“Good morning, Meg,” he said, as always using her first name instead of the formality most principals preferred. “Please have a seat,” he said in a serious tone.
She chose one of the two uncomfortable hard-backed chairs across from him.
“I’ll get right to the point. I’ve had some phone calls from concerned parents about the man sitting outside the school in an unmarked car.”
Meg gripped the edge of her chair harder. Of course she could comprehend why parents wouldn’t be comfortable with a large man sitting in a black car, parked in the school lot for the entire day.
“I can explain.”
“Then it does involve you?”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
“It was only conjecture until now.”
Meg had known that, but she believed in owning up to her issues when confronted. “You already know I put my ex-boyfriend on a list of people I don’t want to be allowed inside the school. The truth is, I have a restraining order against him,” she admitted. She glanced down, noticed that her hands had begun to shake, and shoved them beneath her legs on the chair.
“Is the man dangerous?” Mr. Hansen asked. “Do I need to be concerned about the children?”
“Umm, he’s only interested in me.”
The other man narrowed his gaze. “What if the kids get in the way of him getting to you?”
Meg’s mouth grew dry. “I didn’t think… I wouldn’t put the kids at risk.” And she couldn’t vouch for Mike’s stability if he was drinking.
“I know you wouldn’t do it deliberately, but that may be the end result. One of the parents who called is on the school board. She wants to call a meeting. She feels you should be suspended without pay, and frankly, given the situation, that’s very likely how the board will vote.”
Meg dipped her head, knowing what Mr. Hansen was getting at. She could go through with the farce of the board hearing, but the result was almost a given. If Meg had children in the school, knowing what she did about her ex, she’d vote to suspend her. What if Mike did become totally unhinged and was drinking and made a scene outside school? What if he went after her and the children were there? She shook her head, surprised she hadn’t thought of this before. But she’d been so overwhelmed with things, she hadn’t thought beyond her own problems.
“I understand,” she whispered, her fear folding in on her because she knew what was coming.
“Then we’re in agreement. You’ll take a voluntary suspension, and I’ll explain things to the board.”
Meg managed a nod as tears sprung to her eyes. Now she wasn’t just an unwed mother, she was an unemployed, unwed mother with no income coming in. She’d counted on saving her money between now and when this school year ended for the new and unexpected baby-related expenses.
Somehow she rose to her feet on shaking legs and started for the door.
“Meg.”
She turned and glanced over her shoulder. The sympathetic look on his face surprised her. “I really am sorry. I know how you feel about the children and them about you.”
“Thank you.”
She turned and headed out, walking past Allie with a half wave, unable to find the words to speak. Not without bursting into tears.
* * *
Scott spent the morning with Tyler, in a meeting with Lola Corbin. She came alone, no handlers or other band members with her. She was a pop star and music phenom, a woman who’d recently been voted sexiest woman alive by a men’s magazine, yet she was clearly down-to-earth and … normal despite her party-girl image. Most men would be salivating over her long dark hair, blue eyes, and killer body, but Scott preferred the brown-haired, brown-eyed schoolteacher he’d woken up to this morning.
He looked across the table at Lola, and after hashing out the security plans they’d implement if she hired them, Scott came to the conclusion that she knew how to handle her life. She didn’t take shit from her bandmates, nor did she plan to let angry fans ruin her life. She was engaged to Peter Grissom, Jr., a Miami Thunder all-star player and another reason Tyler and Scott couldn’t turn down the job. No matter how they felt about Grey Kingston.
They wrapped up the meeting with a firm commitment from Lola to hire them.
Scott’s cell rang, and the screen showed Rick. “Talk to me.”
“She just walked out of school, ignored me, got into her car, and drove off.”
He glanced at his watch. They were barely halfway through the day. Was she sick? “Where is she headed?”
“Looks like your place.”
“Okay, stick close to her. I’ll be there soon. Thanks, man.” Scott disconnected the call and dialed Meg, but it went straight to voice mail.
After a quick check-in with Tyler, Scott headed home, making the trip in record time. He acknowledged Rick, who sat in his vehicle on the street in front of the house, and pulled into his driveway, not surprised to find Meg’s car already parked there.
He headed inside, not sure what to expect. “Meg?” He tossed his keys on the credenza by the front door.
When she didn’t reply, he checked the kitchen and, finding it empty, headed for the bedroom. He found her lying on the bed, fully dressed, curled up on her side.
As much as he liked the sight of her on his bed, his stomach cramped with worry. “Hey.” He sat down beside her on the mattress. “Are you sick?”
“Did Rick call and tattle on me?” she asked.
“He let me know you left work unexpectedly. You didn’t answer your phone, so I came home to check on you.”
She sniffed and pushed herself upright, then settled back against the pillows, her hair falling messily around her shoulders, makeup-streaked tears on her face. His stomach clenched at the sight.
“I’m not sick,” she said, and he breathed freely for the first time since Rick’s call.
She bit down on her lip, looking up at him with those big brown eyes. “But I am unemployed.”
“Excuse me?”
