you become a police officer? I don’t remember you being interested in that.”
Her question surprised him. He said, “Back then I wanted to be a teacher.”
She smiled shyly. “I remember that.”
“I guess with everything that happened to Bryan, I wanted to, I don’t know, make things right, somehow.” He shook his head. “Can’t explain it.” As he drove down the road leading to his parents’ house he realized that he hadn’t shared this precise reason with anyone before.
“And you never married?”
He shook his head. “I never did.”
“No one took your fancy?” She gave him a sideways glance.
They were at a red light. He looked over at her. He didn’t remember her eyes being that brilliant blue. Itdisturbed him that he had forgotten something so basic about her. No. There was no one in twenty years who remotely came close to being as special as she was.
Yet the closer they came to his parents’ home, the more he could feel her tense beside him. The fingers of her right hand actually trembled as she drew her hair away from her forehead.
He looked back at the road and frowned.
Because there was still a little piece of the Bryan puzzle that he hadn’t shared with her, something only Bryan knew, yet something so awful that he doubted whether Megan, or anyone could forgive him.
“Megan?” He turned. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I don’t know.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “I really don’t know if I can handle everything that’s happening.”
The small firs on Alec’s parents’ property were bigger and fuller than Megan remembered. The house itself seemed a lighter color or maybe it was the addition of shiny, brown shutters that made it look so different. She hadn’t remembered shutters. Alec pulled in behind a gray compact car in the carport.
Since the front walkway was drifted in with snow, they went around to the back. Alec led the way through the carport and she followed half a step behind him. So many memories flooded over her. Could she really be back here? Would she actually see his parents in afew moments? She tried to keep her knees from buckling underneath her.
As they got to the back of the carport, Megan’s breath caught. A long time ago Alec had leaned her up against this very wall. He had taken her face in his hands and kissed her in a kiss that went on and on. She looked at him now and wondered if he remembered that at all.
“Don’t be afraid,” he told her.
“I’m not.” She smiled. “Well, I guess I am a little.”
When they arrived at the door, the first face that Megan saw when it opened belonged to Alec’s mother. Dorothy Black used to be a slim, pretty woman with softly waving blond hair. The woman who greeted them at the door was birdlike thin. Her hair was now white and fine and caught up along the sides in bobby pins.
She wore a ruffled apron that went up around her neck and tied in the back. Her thin fingers fluttered by her sides. She seemed extraordinarily nervous, but maybe having Megan show up without much notice would do that to a person.
As Megan made her way into the once familiar kitchen, she could barely keep her knees from wobbling. It was only Alec’s hand on her arm that kept her moving forward.
Behind Alec’s mother stood his father. Mr. Black had gained considerable weight, and leaned heavily and awkwardly on two canes. After his mother gave Alec a hug, she turned to Megan. “Megan, it’s nice to see you again.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Mrs. Black.” She shifted her gaze. “Mr. Black.”
Mrs. Black pressed her hands together and said, “Come here, then.”
Megan did so. The woman hugged her and Megan could feel the bones protruding in her shoulders. When the hug ended, she said, “How about we dispense with the Mrs. Black. Call me Dorothy.”
The last time Megan had seen this woman was two days before her grandmother died. Dorothy had come over with some antique china that had belonged to Alec’s
Her question surprised him. He said, “Back then I wanted to be a teacher.”
She smiled shyly. “I remember that.”
“I guess with everything that happened to Bryan, I wanted to, I don’t know, make things right, somehow.” He shook his head. “Can’t explain it.” As he drove down the road leading to his parents’ house he realized that he hadn’t shared this precise reason with anyone before.
“And you never married?”
He shook his head. “I never did.”
“No one took your fancy?” She gave him a sideways glance.
They were at a red light. He looked over at her. He didn’t remember her eyes being that brilliant blue. Itdisturbed him that he had forgotten something so basic about her. No. There was no one in twenty years who remotely came close to being as special as she was.
Yet the closer they came to his parents’ home, the more he could feel her tense beside him. The fingers of her right hand actually trembled as she drew her hair away from her forehead.
He looked back at the road and frowned.
Because there was still a little piece of the Bryan puzzle that he hadn’t shared with her, something only Bryan knew, yet something so awful that he doubted whether Megan, or anyone could forgive him.
“Megan?” He turned. “Are you going to be okay?”
“I don’t know.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “I really don’t know if I can handle everything that’s happening.”
The small firs on Alec’s parents’ property were bigger and fuller than Megan remembered. The house itself seemed a lighter color or maybe it was the addition of shiny, brown shutters that made it look so different. She hadn’t remembered shutters. Alec pulled in behind a gray compact car in the carport.
Since the front walkway was drifted in with snow, they went around to the back. Alec led the way through the carport and she followed half a step behind him. So many memories flooded over her. Could she really be back here? Would she actually see his parents in afew moments? She tried to keep her knees from buckling underneath her.
As they got to the back of the carport, Megan’s breath caught. A long time ago Alec had leaned her up against this very wall. He had taken her face in his hands and kissed her in a kiss that went on and on. She looked at him now and wondered if he remembered that at all.
“Don’t be afraid,” he told her.
“I’m not.” She smiled. “Well, I guess I am a little.”
When they arrived at the door, the first face that Megan saw when it opened belonged to Alec’s mother. Dorothy Black used to be a slim, pretty woman with softly waving blond hair. The woman who greeted them at the door was birdlike thin. Her hair was now white and fine and caught up along the sides in bobby pins.
She wore a ruffled apron that went up around her neck and tied in the back. Her thin fingers fluttered by her sides. She seemed extraordinarily nervous, but maybe having Megan show up without much notice would do that to a person.
As Megan made her way into the once familiar kitchen, she could barely keep her knees from wobbling. It was only Alec’s hand on her arm that kept her moving forward.
Behind Alec’s mother stood his father. Mr. Black had gained considerable weight, and leaned heavily and awkwardly on two canes. After his mother gave Alec a hug, she turned to Megan. “Megan, it’s nice to see you again.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Mrs. Black.” She shifted her gaze. “Mr. Black.”
Mrs. Black pressed her hands together and said, “Come here, then.”
Megan did so. The woman hugged her and Megan could feel the bones protruding in her shoulders. When the hug ended, she said, “How about we dispense with the Mrs. Black. Call me Dorothy.”
The last time Megan had seen this woman was two days before her grandmother died. Dorothy had come over with some antique china that had belonged to Alec’s
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