A Trusting Heart

by Shannon Guymon

  Megan hung up the phone and wondered why she was going. She wasn’t even really a part of the family anymore. But there was always hope and she couldn’t let that die. Not yet, anyway.

  Eleven

  MEGAN DROVE UP TO her family’s home in the Riverbottoms and sat in the car as the cramps in her stomach grew worse and worse. This was not going to be fun. It never was. She forced herself to get out of the car and glanced down at the pantsuit she had been wearing at work all day. Dean had been late, so she hadn’t been able to go home and change. It wasn’t that bad really, if you didn’t mind a mile of wrinkles.

  “Megan!”

  Megan jumped out of her skin. She turned to see who was calling to her out of the trees, and saw her sister motioning for her. Megan looked up at the house quickly and then ran over to her sister.

  “Linette, why aren’t you inside? Mom’s going to kill you.” Linette was in the shadows, but Megan could still see the pouty expression on her face. Her mom and her little sister could have been twins. They looked the same and they had very similar personalities, which of course meant they didn’t get along at all.

  “Meg, I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. I’m not. Let’s take off! We can go see a movie or something. Or . . . we could go get something to eat.”

  Megan smiled and put her arm around her sister. After moving out, she hadn’t been able to spend as much time with Linette as she would have liked. Mostly because of her parents. To them, Megan was just a reminder to them of how they had failed. But she should have made more of an effort.

  “How about I go in, just for pictures, and then I’ll sneak out, and we can go rent a video and pig out on popcorn. Oh, but you probably have classes tomorrow. Maybe Friday?”

  Linette grabbed onto Megan’s arms, with surprising strength, considering how skinny and frail she looked.

  “Give me your house key and I’ll just wait for you at your house, okay?”

  Megan looked up at the house, knowing what waited inside for her, and shrugged. It might help to have something to look forward to. And it looked like her sister needed someone to talk to.

  “Fine. There might be a bag of popcorn in the pantry. You’re welcome to anything you find. I’m just sorry there isn’t more. I didn’t go shopping this week.”

  Or last week.

  Linette grabbed the house key Megan held out to her and ran for her car, a sporty little Mazda. Megan frowned as she looked closely at her sister’s departing figure. She wasn’t just thin. She was emaciated. Megan watched with worry on her face as Linette drove away. Then she turned and walked quickly towards the door to her parent’s home. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could get to her sister and ask her why in world she was starving herself.

  Her mother was at the door to greet her.

  “I knew you would do this. I tell you someone’s going to take your picture and you automatically pick the ugliest thing in your closet. You used to have such good taste, Megan, I don’t know what has happened to you. Hurry upstairs before anyone sees you and I’ll give you something of mine to wear. I can’t believe this.”

  It was so much easier to have good taste when you had plenty of money to back it up with. Megan followed her mother up the stairs meekly without saying a word. That’s the way her mother preferred her targets. Silent.

  “Here, try this on. You’re taller than me, but thank goodness you didn’t get all soft and plump like your Aunt Audrey. Oh forget it, the color clashes with your eyes. I still don’t know where you got those green eyes. I guess it will have to be the silk. Oh well, I haven’t worn it in months. It never suited me anyway. Hurry, Megan. We’ll be waiting for you on the deck.”

  Megan watched the door shut firmly on her, leaving her alone in her mother’s bedroom. It had been a long time since she had been in this room. Her mom had redecorated since then. It was now an Amazon jungle. Whatever the style was, Trish Garrett was the first one in line. Megan glanced at the outfit her mother had flung at her and fell helplessly in love. Megan had always loved clothes. At one time it had practically been an obsession, fed by the demands of her parents. Now, clothes were just a dream to her, completely out of reach. Except this dream felt amazingly real. It was a pale mossy green silk sheath that matched her eyes. Completely simple and utterly perfect. Megan shed her wrinkled suit and shimmied into the silk with a sigh of delight. Well, at least the dress offered something good about the night.

