“I’m so grateful you came into my life that night in Tampa,” he said, as he watched her note his vital signs on the hospital chart the morning of their last full day together. “You’re one of the only people I’ve ever been able to talk to.”
She smiled, and a warm glow spread through her body. “I’m glad you feel comfortable with me.”
“I do. You’re so different from other women I meet.”
She sat on the edge of his bed. “Really? How so?”
“Because you treat me like a real person, and not a celebrity. It’s been that way since the start. It’s one of the reasons why I knew that you weren’t just another fling.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “One of the reasons?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
Meg was at a loss for words. She stared at the American flag blanket covering the bed, and noticed it was worn in spots. “Maybe you shouldn’t sleep with this blanket. The yarn is frayed.”
Sky bolted up. “Is it damaged? Where?”
“Here.” She pointed out the worn areas. “And here, too.”
His heart raced. “No…it’s not going to unravel, is it? My mom made it for me when I was a kid.”
Meg inspected the stitches. “I don’t think it’s going to come apart, but it’s probably not a good idea to sleep with it every night, either.” She watched Sky close his eyes and shake his head, and added, “I haven’t knit in a long time, but there’s probably a way to fix it. I can look it up.”
“You’d do that for me?”
She met his eyes. “Of course. If I can’t figure it out, then I’ll ask my cousin. She’s an expert knitter. She’ll know what to do.”
“Thanks.” He reached out and took her hand in his. “You’re amazing.”
An involuntary gasp escaped her lips as electricity coursed through her veins, and she pulled her hand back.
Sky stared at her. “You feel it too, don’t you?”
Her cheeks turned red. “What?”
He grinned. “The chemistry between us. No denying it.”
Meg agreed. “Yes. But…” I can’t even think of getting attached to him. He’ll just break my heart.
Sky rolled his eyes. “I know nothing can happen this week. That’s our deal. But I’ve gotta tell you that having you in such close proximity is driving me crazy.”
Me too. Meg stood and began to walk out of the room, but Sky jumped up and grabbed her by the arm.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She turned towards him. He was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, and her pulse quickened when she caught a glimpse of the outline of his private parts. “Sure.”
“Why are you still wearing your scrubs every day? I know you have other clothes with you. You wore jeans when we drove here from the hospital.”
“It’s my uniform, and I thought it would help remind both of us of the boundaries set for this week.” She stared at him for a beat, before adding, “I’ll get breakfast started. Meet me in the kitchen when you get dressed.”
CHAPTER TEN
“Good morning, Meg.”
Meg screamed and dropped Sky’s hospital chart at the sight of the smiling middle-aged woman with long, wavy, brown hair folding laundry at the kitchen countertop. “Who are you?”
“Hey,” Sky said, holding his ribs as he raced into the room. “Sorry, Meg, I should’ve told you Mrs. Beasley was coming by today.” Turning towards their visitor, he said, “Good morning, Mrs. B.”
“Good morning, Sky” she said with a smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Much better than I was, thanks to Meg.” He turned to Meg and explained, “This is my neighbor, Mrs. Beasley. She stops by to look in on me from time to time.”
“I’m sorry I screamed before,” Meg said. “I was startled.”
“Of course you were. You didn’t expect to see anyone here in the kitchen. It’s nice to meet the young lady I’ve heard so much about. And, please, call me Fiona, even if Sky refuses to use my first name. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
She’s heard about me? “Umm...,” Meg said, looking from Mrs. Beasley to Sky, who nodded his head as if to indicate it was okay. “Sure, thank you.”
Mrs. Beasley handed mugs of coffee to Sky and Meg, before placing some muffins onto a plate. “I baked these just this morning.”
“Oh, yeah,” Sky said as he broke off a piece of a muffin and popped it into his mouth. “My favorite coffee cake muffins. You should try them, Meg. They’re better than sex.”
“For goodness sakes, Sky!”
Sky blushed and shook his head. “Sorry Mrs. B, but you know how excited I get when you make these for me.”
Meg cut a muffin in half, before nibbling at a corner. “Mmm…these are good. Thank you for bringing them over.”
“My pleasure. Glad you like them.” Fiona turned to Sky and asked, “Is there anything you want me to do for you today? Shopping? More laundry? I can make something for dinner so Meg doesn’t have to cook.”
“Umm, maybe. Let me think,” Sky said.
“I think I have everything under control here,” Meg interjected. “But thanks for stopping by.”
Fiona’s face fell. “Oh, okay, then I guess I’ll go. Take care of yourself, Sky,” she said as she picked up her purse and walked out the door.
As soon as the door closed, Sky laced into Meg. “What the hell? Can’t you see you hurt her feelings?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Can’t you see that she stopped in for a visit? You were downright rude to her. You practically told her to get lost when you thanked her for stopping by.”
Meg swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“I’m not the one who you have to apologize to,” Sky said. “She’s the closest thing I’ll ever have to a mom again. When I moved in here she had no idea who I was, but she showed up at my doorstep with a basket of muffins to welcome me to the area, just to be neighborly. When we got to talking, and I explained that I’m out on the road a lot, she offered to look after the house for me. She’s the one who stocks my refrigerator, does my laundry, and tidies up after me. And she does it all out of the goodness of her heart. She refuses to take any money from me.”
