by Melissa Blue
Since her mind was on other things, it was a moment too late to slow down by the time she saw the black-and-white leave its hiding place in the dip of the road as she straightened out of the curve. She cursed it, along with the anger she had let loose on the road. It took her another mile to slow down completely. She reached into her glove compartment for her license, registration, and insurance.
"Well, I’ll be. Megan Hazley."
Megan paused as the deep timbre of the voice caressed her. The same memories she’d wished not to have a few moments ago began to pull at her from a different side. First her mother and now him.
Megan turned to the man she had thought would be the first to leave Riverbed and her. She turned to the one memory she secretly cherished of this godforsaken place.
"Mr. Blake." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, making the badge pinned to his chest catch the light. "Let me correct myself, Officer Aiden Blake."
*****
His day had been going pretty good until he saw the silver Camaro pull out of Dead Man’s Curve at eighty miles per hour. He stared down into Megan’s eyes, dark as chocolate, keeping all her secrets from him like they always did. His stomach clenched when he noticed that her skin, smooth and radiant, had darkened, which made her seem much more beautiful than the eighteen-year-old girl he remembered. The same one he’d given his heart to, and the same one who’d left him. Yup, it was turning out to be crappy day.
His hands tightened into fists in his pockets. Aiden figured he could handle this two ways: play it cool and let her off with a warning, or—a smile tugged at his lips—give her hell.
"I clocked you doing eighty. That’s twenty over the legal limit on this road."
Megan frowned in confusion. Good. She’d expected a different reaction to him seeing her. She probably expected him to confess his undying love for her along with a banner, balloons and the high school band. He would have, if it had been twelve years earlier, but he’d come a long way from the boy who worshiped her every step.
"Please, step out of the car."
"Aiden."
The one word came out as a plea. He also heard the exhaustion, as well as the emotion, in her voice. The sound of it made him pause a moment. If it had been anybody else, he’d have had her handcuffed and in the back of the squad by now.
"I need you to stand on the shoulder, for safety."
Megan opened the car door in a huff and did what he asked. She spread her arms out. "Are you happy now?"
Not since you left, he wanted to say. What did that say about him? He leaned over and pulled her keys from the ignition. "Did you want to die? Or just spread your remains in the trees?"
"No, I didn’t." Megan crossed her arms. "Why haven’t you asked why I’m here?"
"Because I know why." He feigned a look of surprise. "What? You thought your coming back wasn’t going to hit the gossip mill?" He could see on her face she had forgotten gossip traveled at the speed of light here and, dammit, he noticed the strain around her eyes. "Nicky break the news to you?"
Megan’s eyes narrowed. "You always could get away with calling her that."
He stopped a few feet in front of her. Aiden told himself he shouldn’t care. It wasn’t his business how she reacted to the news. But the old him, the one who still knew how soft her skin felt against his rough hands, the one who had made promises he knew he’d never break, cared.
"Are you coming back for the wedding?"
Megan hesitated before she answered. "Yes." She brushed her bangs out of her face again. "Yes, I’ll be here. I really don’t want to be."
"Then why are you?"
"My dad would want me to have the house. My dad..." Her voice wavered and she stopped talking. He didn’t speak as she collected herself. "And Nicole, well, she’s Nicole." Disgust filled her voice. "I’ve got things to do. Can you write me my ticket so I can go?"
He stepped back more at the defeat in her voice than anything else. "I’m going to let you off on a warning."
"Thanks." She moved toward her car, and the gravel crunched under her heels.
Out of instinct he reached to stop her and knew it was a mistake the moment his fingers brushed her forearm. He snatched his hand back, but Megan’s eyes widened, and he knew she’d felt it, too. His day was getting worse by the moment.
"You need to drive careful. If Shep had stopped you, he’d have had your car towed, just to make a point."
A smile pulled at her plump lips, making his gut twist again. She shouldn’t have been able to get that reaction out of him. He crossed his arms to keep them from doing anything else on their own. He had to do some type of damage control.
