inside the library, I’m Mr. Phillips and you’re Miss Meara. Outside of the library, I’m Duncan and you’re Meara. Agreed?”

  “Agreed.” Her dimple deepened.

  Aching to touch that dimple, he tried to focus. “I can drive us.”

  “I’d feel guilty about the mess we’d make with the plants. Let’s compromise, Sir Duncan. I’ll drive the Jeep, you navigate and Princess Anne can give the royal wave from the backseat. Does that sound good to you?”

  “Sounds good, Lady Meara,” Duncan laughed.

  Once they were on the road, he gave directions. The road had a few tricky turns, but soon they were close to the farm. He instructed her to turn right into the parking lot. Suddenly, there was a squeal of delight from the backseat. Meara tensed at the wheel. Duncan chuckled. The squeal turned into a long moan as they pulled into a parking spot.

  “What’s wrong with you, Anne? You’re freaking me out!” Meara chided. “Oh, now I see.”

  Maple Tree Farm was not only a plant nursery, a farm stand and a bakery, but also a petting zoo. Anne was tapping the windows. She was also patting Meara on the shoulder.

  Anne bounced on the backseat. “We have to visit the animals! Please! Please! Please! Can we?”

  Meara shook her head. “Anne, Duncan was nice enough to bring us here. We shouldn’t wear out his kindness by dragging him all over the place. We get plants and go, understood?”

  Duncan was lost in his own thoughts. He hadn’t been to Maple Tree in a long time. He and Brenda used to come here before she got sick. Brenda liked feeding the animals in the petting zoo. Anne’s enthusiasm reminded him of Brenda.

  “I don’t mind. I’m all yours, Lady Meara. Let Princess Anne loose to meet the animals!” he proclaimed.

  “Let me go on record as saying I warned you, Sir Duncan. Anne can be more of a fire-breathing dragon than a princess when she sets her mind on something. They might send out a search party for us anyway.” She smiled at him. “Okay, Anne. Go for it.”

  “Yippee! Thank you, Sir Duncan!” Anne exploded out of the Jeep.

  She was at the first pen before Meara and Duncan opened their doors. She ran back and forth, squealing happily. Meara shook her head.

  “She loves animals.” When Meara laughed, it sounded like music to him.

  “I can see.” He found it difficult to concentrate.

  He wanted to hold her hand and pull her close as they strolled to the first pen. He restrained himself as she pointed to the wobbly lambs and their mothers in the pen. The lambs stayed close to their mothers. Outside the pen was a food pellet dispenser.

  “I wonder if Anne has figured out she’ll need change for the pellets,” Meara mused. “Three. Two. One.”

  “Aunt Meara!” Anne ran over. “Do you have any change?”

  “Why didn’t you bring money with you?” Meara failed miserably at keeping a straight face.

  “You’ve got change in the Jeep. Can I have your keys? Please? Pretty please? You can’t let me stand here and not feed the animals!”

  Meara folded her arms while Anne pleaded. Duncan was fascinated with the dynamic between aunt and niece. They bickered affectionately.

  “If you think I’m giving you my keys, you’re crazy. I’ll unlock the doors remotely and you have one minute. Got it? Now go!” She unlocked the Jeep.

  Anne ran like her life depended on it. Duncan laughed to see Anne’s braids flying as she made the mad dash to the Jeep.

  “Are you going to time her?” he asked.

  “No, but she doesn’t know that,” she replied.

  “Would you like to feed the animals?” he asked shyly.

  “I would, but I don’t have any change on me. I’ll have to see what Anne digs up.”

  “I still have the quarter from the day we met. You can have it, if you want.”

  “You still have it? Sir Duncan, it warms my heart to know chivalry is not dead. I thank you for the opportunity to right a wrong I made that fateful day. This time, as a damsel in distress, I’ll accept your token, since that adorable lamb over there is calling me. Thank you, kind Sir Duncan,” Meara curtsied with her hand over her heart.

  “You’re most humbly welcome, Lady Meara. That lamb is adorable and he looks hungry. Would you like to put the quarter in the machine or do you want me to do it?”

  “You put the quarter in and I’ll catch the pellets.”

  When she had a handful of pellets, she asked, “Do you want some? Put your hands under mine.”

  He cupped his hands. He couldn’t resist touching hers for a brief moment. They were small and warm compared to his. Her hands trembled slightly. She let half the pellets fall into his
hands. She blushed slightly. They looked into each other’s eyes. A thrill of pleasure went through him. He could kiss her right now, but he knew a knight would not take advantage of a lady. They needed to be friends first. He liked looking into those beautiful blue eyes.

  “What are you two waiting for? There are animals to feed!” Anne exclaimed. “I’ve got lots of change. Let’s go!”

  The spell was broken. Duncan and Meara smiled shyly at each other. She liked the feel of his hands against hers. His green eyes danced with laughter. She wanted him to kiss her. She shook her head in disbelief. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. Being so close to him made her mind wander.

  “Sir Duncan, lambs first?” she asked.

  “Sounds like a plan, Lady Meara,” he answered.

  “You two are weird,” Anne replied.

  “The best people are,” chuckled Duncan.

  For the next thirty minutes, they fed the animals. When Meara and Anne ran out of pellets, they raced to the dispenser for more. Meara would return to Duncan and give him half her pellets. He watched her as she cooed over the animals. She was so gentle and patient. He was enchanted by her. On the farm, there was a horse and pony paddock not open to the public, but he and Brenda had gotten to know the owner, Bob. Duncan wanted to show Meara the paddock.

  He wanted to share part of his life he had filed away, like an old book on the shelf. He wanted to feel a little of the happiness he had felt with Brenda. He wondered what Meara’s reaction would be to sharing something with her he had only shared with Brenda. While he was thinking about this, they finally ran out of change. With the last animal fed, Anne looked terribly disappointed. Meara shook her head and pointed to the plants across the road.

  “Anne, the party’s over,” said Meara. “Let’s pick out some plants. Is that all right with you, Duncan?”