When he glanced at her, she saw the tears. They were hidden beneath his strong exterior, but they were there. “How could you think that?”
“I don’t know; maybe because every time I brought her up, you changed the subject.”
“I never wanted you to think that. I did want to protect you, but I suppose I wanted to protect myself too.”
Megan slowly nodded; she understood that. “I shut down Peter when she died. I felt alone and maybe I should have pressed the issue more, but I didn’t want to push you away.”
She looked down at the clenched fists in her lap. She felt his hand on her cheek. When she pulled her eyes to meet his, they smiled. “You could never push me away Megan. I love you and you’re stuck with me.” He brushed away a lonesome tear away from her cheek.
“I love you too Peter.”
They were close to kissing, but the fact that Dr. Andrews was staring at them brought her back to the reason they were there. They both chuckled when they glanced back at Dr. Andrews. “I almost forgot where we were;” she teased. “I want you to do me a favor. Go out to dinner before we meet again.”
Megan looked at Peter and then turned to her. “You mean…a date?”
She laughed. “Call it what you want, but I think it could do you both a lot of good.”
Megan shrugged. She was a bit apprehensive, but she was willing to do whatever she could to make things work. “What do you say Megan?”
“Okay; it’s a date.” She chuckled; it could be fun.
Chapter 15
After Peter thought of everything that could possibly go wrong, he actually began to relax. In ringing the doorbell, he was ready to get the evening underway. When she opened the door she smiled; it completely took every last fear if his away. “You look wonderful.” He kissed her cheek; she seemed receptive to it.
“Thank you; so do you. Give me just a moment; I’ll be right back.”
He waited in the foyer. His eyes fell on the picture of the three of them on their wall. They looked so happy. He was determined to get back to that point. He looked down the hallway as she headed toward him. “Do you have everything?”
“I do.” He held the door open so she could leave the house. “Where are we going?”
“Don’t you know? I thought you were planning it.” She snickered and he knew she could tell he was teasing. When he opened the door, she cocked her head and he shrugged. “It’s a surprise.”
“Not even a hint?”
“Okay, just one. We are going to a restaurant.”
“That narrows it down;” she laughed.
She slid in the passenger seat and he hurried to the other side of the car. “Trust me; you will like it.” The preparations were all made and he couldn’t help but be proud. It was going to be a night they would never forget.
____________________
Megan stared at the restaurant. “I can’t believe you remembered.”
He chuckled. “How could I forget? This is the place we were when I first fell in love with you.”
“We were just 18 and visiting my Aunt Sally. I knew that I would one day marry you.”
He reached out his arm and she smiled at him. As they linked arms, he escorted her into the restaurant. “Hello; welcome to Dakota’s Steakhouse. How may I help you?”
“We have a 7:00 reservation; the name is Prescott.”
“Sure, follow me.” They followed the hostess to their table.
When they got to their destination, she stared at the sight before them; she barely noticed her drop off the menus and leave the table. “Do you like them?”
She nodded as she looked at the vase of red roses. The card attached read: Roses are red, violets are blue, forever and always, I will love you. She smiled at the card. “It’s just like the flowers you gave me that night.”
He laughed. “I know the card was really corny back then and it isn’t much better now, but it seemed to fit.”
“I love them; thank you.” He held out her chair and she took a seat; her eyes never left the flowers. “You thought of everything.”
“I wanted tonight to be perfect.”
She wanted that too. She looked in the menu; even though it was pretty clear that it was already decided. She figured if Peter could replicate that date, she could too. “Do you know what you are going to order?”
“Yeah;” he chuckled. “Do you?”
She smiled. “Might as well stick with the theme.”
“The theme?”
“We’re repeating that date; so it’s only likely we would eat the same food.”
He nodded his agreement. When the waitress made her way to their table and they placed their orders she was feeling calmer about how the evening would play out. When the waitress left he snickered; “I would have attempted to get the waitress that was on duty that night, but I am sure she is retired by now.”
“I am sure you are correct; wasn’t she like 80 years old?”
“Very possibly;” he replied with a laugh. “The one thing I remember is how much she loved you.”
“You’ve got that wrong; she had a major crush on you.”
He snickered; his red face was refreshing. “I don’t know that I would go that far.”
Megan raised her eyebrows and took a drink. “Believe what you want, but it’s true.”
Their easy bantering made things relaxing. When the waitress returned with their food, they started to eat, but continued to catch up with their time lost. “How’s the B&B going?”
She wasn’t surprised that he asked the question, because despite his previous news about his distaste for her place of employment, she knew that he did care. “Things are going pretty good. We’re already starting preparations for the Anniversary party.”
“That’s in December; right?”
She nodded. “We are planning a lot; it will be some good times.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
She had to really contemplate if he meant his question. “I am sure there will be; if you really want to help.”
“I would like to.”
“I will keep that in mind.” She smiled; “How’s the shop?”
