Hill Country Reunion

by Myra Johnson

  Seeing everything laid out in front of her—seeing her germ of an idea come to fruition after weeks of dreaming and planning—made everything all the more real.

  “It’s happening, Tiger,” she squealed. “I can’t wait for Tripp—”

  Tripp? Since when was he the first person she thought of sharing this moment with? Fists clenched against her mouth, Diana trembled from the shock of how easily the past had converged on the present. She and Tripp had once shared every joy and disappointment, each one a milestone along their journey toward lasting love...until the final disappointment that had shattered her dreams forever.

  The doorbell rang, and Diana jumped. She had to get her feelings under control, or Tripp would see the turmoil written all over her face. Tearing the elastic band from her ponytail, she shook out her hair, then stood and straightened her shirt and jeans. There had been no time to change out of the clothes she’d worn at work all day, and a faint aroma of coffee lingered.

  Too bad. This certainly wasn’t a date, which meant she had no excuse for suddenly being so concerned about her appearance. With a steadying breath, she walked casually to the front door. As she pulled it open, enticing smells of crispy crust and flavorful toppings surrounded her.

  And of course Tripp stood there wearing a boyish grin and looking as handsome as ever. “Hi. Hope you like chicken with spinach and artichoke hearts.”

  “Wow, you went gourmet.” Diana showed him into the kitchen. “I’ve got the oven set on warm. We can eat after I talk to Mrs. Kraus.”

  “I was hoping to get here in time.” Tripp slid the pizza box onto an oven shelf, then straightened to face Diana. He looked as if he wanted to take her hand but at the last second dropped his arms to his sides. “Nervous?”

  “A little.” She checked her watch and whistled out a breath. “Guess I’d better make that call.”

  Returning to the sofa and her table full of notes and lists, Diana picked up her cell phone and dialed Agnes Kraus’s number. With a tight-lipped glance at Tripp, she put the call on Speaker and laid the phone on the coffee table.

  “Good evening, Diana,” the woman greeted. “This won’t take long. I just need a quick update on your progress.”

  “I’ve had a very productive week. Eleven dog owners have expressed interest, and we’re working now on the obedience qualifications.”

  “Excellent. Remember, to complete your chapter certification, we will need copies of the dogs’ health records, verification of obedience training and documentation from the assisted-living center stating their agreement to participate.”

  Tripp was already perusing Diana’s checklist. He silently passed it to her.

  “Yes, ma’am,” she said, scanning the page. “Everything’s in process. I’ve already been in touch with the center, and they’re anxious to get the program going.”

  “Very well, then. Keep me posted, and unless I hear otherwise, I’ll see you the second Saturday of November for evaluation and volunteer training.”

  “Looking forward to it.” Saying goodbye, Diana released her pent-up breath.

  Tripp gave her knee a quick pat. “You did great.”

  “Thanks. Crazy, but this is almost more nerve-racking than when I applied for my small-business loan to open the doughnut shop.”

  “Not crazy when it’s something you care so much about.”

  “I do care. This is all for Aunt Jennie.” Diana rose to check on the pizza. “My own grandmother—Aunt Jennie’s sister—died before I was born, so she’s always filled that spot in my life.”

  “I remember,” Tripp said, following her to the kitchen. “Your great-aunt’s a very special lady. I know how much you love her.”

  His understanding tone brought a catch to Diana’s chest. She cleared her throat. “Guess we should eat this pizza before it turns to rubber. What would you like to drink? I have decaf iced tea, diet cola or lemon-lime.”

  “Iced tea, please. Point me to the cupboard and I’ll get plates.”

  As Diana filled two glasses, she became acutely aware of Tripp moving around behind her, making himself at home in her kitchen. This is how it should have been, a wistful voice whispered in her head, the two of us, a comfortable, old married couple making a home together.

  She swallowed over the lump in her throat and carried the drinks to the table. Tripp had already served slices of pizza onto their plates. Like the gentleman he’d always been, he pulled out Diana’s chair for her—which did nothing to mitigate the cozy, homelike ambience. When he asked if he could offer grace and hesitantly reached for Diana’s hand, she said a silent prayer of her own that God would get her through the rest of this evening in one piece.

