“Seriously, man, she was on the bar and fell down. If I hadn’t caught her, she would have landed on her ass.” Trevor leaned in. “I know she’s yours—”
“Why don’t I go and leave the two of you alone?” Megan glared at them and stomped away. She felt Lillie behind her as she pushed her way through the crowd and out the door. She was tired of all men. What she wanted was to go back to the days when she couldn’t talk to them. Her life was a whole lot easier when she didn’t have to deal with the male species.
“Megan, wait,” Drew called from behind her.
Megan’s feet skidded to a stop on the sidewalk and she spun around, pulling her hair from her face. “For what? So you can tell me another lie?”
Lillie walked past Drew and moved in close to Megan. “Just talk to him for a minute. He’s not going to hurt you.” She gave her a meaningful look, but Megan had no idea what Lillie was trying to communicate. “I’ll be in the van.”
Drew watched as Lillie got into the van before he turned to Megan. She wanted to laugh. Lillie didn’t have to be in earshot of a normal person to know what was going on. Maybe she wouldn’t hear them talk from that far, but she could hear them think.
“What happened?” Drew took a step closer and tried to brush a strand of hair from her face, but Megan swiped his hand away. “Why are you so mad?”
“Are you seriously asking me that question? You used me for your own gain and you have the nerve to ask me why I’m upset with you?” She placed one hand on her hip while the other waved in his face.
“Just what I thought,” Drew said, shaking his head and stuffing his hands into his jeans pockets. The muscles of his arms rippled as he did his best to keep control. He was so freaking beautiful, her heart begged her to just touch him. “They told you I was part of it all, didn’t they?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Megan stuck her nose in the air so high, if it rained she would have drowned.
“Look at me, Megan,” Drew ordered, his voice deeper than usual. She reluctantly did as she was told and when she saw the look of disappointment in his eyes, she almost cracked. “Do you really believe I’m capable of doing what they say? Do you really believe I would kill someone and risk my own sister’s life over fucking diamonds? Do you think I would give you up for money?”
“Well—” she began, but he held up a hand to stop her.
“You know what, just forget it. If you can even begin to believe something that sick about me then you’re not the person I thought you were and I don’t want to know the real you.”
With that, Drew turned and walked away, leaving Megan staring after him with her mouth hanging open. Swaying in her high heels, she put her hand on her queasy stomach, not sure if the pain was from too much alcohol or too much of the shitty world. She just wanted to sleep until her life went back to normal, even if that meant she didn’t wake up again for a very long time.
“Oh, Sweetie,” Lillie said, coming from behind her and wrapping her arm around her shoulder, leading her back to the van. “It’s okay.”
“If it’s okay, why does it feel like I just let the best part of my life walk away from me?”
“Because you did.”
****
Megan opened one eye and swiftly closed it again. The sunlight felt like laser beams trying to bare her soul. Cupping the pillow around her ears, she tried to muffle the sound of the birds outside the window. They didn’t sound like regular birds. They sounded like their vocal cords were sirens.
It was a first, but she had a hangover. Megan would have smiled at the accomplishment, but she was afraid any movement would split her face in two. She bargained with God to take her pain away and she would never drink again. After waiting three minutes and the throbbing pain hadn’t left, she figured God was busy with other things. The only thing left she could do was drag herself up and take a shower.
Pulling herself from the air mattress on the floor of Lillie’s guestroom, Megan padded to the bathroom and let the hot water do its work. It did help ease a little of the headache, but it also helped her remember parts of the night before that she would have rather never remembered. Did she really dance on the bar and sing while playing air guitar with her leg? And body shots? She groaned.
Throwing on the clothes she wore to Lillie’s the day before, she went to the kitchen and poured a glass of orange juice. It wasn’t until she put the juice back inside the fridge and sat down that she find a house key and a note from Lillie saying she had a few private massages and would be out of reach for a couple hours. Megan laid the note on the table and tapped her fingers against it while she sipped the juice.
