Chapter Ten #3
you. While you’re home he wanted the two of us to select a day for the wedding. I just naturally assumed . . .” He let the
rest of what he was going to say fade away.
Looping her hand in his elbow, Meggie smiled with an inner happiness. “Honestly, Dad, of course he’s asked me. It just surprised
me that he said anything to you, that’s all. And, Dad, you’re going to love Jill. She’ll remind you so much of me at thirteen.
How do you feel about being a grandfather?”
“Funny thing, Quinn not mentioning his daughter.” Her father ran a hand over his unshaven cheek. “I kept expecting him to say something about Jill and a ready-made family. Of course, I knew about the girl from everything you’ve said. But Quinn didn’t mention her once. Not a word.”
The bubble of happiness that surrounded Meggie seemed to burst all at once. Jill was nothing more than an encumbrance in Quinn’s
life. An ache grew in Meggie’s heart for the child Quinn found impossible to love.
Sam was waiting for them when they arrived home from the airport. Meggie walked into the small home and felt the comfort of
familiar things, a deep sense of belonging. Sam was sitting on the worn sofa, leafing through a dog-eared magazine. He laid
it aside the minute Meggie walked in the door.
Roy walked around his daughter, carrying her suitcase into her bedroom.
“Hello, Sam,” she said, and smiled softly.
Hesitatingly he stood, his eyes focusing on the pattern of the old carpet. “Welcome home,” he murmured in a dejected, hurt
tone. “I’ve missed you, Meggie.”
“What a nice thing to say. It’s good to be home for a visit.” She qualified her arrival, making sure he understood she would
only be there a few days.
Sam nodded. “Roy said you’re going to marry some hot-shot policeman in Portland.”
Holding her purse with both hands in front of her skirt, Meggie said, “Quinn’s an inspector for the Portland police.”
For the briefest second Meggie saw something unreadable flicker over Sam’s face. “I wish you every happiness, Meggie.”
“Thank you, Sam, I know you mean that.” It was an uncomfortable scene; she didn’t know what more she could say and, for lack
of words, stood on the far side of the room just inside the front door.
“I don’t know about you, Meggie,” her father interrupted the silence from the kitchen doorway, “but I could do with a cup of cocoa.”
Meggie smiled at her father gratefully. “Me, too,” she agreed in an eager voice, happy to be on familiar ground. “Want one,
Sam?”
He shook his head, his eyes still managing to avoid hers. “I’ve got to be heading home. It was nice seeing you again, Meggie.”
“You too, Sam,” she finished with a breathy sigh.
“Meggie,” Sam stopped, his hand on the doorknob. “Do you think your inspector friend would mind if I took you out to dinner
Sunday afternoon? It would just be for old times’ sake.”
Meggie hesitated. There had been plenty of such dinners with Sam; she knew this one would be a repeat of all the others. First
he’d tell her how much he loved her, had always loved her, how his life would be incomplete without her. The experience was
enough to take away a starving man’s appetite.
“I’m leaving Sunday. I don’t know that we’d have time.”
“Quinn didn’t say anything about you flying out Sunday,” her father interrupted.
Meggie flashed him a fiery glare. “Nonetheless, I’m returning to Portland Sunday afternoon.”
Roy O’Halloran chuckled as he took the milk from the refrigerator.
“I could take you to the airport, Meggie,” Sam offered. “I’ll pick you up early in the afternoon; we could have brunch and
then I could drive you to the airport.”
Meggie wasn’t sure she should agree. But if Quinn had told her father about the reason for her unexpected visit, it wouldn’t
be beyond him to make excuses to detain her. It would be just like Quinn to have set up such an arrangement.
“All right, Sam,” she said. “That sounds like a good idea.”
Her father hesitated, opening and closing his mouth as if he had something he wanted to say. Apparently he decided it wasn’t worth saying because he resumed his task, taking a pan from the cupboard.
Quinn called Meggie Saturday afternoon, but she was shopping with a former school friend and missed the call. When she tried
to return his call later, there was no answer.
Another call came for her early Sunday morning immediately after she’d left for Sunday school and church. Again her father
said he thought it must have been Quinn. She was scheduled to fly out that afternoon and didn’t attempt to return his call.
After all, she’d be seeing him in a few hours anyway.
Her suitcase was packed for the return flight and she was waiting for Sam when the doorbell rang. Her father was reading the
Sunday paper.
“I’ll get it, Dad, it’s probably Sam.” She glanced at her wristwatch and noted that for once in his life Sam was early.
The sight at the front door brought a startled gasp from Meggie. “Quinn,” she choked on his name. His appearance, far more
than his presence, shocked her. His hair, normally groomed and neat, was a rumpled mess. A dark stubble grew along the lines
of his jaw and cheek as if he hadn’t shaved since she’d departed Friday afternoon. His clothes looked as if he’d slept in
them.
“Oh, Meggie.” His voice cracked when he spoke.
Before she could even stop to catch her breath she was heaved into his arms and squeezed until the very oxygen was sucked
from her lungs.
“Quinn,” she said in a tiny voice. “What is it?”
He eased her away from him and looked at her with such an infinite tenderness it brought a frown of inquisitiveness to Meggie’s face. As if suddenly realizing where he was, Quinn pulled his gaze away from Meggie and flickered to her father, who was standing, looking just as shocked as Meggie.
“Quinn.” Roy O’Halloran extended his hand.
Pulling Meggie into the crook of one arm, he shook hands with his future father-in-law with the other hand. “I’m sorry to
meet you under these circumstances, Roy.”
“Circumstances, what circumstances?” Meggie questioned.
“I’ve had a warrant issued for Sam Abernathy this morning. The L.A. police are picking him up now.”
“Sam!” Both Meggie and her father cried simultaneously. Roy lowered himself onto the couch as if he couldn’t believe what
he was hearing.
“I’m sorry to be the one to bring such bad news,” Quinn said in an apologetic tone. “But it was Sam who was making all the
calls.”
Meggie joined her father on the couch, her knees suddenly so shaky she felt unsteady. “But how, why?” Disbelief clouded reason.
Of course Sam had motive to want to frighten her, scare her into returning to California. But she would never have suspected
him of making long distance obscene calls.
Roy O’Halloran slumped forward, his knees supporting his elbows as he buried his face in his hands. “I should have realized
. . . I should have known. Sam was always so confident Meggie would move back. But I’d never have believed he’d resort to
this.”
Kneeling beside her on the carpet, Quinn took her hands in his.
“Thank God, you’re safe,” he murmured over and over, until he’d composed himself enough to explain what had happened.
“You’ve talked so little about Sam, I didn’t really make the connection until there were no calls Friday night.
Saturday I started to suspect something was up and ordered a record of long-distance calls made to your number.
One telephone number had made repeated calls.
When I checked out the number I learned it was Sam’s. ”