A Wedding in Apple Grove (8 page)

Meg brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes and the movement pulled her boxy shirt snug against her curves. He swallowed and reminded himself that women were not to be trusted—well, the ones his age weren't. Ones like Miss Trudi and his grandmother, they were honest to the core and the best of friends.

“I guess I'll just be going then,” she said as she flicked off her flashlight and headed for the stairs.

He caught up to her at the top.

She was staring at the table he'd set for two and the rose he'd placed across one plate. “So, who are you cooking dinner for?”

He wanted to pump his fist in the air; the little lady wanted to know who he was cooking for. That meant she was definitely interested. She looked as if she were ready to bolt and he wanted to keep her there just a moment longer.

Before he could answer, she spun around and started past the center island and noticed the dessert. Her gaze met his again. “Whoever it is must have made quite an impression for you to go to all of this trouble.” She stood there with dirt smudged across her cheek, her shirtsleeves rolled up to her elbows, staring up at him.

She blew out a breath and asked, “Is it Peggy or Katie McCormack?”

The insecurity in her eyes tugged at his heart.

“Uh… neither. I'm cooking for my aunt.”

When she didn't react, he wondered if she'd been paying attention and heard what he'd said.

“Look, I've got to go.” She didn't hang around for him to say any more. He almost wished she would; he liked seeing her in his kitchen. He thought about calling her back, but that would have been selfish when she'd already told him what a long day she'd had.

“Thanks, Meg. I really appreciate that you made the extra stop for me.”

She smiled and waved on her way out the door. He chuckled softly watching her go, flattered that she'd been trying to get him to tell her who he was making dinner for. Was it possible she'd been jealous, or was he imagining things? He scrubbed his hands over his face and admitted he hadn't been able to figure women out since his ex. He had a lot on his plate right now, but it would be well worth it to get to the heart of Megan Mulcahy.

His parents had warned him that people would be different out here and not like folks from back home. He heard an engine roar to life and thought about going out to catch her and ask her to have dinner with him tomorrow night. With a glance at the clock, he factored in the time spent in the basement and knew Miss Trudi would arrive any time now. He set all thoughts of the mercurial Megan aside; he had a woman to impress and a dinner to rescue—hopefully his soufflé wasn't ruined. But as he opened the oven door, his thoughts drifted back to the prickly redhead, and he knew he'd be seeing her again—soon.

***

Megan was beat when she opened the door and slid onto the driver's seat. It felt good to be this tired, because it meant that she'd gotten to every job on her list—and the ones not on her list. She wished she'd been able to get Dan to tell her who he was preparing that mouth-watering meal for. Maybe she could find out through Miss Trudi; right now, she needed to get home, eat, and crash. Exhausted as she was, she still made it a point to make sure she didn't lean against the truck door or let the flashlight in her back pocket accidently scratch the paint. Pop would have her hide if she scratched or dented his baby. He'd inherited his father's black 1950 Ford F1 pickup with the understanding that he would continue to drive the truck every day. Her grandfather had insisted that the people in Apple Grove always knew the Mulcahys were on the job when they saw his black truck with the gold lettering proclaiming
Mulcahy's—No Job is Too Small
driving through town.

Feathering the gas, she engaged the clutch and shifted into reverse. She didn't have far to drive, but it was just enough time to replay what had happened in her mind. Analyzing everything usually helped her resolve whatever was bothering her. By the time she'd driven home, she had realized what worried her most wasn't her physical reaction to the man; it was the feeling that they were meant to be together whether she was ready to accept it or not.

The last time she'd felt like this she'd been sixteen years old and so in love with Jimmy Van Orden that nothing anyone could say would convince her that he wasn't coming back after college. He was on the fast track to achieving his goal of playing pro football, and he would leave Apple Grove, Ohio, and Megan Mulcahy in the dust. Except for his twice-yearly visits, when he picked up where they'd left off, she'd be pinning her hopes on her childhood sweetheart popping the question for years—but so far it hadn't happened.

Growing up, she'd learned there were two types of people who lived in the sleepy Midwest town of Apple Grove: those who loved it and those who hated it. The ones who loved it still lived there, and those who hated it, well, they worked hard to earn scholastic or sports scholarships to colleges that would take them away to the bright lights and big city. Columbus wasn't that far away, and Ohio State had one of the best football teams in the nation. When Jimmy played for the Buckeyes, they'd been number one. Last year, they'd been in twelfth place—decent, but not in the top ten. She still followed college football, but she also enjoyed watching NASCAR and her favorite driver.

