Dreaming of Home

He’d barely moved away when the outside light came on again and the door swung open. He turned to see Meg as she leaned out, holding the door open with one hand and Bear with the other.

“Joe?” she called into the darkness.

“Yeah?” He moved back to the door. Maybe his instincts weren’t off base after all. Could there be a little chemistry going on here?

“Forgot to ask. Any allergies?”

Odd question. He cleared his throat as his mind conducted a search. “Not since I was a kid. Got stung by a bee. Nothing too serious, though.”

He sensed her smile rather than saw it, and a hot wave washed over him. “You meant Davy.”

“Yeah.” Amusement colored her voice, but she didn’t outright laugh at him this time. “Any food allergies? Like to peaches? I’m big on fresh fruit as dessert.”

He dredged his memory. His mother-in-law hadn’t mentioned allergies when she gave him Davy’s medical records. She would have, wouldn’t she? “No, no food allergies that I know of.”

“Great.” A smile playing on her lips, she tilted her head. “Does it seem strange to be back? In Canyon Springs, I mean?”

Drawing the conversation out again. Good sign. He stepped closer.

“Kinda weird. A lot of things have changed, but at the same time they haven’t, you know? Some of it’s good, some of it’s not so good.” Joe laughed. “That made a lot of sense, didn’t it?”

“Actually, it did. It’s not as if you’ve been gone a lifetime. But you wouldn’t have been much more than a kid when you left and still seeing it through a kid’s eyes. Now you’re seeing the town and the people from an adult perspective.”

He nodded. “True. But I sure didn’t expect to feel ten years old again when I temporarily moved back in with Dad.”

Meg laughed. “Culture shock?”

“No foolin’.” He grinned. “I mean, I’m a father now, right? Yet Dad and I still butt heads like we used to when I was growing up, even over what’s best for Davy.”

“I’m sure it’s an adjustment for Bill, too.”

“Probably. But hopefully that science teacher will make up her mind about the job soon. Then Davy and I can establish our own household. That should help keep the peace.”

Meg glanced momentarily away, running her finger along the door’s framework. “So you taught high school science prior to joining the Navy?”

So she was curious about him.

“Two years in Flagstaff. I’d just started my second year when 9/11 hit. I was under contract, of course, so I didn’t join up until the school year was over.”

“Why the Navy?”

“Family tradition. Dad served and so did my Grandpa Diaz.”

“Interesting. So you’ve been in the Navy all these years?” She coaxed him with a smile that bumped his respiratory rate up a notch. “And you’re now returning to your first love—teaching?”

“Well, not exactly.” He chuckled, then sidestepped toward her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Confession time—but remember, if I tell you and you tell anyone else, I’ll have to kill you.”

She rubbed her hands together in mock anticipation. “Oooh, sounds highly classified.”

He looked around with exaggerated secretiveness, then lowered his voice. “Can I trust you?”

She pantomimed zipping her lips.

He grinned, then sobered. “To be honest, teaching didn’t pump me that much, if you know what I mean. But Davy’s my number one priority now. I’ll do whatever it takes to do what’s best for him, like separating from the Navy and moving back to the old hometown.”

“So did you do some kind of teaching in the military?”

“No. When I taught school I was an EMT on the side, then a Corpsman in the Navy. You know, medic stuff. But regular hours and summers off make a whole lot of sense now that I’m doing the single dad thing.”

She raised a brow, and he hastened on. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I hated teaching, it just may not be my gift.”

With a quick, tight smile she reached out to the door handle. “Well, I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thanks.”

Davy appeared at her side. “Bye, Dad.”

He lifted a hand in farewell, but didn’t catch Meg’s eye again before the door shut. With a pang of unexpected disappointment, he nevertheless whistled all the way back to the house.

“I thought you’d sworn off women.” Bill flipped the switch on the dishwasher, then walked to the living room and eased into his oversized leather chair.

Joe looked up from the Phoenix paper he’d spread across the dining table. “What are you talking about?”

“Meg.”

“You’re the one who invited her to dinner. You and Davy. Not me.”

“Yeah, and you’ve bombarded me with questions about her for the past twenty minutes.”

