by Melissa Blue
"It gets worse. I’m starting to like my family."
"Oh, poor you, finding out your family is cool, in a straightjacket sort of way."
Megan sat up. "I have to get out of here. I’m starting to get used to their easy, take-it-as-it-comes attitude."
"You’re not being a control freak?" Silence followed Lynne’s comment. Megan rolled her eyes and waited for Lynne to put the phone back to her ear. "Who are you, and what have you done to my boss?"
"Ha. Ha. I’m being serious."
"Okay, you might fire me, but I’m going to say it anyway."
"No. Please, don’t." Megan settled back on the million-and-one pillows on her bed.
"You’ve been denying yourself family for so long that you feel threatened by your primitive instinct to be a part of a community you have no control over. Hence, your control freak issues. You showing up the other day was reminding yourself of the security blanket you made for yourself when you left town. I say, jump his damn bones, stay for the wedding, get the damn house, and consider staying for the summer."
Lynne took in a deep breath. A sure sign she wasn’t finished. Megan closed her eyes and waited.
"But that won’t work for you, because your greatest fear is that Aiden will leave you and marry someone else. You’ll have to sit back and watch him, because you’ll still have the house, but no ‘Honey, I’m home’ kind of guy."
Megan waited, but that was it. "You’ve been taking a psych class."
"Of course, but tell me I’m wrong."
"You’re wrong." Even though the thought of Aiden marrying someone else made her stomach double-knot. Would he touch his wife the same way he touched her? Kiss her with a passion that would make her head spin, toes curl, breasts ache, and mind go blank? Would he take her in the precinct, not caring whether they’d be caught? Would he remember the type of flowers she loved?
She hated his wife, and the phantom woman didn’t even exist. "You’re very wrong. I’m getting the house and I’m out of here. I have a business to run, and I’m not going to walk away from it on a whim. I’ve built up my whole life after being kicked out of my mother’s home. I didn’t need anyone then and I don’t need them now."
"That wife comment is killing you, isn’t it?"
Megan narrowed her eyes. "You’re fired." She tried it out for size. It had no force behind it.
"Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you at the wedding."
The dial tone broke the silence in her room until she snapped the phone shut. I need to get new friends. The thought was followed by, I’ve fallen in love with Aiden. Shortly followed by, Shit.
Chapter 17
When did it happen? Why did it happen? There had to be something logical that Megan could undo, something that would help her walk away from him, again, short of ripping both their hearts out in the process. She groaned and lay back down on the pillows. She’d come for the house and gotten so much more.
More.
She needed more of everything: more time, more him, more of those moments where it felt like they were the only two people in the world, more kisses, more caresses, more painless options for leaving. She really didn’t want to leave him behind, again. She really didn’t want to leave pieces of herself here, again. But leaving was the only option. Staying would only hurt her more. She refused to think of her father. Not right now.
Megan blinked back the tears, knowing she couldn’t have any of those things. She was leaving in less than a week, and she was going even if she was broken and bitter at the unfairness of her situation. She put the pillow over her face, trying to stem the flush of heat that only sobbing could bring. Silently she hoped the cold satin could bring her back to her senses.
She loved Aiden. She had better keep her mouth shut about it, too, and cut off all emotions that would show how she felt. The least coaxing, and Megan knew she’d stay.
For him.
How pathetic and how scary, that one man could reduce her to tears, to lust, to yearning so deep it was painful. One man, and she’d lost her damn mind. Only one other man she’d loved this much. And didn’t it still hurt? Someone knocked on the door, jolting her from her thoughts.
"Come in," she said from behind the pillow. She did not want anyone to see the breakdown of Megan Hazley.
"Are you trying to smother yourself?" her mother asked.
"No."
She’d blown it with the quiver on the "o." No matter how inept as a human being, Nicole was still a mother. It seemed mothers could smell distress within fifty paces or across continents.
In.
Their.
Sleep.
For a moment, Megan hoped Nicole’s skills were rusted, or dead, or at least on their death bed.