Thinking about Jimmy lifted the lid she'd put on her feelings back then. It had been a point of pride with her that she had been right; he did come back, often, but he'd yet to stay or ask her that all-important question. She'd been living in a time warp, keeping her nose to the grindstone, doing what had to be done for her sisters before and after school, burying her heart in the work that kept the family business afloat—living for the times when Jimmy would blow into town, take her out, and then shatter her heart with his excuses about why he just had to leave again. That is, until her wake-up call the other day at Edie and Bill's wedding when she'd encountered Dan Eagan.

It should have been a nick to her pride that that handsome, fair-haired phys ed teacher had gotten beneath her guard and under her skin, but the way he'd reawakened feelings she never thought she'd experience again had her wanting to thank him. The heat in his gaze had beckoned to her, tempting her, twice now. The first time, she'd gone with the overwhelming need to kiss him back and look how that worked out. He was dressed to kill and preparing a delicious-smelling dinner for someone—who she was, Meg hadn't been able to find out—but she did wonder if it was one of the McCormack sisters. They were blonde, tall, and simply gorgeous. Nice too, damn it. It would be hard to stay mad at them when they were so likable. If not the McCormacks, then who?

Since the resurgence of interest in the opposite sex wasn't something she was ready to deal with tonight, she'd chill out, talk to her dad, and have that beer.

For the first time in a dozen years, she wondered why she had never moved out of her parents' home. It wasn't that she hadn't felt the need to have a place of her own—she had, more than once, but she just hadn't done anything about it. It required energy she usually didn't have after a long day.

While Meg loved her sisters, there were times when they could be a pain, but she knew they felt the same way about her, saying she was too much of a mother hen. If they sensed there was something going on in her love life, they'd badger her until she confessed, and she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about the way the new teacher in town made her heart jump and her skin tingle. Oh, she knew they'd promise not to tell anyone, but she also knew they'd tell one of their gossipy friends, who'd tell two friends, who would eventually tell Honey B., and by nightfall their half of Licking County would know.

“Maybe I should call Susie Sanders.” Her friend owned Sanders Real Estate and would know who had an available apartment to rent. Thinking about moving was exciting and the possibilities were endless.

Partway home, she wondered why she'd waited, then a heartbeat later wondered why she wanted to move. “Conflicted much?” She laughed at herself and felt better. It was a big move to make without having second thoughts.

She needed more privacy than their family home afforded. Her sisters were long past the point where either of them needed her guidance or advice on anything. They basically lived and worked in each other's pockets, but after meeting Dan, she suddenly felt as if she were being confined and needed to spread her wings.

Without thinking, she'd taken the long way home, detouring past the water tower. One of her favorite spots in town was the Apple Grove water tower. Not because of its construction or historical significance; it was
the
equivalent of their local billboard, announcing everything from who was going steady or breaking up to who had just graduated from Ohio State or the Air Force Institute of Technology.

She looked up and grinned; sure enough, there was a new message today. Chuckling, she shook her head. “Well, now everyone's going to know that Rod and Susie are dating.” She ignored the twinge she felt every time a new name appeared up there that wasn't hers and she pulled over. Reaching for her phone, she sent a text to Rhonda Beaudine, letting her know the message on the water tower had changed. Rhonda replied right away that she'd do a drive-by and get a picture for the
Apple
Grove
Gazette
.

Knowing that she'd done her small part to keep the gossip flowing and the town moving forward, she grinned as the floodlights came on, illuminating the ladder leading to the catwalk that circled the tower. Sheriff Wallace had quit trying to keep kids from climbing up and painting their news, knowing he couldn't be there twenty-four/seven, so he did the next best thing and had floodlights installed so that no one would ever be climbing in the dark. Smart man, Mitch Wallace… except for not figuring out that Honey B. Harrington had been in love with him for the last fifteen years.

Then again, he probably did know but was hanging on to bachelorhood with both hands. As far as Meg was concerned, Honey had been wasting her time waiting for that man to wake up and smell the coffee.

Shaking her head, wondering what made men's minds work the way they do, she decided she'd waited long enough to do something with her life. Dialing Susie's number, she took the first step toward making an overdue change in her life.

Once she'd made up her mind and placed that phone call, she had set things in motion. Excitement tingled to the tips of her fingers. Anticipation filled her as she pulled into the driveway. She wondered what kind of a reaction waited for her.

