Menu for Romance (14 page)

“What—from
The Sound of Music?
” Meredith cautiously but quickly overtook someone piddling around in the left lane. Major was there? And she’d missed it?

“Yeah. Are you on your way? If so, I’ll tell Jenn to have them bumped down the list. They’ve already done a couple—and believe me, you don’t want to miss this. They’re in rare form tonight.”

For the remainder of the twenty-minute drive, Meredith fought the urge to speed. Major was at family dinner, and she’d missed it. How had he—

His meeting with Forbes to go over the details of Mom and Dad’s offer on the restaurant. Of course. She’d promised to pray for him before and during the meeting and had completely forgotten.

The gravel crunched and popped under her tires when she pulled in to the overflow lot adjacent to Jenn’s restaurant. Yes, indeed, there was Major’s green Jeep.

She jogged a few steps then forced herself to slow down. She had no reason to think he’d come because he expected her to be here—only to hope it.

Music spilled out when she pulled open the front door. Though not dark, the houselights had been dimmed to direct attention to the brightly lit stage.

The hostess greeted her by name, as did several servers. Meredith’s heart thumped in time with the upbeat country song someone was singing. She skirted the perimeter of the main dining room toward the separated party room at the back.

She strained to see who all was there. Her heart flip-flopped when she saw Major—then almost stopped completely when she saw him with her younger cousin Jodi. Her
much
younger cousin Jodi.

Meredith stopped and watched as Jodi wrote something down on a drink napkin, folded it, and tucked it into Major’s shirt pocket.

More clearly than she could see anyone at that table, Meredith could see the choice now standing before her. She could let this bother her, or she could remember that she’d just been taken to dinner—a second time—by a handsome stranger.

She slapped a smile on and approached the table.

“Hey! You’re here.” Anne pulled out the chair beside her.

Fortunately, everyone else was involved in poring over the lists of available karaoke tracks and barely spared her a glance, much less forced her into hugs and kisses.

Anne leaned close. “So what happened tonight?”

“Oh, it’s—” On Anne’s other side, Meredith saw Forbes turn his head their direction as if expecting to hear the explanation for her lateness as well. “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Hey, Mere, what’s this I hear about some guy coming to pick you up at the office a couple of weeks ago?” Rafe called across the table.

So much for her personal life staying private. She tried to laugh it off. “Who told you that?”

“Tonya. She said he was very good-looking and that you were very dressed up.”

She’d forgotten Rafe occasionally dated one of the front-desk receptionists. Around the table, everyone focused on Meredith. Except Major, who gazed at Rafe through narrowed eyes.

“Yes. I had a date the other night. What’s the big deal?”

Anne squeezed her wrist. “What’s the big deal? You had a date, and you didn’t even tell me?”

Though feeling bad for not telling Anne immediately, Meredith started getting angry. “It’s not announced around the table every time Jenn goes out on a date—or Rafe or Jodi.” She flickered her gaze at Major and hoped that pairing would never come to pass. “So why is it worthy of the family grapevine when I have a date?”

“Duh—because you
don’t
date. What—did you decide to give up
not
dating as your New Year’s resolution?” Rafe teased.

She couldn’t look at Major now; in fact, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to face him again.

“That’s enough,” Forbes admonished their younger brother. “Meredith deserves to have a personal life that she can keep private if she wants to.”

“Aww, come on, Forbes. She hasn’t had a date in ten years and—” Meredith jumped to her feet and grabbed her purse. “I knew this was a mistake,” she muttered. “Good night. See y’all later.” She almost ran from the restaurant, molten-hot embarrassment propelling her steps.

Halfway across the small, main parking lot, she dug in her purse for the car keys—and promptly dropped them on the pavement.

“Meredith, wait.” Major’s voice echoed over the dull sound of the music inside the restaurant.

Her eyes tingled and burned, and she had to blink quickly to eliminate the gathering moisture. She picked up the keys and stood—but couldn’t face him.