What the Wreck was only a few blocks away and it would probably help her headache to get some fresh air. Putting on her shoes, Megan tested the bottoms of her feet and they felt unexpectedly good. Pocketing the house key, she went through the side door and walked down the stairs to the sidewalk. The wind had picked up overnight, bringing a cool breeze along with it. Buttoning her jacket, she pulled out the beanie she always kept in her pocket and pulled it on her head, tucking her hair behind her ears. Taking deep breaths, she let the clean air fill her lungs and clear her head. Nothing worked better than a sunny autumn day.
I wonder if Drew likes autumn, she thought out of nowhere.
She couldn’t help but wish things were different where she was a normal girl and he was her man. What would it be like to walk down the road with him, enjoying the fresh air and talking about their future?
Without realizing it, her walk turned into a jog. The thought of a nice walk in the fresh air no longer held its original appeal when she had to walk it alone.
Out of breath, Megan stopped in front of the towing company and pushed open the door. She tapped the bell on the counter and waited. The place reeked of burnt oil topped with coffee. Being out of breath, she couldn’t help but suck in deep gulps of air. She made a mental note to start jogging more regularly.
An overweight, balding man dressed in dirty blue overalls came out of the back room wiping his greasy hands on a pink rag. “What can I help you with, Ma’am?”
“Hi. I need to pick up my car.” She moved to put her hands on the counter, but thought better of it when she saw it was caked in only god knew what. “The police brought it in yesterday.”
“The Altima?” She nodded. “Yeah, it’s right out back. You got a key?”
“I had a spare,” she said, pulling the key out of her jeans pocket to show him.
“I heard what you did downtown yesterday. Good thing you did. Poor Laura being taken by those sickos.” He shook his head in disgust as he wiped his forehead with the greasy pink rag. Megan wondered if he realized or even cared that he wiped grease over his head. “Anyways, it’ll be one-fifty to get the car.”
“What?” Did another invisible being just smack her in the face or did she imagine it? “You have to be kidding me? One-fifty?”
“No, Ma’am,” he said, his head down. He should be ashamed of himself. Her car was stolen and she still had to pay for it? How was that for justice?
Digging out her temporary checks from her purse, Megan cautiously laid them on the counter. She’d think with his kind of extortion, he’d be able to afford a few cleaning supplies and even splurge for some of those pine tree air fresheners. Though, the place would end up looking like a forest before it would be strong enough to cover that smell. Signing the check, she handed it to him.
“There you go. Can I please have my car now?” He took the check and his eyes darted back and forth between the check and her. He probably had an issue with her temporary checks, but the thin line of her lips and the raise of her brow must have let him know it wouldn’t be a good idea to argue with a woman scorned.
“It’s right this way,” the man said, stuffing her check into his shirt pocket and leading her through the back door to the line of cars. Immediately, she spotted hers and smiled until she saw the side of it. “Think they sideswiped the bridge down on Parson
s Road, but she should run just fine.”
Suppressing a growl, she stomped to the car and pulled on the handle, but it didn’t budge. Standing rigid, she balled her hands into fists at her sides, trying her best not to lose her temper.
“That door ain’t gonna open ‘til you get it fixed. You’ll have to scoot in from the passenger side.” Megan turned to glare at him. He cleared his throat at her death stare and waved. “Okay then, have a good day.”
“Have a good day, my ass. I can’t even have a good freaking minute!” she said to herself as she crawled from the passenger side to the driver’s side. After readjusting the seat to fit the way she liked it, Megan started the car and peeled her way out of the gated parking lot.
With her headache back with full force, she knew only two things could possibly make her feel better. Coffee and sweets. There wasn’t anything a dozen donut holes and a white chocolate mocha couldn’t fix. After that, she would give Brandy a week off work and get her life back to normal.
Parking in front of The Black Sheep, she ducked as she crawled over the center console and knocked her head on the door frame before getting out.
