In God's Own Time

But where?

On Saturday, Jack, Kathy and their kids left. Meg had enjoyed their company, enjoyed her brother’s banter and her sister-in-law’s practical approach to Audrey’s sometimes unreasonable demands, but she understood their need to return home.

Audrey saved her obvious relief at their leaving until the last goodbye had been waved.

“How wonderful to have a little peace and quiet restored,” she uttered, sinking into her favorite wing chair. “I just don’t know how much longer I could have stood the daily racket.”

“Now, Mom, you said yourself you enjoyed teaching Sara and Andy how to play those simple piano songs. And you liked having Jack hovering about.”

“Yes, but children are so tiring nonetheless.”

Meg grinned at her mother as she fluffed up a cross-stitched pillow. “And you thrive on telling them stories of when you were their age, and about Jack and me.”

“I suppose. But they’re so hard on my antiques.”

“Think of it as giving your furniture more character,” Meg teased, picking up a dust cloth. “Three generations on Grandma Hicks’s dining chairs becoming four.”

“Sara did show a remarkable interest in my old china, didn’t she? And the cut glass bowls from Aunt Katherine.”

“Yep.” Meg held one of her mother’s favorite china figurines up to the light, dusting it lightly. She’d seen dozens of collections in England and had added to her mother’s each Christmas. “You might just have found your next heir to the family treasures, Mom.”

“I guess I should think about it.” Audrey rose and gazed tenderly at the things in her curio cabinet. “What with my weak heart, I should think about a will, too. To decide what Sara might want and little Andrew. I don’t suppose you’ll ever have children now.”

A quick sharp jab invaded Meg’s dreamy state. Why couldn’t she? Thirty-two wasn’t too old.

Thirty-two. How long was she going to wait before putting that dream forever on the shelf? If she’d wanted only a child, she could’ve married Clive.

She’d been steadfastly refusing to think about the discussion with Lissa and Aimee the whole morning. Refusing to want what they’d offered. Or rather, overriding the surge of hope it gave her. It wasn’t…wise…to entertain such hope. Her heart might prove to be more fragile than her mother’s.

Meg carefully replaced all the figurines in the curio cabinet, closed the door, folded the dust cloth and turned her teasing back on high.

“Weak heart, phooey Dr Collins says you’re stronger than you know, if you’ll only give up the invalid act. You just need to eat properly and get more exercise.”

“Oh, Dr. Collins. He doesn’t know everything,” Audrey said with a sniff. She pointed to a figurine on a corner table. “Don’t miss that one, Meg.”

“Don’t avoid the issue, Mom.”

“Oh, exercise.” Her mother dismissed the thought with a wave of her hand. “I can’t imagine myself joining one of those public gym clubs.”

“Well, think of joining the walking club, then. I hear there’s a group of older people from the various churches that make the half-mile circle around the downtown shops every morning,” she said, reminding her mother of the growing popularity of the activity. “Then they have morning coffee together.

“Some of those people even make the round four or five times. Paul Lumbar—” Meg casually threw in the name of the handsome older man all the single church women over fifty had been buzzing about lately “—mentioned it the other day when he called.”

“Mmm…Well, yes, it was nice of Paul to call. Perhaps I might give it some thought when I regain my strength.”

“You do that, Mom.” Meg changed the subject. “I have to go into town and find a fax machine to send Clive some information before tomorrow. Can I call Sandy to come spend the afternoon with you?”

“I suppose. I might even enjoy a little quiet bridge game if the circumstances were right.”

A smile caught up with Meg. If her mother wanted to play bridge, she couldn’t deny her own improvement any longer.

“I’ll call Sandy before I change clothes,” Meg told her mother as she sailed from the room. “I’ll leave it to her to call whomever else you want.”

In old downtown twenty minutes later, Meg found a small store front that listed “Computer, Postal and Office Assistance” on the door just below the name “Justine’s,” and parked in the curb-front parking. A moment later she stood at the counter waiting for the pretty brunette, the only clerk in sight, to finish her phone conversation, and glanced about. Two copy machines, three computer booths, a counter holding a fax machine and weighing equipment, all drastically contrasted with the high ceilinged, brick-walled old building.

“Can I help?” The brunette broke into a welcoming smile. “Oh, Meg! I heard you were home. How are you?”

