by Amber Crewes
“Making a deal with the devil is never a good idea,” she said. “I don’t think I should be doing this.”
He chuckled. “Let this devil take you to the event at the Governor’s Mansion,” he insisted. “I was invited to go, and Mya, the assistant, told me you were on the list. Be my date. Spend the evening with me. I’ll drop the charges.”
“You’ll really do it?”
He nodded. “I am a man of my word. I will drop the charges if you go to the Governor’s Mansion with me tomorrow. Please, Meghan, come with me. I can promise you a good dinner, a good dance, and a good time. Who knows, I might even throw in a good kiss?”
Meghan smiled weakly. “I can handle that,” she told him. “Except for the kiss.”
“A kiss on the cheek?” he countered.
Just then, she spotted Jack walking their way. He smiled when he saw Meghan, but his face darkened the minute he spotted Lee. “Oh no,” she cursed as his pace quickened.
“Jack, this isn’t what it looks like,” she insisted. “Lee and I…”
Jack said nothing. He produced a bouquet of dark red roses from behind his back, but rather than giving them to Meghan, he tossed them at their feet. He stared into her eyes, and then turned on his heel, marching away as Meghan’s eyes widened.
She picked up the bouquet. “Oh no,” she lamented as she pulled a small white envelope from the flowers.
MEGHAN, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. I STILL LOVE YOU. I AM SORRY. LOVE, JACK.
“He was trying to apologize,” she cried as she held the card to her heart. “Lee, I have to go.”
“See you tomorrow?”
“Sure, fine. Whatever,” she choked as she ran back into the bakery, slamming the door behind her.
“Meghan!” Trudy exclaimed. “What is the matter? You are crying! Are you okay?”
She told them what happened. “I’m just so upset,” she wailed. “He wanted to fix things, but now, he’s so angry!”
Pamela hugged her. “The best way to get over a breakup is to dress up,” she told Meghan. “You need a glamorous evening. Why don’t you go over to Jackie’s, get your nails done, and tomorrow, we’ll get ready together for the event?”
Meghan nodded. “That sounds good. Are you sure you two can handle things around here?”
“Of course,” Trudy agreed. “Now, get out of here! We don’t want to see your face for the rest of the day. You need to take good care of yourself.”
“I will,” Meghan said as she wiped her eyes. Her phone rang.
“Meghan? It’s Lee.”
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said. “And to make sure you’re all in on our deal? You seemed upset when you left; I know seeing Jack was difficult for you, but I do want you to consider what we talked about earlier. I think our arrangement can benefit all of us.”
“If I go to the Governor’s Mansion with you, you’ll drop the charges against Jack?”
“You have my word, Meghan. Trust me. I wouldn’t do wrong by you.”
She took a long, deep breath. “You have yourself a deal, Lee,” she told him. “Just don’t try to kiss me.”
17
For the second time in two weeks, Meghan, Trudy, and Pamela arrived excitedly at the Governor’s Mansion. The ballroom was decorated with candles and garlands, and an eighteen-piece band played in the corner. A lavish table of exotic appetizers was in the middle of the parlor, and Pamela happily piled everything onto a gold plate.
“You really downplayed this event,” Meghan told Trudy as they hovered near the dessert table. “It’s a proper ball, Trudy, not just an event! I can’t believe how nice this is. These rich people sure have a fancy lifestyle!”
Trudy blushed. “I wasn’t sure when I read the invitation,” she admitted. “But I’m glad we dressed up. I almost wore a pair of brown slacks and a button down shirt, but at the last minute, Pamela convinced me to go glam.”
“Doesn’t my dad look handsome?” Pamela asked as she waved at her father from across the room. “He was so thrilled when he showed my mom his tuxedo! She was making eyes at him all evening while he was getting ready.”
Meghan laughed. “Your dad is a handsome fellow, Pamela,” she remarked. “If your mom weren’t around, I might steal him away,” she teased.
“Trudy, who did you bring as your date?” Pamela asked.
