Finding an Answer
That night, Meghan found it impossible to sleep. Even with Sox curled up beside her, she felt restless. For hours she lay there stroking his tummy and wondering what to do. This week she’d loved every minute of being at the clinic—so much so that it hardly seemed like work. But was it because of the animals or simply being near Tom?
And she couldn’t just dismiss the issue of the Snip ’N’ Save. Thinking back over the years, Tracy had proven herself to be flighty—passionate about something one minute and ready to drop it like a hot potato the next. What if she agreed to stay and then next year or the year after, Dominic came to the door asking her to come back to Philadelphia? Would she stay or go? It was possible either could happen.
Granted, she’d said she was never going back, but Meghan couldn’t count the number of times she’d heard muffled sobs coming from Tracy’s room late at night. Saying something and believing it yourself were sometimes two entirely different things.
If not for the Snip ’N’ Save, she would say yes to Tom in a heartbeat, but as things stood now, she felt doing so would be disloyal to her daddy.
Maybe it was just a question of time. It was possible that after Tracy had stayed for two or three years, Meghan could be more certain of her dependability. Then such a decision would be easier.
Opportunity doesn’t wait forever, though.
After hours of running through these thoughts, Meghan became so tired she could no longer hold her eyes open and drifted off to sleep.
It was early morning when Meghan heard her daddy’s laugh and caught the fragrance of his pipe tobacco. He was back, right here in the house. She hurried down the stairs and into the office. He was at the desk with Tracy beside him.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said, and smiled.
“Daddy, I thought you were . . . ” The word dead felt strange in Meghan’s mouth, so she substituted, “Gone.”
“I am,” he replied. “But before I leave here, I thought I’d give Tracy a few pointers.”
Tracy turned with a proud grin. “Daddy says I’m a really good designer, good enough to take over the magazine.”
“Daddy!” Meghan felt a swell of resentment rising in her chest. “Don’t you realize Tracy might not stay? Dominic has called her a dozen times or more. She could easily enough decide to go back to him. I’m the one who’s supposed to take care of the Snip ’N’ Save. You know I’m the one; I’ve always been the one.”
He eyed her with a stern look.
“No, Meghan, you’re not,” he said. “That thought is yours, not mine. The only thing I want you to do is find yourself some real happiness and take care of the dog I gave you. Now don’t you think it’s high time you got started?” His stern expression morphed into a soft smile.
A tear came to Meghan’s eye. “But, Daddy, what if Tracy leaves?”
Using the old familiar phrase, he said, “The probability is she won’t, but if she does, so what?”
“Your Snip ’N’ Save,” Meghan said, her throat feeling tight. “I’ve got to keep it alive because—”
“Nonsense,” he said. “This is just a business. It’s not me. The Snip ’N’ Save was a way for me to earn a living and still spend time with Lila and you girls. I never considered that either of you would step into my shoes. I never envisioned my girls spending their life squinting at a computer screen rearranging coupons. I want you and Tracy to follow your heart. I want you to experience a love like your mama and I had.” He gave a soft chortle, then added, “This is your time, Meghan. Be happy and enjoy it. Don’t worry—wherever you go or whatever you do, I’ll still be with you. I’m your daddy, and that’s never going to change.”
The phone rang, and Meghan woke with a start.
The first light of morning was creeping into the sky. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, remembering the dream. Even now it seemed so real that she wondered if she hurried downstairs, would she actually find her daddy sitting at the computer? Dropping back onto the pillow, she tried to recapture the dream, but it was gone.
That morning, after the breakfast dishes were cleared from the table and Lucas was napping in his crib, Meghan took Tracy aside.
“We need to talk about the Snip ’N’ Save,” she said. Her words were small and fluttery, like a baby bird learning to fly.
Tracy’s eyes narrowed, and she pinched her brows together. “Is this because I redid the Golf World ad? That illustration they were using was not good.”
“This has nothing to do with an ad. It’s about management of the magazine.”
“Jeez . . . ” Tracy gave a sigh of discouragement. “Now that I’ve got the hang of it and I’m enjoying myself, you wanna take it back?”
“Take it back? No. Absolutely not.” Meghan laughed. “So you really do like doing the Snip ’N’ Save?”
“Yeah.” Tracy gave a sheepish grin. “The guy at Golf World said I’ve got an eye for design, and I’ve gotta admit I feel good doing it.”
“You enjoy the design element, but how would you feel about taking over management of the magazine?”
Tracy’s eyes widened. “Management? But isn’t that your job?”
“Now it is, but I’d like to try my hand at something new.”
Meghan told her about Tom’s offer and how working with animals was something she really wanted to do.
“The thing is, I’d have to know you’re not going back to Dominic, that you’ll stay here and love the Snip ’N’ Save as I have.”
Even as her words still hung in the air, Meghan heard her daddy’s voice repeating what he’d said in the dream.
This is just a business. It’s not me.
“Don’t worry, I’m not going back to Dominic,” Tracy replied. “I absolutely am not. And I swear I’ll take care of the Snip ’N’ Save, just like you have.”
Meghan’s smile was wide, and they hugged.
“Of course,” Meghan added, “in the future, if your heart takes you somewhere else, I think Daddy would understand.”
When Tom rang the doorbell that evening, Meghan wore a silk dress that matched the blue of her eyes and bared her shoulders. Her hair was an upsweep of curls pinned in a sparkling clip. He eyed her head to toe and gave a grin of approval.
“You look amazing,” he said. “Are we celebrating a special occasion?”
She nodded. “I thought maybe we’d go to the Starlight Lounge.”
The previous day she’d sounded rather doubtful about taking his offer, so Tom was almost afraid to ask.
“Does this mean . . . ” He left the remainder of the question unspoken.
Her mouth curled into a smile as she grabbed her shawl and hooked her arm through his.
“It means you’ve got yourself a new assistant.”
The Starlight Lounge was a dinner club with a glass ceiling over the dance floor and tables lit only by candlelight. It was a place where waiters appeared and disappeared without a sound and music floated through the air soft as a cloud. They sat side by side at a banquette with Tom’s thigh against hers and his fingers cupping her hand as she told of the dream.
When the waiter appeared, Tom ordered a bottle of champagne and a plate of appetizers. They toasted the new venture and then danced. He pressed his hand to the small of her back and held her so close the thump of her heart felt as if it were part of his own.
Meghan, too, felt their heartbeats, perfectly matched, synchronized, a symphony that was meant to be. As they danced, she nuzzled her head against his shoulder, and their bodies moved as one, swaying to the music, falling deeper and deeper in love. Later, after they’d had their fill of Chateaubriand and roasted vegetables, she tilted her head back against the leather upholstery, drew a deep breath, and gave a soft sensuous sigh.
“This has been the most wonderful evening.”
He traced his finger along the curve of her cheek and down her throat.
“Yes, it has,” he said. Then he leaned close and kissed her neck in that tender spot just below her jawbone.
She felt the warmth of his kiss slide down her chest and come to rest in her heart.
It was the smallest hour of the morning when they returned home, and by the time Tom kissed her good night, any reservations Meghan once had about following her heart were gone. Vanished like a missing button or a forgotten thought. There was only the future.