  Megan followed orders and reported to the back deck in less than five minutes. Her father and mother were in a corner discussing the details of the article with someone who was obviously in charge. The photographers were setting up their equipment. If she was lucky, she could be out of here in half an hour.

  “Megan, good! Thank goodness you’re not as slow as your sister.”

  Megan felt the critical eye of her mother assess her, and was surprised when her mother smiled.

  “Well, I suppose that dress does suit you. Very becoming, actually.”

  The sudden rush of happiness reminded her of when she was a teenager all over again. Her parents had been so stingy with compliments and unfailingly generous with criticism, so whenever Megan received a compliment, she had been in heaven. She could just about count on her fingers how many times that had happened. There was the time she had made the cheerleading squad. The time Dylan had asked her to be his girlfriend. When she had been voted most popular. Oh, and she couldn’t forget the time she had been praised for her good sense in getting engaged to Dylan. That had been the last time. She’d have to go home and write this one down in her journal.

  “Where do you want me, Mom?”

  Trish looked over at the photographer for her cue and then motioned Megan towards her father. The backdrop of the picture would be the sunset. She couldn’t help remembering the promise Cora had made to invite her over to see one of hers. She smiled, thinking of what her parents would make of Cora, then frowned, wondering what Cora would make of them.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  Lane Garrett turned and raised one arched brow at his eldest daughter. The disappointment in his eyes always cut her like a knife whenever she walked into his view. She had once thought that his disappointment would fade eventually. He had made sure that it hadn’t.

  “I’m surprised you showed up tonight, Megan. This is Alex Wrainright. He’ll be taking our picture.”

  After all of the introductions were made, the group picture was taken. It only took ten minutes, then they were taking single shots of her father. Megan smiled in relief. She loved it when she was wrong. Maybe she should splurge and pick up some ice cream for tonight. Linette looked like she could use it.

  “Listen, Mom, I’ve got to run. I’ve got company coming over tonight. I’ll get the dress back to you when I see you next, okay?”

  Trish twitched her nose and shook her head.

  “I’ll never wear it again. You can keep it or give it to Deseret Industries, I don’t care.”

  Megan watched as her mother hurried over to talk to one of the caterers who was preparing to leave. No goodbye, no thank you. Nothing.

  “If you wouldn’t mind staying a few more minutes, I’d like to get a quote from you.”

  Megan turned to see a man staring at her intently. He must be the writer. Megan pasted on a pleasant smile and tried not to glance at her watch. Linette had never been known for her patience. Megan didn’t want her taking off before she had a chance to talk to her.

  “No problem.”

  Megan followed the man into the empty living room and sat down on the opposite couch.

  “What do you think of your dad’s business?”

  Lane Garrett ran a publicity company for actors, public officials, and sports figures. Since Hollywood had discovered Utah, business had been booming.

  “I think he’s done an amazing job.”

  Megan had never been included in anything resembling a business conversation with her father, so she really had no clue what his business entail
ed.

  “Let me rephrase the question. What do you think of the way your dad runs his business? There have been allegations against your father by other publicity firms that he’s just in the business of mudslinging. One company stated that since it was impossible for your father to make his clients look good, his only other option is to make everyone else look bad. What can you say in his defense?”

  Megan sat back, and clasped her hands tightly. She was in way over her head here and she wasn’t sure what to do. For all she knew, these allegations were completely true.

  “Would you mind telling me which company it was you just quoted?”

  The man flipped through his notebook quickly.

  “I’ve got it right here. It was Carlisle and Beckstead, Inc.”

  Megan felt a rush of cold air pour into her lungs. Dylan had ruined her financially; she couldn’t let him ruin her father. He had to be stopped.

