After Tex

by Sherryl Woods

  “Absolutely.”

  “Otherwise, Johnny’s going to blow a gasket. He still thinks I’ve lost my mind to let a bunch of strangers tear our house apart. I asked him what kind of friends we’d be if we didn’t help you out when you’re in a jam. He asked me just how often I’d heard from you over the years, and then stomped out.” She grimaced. “Sorry. I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

  “It’s okay. I haven’t been the very best friend,” Megan conceded. “But I want to make up for that, Peggy. I really do.”

  “There’s no need,” Peggy insisted, her expression bleak. “Nobody understands better than I do that sometimes you just get caught up in living, in making it from one day to the next. There’s not much time for anything or anyone else.”

  There was a troubling note of despair in her voice that tugged at Megan’s heart. “Hey,” she said, putting her hands on her old friend’s shoulders and waiting until Peggy met her gaze. “Is everything really okay with you? Can I help?”

  “Not unless you can get Johnny to stop sleeping with every female he takes a fancy to,” Peggy blurted in an unexpected burst of bitterness, then covered her face with her hands. “Oh, God, I never meant to say that. I wanted you to think my life was just perfect. That’s what I want everybody to believe. Not that they do around town. Half the women have slept with Johnny and the rest know about it. Sometimes it’s all I can do to show my face in church on Sunday.”

  Megan was shocked by the confession and by the humiliation Peggy had endured. “Why haven’t you thrown him out?” she asked, genuinely perplexed.

  “I honestly don’t know. I hate his guts,” Peggy said harshly, then sighed. “At least some of the time.”

  “But you still haven’t stopped loving him?” Megan guessed.

  “No,” Peggy admitted. “How stupid does that make me?”

  “Foolish maybe, not stupid,” Megan said. “The heart can’t always be ruled by the head.”

  “Even if I really did hate his guts, he’s all I have,” Peggy said. “The kids adore him. What would I do if he left? I can’t run this ranch alone. And I can’t hire somebody. We barely make ends meet as it is. The money from this shoot will be a godsend. I didn’t tell Johnny you were paying to use our kitchen. I’m hiding every penny in a savings account he knows nothing about. Otherwise, he’ll just spend it on his women, the same way he does every other spare penny I manage to save.”

  Megan sighed. This explained the tension she’d felt between the two, and all of Jake’s innuendoes that it was old news and a familiar habit.

  “I’m so sorry. I wish there were something I could do.”

  “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your doing. I was sixteen when I fell for Johnny, and nothing would do but that I have him the very second we graduated from high school. He was a flirt then, but I thought once we were married, he’d settle down. Far from it. It’s as if he’s determined to sow the wild oats now that he couldn’t because we married so young.”

  Megan wanted to shake her friend for putting up with it, but Peggy’s reasons for staying were her own. Once more Megan thought of Peter and what a good match Peter and Peggy would be if the circumstances were different. Peter truly was the sort of solid, dependable man that Peggy had once described Johnny as being. Even now, despite his avowed disapproval, he was back at her ranch working on a business plan that would permit her to run her operation from Whispering Wind. Peggy deserved someone who understood that kind of loyalty.

  Still, Megan cautioned herself to stay out of Peggy’s marital situation. It was far too volatile.

  “If you ever want to talk about it, I’ll be there,” she promised, and left it at that.

  Peggy regarded her doubtfully. “Even after you’ve gone back to your exciting life in New York?”

  “Even then,” Megan insisted, though at the moment there seemed to be no prospect of leaving Whispering Wind in the near future. “Now let’s forget about Johnny Barkley and whip up some gourmet holiday treats, so everyone in the country will know what a fabulous cook you are.”

  Peggy’s hands trembled so badly at the mention of the upcoming taping that she had to clench them together. “Are you sure?” she asked nervously. “Maybe you should do the segment by yourself. I’ll just make a mess of it.”

