Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  Victor watched as Meg assembled a turkey sandwich on rye bread with tomato and mayonnaise. “Is he good to you?”

  “Who? Sky?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Yes, he’s good to me. He treats me well. The tabloids make him out to be a real bad boy, but he’s not. He’s a good, solid guy. I feel bad for him that he’s caught up in this mess.”

  “I feel worse that a crazy person has tried to kill you twice, and I had to learn about it through the press.”

  Meg shrugged. “She’s in custody now, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

  “Does he know you’re here?”

  She couldn’t meet her father’s eyes. “I sent him a text message this morning to let him know I was going home for a few days.”

  “Does he know it’s your birthday? Or anything else?”

  “No.”

  Victor’s face fell. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

  Meg felt her stomach churn. “You know I don’t celebrate my birthday. It’s not a day to celebrate anything.”

  Sky stared at his cell phone. “Goddamn it, why won’t you answer my calls,” he said, as he listened to Meg’s outgoing voicemail message. After the beep, he said, “Meg, it’s me. Please call me back. I just want to know that you’re okay. I just want to talk to you.”

  After setting the phone down on the counter, he paced back and forth in the living room of the log cabin, before going back into the kitchen to grab a beer from the refrigerator. He carried the beer into the living room and took a deep sip. “Jesus, baby, I miss you. I wish you’d call me. I’ve never felt so alone.” He closed his eyes and conjured up a mental image of Meg, when he heard his cell phone ring.

  Jumping up from the sofa, he ran to answer the phone. “Meg?”

  “Hey Sky!” Jack and Becky shouted out in unison.

  “Why are you guys calling from Australia? Shouldn’t you be enjoying your honeymoon?”

  “We are,” Jack said.

  “But we just wanted to wish our girl Meg a happy birthday,” Becky chimed in. “Is she there?”

  Sky’s blood ran cold, and he froze in place. “Her birthday? What are you talking about?”

  “God, Jack,” Becky said, exasperated. “I told you that her birthday was tomorrow, because we’re one day ahead in Australia.”

  “Yeah, you must be right. I’m all confused with the time change and the International Date Line thing. But is she there? Can we wish her happy birthday a day early?”

  Sky’s heart was beating rapidly as he sank down onto the sofa and took a deep sip of his beer. “It’s her birthday?”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Becky said. “You don’t know when her birthday is?”

  “No. She never mentioned it. How do you know?”

  “One day when you guys were busy with interviews and rehearsals last week in Las Vegas, we went to have our horoscopes done. I made a note of it when she told the astrologer her birthday,” Becky said.

  Sky pounded his fist on the coffee table. “Shit.”

  “Well, you have plenty of time to make plans for tomorrow,” Jack offered.

  “She’s out of town,” Sky said in a weak voice. “She texted me this morning to say that she was leaving town for a few days. She went home.”

  “Buddy,” Jack said. “You know what you have to do, don’t you?”

  Sky sighed. “Yeah, I do. I’ve gotta track her down.”

  Meg’s alarm sounded just after the sun rose. She peeled off the covers and stumbled into the shower. Despite the numbness she felt, she managed to go through the motions of her morning routine, as she blew her hair dry and pulled on her clothes.

  She closed the door of the farm’s guest house behind her, and noticed the lights on in the main house. “I guess Aunt Grace arrived after I went to sleep last night,” she said to herself as she got into her rental car.

  The early morning mist became thicker as Meg drove towards Southampton village. She brought her car to a stop in front of Our Lady of Poland, and paused to look at the memorial bricks on the ground in front of the church until she found the one with her mother’s name. She said a silent prayer before walking inside.

  The elderly parish priest greeted her as she entered the church. “It’s good to see you, Meg.”

  “It’s good to see you too, Father.”

  “Are you okay?”

  She shrugged. “I’m never okay this time of year. Will you hear my confession?”

  He gestured towards the last pew. “No need to go into the confessional.”

  Meg knelt and recited the familiar words as she made the sign of the cross. “Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It’s been one year since my last confession.”

  “Talk to me, Meg.”

  She looked into the priest’s kind face. “I’ve missed Mass most Sundays,” she said. “And then there’s my boyfriend. We’ve been…”

  “Intimate?”

  Meg closed her eyes and hung her head. “Yes.”

  “No need to go into details. Anything else?”

  Her voice shook. “Yes. I’m very sorry about my mother.”

  “That wasn’t your fault. We talk about this every year.”

  “I still feel guilty, and responsible.”

  The priest sighed. “I can forgive your sins, Meg, but I can’t absolve you of your guilty feelings. That’s something only you can do, and you should do. No one blames you, except yourself.”

