The Love Letter (14 page)

Over the next few days, Sabrina hardly saw Meredith.
When questioned by Casey, Juliet mentioned he was painting the interior rooms of his house. His plan was to start moving furniture into the house when he returned from Virginia.

Hearing this
gave Sabrina a new appreciation for this trip. This was her last opportunity to spend time with the man she loved. With a sense of desperation, she vowed to enjoy every minute in his company.

By
Thursday evening, she hadn’t heard anything from Meredith, and she was doing her best not to worry. If anything had changed with their plans, Sabrina was sure he would have notified her. However, sitting alone in the parlor of the inn, the book lying on her lap long forgotten, she found it difficult to think rationally. This trip with Meredith had become so important she didn’t know what she would do if something happened to prevent them going.

When the door opened abruptly and a dark head became visible, Sabrina felt a surge of relief flow through her.
Meredith walked over to where she was sitting, his t-shirt and jeans speckled with gray paint.

“All set for tomorrow?” he asked with a tired grin.

She nodded. “What time did you want to leave?”

“I thought around ten.” Meredith wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Sorry to come in looking like this. I’m trying to finish my bedroom
so the man doing the floors can work while I’m gone.”

Sabrina
wanted to tell him he had nothing to be sorry for. He looked ten times more virile and masculine like this than he ever had when he lectured. “So you have to go back to the house tonight? You’re not done?”

“I will be in a couple of hours.”

“But will you get enough sleep? We can leave later if you need to.”

His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’ll be fine. I sometimes write all night. This is nothing.”

“Can I fix you something to eat? You probably didn’t stop for supper.”

“You’re right - I didn’t. If you
’re offering, I wouldn’t say no to a sandwich. Anything will do; I’m not picky.”

She stood up immediately. “Do you want to eat here or in the kitchen?”

“The kitchen is fine. I’ll meet you there after I clean up a bit.”

Sabrina had made his sandwich and was pouring iced tea into a glass when he returned.
Meredith had changed his shirt and combed his hair, most likely as a concession to her, since he was planning to return to his house to continue painting. No one could fault his manners.

Though she was
tempted to watch him eat, she busied herself in the pantry. It was always awkward when only one person was eating.

“You don’t have to hide in there, Sabrina.
”

She poked her head around the door. “I
’m not hiding – I’m giving you some space.”

Meredith rolled his eyes. “I’ve been alone all day. I don’t need space right now.” He took another bite while he watched her fidgeting with a stack of cloth napkins. “You know, there’s something to be said for coming home and having someone around to fix you
a meal. I could easily get used to it.”

S
he hid a smile; she would give anything to be the one he came home to. Then she wouldn’t have to stay separated from him by the length of the counter fighting the desire to rub his tired shoulders and run her fingers through his hair. As it was, all she could offer was food.

“Would you like another
sandwich?”

He slowly shook his head.
“Thanks, that was just what I needed.”

“No problem. It’s such a hollow feeling when you miss a meal.”

Meredith surprised her by coming around the counter and laying his hand on her shoulder. “The company was nice, too.”

S
abrina tried to ignore the warmth of his hand, but it seemed to burn right through her shirt and reach into her heart. Why did his touch do this to her? She hated this helplessness of not being able to control her reactions to this man. If things were different between them, she could turn her head and invite his kiss. Instead, she was forced to pretend an indifference that fooled no one.

Meredith knew
from the sudden stillness in his companion that he’d startled her. Because she so seldom showed her feelings, he tended to forget about them. But there was no way to ignore them now. He could almost hear her heart pounding. Her eyes were downcast and her cheeks flushed with pink. There was the tiniest tremor in her fingers.

Why hadn’t he stayed in his seat?
Or at least kept his hands to himself? Any second Sabrina would turn toward him, and then what would he do? After a few tense moments, Meredith realized he’d worried in vain.

Sabrina
had no intention of forcing the issue between them. This kind of behavior defied explanation. No one could be this unselfish where their own feelings were involved, could they? With an inward sigh, he drew his hand away.

“
I’ll meet you out front in the morning,” he said at last.

Sabrina followed him
to the door like a miniature shadow. “If you’re at all tired tomorrow, we can take turns driving.”

With his hand on the doorknob, he looked back at her. The cool reserve she drew around her like a wall of defense was firmly in place.
He might have imagined that scene in the kitchen.

“That won’t be necessary.
Goodnight, Sabrina.”

The next morning when Meredith turned the corner of the building,
she was sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the porch, her luggage and a garment bag stacked neatly beside her.

“Am I late?” he asked with a faint smile.

“No. I didn’t want to keep you waiting.”

Meredith laughed heartily at this. “I wou
ldn’t have left you behind. Is that all you have? I was expecting to have to put my things in the backseat.”

“I’m only going to be gone a few days; I don’t need much.”

“I wish Juliet could hear you say that. She seems to think traveling requires several changes of clothes for each day. Have you said your goodbyes?”

“Yes. I’m ready when you are.”

When they reached his car, he opened the door on her side, and then went to load their suitcases in the trunk. Nothing could contain the excitement welling up inside Sabrina. As she buckled her seat belt, she felt she would burst with happiness. It didn’t matter that her companion shared none of her feelings. For a short time, she could pretend Meredith belonged to her.