Yeah, that helped the headache.
Keeping her head down so she didn’t see how many people witnessed her humiliating exit, Megan walked the short distance to the door. She pushed the door before realizing she needed to pull and stumbled over the mat just inside the door. She could feel her face getting hot and her temper rising to a boiling point. Clunking to the counter, she gave the spiky haired kid her order and plopped down at the nearest table.
“Hey, Tiger, how are you feeling today?” Trevor asked, sitting in the empty chair across from her.
Okay, add mortification to the already horrific day. “Like someone ran me over, then backed up and ran me over again.”
“I figured.” He leaned back and hid his grin by taking a sip of his drink. “Did you and Drew get everything worked out?”
“Gah!” Megan put her head in her hands. “Just hearing his name feels like a middle school marching band is practicing in my head.”
“That bad, huh?” When she nodded he went on. “I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I’ve known Drew since we were in elementary school and I’ve never seen him react the way he did last night.”
“Oh, you mean like a jackass? I’ve actually seen him be a jackass a few times,” she said, picking at a napkin on the table. A pretty, petite hand placed a plate of donuts and a cup of coffee on the table. With an inhale of coffee, Megan’s body sighed happily. She looked up to thank the woman for bringing her joy. When her eyes met a set of pretty, blue eyes, her entire body zinged like it had just two weeks before. She closed her eyes and leaned back. “Another one? You have got to be kidding me!”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Letting her body relax to the back of the chair, Megan took in the woman standing before her. Her nametag stated her name as Emily, so she assumed this was the owner of the shop. At first, Megan worried she might be a threat, but then she noticed her hands were shaking and her eyes were the size of moons.
Emily couldn’t have been over five foot two inches tall and she was petite so it made her look even smaller. Her hair was a rich coffee-colored brown with a streak of purple down one side.
She was pretty. Megan took a peek at Trevor and from the way his eyes didn’t leave Emily for a second, he thought so, too.
“Trevor, do you mind excusing me for just a minute?” Megan held up a finger to him while getting out of her chair and pulling Emily to the side where they were out of earshot. Tapping her finger on her bottom lip, she looked down to Emily, trying to think of the best way to do this. She didn’t want to just blurt it out the way Lillie had, but excitement and curiosity filled her.
“Do you know what happened over there?” She leaned in and spoke low while watching for signs of her power. With Lillie, every now and then she would catch her making a face at someone across the room or laughing for no reason.
“No,” Emily said, shaking her head, “but I have an idea.”
Emily had every right to be leery of her. Megan was a stranger and it wasn’t like she was asking what her shoe size was or where she had her hair done. Megan was prying into the deepest, darkest secret of the woman’s life, but she had to know. “Okay, what are your abilities?”
“Excuse me? Why should I tell you anything?” Emily asked, an eyebrow raised and her arms crossed over her chest. The initial shock must have worn off.
“Well, you don’t have to.” Okay, this wasn’t going so great and she really didn’t want to get into a full blown conversation about it in the middle of a public place. Instead, she tried another angle and stuck out her hand for Emily to take. “I’m Megan McAlister. You might have heard about the big hoopla at the festival yesterday. That was me. How about you call me tonight and maybe we can meet and talk more about this?”
“I have your number, but why exactly should I call you?” Emily’s eyes became slits and her red lips went flat. She wasn’t as receptive as Megan had been when Lillie had introduced herself, but maybe it wasn’t Emily’s first experience with someone like them.
“Don’t you want to know other people like you? Especially when we live in the same town?” That must have gotten to her because her eyes softened and her posture relaxed. “Plus, there’s someone I’d love for you to meet.”
Emily looked over Megan’s shoulder before returning her eyes to face her. “Okay, I’ll call you tonight but I have to get back to work. And would you tell your creepy friend over there to stop staring at me?” She nodded toward Trevor and Megan had to agree, he was indeed staring. Before Megan could assure her she would have a talk with him, Emily was already behind the counter and pushing the door open to the kitchen.