"How is your uncle doing?"
No derision filled her voice. Megan didn’t know. He sure as hell wasn’t going to be the one to tell her the news.
"Good." Aiden shook his head, handed her the car keys. He knew better than to get in the middle of Megan and Nicky. The battle scars he still held proved any man shouldn’t. "Well, I’ll see you then."
He stuffed his hands in his pockets, not turning back, just shaking his head at the irony. They’d be kissing cousins soon, family, the same reason she’d left him and Riverbed.
Chapter 2
"I say it won’t kill you to stay," Lynne said as she refolded the sweater. Her silver-streaked hair glinted under the false light. Hair spray and gel held up the spikes.
"You don’t know my mother." Megan sifted through the box that had just arrived. "We need more red sweaters."
"Purple is the new ‘in’ color. And stop staring at my hair."
"Well, I’m wondering if gravity even touches you."
"Nope." Lynne took the next sweater handed to her and started folding. "As usual, you’re avoiding the subject. And since I do know you, your mother didn’t do too bad of a job. I don’t know the full history, since you never talk about it, but from what I gather, you loved your father, you loved that house, and you’d love to stick your nose in your mother’s business for spite. You have a mean streak you repress unsuccessfully."
"I do not."
"So, I’m guessing it’s just a coincidence that you call me in at six o’clock this morning to fold, even though you know how much I hate to fold, because you wanted this to be a team effort." Lynne talked over Megan’s protest. "Even though you could and rather prefer to set up by yourself."
Megan grinned. "But you fold so much faster and better than I do. My efficient side is what made me call you."
"Right."
Megan hesitated before she added, "I saw Aiden."
Lynne stopped mid-fold. "Oh," She blinked. "Oh."
"Yeah. He’s a cop now." Megan shook her head. "I was speeding. He pulled me over. He stayed professional the whole time."
Except when he touched me and the little zing had nothing to do with keeping the peace. She’d almost forgotten zings existed; she only felt them from Aiden. However, they shouldn’t mean anything, and they couldn’t. She’d left that life behind a very long time ago.
"He didn’t look happy to see me. Matter of fact, he was trying to bolt the moment he realized it was me."
"Remind me again, is this the same guy you left at the altar?"
"I didn’t leave him at the altar." Megan handed Lynne the last sweater in the box. "And you can’t make me feel bad about it. It was for the best. He was too young. Hell, I was too young. Way too young to get shackled down to him and Riverbed."
"Sounds like you’re trying to convince yourself."
Was she? "No, it’s the truth. I wouldn’t have my business, and he’ll probably end up the chief of police after his uncle retires." Megan picked up the empty box. "His uncle is getting up there in age now, anyway."
"I won’t point out that you didn’t say Aiden’s balding and has a beer belly." Lynne straightened the sweaters on the table and stood back to look at her handiwork. "And that you’re going to leave me in charge while you’re gone for a month."
"I haven’t decided yet."
Lynne pursed her lips in disbelief. "Right."
"Really, I’m still debating whether it’s going to be good for me to go."
"If you ask me, which I also noticed you didn’t, you’re pissed your mother still knows you so well. She knows you won’t say no."
"She’s still manipulative, and I’ll have to deal with her for a month. Geez, it’s my father’s house. If Nicole was any type of mother, she’d just hand it over to me without conditions." Megan shook her head, still holding the box. "The whole situation just pisses me off."
"You’re so calm about it. That’s a funny way of showing it."
Megan scoffed. "I called you at six o’clock in the morning to fold clothes. That is a mean streak." Megan smiled at Lynne’s disbelief. "Yes, I’m admitting something out loud. Savor it. It may not happen again."
"Wait, let me get a pen."
Megan sighed. "If I had the money to just buy it from her, I could avoid it."
"Can you?"
