“That’s ’cos she’s a nice person.”
“A nice person with perfectly good hearing,” Megan said sweetly.
Nora lifted her arms in the air as William tied an apron around her waist. “Did you know our neighbor is ninety-two years old? She wears a hearing aid ’cos her ears don’t work too good.”
William’s amused gaze connected with Megan’s. “Your aunt has a long way to go before she has to worry about hearing aids.”
Megan sighed. If she wasn’t beaten, bruised, and waiting for a jam sandwich, she might have smiled.
Later that night, William found Megan in the living room. With her legs curled beneath her and a book open on her lap, she looked totally relaxed.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Sore. I took more pain relief half an hour ago, but it hasn’t kicked in yet.”
“Once the swelling goes down you’ll feel a lot better.”
“I hope so.” Megan closed the book she was reading. “I thought if I came down here I might be able to take my mind off what happened.”
He looked into her worried eyes. “Did it work?”
“Not really, but I discovered the top ten fishing spots in Montana.” She held up the fishing guide she’d been reading. “Your friend must like the outdoors. Most of his shelves are filled with books about hunting.”
“A lot of international guests stay here. They usually hire an outfitter and head into the mountains to go hunting.” He moved farther into the room. “Do you mind if I join you?”
“That’s fine. To be honest, I’d enjoy the company. Every time I close my eyes I see the face of the man who tried to kidnap me. Have you heard anything from the FBI?”
William shook his head. “The police and the FBI are still searching for him. It looks as though he had help from someone who works at the airport.”
“How did he leave without triggering some kind of alarm?”
“He knew where to go to avoid the security cameras. By the time the security staff saw the license plate of his getaway vehicle, it was too late.”
Megan shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Do you need a cushion or a pillow?”
“I’ll be okay. I just need to stretch my legs. My knee is still sore.”
William hoped the man who had attacked Megan felt worse. “Where did you learn to defend yourself?”
“Before Nora came to live with me I was a high school teacher. The school ran regular self-defense classes. Until today, I’ve never used any of the moves we learned.” She looked at the folder in his hand. “What have you got there?”
“I asked one of my colleagues to review your adoption. They’ve given me a copy of your Post Adoption Supervisory Report.”
“What does that mean?”
William opened the folder and handed the document to Megan. “How much do you know about the adoption process?”
“Not much.”
“One thing a lot of people don’t realize is how long it takes to adopt a child. Sometimes it can take up to eighteen months. In your case, it took twelve. Once it’s finalized, a Post Adoption Supervisory Report is completed. It covers a huge amount of information as well as recommending different resources if there are issues that need to be addressed.”
Megan’s eyes skimmed across the first page of the document. “My mom and dad were both present at the meeting.”
William knew she was talking about her adoptive parents, not her biological ones. He waited for her to read the next page. “The social worker who was handling your case organized a finalization hearing a month after the report was completed. At that meeting, your parents were given permanent legal custody of you.”
“What about my biological mother?”
“She didn’t have anything to do with this part of the process.”
Megan closed the folder. “Do you mind if I hold onto the report for a few days?”
“You can keep it. I know it’s a lot to take in, but I want to make sure you’re fully prepared for the results of the DNA test.”
“What about Caleb Andrews? Does he know anything about my adoption?”
“He didn’t know he had a sibling. Neither did his aunt and uncle.”
Megan took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll have to wait until I see the DNA results. But if Caleb isn’t my brother, who am I?”
William moved closer to Megan. In a lot of ways, he could understand the fear and betrayal he saw in her eyes. After his wife left him, he’d felt the same way. Rebuilding his life without the two most important people in the world was overwhelming. And when his father turned his back on him, he’d felt as lost as Megan.
He held her hand, wanting her to know she wasn’t alone. “It doesn’t matter who your biological parents are. You were raised by a mom and dad who loved you. A piece of paper will never change that.”
“It changes everything I believe about myself. Mom used to tell me stories about my grandparents. Each Christmas I bake my grandma’s secret cookie recipe.” Megan’s bottom lip trembled. “It was all a lie. Every single word my mother told me was untrue.”
William squeezed her fingers. “I don’t know why your parents decided not to tell you about your adoption, but they must have had a good reason. The woman who could be your biological mother was in an abusive marriage. Perhaps your mom and dad were worried your biological father would find you. Keeping you safe would have been everyone’s top priority.” He looked at the report, then back to Megan. “If Nora was in the same situation, what would you do?”
She froze. “How much do you know about Nora?”
William’s heart sank. He’d seen firsthand what some children lived through, and he prayed to God that Nora wasn’t one of them. “I only know your sister was raising Nora on her own.”
“My sister wouldn’t put Nora’s father’s name on the birth certificate. As soon as she told her boyfriend she was pregnant, he told her to leave and never come back. She was constantly worried he’d find her and want custody of Nora.”
William couldn’t imagine living his life like that. But he’d decided a long time ago that judging the choices someone else made was pointless. Besides, he was the last person who should be telling someone how to run their life.