Energized, ready to tackle life head on, she parked the truck, hefted her toolbox, and walked to the back door. It opened and her father stood beneath the back door light, frowning. Meg couldn't believe that he'd already heard that she'd called Sanders Real Estate. His stance, feet apart, hands loose at his sides—just like a gunslinger from the old west—and his words confirmed her suspicions. “Why didn't you tell me you weren't happy?”

“What?”

“Mary Murphy just called. Mrs. Graves was picking up a few groceries when Susie Sanders called her about renting her garage apartment to you.” He paused and drew in a deep breath. “You don't have to move out, Meg.” He reached for the heavy toolbox she carried. “I can convert the barn loft to an apartment for you if you're dead set on having a place of your own.”

She let go of the toolbox handle and turned and walked back to the truck.

“Wait!” he called out following her. “Mulcahys talk things through; you can't just leave without telling me what happened.”

She opened the passenger door and softly smiled. “I'm not,” she said, reaching in the truck once more.

“Then why are you moving out?”

She handed him the basket of eggs and stared up at the face that was more familiar than her own. “Pop,” she said. “I'm twenty-nine years old. Don't you think it's way past time for me to live on my own?”

His big frame relaxed as he took the basket from her and asked, “Sweeney's payment?”

“Yep. I think his arthritis is acting up again. He was having a hard time collecting them, so I helped.”

Putting his arm around her shoulders, he hugged her to his side. “How about a cold one? We can talk about what furniture you'll need to take with you.”

Meg blinked back tears. “Thanks for understanding, Pop.”

“I knew it was coming, but why now? Why today?”

She shrugged. “I'm not sure. I was driving past the water tower and it hit me.”

He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I hear Rod'll have to marry Susie.”

Meg smiled and reached for the door. “He loves her.”

He nodded and held the door for her. “Your sisters might not be ready to let you move out, but I think they'll come around.”

“You aren't mad?”

“Not a bit, Meggie, everyone has to spread their wings sometime.” Their eyes met. “Seems that now is your time.”

“I love you, Pop.”

“I love you more.”

“You've gone to such trouble, and all for an old biddy like me.”

“Aunt Trudi, you're worth every effort. How's the scampi?”

“Perfect… and my favorite.” She narrowed her gaze at him. “Did you call your mother to ask what I'd like to eat?”

“Of course. How else would I know?”

They ate companionably for a few minutes before he asked, “What do you make of Megan Mulcahy?”

His great-aunt slowly smiled as she lifted another forkful to her lips. Finishing the bite, she sighed. “You are a wonderful cook, Daniel. Did you know that some women couldn't cook if their lives depended upon it?”

He shrugged. “Hunger is a great motivator.” He looked over at her and grinned. “I really love to eat.”

They were laughing when he got up to clear their places. “I'm trying out a new topping for the apple tart. I'd like your honest opinion about it.”

“Of course. Now, getting back to Megan, she's the hardest working of the three girls.”

“She looked like she'd been inside that furnace she said she repaired earlier today.” He remembered wanting to brush the smudge of dirt off her nose. “I thought she was much younger when I caught her.”

“Caught her doing what?” Trudi leaned across the table toward him to hear better.

“Falling off the fence. Remember?”

“Hmmm… yes,” she answered. “Of course I do. I was just thinking.”

“You've got that look in your eye, Aunt Trudi.”

“Megan hasn't dated, except for when that young man who left to play football for Ohio State comes back to town.”

Dan really didn't think he wanted to know but needed to ask. “And how long ago was that?”

“A dozen or so years ago.”

He stopped midpour and set the coffee carafe down. “You have to be kidding me.”

Trudi shook her head. “I wish I was. That Van Orden boy broke Meg's heart. But what I don't understand is why she settles for a week or two of happiness out of fifty-two. He is keeping Meg right where he wants her—here in Apple Grove, waiting for his call.” She paused to draw in a breath before continuing. “A year or so after he left for college, Meg's mother died, and Meg retreated from everything but taking care of her sisters and working at Mulcahy's with her father.”

At his aunt's encouraging, he picked up the coffee and started pouring again.

“Let me help you with that, Daniel dear.”

They worked together and had dessert served and coffee poured before they got back to the subject of Megan. “Maybe she really loves the guy.”

“I think not dating anyone when he's not around has become habit,” Trudi said before sipping from her cup. “You can bet a man like Van Orden has a bevy of beauties at his beck and call back there in the city.”

He couldn't help himself; he laughed. “You haven't lost your flair for embellishing the facts. You could give grandma a run for her money.”

“She learned everything she knows from me. I am the big sister, you know.”

They were laughing again when he leaned over to squeeze her hand in his. “It's great to be here. Thanks for putting in a good word for me.”

