Dearly Loved Read online

  Rosa laughed. “Not likely on a first date. But why not take a chance? You never know. True love could be just around the corner.” Sitting suddenly straighter, she peered over Meredith’s shoulder. “Speaking of true love...” she murmured, frantically waving to someone across the room.

  Meredith turned in her chair. She sucked in her breath. David had just entered the restaurant and was walking straight for them. He wore tan slacks with a taupe shirt under a thin black leather coat. To see him so tall and strong, she never would’ve guessed he’d been in anything other than perfect health. For her part, she began to feel distinctly unwell. Her respiration increased and her heart pounded erratically in her chest. Just from a physical point of view, David was bad for her.

  “Hello, Rosa. Merrie,” he said when he stopped at their table.

  “Have a seat,” Rosa said with a sunny smile.

  David shot a glance at Meredith. “I don’t want to interrupt anything. I just popped in to have breakfast.”

  What else could she do? “Please join us, David.”

  Rosa’s cell phone sounded from her purse. She jumped up before answering it and all but pushed David down onto the bench she’d just vacated. “I’m sure this important,” she said motioning to her phone. “So I’ll let you two visit in peace.”

  Before she could protest, Rosa scurried out of the restaurant. Meredith raised her gaze and attempted a smile. It felt more like a scowl. “She was supposed to pay for my breakfast,” she said, fiddling with her napkin.

  David grinned. “I’ll pick up the tab.”

  She shook her head, feeling silly. “That’s not it. We were just…celebrating.”

  “Celebrating what?”

  “I got a new job.”

  “Here in Cedar Hill?”

  Meredith nodded, wondering if she imagined the note of alarm in his voice. “Still in the hospital, but in a different unit. I’m going to a day shift.”

  “Congratulations.”

  “Thanks.”

  David gazed at her. “I don’t need to stay. I think Rosa was playing the matchmaker.”

  Suddenly, Meredith felt churlish for her attitude toward him. “No, that’s all right. Did…did she know you were coming?”

  “No, I came here on a whim. It’s my first day off since I started at the station and when I was still in the hospital complaining about the food, Rosa recommended I come here when I got out.”

  Relaxing, she smiled. “It’s wonderful. Doyle’s is known for their sticky buns and other treats.”

  A waitress came to take David’s order. With his attention diverted, she took the opportunity to study him without hindrance. It still felt odd to be so close to him after so many years of separation. The sun from the windows gilded his hair and lent a golden glow to his dark eyes. She suppressed a sigh. It just wasn’t fair that he looked so good.

  When he turned back to her, he leaned forward. “So when do you start your new position?”’

  “In a few weeks. How is your job at the station going?”

  “So far, so good. It’s kind of hard getting back into the swing of things after convalescing for so long, but KVL seems like a great place to work.”

  Meredith smiled. “I’ve seen a couple of your broadcasts.”

  “What did you think? Did I ever have spinach between my teeth?”

  “Nope. You were very professional. But I can’t compare you to anything as I usually turn off the news after the weather report.”

  David put his hand over his heart. “Stab and twist, Merrie. But I remember you never were really into sports.” His eyes sparkled. “Maybe I should’ve become a meteorologist.”

  She looked down at her hands. He’s gone into his flirt mode. It’s as natural to him as breathing.

  “What did I say?” he demanded.

  “Excuse me?”

  “The light just went out of your face. Did I say something wrong?”

  Meredith shook her head, shocked she’d shown her emotions so readily. At that moment, the waitress brought David’s order, a sticky bun and a cup of gourmet coffee.

  “Mmmm. You were right. This is delicious.”

  Meredith smiled and picked at her food. She took a deep breath and forced herself to converse with him. Soon he had her laughing at some of the comedic occurrences at the station that went on when the camera was off. She wondered if she’d been too hasty telling him she didn’t want to see him.

  True to his word, David paid for her meal, despite her objections. When they walked out onto the street, she came to an abrupt stop. David bumped into her from behind.

  Meredith slapped her forehead. “My car.”

  “What?”

  “My car is at home. Rosa picked me up and brought me here.”

  “Then allow me to give you a lift to your house.”

  She had no choice unless she wanted to walk the five miles. David put his hand on the small of her back and led her to his Jeep. The short trip passed quickly as David kept up a stream of light chatter. Meredith sensed her defenses against him weakening. She looked forward to the refuge of her home, away from his disturbing presence.

  When they pulled up in front of her house, David insisted on opening the passenger door and helping her out. He also walked her to her door, increasing her discomfort.

  She turned to him. “Thank you for breakfast…and for the ride.”

  “You’re welcome. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask, how’s your little dog? I kind of liked having him around when you were at my apartment.”

  Meredith felt trapped. Yikes. “Come in and you can say hi to him.”

  Inside, while she hung up her keys and stowed her purse, he looked around.

  “You have a great place.”

  “Thank you. Bitsy’s in the backyard.”

  He followed her through the kitchen and out onto the patio.

  “Bitsy!” she called. Her smile faded when the dog didn’t respond right away. She walked along the perimeter of the yard, looking under bushes. There was no place for the dog to completely hide and escape detection. Along the fence, she found a new hole. Fear gripped her throat.

