by Carrie Elks
Meghan carried a glass of sweet tea over to her father, and offered him a cookie. Rich went to stand and help her, but her father waved him away. “In this house, our women like to serve us. We take care of them and they take care of us.”
Rich was going to have a field day later. She felt her cheeks blaze as she passed Rich his glass. His fingers slid against hers as he took it, and she felt a jolt of electricity rush through her. Her gaze immediately lifted to his, and for a moment she was lost in it.
“Thank you, Meghan, that will be all. I’m sure your mother needs some help in the kitchen.”
She pulled her hand from the glass, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Rich. He shook his head, still amused at the crazy dynamics going on in her parents’ home.
“Are you sure I can’t help?”
She shook her head, imagining her mom’s horror at having a man in the kitchen. “It’s fine. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes.”
“Whatever it is, it smells delicious.”
“Beef pot roast with potatoes and cabbage, the same thing we always have on Sundays.” Her dad sounded proud about that. “My wife’s a wonderful cook, Richard. And she’s taught Meghan how to be, too. She’ll make a great wife to somebody someday.”
And there it was. The big sell was beginning. She couldn’t have felt more like a cow in the market if he’d tried.
After dinner they could leave. She was already counting down the minutes.
Rich glanced at Meghan from the corner of his eye as they drove down the highway back to Angel Sands. After eating, they’d sat in the living room while Isla and Meghan’s mom had baked some more cookies. This time, Meghan had been allowed to sit with the men, though she’d been uncharacteristically quiet. At exactly four p.m., she’d jumped up and told Isla it was time to go. They’d said their goodbyes quickly, and Isla had carried a large bag of the cookies she’d baked out to the car, promising one to Rich when they got back to Angel Sands.
And now Isla was asleep in the back seat, her breathing rhythmic as they traveled along the highway. This time the windows were closed, and he had the air conditioning on.
“So what was that?” he asked, still trying to work out the dynamics in her family home.
“Sorry.” She sighed. “I should have warned you. My parents have what they call a traditional marriage. Kind of like from the nineteen fifties. My dad brings home the bacon and my mom lives to serve.”
“I didn’t know people still lived like that.”
She looked over at him, a smile playing at her lips. “You’d be surprised how many people do. Their church encourages it. Says that’s how the bible tells them to live.”
“It kind of put equality back a hundred years,” Rich murmured.
Meghan smiled. “Yeah. They think that’s the root of all evil. That things were good in the world before women started asking for equal rights. My dad says ever since then the world has become an evil place. That equality has led to divorce and broken homes, to gangs and drug taking. It’s as if none of that existed before the nineteen fifties.”
He lifted his hand from the wheel, raking his fingers through his hair. “How did you survive growing up in a house like that?”
Her lips twitched. “Not very well. I was lucky to have my grandma, that’s my dad’s mom. She spoiled me whenever she could to make up for things. But it was still difficult and I left at the first opportunity.” She glanced over her shoulder at Isla. “And of course when I got pregnant, they went apeshit.”
“That’s another dollar for the swear jar,” Rich teased.
“Yeah, well maybe it’ll get filled faster than I thought.”
He glanced at her again. She looked more relaxed now. Like she’d done her duty and could shake off the expectations of her parents. “Can I ask you about Isla’s father?” It had been bugging him for weeks. She never mentioned him at all.
“Okay.” Her voice was soft. She checked behind her, no doubt to make sure Isla was asleep. “What do you want to know?”
“How did you meet?”
“We met at a festival.” She leaned her head back against the seat. “I was working there the summer after graduating from college. I tended the bar in the band area, and he was one of the VIPs. We hit it off, and then…” Her voice trailed off. “I got pregnant. Except by the time I found out, he was off touring and didn’t want to be part of having a baby.”
“He’s never met her?”
“No.”
“But he pays child support?”
She shook her head. “I never asked for it. It’s always been Isla and me. We’re comfortable, thanks to my grandma’s legacy. We don’t need his money.”
“You’re a strong woman.”
Her glance was warm. “Thank you. But days like today I don’t always feel so strong. Every time I see my parents I feel like a scared kid all over again.”
“So why do you see them?”
She picked at a loose thread on her skirt. “I didn’t for a good part of a year. When I told them I was pregnant they disowned me.”
“They did what?”
“They told me I’d brought shame on the family. Asked me not to visit them or contact them.” She shrugged. “So I was all alone.”
Damn! The thought of her being so young and abandoned made him want to hit something. “What changed?”
“I went into labor when I was only thirty-three weeks pregnant. I had preeclampsia, and was rushed for an emergency cesarian.”
Rich blinked. “You went through that all alone?”
She nodded. “Isla was taken to the NICU and I was in the adult ICU. According to my doctor, they thought they were going to lose me. One of the nurses there went to church with my parents, and contacted them to tell them they had a granddaughter, and that I was very sick. So they came and took care of Isla while I couldn’t. They sat with her in the NICU every day. Held her and sang to her until I was well enough to do it myself.” She gave him a half smile. “So while I’ll never agree with how they live, or how they abandoned me when I needed them, I still owe them something. They’re Isla’s only family apart from me, and going through all that made me worry about what would happen to her if I got hurt or worse.”