“Fine, Justine. When I saw the name on your door, I just knew the business had to be yours You’re the only Justine in town.”

They’d been classmates from the first grade, although never more than casual friends. Still, Meg enjoyed renewing the friendship every time she was home. “So when did you open?”

“A couple of years back, after my youngest entered first grade. Since Dad owned the building, but couldn’t keep paying tenants for long, I decided to give my idea a try. Don’t make much here in the old part of town, but—” she shrugged and laughed “—it keeps me off the streets. And I fill a few business needs.”

“That’s great, Justine. You’re just the person I need.”

“You mean you came in for something besides to say hello?”

“You bet. I’ve got several faxes to send, and—” Meg glanced at the computer booths. A nearby sign gave a list of services and prices, including the hourly charge for computer use. “You wouldn’t by any chance be on the web, would you?”

Justine raised her eyebrows in mock insult. “Sure am, missy. No backward little town or lack of the latest equipment for us.”

“Wonderful Terrific. Where do I plunk my money?” Meg responded, laughing.

At Justine’s invitation, Meg moved behind the front counter and sent her faxes. Then she inspected the computer booths, screened to give privacy, and decided on which one she would use.

As usual whenever she immersed herself in whatever was happening around the banking and investment world, Meg was lost to her surroundings for long moments of time. An occasional bell, signaling a customer, or a ringing phone didn’t even register with Meg for the following hour. Finally, though, three noisy kids made their presence felt and Meg looked up.

“Sorry, Meg,” Justine said apologetically. “My kid, Mark, and his buddies usually hit me two or three afternoons a week for the computer games. At least I know where they are, you know? And summer hours are hard to fill.”

“It’s okay, Justine. I’m about to wrap up here, anyway, and I imagine Mom is wondering where I’ve got to.”

Meg hit the Print keys on something she wanted to save and stacked papers back into her briefcase neatly while waiting for the printout.

The door swung wide, and she heard Justine greet someone, then move to one of the copy machines. Meg collected her printout and walked from behind the booth.

Fashionably dressed in a blue summer suit, Linda Burroughs stood on the customer side of the counter. She didn’t look as though she’d gained a pound over a size eight, and her blond hair was highlighted perfectly

“Why if it isn’t our globe-hopping traveler,” Linda said. “My, my, Meg, you do look wonderful ”

“Doesn’t she, though?” Justine chimed

“Thanks, Linda.” She could kick herself for wearing her old cutoff jeans she’d found in the back of her closet. She hadn’t taken time to change as she’d wanted to do “You, too.”

“Kelsey’s children were full of you being back home when they came to dinner the other day. They could hardly talk of anything else.”

Meg smiled, murmuring, “Lissa and Aimee remember me from the old days.”

“So Kelsey said,” Linda commented a little dryly. Her dark blue eyes studied Meg with curiosity. “You’ve been home for a couple of weeks, now, haven’t you? I heard your mother is doing just fine.

“She is, and thank you for asking ”

“From what Kelsey tells me, Meg, you have a very demanding job. When do you go back?”

“Oh, I left my return open,” Meg answered smoothly. Small towns always wanted to know everything; they thought of themselves as extended family, entitled to the truth about everyone. “I didn’t know how long Mom would need me.”

“And your boss is okay with that? My, my, aren’t you lucky? I couldn’t leave my real estate business for so long without a substantial loss.”

“Yes, I am lucky. But thank goodness I’ve discovered Justine’s business. She’s a find.” Meg searched the bottom of her purse for her wallet, then pulled out her credit card. “I’ve arranged to use her computers part-time for the rest of my stay.”

“Ah, yes,” Linda agreed as she accepted her copy work from Justine and collected her purse from the counter. “This girl keeps us all in the nineties. She sometimes saves my hide, actually. Like today when our copy machine is on the blink.”

“Please, please You’ll have me blushing,” Justine protested with a preen. “And I plan on taking you all into the next millennium. Maybe I should take my bow now.”

They chuckled at Justine’s sally before Linda said, “Well, good to see you, Meg I imagine you’re eager to get back to England soon. Hope I see you again before you leave I’ll tell Kelsey I ran into you when I see him tonight.”

Linda breezed out of the door without looking back, her proprietary air floating behind her.