“I hired a new receptionist.”
“Tell me about her.”
Her name is Sissy. I think that she is going to be a great asset to all of us. All of the guys absolutely adore her.”
He didn’t seem too concerned by Megan’s frown. “Hm…is that so? Is she…married?”
“No, she’s divorced. That’s why she needed to get a job.”
“Anything else you want to share about your new employee?” She tried to hide her sarcasm, but by the smile on his face he could hear it. When he started to laugh, she became irritated. “What’s so funny?”
“I can’t go on; Sissy is 68 years old.”
“Well, like we said…the older women love you.” She tried to hide her embarrassment.
“That they do;” he teased.
“I’ll admit it; I feel a little foolish.”
He chuckled. “Don’t worry about it; I wasn’t making it easy on you.”
They continued the rest of the meal. Megan was enjoying herself and, by the look on his face, Peter was too. “I am having a good time tonight.”
He nodded and put his napkin down. “It isn’t over yet. Would you care to dance?”
She wanted to deny that dancing was the last thing she wanted to do, but looking at his offered hand she felt a sense of excitement. She grabbed his hand and stood up. “I would love to dance.”
They walked out to the middle of the floor. She felt his arms wrap around her body. She slowly swayed to the song with him. “You have never looked more beautiful than you do right now.”
“Are you saying that, just so you can have your way with me?” She gave him a wink and he smiled.
“Would it work?”
She acted like she was giving the question ample consideration. “Possibly;” his eyes got wider and she smirked at his expression
. She laid her head against his chest and they remained in that position until the song was finished. When he looked back at him, she knew what she wanted and needed. “Let’s pay the bill and get out of here.” It was time to bring their relationship back home.
Chapter 16
Megan took a slow breath as she faced Peter. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Sure;” his voice was shaky and she had to snicker at that. They were continuing to act like two scared teenagers.
“Okay; you wait here and I will put on some coffee.” She escaped into the kitchen and began to put the coffee on. As she was waiting for it to brew she went back to living room. She spotted him staring at the picture of them when they brought Jasmine home. “That was a bittersweet day.”
He looked at her and nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. We looked so happy, but we were both hurting. One would never know that.”
“We were so blessed to have Jasmine.”
He smiled. “Yes we were.”
The look of desire was written in his eyes. “I’ll go get the coffee.” She quickly left the awkward situation. When she reached for the mugs, one slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor. “Oops.”
“Megan, are you okay?”
“It’s fine;” she reached down to pick up the shards of ceramic, but the one piece sliced through her finger. “Ouch;” she yelped.
Before she knew what was going on she saw Peter rush into the kitchen. “Let me see it.” She held out her finger to him. “I’ll get the first-aid kit. Don’t touch any more of the mug. I’ll take care of it.”
She took a seat as the blood started to run down her hand. Within seconds, he had returned. He took the seat next to her and began to take care of the cut. As the silence grew, he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry Megan…for everything.”
His eyes continued to remain focused on his task at hand. “We are both to blame; I know that.”
When the finger was wrapped, they gazed at each other. “I think that you’ll live.”
Megan smiled. “Thank you.” They remained in that position; his hand attached to hers. “Peter…” she whispered. His mouth slowly moved to hers and they kissed. They stood from their seated locations. As the kiss deepened, she wondered if she was imagining the cell phone ringing. However, after it rang again she knew it was real.
They pulled away and she turned to the ringing phone on the counter. “You don’t have to answer that.” He touched her shoulder, but she reached for the phone.
“It could be important.” She tried to convey her apologies with her eyes. “Hello?”
“Megan, it’s Seth.”
“Seth? Is everything alright?”
“Don’t freak out, but I have Jasmine at the hospital.”
“What?” Megan could feel her heartbeat quicken.
“They’re looking at her right now. I’ll explain when you get here. We’re at Sandpoint Hospital.”
“We’ll be right there.”
“What’s going on?” Peter asked as she disconnected the call.
“I…I don’t know. We have to get to Sandpoint.” She silently said a prayer as they rushed out of the house.
____________________
Peter held onto Megan’s hand as they dashed through the halls of the hospital. Neither knew what to expect, but entering the emergency room they had to be optimistic. “Seth;” Megan called as they arrived to where they were directed.
He hurried to them and Peter could tell that he appeared stressed. “I don’t know anything;” he looked at Megan. “She was fine one minute, but then started to choke.”
“Start from the beginning;” Peter calmly suggested.
“We were eating supper; she seemed normal. We were all laughing and everything was good. Cassie was clearing the dishes and when I looked at Jasmine, I noticed a rash on her face and then her arms. I immediately was going to take her to the ER, but she started to cough and Cassie called 9-1-1 and when they arrived they were able to control the coughing spasms. I called you as soon as we got here. I…”
Before he could finish his statement, Peter noticed a doctor heading their way. He looked at Seth; “Mr. Prescott…”
“I’m Mr. Prescott;” Peter spoke up. “This is my wife.”