Major hesitated when Meredith wouldn’t turn around to face him after picking up her keys. He could understand why she might not want to talk to a family member right now, but what had
he
done?

He approached with caution. “Meredith, is everything okay?”

The smile she wore when he got around to where he could see her face was the same one she wore when dealing with difficult clients. “Everything is fine, thank you. I just—it’s just been a really long day, and I have a puppy that’s been cooped up in my apartment since I ran home to let him out at lunchtime. He’s probably destroyed my bathroom, so I really need to get home.” She shivered and rubbed her arms.

Without thinking, he shrugged out of his leather jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders.

“Thanks.” She clutched the front closed.

He cleared his throat. “May I walk you to your car?”

She shrugged. “Sure.”

They walked in silence all the way to her Volvo. After she unlocked it, he opened the front door and looked in to make sure no one waited within to accost her—drawing a real smile from Meredith.

He’d missed seeing that smile from her. “When did things get weird between us?”

The streetlamp illuminated the surprise in her eyes at his question. “I’m not ... I don’t...” She swallowed hard and licked her lips.

Major’s breath caught in his throat. Those perfectly shaped lips.

“Major—I don’t know how to say this without coming across sounding stupid and juvenile and potentially making things even more awkward between us.” She wrapped his jacket tighter.

He leaned his shoulder against the back window and tried to draw his gaze away from her lips to her eyes. “You know you can say anything to me.”

She laughed—but it turned into a groan; her brows puckered, and she shook her head. “I don’t think I can. It’ll just make things worse between us.”

He leaned closer but clasped his hands behind his back to keep from taking her in his arms and declaring his undying love to her. “Whatever it is, I think I’m man enough to handle it.”

Tears welled in Meredith’s nutmeg eyes, and her breathing increased. “I can’t.” She swallowed a couple more times, and an odd expression overtook her face. “I didn’t realize you knew my cousin Jodi so well.”

The sudden change in subject threw him. “What?”

“You ... and Jodi. I saw you together when I walked in.” She reached into the pocket of his shirt. “I saw her give you this.”

She pulled out the napkin Jodi had stuffed in there a few minutes ago. He laughed and enclosed Meredith’s fisted hand with both of his. “Your cousin told me she’d heard about the restaurant on Alaine’s program. She offered to come up with a marketing plan and some materials for me—as part of her portfolio or internship or something for grad school—if the time comes. She doesn’t have any business cards, so she wrote her number down for me. I’m supposed to call her when I know what my schedule’s going to be like the next couple of weeks.”

“Marketing plan?” Meredith’s cheeks darkened. “I thought—I mean I didn’t think—”

Hope kindled in Major’s chest. “You thought Jodi was flirting with me and that I was lapping up the attention of a girl about fifteen years younger than me?”

She nodded, her throat working hard as she swallowed, face as red as a five-hundred-degree oven.

He tried to contain his smile. “So, you were jealous?”

“I—no—I was surprised—”

“You were surprised that someone like Jodi would show interest in me? Or that I would show interest in any woman?”
Other than you.
He wanted her to admit it, to say aloud that she loved him. Of course, he would never be able to act on it, but he really wanted to hear the words.

“It’s not quite like that—”

He used the leverage he had by his grasp on her hand and pulled her closer. “Then what is it like?”

Her eyes widened—but not with fear. He leaned his head closer to her, heart thundering.

“Hey, is everything o—” Anne skidded to a stop as she came around the back end of the Volvo. “Oh, dear.” She shielded her eyes as if to keep from seeing anything else. “I’m so sorry. I’ll just leave now.”

“No, it’s all right.” The breathy huskiness in Meredith’s usually smooth voice stirred the smoldering embers in the pit of Major’s stomach. She pulled her hand, and he released it, though he didn’t want to. “I really need to be getting home anyway.”

Major gulped a couple of deep lungfuls of the chilly air to settle his nerves and slow his still-racing heart. Had he really almost just kissed Meredith Guidry?

Meredith was certain she was about to have a heart attack. Unless she was seriously deceiving herself, Major O’Hara had been about to kiss her before Anne interrupted them.