Kelsey and Linda had a date tonight? Startled, Meg simply murmured, “You do that.”

“Hmm,” Justine said, gazing at the retreating woman with a puzzled frown. “It’s a little like saying ‘here’s your hat, what’s your hurry’ isn’t it? Didn’t you hang out a lot with Kelsey and Dee Dee a long time ago?”

Meg drew a deep breath. Whatever had possessed her to even think of the possibilities of marrying Kelsey? Or that he might want her when Linda was available? The girls were simply living in a dream.

“Yes. We were all close, once,” she answered slowly

Stuffing her wallet back in her purse, she handed over her credit card

“How much do I owe you, Justine?” she asked, willing the other woman to hurry the transaction. She had to leave before she gave away her crumbling heart How foolish of her to once again pin her hopes in a childish dream Lissa and Aimee were entitled to their dreams However, she was a grown woman. She knew the difference between dreams and reality.

Kelsey, of all people, did as well. She could only hope the girls hadn’t mentioned their idea to their dad

Chapter Five

The two unknown cars in the drive told Meg her mother’s bridge game was most likely still in progress. But who of Audrey’s friends owned that cherry red fifties Ford Thunderbird?

Meg glanced at her watch. Four-thirty. Surely they couldn’t mean to stay much longer. Perhaps she could hurry her mother’s friends out with a mention that Audrey’s strength wasn’t up for marathons yet. She really didn’t relish the idea of making polite conversation.

All the way home she’d had Kelsey on her mind, but there seemed no way around what Linda had implied; Linda wanted everyone to think she and Kelsey were a set. And in spite of what the girls had said or wanted to believe, Meg thought things might be rather serious between Kelsey and Linda.

Well, why not? Why wouldn’t Kelsey have moved on to a new love after Dee Dee died? Meg’d been gone from her hometown for a long time Long enough not to know exactly whom Kelsey might be interested in anymore But her heart sank with the thought of it being supercilious Linda Burroughs.

Oh, my! That was small-minded of her. She sounded as bad as Lissa and Aimee. And to even fret over it meant she’d allowed too much hope from the girls’ proposal into her thinking.

Meg let the screen door slap shut behind her as she entered the kitchen with her arms full of groceries and her thoughts swirling. How could she have let herself in for this kind of hurt all over again? Her heart shrank a little more with each passing moment, until she thought it no bigger than a lemon.

“Meg, is that you?” Audrey called, out of the murmuring voices from the living room, as Meg stepped through the back door. “What kept you? I thought you’d be back long before now.”

“Yes, Mom, it’s me.” Meg set her bag of groceries down on the kitchen counter. Spotting several of her mother’s best iced tea goblets beside the fridge, she wondered about how much bother Audrey had gone to in entertaining the bridge set. Probably, though, Sandy Yoder had taken care of serving the tea and cookies. “We needed a few things from the grocery store, and I picked up the cleaning.”

“Well, come along in, dear. I’d like you to meet someone.”

“Be right there, Mom.” The phone rang. Automatically Meg lifted the kitchen extension. “Hello.”

“Meg?”

Her heart lurched into her ribs as she recognized the low voice. Maybe it hadn’t shrunk so much after all.

“Hi, Kelsey.” She made a huge effort at keeping her tone casual.

“Hi.” Hesitation followed.

“Everything all right with the kids?”

“Yeah. They’re fine. In fact, I wanted to thank you again for all the clothes and stuff you bought ‘em. The girls have preened over them every day since you took them shopping.”

“You don’t object to the makeup for Lissa, do you?”

“Uh, well, yes and no.” Humor laced his voice. “I guess I’m a typical daddy. If you’d asked me beforehand, I would’ve said she’s way too young yet. But then, since I know you wouldn’t have bought it if that were true, I guess I have to face the fact that she’s no longer Heather’s age.”

“Well, get your boots out, Kels. Lissa will be knee-deep in boys before another year passes.”

“That’s what scares the daylights out of me.” He paused, and Meg could hear him breathe for a moment She wasn’t used to an uncertain Kelsey, and her senses sharpened. What was it? “Meg, I’m in town and I thought maybe—”

“Who is it, Meg?” Audrey called. “Can’t you hurry it along?”