Joe shook his head as he stared at the red silk flowers still adorning the table. “Dad, it’s called good parenting. I need to know what kind of person you want to let my son hang out with. You can’t tell me that when I was Davy’s age you’d have let me go off with some stranger you didn’t know anything about.”

“In a heartbeat.”

“Yeah, right.” Joe stood and moved to the front window to scrutinize the recreational vehicle sheltering his son. “Not a good idea, Dad, for Davy to get attached to someone who won’t be around for long.”

Inwardly, Joe cringed. Good going. He left the door wide open for a well-deserved chastisement. Neither of them had brought up the issue, and some days it hung like an invisible barrier between them.

The leather chair squeaked. “Who says she won’t be around?”

Relieved at his father’s benign response, Joe motioned at the campground. “Pretty clear, don’t you think? Part-time jobs. Living in an RV.”

“Meg McGuire is a good girl. A little down on her luck.”

Joe turned to his father. “What’s that mean? She was evasive when I asked why she lived in an RV.”

“Transitioning. Trying to make a fresh start.”

“From what? Rehab? The state pen?”

Bill peered at his son over the top of his glasses. “Show a little faith in me, Joe. Davy is my grandson.”

He shifted. “Sorry. It’s just that—”

“Look, besides your own cousin’s recommendation, Sharon Dixon also vouches for her. Says Meg roomed with her daughter at ASU. You remember Kara don’t you?”

“Vaguely.” The name sounded familiar. Couldn’t put it to a face. “So what constitutes down on her luck?”

“Nobody tells me anything around here. But I’m picking up that like most people these days, there’s a broken relationship wedged in Meg’s not-too-distant past. I’m guessing she’s attempting to put some miles in between.” Bill turned off the lamp, rose from his chair and then stepped to the window. “You gotta remember, not everyone is as fortunate to have what you and Selena had.”

Joe’s jaw tightened. “Don’t encourage Davy in this, okay?”

“Come on. A kid needs a woman in his life. You know that better than anyone.” When Joe didn’t respond, his dad continued. “And it’s good for a kid to have more than one adult to relate to.”

Since when did his father become the all-knowing expert at parenting? “I’d rather we didn’t pick someone off the street for my son to bond with.”

Bill laid a hand on his shoulder, gripping it hard. “There’s nothing to worry about, kiddo. I’ve seen Meg with the kids at church, and they love her. Everybody around here loves her. And the RV sits not two-hundred steps off my front deck. If you let Davy sleep over, you can stay up all night with your binoculars trained on the place. Or call every half hour—I have her cell number.”

The hand gripped his shoulder harder before he stepped away, avoiding his son’s gaze.

“What? Something about her is bothering you.”

His father’s expression contorted with indecision. “Probably not for me to say.”

“Come on, Dad.”

The older man grimaced. “She’s a teacher, too.”

“So? She told me she subs around here.”

“Did it occur to you that she subs because she’s waiting for a permanent opening—teaching science?”

Joe’s heart stilled. No way. Not thirty minutes ago, lapping up her attention, he’d dropped his guard and spilled his guts about teaching. Said it didn’t pump him.

Oh, man. Right into the hands of the competition?

“What makes you think that? She didn’t say anything to me, and I mentioned the job when I first met her. We even discussed it again tonight.”

“Put two and two together, that’s all.”

He let out a breath of pent-up air. “But you don’t know it for a fact, right? She didn’t tell you that.”

“No. But I got thinking about it at dinner tonight. It makes sense, doesn’t it? Meg’s been here since last spring. Subbing. Like she’s waiting for something.”

Joe scowled, irritation rising. “Why are you telling me this? So I can—what? Not apply so she can have it? Get a job waiting tables down at Kit’s?”

“Of course not.”

“Dad, I don’t have to tell you there are few jobs in this town for a man to earn a decent living. This is my hometown. Not Meg’s. I have a kid to support. I want to raise him right here in Canyon Springs. I thought you wanted that, too.”

“I do. I just wanted you to know, that’s all. Meg’s become a favorite around here in the short time she’s called this town home. You may face some opposition. Ben Cameron may back you, but he doesn’t run the school district.”

“So it’s Little Red Riding Hood versus the Big Bad Wolf?”

