Maura checked her watch one last time before giving up. It was now 8:30 and she had waited for Rick long enough. She stood to leave collecting her shawl and purse, feeling humiliated at being stood up. Dinner had been his idea too. Well, he had certainly shown her hadn't he? She held her head high as she passed the maitre d' on her way out the door, not wanting to see the apologetic look in his eyes. It had grown chilly with the sunset and she shivered a little as she fumbled for her keys.

She had learned her lesson the hard way, she supposed, feeling a knot rising in her throat. It wasn't enough for Rick to pester her all the time, he had to humiliate her as well. She supposed she deserved some of his treatment of her...after all, she had walked away from him without a word. She had had good reasons though. At least that is what she told herself. How many times had Rick said that he wasn't meant to be a dad? And what had she done? She'd messed up with her birth control and gotten pregnant. The day she had decided to leave, he'd said it at least twice.

He'd given her no choice and she had left to have a baby that he didn't want. She had wanted the child though, but there was no way she could have gone home with it without being married. Her mother would have disowned her and then died from shock. Instead, she moved to Los Angeles and gotten a job waiting tables, something, she decided, she was very good at. She did that until her entire body couldn't take it any longer and the owner was nice enough to promote her to cashier.  

Her baby was a girl. A beautiful baby girl, with black hair and blue eyes, just like Rick. Only she wasn't hers. She signed adoption papers right away giving up any right she would ever have to call the little girl her own. The adoptive parents had been kind enough to send her a picture on her first birthday with her name, Tristen, printed neatly on the back but that was the first and last time she had seen the little girl. After a few years, she forced herself to bury the memory. There was no use carrying it with her day after day.

When her mother was ill, Maura had returned home a different woman than the one who had left for college. Perhaps, Maeve Conlan could see it because she inquired and Maura had broken down and told Maeve everything. She didn't judge her and didn't scold. She only took Maura's hand as she cried and held it. With that one simple gesture, Maura forgave herself but could not find it in her heart to forgive Rick for not wanting a family.

Now, Rick was back and he wanted to talk to her. Settle things between them, he said. But she couldn't and wouldn't do that. On days when it was slow at the restaurant and the weather was beautiful, she would imagine how her life would have turned out if Rick had wanted that family. It was just a fantasy, though, and she had other things to think about. Rick was just going to have to forget about settling accounts with her because she was having none of it. She loved him then, enough to let him have the life he wanted, and she loved him enough now not to put him through the hell she had put herself through after Tristen's birth.


Scene 2:

"Jude? Are you listening to me?" Gwen asked watching her nephew's restless eyes. He jerked his head back to her and grinned.

"Of course I am," he replied. "You were talking about Jamie." Gwen tilted her head and frowned in mock consternation.

"What has gotten into you? You're very distracted. Wait...it's Luke's sister, isn't it? She's very beautiful, Jude. But she's an old maid. A self professed old maid. Give her up." 

Jude shrugged and leaned forward in his chair towards Gwen. "You know me, Gwen, can't pass up a pretty face. Besides, I thought she was interesting. Who knows when I'll get to see her again." He took a sip of wine. "But we were talking about Jamie and his new house. Why can't you let Jamie just have his peace? It's not like he's twelve anymore, Gwen."

"Honestly, Jude. Whose side are you on?"

"I didn't know there were sides to be chosen," he replied simply.  

"I didn't beg him to come back to Virginia to move away again. He's my son and I want to see his family grow in their ancestral home," Gwen answered. It was true. If he laid a guilt trip about controlling people on her though, she'd have a few things to say about that.

"What about Ellen? Why don't you beg her to come back to Virginia so you can watch her family grow?" Gwen narrowed her eyes at his comment. Jude could be a bastard when he chose to behave like his father. Her brother was a torment to her, but Jude was an angel...most of the time.

"Leave Ellen out of this, Jude. You know perfectly well that she hates me for some unknown reason." Gwen shook her head. "I'm talking about Jamie. Talk to him for me. Try to convince him to stay at Four Winds."

"Why should I?" Jude asked. He didn't particularly relish the idea of getting involved with Jamie and Gwen's mother/son relationship.

"Look, if you talk to him, I'll invite Maura Conlan to dinner." She gave him a pointed look and watched as he folded instantly.

"Fine...but all I'll do is talk. that's it. No plotting." Gwen smiled triumphantly. Everyone had their price she was learning.