  “You know, you should really check your sources. For one thing, Carlisle and Beckstead, Inc., is not another publicity firm. They’re an advertising agency. And I’d think you’d be interested to know that the reason they’re spreading rumors about my father is because almost eight years ago the two companies were going to merge. When the deal fell through, there were a lot of hostile feelings on their part. They’re just out for revenge and if you print that garbage about my father, then you’ll be doing what you just accused him of.”

  Megan jumped up from the couch. She had to find her dad and tell him this wasn’t a cover story he wanted. This was a hatchet job.

  “Hold up, Ms. Garrett. Where are you going? I wasn’t finished asking you all of my questions.”

  Megan turned in the doorway to scowl at the journalist.

  Now she knew why the world looked down on them so much. They had no regard for anyone.

  “What else could you possibly have to ask me?”

  “I just wanted to know what you thought of Strike, Inc.’s failed takeover? Can your dad handle another attack like that one or will he have to give in next time?”

  Megan felt her temples begin to throb viciously as she wondered what in the world she could say to that. Her dad was a stranger to her and his company was even more so.

  “Didn’t you know? My dad never gives in. He’d rather die.” Megan turned and walked out of the room quickly. She found her dad chatting with one of the camera crew.

  “Dad? Do you have a minute?”

  Her father’s face changed completely in less than a second, going from carefree and friendly, to cold and austere. Megan was usually scared off by the frost act, but this was too important.

  “I thought you had already left. What do you need, Megan?” The camera man got the hint and found an excuse to leave the room. She was alone with her father for the first time since she told him the wedding was off. From his disappointed expression, it looked as if he was remembering the last time, too.

  “This is a hatchet job, Dad. That journalist is going to write horrible things about you in this article. You need to put a stop to it right now.”

  Lane sneered politely down at his daughter before turning to add more ice to his drink.

  “Not that you would know, but the first rule in this business is, ‘No publicity is bad publicity.’ Besides, why would you care? When have you ever worried about anybody else’s feelings?”

  Megan’s shoulders slumped in defeat, as she turned silently and walked quickly out of the room and out of the house. She had only been trying to help, but her father wanted nothing from her. She hadn’t been able to come through for him before, so he had written her off. She meant less than nothing to him now. And the realization felt like it would kill her.

  Megan drove home in a trance, completely forgetting about her sister in her misery. But when the front door to her house opened, she nearly jumped out of her skin. There was her sister, standing in the doorway, looking very worried.

  “I told you.”

  “Linette, please tell me that Mom and Dad treat you better than they treat me. Please tell me that you have a wonderful, loving relationship with them.”

  Linette moved back to let Megan walk past, then rubbed her arms as if she were chilled as she followed Megan into the kitchen.

  “Why would you think I would be any different than you? Surprise, surprise, I’m just as unlovable.”

  Megan felt the tears run down her cheeks as she grabbed her sister in a hard hug. “I love you, Linette, and you better believe me because it’s the truth”

  Linette wiped the tears from her own eyes and handed her sister the popcorn. “Come on. Get out of that dress and relax. The popcorn is stale, but at least it’s covered in butter.”

  Twelve

  WHY ARE YOU STARVING yourself, Linette?”

  The girls were both laying on the floor in front of the TV in their sweats, with their hair up in ponytails, munching away happily. The old packet of microwave popcorn wasn’t too bad if you ignored the unnatural after taste. But Megan couldn’t wait any longer; she had to know.

  Linette instantly sat up to put distance between them, acting offended because of the question. But after seeing the sincere concern on her sister’s face, she crumbled.

  “It’s the one thing I can do. I let them down with my grades. I let them down with my looks. I could never be as pretty as you. I let them down constantly. Mom was always telling me I needed to lose weight if I wanted to be pretty, so one day I listened to her. It turns out it’s the one thing I can do right. For the first little while, Mom and Dad acted as if they were so proud of me, and it felt really good, you know. But then they started criticizing the size of my nose. Mom even made an appointment for me with a plastic surgeon. It was then that I realized I’d never be good enough for them. I’d never make Dad proud of me. So I finally quit trying.”

