Newlywed Games by Mary Davis Page A

her hand, then called toward the back room, “I’m going to lunch.”
    Dan appeared again and looked at his watch. “It’s a little late for lunch.”
    “The book work is almost done, and I’ll finish the invoices when I return. Can I go?”
    He braced his hands on the counter and leaned forward with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Only if you’ll marry me.”
    Jennifer smiled back at him. “Thanks. I’ll see you later.” She headed for the door.
    “One of these days you’ll say yes,” he called after them.
    “Not if she marries me first,” came a voice from the dark reaches of the back room that could only be Michael.
    Jennifer waved a hand over her shoulder as she pulled the door open with a jingle.
    “You have a regular fan club,” Meghann said, stepping out into the sunshine.
    “They’ve made up this schedule for taking me out so it’s fair. I feel like a dog bone being fought over.”
    Meg grinned. “And you love every minute of it.”
    Jennifer’s smile was smug. “Absolutely.”
    They went up the street to the bagel store, got a bagel each, and found a quiet table in the corner.
    “So, did your mother buy your story? Does she believe your hunk-of-a-husband is away on business?”
    “No.”
    Jennifer’s disappointed expression almost made Meg laugh. “No! Why not? Didn’t you explain it was last minute and urgent?”
    “I was going to but it all fizzled away when Mr. Halloway showed up at the airport when I was picking up my mom.”
    Jennifer’s mouth hung open. “You’re kidding. What happened?”
    She explained briefly the embarrassing scene at the airport and all that had happened since then. “What am I going to do?”
    “Nothing.”
    Meghann looked up at her sharply. Obviously Jenn had recovered from her earlier shock. She was smiling and looking utterly pleased with the situation.
    “It’s perfect, Meg.”
    “Perfect? It’s a
disaster!”
Was the woman totally insane?
    Jenn picked off a piece of her bagel and waved it around as she spoke. “No. It’s like a sign from God or something.”
    How could anyone possibly figure Bruce Halloway and her mother under Meg’s roof as a sign from God?
    “Don’t you see? With both of you there it’s more convincing, like having a corroborating witness. Andyou can’t get much more corroboration than from the hubby himself.” She nodded firmly. “It was meant to happen this way, Meg. I know it. Why else would Bruce have shown up at the right time and agree to play along? Your mom’s happy, right?”
    “Yes, but—”
    “But nothing. She will get better because of it. And as long as she is getting better you know this is what God wants. Trust me, it’s best for your mom not to say anything right now. She’s just not strong enough yet.”
    Though Jenn went to church semiregularly, she never seemed to have any trouble with bending the truth. Maybe that should have been her first clue not to listen to her. But she had to admit, her mom did seem better, stronger, and was overjoyed at Bruce’s presence. Bruce. Why was he doing this? What reasons could he have that he didn’t want to tell her?
    “I don’t know, Jenn. I’m so confused.”
    “You may not know, but I do. Trust me. You couldn’t ask for things to work out better.”
    It sounded good…it really did. But Meghann was having a hard time believing it. If things were working out so well, so perfectly according to God’s design, why did she feel so terrible?

Five
     

     
    “W ELL, NOW THAT YOU’VE BEATEN ME UP ON THE COURT, DO you want to talk about it?” Kurt said. Kurt Hill was a thinning sandy-haired man, smaller than Bruce but fast on his feet on the racquetball court. He was an associate pastor at a church Bruce didn’t attend. He had met Kurt at a prayer breakfast nearly a year ago and respected the man and his walk with the Lord. They’d hit it off and now had a once-a-month racquetball game.
    “Talk about what?” Bruce dried his face with his towel and