“I brought my minister,” she told Meghan. “Reverend Trisha’s husband died last winter, and she needed some cheering up. The Reverend has been so good to me over the years, and I wanted to return the favor. I thought a fun night out would be just what she needed. Kind of like you…”
Meghan’s heart warmed. “You are so sweet,” she said as she wrapped an arm around Trudy’s shoulder. “Both of you are so sweet for thinking of me. It’s been nice to have something to look forward to, and I had such a good time getting ready together.”
“We just want you to have a good time,” Pamela shrugged. “You’re gorgeous, fun, and so smart, and any guy here would be a fool not to sweep you off your feet tonight. I hope you meet your Prince Charming here! A handsome, smart, funny man, who will treat you right and make you feel like a princess.”
“I hope her Prince Charming is rich, too,” Trudy laughed. “It’s important to marry up, Meghan. Don’t you forget that. Find someone richer than you, smarter than you, but someone who thinks you are the most beautiful thing in the entire world!”
“I agree.”
Lee walked up and bowed to Meghan. He was dressed in a white tuxedo, and the color complemented his complexion. His curly hair was parted to the side, and his locks were smoothed down, making him look older and elegant. “Meghan is gorgeous, fun, and so smart, and I would be a fool not to sweep her off her feet tonight. Pamela, Trudy, may I borrow her for a moment? I think that dance floor is calling! What do you say, Meghan? I promised you a good time and a good dance, and I think it is time to make good on that promise. Do you agree?”
Meghan bit her lip. She knew Jack was working at the ball; she had spotted him earlier. If he saw her dancing with Lee, he might have another outburst. Then again, Meghan knew she looked nice in her form-fitting blue satin dress, and she wanted to have a good time, even if it meant making Jack a little angry. “Maybe it will make Jack jealous to see me dance with Lee,” she thought to herself as she nodded and took Lee’s hand.
“Let’s go,” she said softly.
Lee led her to the dance floor and wrapped his arms around her waist. Meghan instantly regretted her decision to dance with him; he was leaning too close to her, and she did not feel comfortable with his hands on her body. She wriggled out of his grip, but just as she was about to walk away, Lee took her hand as a man approached them. She could tell he was excited, and she painted a smile on her face.
“Governor Alan,” Lee greeted as the middle-aged man stopped. “May I introduce you to my dear friend, Meghan Truman? She owns a bakery in Sandy Bay. Truly Sweet?”
A smile crossed his face. “You are responsible for the extra ten pounds I’ve been carrying,” he teased as he shook Meghan’s hand. “I adore your treats, and my wife does as well. It’s nice to meet you.”
“And you,” Meghan replied. “Thank you for your orders.”
He nodded. “My predecessor repeatedly mentioned your bakery, and when I took office, I knew I had to continue our orders,” he explained. “I’ve only been in office for a few months, but choosing your treats is the best decision I’ve made!”
Meghan laughed. “You are too sweet.”
He grinned. “It’s all of the sugar from your treats! Lee, it’s good to see you. I must be off to make the rounds and greet more guests. Enjoy yourselves, you two. You make a handsome couple.”
Lee winked at Meghan. “See? Even the Governor wants us together.”
She rolled her eyes. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
Suddenly, two suited men stormed over to Lee. “We have a bone to pic
k with you, Shephard! It’s about time you talk to us. We have been trying to reach you for weeks. Why haven’t you returned our calls or our emails? What is your problem?”
Lee raised an eyebrow. “Mark? Greg? It’s been awhile since I’ve seen you two. How have you been? How can I help you?”
One of the men crossed his arms over his chest. “You can help us by refunding us for the bogus referral you gave us,” he demanded. “You connected my company to a bogus security company, and we lost thousands over it. What do you have to say for yourself? Your wife here should know about the kind of mess you’re in.”
Lee looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not his wife,” Meghan corrected.
“She’s my dear friend,” Lee explained, wrapping an arm around Meghan’s waist.
“I’m his date,” she said, removing his arm. “I’m not his wife or girlfriend.”