“Your résumé spoke for itself. All I did was make sure it was added it to those applying for the job. Every one of the applicants had the same consideration from the board, in case you were wondering.”

“I wasn't, but it's good to know. In case anyone asks, I'll be prepared.”

“Oh, there will be a few making comments, after all, this is Apple Grove and everyone knows everyone else's business. If one person is in favor of something, there are two more who are against it.”

“Should I be worried about anyone in particular?”

“No one except Meg for the moment.”

“It was funny, she kept trying to get me to tell her who I was making dinner for without coming right out and asking me, but I don't think she heard me tell her I was cooking for you.”

“And how did that make you feel?” his aunt pressed.

He didn't even have to think about it; he knew. “Flattered. It was interesting, but she mentioned Peggy McCormack. Why do you think that was? I didn't really pay the woman any more attention than anyone else I met at Bill and Edie's wedding.”

His aunt nodded. “Meg's always been a bit touchy about the fact that her sisters inherited their father's height and she her mother's diminutive stature. Peggy and Katie are both tall, like the younger Mulcahy sisters.”

“That's crazy. Who thinks of things like that?”

Trudi wrinkled her nose as she set her coffee down. “Women are fragile creatures sometimes, Daniel. Best you remember that.”

He cleared away the last of the dirty dishes and asked, “Are you ready for me to take you home?”

“Yes, thank you, dear. Dinner was such a treat… and I did enjoy dessert. It's not often a handsome man goes to such trouble for me.”

He studied her as he waited for her to rise. “Are the eligible bachelors all blind here in Apple Grove?”

She patted her hair and laughed. “Lord love you, Daniel. It's good to have you here.”

“It's good to be here and to know I'm not all alone… I have family.”

“There are times when it seems like friends desert you, but family will always be there,” she said as he held the back door open and ushered her through. Arm in arm, she let Daniel lead the way outside to his car.

On their way through town, Aunt Trudi happily chatted about what was new over at her garden shop and the various plants she'd be “putting to bed” for the coming winter.

“Mom still rakes the leaves into her gardens for the same reason,” Dan told her.

When they passed the town square, she said, “I'll be putting in mums and ornamental cabbages here in the morning.”

“Do you plant them all by yourself?” Dan asked.

His aunt drew herself up in the seat next to him and huffed out a breath. “I am perfectly capable, young man.”

“Yes, Aunt Trudi,” he agreed, smiling at the eccentric picture she made sitting there wearing her khaki jodhpurs; a white, button-down, collared men's shirt; and her Wellingtons. “But that's not the point—”

“Thank you for agreeing.” She waited a few minutes before adding, “Robert Stuart usually stops by to help on his way in to the Gas and Gears.”

Dan felt better; he was worried that his eighty-year-old aunt would try to do the work all alone. “That's good because I don't have a moment to spare until after practice tomorrow.”

“I could use a hand over at the shop Saturday morning if you're free.”

“I'll be there,” he promised. A glint of chrome glistened in the moonlight off to the left. “Aunt Trudi, what's over there?”

She looked out the window and answered, “The back side of the cemetery. Oh,” she sighed.

He recognized the sleek black pickup before he noticed the compact curvy form of the woman who intrigued him. “Meg?”

“She must be troubled,” Trudi lowered her voice to just above a whisper. “She always visits her mother when she is.”

“Do you think we should—”

“Leave her be,” his aunt said. “Some things are best done alone. She's a strong young woman who has been carrying too heavy a burden, but doesn't always let it show.”

“I thought she lived at home and worked in the family business?”
How
could
that
be
a
burden?

Trudi shook her head. “Some of the strongest people I know work for family. It's never easy; you can't just up and quit if you don't like the way you're being treated or if the business isn't bringing in enough money. Families stick together, weather storms together and all of life's trials.”

“Is that what it was like working for your grandmother?”

She smiled. “I loved working with her. Grandmother Phoebe knew I'd have to be tough to keep her business flourishing after she turned it over to me. I'm grateful for every day that I had working and learning alongside her.”

He thought she'd finished and was about to speak when she softly added, “Hard to believe she's been gone close to thirty years now.”

Dan wanted their dinner date to end on a positive note, so he changed the subject. “My granddad still isn't speaking to me. It's been three years.”

“I heard from your grandmother that he was softening in his attitude once he discovered that you hadn't sold the card outright, just pawned it. Too bad that the pawnbroker sold your Mickey Mantle card right out from under your nose.”