“Oh—okay, well, good night.” Anne gave an apologetic grimace and backed away to her own car a few spaces away.

Sweat beaded on Major’s upper lip, and he rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Meredith, I have to tell you something.”

The hyperventilating feeling returned to her chest. Would he now declare his feelings for her? Put her out of years of agony? “Yes?”

“I need you to know how I feel about you....” He wiped his hand down his face. “About you and Ward Breaux. I’m—I’m really ... happy that you’ve managed to find time to have a life outside of work. You deserve to have some fun and joy in your life, and I hope that you find it.”

Nooooo!
Emptiness swallowed up all the warm, pleasant feelings she’d had this evening. He wasn’t supposed to be happy for her. He was supposed to be jealous, insanely jealous, over the fact she’d gone out on a couple of dates with someone else.

“Thanks, Major. That means ... a lot to me.” She slipped his jacket off her shoulders and handed it back to him—but she’d started shivering before the cold air hit her. “I guess I’ll see you at the office tomorrow.”

“Ten thirty, right?”

“Ten thirty?”

“The meeting to finalize the Hearts to HEARTS menu?”

“Right. Ten thirty.”

“I’ll bring coffee and snacks. I’m sure we’ll need them.” His grin didn’t quite deepen his dimples the way it usually did.

“See you then.” She climbed into the car, ready for this night to be over. She returned his wave and pulled out of the parking lot.

Meredith was about to give in to the tears that wanted desperately to be released, but her phone rang. She fumbled in her purse for the hands-free earpiece, hooked it over her right ear, and answered.

“Meredith? Antoine Delacroix. I hope it isn’t too late.”

“No.” She grabbed a tissue and dabbed away the moisture from her eyes and nose. “Thank you for calling.”

“Of course. My sister has told me some stuff about you. But I have to admit, it confused me. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to set us up on a date or if you have a job you want me to bid.”

Was Alaine Delacroix the reason Major was happy Meredith had started seeing someone else? “I have a house I’m remodeling, but I’ve about reached the limit of what I can do on my own—and time is a factor as well.”

“Oh. If that’s the case, the sooner I come by to evaluate the property, the better, huh?”

“Yes. But I don’t have my calendar with me. Can I call you back tomorrow morning once I have it in front of me?”

“I don’t really do mornings, so why don’t I give you a holler some time tomorrow afternoon?”

A contractor who didn’t “do” mornings? “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Later, dude.”

Meredith disconnected with a derisive huff and took the earpiece off. Had he really just called her
dude?
Even the college students they hired to work large events were trained better in customer service than that.

At home she heard the puppy’s howls as soon as she opened the back door into her kitchen. She stepped out into the rear hall again at the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs.

“I was just coming to see what the noise was.” Anne hesitated on the bottom step.

“Just the puppy. I’m sure there’s a mess to clean up, but come in if you want to.” Meredith had no doubt that Anne’s visit had nothing to do with the racket the puppy continued to make.

Meredith changed clothes first before daring to open the bathroom door. But surprisingly, the puppy had managed to keep his mess to the newspaper. She still fought retching at the smell as she wadded it up, and she carried it at arm’s length out to the large trash bin outside, the puppy doing his best to trip her up.

Anne followed them out, and Meredith joined her on the deck.

“Are you going to keep him?”

Meredith smiled over the dog’s antics. “I’d like to. It would be nice to have a dog for some nominal protection once I’m living alone. I just don’t have time for him right now.”

“What about Jenn? I know she’d love to take him.”

“And how does she have more time than I do? She’s at the restaurant six days a week. Besides, she double-checked, and the lease she signed doesn’t allow pets other than cats, birds, or fish.”

“Too bad. He’s so cute.”

“Yep. But he needs a family with kids who’ll play with him every day. I might get a cat, just for the companionship. They sleep twenty hours a day, so it wouldn’t care that I’m hardly ever home.” She crouched down as the puppy came up the steps, and scooped him into her arms. He lavished her chin, jaw, and neck with kisses.