  “Uh oh,” said David, spotting the hole in the fence at the same time. “Looks like he got out.”

  Meredith sent a tight-lipped smile in his general direction while her mind raced. Usually Bitsy stayed close by when she took him to the park, but he’d never been on his own outside of the yard since she’d adopted him.

  She looked up when he touched her arm. “I can help you find him.”

  “Okay,” she said, taken aback by the kindness and concern in his eyes. She shook her head. “I can’t think. What should I do first?”

  “We can walk around the neighborhood. You call him, since he’ll recognize your voice and I’ll ask the neighbors if they’ve seen him. But first, call the Humane Society and check to see if he’s there.”

  Feeling numb, Meredith made the call. No luck. She noticed the red light on her answering machine flashing. She pushed the button, hoping someone had called with information about Bitsy. Clay’s voice filled the small kitchen area.

  “Hi, Meredith. Just calling to see how you’re doing. Also, I can’t make our date Thursday and I want to reschedule. Give me a call.”

  Meredith flushed when she saw the frown on David’s face. He stayed silent. There were no other messages. She grabbed her purse and led the way out the front door.

  They spent the next two hours canvassing the neighborhood and nearby parks in an exhaustive search. She was hoarse from calling Bitsy’s name by the time they returned back to her house. No one had seen her dog. She didn’t know what to do next.

  Another check of her answering machine brought no news either. Meredith sat down on her couch and stared into space. Her limbs felt like lead.

  David sat down in a chair opposite her. She could sense his gaze upon her. To her horror, she felt tears spring to her eyes. She covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

  David came t
o her side and put his arm around her, drawing her into his embrace. Meredith didn’t resist. She pressed her face into the hollow of his shoulder and tried to get a grip on her rampaging emotions. He smelled of earthy cologne and leather.

  “I never really wanted a dog,” she said with a hiccup. “And just as soon as I got attached, he ran away. What’s the point?”

  She pulled away from David and wiped at her eyes. Just when she thought she had a semblance of control, a fresh wave of despair washed over her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks.

  David tipped up her chin and looked into her eyes. “Think of the greater blessing it will be when you get him back. And he’ll appreciate you even more when he realizes what he lost by going away from you.”

  She sniffed and looked up at him with wide eyes. A muscle worked in his jaw. She felt trapped by the intensity of his gaze. She could hear the kitchen clock ticking and the hum of the refrigerator—and the erratic pounding of her heart.

  The phone rang, making her jump. Meredith swiped at her cheeks, disentangling herself from David’s arms to answer it.

  “Ms. Ambrose?” the caller asked.

  “Yes?”

  “This is the Humane Society. Are you missing a dog?”

  “Yes, a West Highland Terrier male puppy.”

  “We have him here. Someone dropped him off and his tags identify you as the owner.”

  “I’ll be right over to pick him up. Thank you!”

  When she hung up the phone with a shaking hand, she turned and saw David standing in the doorway.

  “Sounds like Bitsy has been found.”

  “Yes.” Meredith didn’t know what else to say. He gazed at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. She offered him a watery smile. “Thank you for helping me look.”

  He nodded and put his hands in his pants pockets. “Well, I leave you now to your happy reunion.”

  Meredith walked him to the door and watched in silence as he got into his Jeep and drove away, wondering what had made him so serious. She blushed when she remembered clinging to him like a limpet and bawling her eyes out.

  She locked up her house and hopped into her car. The Humane Society was about eight miles away. Meredith wondered how far Bitsy had gone on his travels. At the desk, she identified herself and waited while he was brought out from the kennels.

  A cry escaped her lips when she saw him wriggling in the arms of one of the volunteers. Bitsy jumped from her arms and raced towards her, launching himself against her chest, writhing and licking her face. Meredith no longer doubted his affection for her alone.

  After thanking the staff, she carried him out to the car. He was filthy, but other than that, she couldn’t detect any kind of harm or injury. She sat in her seat holding him tight, relief warring with anger at what he put her through.

  “You are a naughty, naughty dog.”

  Bitsy squirmed in her arms and landed some wet puppy kisses on her cheek.

  She returned home with Bitsy prancing in his seat, his nose hung out the open window, his worries over. Meredith shook her head, wishing her own life was so simple. Once again, David’s closed expression rose in her mind. She had a nagging feelings she’d somehow let him down. Swallowing a sudden lump in her throat, she fought the urge to start crying all over again.

  Eleven

  “So,” Rosa said coyly the next time Meredith saw her at work. “How did things go with David the other day after I left?”

  Meredith, preparing to report off her shift, rummaged in her smock pockets and looked up. “Hey, thanks for leaving me stranded like that at Doyle’s.”

  “No problem. You can count on me to help further a romantic cause. So, what happened?”

  “He helped me find my dog.”

  “What?” She rolled her eyes in a dramatic gesture. “Okay. That has some possibilities. Did you give him a kiss for his efforts?”

  In spite of herself, Meredith reddened. “Your imagination is entirely too lurid.” She pulled out a key on a ring from her pocket. “Oops, I need to return the narcotic key. I’ll see you later.”