Megan walked back to the table and sat down before picking up her coffee and taking a much needed sip. What else could happen today? She eyed Trevor as he pretended not to be watching for Emily. “You okay?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?” he asked, refocusing on Megan.
“’Cause you look like you just got hit with Cupid’s arrow. That or you have gas,” she chuckled and popped a donut hole in her mouth. “Go for it. She seems like a little firecracker, though. She just might be the one handing out the screaming orgasms to you.”
If it hadn’t happened right before her eyes, Megan wouldn’t have believed it, but Trevor Gaines was blushing like a teenage girl. “Last thing I need is a woman right now. No offense,” he said, raising his hands.
“Trust me, I completely understand. Relationships suck and I have no plans on ever being in one again.” Megan popped another donut hole into her moth and closed her eyes, enjoying the taste of the glaze melting in her mouth and knowing she would be just fine on her own as long as she had The Black Sheep bakery.
“No. What I meant was I’m so close to getting my master’s that I don’t want any distractions right now. One day I want the whole nine yards. Wife. Kids. House with a picket fence.” She felt like a moron for thinking they were on the same plane. “And you and Drew are right for each other. Everyone that sees you two together knows it. So maybe you’re having a hard time right now, but you’ll get it worked out. You’ll see.”
Rolling her eyes, Megan hoped she didn’t burst into tears and ruin the joyous moment she’d had with her donut hole just seconds before. She stood, tossed the strap of her purse on her shoulder, and grabbed her coffee. “I better get going. I need to get to Dazzled and do some long awaited work.”
Trevor stood and gave her a peck on the cheek before tilting her chin up until she looked him in the eyes. “Take care of yourself,” he said, his eyes bouncing around her face. He was such a good man. One day he will make a lucky lady really happy, Megan thought as she caught Emily peeking over the small window on the kitchen door.
At a snail’s pace, she made her way to Dazzled. Sitting in her parking spot at the back of the shop, she tried to call Lillie and let her know about Emily, but it went st
raight to voicemail. She left a message to call her ASAP, since she would be crazy to leave all of the actual information in a message. There was no telling who could be listening to their conversations. It amazed Megan that she could spend twenty-seven years of her life not knowing if there was anyone else like her out there and in two weeks she’d met two people in her hometown. What were the chances of that?
Once inside, she gave Brandy the week off. Brandy jumped up and down, throwing her arms around Megan before bolting out the door like the building was on fire. Poor girl. She had pretty much taken over running the entire business while Laura was kidnapped. Megan couldn’t imagine having to go through the past two weeks without her help.
One thing was for sure, she didn’t plan on letting anything like that happen again.
“Hey, Megan,” Laura said as she opened the door, Drew right behind her.
Megan’s heart sank at the sight of him. He hadn’t shaved and his hair was tousled, giving him a just out of bed look. And she had firsthand knowledge of what he was capable of doing in bed. When his eyes caught her inspecting him, he turned away.
“Hi, Laura,” she choked out as she stepped from behind the counter and gave her a hug. Laura looked like her old self again. She was smiling like she didn’t have a care in the world. “How are you doing?”
“Great! Actually, we needed to talk to you,” she said, glancing back to her brother. Drew stood with his hands in his pants and his lips firmly shut. It’s okay, Megan thought. I don’t have anything to say to him, either.
The jerk.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“I finished giving my statement to the FBI and wanted to let you know they were asking a lot of questions about you and Drew and how we go out of the room.”
Megan’s pulse sped up and she clasped her hands together. “And…?”
Drew moved closer. “And… stick with the story. If anything gets out that it didn’t go down exactly the way you two said, my sister is looking at jail time for filing a false police report, withholding information, and I imagine they’ll come up with a few more things to throw at her and I won’t let that happen.” His tone dripped with venom.
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