A Trusting Heart (7 page)

Trevor stared at the ring in his mother’s hand and knew she was right. Marriage these days wasn’t something you gambled on.

“Mom, just hear me out. I know I’m acting crazy here, but for the last year or so I’ve been fasting and praying that I would be led to the right woman. Someone who will be a good wife and a good mother to my children. I kept getting the answer to go home. Every time. So here I am. I’m even transferring my offices here. If the Lord is going to answer my prayers, then I have to do my part, right? And then I get the invitation to my high school reunion and something tells me to go. I’ve felt the spirit before, Mom. I know what it feel likes and I know I was supposed to be there that night. The minute she walked through the doors, I felt . . . I felt amazing. As if a great weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Here’s this stunning woman, practically a stranger, and yet I just knew that she was the answer to all my prayers. I don’t know what the future holds in store for me. But if the spirit is telling me that this is my path, then I’m going to do my part.”

Trevor took the ring back from his mother and smiled earnestly into her eyes.

“So, from where I’m sitting, being prepared is the only way to be.”

Cora leaned over and kissed her son gently on the cheek. “Well, that answers my question, doesn’t it? If you’re listening to the spirit, then that’s all I need to know.”

Trevor gently placed the ring back in the box and put it safely back in his briefcase. His mom was on his side and all it took was telling her the truth. He’d have to remember that.

“Come on, Trev. We have just enough time to go look at my lot before I put the fish in the oven. I’ll drive.”

Trevor grinned as he followed Cora out the front door.

Something had definitely put a spring in her step. She was practically skipping.

“This must be some lot.”

“It’s the Garden of Eden, and my genius of a future daughter-in-law found it for me. I hope it’s not too expensive. You didn’t give me a price range or a budget.”

Trevor smiled at his mom as he leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “You don’t have a price range. You’re getting what you want. It’s as simple as that.”

Cora patted her son’s cheek and reached for her CD collection. Trevor pulled his own CD out of his suit coat pocket, beating his mom to the player.

“La Traviata?” she said hopefully.

“Nope. Variety keeps you young. Let’s try a little Billie Holiday, shall we?”

Cora frowned. She loved belting out her opera, but as the bluesy, romantic lyrics flowed over her, she felt something sad and romantic answer back. It almost made her wish for something. A something she couldn’t put a name to.

After walking over every square inch of the lot, Trevor agreed, it was going to be very close to heaven. The two stayed up late into the night, talking and making plans for the house. It reminded him of when his mom would stay up late with him on a science project or before finals. It was so nice to be on the giving end. And it was about time for his mom to start receiving.

Seven

MEGAN WAS SURPRISED WHEN Cora pulled out a checkbook and wrote out the check for the full amount of the lot. The other realtor looked taken aback as well. As she walked out of the office, the first thing Cora wanted to do was go rip the “For Sale” sign off her lot. Megan laughed at this, wanting to go with her, but she had responsibilities back at the office. She had to take all the phone calls and walk-ins for the next four hours until Dean came in, so Cora reluctantly agreed to take her back to the office.

“I’d like to take you out to dinner to celebrate, Megan. I can never thank you enough for finding me the most beautiful lot in the world. Do you like Italian? What do you think? I’m kind of craving Mexican.”

Megan climbed up into the Ford Excursion and couldn’t help laughing with happiness. It was amazing sometimes, how Heavenly Father blessed your life through the actions of others. Not only was she making six percent commission off the lot Cora just bought, but she would make a six percent commission off of Cora’s house when it sold and also on the future house through the builder. Life was looking up for her.

“Cora, you don’t have to take me out to dinner. I’m sure there are tons of other people you’d rather go out and celebrate with.”

Cora drove towards Megan’s office, not bothering to put in her new CD. It was too new and special and she wanted it all to herself for a while.

“Not really. My family only invites me over for special occasions and birthdays. And my friends still have all of their families around, so nights are out. It’s a good thing I like my own company so much, huh? So what do you say, Chinese?”

Megan smiled gratefully at Cora. “You got yourself a date, Cora, but I insist on treating. What would you say if I took you to The Roof for dinner?”