  “No way. They’re your recipes and you’re a far better cook than I ever dreamed of being.” Sensing that she’d better get the taping started before Peggy panicked and backed out, Megan glanced around until she spotted the director. “Hey, Kenny, are we set?”

  “In five,” he responded. “If you and Peggy will take your places, we can do a sound and lighting check and we’ll be good to go.”

  Ten minutes later the cameras were rolling. Any visible signs of Peggy’s nerves settled down the minute Megan started asking her questions about the ingredients they were using in the delicate holiday pastries that had been made by Peggy’s family for generations.

  As naturally as if she’d done it a hundred times before, Peggy wove in details of her family history. She added cultural traditions from Sweden, where her great-grandmother had been born before moving to the United States with her husband at the turn of the century. Her hands flew confidently as she chopped nuts and dried fruit and mixed in sugar and cinnamon before rolling it in a thin, flaky pastry dough. Megan watched with awe and amusement as her friend literally stole the show.

  “That’s a wrap,” Ken called as Peggy held up a plate of freshly baked pastries for the last shot.

  Peggy slowly put the plate on the counter and turned to Megan, an expression of wonder on her face. Her cheeks were flushed from the heat of the oven and the lights. “That’s it? That’s all there is to it?”

  Megan thought of the preproduction work, the scheduling, the thousand other details, then grinned. “Pretty much.”

  “Oh, wow, that was wonderful,” Peggy said. “What a rush! People are actually going to watch me cook on TV.”

  “A million-plus,” Megan confirmed.

  As the number sank in, Peggy looked like she might faint. “That many?” she asked weakly.

  “Did you think we were doing this just for family and friends?”

  “I don’t know what I thought, but it wasn’t a million, I guarantee that. Thank heaven you didn’t tell me that before or I’d have fainted dead away.”

  “You would have been fine,” Megan contradicted.

  “In fact, you were terrific,” Kenny said, coming over to congratulate her. “A real natural.”

  Micah joined them. “Nice job, Peggy,” she said, though with less enthusiasm than Kenny. “Megan, I’m heading back to town. I’ve got things to do. Now that we know this will work, I’m thinking of flying back to New York first thing in the morning to take care of some business there.”

  Megan regarded her with surprise. “You’re going back? Now?”

  “For a few days at least. Kenny and Todd can handle anything that comes up here,” she said with an all-too-familiar edge of resentment. “Do you have a problem with that?”

  “No, I’m just surprised.”

  “I’ll check in with you when I get to New York, find out how things are going.”

  Megan nodded. She had a feeling there was more behind Micah’s sudden decision to abandon ship, but she couldn’t honestly say she regretted her going. Her attitude was generally adding to the tension, rather than relieving it.

  “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, then,” Megan said, and watched as Micah walked away. She turned to Kenny. “Any idea what that’s all about?”

  “She hates her room. She hates it here. She hates that Todd has more access to you than she does. She’s a very bitter woman,” Kenny said. “If you ask me, not that you did, I say let her go for good. She’s not adding anything.”

  Megan was surprised by his outburst. “I thought you two got along.”

  “I like Micah well enough. I used to respect her.” He shrugged. “Something’s going on with her, though. I can’t put my fi
nger on it. I just think you’d be wise to get rid of her.” He turned to Peggy, clearly ending the discussion. “What are you whipping up tomorrow?”

  “Venison stew, I think,” Peggy said with a questioning look at Megan. “Right?”

  Megan accepted the deliberate change of subject. “Yes, that’s it.”

  Kenny responded with enthusiasm. “Wait till I tell the guys. Right now they’re gobbling up these cookies so fast they’re burning their tongues.”

  “Maybe they should have waited till they cooled,” Megan said dryly.

  “No way. They were too afraid they’d be gone.”

  After he’d walked away, Megan turned to her friend. “You’re already a hit with the people who count,” she told her. “These guys are the best in the business and they don’t hand out praise lightly.”

  “They’re just some cookies from old family recipes,” Peggy said demurely.

