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“And call me in case of emer-”
“Mrs. Gracey, go.” The teenager took her by the arm and turned her toward the door. “I’ve been babysitting Jessie for two years now. I know what I’m doing.”
“Okay, okay. I’m going.”
“Thank you.” Amelia said, laughing at her.
Feeling just a little bit on the nervous side, Meg followed Jessie’s path and there, standing in the doorway stood Drake, heart-stoppingly handsome in dark-gray suit, his shirt open at the collar. Goodness, he was almost Brad Pitt handsome, with his dark blond hair just touching the collar of his shirt.
“Bye, Drake,” Jessie said with a wave of her hand then turned and ran back the way she had come.
“Mr. Duncan to you, missy,” Meg called after her but she’d already disappeared into the den where Amelia was waiting for her.
Now Meg was completely alone with Drake, not dressed in business suit and sensible pumps like she’d been for their two previous meetings but in elegant wear that reminded her that she was a woman. And he was a man. Going out on a date. Not exactly what she wanted to remember right now.
“Shall we go?” Drake gave her a polite nod then waited for her to step past him. His eyes had a special twinkle to them and she could see that he liked what he saw. He didn’t say anything but somehow he didn’t need to. The eyes said it all.
Drake had chosen a restaurant which was only fifteen minutes drive away from Meg’s home, the Phancy Pheasant, one of her favorites. How had he known? It was an elegant place and the food could only be described as exquisite. And it was pricey. Meg’s visits to the restaurant had been rare but she’d enjoyed it immensely each time. After Greg’s death she hadn’t been back at all.
As they entered the lobby the memories, so bittersweet, came rushing back and Meg had to blink rapidly to clear the mist from her eyes.
“Are you all right?” Drake dipped his head to peer down at her.
“I’m…I’m fine,” she said in a choked whisper. Then, determined not to break down in from of him she sniffed, straightened her back and stepped ahead of him toward the hostess who was coming forward to greet them. To Meg’s relief she was able to regain control of her emotions and, just to make sure Drake didn’t bug her with any more questions, she gave him her brightest smile. She was glad when he smiled back and seemed to relax. Danger averted. Thank goodness.
After the appetizer they had a meal of the restaurant’s signature dish, pheasant in wine on wild rice followed by chocolate mint and pistachio ice cream. Meg was dying to start questioning Drake about his conversation with Jessie but, not wanting to be rude, she bided her time, waiting for him to bring up the subject.
It was while they were sipping after-dinner tea that he finally did. Drake gave her a slow smile then he rested his cup on the saucer and leaned back in his chair. “I think I’ve held you in suspense long enough,” he said with a wicked smile. “I’m ready to put you out of your misery if you’ll promise me one thing.”
Meg sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “Oh, no, you don’t. Don’t you dare tack on anything else. We had an arrangement. I go out to dinner with you and you fill me in on everything you and Jessie talked about. That’s it.”
Drake chuckled. “You’re right. Thought I could squeeze in something else along the way but you caught me.”
Now it was Meg’s turn to give him a wicked smile of her own. “Now start talking. I'm all ears.”
“Okay, Meg. I hope you can handle this.” Drake sat forward, leaning toward her, and rested his arms on the table.
This sounded serious. Meg held her breath.
“Jessie told me about her father and how he died. She also told me about her wish to have a daddy.” Drake’s eyes so intensely gray, searched hers. It was as if he wanted to gauge her reaction. “She tells me she doesn’t really remember her dad but she seems to yearn for what she never had. She wants a complete family, Meg – mommy, daddy and baby.”
Meg stared at Drake, at his brows now furrowed, his face serious. Strangely, he seemed genuinely concerned. “I know, Drake,” she said, her voice almost a whisper, “But, her dad, we lost him...” her voice cracked and she drew in a breath, “...we lost him when she was just a baby. All I can do is show her pictures and videos and let her know how much he loved her.”
Slowly, Drake nodded. “You’re doing the right thing, to tell her all you can about her dad. But she’s asking for more, Meg. She wants a daddy, one who can be here with her."
“But…but…” She was stuttering now. For him to even mention that was useless. “What can I do about that? It’s not like I can just pick one up off the supermarket shelf simply because my daughter wants one. A man is not a toy.”
“True," Drake said, as he tented his fingers and stared across at her. “What if I told you I have the perfect solution to your problem?”
Her brows furrowed and she looked at him with suspicion. “Which is?”
“Marry me and give Jessie the daddy she wants.”
Meg jerked forward, her body spasming in a fit of coughs. She’d half expected a surprise but certainly not anything like this. The man must have gone totally insane. She took the glass he held out to her and took several quick sips of water. “What are you saying?” she finally squeaked.
“I’m saying, I want you to marry me.”
Now he was making her mad. “Drake, we only just met. What’s it been? Three weeks?”
“I’ve known you for over ten years, Meg. I know you well enough to say without any doubt that I want you back in my life.”
“Listen, Drake, you’ve taken this joke far enough.” She picked up her napkin from her lap and dropped it on the table. “Either you drop this line of conversation or you take me home right now.”
“Meg, please.” He held a hand up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just…” he shook his head and heaved a sigh, “...I just hoped I could make things right, get back to the place and time when you willingly gave me your all.”
Now why did he have to go and bring that up? He was digging up memories that were best forgotten. “I was young and stupid,” she said through clenched teeth. “I’m a mature woman now and I know better.”
“But a mature woman who still needs a man in her life.”
Exasperated, Meg slapped her hands down on top of the linen-covered table. She glared at Drake. “Aren’t you forgetting something?” Her voice rose to a slightly higher pitch as the anger climbed inside her. "You dumped me after taking my 'all', as you so elegantly put it." She drew in a shaky breath then looked around. Thank God nobody seemed to have heard that. Now she could truly appreciate the table that had been chosen for them – away from the others, secluded and out of earshot. Thank heavens for that.
“Drake Duncan, I’ve been waiting to say this for ten years.” Meg leaned forward and spoke in a whisper that vibrated with her rage. “You used me and you left me and I’ll never forgive you.”
There, she’d said it. All these years she’d wanted to get that off her chest and she’d finally gotten the chance. Now it was Drake Duncan’s turn to explain himself. Not that it mattered anymore. There was nothing he could say that would erase her utter devastation at his callous rejection nor the years of hurt that followed. It was only when she met Greg – God rest his soul – so understanding, so patient and so different from Drake that she’d begun to heal.
Now, with those difficult years behind her, she could face Drake Duncan. She tilted her chin up and stared him straight in the eyes, expecting him to drop his gaze and duck his head in shame.
But he did not. Instead, on Drake’s face was a look of confusion that she couldn’t fathom. “What the devil are you talking about? You were the one who disappeared on me.”
Meg gasped. The nerve of him, to lie right to her face. “I did not. I sat there in my dorm room your entire graduation night and you didn’t even have the decency to come by and tell me you didn’t want to be with me. You didn’t come and you didn’t call. And even when I was leaving to catch my train the next morning there was no sign of you.” She gave an angry snort. “Now I know why they call some men dogs. You represented that pack very well.”
Drake put his hand up and raked his fingers through his hair. When he looked at her again it was with a pained expression. “Meg, I have an explanation and an apology.”
“Too late for that. You can’t weasel-”
“No, hear me out.” There was a firmness in his tone that made her stop and listen. “I did come back to see you but I admit, I was late. I got caught up in all the graduation celebrations and family gatherings. I didn’t get a chance to come back until next day. By that time you had gone.”