  Focusing on the reason for Tripp’s visit might be her only saving grace. They ate in silence for a few minutes, and then Diana said, “Forgot to tell you. I asked Pastor Terry about holding obedience classes at the church, and he got the okay for us to use the back lawn on Sunday afternoons, provided the owners do any necessary cleanups.”

  Tripp helped himself to another slice of pizza, then slanted his head with a curious look. “It occurred to me that you’re making arrangements for all these dog owners to join your program, but you don’t have a dog yourself.”

  “I guess it is kind of weird,” Diana said with a laugh. “I love dogs, but cats are a little less demanding. Besides, I don’t have a fenced yard, and with the long hours I work at the shop, I’d feel bad leaving a dog cooped up in the house all day.”

  “Makes sense. And makes me admire you all the more for what you’re doing.”

  Diana’s cheeks warmed. “If Aunt Jennie hadn’t had to give Ginger away, I’d probably never have gotten involved with this project.” Her voice dropping to a murmur, she added, “Nobody should be deprived of that kind of unconditional love and companionship.”

  “I agree,” Tripp said huskily. He stared at his half-eaten pizza slice. “Di...if I could undo the past, make up for how I hurt you—”

  “Don’t say it, Tripp. We’re not going there tonight. And never again, okay?” It was the only way Diana could bear being this close to him. “That was then, this is now, and all that matters is the people we are today.”

  Tripp slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers, and in the depths of those intense blue eyes, Diana saw something that rocked her to her core. “If you believe that,” he began hesitantly, “then do you think we could start over?”

  Her heart stammered. “Start over?”

  With a tender smile, Tripp took her hand. “Please. Give me a chance to get it right this time.”

  Nearly choking on her emotions, Diana clutched his hand with both of hers. “You’ve got to know how scary this is for me. My heart won’t survive getting broken again.”

  A long, slow sigh escaped Tripp’s lips. “As far as it’s in my power, I promise that won’t happen.”

  His choice of words struck a subtle warning note in Diana’s brain, but she was too caught up in the moment to care. This was Tripp, the man she’d fallen in love with all those years ago and still cared for despite all her efforts to put him out of her heart. Could this really be God offering them a second chance at happiness? If so, she couldn’t let it slip away.

  * * *

  Tripp was too elated to do or say anything but bask in the moment. The time would come eventually for him to confide in Diana about the Crohn’s, but for now, he wanted to just be—him and his girl, sharing pizza and conversation, and laying out the plans for her therapy pets project.

  Their project. Because he felt more a part of it—more a part of Diana’s life—than he’d imagined possible barely three weeks ago.

  After clearing away the supper dishes, they moved to the sofa, where they divided up the list of potential volunteers and began placing calls. By eight forty-five, they had six sign-ups for the obedience class. Three other owners said their dogs had already e
arned basic obedience certificates, and the remaining two on the list had decided the program wasn’t right for them.

  Diana tapped her pen against her chin. “That leaves us with nine strong possibilities, and we only need eight to qualify with Visiting Pet Pals.” She grinned at Tripp. “I think this just might work.”

  “I know it will.” Resting against the sofa cushions, Tripp nonchalantly draped his arm along the back. When Diana scooted a fraction of an inch closer, he took it as permission to lower his arm to her shoulders. At first contact, they both stiffened briefly. Diana cast him a nervous glance, then slowly relaxed against him.

  This was nice—too nice. The warmth spreading through Tripp’s chest told him he needed to do the responsible thing and say good-night. Still, he couldn’t resist allowing himself a few more minutes of this simple pleasure while his thoughts drifted to a future where having Diana next to him like this was an everyday occurrence.

  Hearing Diana’s grandfather clock begin its nine o’clock chime, Tripp reluctantly pushed aside the lanky black cat that had crawled onto his lap earlier. “Sorry, Midnight, but I need to go.”

