The Swear Jar (13 page)

Chapter Fourteen

Driving the Jeep through downtown
Pin Oak Grove, Diana chatted while Meara fidgeted.  She wanted to know what had
happened at the library.  She was trying not to scream since she knew Diana was
purposely avoiding the subject.

Diana laughed.  “You’re about to
explode.  You lasted pretty long.  You’re learning patience.  Let’s see.  Duncan
had on jeans and a gray short-sleeved t-shirt.  He was wearing sneakers.”

Meara frowned.  “Sneakers?  I
missed sneakers?  Damn ankle!”

“He showed us your office.  He went
off to clean up the painting stuff and Ben helped him.  It didn’t take long.  I
got your purse and we drove home.”

“Did he say anything?”

“No, we used hand signals.  Of
course he said things.  He asked how you were.  He said you were a terrific
librarian and he was lucky to have you.  He asked me when your appointment
was.  I told him.  We all left.  Satisfied?”

“Yes, thank you.  I promised I
would call him after the appointment.  He wants to know I’m okay.”

“To let him know you’re okay. 
Yeah, I’m sure.”

Meara scrunched up her face and
stuck out her tongue.  “You’re such a meanie!”

“Takes one to know one, Ems,” Diana
said.  “We’re here.”

“Di, is this necessary?” Meara
asked.  “If I stay off the ankle, it should get better.”

“Get out and hobble into that
office!”

“Yes, Di.”

Meara yelped in pain twice on the
way into the office.  Diana checked in with the receptionist.  They sat down. 
Huffing, Meara squirmed in the waiting room chair.

“Stop fidgeting, Ems.  I’m not
letting you weasel out.”  Diana complained.

“She’s only looking at the ankle,
right?”

“Yeah, sure.”  Diana wouldn’t make
eye contact with Meara.

Meara scowled.  The nurse called
Meara’s name.  They followed the nurse to the examination room.  Meara was
handed a paper gown.

“Please remove all your clothing. 
Have the gown open to the front.  You can relieve your bladder in the bathroom,”
the nurse said.

After the nurse left, Diana
chided.  “Now don’t start.  She’s looking at the ankle.  It’s standard
procedure.”

Meara gave Diana the raspberry as
she went into the bathroom.  Diana rolled her eyes.  Meara returned with the
gown wrapped around her.  She looked at the stirrups attached to the
examination table.

“She better not even think about
it.”  Meara growled.

“Take it easy,” Diana said,
laughing.

Dr. Wong knocked and entered.  She
shook hands with Meara and Diana.  She raised an eyebrow.

“I’m here for backup,” Diana said.

“Whose backup?” asked Dr. Wong.

“Yours.  She doesn’t like doctors. 
No offense,” Diana said.

“None taken.  I’ve seen it before,”
Dr. Wong replied.  “Mrs. Martin, what seems to be the problem today?  Your
sister mentioned an ankle?”

“Yes, I twisted my ankle.  It’s
just a sprain.  If I stay off of it, it’ll be fine in a day or two,” Meara
said.

“How did you twist your ankle?”

“I fell off a ladder at work.”

“Let me look at it.”  Dr. Wong
examined Meara’s ankle, flexing it and her toes.  “I agree with you.  It
doesn’t look broken or respond as if you tore a ligament.  I could send you for
an x-ray, but we can hold off for now.  Keep it elevated, take Tylenol to
reduce the swelling, and if it doesn’t improve in the next few days, let me
know.”

“Thank you Dr. Wong, I will.  Can I
swim?” asked Meara.

“If it isn’t painful, then go for
it,” replied Dr. Wong.  “I see your medical records are spotty.  When was your
last annual checkup?  No matter, we’ll take care of that right now.  Please put
your feet in the stirrups and slide down to the end of the table.”

“What?” Meara squeaked.

“Mrs. Martin, in order for me to
treat you properly, I need to make sure you’re up to date with your exams. 
Now, please, follow my instructions,” Dr. Wong said firmly.

“Yes, doctor,” Meara said meekly.

Dr. Wong winked at Diana.  “Stay
close in case she kicks me in the head.”