Cora looked in surprise over at the young woman who was laughing in anticipation. Had she been wrong? Did Megan have money? She hadn’t thought so.

“I won a gift certificate last week and I’ve been scratching my head over who to take. You’ll be perfect, and I won’t even have to worry about whether or not to kiss you good night. What do you say?”

“I say I’ll pick you up at six.”

Eight

MEGAN HEARD THE KNOCK on the door and frowned at the clock. Cora was twenty minutes early. She must really be eager to celebrate. But when Megan opened the door, she was surprised to see Drew Jarvis.

“Brother Jarvis, what a surprise,” she said forcing a smile. The older man smiled apologetically and asked if he could come in for a few minutes. Megan felt a familiar knot of dread start to form in her stomach, but she shut the door and motioned toward a faded arm chair. If he asked her over for dinner again, she’d just have to tell him that she just wasn’t interested. She hated situations like this.

“First off, I’d like to say how sorry I am—”

The sudden ringing of the doorbell interrupted Drew’s speech and Megan leapt up from the couch to get the door. Any interruption right then would be very welcome.

It was Cora and she looked great. She was wearing a slim black skirt and a short sleeve gray cashmere sweater.

“Oh, you have company. Should I come back in a little while? I am a little early,” Cora asked.

Drew looked flustered, but stood up from the chair and walked over to Cora.

“Hello, I’m Drew. Please don’t leave on my account. I was just here to ask a favor of Megan.”

Megan was a little confused. A favor?

“Of course, you should stay, Cora. Don’t be silly. What can I do for you, Brother Jarvis?”

Drew sat back down and cleared his throat a few times. “Well, I’ve discussed the situation with my three daughters at length, and they’re convinced you’re the only one who will do.”

Megan looked down at her toes, worried now about what Drew might say in front of Cora. The only one who would do what? She braved a glance at him and dared to ask. “Do what?”

“Well, the reason we’ve been inviting you over for dinner so much lately is because, as you know, my wife died a couple years ago. Since then, the girls have had only me to depend on for advice. Well, since they’ve become teenagers, it’s gotten a trifle more complex. The girls had a meeting and came to me with the idea. We were wondering if we could do a little trade. We invite you to dinner, and you act as a beauty and social consultant for my daughters. They looked over the whole ward and decided that you were the one they wanted. What do you say?”

Megan smiled in acute relief. “Of course I will. Dinners or not, I’d be happy to help. Besides, it sounds like fun.”

Drew stood up beaming, acting much more relaxed. He had come through for his girls and they would be happy to see him tonight. “Wonderful. I’ll have the girls call you and set everything up.”

Megan showed Drew to the door, and turned in time to catch an odd expression on Cora’s face. She looked as if she had been zapped.

“Cora?”

“Who was that man, Megan? He seems familiar to me for some reason, but I can’t place him.”

Megan picked up her purse and sunglasses and followed Cora out the front door. “Drew Jarvis. He’s in my ward. He has five children—three girls, and two little boys. He’s a professor at the community college, he’s very nice, and—I’m glad to report—wonderfully uninterested in me.”

Cora stopped in mid -stride. “Wonderfully uninterested?’ What do you mean, Megan?”

Megan, who was used to the Excursion by now, hopped up easily into the passenger side.

“I mean, I was terrified he was looking at me to fill his wife’s shoes. Thank goodness he only needs me on a consultation basis. That’s about all I’m cut out for.”

Megan smiled as she said it, but knowing it was probably true still put a shadow in her eyes. Cora put one of her favorite CDs in the player and sang her heart out all the way to Salt Lake. As they reached the downtown area, Cora switched to light classical. Megan was relieved by the change and hoped her ears would stop ringing before the night was over. She knew what she was buying as soon as she got her commission check. Ear plugs.

It was a quick trip up to the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, and even quicker to find The Roof. It was a Tuesday night, so fortunately it wasn’t too crowded. They both loaded up their plates and headed for their secluded seats by the window. The view was spectacular, but Megan had eyes only for the food. She hadn’t seen such food in years. Since her wedding breakfast to be exact. Poor Cora, she was going to keep her here all night long if that’s what it would take to eat her fill. She was in heaven and she never wanted to leave.