  Rosa laughed as she left. “Chicken!”

  Meredith went to the nurses’ station and handed the key to the drug cabinet to the Charge Nurse just coming on shift. From there, she met with the Med-Surg nurses coming on to report on the patients she’d cared for through the night. She considered it providential she didn’t have to report to Rosa. That girl was way too nosy.

  Meredith was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened the day before with David herself. Once her reporting was done, she hurried to the break room, eager to get home. On her way out of the unit, Rosa saw her and gave her an impudent wink. She had to laugh at her friend’s mischievous streak.

  Half an hour later, she arrived home and enjoyed the exuberant welcome from Bitsy. She reveled all the more in his silky fur and wiggly body now that she’d come so close to losing him. He could easily have been stolen. Or hit by a car. She wouldn’t be enjoying his company now if either scenario had come to pass.

  The thought brought her back to David. She remembered the appeal in his eyes when he talked about being reunited with Bitsy. There was only one explanation she could think of for his behavior. At the same time, she couldn’t quite accept the fact he’d been referring to himself with a double meaning to his words.

  This is David Steller we’re talking about here. Mr. Popularity himself. The David who quickly tired of you. Why would he be suddenly interested again? It makes no sense.

  She sighed, sick of the mental gymnastics, and gave Bitsy a brisk scrub on his belly before heading to the kitchen for her dinner. Her thought processes had been on overdrive since David arrived in town. How peaceful the days before then seemed!

  ***

  David returned to the station with his cameraman, Cameron ‘The Cam Man’ Stuart. They’d just completed an interview with a coach from a local high school accused of pushing his athletes too hard. In David’s opinion, the guy was probably guilty of the accusations by concerned parents and students, but it was his job to report a story as impartially as possible. Not always an easy task.

  He followed Cam into the editing room. Amid piles of tapes and electronic equipment, they chopped it down to a two and a half minute story from the twenty-minute interview. When finished, David went back to his desk to write the script. After getting it approved by the producer, he worked with an editor to track his voice to the proper portions of the tape.

  From there, David had it approved once again by the producer. Next, he had the tape bar-coded and loaded into the Sony Library Management System, which reminded him of a video jukebox, to be called up during the five o’clock broadcast. When he finished, he went back to his desk, already snowed under by future research.

  During the day, David enjoyed the hectic pace. The tempo mimicked a soccer game in some ways. His projects were passed from editor to producer to director with all the finesse of a forward against an opponent—the opponent here being the arbitrary deadline. It took mental and physical energy along with strategy to keep up the momentum.

  Today, David didn’t know whether to curse the frantic pace or be thankful for it. He found himself often frustrated by the interruptions prohibiting him from reflecting on the afternoon he spent with Meredith looking for Bitsy. At the same time, he grew irritated if he gave it much thought at all.

  The fact that Meredith continues to rebuff me at every turn is really starting to get old. Have I grown horns and a tail? What’s up with her? He’d at least hoped to resume their former friendship. What friendship? You were so stuck on yourself in those days you probably only talked about yourself. What did you expect? Meredith to resume her hero worship of you? “Of course not!”

  “Oh man, Steller! You promised I’d have that story by tomorrow.”

  David started and looked up at his editor. “Huh?”

  The editor frowned. “I came over here and asked you if you’d have that story on Tiger Woods for me tomorrow.
You said ‘of course not’.”

  David gave a chagrinned smile, feeling heat creeping up his neck. “Oh, sorry. I was thinking of someone...er, something else. It’ll be on your desk by the time promised.”

  “Good!” His editor walked back to his own desk.

  When he was gone, David shook his head. Lord, what am I doing wrong here? Help me with Merrie. Please. I’m making a big mess on my own.

  ***

  Meredith opened the door to Clay. She smiled in surprise. It had been several days since they’d seen each other.

  “Clay! How are you? Is Tiffany okay?” she said, ushering him into her house.

  He smiled while he came into the living room, bending down to give Bitsy a pat on the head. “She’s fine. I just stopped by, hoping to catch you before you left for work.”

  Meredith glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s five thirty and I have to be in by seven tonight.”

  “Is there enough time to grab a quick bite together? There’s that Chinese place right next to the hospital.”

  “Sure. Let me get my stuff.” She found Bitsy and gave him a squeeze before putting him in the secured back yard. She retrieved her purse and work bag, and headed with Clay out the door.

  When they went out to her driveway, she glanced at both cars. “Should we drive separately? We won’t have time to come back for my car if you drive.”

  “How about I pick you up in the morning? That way we can drive over to the restaurant together.”

  Meredith gave him a wry smile. “Are you sure you can be up that early?”

  “Of course!” he replied in a mock-injured tone.

  Laughing, she agreed. While they drove, he spoke of his business and funny things his daughter had said.

  After eating at the restaurant, Clay walked with her into the hospital, all the way to her unit. When they reached the nurses’ station, he smiled. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Meredith murmured good-bye and headed to the break room. Just before she pushed open the door, she glanced back over her shoulder—and froze. Erin appeared from nowhere, her face lighting up when she saw Clay. He seemed almost as pleased to see her.