  Megan rolled over and tugged her emaciated sister over to her side. At twenty-three, she weighed as much as a fourteen-year-old. Megan ignored all of the sharp angles of her sister and cuddled her like she did when they were younger. The two sat on the floor together with their arms around each other for a long time.

  “I don’t want you going back there. I can’t stand the thought of you being anywhere near people who don’t see you as the amazing, beautiful, incredible person that you are. It just makes me sick. You know, Linette, you don’t have to take it. You can live wherever you want to. What would you think about moving in with me? I’ve got two extra rooms and a monster of a dog that doesn’t care what color your hair is or what your waist line is. And there’s me. And I love you more than anything or anyone. What do you say?”

  Linette moved away from her sister and turned to face her. The hope of freedom had her hands shaking as she reached out and grasped Megan’s arms.

  “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it, Meg. Because I don’t think I can last much longer. I tried moving out before, but they told me they would cut me off. But if you’ll stand by me, I’ll do it.”

  Megan jumped up from the floor and ran to the phone. She quickly dialed her mom’s phone number, smiling at her sister bracingly.

  “Hello, Mom? Hi, just wanted you to know Linette is here with me and, as a matter of fact, she’s moving in with me tonight. I’ll be over tomorrow to pick up her things . . . Yes, I can do this. She’s not a juvenile, and I will make sure she graduates from college. That’s only a month away . . . No, I’m not doing this to hurt you . . . No, you can’t press charges against me for kidnapping. Good night, Mother.”

  Linette got up on her shaky legs and walked haltingly over to her sister and raised her hands to Megan’s face.

  “You do love me, don’t you? I thought you did, but I wasn’t sure because Mom and Dad didn’t. I didn’t know if anyone could. We’ll be together, Meg. Just you and me. We’ll be happy.”

  Megan hugged her sister and couldn’t help wincing at the bones she could feel through Linette’s back. This was her fault, too. If she had been more involved with her sister’s welfare, regardless of her
parents, she would have made sure things hadn’t gotten this far. Now it was up to her to get her sister help.

  * * *

  After Linette had gone to sleep, Megan snuck out to run to the grocery store. She had to get some decent food in her sister. No way was she feeding Linette a half a bowl of bran flakes, which was practically all she had left in the house to eat. She’d have to use her credit card, but with the commission off of Cora’s lot coming in soon, she could handle it. Besides, her sister was worth it.

  She loaded her cart full, but gulped when the receipt totaled $98.27. Megan smiled as she put all the groceries away, though. She had so much food, she could probably invite someone over for dinner now. Cora would be nice. Cora would be nice to her sister.

  Megan hummed happily as she got ready for bed. She had a busy day tomorrow, but she knew she had the strength to do it. And she was going to do it all with a smile on her face. First off, she was going to get all of her sister’s stuff while she was at classes. And then she was going to confront Dylan. Megan looked in the mirror and reminded herself to smile.

  Thirteen

  GETTING THE CLOTHES HAD been easy. All of Linette’s things were in the driveway in boxes. It took two trips with her car, but she did it. She and Linette were roommates now. The thought had her smiling, and her eyes twinkling. It was just like Cora’s prayer. She was finding her way.

  Megan looked at the pile of boxes and decided to leave them for Linette. Besides, she had one other appointment today. As she drove towards the offices of Carlisle and Beckstead Inc., and remembered all of the times she had driven there to take Dylan to lunch or to show him color samples for the reception. She especially remembered the time she had sped across town to show Dylan the brochure on Italy. She had always wanted to go and had thought a honeymoon there would be perfect. Megan blinked as the thought hit her. If she had gone through with the marriage, she would be getting ready to celebrate her eight-year anniversary. Just remembering the way Dylan had looked at her at the reunion had her shivering. She hated to think of what her life would have been like.