“Will you look for Nora’s biological father?”
“No, but if Nora wants to look for him when she’s older, I’ll help her as much as I can.” Megan dropped her gaze to their linked hands. “Why does life have to be so complicated?”
“It’s only as complicated as you want it to be. Your parents loved you. From what you’ve said, they wanted you to be happy. One day, they might have told you about your adoption, but you’ll never know. The only thing any of us can do is trust that we’re exactly where we’re meant to be.”
“I wish I was meant to be in Paris,” Megan said wistfully. “I could be drinking hot chocolate and eating croissants in front of the Eiffel Tower.”
William smiled. “I like how your mind works, but a house in Montana is as exotic as I can manage.”
Before he knew what she was doing, Megan leaned forward and kissed his cheek. “I’ll take the house in Montana any day. Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”
“I’m only—”
“Don’t say it,” she said. “You’re doing so much more than your job. You’ve made Nora feel as though this is an adventure. It could have been a lot worse.”
William didn’t need to be reminded just how bad it could have been. If Megan had been kidnapped, Nora’s life wasn’t the only one that would have been turned upside down. He cared about Megan far more than he should, and twice as much as he wanted to. And for him, that was more dangerous than hiding from the terrorists.
Chapter 5
Halfway through the night, Megan’s eyes shot open. Something had woken her out of a deep sleep. She listened for the sound of Nora’s voice, but the house was as silent as it was when she’d gone to bed.
With a pounding heart, she
slowly rolled over, confused by the amount of light in her bedroom. She’d left her door slightly ajar in case Nora needed her during the night, but the light from the landing shouldn’t have been this bright.
A strangled scream tore from her throat.
Someone stood beside her bed.
“It’s me,” Nora whispered. “I can’t sleep.”
Megan caught her breath. “It’s okay. I thought—”
Her bedroom door flew open, banging against the wall.
William stood in front of them with a gun in his hand. “Are you all right?”
Nora squealed and leapt into Megan’s bed, pulling the blankets over her head.
With her heart still pounding, Megan groaned. This wasn’t the good night’s sleep her body craved. “Put down the gun. We’re okay. Nora gave me a fright, that’s all.”
William stepped closer to her bed. “I thought someone had broken into the house. Are you all right, Nora?”
Nora peeked over the top of the blankets and nodded.
Megan hugged her niece. “I got a fright when I saw Nora standing beside my bed.”
“I didn’t mean to frighten you,” Nora said softly.
“I know you didn’t, pumpkin. I was in a deep sleep and didn’t hear you come into the room.” Megan stared at William. With his sleep-tousled hair and a baggy T-shirt covering his broad chest, her blood pressure soared for entirely different reasons.
“Are they superhero pajama bottoms?” Nora said in awe.
William looked at his legs. “They are. I bought them at Disneyland a few years ago.”
“I’ve always wanted a pair of princess pajamas, but Aunty Megan can’t find any. We had to buy unicorn ones instead. See.” Nora pushed back the blankets and jumped out of bed, twirling in front of William. “I really like your pajamas.”
William didn’t look as though he knew what to say.
“Come back to bed,” Megan said to Nora. “We can go shopping after Christmas. The stores might have more pajamas by then.”
Nora snuggled beside her. “Promise?”
“Promise.” Megan made a big deal of tucking the blankets around Nora’s little body. She hoped William took the hint and went back to his room. There was only so much raw, testosterone-filled maleness she could handle in one night.
When he didn’t move, she tried smiling, but it hurt too much. “We’ll be okay.”
He nodded at Nora. “Would you like another pillow?”
Megan looked at her niece and sighed. Nora had already fallen asleep—right in the middle of her pillow. “That would be great. There’s one on the chair beside the dresser.”
William picked up the pillow and handed it to her. “Sleep tight. If you need anything, just yell.”
“Thanks.” After he left, Megan dropped her head onto the pillow. Unless someone really did break into the house, there was no way she’d talk above a whisper. If she thought William’s special agent persona was hard to ignore, the sleep-tousled variety was even worse.
The next morning, Megan weighed the flour and added it to the mixing bowl. She glanced at the clock and realized she’d have to move fast if she wanted to get the pancakes finished before Nora and William woke.
“Something smells good.”
The mixing bowl tipped sideways. Megan grabbed it before it fell to the floor. She really needed to do something about her nerves. Or William. Or both.
She cleared her throat and focused on what William had said. “I’ve been awake for ages and decided to do some baking. There’s a carrot and cinnamon cake in the oven. I thought I’d bake some cakes for your friend. They’ll freeze really well and he can always add frosting later. Do you want some pancakes for breakfast?”
She bit her bottom lip, hoping something in her garbled reply made sense. She was thirty-four years old for goodness’ sake. She shouldn’t be going googly-eyed over a freshly showered man who smelled of pine and woodsmoke.
William poured himself a cup of coffee. “Pancakes sound great. Do you always bake something for breakfast?”