He was in town before meeting Linda, Meg assumed. Linda had said—strongly implied, anyway—they had a date tonight. Yet he’d called her. Something was on his mind. She put her hand over the receiver and called, “I’ll be there in a sec, Mom.”

A sudden girlish giggle trilled out from the living room, followed by a masculine chuckle. She turned toward the sound, wondering who was there besides the usual card-playing crowd.

“I’m sorry,” Kelsey murmured. “Have I called at a bad time again?”

“Not for me, Kelsey.” Never “But Mom’s bridge group is here, so I suspect she needs me to fetch something for her. I just came in five minutes ago from errands and things.”

“Oh.” He honestly sounded disappointed. “Ah, that’s good, then. I mean that she’s up to that much excitement. Audrey must be feeling more herself.”

“Yes, she is.” What had he been about to say? “She’s even considering taking up walking for exercise.”

“I hear walking is great. And she won’t need you around much longer.” A sudden lighthearted note entered his voice. Now why would he be especially happy about that?

“No, I suppose not.” But while the thought seemed to brighten his outlook, it suddenly depressed her more than she would have imagined. If her mother no longer needed her, there went her excuse to delay her return to England. And until that moment she hadn’t realized she’d wanted one.

“Meg—” Her mother stood in the kitchen door frame.

“Be right there, Mom. Sorry, Kels, but—”

“It’s all right, Meg, I heard. You need to go. Just tell me something.”

“Uh-huh?”

“Can you meet me for coffee at Betty Jean’s Café before church in the morning? I can drop off the kids early for Sunday school and there’s something…um, ah, a matter I’d really like to discuss with you.”

“Sure, Kelsey. What—oh, never mind. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She hung up the phone and headed toward the living room, ready with a smile for her mother’s friends. To her surprise, Sandy Yoder, Ginny Hames and Babs Dunning acknowledged her presence with all the eagerness one might a piece of used furniture. Instead, their attention focused on the tall slender man who rose with old-fashioned politeness, pushing his glasses onto the top of his thick gray hair.

“Meg,” her mother spoke with a gentle warmth in her voice, “I’d like you to meet Paul Lumbar.”

So this was the new man in town who was currently turning all the over-fifty feminine heads. “Hello.” She offered her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice meeting you at last, Meg. Your mother speaks of you so often.” He proved to be as charming as rumor had claimed, Meg thought thirty minutes later as she saw the collected company out. And he’d invited them to dinner after church the next day. Her mother had accepted for both of them before Meg could make an excuse.

“Mom, are you sure you’re up to a long day tomorrow?” Meg asked as she carried the remains of the snack tray back to the kitchen. “Church and dinner out?”

“Oh, I think I’ll be all right. Especially if I have an early night tonight.”

“Okay, just checking. But don’t plan on doing anything else afterward but coming right back home.”

“All right, dear. Just as you say. Now I think I’ll rest a bit before supper if you don’t mind.”

Meg turned to stare after her mother. What was in that charm potion Paul dished out, anyway? Audrey had been all sweetness and light the whole afternoon.

At ten minutes to ten, Clive called, catching Meg just after she’d finished her shower. Her mother had dutifully gone to bed at around nine.

“Clive, what are you doing calling on a Saturday night?” she said as she pushed her wet hair from her face. “It must be—” she glanced at the clock on her bedside table “—nearly five in the morning there. Sunday. Is there an emergency?”

“It’s lovely to hear your voice, too, Meg, luv.” Clive’s teasing chuckle rippled over the line “No, it’s not an emergency. Why can’t I call you on a Saturday night? You weren’t planning to be out, were you?”

“No, but you usually are. I’m surprised you’re still awake, but I am glad to hear from you. I don’t suppose you went into the office today—er, yesterday—did you? I faxed you with some thoughts on the Half Moon connection.”

“Well, as it happens, I’m not up before dawn. I’m not even in London. I’m still in the Virgin Islands.”

“You are?” She sat on the bed and reached for her comb. “I thought you planned to fly home yesterday.”

“I did, but I changed my mind. Thought I might fly to New York to have a meeting with Lansing and Jonas.” He mentioned another of their clients. “Just wanted to touch base with you before morning.”