  “This isn’t just about the cookies. It’s about the way you handled yourself in front of the camera. You were fantastic,” she enthused, then paused thoughtfully. “And that gives me an idea.”

  “What?” Peggy asked.

  “Let me think about it and we’ll talk tomorrow,” Megan promised, giving Peggy a hug. “Go put your feet up and rest. The guys will clean up this mess and put everything back where it belongs.”

  “It seems such a waste, when they’ll need to move it all around again tomorrow,” Peggy said.

  “Don’t worry. They’re used to it. It’s part of the job on a location shoot like this. Besides, I don’t want to give Johnny any reason to get annoyed at you for letting us do this.”

  “Thanks,” Peggy said, clearly relieved. “I think I’ll go take a long bath. Johnny won’t be home with the kids for at least another hour. After my bath, I’ll actually have time to curl up with a book and enjoy the peace and quiet.”

  Megan was almost out the door when Todd caught up with her. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he asked.

  “That she could do the cooking segments on this show with one hand tied behind her back?” Megan asked.

  “Pretty much.”

  She regarded him intently. “You really saw it, too?”

  “Would I have said it otherwise?”

  “It could make such a difference for her,” Megan stated, thinking of the freedom Peggy would have to start over without that louse of a husband. An income from doing the cooking segments would nicely supplement whatever she could make running the ranch. Of course, all of that assumed that Megan would be staying on in Whispering Wind and producing the shows from here.

  “You make a great team, too,” Todd said. “There’s an obvious affection that comes across on the air.”

  “Would the audience respond okay to me not doing every little thing? Would it hurt my image not to be the sole proprietor of Megan’s World?” She realized as she asked that she trusted his judgment on this far more than she did Micah’s. Maybe Todd should be producing the show. Maybe that would be the lure she could use to keep him happy about being in Wyoming. He’d wanted to be in television. Here was his chance.

  “If you dragged in a total stranger, they might hate it,” he said, his expression thoughtful. “But the friendship and history you and Peggy share works on the air. I think they’d love it. Just imagine the mileage you could get out of chatting about families and kids and relationships. Those would be a natural extension of who you are, instead of phony talk show advice from some paid expert. I think it brings a whole new warmth and dimension to the program. If you want my advice, go for it.”

  “If she’ll do it,” Megan said, wondering if Peggy would dare defy her husband and strike out on her own. It could very well mean the end of her marriage. Once Peggy was financially independent, Johnny would have no hold over her any longer. Was Peggy really ready to take that next step to breaking free?

  As they neared her car, Megan spotted Jake waiting in the shadows. That old familiar tingling began low in her belly. If things had been different, at another time in her life, she might have walked straight into his arms. Now she stood awkwardly and waited.

  “How’d it go?” he asked, moving toward her.

  “Perfect,” Todd chimed in. “Not that you were asking me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll catch a ride back to the ranch with Kenny.”

  “Isn’t Kenny heading into town?” Megan murmured, never taking her gaze off of Jake’s face.

  “He’ll detour. No big deal,” Todd assured her. “Unless you two want a third wheel along.” He glanced at Jake’s forbidding expression. “Didn’t think so. Good night.”

  “Smart man, your assistant,” Jake observed as Todd walked away.

  “Why are you here?”

  He shrugged. “It’s not so complicated. I wanted to see you. I wanted to hear how it went.”

  “It went smoothly enough,” she said breathlessly as he moved inevitably closer.

  “Did I hear you discussing whether to make Peggy an offer to join the show as a regular? Kenny was out here earlier and said she’d done a great job.”

  Megan nodded, unable to speak as his thumb traced her bottom lip.

  “A generous offer,” he prompted.

  “She’s good. Better than good, in fact.”

  “You’re not jealous that she came in and knocked everybody’s socks off?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  Jake nodded solemnly. “I’m proud of you.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Why? Did you think I was that insecure or that selfish?”

