didn't seem to be much better at this than she was. “Thank you. That's very kind of you.”
“Well, Missy said you don't like groups of people, so I wanted to come say hi by myself. I thought it might be easier if you met us one by one first. Though I think, at least I hope, you'll love everyone when you get to know to them. I hope you'll hang out with us all soon.”
Megan stared at her. “I...I...I....” Oh, for goodness sake! Why couldn't she make herself stop that?! She took a deep breath. “Why?”
Emma smiled. “Lots of reasons. You don't know many people here yet, and we're a friendly bunch. You can have as much space as you want and you might not like us, but we want you to know you've got friends here if you want us.” Her smile became more conspiratorial now. “And Michael is totally besotted with you. So first of all, if you're going to go out with him, you're going to need some girlfriends around to keep you sane. Secondly, we all love him to pieces, and we'd love to welcome his girlfriend as one of the gang.”
His girlfriend? She knew she was smiling the big stupid smile that seemed to plaster itself across her face quite often since she'd met Michael. “Thank you,” was all she could think to say.
“I know you're going to be closing up here soon and I'm by myself tonight. Jack, my husband, is down in San Diego with Pete. I wondered if you wanted to come and have some dinner with me at the Boathouse?”
Megan thought about it. She needed to get home and feed Ollie, let him out for a walk, but she did want to get to know Emma. She seemed nice.
“It's okay if you don't want to. I don't mean to pressure you or anything.”
Megan made her decision and took a deep breath. “No, it's not that. It's just that I have to take care of Ollie.”
“That's your dog, right?”
She nodded. “But I could meet you in a little while?”
Emma nodded.
She decided to jump all in. “Or you if you want, you could come with me while I feed him and take him for a walk, and then we can go?” Maybe that was too much?
But no, Emma was grinning. “I'd love to! Oh, this will be fun. I love dogs. If ever you need anyone to watch him for you, I'd be more than happy to.”
Megan smiled, relieved. “Thank you. If you just give me ten minutes here, I'll get closed up and we can go.”
Ollie went crazy when she opened the front door. In his usual ritual he barked and pawed and wagged around her legs when she got home. Then he repeated the process with Emma, who laughed and petted him. He rolled onto his back in the hallway and refused to budge until she rubbed his belly.
“Oh, isn't he a sweetheart?”
“He is. I was worried at first that he didn't seem too friendly with people, but he's been great with Michael and Missy, and now you.” She smiled. “Michael says Ollie’s a good judge of character.”
Emma smiled back. “I'd have to agree. I told you we're not that bad.”
“Oh, I didn't mean there's anything wrong with you. It's just me. I don't do very well with people.”
Emma laughed. “Maybe you're just like Ollie? You're choosy about the people you let in. I mean, you're doing great with all of us. Missy told me you're lovely, and I agree. Michael definitely thinks you're wonderful.” She rubbed Ollie's belly some more.
“What makes you say that?”
Emma grinned up at her. “You should have seen him on Friday night. When Jack and I got there, he'd just seen you go upstairs to start your meeting. He wanted to follow you. Ben wouldn't let him. He kept watching the stairs all night for you to come down. He'd only gone to the bathroom when Ben brought you over. You should have seen his face when he came back and saw you sitting in his chair. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning!”
Megan knew she had that big silly smile going again. She loved thinking that Michael had noticed her and liked her, when she was invisible to everyone else.
Emma was smiling back at her. “He'd probably
“Well, Missy said you don't like groups of people, so I wanted to come say hi by myself. I thought it might be easier if you met us one by one first. Though I think, at least I hope, you'll love everyone when you get to know to them. I hope you'll hang out with us all soon.”
Megan stared at her. “I...I...I....” Oh, for goodness sake! Why couldn't she make herself stop that?! She took a deep breath. “Why?”
Emma smiled. “Lots of reasons. You don't know many people here yet, and we're a friendly bunch. You can have as much space as you want and you might not like us, but we want you to know you've got friends here if you want us.” Her smile became more conspiratorial now. “And Michael is totally besotted with you. So first of all, if you're going to go out with him, you're going to need some girlfriends around to keep you sane. Secondly, we all love him to pieces, and we'd love to welcome his girlfriend as one of the gang.”
His girlfriend? She knew she was smiling the big stupid smile that seemed to plaster itself across her face quite often since she'd met Michael. “Thank you,” was all she could think to say.
“I know you're going to be closing up here soon and I'm by myself tonight. Jack, my husband, is down in San Diego with Pete. I wondered if you wanted to come and have some dinner with me at the Boathouse?”
Megan thought about it. She needed to get home and feed Ollie, let him out for a walk, but she did want to get to know Emma. She seemed nice.
“It's okay if you don't want to. I don't mean to pressure you or anything.”
Megan made her decision and took a deep breath. “No, it's not that. It's just that I have to take care of Ollie.”
“That's your dog, right?”
She nodded. “But I could meet you in a little while?”
Emma nodded.
She decided to jump all in. “Or you if you want, you could come with me while I feed him and take him for a walk, and then we can go?” Maybe that was too much?
But no, Emma was grinning. “I'd love to! Oh, this will be fun. I love dogs. If ever you need anyone to watch him for you, I'd be more than happy to.”
Megan smiled, relieved. “Thank you. If you just give me ten minutes here, I'll get closed up and we can go.”
Ollie went crazy when she opened the front door. In his usual ritual he barked and pawed and wagged around her legs when she got home. Then he repeated the process with Emma, who laughed and petted him. He rolled onto his back in the hallway and refused to budge until she rubbed his belly.
“Oh, isn't he a sweetheart?”
“He is. I was worried at first that he didn't seem too friendly with people, but he's been great with Michael and Missy, and now you.” She smiled. “Michael says Ollie’s a good judge of character.”
Emma smiled back. “I'd have to agree. I told you we're not that bad.”
“Oh, I didn't mean there's anything wrong with you. It's just me. I don't do very well with people.”
Emma laughed. “Maybe you're just like Ollie? You're choosy about the people you let in. I mean, you're doing great with all of us. Missy told me you're lovely, and I agree. Michael definitely thinks you're wonderful.” She rubbed Ollie's belly some more.
“What makes you say that?”
Emma grinned up at her. “You should have seen him on Friday night. When Jack and I got there, he'd just seen you go upstairs to start your meeting. He wanted to follow you. Ben wouldn't let him. He kept watching the stairs all night for you to come down. He'd only gone to the bathroom when Ben brought you over. You should have seen his face when he came back and saw you sitting in his chair. He looked like a kid on Christmas morning!”
Megan knew she had that big silly smile going again. She loved thinking that Michael had noticed her and liked her, when she was invisible to everyone else.
Emma was smiling back at her. “He'd probably
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