Chapter Five
“Quinn, this isn’t necessary,” Meggie said miserably.
The angry eyes clashed with hers. “Yes it is. Say it, Jill,” he demanded.
Jill stiffened defiantly, her back ramrod straight. “I’m sorry, Meggie,” she gritted between clenched teeth. “But I’m sure
there was some mistake. I never said it was my birthday.”
Meggie swallowed a gasp. There had been no misunderstanding.
“Give her the money,” Quinn ordered.
Bitter resentment flashed from the depths of her blue eyes as Jill handed Meggie several wadded bills. “This is the money
for the dress. But I’ll never wear it, I hate it!”
“Go now,” Quinn said, giving her a push toward the door.
Eyes wide with horror, Meggie looked on helplessly as Jill ran from the room, tears streaming down her pale face. The door
slammed behind her.
“Will she be all right?” Meggie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Quinn ran a weary hand over his eyes and mouth, then nodded. “She’ll go sulk for a while and afterwards it’ll be as if nothing
happened.”
Meggie gestured weakly with the palm of her hand. “Maybe there was some confusion, perhaps she didn’t say it was her birthday.”
“Meggie, don’t try and make excuses for her. There wasn’t any misunderstanding. I know Jill, she’s a lying cheat just like
her mother was.” The undisguised bitterness shocked Meggie.
She moved to the other side of the room, holding her arms around her middle protectively. “I feel terrible about the whole
thing.”
“It’s not your fault,” he insisted, the anger still evident in his voice. “God knows I’ve tried with Jill, but nothing seems
to work.”
“Quinn, no!” Meggie pleaded urgently. “Don’t say things like that.” She turned, her eyes meeting his, silently begging him
to recognize Jill’s unhappiness and all that was in the girl’s life that was causing her to lie habitually.
“Oh, Meggie,” he whispered huskily, pulling her into his arms. She laid her head on his firm shoulder as they held one another,
not speaking, barely breathing. “I’m taking her back to her grandmother’s,” Quinn mumbled after a long time.
Meggie looked up, her eyes imploring. “Don’t, for my sake. I want to settle this with Jill. I don’t want either of us to brood
about it for a whole week.”
Indecision crossed over his face before he nodded curtly. “All right,” he conceded.
After a restless night, Meggie called Quinn’s about ten-thirty Sunday morning. Jill answered the phone.
“Hi, Jill,” she greeted warmly. “I’m leaving for church in a few minutes and thought you might like to come along. Afterwards,
if you like, we could stop at McDonald’s and get a hamburger.”
Jill hesitated. “I told you before I don’t want to go to church. Besides I’m not hungry.”
“Okay,” Meggie sighed. It had been wrong to try to coax Jill into attending services with the promise of McDonald’s, but Meggie
was anxious for the opportunity to talk to her alone.
“Do you want me to tell Dad where you’re at, so he won’t start acting like a maniac?” Jill questioned in a sarcastic tone.
“No,” Meggie swallowed tightly. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out.” Defeated, she replaced the receiver and inhaled several deep
breaths. She dressed in a crisp, romantic taffeta blouse and olive green skirt with a softly pleated front. Debating if she’d
need her coat or not, she decided to take it. Just as she placed her hand on the doorknob the phone rang.
The first thought that raced through her mind was that Jill had changed her mind. Meggie smiled to herself, thinking Jill
had decided she’d rather attend church with her than spend an uncomfortable morning with her father.
“Hello,” she answered cheerfully.
The muffled vulgarities jolted Meggie and she gave a small cry of alarm, slamming the phone down. It was the caller again.
How could he have gotten her new number? All the blood rushed from her face as the room began to swim. With trembling legs
she sank into the couch. “Why?” she whispered in a tormented prayer. “Why?”
It was several minutes before Meggie composed herself enough to stand. She breathed in deeply and with renewed determination
and resolve, walked out the door.
Quinn was stepping off the elevator just as Meggie entered the building, a disgruntled look twisting his face.
“Quinn,” she said softly, her hand reaching for his forearm.
He paused, the craggy features relaxing as his eyes met hers.
“He phoned again,” she told him bluntly.
The trained eyes almost snapped with mental alertness. “What did he say?” Quinn demanded.
Meggie shook her head weakly. “The same . . . things.”
“Did he threaten you?”
Again she shook her head. “I . . . I didn’t listen long.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. “Who has your new phone number?”
Meggie had asked herself the same question all the way home.
“My boss at Hadley,” she told him, still deep in thought. “Carol Harris, one of the girls I work with.” She bit into her bottom
lip. “The apartment manager here . . . that’s all. You don’t even have my number.” Although, she’d given it to Jill the day before. “How did he get it? Who could have given it to him?”