Diana snorted.  “I got your back,
Dr. Wong.”

While Dr. Wong completed the exam,
Meara refused to look at Diana.  The situation was about to get even more upsetting. 
Diana had mentioned a delicate subject to Dr. Wong when making the appointment.

“Mrs. Martin, how is your health in
general?”

“Fine.”

“You could lose a few pounds.  Have
you thought of joining a gym?  Your health can be affected by your weight.”

“I was looking at a gym with an
indoor pool.  I like swimming.”

“Are you sexual active, Mrs.
Martin?  It’s rather personal, I know, but it’s important I cover all health
issues.”

“I’m a widow, Dr. Wong.  My husband
passed away five years ago.”

“I’m sorry.  If there is a chance
you’ll become sexually active, I should inform you of your options.”

“No, I don’t need to discuss it.”

Diana stepped closer.  “Meara, hear
her out.  Things can change.  It can’t hurt to be prepared.”

Meara’s face turned a bright red. 
“Diana!”

“Mrs. Martin, your sister wants you
to be safe.  There are STDs to consider.  And pregnancy is possible until you
reach menopause.”

“Pregnancy?  Slow down!  Diana,
what did you tell Dr. Wong?”

“I told her you might need birth
control.”

“Diana, this is a small town! 
Let’s be careful about what we share.”

“Anything you tell me is
confidential,” said Dr. Wong.  “I don’t need details.  I want you to protect
yourself.  Let’s leave it this way.  I’ll write you a prescription.  It’s best
to wait a month for it to be fully effective.  Until then, use a condom.”

Meara’s face went blank.  Thoughts
of making love with Duncan ran through her head.  She blushed furiously.  She
was livid with Diana.

“I’ll leave a prescription with the
receptionist.  It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Martin.  Diana, I’ll be seeing you
soon for your annual?”

“Yes, Dr. Wong.  And thank you.”
Diana smiled broadly.  “Now was that so hard, Ems?”

Meara scowled.  “You’re so dead. 
Birth control?”

Diana grinned.  “Be prepared.  Now
get dressed.”

The receptionist handed Meara a
prescription.  Hobbling out to the Jeep, Meara held the piece of paper by the
corner like it was toxic waste.  Diana rolled her eyes and started the Jeep. 
Meara was silent.

“Ems, there’s a pharmacy with a
drive-thru about three blocks from here.  You don’t even have to get out of the
car.  I’ll talk to the pharmacist.  You have until the first traffic light to
decide.  It’s up to you.”

It was a warm August day.  The only
sound was the air conditioning fan.  Meara mulled her options as Diana drove. 
The first traffic light turned red.  Diana slowed to a stop.  Meara heaved an
audible sigh.  As the light turned green, Meara handed the prescription to
Diana.

“Let’s get it filled.  I don’t want
to discuss it.”

Diana grinned.  “No problem.  I
have no intention of poking my nose in your business.  At least I’ll know I did
my part.  Should I ask Ben to speak to Duncan about protection?”

“Are you crazy?  Di, you’re killing
me!”

Diana smiled wickedly.  “Come on,
Ems, I’m just having fun.  If you two get serious, Duncan had better speak to
us first to get our permission.”

Open-mouthed, Meara stared at
Diana.  “I’m getting out and walking home.”

“Shut up.  No, you’re not.  Be a
good girl while I get your birth control pills in case you have sex with your
boss.  Now that sounds bad.”

“You’re the one pushing me to get
the pill in the first place!  I’m not even sure where this is going.  That’s
not entirely true, but it’s not going as fast as you think.  I think.”  Meara
looked puzzled.

The pharmacist filled the
prescription while the sisters sat in silence.   The pharmacist returned with
the medication.  Diana handed the pharmacy bag to Meara with a big smirk.

“Are you going to tell him you’re
on birth control?”

“Absolutely not.  I thought you had
no interest in my business?”

“Keep your pants on, Ems.  Don’t
get so upset.  We’re almost home.  May I have lunch with you once you’re done
speaking with Duncan?  I’d like to talk to you about something.  Not Duncan, I
promise!”