“Parents called school to complain about the strange man in an unmarked car sitting on school property. The principal talked to Rick. He didn’t give my name, but considering I’d put Mike on a list of people not to be allowed into the school, it wasn’t difficult to figure out who he was guarding. One of the parents who complained is a board member, and she wanted to have a meeting.” Meg rubbed her hands up and down her bare arms.
Scott was dying to pull her against him, but she didn’t appear at all receptive at the moment. Unlike the time she’d thrown herself against him, she was stiff and unyielding, her body language screaming don’t touch. She clearly didn’t want to rely on him, and damn, but that hurt.
“How did that lead to you being fired?” he asked, sticking to facts.
“Unpaid leave,” she said, enunciating each syllable. “The principal didn’t force things. But when he asked me if Mike was a danger to the kids, I just didn’t know. What if he showed up and was drinking? What if he got past Rick and the kids were in the way… I couldn’t say for sure it was safe. And if it were my child, I’d want me gone.” She shrugged in defeat. “There was no point in letting a board meeting happen, so I just accepted the inevitable.”
Scott swore loudly. “I wish we could find the bastard, but according to Luke, Mike is MIA. We can’t locate him, and he’s spoken to friends and last-known coworkers. Any calls you’ve gotten have been on burner phones and are untraceable. But the Ashtons seem different.” Scott needed to tell her more about what Luke had uncovered about the couple, but now wasn’t the time.
“It doesn’t matter. Mike’s got the upper hand, just like he wants.”
“Let’s see if we can’t tilt things in your favor. I think it’s time to talk to Mike’s parents. Let’s see if they have any sway over their son.”
“It didn’t seem like it when I spoke to them, but it’s worth a shot. I need this job,” she said, her voice breaking. “I tried to think of alternatives. I can’t tutor older kids to make money for the same reason I�
��ve basically been asked to leave. And I have savings, but I counted on my income to buy a crib and baby furniture, clothing, formula, diapers… I can’t afford to let this situation go on.”
Needing to touch her, hoping she needed contact with him too, he grasped her hands, threading their fingers together, the act meaning something to him. He pushed back the rush of panic and focused on the now. On Meg.
“We’ll figure this out.”
She glanced at him, her eyes glassy, her jaw set and determined. “I will.”
He absolutely noticed her use of the word I. Knew he’d caused it by his callous comment about family being for suckers and happily ever after happening only in fairy tales. A lump swelled in his throat, and everything inside him screamed at him to reassure her. To promise he’d be there for her no matter what. But rehashing his past had reminded him all too well of how much pain he’d been in when he’d lost his own baby. Which led to the horrible realization that if he allowed himself to think of Meg and the baby as his, and she walked away when the danger was over, he’d lose a lot more than he ever had with Leah.
And he didn’t know if he could come back from that.
He glanced at Meg, noting both her fragility and the strength he admired. Damn, but he wished he’d thought this through earlier … like when he’d pushed for more than one night. But he hadn’t. He’d let his desire for her win out and, as Meg had pointed out, his white knight complex to come out to play.
Fuck. Now neither one of them would escape this thing unscathed.
“Do you have the Ashtons’ phone number?” he asked, focusing on her issues and not the emotions he couldn’t control.
She nodded.
“Let’s set up a meeting.”
“Okay.”
A phone call later and Meg had a plan to meet Mike’s parents for brunch at an out-of-the-way restaurant in South Beach on Wednesday. He’d have preferred an immediate get-together, but they were out of town this weekend. Scott didn’t know what, if anything, they could do to get their son under control, but assuming they cared about the baby the way they claimed to, he hoped they’d become Meg’s allies. She deserved to have something in her life go right for once.
* * *
Meg woke up and slipped out of bed, leaving Scott fast asleep. After the craziness of yesterday, she’d barely remembered she had an OB/GYN appointment this morning. Her doctor worked one Saturday a month, and because Meg didn’t want to miss a day of school, she’d taken a Saturday appointment. Now, of course, it didn’t matter. But no matter now tired she was, she didn’t want to skip something so important.
She took a quick shower, dressed, and slipped out of the bedroom, surprised Scott still slept soundly. She left him a note explaining where she went and propped it against the coffee machine, where he was most likely to see it first thing. She’d learned Scott liked his morning caffeine fix as soon as he woke up.
She had a hunch he wouldn’t be happy she hadn’t woken him and let him know she was headed out, but this was something she needed to do on her own. A doctor’s appointment and sonogram of her baby was the most personal, intimate thing she could imagine, and though she longed to have someone to share it with—and that wasn’t being needy, just honest—she understood she had to draw boundaries with Scott. No matter how much she wished otherwise, and there was no point denying that she did.
A quick glance told her that her friendly bodyguard sat outside the house, watching over her. Although Scott could handle things inside, Rick was making sure Mike didn’t lurk or cause trouble outside. She pulled out of the driveway, slowed, and waved, giving him time to put the car in gear and follow. She wasn’t stupid, nor would she take unnecessary chances. Mike was out there somewhere, not happy that she was still carrying his baby. Protection made sense.
A little while later, Meg lay on the table in a flimsy gown, and Dr. Taylor, a middle-aged woman who Meg trusted and liked a lot, spread warm gel over her belly.