  Diana sat forward, careful not to disturb Tiger curled up next to her. “Watch out for Alice,” she told Tripp with a nod toward the lop-eared rabbit sniffing his shoe.

  Tripp reached down to stroke the rabbit’s velvety-soft fur. “You should find out if Visiting Pet Pals would accept Alice in the program. The group I worked with during my internship allowed dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and birds.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that. Next time I talk to Agnes, I’ll ask.” Diana rose along with Tripp and walked him to the door. “Thanks again for bringing the pizza, and for all your help.”

  “My pleasure.” Tripp paused on the front step, fingers tucked into the pockets of his khakis. Diana looked so beautiful standing there, brown eyes shimmering and her thick, dark hair haloed by the entryway chandelier. He suffered a nearly irresistible compulsion to kiss her but knew it was way too soon for such a move. Instead, he asked, “I guess you’ll be busy tomorrow at the doughnut shop?”

  “We close at two on Saturdays, but then I need to catch up on bookkeeping and supply orders.”

  “And afterward?”

  Diana cast him a regretful frown. “I promised Aunt Jennie a visit. As crazy as things have been lately, I haven’t gotten by to see her as often as I’d hoped.”

  “I’m sure she understands. Give her my best, will you? I still remember how sweet she was to me back when...” Grimacing, Tripp left the words unsaid.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Diana suggested, “Why don’t you come along? Aunt Jennie would love to see you again.”

  Tripp brightened. “Are you sure?”

  “So long as you promise not to say anything about our therapy pets project. Remember, I’m planning this as a surprise for Aunt Jennie’s birthday next month.”

  “My lips are sealed.” Tripp made a zipping motion across his mouth.

  Diana promised to call when she finished work so that Tripp could meet her at the assisted-living center. With more bounce in his step than he’d had three hours ago, he climbed into his SUV for the drive to the cabin.

  He’d barely gotten out of town when his cell phone rang. His first thought was that Diana was already calling to say she’d changed her mind about tomorrow—about everything they’d said about making a fresh start. He answered without looking at the display. “Hey, Diana, it’s fine if you’d rather—”

  “Diana?” His sister’s surprised laugh collided with his eardrum. “What have I missed here, bro?”

  “None of your business.” Cringing, Tripp tapped the speaker icon and set the phone on the console. Then his stomach knotted. When he’d spoken with Brooke a couple of days ago, they’d just brought Mom home from the hospital. Please, Lord, not another setback. “What’s up? Is Mom okay?”

  “That’s why I’m calling. Got a few minutes?”

  Tripp couldn’t tell from Brooke’s tone whether her news was good or bad. Either way, he’d rather not risk an accident. “I’m on the road. Hang on while I find somewhere to pull over.”

  Around the next bend, his headlights swept across the turn-in to someone’s ranch. He pulled in at an angle, then shifted into Park. Moving the phone closer, he drew air through tight lips. “Okay, talk to me.”

  “Don’t panic. Mom’s still holding her own. It’s just—” Brooke’s voice trembled. “The doctor says it’s time to seriously consider hospice.”

  The knot in Tripp’s belly swelled to boulder-sized. He lowered his forehead to the steering wheel. “That means...”

  “Yes, Tripp, Mom’s winding down.” Brooke heaved a long, weary sigh. “We knew this time would come.”

  Yeah, but Tripp had prayed it would be much, much later. He straightened and massaged his temple. “What do you need me to do, sis?”

  “I’ve emailed you some information from the hospice people. Look it over and get back to me if you have any questions. And, Tripp?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Quit beating yourself up about this. It isn’t your fault.”

  A fact he acknowledged intellectually, but it still made him want to punch something.

  Brooke’s tone softened. “Have you told Diana yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “You need to. You owe it to her...and to yourself.”

  “I will. Soon. But we’re just now getting closer again—”

  “Tripp, really? That’s wonderful! And,” she added sternly, “all the more reason you need to be honest with her about why you broke up.”

  He wouldn’t deny it. “When the time is right—I promise. If this really is our second chance, I’m not going to mess things up.”