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
“Says the guy who saves lives every day.”
“Yeah, but I get paid to do that. And I have a whole team around me. You’re bringing up Isla single handedly. And you’ve been doing it since you were almost a kid yourself.”
“And you’ve been taking care of your sister since you were a kid,” she reminded him, her voice full of warmth. “We’re not so different.”
Yeah, they were. None of this was her fault. She’d got abandoned by the guy who should have stood by her, then by her parents. He’d been a little shit who couldn’t care less about anybody else.
He breathed in, the sweet aroma of her perfume filling his senses. It was getting almost impossible to fight the attraction he was feeling toward her. It wasn’t only her beauty that pulled him in. It was the inside. The strong-as-hell woman she’d become. She made him want to be a better person. To be the one person she could finally rely on. To make her always smile the way she was right now.
But he couldn’t be. Everything about his life was too crazy for him to be dependable. But maybe he could be her friend.
And if it drove him a little crazy every time they were close? So be it. It was a small price to pay to spend time with his beautiful neighbor.
13
A week had passed since their trip to White City, and she hadn’t seen Rich in that time. Jeannie had taken some paid time off and Meghan was working long hours at the ice cream shop – the beach was getting fuller every day with summer tourists – and she assumed he’d been busy at work, because his car was rarely in the parking lot.
Her own car was fixed, and she was just coming back from picking it up from the garage, thankful that Gloria had offered to take Isla to the pool while she ran her errand.
<
br /> Like everywhere else in Angel Sands, the pool was getting busier by the day, too. During weekends it was always packed, but as the days began to warm up, the evenings were becoming more popular. She smiled as she heard the shouts and laughter coming from the pool – Isla had made friends with some of the kids in the apartment building, and she was so pleased to see her daughter happy and fitting in.
When she pushed open the gate, she didn’t see Isla among the heads bobbing in the water. She frowned, and looked across the chairs, spotting Gloria sitting on one close to the pool. And next to her was Isla, chatting happily away to a third person on the other side.
Meghan’s mouth went dry when she saw who it was. How the hell had Carlyn gotten into the pool area? Isla was smiling at her, and Carlyn was clearly pouring on the charm, talking away with her like she was best friends with an eight-year-old.
Feeling her heart hammer against her chest, she stalked over to the trio. Her hands shook as she reached them, and Isla looked up with a huge grin. Carlyn didn’t look at all phased to be caught talking to a child she didn’t know.
“What’s going on?” Meghan asked, her voice low. “Are you okay, honey?” She sat next to Isla, trying to fight the urge to whip her up and carry her right back to the apartment.
“Oh hello, Meghan. I dropped over to see Rich, but he wasn’t answering. So I thought I’d see if he was in here, and then I spotted Isla sitting over here and I thought she had to be your daughter. The resemblance is unmistakeable.”
Meghan couldn’t remember even telling Carlyn she had a daughter.
Gloria looked at Meghan, frowning when she took in her expression. “She said she knew you.” Gloria swallowed. “Is that okay?”
No it wasn’t, but this wasn’t Gloria’s fault. She just didn’t want Carlyn anywhere near Isla. And she definitely didn’t want her talking to her.
“It’s okay.” Meghan shot another look at Carlyn. She was still smiling. What if she was more unhinged than Rich realized? The thought of her hurting Isla sent a shiver through her body. “But we need to go now. It’s almost dinner time.”
“Can’t I go swim again?” Isla asked. “Please?”
“No.” Meghan’s voice was unintentionally sharp. But she needed to get her away from here. “Come on, let’s go.” She quickly folded Isla’s towel in her hands, then slid her sandals onto her feet. Gloria, realizing something was wrong, rushed to get up.
“What a shame. I hoped we’d be able to talk. Maybe another time,” Carlyn said, sounding way too normal. She stood and dusted her cream pants, sliding her sunglasses over her made-up eyes. “It was lovely to meet you, Isla. Hopefully I’ll see you again. Any friend of Rich’s is a friend of mine.”
“I’m so sorry,” Rich said later that night, as he stood in her doorway. She’d texted him earlier to tell him what happened. “I can’t believe she talked to Isla like that. She’s gone too far.”
Meghan wrapped her hand around his wrist and pulled him inside. She could feel the fury wafting from him. “Let’s not talk out here,” she said softly. “Gloria is already upset enough. I don’t want her to feel like this is her fault.”
“It isn’t her fault at all. It’s mine. I should never have involved you in this.” He shook his head, his jaw tight. “If Carlyn does anything to hurt you or Isla…” Breathing out heavily, he took Meghan into his arms. “I’ll kill her.”
Her cheek rested on his chest. She could hear the rapid thud of his heart against his ribcage, could feel the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his t-shirt. He stroked her hair with his hand, his fingers leaving a trail of electricity on her scalp. She could never get used to the way she felt when he hugged her.
He was breathing heavily. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply. He must have showered at the hospital, because a hint of spice and pine clung to his skin. She wrapped her arms around him, her palms pressed against his back, her fingers touching a thin sliver of skin exposed between his t-shirt and his jeans.