"No." With that, Megan collapsed the box and went out the back way to dump it in the trash. She let out a sigh of relief as she came back into the store, where Lynne was unlocking the front doors. Lynne was like a dog with a bone. Megan didn’t want to talk about Aiden. Sure as hell didn’t want to talk, think, or ponder about her mother more than she had to.
"Back to business as usual," Megan said and stationed herself on the stool behind the cash register.
"I’m going to say two things and then leave it alone." Lynne’s silence had only lulled her into believing the subject was dropped. Megan sighed and waited. "First, I’ll gladly take care of the business for a month. Second, you’re probably going to end up sleeping with Aiden."
Megan almost fell off the chair. "Who said anything about sleeping with him?"
"You felt nothing when you saw him again?"
"He wouldn’t want me."
"And if he does?"
"I’d be there only to make sure my mother doesn’t sell the house to someone else."
Lynne placed her hands on her hips. "I’ll repeat: and if he does?"
"Nothing can come of it. I live here, my business is here, my life is here."
"Right." Lynne said.
Megan’s reply was interrupted when the first customer came in. She really needed to stop being friends with her employees.
*****
Megan frowned for the second time in a year at what would be her home for the next twenty-seven days. Yes, she’d counted, and she had every intention to pull out her calendar and mark off the days. It had taken less than three days to prep Lynne to take over the business. Megan had hoped the prepping would take longer. She hadn’t wanted the transition from work to fulfilling a duty in order to acquire her father’s home to be so easy. Unfortunately it had been that easy, because she didn’t hire fools. With the small duffle bag in her hand, she got out of her car and walked up to the door. Her hand felt sweaty against the cloth handle.
The scent of the potted black-eyed Susans filled the air. The porch swing swayed from the light breeze. Hints of jasmine and rosemary mixed with the heat of the day. On the outside, her father’s house seemed so homely. A place where anyone would want to spend their time. Megan took in a breath, knowing the looks were deceiving. If anyone knew of the turmoil, the arguments, the coldness, they wouldn’t push her to stay. They’d side with her for not wanting to come back. If anyone knew how it hurt to cross this threshold once again, they’d tell her the house wasn’t worth it. But then again, who would know?
Jane opened the door, breaking Megan from her reverie. "We’ve been waiting for you."
She pushed aside the dreary thoughts and smiled. "We sounds ominous."
Jane sighed. "If you behave, I’ll let you eat the cookie dough off the spoon."
Megan dropped the bag, thinking for the first time that everything just might be okay. Jane had a knack for making her feel that way. To Megan, Jane was the home she’d left behind, and she was the only person happy to see her back in Riverbed. Megan swallowed the emotions welling up in her throat. "I can’t make any promises."
Jane smacked her butt and laughed. "They are in the living room."
Megan squared her shoulders and walked through the foyer toward the voices. Her heel caught on the threshold, or at least that’s what Megan blamed when she stumbled. Aiden sat on the edge of the couch’s arm. Dark brown liquid filled the glass half raised to his mouth. And, okay, maybe her heart sped up a little bit seeing the way he filled his jeans. Her breath, maybe, shuddered out a little at the open button on his shirt that gave her a teasing view of his chest. The mocha color of his skin looked taut with muscles.
Megan met his gaze and the butterflies started to flap their wings like crazy in the pit of her stomach. This wasn’t the same reaction she’d had when she first saw him. Then Lynne’s words hit her—You’re probably going to end up sleeping with Aiden. The possibility hadn’t lurked in the depths of her brain before. Now it did, and now she needed to tamp it down.
With an unsteady hand she brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Decided to give me a ticket after all?"
His eyes traveled behind her. It hadn’t been so long she didn’t recognize the emotion fleeting in them. He was worried. Megan followed his gaze to find out why.
"Hey." Megan went still. " Shep."
Shep’s fingers were laced with her mother’s. An intimate touch, one that spoke of them being more than friends. You’ve got to be kidding me. She kept her tone casual as she said, "I’m glad to see you. How’ve you been doing?"