With an exasperated shake of his head, his father turned away and started down the hall to his room. Agitated, Joe remained where he was for several moments before moving to flip off the overhead light. Returning to the window, he stood in the darkened room gazing at Meg’s dimly lit RV.

Great. Just great.

But despite his irritation—and yes, he could admit it, fear—the image of her wide, expressive eyes and teasing smile flashed through his mind. It was no wonder that his father insisted everyone loved her. Friendly. Pretty. Bright.

But what kind of woman lived in a portable house by choice? Weren’t women supposed to be into that setting down roots, white picket fence thing? Kids. Cat. Dog. Camping out in an RV park didn’t smack of a desire to settle down and hold a permanent job. Dad was wrong.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

She’d been openly curious about his background tonight. Flat out asked him if teaching was his first love. He’d basked in the attention, eaten it all up, took it as personal interest. But could it be professional?

He swallowed hard as he stared out at the RV. Could the winsome little woman be camouflaging underhanded motives with a beckoning smile and flattering lips? Didn’t the Good Book warn men of that?

No, Dad had to be wrong. He had to be because his foolhardy son got caught up in feminine wiles and handed over damaging evidence that even Ben Cameron might not be willing to overlook. He’d sunk his own ship before he’d even hoisted anchor.

He took a deep breath. This called for a little preemptive chat with Ben, just to be on the safe side. No way was that pretty little thing going to walk away with his job.

He’s pirating away my dream job and he doesn’t even like teaching? Come on, God, how fair is that? Meg tossed and turned in her cab-over bed long after Joe picked up his sleepy son and the two adults had engaged in a hushed, minimal exchange. It hadn’t escaped her that his previous friendly flirtatiousness morphed into all business on his return visit. But she was too tired to figure that one out and chalked it up to “men!”

But his absolute confidence in acing the job continued to trouble her.

During their hour together, she and Davy had fed Skooter, split a peach and read books from the supply she kept on hand for Sunday school lessons.

They talked about pirates. Puppies.

And Davy’s dad.

His dad, who ran fast, loved the Phoenix Suns and hummed when he brushed his teeth.

Meg punched her pillow and tried to get more comfortable. It was evident Davy’s father had been uneasy about leaving him with her, but she couldn’t blame him. Even though she knew Bill, she and Joe had just met.

Davy, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by the prospect of berthing in on the “pirate ship” of his newfound friend. What was it, though, with the underlying tension she sensed between Joe and his father? The older Diaz seemed to think Davy needed time away from Joe and vice versa, and an overnight outing at her place fit the bill.

Brushing back her hair, she relived the lightning bolt sensation that hit when Davy voiced his innocent inquiry at the dinner table. Not that she was a stranger to kid sleepovers. As she’d mentioned to Davy’s apprehensive father, she’d been a willing participant in plenty of those with young family members. But no one here needed to know that the condo she’d shared with roommates in Phoenix had also been a frequent stopover for her ex-fiancé’s twin daughters. Two charming auburn-haired girls, Myra and Grace, now not much older than Davy.

It had been over a year since she’d seen them, except from a distance. Did they even remember her?

From the moment Todd introduced them, her heart had been won. It overflowed with compassion and love for the two precious siblings whose mother had walked out of their lives—and that of their father—and into the arms of another man.

Then a year later, Todd walked out on her.

She squeezed her eyes shut as a familiar pain stabbed her heart. Losing Todd was bad enough, but the girls…. Hadn’t she believed with all her heart that God had brought them into her life to love and watch over? That she’d be their mother forever and always? She hadn’t hesitated, had no second thoughts. She’d swept them into her life—only to have them pried away without warning, leaving a gaping wound in her heart that had yet to heal.

She stared up at the low ceiling. Davy. What a sweetheart. But being around him awakened too many memories of cuddling and hugs and soft childish kisses. And heartache.

She liked Joe. She could admit that. Under different circumstances it would be easy to fall into a hopeful, Heavenward, what-about-him petition. But the man showed signs of unresolved issues—the wedding band still on his finger spelled that out plainly enough. Keep your distance. No trespassing. Which was fine with her. No way was she getting involved with another man who had a kid.

She wouldn’t, couldn’t, risk that kind of loss again.

Nor would she, as Todd had so bluntly pointed out regarding his daughters, put Davy at risk of losing another mother figure.