“Not all the time. Most days, Nora likes granola and fruit. But I wasn’t sure what cereal she’d want so I thought I’d make pancakes. There’s maple and blueberry syrup in the pantry.”
On his way across the kitchen, William opened one of the pantry doors and found the syrup. “Zac has the most amount of food I’ve ever seen in one house. I used to joke that he could be cut off from civilization for a year and never miss a meal.”
Megan took some eggs out of the refrigerator. “I suppose he needs extra supplies in case the roads are blocked. Living in the mountains can’t be easy.”
“He likes to know there’ll always be food in the house for unexpected visitors. Did you get much sleep last night?”
“Not a lot. Nora might be little, but she wiggles into the center of the bed and doesn’t move. It didn’t help that my face is still swollen. Whenever I rolled onto my left-hand side, I woke up.”
William placed his coffee on the counter and walked toward her. “Show me.”
Megan sucked in a deep breath. “You saw my face when you came into the kitchen.”
“But I wasn’t standing right beside you.”
She ignored the teasing gleam in his eyes. “It’s still the same face.” Megan lifted the skillet onto the cooktop. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of her bruises. And she most definitely didn’t want William standing close to her.
He would only be in her life for a short time. Even if she did find him attractive—in a hot, sexy kind of way—he lived in Bozeman, hundreds of miles from Milwaukee. And, anyway, it wasn’t as if he chose to spend time with them. He was being paid to keep them safe.
He tapped her on the shoulder. “I’m waiting.”
Reluctantly, Megan turned around.
William’s intense gaze settled on her face.
“What do you think?”
He tilted his head sideways.
Megan sighed. “You don’t have to give me a detailed description.” With a pounding heart, she lifted her chin, waiting for his verdict.
“Your black eyes are impressive, but the bruising on your cheek is still in the red and angry stage. You’re right about the swelling, though. With less puffiness around your eyes, your nose doesn’t look so crooked.”
“Gee, thanks,” Megan murmured. “You know how to make me feel special.”
“You’ll feel even better after your X-ray.” William’s hand moved, as if he was about to touch the side of her face.
She stepped away, needing as much distance between them as she could manage. When they went back to their normal lives, it would be hard on everyone, especially Nora. She was developing a soft spot for William. If Megan let herself feel the same way, both their hearts could be broken.
“It’s just as well we’re not in Milwaukee,” Megan said quickly. “Nora was supposed to have her birthday party in a few days. I would have had to dress in a Halloween costume so I didn’t scare her friends.”
William’s eyes crinkled at the corners.
Megan frowned. “Was that a smile?”
“It might have been.”
There it was again—the slight tilt to his mouth, the warm rush of emotion lighting his eyes.
“Don’t tell anyone,” he whispered. “It could ruin my reputation.”
Warm, fuzzy tingles settled in Megan’s stomach. “What reputation?”
William’s gaze wandered over her face. “I take life too seriously.”
“That’s got to be an advantage if you’re dealing with criminals and gun-waving crazy people.”
“I’m not around crazy people all the time.” He hesitated before continuing. “Being serious in everyday life has its downside.”
Megan didn’t think William had anything to worry about. From where she stood, he had qualities a lot of people would admire. “Being serious isn’t a bad thing. Maybe you need an off switch.”
“An off switch?”
“I meant�
��” She looked into his eyes and sighed. It wasn’t her job to give him advice. She wasn’t his friend, could never be his girlfriend. For better or worse, she was his client.
“It doesn’t matter what I meant.” Megan wiped her hands on her apron. “I’d better make the pancakes before Nora wakes up.”
“Can I do anything to help?”
“You could set the table.” At least, that way, he wouldn’t be standing beside her. “Has the FBI given you any new information about the terrorists?”
William took a tablecloth out of a drawer. “All I can tell you is that they’re following some new leads.”
“Does it normally take this long to find a terrorist group?”
“It can take months, but don’t worry. Once Caleb has finished working on the program, the terrorists should leave everyone alone.”
Megan took the buttermilk out of the refrigerator. “I hope you’re right. We can’t stay here forever.”
“It won’t be much longer. I’ll set the table.”
Nora was supposed to start school after Christmas, and Megan had a business to run. Regardless of what her biological brother was doing, Megan needed to go home. But she had a feeling that what she wanted and what she got would be two completely different things.
By the time William had set the table, Megan was ready to cook the pancakes.
“Would you like a glass of orange juice?” William asked.
“That would be great. Nora will have milk.”
While William poured their drinks, she checked the skillet.
“What did you mean about having an off switch?”
Megan frowned. She was hoping he’d forgotten about their earlier conversation. “You said being serious has its downside. It’s important to be able to change the way we react in different situations. Are there times when you feel less serious?”
William walked into the butler’s pantry. “When I’m with my friends.”
“Why are you less serious with them?”
Holding a jar of peaches, he stepped back into the kitchen. “Because they know me better than anyone else.”
A Christmas Wish: Sapphire Bay, Book 3 Page 5