Faith and Hope Part 1
(Another little episode following Faith in the Dark and Faith Restored)
Miranda convinced herself that the steady glare she was directing at the man across the desk from her was having the desired effect. She watched the way he nervously flipped through the pages of the large book spread between them and relished his discomfort. Declan had asked her to not intimidate one of his best research student/assistants, but Miranda could no longer tolerate Drew Flanagan's confident and self-righteous responses to every research query. He just finished a large assignment for Declan and then insisted that he help her with a project related to one of Declan's "miraculous phenomenon" investigations. Miranda silently thanked the stars that, today, Declan was returning from his two- week anthropology dig and excavation in Northern Africa. 'Another day with Mr. Flanagan and his endless questions and theories and I'll scream.' She thought to herself.
The ringing telephone on Declan's desk startled both of them. Miranda recovered instantly and, without taking her eyes from Mr. Flanagan, she scooped up the phone.
"Professor Dunn's office."
"Hey, Miranda, it's me."
"Declan, are you back yet? Miranda asked hopefully.
"Yep. I'm at home. Just stashing my gear. Look, it's almost 5 o'clock. Peggy's is going to meet me at Del's for dinner. Wanna come?"
Miranda dropped her eyes from Drew Flanagan who suddenly began staring at her with curiosity. She found his gray eyes disturbing. Yesterday, she concluded that with that head full of loopy black curls and piercing stare, Flanagan looked like a happy Alaskan Husky. Miranda slowly swiveled Declan's chair and herself around and away from his open gaze.
"Sure. Del's is good. 6:30 a good time?"
"That's good for me and Peggy. See you then."
Miranda swiveled around again and hung up the telephone. Flanagan was packing up his books and papers from the desk. When he stood up, he smiled down at Miranda.
"I hear Declan's back. We'll have a lot to give him after today's research." Drew Flanagan walked to the office door with wide, hurried strides. " Tell Declan I'll call him in a day or so. Thanks for your help Miranda."
"No problem." She watched him leave with a sigh of relief.
Declan checked his watch again as he parked his truck in front of Peggy's house. He heard barking behind her door as he rapidly crossed the short lawn. The front door swung open before he could reach the bell. Mole, his hideous, sweet-faced, dog galloped the short distance to his master. Declan kneeled on the grass and hugged his furry friend.
"Hey, buddy! Man, I missed you too." Declan looked up and saw Peggy smiling at the poignant scene on her lawn. He rubbed the dog's neck with both hands but could not take his eyes from the woman who occupied his every waking moment while he was in Africa.
"You look like you spent two weeks on a tropical beach instead of climbing in and out of excavation pits." She commented walking toward him.
Declan stood up and closed the distance between them by taking her hands and pulling her into a hug. Peggy pressed against him and buried her face along his neck. "Welcome back," she whispered.
His arms slowly glided up her back to embrace her face in his grateful hands. "Felt like two months instead of two weeks." Declan answered right before he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was brief and tender. Both sighed reflexively when they parted.
"That's a heck of a tan you've got there, Declan. I see you forgot your promise to lotion up twice a day."
Declan hungrily let his eyes roam her face. He remembered sitting on the plane last night wondering if they would still be comfortable as a "couple" when he returned. There were no doubts right now. Peggy smile was inches from his and her arms hugged with familiarity.
"I was fried for a couple of days because I forgot to re-apply. Then I started carrying the bottle around in my pocket. I'm all healed now. You should have seen me last week." He was suddenly off balance and staggered sideways away from Peggy. Mole had given him a mighty nudge to the leg.
Peggy laughed at the dog. "Still jealous, I see. He's been like this since you dropped him off. Everyday on our walk, Mole kept other pedestrians and dogs away from me. I don't know why."
Declan stood beside her and looked down at his faithless companion. " When I told him to take care of you while I was away he took it literally. Any problems with him?"
"No. I was surprised. He listened to me and followed me around like a puppy. Who knew Mole could be so sweet." She bent over to pet the dog's upturned head. Declan slipped an arm around her waist succumbing to his need to touch her again.
"We have to get Del's. It's almost 6:15. Let's get Mole inside and go." Peggy walked the dog back to the house. She came back outside with her jacket and purse.
On the way to the restaurant, Declan talked about his trip and how much fun he had debating over the findings with the other professors who traveled from England and Switzerland. As he drove the truck and talked, Peggy enjoyed watching the delight in his eyes as he described the artifacts they uncovered. He was very tan and sported a soft 5 o'clock shadow across the bottom of his face, a face she missed more than she thought possible.
Two and a half months ago, on a Sunday afternoon. Peggy fondly remembered the day they dropped the pretense of just being friends. Then she remembered when he told her that he was being summoned to Africa by colleagues from Europe to examine and identify artifacts. They did not express their anxiety in being separated so early in their new relationship but both felt it at the airport on the night Declan left. Peggy wondered if her apprehension would finally drive her back behind the wall she carefully constructed before Declan Dunn walked right through it.
Watching him now, she knew, what she grew to accept in his absence - that she did not want to go back now.
In front of the restaurant, Declan stopped Peggy before she went in. "Are you okay with this, Peg? I did want to spend my first night back alone...with you." He sighed deeply and smiled. "Miranda wants an update on the trip and I didn't want her to feel left out."
"I don't mind at all. This will be fun. Miranda and I did lunch a lot when you were away and she does look forward to seeing you and hearing about the dig."
"Okay. Maybe after dinner we'll ..go somewhere and talk." Declan suggested.
"We'll see." Peggy murmured as she went through the glass doors and into the restaurant.