“So we’re going to find the heartbeat.” The doctor moved the wand around while Meg held her breath. She vividly remembered the hospital visit after Mike had shoved her… She’d been bleeding, and the wait while the doctor searched for the heartbeat had been excruciating.
She felt that way now and found herself saying a little prayer, until finally, she heard the whoosh, whoosh from the machine. She expelled a long breath of relief.
“There we go,” the doctor said cheerfully. “Nice and fast. Good job.” She smiled and clicked on the screen, printing out the view. “Any questions for me this visit?” she asked.
Meg shook her head.
“You’re taking your vitamins?”
“I am. They make me nauseous, but I try to do it after a meal.”
“And that, too, is normal.” She hooked her wand back into a holder and met Meg’s gaze. “You look tired. Are you getting enough sleep?”
Meg swallowed hard. “Trying. I’m having some issues with the baby’s father.” She didn’t want to go into detail. No point mentioning she was out of work for the moment as well.
“Well, stress isn’t good for you or the baby,” the doctor said, as if Meg needed the reminder. She wasn’t asking for the nightmare her life had become.
“I know. There are just so many things that are out of my control right now.”
“Well, I recommend you rest. You’re healthy, but you did have that bleeding early on, and we don’t want a repeat, right?”
“Right.” Meg shifted uncomfortably on the hard examining table.
Dr. Taylor rose to her feet. “Everything looks good. Just try to take it easy,” she said. “I’ll see you next month. By then we should be able to see the sex of the baby, if you want to know ahead of time.” She treated Meg to a warm smile. “Take care.”
“Thank you,” Meg murmured. She waited for the other woman to shut the door behind her before pulling herself up to a sitting position, clutching the paper gown around her.
Did she want to know the sex of the baby? She wasn’t sure, but she had time to think about it. Her heart sped up at the thought of a little girl. Of course, she wanted a healthy baby and would adore a boy, but in her heart of hearts, she hoped she had a girl she could dress up and be there for. More than her own mom had been there for her, Meg thought sadly.
When she’d called her mother and told her about the pregnancy, Anne’s response had been a succinct well, that’ll kill your chances of finding a good man. Meg winced at the memory she’d tried hard to push far, far away. Was that how her mother felt about her? That once her dad had left, Meg had been a burden and in the way of her finding her prince? Heaven knew, she never had.
Meg dressed and drove home, trying her best not to dwell on sad or negative thoughts. As the doctor had pointed out, she didn’t need added stress in her life.
It helped when Luke called to fill her in about his search on Mike’s parents. On paper, at least, they weren’t the monsters Mike had painted them out to be. Although Meg needed to know more, along with time to digest what she’d learned, she calmed a bit about meeting them.
She walked into the house and headed straight for the kitchen, where she found Scott sitting with her note and a cup of coffee in front of him. Razor stubble covered his handsome face.
He wore a tee-shirt, a pair of track pants, and his feet were bare. Her mouth watered at the sexy picture he presented.
“Good morning,” she said, setting her purse, keys, and the sonogram photograph on the table.
“How was your appointment?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Everything’s fine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked gruffly.
“Why wouldn’t it be? Can I get you more coffee?” she asked, changing the subject.
“No thanks.” He stared into the mug, his expression unreadable. “I’m fine.”
He didn’t sound fine, but she couldn’t read what was bugging him. Surely he hadn’t wanted to go with her to the doctor. That thought was ridiculous in the extreme.
He picked up the picture and stared at the small black-and-white photo.
She wrapped her hand around the top of the nearest chair and gripped it hard. “It’s hard to really see anything,” she said, suddenly uncomfortable.
Scott stared at the sonogram picture. He’d seen one before, when one of the guys at the station was passing it around like a proud dad. His ex had never brought one home to show him.
Looking at Meg’s baby had his insides twisting with so many conflicting emotions it was hard to name them all. But the one that stuck out, the most surprising one, was longing.
He placed the picture back on the table. “You didn’t have to go alone.”
She pinned him with a surprisingly steady, certain gaze. “Yes, I did.” She paused, as if waiting for him to say more. When he didn’t, she straightened her shoulders. “Look, I really appreciate everything you’re doing for me. And I’m … enjoying what we have.”
She sounded so blasé. Words like enjoy and appreciate didn’t come close to the feelings she churned up inside of him. When he’d woken up to find her side of the bed empty, no Meg to wrap himself around, he’d been thrown. Which showed him how quickly he’d gotten used to having her in his life. And when he’d found her note in the kitchen, he’d been … hurt that she’d gone to her appointment alone. He didn’t understand the feelings, couldn’t figure out what to do with them, but there they were.
“Scott, are you listening?” she asked.
“Yes.” He didn’t like what he was hearing, but he was definitely listening.
“Okay.” She licked her lips nervously. “Well, I was saying, I really think it’s better if we keep the personal separate from—”
“From what?” He rose and stepped into her personal space, deliberately crowding her.
He needed to be close, to touch her, to inhale her scent and feel that his world was set right again. Dammit, she tied him in knots.
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