“Oh my God, I had no idea. And I acted like a jerk towards her.”
“Well, I don’t know about that, but you certainly acted like you were protecting your territory.”
“How can I make it up to her? I have to apologize.”
Sky stood up and opened a drawer in the island. He extracted a pen and a piece of paper, and scribbled something on it. “Here’s her address. It’s the next house to the left when you exit the gate. And this is the code for the gate. You’re gonna need it to get back in,” he said, before standing up and disappearing down the stairs to the basement.
An hour later, Meg drove up the tree-lined driveway down the road from Sky’s house, and parked her Jeep behind an old BMW. She climbed the steps onto the covered porch, and used the brass knocker to knock on the door. God, I hope she lets me in.
“Who is it?”
“It’s Meg, Mrs. Beasley.”
The door opened, and Meg immediately noticed Fiona’s swollen, red eyes. Oh my God, she’s been crying.
“Hello, Meg. Would you like to come in?”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you. I brought you a quiche. It’s just out of the oven,” Meg said. She handed the aluminum foil-covered pie plate to the older woman as she stepped inside the door. “I wanted to apologize to you. I’m afraid I made you feel unwelcome in Sky’s home, and it was wrong of me. He told me how important you are to him.”
“He’s important to me too. We talk every day. He’s become like a son to me these past few years,” Fiona said, as her bottom lip quivered. “I guess I felt like he didn’t need me anymore.”
“I’m so sorry. He does need you. I’m only going to be there until tomorrow, and then he’s going to be on his own again.”
“Aren’t you going t
o stay with him?”
Meg looked down at her feet and shook her head. “No, he hasn’t asked me to stay. And, besides, I have to go back to work at the hospital.”
“Oh, I thought…” Fiona tried to hide her surprise while switching gears. “Can I get you something to drink? A cup of tea? Or coffee?”
“Tea, please. Thank you.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said, as she disappeared down the hallway and into the kitchen.
Meg looked around the living room, and noticed groups of framed photos on the piano and side tables. She picked up a photo of Fiona with her arms around a middle-aged man, and a younger man who bore a strong resemblance to her. Other photos contained images of the same two men smiling back at the camera.
“Those are photos of my husband and my son,” Fiona said as she set a tray down on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She poured a cup of tea for each of them, before adding, “They’re both gone now.”
Meg sat down next to Fiona on the sofa. “Gone?”
“Yes. Cliff, my son, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan,” she said, pointing to the folded, framed American flag on the mantel. “When we were notified of his death, my husband had a heart attack and died. I lost the two most important people in my life within a few days of each other.”
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry,” Meg said, as she put an arm around the older woman. “I can’t even begin to imagine the pain and what you went through.”
Fiona wiped away her tears with a napkin. “When Sky moved in next door, I sort of adopted him. He’s the same age my son would have been. He needed a mother figure, and I needed to have someone to care for.”
“I understand that it’s important to feel needed, and wanted.” More than you know, actually. I’ve never felt truly wanted in my life. Meg snapped back to attention when she felt something furry rubbing against her leg. “Who is this?”
“One of my fur babies,” she said, picking up the gray and white cat. “I have a couple more, but they’re not as comfortable around strangers as Moxie here is.”
The next hour passed quickly, as the two women talked while they ate the quiche. Meg was startled at the amount of time that passed when she finally looked at her watch. “I have to get back to Sky’s. I have to send reports to the hospital and his father. Let me help you clean up,” she said.
As she carried the tray into the kitchen, Meg’s eye caught another set of photos in a bookcase, and she stopped in her tracks. “Are these all of you and Sky?”
“Yes, dear, they are. This one’s my favorite,” Fiona said, handing Meg a framed photo of Fiona in a beaded gown standing next to Sky on a red carpet. “This was at the CMA awards three years ago. Jack Bishop brought his mother, and Sky brought me. It was one of the best evenings I’ve had since I lost my son and husband.”
Meg studied the other photos of Fiona and Sky, and felt a surge of warmth in her heart for the both of them. This is a side of Sky the public never sees, she thought, as her gaze lingered on a photo of Sky and Fiona grilling on Sky’s deck. They’re lucky to have each other to lean on.
After loading the dishes into the dishwasher, Meg said goodbye. “I really enjoyed our visit today. Thank you for your hospitality, and for accepting my apology.”
Fiona extended her arms and pulled Meg in for a tight hug. “I hope to see you again, and hope that we can become friends. Don’t be a stranger, now.”
As soon as she closed the door, Fiona picked up the phone and dialed a number she knew by heart.
“Hey, Mrs. B. Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine, dear, except one thing. I want to know why you haven’t asked Meg to stay on with you after tomorrow.”
“She told you that?”
“Only because I asked her.”
“Aww, come on Mrs. B. Really?”
“She’s a lovely girl. You could do a lot worse. You have, undoubtedly, done a lot worse.”
“Look, I’d like her to stay, but we haven’t even been on a real first date yet. It’s like putting the cart before the horse.”