End of Part 1
(Another little episode following Faith in the Dark and Faith Restored)
Miranda convinced herself that the steady glare she was directing at the man across the desk from her was having the desired effect. She watched the way he nervously flipped through the pages of the large book spread between them and relished his discomfort. Declan had asked her to not intimidate one of his best research student/assistants, but Miranda could no longer tolerate Drew Flanagan's confident and self-righteous responses to every research query. He just finished a large assignment for Declan and then insisted that he help her with a project related to one of Declan's "miraculous phenomenon" investigations. Miranda silently thanked the stars that, today, Declan was returning from his two- week anthropology dig and excavation in Northern Africa. 'Another day with Mr. Flanagan and his endless questions and theories and I'll scream.' She thought to herself.
The ringing telephone on Declan's desk startled both of them. Miranda recovered instantly and, without taking her eyes from Mr. Flanagan, she scooped up the phone.
"Professor Dunn's office."
"Hey, Miranda, it's me."
"Declan, are you back yet? Miranda asked hopefully.
"Yep. I'm at home. Just stashing my gear. Look, it's almost 5 o'clock. Peggy's is going to meet me at Del's for dinner. Wanna come?"
Miranda dropped her eyes from Drew Flanagan who suddenly began staring at her with curiosity. She found his gray eyes disturbing. Yesterday, she concluded that with that head full of loopy black curls and piercing stare, Flanagan looked like a happy Alaskan Husky. Miranda slowly swiveled Declan's chair and herself around and away from his open gaze.
"Sure. Del's is good. 6:30 a good time?"
"That's good for me and Peggy. See you then."
Miranda swiveled around again and hung up the telephone. Flanagan was packing up his books and papers from the desk. When he stood up, he smiled down at Miranda.
"I hear Declan's back. We'll have a lot to give him after today's research." Drew Flanagan walked to the office door with wide, hurried strides. " Tell Declan I'll call him in a day or so. Thanks for your help Miranda."
"No problem." She watched him leave with a sigh of relief.
Declan checked his watch again as he parked his truck in front of Peggy's house. He heard barking behind her door as he rapidly crossed the short lawn. The front door swung open before he could reach the bell. Mole, his hideous, sweet-faced, dog galloped the short distance to his master. Declan kneeled on the grass and hugged his furry friend.
"Hey, buddy! Man, I missed you too." Declan looked up and saw Peggy smiling at the poignant scene on her lawn. He rubbed the dog's neck with both hands but could not take his eyes from the woman who occupied his every waking moment while he was in Africa.
"You look like you spent two weeks on a tropical beach instead of climbing in and out of excavation pits." She commented walking toward him.
Declan stood up and closed the distance between them by taking her hands and pulling her into a hug. Peggy pressed against him and buried her face along his neck. "Welcome back," she whispered.
His arms slowly glided up her back to embrace her face in his grateful hands. "Felt like two months instead of two weeks." Declan answered right before he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was brief and tender. Both sighed reflexively when they parted.
"That's a heck of a tan you've got there, Declan. I see you forgot your promise to lotion up twice a day."
Declan hungrily let his eyes roam her face. He remembered sitting on the plane last night wondering if they would still be comfortable as a "couple" when he returned. There were no doubts right now. Peggy smile was inches from his and her arms hugged with familiarity.
"I was fried for a couple of days because I forgot to re-apply. Then I started carrying the bottle around in my pocket. I'm all healed now. You should have seen me last week." He was suddenly off balance and staggered sideways away from Peggy. Mole had given him a mighty nudge to the leg.
Peggy laughed at the dog. "Still jealous, I see. He's been like this since you dropped him off. Everyday on our walk, Mole kept other pedestrians and dogs away from me. I don't know why."
Declan stood beside her and looked down at his faithless companion. " When I told him to take care of you while I was away he took it literally. Any problems with him?"
"No. I was surprised. He listened to me and followed me around like a puppy. Who knew Mole could be so sweet." She bent over to pet the dog's upturned head. Declan slipped an arm around her waist succumbing to his need to touch her again.
"We have to get Del's. It's almost 6:15. Let's get Mole inside and go." Peggy walked the dog back to the house. She came back outside with her jacket and purse.
On the way to the restaurant, Declan talked about his trip and how much fun he had debating over the findings with the other professors who traveled from England and Switzerland. As he drove the truck and talked, Peggy enjoyed watching the delight in his eyes as he described the artifacts they uncovered. He was very tan and sported a soft 5 o'clock shadow across the bottom of his face, a face she missed more than she thought possible.
Two and a half months ago, on a Sunday afternoon. Peggy fondly remembered the day they dropped the pretense of just being friends. Then she remembered when he told her that he was being summoned to Africa by colleagues from Europe to examine and identify artifacts. They did not express their anxiety in being separated so early in their new relationship but both felt it at the airport on the night Declan left. Peggy wondered if her apprehension would finally drive her back behind the wall she carefully constructed before Declan Dunn walked right through it.
Watching him now, she knew, what she grew to accept in his absence - that she did not want to go back now.
In front of the restaurant, Declan stopped Peggy before she went in. "Are you okay with this, Peg? I did want to spend my first night back alone...with you." He sighed deeply and smiled. "Miranda wants an update on the trip and I didn't want her to feel left out."
"I don't mind at all. This will be fun. Miranda and I did lunch a lot when you were away and she does look forward to seeing you and hearing about the dig."
"Okay. Maybe after dinner we'll ..go somewhere and talk." Declan suggested.
"We'll see." Peggy murmured as she went through the glass doors and into the restaurant.
End of Part 1