“Of course, Di.  And thank you for
helping me today.  I know I’m a bit of a bear, but I appreciate all you and Ben
do for me.”

“We love you, Ems.  We want you to
be happy.   Here we are, home sweet home!  Are you going to wait until I stop
the Jeep before you run out and call Duncan?”

“I won’t be running anytime soon. 
A fast-paced hobble, maybe.  The Tylenol is wearing off.”

“Better keep the conversation short
or you’ll turn grizzly on him.”

Meara gave her sister a withering
look.  “I’ll call you when I’m done.”

Duncan answered on the second
ring.  His gravelly voice made Meara’s butterflies dance.  Her mind went
blank.  Her voice came out like a squeak.

“Hi, Duncan, it’s Meara.”  Shaking
her head, she sounded so stupid.

“Meara, it’s good to hear from
you.  How are you today?” he said in a pleasantly low tone.

“I’m fine,” she replied.  “Well,
I’m alive.”

He chuckled.  “How did it go at the
doctor’s?”

“She figured out I wasn’t a
supermodel.”

“What does that mean?”

“She wants me to join a gym and lose
some weight.”

“What does that have to do with a
sprained ankle?”

“I’m not sure.  The whole
experience left me a little dazed.”

“You’re fine as you are.  I’m glad
you aren’t a supermodel.  Some of those women need to eat a hamburger.  Some of
them need to eat a hamburger, fries AND a milkshake.  If you want to join a gym
to feel healthy, go for it.  But not because a doctor thinks you should.”

She giggled.  “Thank you, Duncan. 
I’m looking into a gym with an indoor pool.  We’ll close the pool in a few weeks. 
I’ll miss swimming.  Maybe it can be a win-win.”

He loved that giggle.  “How’s your
ankle?”

“The doctor said it’s a sprain. 
She thinks if I keep it elevated, it should heal.”

“That’s good. I was worried you
might have torn something.  How does it feel now?”

“It’s beginning to pulse again.  I
wanted to thank you for meeting Diana and Ben this morning.  It made things a
lot easier.”

His voice lowered to a growl. 
“You’re welcome.  It was the least I could do after such an exciting evening. 
I should be thanking you.  I hope there will be more excitement like that in
our future.”

She whispered.  “I hope so too.”

“I like Diana and Ben.  Ben was a
big help.  We got the last of the paint supplies cleared up.  I knew you
wouldn’t let the painting get out of hand.”

“Thank you for helping.  You’re a
great director.”

“Thank you.  I hope that’s not all
I am,” he said calmly.

“No.  You’re more than that,” she
whispered.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it.”  He
grinned from ear to ear.

Blushing, she struggled to change
the subject.  “Are you looking forward to your grandson’s birthday tomorrow?”

“Yes, I am.  I have to get him a
present.  Do you have any suggestions?  I’m going out soon and I’m having
dinner with an old friend.  He’s only in town today.  I haven’t seen him in a
while.”

She rambled.  “I’m so glad you’re
seeing your friend.  Friends are important.  I have a dear friend, Yolanda,
from Asturias, Spain.  We keep in touch, but it’s not the same as seeing her in
person.  Please tell me you’ve gotten books as presents for your grandson in
the past?”

“Can I plead the Fifth Amendment on
that one?”

“You’re a librarian and you haven’t
gotten him books?  For shame, Duncan Phillips!”  She giggled.

He closed his eyes.  Her giggle
made him want to rush over to her house.  He wanted to hold her and kiss her.  He
wondered if he had time for another cold shower.

“Guilty,” he admitted.

“Go to the bookstore in town,
Branches and Twigs.  You’re looking for classic authors, lots of colorful
illustrations and stories that make you laugh.  Then get a stuffed animal.  You
can’t go wrong with a stuffed animal.”

“I wish you could go with me, but I
know you can’t.  I’ll do what you said.  Thank you.”

“Anytime.  I wish I could go too. 
Diana would kill the both of us.”  There was an awkward silence then she
blurted out.  “Duncan, I miss you.”

He closed his eyes and smiled.  “You
do?  Meara, I miss you too.  I’ll cancel my plans for today.  I’ll come over.”