“Yeah.” He didn't often think about his ex–best friend and was surprised that it wasn't quite as raw a feeling as it had been the last time he had. “She knew I was a diehard Yankee fan. How could she not see it was a symbol of how much I loved her?”

His aunt patted the back of his hand. “So you pawned the card, but didn't sell it? You were planning on buying the card back?”

“That was the plan, but my ex-friend and ex-fiancée changed that.”

“I'm truly sorry, Daniel,” his aunt soothed. “But things have a way of working out the way they're supposed to.”

Dan cleared his throat and confessed, “She flushed the diamond ring I gave her.”

The sharply indrawn breath had him feeling a tiny bit better. He'd shocked his aunt, which meant she agreed with what he hadn't even had a chance to say.

“Bitch.”

Shock had him slowing down, putting on the brake, and turning to look at her. “What did you say?”

“You heard what I said, young man.”

He swallowed his laughter; he didn't want to get his aunt riled this late in the evening. He'd save it for Saturday morning when he planned to be at her shop. Needing to distract her, he said, “I heard that since they got married, he's in debt up to his eyeballs.”

His aunt sniffed and nodded. “Serves him right. He bought her love, Daniel. Don't you forget that she willingly sold it to the highest bidder.”

He had no response to that. His great-aunt was whip-smart and had hit the nail on the head. “Thanks, Aunt Trudi.”

She smiled as he helped her from the car and into the house that sat behind the garden center she lived and breathed for. “Thank you for a lovely evening.”

“You're welcome. It's a rush to watch someone eating my food with such gusto and enjoyment.”

She tilted her head to one side and pushed a loose hairpin back into the bun on the top of her head. “In that case, you should know that I'm partial to lasagna.”

He laughed and hugged her tight. “How about Saturday after we finish up doing whatever is it you need help with?”

“I'm expecting a delivery of hay bales midmorning on Saturday, but need to make room.”

“Could you use a couple of extra hands?”

“The more the merrier. Who did you have in mind?”

“Maybe a couple of the guys from the team.”

She patted him on the shoulder so he could lean down and she could reach his cheek. She kissed it, then patted the side of his face. “You're a good boy, Daniel. Don't wait until Saturday to visit.”

He grinned down at her. “How early are you up in the morning?”

“I have my first cup of tea at four thirty—”

He laughed, surprised at how good it had felt. “That's too early, even for me, but Wednesday morning the kids have an assembly and I don't have to attend. I have the first period free.”

Her smile lit up her face. “I'll see you then.”

After dropping his aunt off at her house, Dan drove through town. “Where is everyone?” From the way the street was deserted, he wondered if they rolled it up after nine o'clock only to unroll it again around five or six in the morning.

Just when he thought he was all alone, he saw headlights coming toward him. A black Ford F1 passed by him without slowing down. “Meg.” He wished he could follow her and make sure she was all right, but his aunt had known Meg far longer than he had. It would be best to follow Aunt Trudi's advice. There were some things he wanted to say to her but wasn't quite sure if he was pushing too hard too soon. She needed to know that he wasn't chasing after Peggy or any other woman in town. He was a one-woman man and even though he hadn't planned on it yet—wasn't ready yet—he was looking for a one-man woman. Dan had a feeling that Meg was that woman.

When she turned off onto Goose Pond Road, he didn't follow along behind. He'd wait until tomorrow to plan out their next meeting. By then, he should have figured out what move to make.

***

Meg felt better having gone to talk to her mom. Oh, she knew her mother's spirit wasn't in the cold, hard ground of Apple Grove Cemetery, but she needed something tangible to look at when she unburdened her troubles. The headstone with the words “beloved wife, loving mother” grounded her and had borne witness to more than one outpouring of Meg's heart over the years.

She passed a car on the way back through town. Squinting, she tried to make out who was out at this hour, but all she could see was a dark car; she couldn't make out the driver. Uneasy at the thought of a stranger driving through town from the direction of Miss Trudi's home, she picked up her cell phone and dialed, but no one answered.

“She'll be in bed by now.” Meg knew the woman got up with the birds just before dawn. But once the feeling started to unfurl inside of her, it wouldn't go away. She'd had Sheriff Wallace on speed dial ever since the scare last year when she thought her dad had had a heart attack. She hit the number.

“Wallace.”

The deep rumbling voice of the man who'd been there through most of the disasters in her life reassured her that all would be well just by answering the phone. “Hey, Mitch, it's me, Meg.”

“Everything all right?”

“I don't know. I've got a hinky feeling. I just passed a dark-colored car on my way through town.”