A Mother's Wish by Debbie Macomber Page A

to explain …” Steve began, wanting to avoid an argument between Meg and her daughter.
    Static from the police officer’s walkie-talkie was followed by a muffled voice. The two men were obviously being dispatched to another location.
    “Everything okay here?” the policeman asked Meg.
    “It’s fine.”
    “Young lady?”
    Lindsey folded her arms and pointed her nose toward the night sky. “All I can say is that my mother’s a serious disappointment to me.”
    “I’m afraid I can’t help you there.”
    “I didn’t think you could,” she said, shaking her head. “I thought better of her than this—sneaking out at night to see a man of … of low moral fiber.”
    “Lindsey!”
    “Why don’t we all go inside and discuss this,” Steve suggested. He felt more than a little ridiculous standingin Meg’s yard, and he was eager to clear the air between Lindsey and him.
    “I have nothing to say to either of you,” Lindsey said. She marched into the house, with Brenda scurrying behind.
    Steve watched them stomp off in single file and released a deep breath. He was about to apologize for having made such a mess of things, when Meg whirled around to face him.
    “I can’t believe you!”
    Steve ran his fingers through his hair. Meg didn’t seem to grasp that this ordeal hadn’t exactly been a pleasure for him, either.
    “I apologize, Meg.” He did feel bad about all the trouble he’d caused, but he’d only been trying to help. When he’d found her purse, returning it had seemed the best thing to do. He didn’t want her wondering where it was, and he’d honestly thought he could do it without ending up in jail.
    “How dare you tell my daughter to get me a coat.”
    Steve’s head jerked up. His throat tightened with the strength of his anger. “I nearly got myself arrested—thanks to your daughter, I might add—and
you’re
upset because I objected to you traipsing around in front of the neighborhood half-naked?”
    Meg opened her mouth and then closed it.
    “Okay,” he amended, “you are wearing a robe, althoughit’s not much of one. Neither of those cops could take their eyes off you. I supposed you enjoyed the attention.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous! I came downstairs as fast as I could, in order to help you.”
    “You call parading in front of those men like that
helping
me? All I needed was for you to identify me so I could leave. That’s all.” His words grew louder. He was close to losing his cool and he knew it.
    “I think you’d better go,” Meg said, pointing in the direction of the street. Steve noticed with satisfaction that her finger shook.
    “I’m out of here,” he told her, “and not a minute too soon. You might have appreciated the embarrassment I endured trying to do you a favor, but I can see you don’t. Which is fine by me.”
    “Like
you
didn’t embarrass
me?
” she shouted.
    “You weren’t the one who had a gun pointed at you and a kid claiming you were a menace to society.”
    “Lindsey was only repeating what you’d told her.” Meg pushed the hair away from her face, using both hands. “This isn’t working.”
    “Wrong,” he said sharply. “It’s working all too well. You make me crazy, and I don’t like it.”
    “But … “
    “If I’m going to get arrested, I want it to be for someone who’s willing to acknowledge the trouble I’ve gonethrough for her.” Certain he was making no sense whatsoever, Steve stalked over to his car and drove away.
    Meg squared her shoulders and drew her flimsy robe more tightly around her as she opened the screen door and walked back inside. The exhaust from Steve’s car lingered in the yard, reminding her how angry he’d been when he left.
    She was angry, too. And confused.
    It didn’t help to find Lindsey and Brenda sitting in the darkened living room waiting for her.
    “You should both be in bed,” Meg told them.
    “We want to talk to you first,” Lindsey announced, her hands folded on her knees.
    “Not