“Duncan, please don’t.  I don’t
want you to change your plans.  You want to get out of shopping for John’s
presents.  Isn’t that right?”

“Maybe a little.  I do want to see
you.  If I don’t change my plans, I won’t get to see you until Monday.”  He
pouted.

“Then I’ll see you Monday.”  She
tried to be brave.

“I can’t change your mind?”  He coaxed.

“Don’t tempt me.  Go and have fun. 
I’ll see you Monday.”

Chapter Fifteen

Before he hung up, there was
something Duncan wanted to know.  “May I ask you something?”

“Yes, of course.”  Meara held the
phone close, as if he were whispering into her ear.

“Why do you miss me?”

She took a deep breath and plunged
in before she got scared.  “Since I first met you, I’ve looked forward to
seeing you.  Your eyes smile.  I like hearing your laugh so I want to make you
laugh.  When we’re together, I’m happy.  Does that sound silly?”

“No.  I’m finding the same thing. 
That dimple of yours is going to get me into serious trouble.  May I ask
another question?”

“Yes, Duncan.”

“Does the difference in our ages
bother you at all?”  He closed his eyes and waited.

“I don’t even think about our
ages.  Isn’t it just a number?  It’s not who you are.  Yes, maturity is
preferable to immaturity, but age has nothing to do with that.  Your
experiences make you who you are.  And who you are is what attracts me to you. 
We both have a lifetime of experiences to share.  We’re friends and we get
along.  There’s something more than friendship going on between us.  I want to
find out what it is.  With caring, respect and compromise, I think we could
have a lot of fun.  So, no, the age difference doesn’t bother me.  Does the age
difference bother you?”

He smiled.  “No man my age has any
right to complain when a beautiful, sexy woman full of life wants to spend time
with him.  I do worry I may not live up to your expectations.”

“And I may not live up to yours. 
It goes both ways.  I’m sure there are lots of women who would be extremely
happy to be with you.  Maybe I should be the one worrying.”  She sounded
anxious.

“No, Meara.  There’s no one for me
but you.”  Clapping a hand over his mouth, he might as well have told her he
loved her.

Feeling dizzy, the butterflies were
racing in her stomach.  “Oh.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to
change my plans?”

She giggled.  “No!  You need to get
your errands done and meet your friend.  Diana wants to talk to me.  She was
pretty serious.”

He heaved a sigh.  “All right, I’ll
behave.  For now.”

“Goodbye, Duncan.  I’ll see you
Monday.  Please wish John a Happy Birthday for me.”

“Goodbye, Meara.  I will.  See you
Monday.”

Reluctantly, Meara hung up.  She missed
him already.  Sighing, she called Diana, who answered on the first ring.

“I’ll be over in a minute to feed
you,” Diana said, her voice strained as she hung up.

Meara stared quizzically at the
phone.  She wasn’t looking forward to this conversation.  There was a knock at
the door and she cringed.  Diana was alone.  It must be serious.  Diana made
them a couple of sandwiches as Meara hobbled over to the kitchen counter.  The
sisters ate silently.

Meara cracked first.  “Di, what’s
up?  You’re killing me.”

Diana asked, “When will you see
Duncan again?”

“Not until Monday.  Why?  Is there
something wrong with Duncan?”

“No.  It’ll give you time to
think.”

“You’re scaring me, Di.  What the
hell is going on?  Tell me now.”

“You’ve always wanted honesty.”

“Yes, that’s true.  No drama, no
soap operas.”

“Last night.  The rules.  The
notebook.”

“Yes.  Anne’s quite the writer.”

“Anne and Hank wrote them.  The
last two were Hank’s work.  Anne wanted to learn to read.  She didn’t realize
Hank intended to be cruel.”

“You think Hank was being cruel to
me?”

“After a few years of marriage, I
knew things weren’t perfect between the two of you.  If I had known about the
rules, I would have hit him over the head with it.  Hank always seemed to make
you happy.”

“He was wonderfully sweet one
moment and coldly oblivious the next.  I struggled to make him happy.”

