Luck Be a Lady - Cathie Linz [88]
“I felt more secure with mathematics. It was not risky.”
“I have trouble with risk as well where emotions are concerned.”
Astrid looked surprised. “Yet you took a huge risk coming to see me the way you did.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry I’m not the huggable mother you were searching for.”
“I’m not the only one who took a huge risk. You took a risk coming to see me today. I could have turned you away.”
“The way I did you.”
“You didn’t slam the door in my face.”
“Not literally, perhaps. I’m aware I was not welcoming. I don’t do welcoming very well,” Astrid admitted.
“Maybe I could help you with that. If you want me to.”
Astrid paused a moment before nodding slowly. “That could be . . . educational. I must get back to the conference now.”
“I understand.”
Astrid looked at her. “I think you do. Thank you for that. I’ll be in Chicago for a week. Perhaps we can do this again?”
“Do you want my cell number? Or do you prefer e-mail?”
“I have them both. Fiona gave them to me.”
“You contacted Fiona?”
Astrid nodded. “For old times’ sake.”
“Did you tell her you had the Woodstock jeans?”
“I did. And I told her I planned on giving them to you. She thought that was a good idea. I thought it might be too sentimental ...”
“No. Trust me, you can’t be too sentimental with me.”
“Thank you. That’s good to know. I look forward to learning more.”
“Same here,” Megan said.
Astrid eyed her warily. “You’re not going to hug me, are you?”
“Not today, no.”
“Good. I appreciate that.”
“I can’t say that I’ll never ever hug you,” Megan said. “But if that day ever comes, I’ll give you plenty of warning ahead of time.”
“Fair enough.”
After Astrid left, Megan glanced at her watch. Logan should be arriving any second. Wait until he heard about this latest development with her mother. Megan wasn’t sure what to make of it, but it seemed like a positive step.
It appeared that risk aversion ran in her family, at least where her parents were concerned. But Buddy’s collapse and Gram’s words had made Megan see that time shouldn’t be wasted. She couldn’t wait to tell Logan she loved him. She didn’t expect him to say the words back to her. At least not right away.
She realized he’d been burned in a bad marriage. He’d known more than his fair share of pain. It wasn’t easy for him to open up. But she knew that beneath his tough exterior beat the heart of a good man.
She was still leaning against the door when someone knocked. This had to be Logan! She yanked the door open.
Her father stood there.
Chapter Eighteen
“Faith just told me that you met with your mother in D.C.”
Megan ushered him in. “You just missed her.”
“Your mother was here?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t understand,” he said. “I thought you went to meet her in D.C. and that it didn’t go well there. I dragged that information out of Faith while she was woozy from cold medicine. So maybe I misunderstood?”
“No, you didn’t misunderstand. I did go to D.C. and my first interaction with Astrid did not go well. Why didn’t you let me know that she was the one who suggested you tell me she was dead? Is it true?”
He nodded slowly. “That’s not something you tell your child.”
“I’m not a child any longer.”
“You’ll always be my little girl.”
He said it so tenderly that Megan had to blink away the tears, and she had to hug him, she just hadto. He hugged her back so fiercely that she almost cried. He was her dad—the one who loved her, who’d held her when she broke her toe at age six, who’d sat in the front row and videotaped every single one of her ballet recitals from age eight through eleven, who’d proudly took her photograph for her first high school prom. Her dad was the person who had always been there for her no matter what. That was the bottom line here.
Megan finally stepped away and blinked away the dampness in her eyes. “I’ll always be your little girl, but not hers.”
“Why did she come here today? What did she want?” he said suspiciously. “What did she say to make you cry?”
“It’s not her, it’s you.”
He looked stricken.
“No.” She reached for his hand. “I’m crying in a good way