“I don’t know.” Quinn shook his head, inhaling an annoyed breath. “But this can’t go on much longer.” His mouth twisted slightly.
“I want you to unplug your phone until this thing blows over.”
Meggie shifted, avoiding his penetrating eyes. “I won’t do that. What’s the use of having a phone at all if I’m not going
to be able to use it? Besides, it would worry my dad if he tried to phone and couldn’t get me. I’m not going to let this creep
ruin my life.”
“Meggie, be reasonable,” Quinn muttered harshly.
She smiled bravely, but her lips gave a telltale tremble. “I am reasonable. I sometimes think I’m the only sane person left
in this world.”
His gaze fell on her sweet, parted lips. “I’m beginning to think so, too,” he said in a strange, deep voice. Tenderly his
hand cupped her cheek. “I’ll be gone for the next couple of hours. Jill’s through sulking; you might be able to talk to her
without me around.”
Softly, her lips brushed the palm of his hand. “Don’t worry about me. Jill and I will be fine.”
Suddenly his eyes were smoldering as he searched her face. Unexpectedly he leaned forward, kissing her long and hard.
Dazed, Meggie watched him walk out of the building, following his diminishing figure until she couldn’t see him any longer.
A soft smile touched her lips and she raised a finger to her mouth, astonished that she could respond so fully to this one
man, equally amazed at the flare of passion he was able to stir within her with one kiss.
It was several minutes before Meggie approached her apartment door. The key was in the lock when Jill stepped into the corridor.
“Hi,” Jill mumbled, her eyes not quite meeting Meggie’s.
“Jill,” she said softly, hoping to show the girl she wasn’t angry. “Have you decided when you’d like to have me give you a
perm?”
A spark of excitement entered the blue eyes but was quickly concealed. She gave an uninterested shrug. “It doesn’t matter,
nothing’s going to help my hair anyway.”
“I could probably do something,” Meggie said confidently. “I’ve always had a knack with hair. We could trim some off here.”
She lifted Jill’s bangs. “And add a little curl here.” She tugged a strand from behind her ear. “And if we’re really daring
we could dye this side pink.”
Jill smiled, slowly raising her eyes so they met Meggie’s. “If it’s all right, maybe we could do it today?”
“I’m not planning anything special,” Meggie said as she turned the key, unlocking the front door. Jill followed her inside
the apartment, and sat stiffly on the couch while Meggie changed clothes. When she returned from the bedroom, she noticed
Jill was leafing through the Bible she’d set on the coffee table, her gaze intent as she turned the pages as if seeking to
know what was inside that claimed such respect from Meggie. As soon as Jill realized that Meggie was present she laid the
book aside with an indifferent air. “Ready?” She stood expectantly.
“We’ll have to buy the perm. But there should be one at the grocery store. I need to pick up a few things besides.”
“I bet that manager will make a play for you again,” Jill said in a teasing tone. “I noticed the way he was looking at you
last week.”
“Jill!” Meggie said, stunned. “Ken was just being helpful.”
“Oh sure,” Jill said on a long sigh.
Almost from the time Meggie had moved into the apartment complex she had done her weekly shopping at the local food store.
Her first time there the manager, Ken Wallace, had introduced himself and helped her out with her groceries. Meggie hadn’t
read anything into his thoughtfulness. Ken was the friendly, outgoing type. She’d shopped there several times since, and Ken
had always gone out of his way to say hello, but there had never been anything more than a friendly exchange of words between
them.
When Meggie and Jill had gone shopping the week before, Ken had opened another cash register at the checkout stand and had
personally rung up her groceries. They’d chatted but nothing more. Apparently Jill had read a lot more than there was into
the exchange.
“I think you’re off base this time, kid,” Meggie said.
Jill snapped her head around. “I know a flirt when I see one,” she protested.
Meggie momentarily closed her eyes at the angry outburst. Sometimes Jill was like a powder keg ready to explode.
When they entered the store, Ken waved a friendly hello.
“See what I mean?” Jill whispered with an I-told-you-so look flashing from her eyes.
Meggie returned Ken’s greeting, but averted her eyes as she placed her purse in the cart and rounded the corner toward the
produce section.
In a matter of only a few minutes, Meggie had collected the items she needed and was heading for the checkout stand when Ken
called her.
“I’ll help you over here.” His friendly smile formed deep grooves in the lean, tan cheeks. Tall and blond, his good looks
were an attraction many women shoppers wouldn’t ignore.