As they left the inn behind,
he asked the usual questions about her comfort and then turned on the radio. Taking this as an indication that he didn’t wish to talk, Sabrina drew an atlas out of her tote bag. She had always enjoyed looking at maps, and being the passenger allowed her to indulge this pastime to the fullest. She quickly found the page she sought.

Meredith’s voice broke into her thoughts.
“Are you afraid I might get lost?”

“Oh, no. I just like maps.”

“If I get off track, let me know.”

“I don’t imagine you ever lose your way,” was her quiet reply.

“You’re right, I don’t. I have a photographic memory.”

“That must be convenient when you’re traveling. You only have to look at the map once.”

“It can be very inconvenient. There are many things I wish I could forget.”

Was
that a reference to her letter, and the fact that he couldn’t forget what she’d written even though he wanted to? She felt him glance at her and then back at the road. Why couldn’t she think of anything to say?

Meredith saved the situation by asking, “
Where am I taking you tonight?”

“I reserved a room at the Marriott. That’s where
they’re having the reception.”

“How are you getting to the church?”

“One of Sheila’s cousins is staying there, too, and she’s taking me.”

“I hope you have a nice time. Personally, I find weddings boring.”

“How can a wedding be boring? There’s something thrilling about watching two people commit to one another for life.”

Meredith chuckled. “Weddings are only
thrilling for the bride and groom. Everyone else is hoping it doesn’t go on too long, and the reception has decent food.”

“I hope you’re joking.”

“Only a little. If and when I marry, I want the guest list small and the ceremony short. Now the honeymoon is a different story. That can never be long enough.” He laughed at her suddenly red cheeks. “You’re blushing again, Sabrina. Does that mean you agree with me about honeymoons?”

“
It means we need to talk about something else.”

Again he laughed. “I’m beginning to think we could find many interesting things to talk about if we tried hard enough.”

“I thought you didn’t like to talk when you’re driving.”

“I don’t usua
lly, but I’m enjoying it today.”

Before Sabrina could reply, his cell phone rang. He listened
for long periods, and his replies were lengthy in response. Apparently, something wasn’t going well with the plumbing in his house. Sabrina went back to her map.

After his phone call ended, M
eredith switched the radio to a different station, one that was covering a baseball game. She hadn’t thought of him as being interested in sports, but he listened to the rest of the game without comment. Once it was over, he turned off the radio and looked in her direction.

“I hope you’re ready for lunch. I didn’t eat breakfast, so I’m starved.”

“It’s not good to skip breakfast. We could have left later.”

“It was my fault for sleeping late.
” He exited the highway and pulled into a parking lot so full of cars Sabrina could hardly see the restaurant. “Are you in the mood for Mexican? I’ve stopped here before; I can vouch for the food.”

She waved a hand at the cars around them. “Quite a few people can vouch for the food.”

“We may have to wait for a table, but once we order, they bring the food out quickly.”

“I’m in no hurry
,” she assured him.

H
e held the door of the restaurant open for her. “There’s nothing wedding-related on the schedule for tonight?”

“No,” she answered absently. Her eyes had
gone to a framed map on the wall behind Meredith. “Look at that exquisite map. I’d love to have something like that.”

Her companion obligingly turned and studied the map, but his thoughts were elsewhere.
“I agree – it’s a nice one. There’s another one on the opposite wall.”

H
is arm brushed against hers, and he heard her small gasp. It was a uniquely feminine sound that Meredith found intensely appealing. As he watched her walk away, he realized he’d never been around a woman who made him so aware of her with so little effort.

Once they were seated opposite each other, Meredith
found his eyes drawn to Sabrina again and again. He supposed his interest in her stemmed from the fact that she was so different from what he’d expected. Her actions with the letter had struck him as immature and irresponsible. Now that he knew the circumstances, he had to admit she was neither of those things. Like all women, she did things that to him seemed illogical, but she wasn’t thoughtless or shallow.

Sabrina was no less disturbed by him. When she glanced up for the third time and found that intent blue gaze on her face, she decided not to look his way again. She felt like a specimen on a slide. Why was Meredith watching her? A more easily influenced person might have
mistaken his steady regard for something close to interest. It was as well she already knew his opinion of her.

Both of them were relieved when the meal was over
, and they were back in the car. Meredith decided to attribute his absorption in Sabrina to curiosity. She was a puzzle that needed to be solved. Having settled that problem, he guided his thoughts away from his companion and onto the many tasks awaiting his arrival at his apartment.

When he finally looked her way again, he
saw the reason for her long silence. Meredith had thought her difficult to ignore in the restaurant. The sight of her asleep had an even more profound effect on him. Sabrina looked oddly vulnerable – a quality he didn’t want to associate with her. If she was defenseless, she could be hurt. He didn’t want to think about all the ways he’d probably caused her pain.

When Sabrina
woke, Meredith’s attention was on the road. He did see her stretch like a sleepy kitten out of the corner of his eye. “Enjoy your after-lunch nap?”

“I did. If you’d like to indulge in one, I can drive for a while.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not tired. When I was little, I hated taking naps. My mother made me ‘rest’ every afternoon after lunch. I thought it was a terrible waste of time. I felt so alone in my room with the curtains pulled and the door closed. I always wanted someone in there with me. To this day, I seldom take naps because I still hate napping alone. That’s one of the perks of marriage – you have someone to do all those things with.”