"What’s wrong, dear?"
Nope. Still, in working order. "I’m fine. Trying to take a nap."
"At nine o’clock in the morning?"
"As good a time as any." Megan clutched the pillow more tightly when the bed dipped.
"Do you want to tell me?"
Nicole’s voice was soft and caring. Why couldn’t she have said, "No wire hangers" or—even a better one—"dirty pillows." Not that soft, I’m-going-to-sing-you-a-lullaby-and-make-your-hurts-go-away voice.
"There’s nothing to tell. Nothing." This time the "ing" betrayed her by going up an octave.
The tug was soft at first, then harder, and Megan had to grip the pillow to keep it in place. Then the pillow was abruptly pried from her fingers, and Megan was greeted with the shock registering on her mother’s face. "You’ve been crying. Who did it? I swear I’ll kill them." She looked around as if to find a murder weapon.
Megan laughed. "No one did anything."
Nicole leaned over her, suspicion clouding her eyes. "Are you sure? Because Chandi—"
"Mom." Megan said, and that seemed to take the fight out of Nicole.
"You just called me ‘Mom.’ Not Mother, or Lady. Someone did something to you."
I fell in love was too corny for Megan, so she kept it to herself. "No one did anything. I’m fine. No, I’m not fine, but I’ll be okay. I’m the same. You’re...a little different."
Megan took a deep breath, feeling steadier now. If Nicole kept doing her mothering thing, Megan would spill the beans. That was the last thing she needed. "If I don’t say anything else to you from the heart, I’m going to say this, and I want you to hear me out."
Nicole leaned forward, the perfect picture of comfort and home, and of a mother listening to her daughter for the first time. "And it is?"
"Peasant skirts are out of season."
Nicole blinked and then threw the pillow back at her. "I should never have told you to stay sarcastic." Still, Nicole chuckled. "I came up here to let you know Aiden called and wants you to be ready to go decorate Sadie’s Hall. He’s not on duty until three, and then he gets off around eight. He’ll be here in thirty minutes."
"I’ll be ready," Megan grumbled.
Nicole turned to leave, then stopped. "If you ever want to talk about what’s in season, know that I’m here."
Megan smiled. "Okay."
*****
"Real men don’t decorate." Aiden said to Megan as she handed him a balloon to attach to a table. "I’ll move the tables, I’ll set up the stage, leap from one building to the other in a single bound, but decorate I won’t."
"You’ve been hanging out with your uncle Butch too much." And because he had, he took the ring-shaped balloon. "Much better," she added.
Megan finally cracked a smile. He hadn’t wanted to ask what was wrong, because he’d likely get a blanket answer. Trying to break Megan out of her melancholy was much like leaping from building to building. He ruled out the possibility that having to decorate had put her in such a mood. It was the last thing they had to do for the party. He’d filled his truck with the liquor and unloaded it behind the makeshift bar for Tessa. "You’re welcome, and I hope you’re ready for tonight."
"As long as I don’t walk in on Butch trying to do something t
o Chandi, I think I’ll be fine."
Butch would need to be restrained. Liquor, women, and relatives—he’d be in his element. Aiden took the next balloon Megan gave to him on a string and taped it to the table.
"How’s your mother holding up?" Aiden frowned. "I haven’t seen her in a while."
"She’s fine." Megan sighed and filled another balloon with helium. "Surprised you guys haven’t bumped into each other in town."
"Things have been busy." He turned from the sight of Megan bending over to pull another balloon from the box. It was getting harder to ignore her effect on him. He’d gotten used to being a monk. Women didn’t chase him. To be honest, Megan wasn’t chasing him, either. With her, breathing was good enough to excite him. He rolled his neck. It was going to be a very long day.
She handed him the last balloon. "We’re done. Now all we have to do is wait for the Baker Boys."
"You’re kidding. You booked them?"
"Hey, Reggie has a beautiful singing voice, and Greg can play a mean guitar."