The other man rolled his eyes. “Well, thank you for that correction,” he sighed. Then, he pointed at him. “You know what he’s talking about. Your network is a sham, and you know it. You are a liar, Lee, and soon, everyone is going to know it. What do you have to say for yourself?”
The first man dove toward Lee and tackled him, taking him down to the ground. “What is going on here?” Lee cried. “Guys, let’s just talk about this!”
Meghan began to shout. “HELP! HELP! Someone, please! Help! Jack? Jack, help!”
Her eyes widened as she saw Jack run across the room. “Jack, they’re fighting him! Help! Help him!”
Jack jumped into the brawl. “Hey! Break it up! Sandy Bay Police here. You need to break this up! Get off of this man immediately”
The two men looked at Jack, then each other. “Let’s get out of here,” the first one told the second, and they ran toward the door. “Lee Shepherd isn’t going to get us thrown in jail.”
“Are you okay?” Jack asked Meghan. She was trembling, but she smiled faintly.
She nodded. “Just shaken. It’s good to see you, though…”
Lee rose from the floor and dusted off his jacket. “Thanks for coming to the rescue, man,” he said to Jack. “Meghan, I think I need to get out of here. I’m sorry that happened. Do you mind if I go?”
“Remember our deal?” she asked. “You’re going to—“
“I didn’t forget,” he saluted as he walked away.
“I have to get back to my post. Excuse me,” Jack told her as he left the dance floor.
“Wait, Jack?”
“Yes?”
“Can we talk? Just for a moment?”
Jack was stone-faced. “About what, Meghan?”
“What happened with us,” she whispered. “Please, Jack, we haven’t had a chance to talk about what happened. I want to clear the air. Please?”
He shook his head. “You think I want to talk with you?” he asked incredulously. “You break up with me over the phone after yelling at me, you meet up with Lee the second our relationship ends, and now, you are his date to a formal event? You even had the audacity to bring me over here to break up a fight between he and his buddies? Meghan, I have never felt so disrespected. You have dragged this guy in my face repeatedly, and I just want to be done with it all.”
“You really want to be done with me?” she asked timidly.
“You’ve given me no choice,” he declared. “You’ve humiliated me, you’ve hurt me, and you’ve made a joke of me. You made me run to that fool’s rescue? After that fool broke us up? Come on, Meghan. You have to be kidding me.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” she whimpered. She reached for his hand and squeezed it. “Jack, this is so hard for me.
He squeezed her hand back, but then tore his away. “This is hard for me too,” he admitted quietly. “I think you were right though,” he said. “We need some time apart. I have to go now. You look beautiful tonight, by the way.”
Her heart broke as he walked away from her. Realizing she was all alone, Meghan walked to an empty table. She arranged her silk dress around her legs and carefully sat down. “Mind if I join you?”
The Governor was smiling at her, and she gestured to the seat. “Of course,” she said. “It’s your house.”
He laughed. “I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this up,” he began. “My daughter is getting married soon, and she is looking for an event venue. I spoke with your two staff members, Trudy and Pamela, and they mentioned you own an event barn? They showed me some photos, and the place is just lovely.”
“I do,” she confirmed. “Would your daughter like to tour it?”
“I think she would be interested,” he agreed. “I have seven daughters, and she is the eldest, so this is a special event for our family. We want the perfect venue for the perfect family day.”
“I could give you a tour,” she assured him. “As well as do a catering session. Would you like that? The bakery can do main dishes as well as desserts.”
“Fantastic!” he cried. “I’ll have Mya reach out to you to make the plans.”
She smiled. “You seem like such a proud father.”
“I am,” he confirmed. “My family is everything to me. In fact, I don’t believe I’ll be pursuing another term as governor; my youngest is six, and it isn’t fair to her that I am so busy. But that’s a secret, understood?”
“Understood,” she smiled.
He shook her hand, and as he walked away, she noticed someone was staring at her. She glanced across the room, and her stomach sank as her eyes met Jack’s. She realized she missed him, and while she could have broken their intense gaze, she held it for just a few moments longer.