  “You’d better not, because twelve years ago I was really counting on having Diana as a sister-in-law, and now you’ve got my hopes up again.”

  “Brooke—”

  “I’m serious, Tripp. And just think what this would mean to Mom. You know how much she loved Diana. She’d be over-the-moon thrilled if you two got back together.”

  Tripp pressed one hand hard against an annoying cramp in his abdomen. “Slow down, okay? Diana’s barely stopped looking at me like a bug she’d like to squash. ‘Back together’ is still a ways off.”

  “But no longer out of the realm of possibility. That’s the main thing.”

  “If you say so.” Headlights flashed in Tripp’s side mirror as a vehicle slowed behind him. A right-turn signal indicated the driver planned to turn into the drive where Tripp was parked. “Gotta go, Brooke. I’ll take a look at the hospice info and get back to you tomorrow. In the meantime, please don’t let on to Mom and Dad about Diana. Let me see where this is going first.”

  “I hear you. Just don’t wait too long.”

  Not if he could help it—for his mother’s sake, certainly. But also because he needed to settle the matter in his own mind and heart.

  Chapter Seven

  A few minutes after three on Saturday afternoon, Diana phoned Tripp to say she was wrapping things up at the doughnut shop and about to head over to the assisted-living center. He sounded relieved to hear from her...but in a way that suggested he had a million other things on his mind. Now, as he trudged up the front walk, the distant look in his eyes confirmed her suspicions. Something definitely troubled him, and she prayed it wasn’t more upsetting news about his mother.

  Tripp offered a tired smile as he drew closer. “Hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”

  “Just got here myself.” Diana tilted her head. “If you’d rather not—”

  “No, it’s fine. I’ve been looking forward to this.” Tripp stepped around her to get the door. “Looks like a nice facility. Has your aunt adjusted well?”

  The edge to his voice told her he was forcing small talk. Maybe later he’d tell her what had him so
preoccupied. In the meantime, she hoped this visit with Aunt Jennie would cheer him up. “She seems happy enough, except for missing her little corgi.” Diana led the way through the lobby. “Remember not to say anything about our project, though.”

  “Haven’t forgotten.”

  They reached the door to apartment 18C. Diana tapped lightly, then peeked in. “It’s me, Aunt Jennie. I brought your favorite cream-filled chocolate doughnuts. And I brought a friend.”

  “Come in, come in!” Face aglow, her great-aunt sat forward in the blue recliner. “I’ve been on pins and needles waiting for you, honey. Introduce me to your—” Aunt Jennie’s brow furrowed, and then her face lit up in a smile. “Oh, my, Tripp Willoughby, as I live and breathe!”

  “Hi, Mrs. Stewart. It’s great to see you again. Wasn’t sure you’d remember me.” Tripp strode forward to give Aunt Jennie a kiss on the cheek.

  “Of course I remember you!” Clutching Tripp’s hand, Aunt Jennie clucked her tongue. “And what’s this ‘Mrs. Stewart’ business? I’ve always considered you family.” Her pointed glance at Diana said she’d like her great-niece to make it a reality.

  Behind Tripp’s back, Diana cast Aunt Jennie a raised-brow stare: Don’t you dare make a big deal out of this!

  Her great-aunt returned a smirk that only Diana would recognize as her get-over-yourself look. “Tripp, you and Diana sit here on this end of the sofa so I can hear you better.”

  “Yes, ma’am, thanks.” Tripp motioned for Diana to seat herself nearest Aunt Jennie, then eased onto the cushion next to her.

  “Closer, closer,” Aunt Jennie urged, waving at Tripp to scoot toward Diana. “I don’t want to miss a word of our visit.”

  When barely an inch separated them, Aunt Jennie sat back with a satisfied smile. Diana, on the other hand, could barely breathe. The doughnuts apparently forgotten, the sprightly little woman plied Tripp with questions about what brought him to Juniper Bluff, how he liked being a veterinarian and if he thought he might settle here permanently—hint, hint. Diana should have known Aunt Jennie would be all too anxious to play matchmaker.