MEG WAITED IN THE LOBBY just outside the Sunrise Manor dining room, while Scott parked the car. Cutouts of cupids and hearts adorned the walls, red-and-white crepe-paper streamers crisscrossed the ceiling and on each table were lacy Valentine doilies and tiny paper cups filled with heart candies. Love was alive and well among the geriatric set. Meg suppressed a smile. Just last week Marie had told her about a widower and a widow who were conducting a courtship under the eagle eyes of their fellow residents.
After Scott joined her, he peered into the dining room. “Looks like we’re a bit early for the festivities.”
“Maybe not.” She nodded toward the study where several gray-haired ladies dolled up in their finest sat expectantly on the edge of tapestried chairs. “Should we go up to the apartment?”
“No, Mom and Pops said they’d meet us here.”
Behind them the elevator doors opened and began discharging passengers, all making a beeline for the dining room except for one tiny lady dressed in a red velvet skirt and frilly white blouse who approached them. “Excuse me, but aren’t you Bud and Marie’s family?”
“Yes, we are,” Scott said.
“They’ve been a lovely addition to the manor. Marie has already joined our bridge foursome, and they’re both looking forward to our bus trip next month to Branson.”
“They’ve settled in better than we thought,” Meg said.
“Well, it’s not exactly where any of us wants to end up, but the point is to make the best of the situation.” She laid a heavily veined, diamond-encrusted hand on Scott’s lapel and smiled reassuringly. “And they are. Don’t you worry.”
Scott picked up her hand and gently squeezed it. “Thank you.”
Don’t you worry. Meg had worried. A lot. And she knew Scott had, as well. Once Bud had made up his mind to move into the retirement center, there had been no holding him back. Still, as she and Scott had sorted through the details of selling the motor home, getting furnishings out of storage, decorating the apartment and moving them, Meg couldn’t help wondering if they shouldn’t have asked Bud and Marie to live permanently with them. But she had to admit to a sense of relief at having more free time, getting her home back, seeing her children happy and coming to new understandings with Scott.
“Party. Ready?” Bud stepped off the second elevator, his eyes twinkling. From somewhere, he had resurrected a bright red polyester sport jacket. He no longer needed the walker and, instead, sported a fancy cane. Quite the dapper cupid.
Marie, wearing the same lavender evening gown she’d worn to Meg and Scott’s anniversary party, smiled in greeting. “He doesn’t want to miss the first dance.”
Giving a headwaiter bow, Scott let them go ahead. “Lead on, then.”
After they reached their table, they were served fruit punch and a heart-shaped tart. A deejay played tunes from the forties and fifties, and several residents took to the center of the room swaying to the music. When Bud stood and led Marie to the dance floor, Scott clasped Meg’s hand under the table. Marie melted into her husband’s arms, and although Bud could only shuffle in place, partially supported by Marie, it was a tender moment.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Meg whispered.
Scott’s eyes watered. “I never thought—” He couldn’t finish.
“I know. That it could possibly turn out this well.”
As if by way of convincing himself, he said, “They do seem happy, don’t you think?”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “Look at them.” Marie was kissing her husband’s cheek. “They have each other.”
Scott’s arm went around her shoulder. “And I have you. When I think how close I came to losing you—”
“And I you.”
He leaned in to whisper, “You look amazing in that black dress.”
“Ahem. Interrupting? Us?” Bud had a Cheshire-cat grin on his face. The music had stopped.
“Just whispering sweet nothings in my Valentine’s ear, Pops.”
“Good,” Bud said, holding the chair for Marie. “You take care. Daughter.”
Scott looked deep into Meg’s eyes. “I intend to.”
The activities director took the microphone then, and while he made a series of announcements, Meg nibbled on the tart. When he finished, Marie spoke. “Will Hayley and Justin be coming here Sunday afternoon as usual?”
Justin enjoyed reading the sports page to Bud and, to Meg’s amazement, Hayley had taken an interest in helping a few of the other residents with their therapy. At a recent career day at the high school, she’d picked up some brochures about opportunities in physical and speech therapy. Thankfully, Zach Simon was a thing of the past. And best of all, Hayley had confided that drinking wasn’t that cool.
The party ended after an hour. When Meg suggested they go up to the apartment for a cup of decaf coffee, Marie and Bud exchanged a look. “Not tonight, dear,” Marie said.
Scott held out Meg’s coat. “No, I have other plans for you.”
“You do?”
He winked at his parents. “A surprise.”
“Valentine’s Day. Happy,” Bud said.
Meg gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too, Pops.” She hugged Marie. “And to you.”
“Love.” Bud nodded his head. “It’s good.”
It was better than good, Meg thought, as her handsome husband escorted her to the car and opened the door for her. He was so much more relaxed now that the Jordan ad campaign was going well. In fact, he’d handed over a portion of the responsibilities to others in the firm, having finally admitted that delegating was a pretty sound concept.
Several blocks later, Meg became concerned. “This isn’t the way home. Where are you going?”
“We are going someplace special to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”
“We are?” She couldn’t believe it. A romantic gesture? That wasn’t exactly Scott’s forte.
He drew up in front of a lovely Victorian home near the downtown area. “Here we are,” he said, pointing to the sign. “Homestead House: An Urban Inn.”
“But…but…the children?”
“All taken care of.” He looked so pleased with himself that she almost laughed.
Meg was overwhelmed when Scott took her to their beautiful room. She couldn’t believe he’d done this for her. He pulled her into his arms and she laid her head on his chest, smiling to herself.
“Happy?” he murmured.
“Ecstatic.”
“I have one other surprise.”
“Ooh, I don’t know how much more of this pampering I can take.”
“It’ll never be enough.”
He turned on the lamp and took something from his jacket pocket. “Here.”
He handed her a thick white envelope.
“What’s this?”
“Remember that second honeymoon?”
“Yes.”
“We never completed it.”
She opened the envelope and pulled out the contents. Looking at what she held in her hands, she gasped. The itinerary for a June Alaskan cruise. She looked up, baffled. “How? What…?”
“Jannie helped me. She and Ron said this was the best trip they ever took.” He played with her hair. “Nothing but the finest for my wife.”
She couldn’t get her hopes up. Face disappointment. Better settle it now. “We can’t get away for this long. The agency…and the kids—”
“All arranged. Wes will cover the office. And the kids are staying with Mom and Pops in the guest suite at the manor.”
“They’d do that?”
“It was their idea. Believe it or not, my folks have even talked Kay into coming to help with the kids’ errands, et cetera. She didn’t even put up an argument. Maybe she’s finally developing a conscience.”
“But—”
He stopped her, kissing her most expertly and thoroughly. “A second honeymoon. A real one this time.”
He had actually planned this, down to every detail. At last, they were going on a trip. Just the two of them. Suddenly, though, that didn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that their marriage was solid, and that, more than ever, they were in love with each other. Forever and always, as Marie had said.
Meg drew his face close to hers. “Finding each other again was enough honeymoon for me.” Then she added with an impish smile, “But I’ll take the trip, too.”