“So, Megan, what do you say to me setting you up on a date? I know the perfect guy. You’ll just love him, I know it.”

Megan choked on her jumbo shrimp and had to spit it into a napkin before she fully recovered. “Excuse me? What did you say?”

As if unaware of Megan’s mishap, Cora took a delicate bite of her calamari before meeting Megan’s eyes, which were still watering.

“Well, you’re such a wonderful girl, I just thought it might be fun for you to hook up with someone just as great. I can vouch for him. He’s perfectly harmless. And good looking. I think he’s gorgeous.”

Megan took a cautious sip of water to test her throat. It seemed to be working again.

“No.”

Cora put her fork down. “Why?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

Megan laughed and stabbed a forkful of salad. “You’re stubborn, I can tell. But I have to warn you, I’m determined to take a long and refreshing break from dating. I haven’t had a date worth dressing up for in at least three years.”

Cora frowned, not even hungry anymore. This wasn’t turning out the way she had imagined it. How could an attractive, nice young girl not want to date anymore? Did her son know this already? Was that the reason for this peculiar charade?

“Why do you hate men so much, Megan?” Cora asked.

Megan looked aghast, swiveling around to see if anyone had over heard Cora. “Please don’t say it like that. I’m not militant or anything, and I don’t hate men. I just have bad luck with them. That’s all. I’ve always been a complete failure at relationships. You name it—father, mother, friends, employers, everybody. But especially men. Trust me, you’d lose your appetite if I told you all of my horror stories.”

Cora put her elbows on the table and massaged her forehead with her fingertips. She was going to need some aspirin. Maybe if she played the money card, Megan would come running. It couldn’t hurt, and she wouldn’t even blame Megan. She was so poor, so she was bound to jump at it.

“This guy I know is very rich, Megan. Very. You could eat in restaurants like this every night if you wanted to. And if it worked out, and you two got married, then just think of what kind of lifestyle you would have. No more worrying about money. That’s worth the gamble, isn’t it?”

Megan thought about trying the shrimp again. Maybe Cora would stop talking if she saw that her victim had her mouth full. Nope, no such luck. Cora looked determined, and not in the least put off by Megan’s reluctance to bite at the bait she was dangling.

“Even worse, Cora. Money ruins people. Unfortunately, I know first hand. It turns people into slaves. They have to have this and they have to have that. And if that person has a better this, then you have to run out the next day and get a better one. I lived practically my whole life playing that game. My parents still are and they’re molding my little sister to play right along beside them, just like they did me. I couldn’t handle that type of life again, thank you very much. I’ll stay poor and grateful for what I have.”

Cora grew quiet and thoughtful. Well, she wasn’t a gold digger, that was for sure, but there was more here that Megan wasn’t telling. Cora was determined to find out. In the meantime, she had to set Megan up with her son. It was the first step towards her grandchildren getting here—and they had been waiting long enough.

“Yes, men can be obnoxious, tiresome, and exhausting, but what about kissing? When’s the last time you had a really good kiss? Hmmm?”

Megan laughed softly and shook her head as she remembered Trevor’s kiss from Saturday night. It really hadn’t been that bad. But she could still see the deep red imprint of her hand on his cheek and hoped it had faded.

“The last man who kissed me was a complete moron. The kiss wasn’t half bad, but there’s more to life than kissing.”

Cora figured she’d just have to pull a play out of her son’s book then. Bribery was a very handy tool when it came to maneuvering people.

“I’ll make a deal with you. Even though my nephew is a realtor, I’ll refer all my friends to you if you just go out on one date with this young man. What do you say?”

Megan looked at Cora as if she had just turned into a cockroach.

“Uh uh. No way,” Megan said confidently. “You’re so nice, you’ll refer them to me anyway. Gotcha!”

Seeing Cora’s expression, she had to laugh. But she had made a rule not to give into emotional manipulation when she moved out of her mom and dad’s house and she wasn’t going to start giving into it now. But she did feel a little sorry for Cora. She was so set on matchmaking that it was ruining their evening. Megan sighed as she realized that she was going to let Cora set her up on a blind date. Ugh!