She held onto the chipper tone like a vise. If he was getting friendly with Nicole, then he couldn’t be doing well. She wondered if he was taking Prozac. He had to be.
"I’ve been doing the same," Shep said. His answer meant nothing, but then he glanced at Nicole. Her mother’s hand tightened on his as if drawing strength from his touch.
This is what she’s been hiding from me. No wonder. Their coupling refused to process in Megan’s brain. She had expected another loafer as Nicole’s husband-to-be, not sturdy, dependable Shep. I’ll be. She kept her hands at her sides, although she wanted to rub her eyes to make sure what her retinas were telegraphing to her brain was real.
He released her mother’s hand and came over to Megan, embracing her in one of his famous bear hugs. He was going to be family.
Aiden was going to be family.
It was probably going to take the rest of the month for her to process that.
Shep pulled back, inspecting her face.
"I’m glad you’re here for the wedding. I know you’re busy with your business."
He looked down for a moment. Was he blushing? Megan needed a drink and now understood Aiden wasn’t drinking soda.
"My business is doing good."
Shep nodded. "That’s good to hear. Really good to hear."
Another beat of silence. "Well…" Nicole started.
"Congratulations," Megan said slowly. What Megan really wanted to say shouldn’t be spoken in polite society. If she’d learnt nothing else from growing up in a small town, she could at least be diplomatic when she really wanted to spit.
She crossed her arms, wanting to choke her mother for a number of reasons, while a million questions ran through her head. Megan knew the time wasn’t right to ask them. She let her gaze drift back to Aiden, who drained his glass. He wasn’t scot-free from the choke festival, either. He’d known when he stopped her that Shep and her mother were getting married.
Married.
He’d probably had a good laugh at that one. Then again, he owed her nothing, and that’s how she wanted to keep the terms of their relationship. Things got complicated when emotions and sex got involved. Megan reminded herself she was here to keep the house off the market, not to ignite old flames. What Aiden and she had shared—that died the day she left.
Still, no one spoke. What could be said? Why did you leave Aiden? Why in the hell are you marrying Nicole? A safe subject like the weather was pointless in a situat
ion like this. Fortunately, Jane called them to dinner, forestalling any awkward conversation. Megan told herself the questions for Nicole would have to wait. She could only hope she wouldn’t actually choke her mother.
*****
Knowing he had a ride with his uncle, Aiden finished his third glass of scotch. This marriage was bound to make him an alcoholic, if for no other reason than having to spend time at dinners with Megan across the table.
No one dared to point out Megan’s prolonged absence, nor that she did not want to be there now. The tension might as well have been served beside the potatoes, steak, and gravy. If Shep had any brains, he wouldn’t stay after dinner. Shep should give Nicky a chaste kiss and see his bride-to-be the next day, especially if the steam coming out of Megan’s ears was any indication.
Her cheekbones were more defined, and she’d done something to her eyebrows to make them more sleek, but her tells were the same. The hard line across her forehead told him her mood. He scraped the last remnants of food from his plate and wished the memory of her, of them, could be wiped from his brain as easily.
Sitting across from her seemed to make all the memories come back. They’d made love for the first time under an oak tree on her father’s property by the lake. She loved mornings; she loved her barbequed hot dogs slightly burnt, and she loved action movies instead of chick flicks. He also remembered vividly the first day he’d realized she wasn’t coming back.
Being young and stupid had shielded him from a lot of realities. The first day after she left, when Nicole had explained to him Megan had packed all her clothes, he believed she’d done the cliché thing and left to travel Europe. Three months later, with still neither a letter nor a singing telegram, Aiden grew up. He went to college. He came back home. If life were fair, Megan would have stayed a vague, irritating memory. But no, she sat across from him, plowing through her plate, looking as good as, if not better than, when she left. Why was he surprised life was never fair? His uncle’s words finally penetrated his thoughts.