“Your daughter is doing better. It looks like she had an allergic reaction to something. What did she have for supper?”
Peter looked at Seth. “We had chicken, potatoes, macaroni and cheese. It was nothing out of the ordinary.” He thought for a moment and it was like a light bulb went off. “We did have strawberry shortcake for dessert.”
“She’s probably never had strawberries.” Megan exclaimed.
The doctor nodded. “Then it probably is an allergic reaction; it’s nothing to be too concerned about. We’ll get you an epipen Jr.; just in case this was to happen again. Importantly stay away from the strawberries. If she has another flare up, it would be helpful if we can remove it from the list of possibilities.”
“Can we see her?” Peter asked as Megan’s hand was clutched in his.
“You can; as soon as we get you the prescription, you are free to take her home.”
“Thank you doctor.”
He smiled at Megan; “You are welcome.”
When he left them in the hallway, Peter turned to Megan and they hugged. “She’s okay; that’s what matters.”
She nodded and turned to Seth. “Megan, I am so sorry.”
“Seth there’s no way you could have known. Your quick acting could have saved her life. They hugged. “Call Cassie with the news; we’re going to see our daughter.” Megan took hold of his hand again and they went into her room. Her eyes were closed when they approached her bed. “Poor baby; she’s been through so much.”
“Yes, she has.”
“Jasmine…” Megan whispered.
“Mommy?” She groggily opened her eyes. “Can we go home?”
Peter and Megan looked at each other and laughed. “Yes; let’s go home.”
Epilogue
Five Months Later
Megan smiled at her daughter as she played with Savannah and a group of other kids at the Bed and Breakfast. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she smiled at her husband. “It’s been a crazy year.”
“I wouldn’t change anything if I had the chance.”
“Nothing? Not even the time apart?”
“Maybe that, but it all led us to this place that we’re at now.”
“You are so right.” He gave her another kiss and smiled. “Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”
“Especially the kids;” he added with a laugh.
“We have lots of kids that became a product of this place.”
“Sis, are you ready for your toast?”
“As ready as I will ever be.” She didn’t enjoy public speaking, but she had plenty to say. She kissed Peter for good luck and headed to the front of the room. A hush fell over the crowd as she faced them. “I have a few things I would like to say. I would like to thank everyone that has come to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Aunt Sally’s B&B.”
The crowd applauded and she smiled over the guests. “Aunt Sally had a vision to bring a place that would hold many memories. I believe that she has accomplished that goal and she would be very proud. From weddings to births, family reunions and graduations, and we can’t forget all of the family vacations. We strived to bring people together.” She looked over the group and saw Courtney and Brad; they were holding their infant son and smiling at each other. Then she saw Cassie’s friend’s Tiffany and matt. Her hand was stuck to their 2 year old daughter. She didn’t know them well, but she knew it was a long time coming.
When her focus turned to Rebecca and Thomas, she had to chuckle. With their five kids, they soon would welcome two more. She knew their love was strong and she was so happy for them. “This building means a lot to me and it will always be a part of me.” She looked at Peter and he winked at her. “I love everyone that has helped to make
it special, but this will be the last event I plan. I have decided to take a break from working here.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “The fact is it’s getting to be too much; especially when the new addition is born.” Her eyes fell on Seth’s surprised expression and nodded. She looked heavenward and smiled. “Today is for you Aunt Sally;” she blew a kiss. “You are never forgotten. Enjoy the rest of the evening everyone.” She raised her water glass and everyone took a drink.
As the rest of the guests continued to congregate, she just watched. “Congratulations;” she turned around and saw Mary Jo and Brandon.
She kissed Brandon’s cheek and then hugged Mary Jo. “Thank you; you two look cozy.”
Mary Jo laughed. “I’m not letting him go anywhere.” They kissed tenderly.
“Are there wedding bells?”
“Hopefully soon;” they replied in unison.
“Hm…I’ll wait for the invitation.” She looked around for Peter and he wasn’t where she had last seen him. “I’ll see you guys later.”
She spotted Jasmine still playing and saw Seth heading her way. “You sure can keep a secret.”
“When I must;” she chuckled.
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you; have you seen Peter?”
“Yeah; he went out the back door.”
“Will you watch Jasmine?”
“Of course;” she hurried out the door, but despite looking around, she didn’t see him. She was about to give up when she saw the lights in the gazebo. When she got closer she heard the faint sound of music. She recognized their wedding song. She stepped inside and saw roses and candles throughout the enclosure.
“May I have this dance?”
She turned around and smiled at Peter; he was entering the gazebo. “What are you doing?”
He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him. “Dancing with my beautiful wife.”
“You are sneaky; you planned all of this on your own?”
“I had the help of our friends.” She looked through the glass windows. A crowd had started to form.
“We have an audience.”
Forever Love (Love Conquers All Book 4) Page 9