He pressed his face to her hair, his lips kissing her scalp. He was only trying to console her, that was all. But her body thought different, arching into him, the heaviness of her need pulsing through her body.
After being starved of a masculine touch for so long, her body was like a greedy monster, desperate for more. It took everything she had to pull away and take a breath, stepping back to put some distance between them.
His eyes were restless. They caught hers and she could see herself reflected in the darkness of his pupils. The heaving of his chest mirrored her own.
It was just a hug. That’s all.
“Would you like a drink?” she asked him.
“Have you got any ice cream?” He was such a kid at heart sometimes.
“I brought a tub of strawberry shortcake home tonight.” She grabbed a bowl and scooped some in, trying not to laugh as he devoured it in seconds. He was a big man, and she was almost certain he didn’t eat regularly, thanks to his schedule.
“I’ll go see her tomorrow,” he said, when the bowl was empty. “If she doesn’t back off this time, I’ll file a restraining order. I’ve spoken to a lawyer already, he thinks I have a good case. It’ll mean she won’t be able to come within a certain distance of my home or work. That should protect Isla, too.”
Meghan nodded. “Thank you.” The panic of seeing Carlyn with Isla had died down. She hadn’t hurt her, or even upset her. Isla had been as talkative as ever at bedtime, and had listened carefully as Meghan gave her the stranger danger talk again.
“And I’ll talk to Gloria, too. Tell her about Carlyn and ask her to be on the lookout.” He shook his head. “I should have taken this more seriously. And I should never have involved you and Isla in this.”
“I’m a grown up. I involved myself.” Meghan gave him the softest of smiles. “And you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone. This is her fault, not yours. You didn’t ask her to be obsessed with you.”
His laugh was humorless. “Yeah, but she is.”
“It’s weird how we blame ourselves for things that aren’t our fault. It’s like our brains are trying to make sense of things. To work out ways to protect us from ever getting hurt again. But the thing is, you just dated her. You didn’t make her any promises. Didn’t tell her she would always be with you. You took her out for dinner or drinks or whatever it was you did and that was it. The rest is on her.”
“That’s not how the world sees it.” He lifted an eyebrow. “The guys at the hospital think it’s a joke. And I know they think I did something to deserve it.”
“But you didn’t.” Her voice was firm. “You have to know that.”
His eyes flickered to hers. They were clouded. “You’re very sweet.”
“I am, or my ice cream is?” She grinned.
“Both.” He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again.
“What?”
A smile played on his lips. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Do you know how infuriating it is when somebody says that? I’m going to be wondering all night what you were going to say.” He always made her feel giddy. Like a school girl having a crush on her teacher.
“Yeah, well this little thought is going to stay right where it belongs.” He tapped his head. “And with that, I’m going to go for a run to work off this ice cream.” He lifted the bowl and walked over to her dishwasher, pulling it open and stashing it inside. Then he turned to her, cupping her face with the palm of his hand, the sudden gesture causing her heart to skip a beat.
“Do you realize how beautiful you are?” His voice was low. “Outside and in.”
Her voice caught in her throat. All she could do was shake her head.
“I’m so glad you moved in next door.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips against her cheek. “And I won’t let anything happen to you or Isla. I promise.”
“I know you won’t.” She felt breathless.
“Thanks for the ice cream. I’ll let you know how things go with Ca
rlyn.”
It was weird, because just mentioning her name made Meghan’s muscles tense. She didn’t like the thought of him spending any time with the glamorous gallery owner. Even if it was to warn her off.
As he left her apartment, giving her a wave as he headed to his own, she felt an emptiness she hadn’t before. He was only a few yards away, yet it felt like he’d gone so far.
Ugh, she needed to stop this. The last thing he needed was another woman going crazy over him. They were friends, and that was enough.
Or it would be, just as soon as she got over this stupid damn crush.
His ten mile run along the beach wasn’t having the effect he’d hoped it would. His thigh muscles ached, his lungs were screaming, and there was sweat dripping off him, but still he couldn’t get that thought out of his head.
I bet you taste even sweeter than the ice cream.
Those were the words he’d thought when she’d been inches away from him, staring up with those big green eyes. And now he couldn’t stop thinking about her laying naked on his bed, her soft thighs brushing against his cheeks as he made good on that thought. Couldn’t stop imagining how she’d taste like warm honey on a summer’s day, couldn’t stop hearing her gasps as he made her sweeter still. Couldn’t stop wanting the one thing he couldn’t have.
It was getting harder to stop himself from thinking about how good they could be together. Every time he passed her door he wanted to knock on it to see her smile. To hear her soft voice wrap around him like a blanket.
To check that she and Isla were okay.
Isla. The thought of her was like a cold bucket of water over his skin. How could he have exposed her to Carlyn like that? Another sign – if he needed one – that he needed to keep his distance from her and Meghan. Without even trying, he’d put her in danger.
Imagine how much worse it would be if he got involved with them. He’d messed up enough lives already, adding two more to the tally would kill him.
He’d reached the pier. He stopped for a moment, bending over to catch his breath. From here he could see the spot in the sand where they’d picnicked the other week. He could almost smell the sweet notes of her perfume.