"When did you have time to find this out?"
"When they cornered me about doing the bachelor and ‘ette party."
"They’ve been trying to get booked to everything since kingdom come."
Megan placed her hands on her hips, much like the day before, and Aiden pinned down the balloon harder than necessary. She was making him a madman. He just wanted to touch her.
"Aiden." She said his name softly. Knowing he shouldn’t, Aiden turned to her. "You haven’t tried to kiss me today."
Saying I’m trying to let you go might scare her. It scared the crap out of him at how much he needed to touch her, to keep her near him, to smell her, to see her smile, and soon he’d have to let her go. "I know."
She turned her back to him, but not before he saw the expression that made his heart trip and fall. He only had himself to blame for how he felt, but still he didn’t need to put the pressure on her. She didn’t ask for him to love her. Not this time, and not the first time. He crossed the room to her and turned her to face him.
"What?" she said.
Maybe it was him, and wishful thinking, but he heard relief and a little bit of hope in her words. He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her. He kissed her with everything he had. He kissed her instead of saying the words he ached to tell her. The words that had changed everything last time. The words he knew had made her leave and not look to him to take care of her when she needed it most.
He kept the words to himself, knowing they’d eat him alive. He tilted her head back and kissed her harder, hoping to imprint the unspoken words on her lips. He heard the seam in his shirt groan when she fisted her hands in the light material.
But nothing was light about how he was kissing her. If he was never able to kiss her like this again, he wanted her to remember it. He wanted her to ache when she thought of him back in her real life. Aiden needed her to pause and to touch her lips when his name crossed her mind.
Selfish of him, but he didn’t want to be the boy she fell in love with when she was young. Or the man she had a fling with when she was older. He wanted to be more, and Aiden knew he’d never be able to ask her to make that sacrifice for him.
There was that damn ache again, Megan thought, but held onto Aiden, not wanting the kiss to end yet but knowing it had to. The tears she’d been fighting all morning were burning in the back of her eyelids, asking for release. And there was the slow burn knotting her stomach because she wanted this to be more than a kiss.
And there was that more again. She sank her teeth into the soft flesh of his bottom lip. Her smile spread at his deep groan. "You can’t just kiss women like this, Aiden."
His chuckle sounded pained, but he loosened his hold. Was it her, or did it suddenly get cold? She shivered.
"Why is that?" he asked.
She caught his lip between her teeth. He groaned again. "That’s why. You are bound to get sexually assaulted in a public place if you kiss a woman like that."
Megan closed her eyes as the smile died, and she let her head rest against his. She felt pulled in every direction, with her waist encircled by his hands.
"I’m going to have to go. I have to go in for a little while." Regret laced his sigh. "Then I have to pick up Butch and Bob. Bob’s wife is complaining of a headache and will be staying at the house. Jocelyn is heading over to your mom’s, so she can hitch a ride with them."
"I’ll be fine here." Was it her, or were his eyes saying he wouldn’t be fine? He kissed her again, this kiss shorter but with no less heat.
"See you in a bit."
Was it her, or was watching him walk away poignant? Megan bit hard into her bottom lip, keeping the tears in check. She didn’t have time to daydream, hope, or have regrets. She still had to set up the hors d’oeuvre table. Megan shook her bangs out of her eyes and went to the kitchen.
*****
Less than four hours later, Megan wished she’d taken that moment of peace and held it. She sat in the corner, hiding where the light couldn’t find her, much less relatives, behind a fake plant. Megan glanced down at her feet just to check. Nope, Butch hadn’t danced them off. The old goat had a thing for the women in her family. She grinned despite the exhaustion. Shep would soon have to rescue her mother.
The Baker Boys were playing their rendition of "Got to Get You Into My Life." They’d paired up in what looked like original bell bottoms, vests, and gold-rope chains with a horn charm attached. Apparently, they were ignoring the memo that the ‘70s had come and gone. Someone walked by and she tried to curl herself into the chair, but then a hand appeared through the leaves. She cursed under her breath and peered through the foliage. "Oh, it’s you."