“I know it’s getting late, but I hoped you might want to talk.” Anne held open the door.

Wariness settled over Meredith. She trusted Anne implicitly, but how much should she tell her cousin about Major?

“Come in. I’ll put some coffee on.” Meredith deposited the puppy on the floor, washed her hands, and put on a pot of decaf dark roast. They talked about Anne’s wedding plans while the coffee brewed and Meredith fed the dog.

Finally, both cradling Meredith’s favorite large green mugs in their hands, they settled in the living room.

“So tell me what’s going on.”

“It was nothing. We were just talking.”

Anne frowned then seemed to understand. “No, we’ll get to that in a minute. I mean what’s this about your going out on a date for the first time in ten years and not telling me?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you. There’s been so much going on in my life the last week, I kind of lost track of what day it is.”
And I wanted to have something completely of my own for just once in my life.

“You know I want all the details: who is he, where’d you meet him? Is he the ‘friend’ you went to the Savoy with Friday night?”

Meredith told Anne everything. She even pulled up Ward’s company Web site to show Anne his picture. Anne seemed duly impressed, but grew silent when they returned to the living room from the second bedroom/office.

“What about Major?” Anne asked.

“What about him?” Meredith picked at a loose thread in the arm of her sofa.

“You’ve been in love with Major for a very long time.”

Meredith got up and went back into the office for a pair of scissors to take care of that pesky thread.

“I didn’t really allow myself to recognize it until last year when we were all working on Cliff ’s wedding reception. I guess being in love myself made me finally recognize it in you.”

Meredith really didn’t want to delve into the whys and wherefores of her feelings for Major, but if anyone could understand falling in love with someone who didn’t return the feelings, it would be Anne. At least, Meredith hadn’t been in Anne’s position—having to cancel a wedding two days before it took place because the groom chose his career over her. But look how that had turned out for Anne in the long run.

“Yes.” Meredith’s voice came out wispy. She took a swig of coffee to try to clear away the nervous dryness. “Yes, I have been in love with him for a long time. At least, I thought I was.”

“Is that what I interrupted tonight?”

Meredith shook her head. “No. I almost made the mistake of telling him but chickened out at the last minute. Which was a good thing, because he told me that he’s happy that I’ve started to have a personal life, that I’ve met someone.”

“Hmm.” Anne’s mouth twisted to the side. “Looked to me like he was about to kiss you when I walked up. Do you think maybe he was just trying to hide his own feelings for you because you have started seeing someone else? That maybe he’s realized he could possibly lose you to someone else?”

“I doubt it. We’ve known each other for eight years. If he were interested in me, he’d have told me long before now.” Meredith stopped toying with the scissors and put them on the coffee table.

“Mere, I’ve known him a lot longer than you, and one thing I do know about Major is that he has a really hard time opening up and letting people in. There are things I still don’t know about his family and his upbringing.”

Meredith’s interest piqued. “What do you know?”

“Just that he was raised by a single mom, but that on a couple of occasions he was in a foster home. I think the only reason he told me that much is because he knew I’d lost my parents and had been raised by a foster family—even if they are blood relatives. I don’t even know if his mom is still alive.”

“She is. I heard Forbes ask about her several months ago.” Mentally, she made a note to ask her brother about Major’s family.

“So can you see why he might not feel like he can express his feelings to you? He got comfortable with the way things were—he knew you’d always be there, that because you gave your full attention to the job, it was like you were giving your full attention to him.”

“I think you’re reading too much into it.” Meredith put her head down on the arm of the sofa. “As far as I’m concerned, Major and I are friends and work colleagues and nothing more. I made a New Year’s resolution to get over this crush on him and move on.”

Anne sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. “If you think that’s the best course of action, I’ll support you wholeheartedly.”

Meredith pushed herself upright again. “Anne, I’m thirty-four years old—I’ll be thirty-five in four months. I want to get married. I’m tired of being alone. I’m afraid that if I don’t do something now, I’m going to be alone for the rest of my life.”