“Then get a date or two under your belt. Just don’t let her go.”
Sky looked up as Meg came through the front door. “I’ve got to go. I’m sure we’ll talk more about this later,” he said, before ending the phone call.
“Hi,” Meg half-whispered. “I had a good visit with Fiona.”
Sky sat on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. “Come here, and tell me about it.”
“She’s a very nice woman. I don’t know how she gets up and faces each day after everything she’s been through.”
“She told you about her son and husband?”
Meg nodded, and hung her head. “I feel terrible that I hurt her feelings, even if it was just for a moment. I understand now why the two of you need each other.”
Sky sighed, and asked, “Can we violate the rules for just a little bit?” He extended his arms, and added, “Come here. Let me hold you for just a minute.”
Meg stared into his blue eyes, before breaking down and allowing herself to be enveloped in his embrace. She felt Sky kiss the top of her head, and sighed. This is right where I want to be. Nothing feels as good as being in your arms.
“I’m sorry I got angry at you before. I can be pretty over-protective of people I care about.”
“I’m sorry, too. I don’t know why I acted that way.”
He rubbed her back, and ran a hand through her hair. “Don’t worry about it.”
They snuggled together for a few more minutes, before Meg abruptly stood up. “Time for me to send a status update to your father and the hospital.”
He pouted. “Don’t go.”
“I’ve got to do my job. It’s the whole reason I’m here, right?”
Sky rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it’s why you’re here.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Meg awoke early the following morning, and quickly packed her suitcase. Just let me get out of the house without seeing him. This week had no bearing on reality, and I let myself get sucked into believing he really wanted me.
She tip-toed out to the living room, and placed the note she had written on the kitchen countertop next to the coffee maker. She waited until the clock on the microwave read seven o’clock. “That’s it. My last shift is over,” she said aloud. She walked towards the front door, and took one last look around. Oh my God, I can’t bear to say goodbye. I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved, wouldn’t get attached, but I did anyway. I’m such an idiot.
After loading her bag into the back of her old Jeep, she turned the key in the ignition and said a silent prayer of thanks when the engine started. After one last, long look out the window at the log cabin, she put the car in gear and started down the long driveway.
As she turned onto the road, she heard Sky’s rich, distinctive drawl come over the radio singing “When I Met You”. She began to shake, and pulled over to the side of the road as she dissolved into tears. Over her sobs and the car radio, she heard her cell phone ring, and quickly answered it when she saw it was Sky.
“Why did you leave without saying goodbye?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I have trouble with goodbyes.”
“Who said we were saying goodbye?”
“Umm…well, the week was up, and you didn’t ask me to stay.”
“Yeah, well…,” Sky ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I didn’t ask you to stay because it wasn’t appropriate.”
“Appropriate? What are you talking about?”
“How can I ask you to stay with me when we haven’t even been on a real date yet?”
“Yet?” Meg felt the butterflies in her stomach return. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
“How about tonight? Drinks at Whiskey Kitchen?”
“You can’t drink if you take pain medication.”
“You didn’t leave me any, other than aspirin.”
“True.”
“I’ll pick you up at 8:00. Let’
s have a couple of drinks and a bite to eat. We can keep it real casual. Just give me your address again.”
After Meg hung up with Sky, she drove home to the small, two-bedroom cottage she had once shared with Craig in the Hillsboro Village section of Nashville. If it had felt cold and lonely after Craig broke up with her, it felt even more so now after the week she spent in Sky’s luxurious log cabin. She busied herself with household chores, sorting the mail and doing laundry, before she was satisfied that her house was tidy enough for company. If anyone told me two weeks ago that Sky Johnson would be picking me up for a date tonight, I’d have laughed in their face.
She called Susan and told her that she had a date with Sky. “I’m nervous,” she admitted to her best friend.
“Don’t be. You just spent a week with him. You know him. I think it’s sweet, and gentlemanly, that he wants to take you out, instead of just shacking up with you.”
On Susan’s advice, she pulled on the skinny jeans and suede cowboy booties she wore to the concert, and an off the shoulder white peasant blouse. When the doorbell rang, she checked herself one more time in the mirror before answering the door.
“Wow.” Sky’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when Meg answered the door. “I almost forgot how gorgeous you are, because you wore those loose scrubs and your hair in a pony tail all week.”
“Thanks. You look great, too,” she said, admiring him in his painted-on jeans, white t-shirt, and ostrich leather cowboy boots. “How are you feeling?”
“Great, now that I’m with you.” When he saw Meg wrinkle her nose at his answer, he added, “I’m not in much pain at all. Your magic touch this past week worked wonders for me.” He grinned at her, before gesturing to his black Tahoe. “Are you ready to go?”
Meg grabbed her small fringed clutch and locked the door to the cottage before following Sky to the idling SUV. She was puzzled when Sky opened a rear door for her.
He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I won’t drive if I’ve been drinking. Not after what happened to my mother. Paul is driving us tonight. He’s one of the Johnson Bishop bus drivers, and he earns some extra money from Jack and me by driving us when we’re home here in Nashville.”
Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2) Page 7