  “Sometimes I don’t know what to make of you,” he said candidly, even as his fingers combed through her hair. “But I do know I want you.”

  She swallowed hard and backed up a step. “Jake,” she protested, “don’t say things like that.”

  “It’s true. My saying it doesn’t change anything.”

  “Yes, it does.”

  “Just making my intentions clear, darlin’. That’s all.”

  “If you were making your intentions clear about buying a tractor, maybe it wouldn’t be a big deal. Since it’s me you claim to be after, it matters.”

  He grinned. “Maybe I should start with a tractor and move up. Do you have one you’d like to get rid of?”

  “What would you do with it if I did?”

  “Plow a field, I imagine,” he said distractedly, his gaze locked with hers.

  “At this time of year?”

  “In the spring,” he murmured. “Whenever.” He rubbed the tip of his finger across her lips. “Sorry. I can’t wait to work up to this.”

  He bent his head and claimed her mouth before she could protest. The touch was as light and gentle as the flutter of butterfly wings, but her response was lightning quick and hot enough to melt metal. She told herself this wasn’t the time or the place, that she was treading on dangerous turf, but that rock-solid advice didn’t seem to stop her from swaying into his embrace.

  For little more than a heartbeat, she was crushed against him, aware of every solid inch of muscle, of the hard evidence of his arousal. She was stunned when he put his hands on her shoulders to steady her and backed away a step.

  “Bad idea,” he murmured, looking as dazed as she felt.

  “You started it,” she reminded him.

  “And I’d finish it, too, but not here and not now. In case you’ve forgotten, we have an audience.”

  Slowly the sounds around them began to filter through her sensual haze. Trucks were starting as the crew prepared to head back to town. There were a few catcalls as they passed by.

  “I’m firing every one of them first thing in the morning,” she muttered.

  “That would leave you in a bit of a bind, wouldn’t it? Besides, there’s probably some union rule forbidding you from firing an employee just because he caught you kissing.”

  “Now you sound like a lawyer.”

  “I am a lawyer.”

  “More’s the pity. I thought you always wanted to be a rancher. That’s what y
ou used to say. Isn’t that why you want Tex’s ranch?”

  “That and you,” he said casually, then grinned. “Actually, I got sidetracked years ago.”

  “I thought you were too bullheaded to get sidetracked.”

  “The promise of money and power proved to be a terrific incentive. Then there was the beautiful woman.”

  Megan’s gaze narrowed. “What beautiful woman?”

  “My wife.”

  She stared. “Excuse me?”

  “I guess no one’s bothered to mention that I was married for a few years.”

  “No, I guess not,” she agreed, trying not to sound disgruntled. “What happened?”

  “She got a better deal. One of my law partners was on a faster track.”

  “Ouch. That must have hurt.”

  “It just winged me. No lasting damage. I should thank her. It provided the motivation I needed to get out of Chicago and come back here.”

  “To claim a ranch?”

  “And an even more beautiful woman,” he reminded her.

  “Don’t say that,” Megan protested. “You didn’t come back to Whispering Wind because of me. I wasn’t even here.”

  “But the memories of you were,” he said simply. “There were a lot of things I missed about this place. You were at the top of the list.”

  She regarded him slyly. “And Tex? After what he did to you, did you miss him, too?”

  “I had made my peace with your grandfather.” He shrugged. “Or at least I thought I had until I actually saw him. Then I wanted to throttle him for what he’d done to me—to us—all those years ago. When I realized how sick he was, it hit me that he was probably the single most important influence in my life and I was going to lose him. Somehow the rest didn’t matter so much anymore.”

  “You forgave him, then?”

  He nodded. “I think I finally understood that he was only trying to protect you, to give you a chance to see just how far you could go. Time proved him right, didn’t it?”

  “Much to his chagrin, I suspect. He never stopped wanting me back here, wanting me to take over the ranch. In the end, I guess he’s had his way. Same as always.”