the grass in pure, unadulterated pleasure, wishing she could throw off her restraint and run with the same kind of abandon.
She adjusted her spine against the slats of the bench and breathed deeply of the Indian summer air. The cooler winds of autumn were just around the corner and she wanted to absorb these last traces of summer. Bitsy stayed close by and she relaxed even more, struggling to keep her eyes open.
Meredith blinked and slowly lifted her lids, unsure of how long they’d been closed. If she’d indeed fallen asleep as she suspected, Bitsy was probably halfway across town by now. She shifted and looked around the park, suddenly wondering if she had double vision. Several yards away two Westies played together. When she called to Bitsy, they both raced up to her.
Meredith reached out to the other dog. “Hey, who’s your new friend?”
“Previous acquaintance is more like it.”
Her head snapped up at the sound of Clay’s voice. “Mr. Roberts!” She scrambled to her feet, brushing off the seat of her pants. A darling little girl stood next to him. She took a breath. “Hi. You must be Tiffany.”
Wide hazel eyes regarded her solemnly from behind Clay’s leg. She could see the striking resemblance between father and daughter.
“She’s a little shy right now.”
Meredith gave the girl a warm smile. “That’s okay. I’m kinda shy, too. Are you walking Snowflake?”
A barely perceptible nod was her only answer.
“There they go. Maybe we should try to catch up with the dogs and get them on their leashes,” Clay suggested. Tiffany tugged on his hand and she led the way.
While they walked along the path, he pointed across the park. “We live over there.”
Meredith looked over toward a recent development of affluent townhouses. “It’s nice that you’re so close to this park. It’s one of the few in town where dogs can run without a leash.”
Clay turned to her after Tiffany had gone to chase Snowflake and Bitsy. Meredith watched the way the little girl laughed. Poor little thing. She knew how hard it was to lose one’s mother. It must be so much more difficult at such a young age.
Clay put his hands in his pockets. “We were just about to go and have ice cream. Would you care to join us, Meredith?”
Now this is how it’s supposed to be done . “I’d love to, if you’re sure it’s okay with Tiffany,” she said, liking the way he said her name. Merrie sounded so immature.
“I think she’ll be too preoccupied with her ice cream to worry about it.”
***
Half an hour later, they sat at an outside table in front of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Tiffany licked her cone while Meredith listened to Clay share more about his life. He ran a computer software retail establishment in the south part of town and took frequent business trips. She smiled inwardly at the thought that he looked nothing like the stereotypical computer nerd. She felt very flattered that he seemed to enjoy her company.
When they’d finished their ice cream, they strolled along the shops while Snowflake and Bitsy pranced along beside them. Meredith felt like she was part of a family and had to swallow a lump in her throat at the notion.
Back at the park next to her car, she smiled. “I really had a nice time, Clay. Thank you. And you, too, Tiffany.”
He gazed at her, his eyes lit up by the setting sun. “Can I see you again?” he asked in a low voice.
An image of David rose in her mind’s eye. She firmly squashed it. “I’d like that.”
Six
Meredith thought often of Clay and his daughter as her days on began again. He had called once and they had a pleasant conversation over the phone. Meredith didn’t want to think too deeply about the potential for a relationship with Clay. She planned to simply enjoy the company of a sweet guy and leave it at that. David had nothing to do with it.
On Sunday, during her break, Meredith decided to make her last check on David before
She adjusted her spine against the slats of the bench and breathed deeply of the Indian summer air. The cooler winds of autumn were just around the corner and she wanted to absorb these last traces of summer. Bitsy stayed close by and she relaxed even more, struggling to keep her eyes open.
Meredith blinked and slowly lifted her lids, unsure of how long they’d been closed. If she’d indeed fallen asleep as she suspected, Bitsy was probably halfway across town by now. She shifted and looked around the park, suddenly wondering if she had double vision. Several yards away two Westies played together. When she called to Bitsy, they both raced up to her.
Meredith reached out to the other dog. “Hey, who’s your new friend?”
“Previous acquaintance is more like it.”
Her head snapped up at the sound of Clay’s voice. “Mr. Roberts!” She scrambled to her feet, brushing off the seat of her pants. A darling little girl stood next to him. She took a breath. “Hi. You must be Tiffany.”
Wide hazel eyes regarded her solemnly from behind Clay’s leg. She could see the striking resemblance between father and daughter.
“She’s a little shy right now.”
Meredith gave the girl a warm smile. “That’s okay. I’m kinda shy, too. Are you walking Snowflake?”
A barely perceptible nod was her only answer.
“There they go. Maybe we should try to catch up with the dogs and get them on their leashes,” Clay suggested. Tiffany tugged on his hand and she led the way.
While they walked along the path, he pointed across the park. “We live over there.”
Meredith looked over toward a recent development of affluent townhouses. “It’s nice that you’re so close to this park. It’s one of the few in town where dogs can run without a leash.”
Clay turned to her after Tiffany had gone to chase Snowflake and Bitsy. Meredith watched the way the little girl laughed. Poor little thing. She knew how hard it was to lose one’s mother. It must be so much more difficult at such a young age.
Clay put his hands in his pockets. “We were just about to go and have ice cream. Would you care to join us, Meredith?”
Now this is how it’s supposed to be done . “I’d love to, if you’re sure it’s okay with Tiffany,” she said, liking the way he said her name. Merrie sounded so immature.
“I think she’ll be too preoccupied with her ice cream to worry about it.”
***
Half an hour later, they sat at an outside table in front of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor. Tiffany licked her cone while Meredith listened to Clay share more about his life. He ran a computer software retail establishment in the south part of town and took frequent business trips. She smiled inwardly at the thought that he looked nothing like the stereotypical computer nerd. She felt very flattered that he seemed to enjoy her company.
When they’d finished their ice cream, they strolled along the shops while Snowflake and Bitsy pranced along beside them. Meredith felt like she was part of a family and had to swallow a lump in her throat at the notion.
Back at the park next to her car, she smiled. “I really had a nice time, Clay. Thank you. And you, too, Tiffany.”
He gazed at her, his eyes lit up by the setting sun. “Can I see you again?” he asked in a low voice.
An image of David rose in her mind’s eye. She firmly squashed it. “I’d like that.”
Six
Meredith thought often of Clay and his daughter as her days on began again. He had called once and they had a pleasant conversation over the phone. Meredith didn’t want to think too deeply about the potential for a relationship with Clay. She planned to simply enjoy the company of a sweet guy and leave it at that. David had nothing to do with it.
On Sunday, during her break, Meredith decided to make her last check on David before
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