“Face it, Ems, it was Hank’s
problem.  I know you tried as hard as you could.  He didn’t have the ability to
care about anyone but himself.”

“Was I that blind?”

“Yes, dear Ems.  Hank had
everything without the effort.  You were a doormat.  You were miserably
silent.  I can’t believe you let him do that to you.  Why?”

“I loved him and I thought he loved
me.  I wanted to be a good wife.  I tried.”

“You were always trying.  Don’t you
realize the problem was him, not you?”

“I guess not.  Why were you worried
about Hank’s notebook?”

“You’re taking this rather well,
but I know you.  You’ll start thinking about Hank.  You’ll convince yourself it
was your fault, he was right about you and you shouldn’t be happy with Duncan.”

“Can we make it sound better?  Like
I’m deep and I think a lot.”

“
Sometimes
you think too much.  Hank was an asshole who didn’t care enough to understand
you.  You’ve always fought for everyone else, Ems.  Don’t let Hank screw up
what you have with Duncan.”

“You think that Hank’s problem
wasn’t my fault?”

“I’m not saying you’re blameless. 
I’m saying for things to work, Hank would have had to put in effort.  He was
too interested in what made him happy.  You faded into the background.  You
lost your spirit, your fight.  When Hank died, I thought you were going to hurt
yourself.”

“You’re right, I’m not blameless. 
Hank and I were friends, not soul mates.  I wasn’t the center of his
attention.  He never cheated on me, but he ignored me.  I would never have hurt
myself.  Not after Dad.”

“I’m your little sister.  I worry
about my Mother Meara.  You kept us together after Dad died.  You give and
never ask for anything in return.  The one time you asked for love, you were asking
the wrong guy.”

“How can I be sure Duncan won’t be
like Hank?  What if I become a doormat again?”

“You’re thinking too much.  I’ve
only met Duncan twice.  Each time, he was more attentive to you than Hank ever
was.  That’s why I pushed you on the birth control.  I may have to hose you two
down at some point.  Wait!  That’s what was missing with Hank!  Meara, how long
has it been?”

“I would rather not discuss it.  I
need some dignity left.  I’ll try not to think about it too much.  I’ll give
Duncan a chance.  Are there any cookies with lunch?  Along with Tylenol? 
Pretty please?”

“You’re such a pain in the butt.”

“It’s the ankle, actually.”

Diana snorted.  “Anything else,
Your Majesty?”

“How about a hug?”

“Ems, you play dirty.”  Diana
hugged her.  “Are you going swimming after lunch?”

“Yes, if you’ll make sure I don’t
kill myself getting into my swimsuit.”

Diana laughed.  “I can picture you
writhing on the floor in your bedroom.”

“Thanks.  I’m assuming Anne was
banished until the end of this conversation?”

“Yes.  Ems, there are pages missing
from the notebook.  Anne says Hank wrote something and sealed it in an
envelope.  He gave it to Anne for you.  She’s not supposed to give them to you
until she sees a big change in you.”

“Anne was asking about big changes
in my life.  I teased her about it.  I wonder what Hank wrote?”

“Damn it.  I shouldn’t have told
you.  You’re going to obsess about what he wrote.  I’ll get Anne to give you
the envelope.”

“No, Di.  Hank probably wrote
something stupid.  He was relying on a six-year-old to give me a letter.  Let
it go.  If Anne sees what she needs to see, I’ll find out.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Who are you and what have you done
with Meara?”

“Are you gonna help me with the
swimsuit or not?”

“I should get battle pay for this.”

“Let’s call it even for the
doctor’s visit.”

“Not going to let that one go, are
you?”

“Nope.”

“Let’s get you suited up and in the
pool.  I hope the swelling goes down.  It looks awful.”

“Thanks, Di.”

“You’re welcome, Ems.”

Duncan was the only adult in the
children’s section of the Branches and Twigs Bookstore.  There was a young
woman restocking the shelves.  She smiled at him and asked if he needed help.

“No, thank you.  I’m going to
browse the shelves.  My grandson’s third birthday is tomorrow and I want to get
him some books.  A friend said to look for classic authors, colorful
illustrations and funny stories.  And a stuffed animal.”

