“Hmm,” he said. “I’m just about to eat some fish I cooked. I’ll be along…”
“Good,” she said. “I’ll have Paul save you a cigar.” Then she hung up.
Walt looked over the kitchen counter at Muriel, who was still on one of his bar stools with a glass of wine. She tilted her head and smiled at him. He brought the plates to the table. “I think you’re about to have your debut,” he said.
“You think so, huh?”
“Mel, the local midwife, is in labor, and it’s kind of a tradition around here for friends to gather at the house, see the baby fresh out of the chute, have a drink and a cigar. It’s a girl, I hear. We should go.”
“I’ve met Mel. Just as I thought,” she said. “You didn’t tell your daughter you were having me to dinner.”
“Of course not,” he said, sitting down opposite her. “Vanessa would have stayed home. That didn’t fit into my plans.”
Muriel laughed and dipped into her fish—sea bass that Walt had seasoned wonderfully. She sighed and let her eyes drift closed for a second in appreciation.
“There you go,” he said, smiling. “You could do that. I could teach you.”
“I’ll pass.”
“We’ll enjoy dinner, leave the dishes in the sink and then run out to the Sheridans’。 How does that sound to you?”
“I’d love to see the baby,” she said. “I’d like to meet your daughter and little grandson. After all, I introduced you to Luce.”
“The thing is,” he said, “this is going to get Vanessa a lot more excited than Luce was when she met me.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible,” Muriel replied, thinking of her Lab’s wild reaction every time she saw Walt.
Thirty minutes later they were en route in Walt’s SUV, having left Muriel’s truck at his house. Their timing was perfect; the little baby girl was just making her first public appearance. And when Walt walked into the house with Muriel, Vanessa’s chin almost dropped to the floor. “Vanni, meet our new neighbor, Muriel St. Claire. Muriel, this is my daughter. And this,” he said, turning toward Jack, who held a small pink bundle in his arms, “must be the new Sheridan.”
“Oh my God,” Muriel said. “Oh my God, look at her! I’ve never seen a baby this new! She’s amazing!”
“Want to hold her a second?” Jack asked.
“I don’t even know how,” Muriel said. There was that look, Walt thought. Vulnerable. He’d remember that. “Puppies and foals I can handle—human newborns… Maybe I shouldn’t…”
“You’ll be all right.” Jack laughed. “Support her head.” He shifted the baby into her arms. “There you go. It’s not that hard.”
Vanni was still staring openmouthed at her father, but Walt was completely oblivious to his daughter. He had a dreamy smile on his face as he watched Muriel. He had learned that there had never been children for Muriel, that she wished she’d had a long marriage like his and maybe a couple of kids. He hadn’t asked her a lot of personal questions about her relationships because he was a little afraid of the answers, but he knew this was new territory for her. It warmed him to see her experience this for the first time.
“Dad?” Vanni whispered, sidling close to him. “Were you spending the evening with Muriel?”
“I was cooking her dinner,” he said. “You should see the way she eats. Wouldn’t keep a rabbit alive.”
“But, Dad, you didn’t mention anything about—”
“Of course I didn’t, Vanessa. She’s a new neighbor. Only been in that house a couple of months. In fact, I didn’t even know she was around till I ran into her out on the trail. She has a couple of horses. Nice woman. You’ll like her.”
“Dad?”
He finally turned to look at her. “What?” he asked.
“Dad, do you realize that’s Muriel St. Claire? The actress?”
“Uh-huh. She mentioned that, yes. Nice woman, you’ll like her.”
Vanni just shook her head in confusion. But her attention was drawn back to Jack as he presented little Emma to the rest of the gathering, giving each one a chance to admire her.
“I’m sorry, Vanessa,” Muriel said. “I should have said how pleased I am to meet you—but I was completely distracted by the baby.” She put out her hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”