18
“He said WHAT to you?”
Meghan grinned as Jackie shrieked in excitement. “Meghan, the governor is a billionaire! If he rents the barn for his daughter’s wedding, it’s going to be such an expensive bill. We will make so much money from this deal!”
“I know!” Meghan cried happily. “This is just what I needed, Jackie; with my breakup still fresh, I need to throw myself into a project, and this is going to be it!”
“All of that extra money will help us offset the costs from the security measures we’re putting in place,” Jackie commented. “We won’t go bankrupt making our barn safer!”
“It’s such a win-win,” Meghan agreed. “I will have something to focus on while my heart heals, we will make more money, and the barn will gain acclaim from all of the fancy people floating around for the wedding!”
“It’s perfect,” Jackie praised. “In the meantime, why don’t we take a drive out to the barn today? It’s nice outside, and I want to show you some of the security measures I’ve had put in.”
“You had more cameras installed?” Meghan asked. “I thought we were going to wait until Lee connected us with that company?”
“I didn’t put cameras in,” Jackie corrected. “I did something else…”
“What did you do…?”
Meghan found out an hour later; they arrived at the barn, and she gasped. “You had barbed wire fencing put in?” she shouted. “Jackie, it looks terrible. Is this a bad joke?”
“We needed to do it,” Jackie said defensively. “We need to be safe at the barn, and it was time I took matters into my own hands.”
“It looks so trashy,” Meghan complained as she examined the fencing. “There are huge gaps in the wiring! Someone could easily walk in.”
“If you don’t like it, you’ll have to figure out a solution of your own,” Jackie shrugged. “I put a lot of hard work into this, and I did what needed to be done.”
“I need to make a phone call,” Meghan spat as she marched away from Jackie. “You can’t just make executive decisions for this business when we both own it, Jackie!”
Meghan dialed Lee’s number. She hadn’t heard from him since the fiasco at the ball, but she hoped he would answer. He was resourceful and well-connected, and she was sure he could help get rid of the terrible fencing and recommend a compete
nt security company that could install cameras within the day.
His phone went straight to voicemail, and Meghan clenched her fists. Her face burned with anger as she stared at the ugly, primitive barbed wire, and she resisted the urge to throw up as she imagined the Governor’s daughter dismissing the venue entirely.
“You can’t do this again,” she scolded Jackie. “Or I am out of the barn. You’ve done this several times, and I am done messing around.”
“Hey, ladies.”
The two women turned to find Declan approaching them. Meghan saw Jackie discretely apply a layer of lipstick and puff out her chest as he sauntered up. “Hey,” she said flirtily as Declan grinned at them.
“What are you doing here, Declan?” Meghan asked bluntly.
He sighed. “I wish it were for work, but to be honest, I came here to talk to Jacob.”
“JACOB?” Meghan asked. “What do you mean? Jacob Chambers?”
He laughed quietly. “He hasn’t been buried yet, and this is where he died, so I come here sometimes to talk to him. You know, like he’s an angel or something? I just feel his presence when I’m here.”
“That is so sweet,” Jackie cooed. “What a good friend. I’m Jackie, by the way.”
Meghan shook her head. “That’s nice, Declan,” she said. “But this is private property. You can’t hang around here as you please. I’m going to have to ask you to wait for the burial. You can visit Jacob’s grave, but you can’t come hanging around here.”
Declan narrowed his eyes at Meghan. “I don’t appreciate that kind of tone,” he told her. “I’m grieving for my buddy. Can’t you have a heart, Meghan?”
Her phone began to ring. “It’s Lee,” she told Meghan. “I need to take this.”
“Lee Shephard?” Declan asked.
“Yes?”
“That freckly guy with the curly hair?”
“Yes.”
“He’s such a chump,” Declan complained. “He’s friends with my boss, and sometimes he works at our office doing security stuff. He gives terrible directions and isn’t great at following through on promises. Jacob really hated that guy.”