“I see.” She plumped another pillow behind her back. “What’s wrong, Clive? Isn’t Serenity as nice as the photos?” She spoke of the private resort property on an outer island that Clive had gone to investigate for the Neels Corporation, one of their oldest clients. She’d planned make the trip a month ago before her mother’s illness had sprung up.

“Nothing like that, Meg. The place is even lovelier, though it’s a little overpriced and needs a bit of updating.”

“No hidden swamps, sink holes, big-time hotels falling over the property line or anything?”

“No, that isn’t it.” He laughed at her penchant for looking for the worst possible feature of a location before working up to the best. “Serenity passes muster on all the check points. Flowers, sun and sea from all sides, just as promised.”

He launched into a discussion of the finer points of the conference resort he and Meg were recommending to the Neels corporation. “The only problem is the place is really too large for their needs at present and Lazarus Neels is jumpy about the price being over their heads. You know how he hates long-term debt”

“Old Lazarus putting on the breaks, is he?”

“A bit. Wish you’d talk to him, Meg. He seems to listen more closely to the positives when you do the presenting.”

“Did you remind him of the climb their company has made over the past three years?”

“Yes. And his daughter Jane did, too. She’s excited about buying Serenity and sees all the possibilities. But the old man remains overcautious. I tell you, Meg, if we don’t wrap this baby up in the next month, Lazarus will back out of the buy altogether.”

“But if they continue to go forward at their current rate, they’ll grow into it within the next three to five years without breaking a sweat. In which case, they’ll be very grateful to us for finding it for them.”

“I know, I know. Said all that. Sounds better coming from you.”

“Hmm. Perhaps we could suggest offering something to ease him into it.”

“Like what?”

“Like a time share for the first five years.”

“You’re kidding.”

Meg didn’t answer as she thought rapidly, tapping a pencil against a discarded magazine.

“You are kidding, aren’t you Meg? He’d never go for it. Times shares…” He sounded as though she’d said something disreputable with a nasty smell to it.

“Not the old kind where a corporation holds the strings, Clive. I’m thinking of time shares with another company—one, or at most, two other companies Neels would retain control over the property.”

“Something more like a lease?”

“Something in between, I think. If we find someone Lazarus respects, someone reliable, of course, with whom he’ll be comfortable. A mid-sized company, though smaller than Neels, would do it. It would give Neels all the right buttons. Prestige and all that.”

A long silence followed. “Just might work. Jane understands the potential of owning Serenity,” Clive enthused. “The idea of having their own conference and training center located where there’s sun, sand and water in a continually warm climate makes her feel they’ll have something, a place for learning and for holidays to entice their employees and clients alike to stay loyal to them.”

“Her instincts are right. Overall, a good choice I should think,” Meg agreed.

“But we have to convince the old man…”

Meg sighed. “All right. Will a phone call do it?”

“It may. But Lazarus plans to be in New York for the Lansing and Jonas meeting, and I thought—You know he likes you, Meg. Thinks you’re a ‘fine piece of womanhood.’”

“That old flirt,” Meg responded with a laugh. Then she pursed her mouth in thought while her usual excitement rose. This had been her package from the beginning, and she wanted to see it through. The best part of any deal was tracking it to a successful conclusion. Besides, it was unfair to put the Neels off any longer, or Clive, for that matter. He had his own accounts to see to.

Clive was still talking. “And since your mother is so much better, I’d hoped you might fly in for a face-to-face. It would only take a couple of days, Meg. I’m convinced you’re the one to cinch the deal.”

Meg rolled off her bed, reaching for a pad of paper from the side table, already thinking of a company in the north of England that might be interested in joining Neels in an island venture “Well, give me a day to make some arrangements here, okay? I’ll call you when I know I’ll be coming.”

Meg hung up, wondering how her mother would react to her leaving for a few days after promising her a whole month. Perhaps Sandy or one of her mother’s other friends would spend a few days with Audrey while she was gone. Two days should do it. Three at the most.

But there was a larger problem looming than what a mere two days could cover, and Meg hadn’t yet given much thought to the answers. She couldn’t stretch her leave of absence from work much longer than the month she’d asked for, yet the idea of leaving her mother to live entirely on her own again concerned her. She and Jack were Audrey’s only living relatives, and neither of them were within easy distance. Besides friends, who would be close by for her mother when she returned to England?