No doubt about it, melanoma stunk.

Chapter Four

“Todd announced his engagement last night. Valentine’s Day wedding.”

The voice of her mother, Ronda McGuire, greeted Meg when she answered her cell phone Sunday morning. Since she was preparing to head off to church, this was not a topic she wanted to dwell on.

“So I hear. My pal Stacey texted me a bit ago.” She wedged the phone against a scrunched-up shoulder as she pulled a pair of dress shoes out of the miniscule closet. “I bet he got his bride-to-be thoroughly checked out ahead of time. Made sure she’s up to date on her vaccinations.”

Her mother chuckled. “He’s dated every single-status female at Bell Road Christian since he sent you packing. Guess you’re harder to replace than he anticipated.”

She didn’t miss the satisfaction in her mother’s voice. “Jill’s nice, Mom. She’ll make Myra and Grace a great mother. But I hope she doesn’t get too attached before the ring’s firmly on her finger. You know, in case she catches a cold or the flu and Todd decides her continued presence might be too traumatic for them.”

“Todd’s exit had nothing to do with the girls being traumatized by your illness.”

Mom maintained that Todd feared she might recover enough to live, but not be up to catering to his every whim and relieving him of responsibility for his daughters. No, her mom was not a fan of Todd All-about-Me Bellinger.

“So how’s your friend doing? Penny.”

“Talked to her a few days ago. She’s hanging in there. Thinks they’ll be releasing her again this week.” Her grip tightened on the phone. Five years ago Penny had been diagnosed with stage II melanoma. Good prognosis. But by the time they met at a cancer support group last year, it had recurred and she’d started more aggressive treatments. Treatments that scared Todd into hitting the road and filled Meg with an ever-present apprehension over her own situation. Now once again things weren’t looking good for her friend.

“I’m glad she’ll be home again soon. Courageous young woman. So, have you heard more on that job you e-mailed about?”

Meg thrust her feet into her shoes. “It’s still a rumor Suzanne won’t be returning after maternity leave. Nothing official. The baby isn’t due ’til November, but the doctor’s had her on bed rest since the second week of school. Unfortunately, now there’s an added complication.”

“What’s that?”

Joe’s laughing image flashed into her mind. “Another guy’s interested in the position. Local boy. Looks athletic, so he can probably coach something, too, which will make him an added attraction to the school board.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. But you know, honey, maybe this isn’t meant to be.”

Meg flinched. Hadn’t she been telling herself that same thing since her encounter with Joe at the shop yesterday? That maybe the very thing she’d been so sure was a “God thing” wasn’t? But it sounded defeatist coming from her mother’s mouth.

“I talked to your friend Debby last night,” her mom continued. “There’s still a science opening at Sadler High. The guy who replaced you during your extended leave of absence pulled out at the last minute this fall. If you move on it quickly, Debby thinks you can have your old job back.”

Meg silently counted to ten as she shook a few flakes from Skooter’s food container into the fishbowl and watched him dance in ecstasy.

“Mom, I don’t want to go back to Sadler. I don’t want to see Todd in the faculty meetings or in the hallways every day. If I come back, everyone will expect me to attend Bell Road, too. Then I’d not only have to see Todd, but Jill and Myra and Grace.”

“Then find another high school down here. Another church.”

“It’s hard to explain, but—” She rummaged in the closet for a fitted denim jacket, then shoved one arm into a sleeve. How could she enlighten her mother when it was hard enough to explain it to herself? “I feel like that season of my life is over. It’s time to move on. A new direction. Fresh dream.”

“There was nothing wrong with your old dream of teaching school in the Phoenix area. Your illness came as a setback, but that can be overcome. Besides, how much longer can you borrow your aunt’s RV?”

She detected the frown in her mother’s voice. What Mom still didn’t “get” was that her teaching dream sprouted from Aunt Julie’s beloved memories of school in a small town. Not in the overcrowded, metropolitan Valley of the Sun. Had Mom forgotten she’d applied—unsuccessfully—for a job in Canyon Springs fresh out of college?

Meg switched the phone to the other ear and wiggled her free arm into the jacket sleeve. “Aunt Julie said I could keep it as long as I want.”

