thought. I don’t know what to trust anymore.” There were tears in her eyes, and Meredith wished that she could take the hurt away.
“Here’s what you do. You get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow, if you still aren’t sure what you want to do, call Dalton and talk it all out. Chances are he was showing off in front of Drew and he’s sorry.”
“What if he wasn’t showing off, and what if he’s not sorry?” Mandy asked.
“Then make him sweat it out.” Meredith grinned. “Make him work for it. Maybe you need some flowers or a box of chocolate. When did he do that for you last?”
“He got me a rose on Valentine’s Day.”
“Then don’t you think it’s time he did something else to prove he still likes you? I think I’d put a little worm in his ear, let him know that you may forgive, but you don’t forget.”
Forgive but don’t forget. Those were words they could all live by.
‡
Chapter Nine
T wo weeks later and Meredith had moved on to the yearly budget for CRISIS. Their fiscal year ran from September to September, and she liked to have it done by the middle of August. They were a week away from August storming in like a lion, and she knew she couldn’t put it off anymore. Deciding what to pay and what to solicit donations for was always a hard decision. Even though Heaven Hill gave them quite a bit of capital to do things with, it was never enough for a nonprofit. Taking care of women and children was expensive. Especially when all of them had needs and some of them had never had adequate medical care. She sighed, throwing her laptop to the coffee table.
“You okay?” Tyler asked, his eyebrow raised.
This should have been a nice Saturday afternoon for them. Addie was taking a nap, and the house was completely still for a few hours.
She rubbed at a headache that was beginning to form in the middle of her forehead. “There’s never enough money for the things I want to do at CRISIS. I don’t want to have to have to ask those women to pay to stay there, but I’m running out of ideas. Food prices are soaring, along with utilities. It doesn’t help that we’re housing more women and children than we ever have. It feels like I’m fighting a losing battle.”
Tyler got up from where he sat and went over to the couch, motioning her to move so he could lie beside her. She did, and the two of them scrunched closely together. Meredith sighed, resting her head against his strong chest. “You’ve got to give yourself a break,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “You can’t save everybody.”
She knew what he was saying. She couldn’t, and if she thought she did, she’d never make it to Christmas, but this was something she’d struggled with the entire time she’d been director. It hurt to know there were small families who would slip through the cracks and there wasn’t anything she’d be able to do about it. “I know, but I want to.”
“You have a good heart, Mer. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.” He pulled back so that his brown eyes could look into hers. “You’ve grown so much from the young, cocky girl I met. You’re the most unselfish, giving person I know.”
“I’m trying to be.” She buried her face in his chest and breathed in the scent that was only him. It helped calm her down like nothing else in the world.
“Listen to me.” His tone was strong. “You are. You’re not trying to be, but you have to give yourself permission to fall. You can only do so much, and I’ve noticed the last week you have dark circles under your eyes, you aren’t eating like you normally do, and you’re not whiney, but you’re taking things more to heart.”
“I know.” She nodded. She’d caught herself crying the other day at some stupid commercial. She’d never done that before. It wasn’t something she’d wanted to admit to anyone, so she chalked it up to being tired and rundown. “I need to take a few days off,” she admitted. “I’m getting
“Here’s what you do. You get a good night’s sleep and tomorrow, if you still aren’t sure what you want to do, call Dalton and talk it all out. Chances are he was showing off in front of Drew and he’s sorry.”
“What if he wasn’t showing off, and what if he’s not sorry?” Mandy asked.
“Then make him sweat it out.” Meredith grinned. “Make him work for it. Maybe you need some flowers or a box of chocolate. When did he do that for you last?”
“He got me a rose on Valentine’s Day.”
“Then don’t you think it’s time he did something else to prove he still likes you? I think I’d put a little worm in his ear, let him know that you may forgive, but you don’t forget.”
Forgive but don’t forget. Those were words they could all live by.
‡
Chapter Nine
T wo weeks later and Meredith had moved on to the yearly budget for CRISIS. Their fiscal year ran from September to September, and she liked to have it done by the middle of August. They were a week away from August storming in like a lion, and she knew she couldn’t put it off anymore. Deciding what to pay and what to solicit donations for was always a hard decision. Even though Heaven Hill gave them quite a bit of capital to do things with, it was never enough for a nonprofit. Taking care of women and children was expensive. Especially when all of them had needs and some of them had never had adequate medical care. She sighed, throwing her laptop to the coffee table.
“You okay?” Tyler asked, his eyebrow raised.
This should have been a nice Saturday afternoon for them. Addie was taking a nap, and the house was completely still for a few hours.
She rubbed at a headache that was beginning to form in the middle of her forehead. “There’s never enough money for the things I want to do at CRISIS. I don’t want to have to have to ask those women to pay to stay there, but I’m running out of ideas. Food prices are soaring, along with utilities. It doesn’t help that we’re housing more women and children than we ever have. It feels like I’m fighting a losing battle.”
Tyler got up from where he sat and went over to the couch, motioning her to move so he could lie beside her. She did, and the two of them scrunched closely together. Meredith sighed, resting her head against his strong chest. “You’ve got to give yourself a break,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “You can’t save everybody.”
She knew what he was saying. She couldn’t, and if she thought she did, she’d never make it to Christmas, but this was something she’d struggled with the entire time she’d been director. It hurt to know there were small families who would slip through the cracks and there wasn’t anything she’d be able to do about it. “I know, but I want to.”
“You have a good heart, Mer. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.” He pulled back so that his brown eyes could look into hers. “You’ve grown so much from the young, cocky girl I met. You’re the most unselfish, giving person I know.”
“I’m trying to be.” She buried her face in his chest and breathed in the scent that was only him. It helped calm her down like nothing else in the world.
“Listen to me.” His tone was strong. “You are. You’re not trying to be, but you have to give yourself permission to fall. You can only do so much, and I’ve noticed the last week you have dark circles under your eyes, you aren’t eating like you normally do, and you’re not whiney, but you’re taking things more to heart.”
“I know.” She nodded. She’d caught herself crying the other day at some stupid commercial. She’d never done that before. It wasn’t something she’d wanted to admit to anyone, so she chalked it up to being tired and rundown. “I need to take a few days off,” she admitted. “I’m getting
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