“She sounds like a librarian.”

He smiled.  “You’re right.  She
is.”

“You can sit at the table over
there and read the books.  It’s quiet in here today.”

He pulled a few promising books
from the shelves.  Sitting at the table, he discreetly pulled out his reading
glasses.  He didn’t like using them, but he wouldn’t be able to read if he
didn’t.  He wished Meara was there.  The young woman returned holding a large,
green stuffed dragon.  He self-consciously slipped off his glasses.

“This guy came today.  You can’t go
wrong with a dragon.  Your grandson could be a knight in shining armor on a
daring quest.  What do you think?”

He had to buy it.  The Sir Duncan
in him had no choice.  He was buying it for Meara.  “My librarian friend would
love it.  I’ll take it.  Do you have any bears for my grandson?”

“I know the perfect bear.  It’s
nice and soft.  I’ll be right back.”

Putting on his glasses again, he
returned to the books.  He had a smaller pile by the time the young woman
returned.  She was holding a dark chocolate brown bear with a deep blue ribbon.

“I’m not showing you anything
else.  I know the point of retail is to sell, but I feel guilty.  You’ll buy
anything I show you.  Is your librarian friend Miss Meara of the Pin Oak Grove
Library?”

“Yes, she is.  How did you know?”

“I thought you looked familiar.  I
was taking a Child Lit class.  Miss Meara helped me with some research.  I saw
you talking to her.  She’s really cool.  She’s your friend?”

“Yes.”

“Lucky guy.  I saw the way she was
looking at you.  She’s going to love the dragon.  If you need any more help,
let me know.  And please say hi and thank you to Miss Meara for me!”

“I will.  And thank you for all
your help.”

The young woman didn’t think it was
strange Duncan and Meara were friends.  He glanced at his watch.  He had to
meet Mike.  He scooped up the books and tucked the two stuffed animals under
his arms.  He wondered how Meara managed to do storytimes.  As he waited for
the cashier, he noticed a very small teddy bear with a bandage on its head and
a tag saying Get Well Soon.  He placed it on top of his books.  The young woman
who helped him came over, shaking her head.

“Alice, this guy is cut off.  Don’t
let him buy anything else.  He’s got three stuffed animals and a ton of books. 
Do you know the bandage on the bear moves?”

“No, I didn’t.  Miss Meara hurt her
left ankle.  That’s why she couldn’t come with me.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.  Here let
me move the bandage.  And Alice, give him a Get Well card.”

“Thank you.  May I tell Miss Meara
your name?  You’ve been so kind.”

“Let Miss Meara know Rosa says hi.”

“Thank you, Rosa.  For everything.”

“You’re welcome.  Give her a hug while
you’re at it.  I got an A on that paper.”

Duncan smiled as he left the
bookstore.  He was looking forward to his dinner with Mike.  Meeting Rosa had
certainly brightened his day.  He wondered what Meara was doing and if she was
thinking of him.  He arrived at the diner a few minutes early.  He saw the
dragon peeking out at him from the shopping bag.  As he entered the diner, he
saw Mike was already there.  Taller than Duncan, Mike had light brown hair and
blue eyes.  He warmly shook Mike’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Mike.  I hope you
haven’t been waiting long.”

Mike laughed.  “Duncan, you’re the
only guy I know who apologizes for being early.  How the heck are you?  No,
wait on that.  Let’s get seated.  I’m starving.  The trip was longer than I
thought.  I haven’t eaten in hours.”

Duncan had known Mike for years. 
They had gone to library school together.  They had attended each other’s
weddings.  Mike and his wife, Sara, had moved to Pennsylvania and had a house
by the Shore.  Whenever Mike had time, he traveled to New Jersey to check on
the house and visit Duncan.  Mike and Sara had given Duncan and Brenda a set of
keys for the house.  They had a standing invitation to use it whenever they
wanted.  Duncan was also an emergency contact, if necessary.  Brenda hadn’t
liked the Shore and there had never been any emergencies, so Duncan had never
seen the house.  He wondered how Meara felt about the Shore.