Scene 3:

Dinah cupped her hands to the glass of Connie's front window. There was a light at the back of the building and she rapped on the glass hoping someone would hear. She had left her history book behind and needed it for class tomorrow. That was what she had told her parents anyway. The book was actually tucked away in her backpack. She used it as an excuse to get out of the house and to see Noah if at all possible.

She saw him leave the office, turning the light off as he came out. She rapped on the glass to draw his attention. He frowned, catching sight of her. He opened the door and stepped out into the chilly night air. He shook his head and locked the door.

"What are you doing here so late, Dinah? Aren't you grounded?" He asked shoving the keys into his pocket. Dinah shrugged and smiled at him.

"Yes, but I wanted to see you," she said boldly.  

"Why?" Noah replied. No time to back out now, Dinah told herself, shivering as a night breeze ruffled her hair. You came out here to do this, now do it. And what was she doing? She countered herself. She was hitting on Noah, well not quite. She was merely sounding him out to see if he was interested in her. Yes, that was it.

"I wanted to say thank you again. You've been really nice to me and I appreciate it." Noah blinked and nodded.

"What are you up to?"

"Nothing!" Dinah exclaimed. "Do I have to be up to something?"

"No, but you usually are." He tilted his head and studied her for a moment. "You're welcome by the way."

"That's more like it. I'm not a bad person Noah. In fact, I'm kind of fun."

"Oh, I believe you."

"Want to try me out?" Dinah said watching his face turn crimson under the street light.

"Er....no. Not now...I mean, not really. No. The answer is no," he stammered out. "I gotta go. I'll see you later." He fled down the street towards his parked car leaving Dinah grinning in front of Connie's. Noah was interested all right.


Scene 4:

After changing clothes and washing her face clean of all the makeup she was wearing, Maura settled down to a leftover dinner of roast beef and salad in the Conlan kitchen. She was picking at the food though, still stinging at being stood up when Jory entered the kitchen and opened the fridge. Maura watched him, thinking how lucky Jillie was to have a twin as nice as Jory. Of all her siblings, Maura wished she could be more like him. He turned after pulling a can of coke out of the fridge and met her gaze.

"What's the matter? Restaurant have terrible food?" He asked opening the can with a loud crack. Maura shrugged and pushed the plate away.

"I wouldn't know. I didn't eat."  

"Why not? I thought you were on a dinner date?" Jory said pulling out a chair next to her. Maura looked into his dark blue eyes and smiled bitterly.

"It wasn't a date. Just dinner...and he stood me up."

"Ouch. Are you okay?"

Was she okay? In the grand scheme of things, did this really bother her? Yes, she decided it did. It was his idea and she had gone along with it out of sincere regret over how she had treated him. Okay, so maybe there was a desire to see him squirm a little too at what he didn't have, but it was mostly regret.

"Yeah," she answered after a moment. "I just wasn't expecting it is all."

"Wasn't there anything good about the night?"

"Well," Maura said thinking. "Yes, there was one good thing. I met a very nice man at the bar. We shared a table."

"And does this mysterious stranger have a name?" Jory asked teasing.

"It was Jude." Jory nearly choked on his drink of coke. "What?"

"Jude? Jude what?" Maura shook her head slightly. "You don't know his last name?"

"No...he was having dinner with Gwen Mason though...yeah he said she was his aunt. That's right." Jory slapped his forehead in mock disbelief.

"Mo, you aren't that dumb. Jude...had dinner with his aunt Gwen Mason? You met Jude Fontaine."

"And?"

"Mo! He's a Mason...kind of. Almost related to Hallie as a matter of fact. And he just got drummed out of Washington D. C. in the midst of some scandal that no one will talk about!"

"How do you know that?" She asked frowning. She found it hard to believe that the nice man she met was related to Hallie and involved in a scandal.

"Everyone knows...," he started but was interrupted by Piper at the kitchen door.

"Hey, Maura, there's a guy at the front door who wants to see you," she said.

"Who is it?" Maura had a sinking feeling she knew exactly who was there.

"His says his name is Rick. Want me to tell him you've gone to bed?" Maura stared at her sister, trying to decide. Did she want to talk to him and ream him out for standing her up? Or let him hang until she felt like reaming him out at a later date. She glanced at Jory before answering.

"Yes, tell him I'm asleep."
 

On the next Episode of Secret Horizons...

Episode 13