"You sound excited to see me." Aiden grabbed her wrist and took her out of her hiding place.
"No. Dear God, don’t make me go back." She tried to peddle back.
Aiden shook his head and grabbed her to him. "You owe me a dance."
Megan stopped fighting. "We’ve danced a million times since I’ve been here."
"And it’ll be my excuse to use until you leave." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I made a special request."
"Oh, really." They elbowed their way onto the floor. It seemed the whole town had showed up. She caught sight of her third grade teacher, cheek to cheek with her Uncle Willie.
"Shh, just wait. They’ll play it next."
Though the last few stanzas of "Got to Get You into My Life" were still playing, Aiden rocked her slowly. "This isn’t a slow song," Megan pointed out.
"Shh."
"Shush me one more time…" But her tone lost its bite as the next notes from the strings of Greg’s guitar played straight through to her heart, and then Reggie sang the best line, the first line of the song.
Tomorrow I may be gone, but today I’m here with you.
She’d never be able to hear Love Me Again by Sarah Rose without thinking of Aiden. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, knowing this time she wouldn’t be able to fight the tears.
But before I leave, tell me you love me once again.
She hoped he wouldn’t say anything about the quiet sob escaping her throat. This was torture, Aiden holding her while she felt like Reggie was singing the song just for them. She held her breath, hoping Aiden wouldn’t point out the obvious they both refused to say out loud.
These will be bittersweet goodbyes.
Lyrics so simple, so beautiful, summing up their sorry situation, and there was nothing either one of them could do about it. The life she’d built was safe and secure. Something she’d worked damn hard to achieve. Yes, okay, she was too damn stubborn to let anything, oh, like falling in love, change her decision. Call her ignorant, but not cautious. And Aiden...there was nothing, absolutely, that could change her leaving. So she let him hold her even after Reggie and Greg rolled on to another song. Aiden, bless him, didn’t mention his wet neck.
Chapter 18
Bypassing the lone wire hanger in her closet, she
hung her maiden of honor dress. One more day. Twenty-four hours. One thousand, four hundred and forty minutes left before she headed back home. She’d be fine after settling back into her life. She had to be, because if she didn’t, then it meant Aiden had become important. More important than the single reason she refused to stay. And if Aiden had become more important than that reason, she was dumber than a brick for leaving.
"Megan, are you ready?" Finally her mother had ditched the peasant skirt, for a red dress. Nicole held a small red matching purse in fingers wearing red nail polish. The hem of the dress grazed the top strap of her stilettos. Megan really needed to tell her mother everything didn’t always have to match.
Still, Megan found herself smiling. "Don’t you look sexy for a rehearsal?"
"Well, it’s the eve of my wedding. Figured I should go out with a bang."
"Makes sense. Let me put my shoes on, and I’ll be good to go."
Nicole moved forward a little more. "It was something else I wanted to talk to you about."
Please, anything but Aiden. "Sure."
"Tomorrow, after the wedding, Shep and I are going on a cruise for five days, but I’ll make sure to pack up all my stuff, so I can move in with Shep right after." Nicole lifted her shoulders. "I’m keeping my word and the house is yours free and clear."
Nicole reached in her purse and pulled out a piece of paper resembling a birth certificate. "Here’s the deed."
Megan’s hand trembled when she took the paper in her hand. She ran her finger over her father’s signature at the bottom of the page. "Why are you giving me this now?"
"I won’t see you tomorrow, not really, and you have stayed until the wedding, more or less. It won’t hurt me if you decide to leave now, but I want you to know I’ve enjoyed you being here with me. The good, the bad, and the ugly."
Megan tore her eyes from the paper. Nicole’s hands were clasped together. Her mother was such a bad liar. Megan knew it would hurt if she packed up her bags now and left, but that wasn’t the reason she said, "No, I want to stay for the wedding."