“Surely you don’t intend to spend the winter in it?”

“Kara’s mom has been trying to get me to move in with her. But actually—” She took a deep breath. Might as well tell her and get it over with. “If I get the job, there’s a house I want to buy here in Canyon Springs.”

“This is the first I’m hearing of this. Does your father know?”

“It came on the market this week.” She snatched up her purse and rummaged for her car keys. “I thought maybe Rob could come up and take a look at it.”

Her brother was a home inspector and would give her an honest evaluation.

“Buying a house is a huge commitment. What if you don’t like it up there? So far from home?” Her mother paused. “What if…”

The question drifted off, but Meg filled in the blank.

“I love it here, Mom. I’m just a few hours away from you and Dad and my doctors. My last checkup was good. No sign of anything spreading.” She spoke with more confidence than she felt. “I might be able to afford a rental in the off season, but that’s only a fraction of the year. We’re talking rents jumping to thousands of dollars a month most of the time. Not a good investment.”

“Would you have roommates, like you did at the condo?”

“Maybe. But I’ve lived in cramped dorms or a three-girl condo for almost a decade.” She sighed. “I’d like to have a little place of my own. A garden. A dog. I don’t want to keep putting my life on hold waiting for Mr. Right. Or give in to living the rest of my life afraid.”

Her mother’s voice softened. “I didn’t mean that you should, honey.”

“I know you worry about me, Mom. But if worse would come to worst, at least I’d have had a chance to fulfill a dream, wouldn’t I? Even if only for a while. No regrets.”

Silence hung between them.

“I love this little house. You will, too. It’s the only one I think I can afford. I’ll even have a guest room for you and Dad to come up and visit.”

Her mother remained silent. Now probably wasn’t the time to tell her the house she was looking at was Aunt Julie’s old home, where she’d lived for a few years as a kid. Or that her aunt had been so excited when she’d called her about it Friday night that she’d even pledged to pitch in on the down payment, if needed, in exchange for occasional space on her niece’s sleeper sofa. No, now wasn’t the time to bring that up. Mom already held her sister-in-law responsible for her daughter hitting the road in a borrowed RV and making like a gypsy.

She glanced at her watch. “Look, Mom, I have to go. Church. I’ll call you later this week, okay?”

After they said their goodbyes, she mentally rehashed the conversation. Mom meant well, with concern for her health as the primary reason for wanting her closer to home. But she’d grown up on her aunt’s stories of attending school in Canyon Springs, the studies that enthralled her, the teachers who inspired her. Funny stories. Poignant stories. Stories that made her homesick for a place she’d never been before. Those stories fueled a teaching dream she pursued in college and which, unfortunately, collided with reality at urban, overcrowded Sadler High.

To her delight, however, the hope of making her long-held dream an actuality revived in the wake of her illness. She’d learned the hard way that life might be short, but God was giving her a second chance. Or so she’d thought until a pirate with a science teaching credential sailed onto the scene.

Was God asking her to give it up without a fight?

Man, oh, man.

Lungs burning and heart all but pounding right out of his chest cavity, Joe Diaz leaned over, hands braced on his legs right above the kneecaps. He labored to breathe more deeply, to suck in sufficient quantities of paper-thin oxygen. What had been a walk-in-the-park, five-mile run at sea-level San Diego had whittled down to three grueling ones in Canyon Springs.

He shook his head and forced a smile. What a wimp. You’d think after eight days of this he’d start to get used to it. Didn’t some philosopher say that which does not kill you will only make you stronger? Yeah, right. If he didn’t die first.

Eventually he straightened and trudged up the steps of his father’s deck. He grabbed a hand towel from where he’d left it on the back of a folding lawn chair and wiped away what remained of the sweat. The region’s low humidity could mislead a guy into thinking he hadn’t perspired much. Deceptive. He’d forgotten that. He finished his cool-down stretches, then surveyed the wooded campground as he consumed a stainless steel container of H2O. It might take a while for his body to acclimate, but boy did he love running in Arizona’s White Mountains. Racing along winding dirt trails. Sun filtering through long-needled ponderosa pine boughs to warm his skin. A sky so blue it boggled his mind. God even threw in an extra treat this morning—two does and a fawn. This was a way of life he could get into.