  Meg nodded her head. “I know. But I still feel responsible.” She closed her eyes and recited the act of contrition as the priest placed his hands on her shoulders and said the prayers of absolution.

  “As your penance, say a decade of the rosary. Mass will start in ten minutes.”

  “Thank you, Father.” Meg stood and moved to the first pew in front of the altar. She pulled her mother’s rosary beads from her bag, and began to pray.

  She heard the interior doors of the church open behind her as other people entered, but she didn’t turn around until it was time to share the sign of peace. Her father was in the pew behind her, and she kissed him on the cheek, before greeting her Aunt Grace, cousin Jennifer, and Jennifer’s husband Drew.

  After Mass, she was surrounded by her family. “Would you like some company today? Jennifer asked.

  Meg turned her down. “No, thanks. I appreciate your offer, but this is a day I prefer to spend alone.”

  Jennifer pulled her into a tight hug. “I understand, but I want you to know I’m here for you. We all are.” She released Meg, and walked with her towards her car. “I hope you’ll join us for dinner tomorrow night at Almond. Gina is coming out for the weekend, and my father and Pete, too. It would be nice to have the whole family together.”

  “That sounds good.” Meg gave her cousin a quick squeeze before opening the car door. “Thanks, Jen, for coming to Mass this morning.”

  “Anything for you, Meg. I love you. We all do.”

  The private jet touched down at East Hampton Airport just after noon. Sky slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and shook the hands of the crew before picking up a rental car. He exited the airport and followed the GPS directions to Montauk Highway. As he drove west, his stomach tied up in knots as he recalled the conversation with Jack and Becky the previous day. Why the hell didn’t she tell me it was her birthday?

  At a red light in Bridgehampton, he checked for the hundredth time to make sure Meg’s birthday present was in his bag. This says everything I’ve been too chicken shit scared to say. God, I hope she likes it.

  The GPS lead him north of the highway to the driveway of a gray clapboard house with a wide front porch. He exited the car and took a deep breath before bounding up the steps. He raised his hand and was about to pound on the door, before realizing, this is her father’s house, and she might not even be here. I probably should use the doorbell instead.

  He waited, and when no one answered, he rang the doorbell again. He pulled out his phone to double-check the address, and jumped wh
en the front door opened.

  “Yes? Can I help you?”

  Sky removed his sunglasses, and came face to face with a tall, thin, middle-aged man with graying blond hair and blue eyes. “Mr. Novak?”

  Victor’s eyes grew wide when he recognized his visitor. “Yes. Are you Sky?”

  Sky extended his hand. “Yes, sir, that’s me. I decided to surprise the birthday girl. Is she here?”

  “Come in. And call me Victor,” he said, as he grasped Sky’s hand in a firm handshake. He led Sky into the kitchen, and gestured for him to sit. “How do you know it’s her birthday?”

  “I actually learned about it yesterday, completely by accident. She never told me.”

  “Yeah. Well, I’m not surprised.”

  “Why?”

  Victor shook his head. “She doesn’t celebrate her birthday.”

  Sky was confused. “Why not?”

  “It’s better coming from her.”

  Sky looked around the kitchen. “Where is she? I don’t understand.”

  A sigh escaped Victor’s lips. “I’ll take you to her,” he said. He stood and grabbed a set of keys from a bowl on the counter. “Let’s go.”

  They drove in silence until Victor turned his pick-up truck through the gates of a cemetery.

  Sky fidgeted as he looked around. “Why are we in a cemetery?”

  Victor glanced at Sky. “Again, it’s better coming from her.” He brought the truck to a stop. “She’s over there.”

  Sky looked in the direction Victor was pointing, and saw a figure seated on the ground in the distance. “That’s her?”

  “Yeah.” Victor crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I don’t want to go over there, because she usually prefers to be alone. But you should go to her. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. I’ll leave the two of you alone.”

  Sky exited Victor’s truck, and began walking towards Meg. He ran his hands through his hair and thought, what the hell is going on?

  Meg heard footsteps behind her, but chose not to turn around. As the footsteps came closer, she sensed a certain familiarity in the gait, and her heart began to race. She closed her eyes and whispered, “No. It can’t be.”

  Sky came to a stop behind her. “Baby, what are you doing here?”

  Butterflies fluttered in Meg’s stomach as she whipped her head around. “Sky! How did you find me?”

  He sat next to her on the ground, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close, and kissed her on top of her head. “Never mind that. Happy birthday, baby. Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She shook her head. “My birthday isn’t a reason to celebrate.”

  He wrinkled his brows, and his voice was full of concern. “I don’t understand.”

  “It’s just…we have more in common than you know.” She hung her head and sighed.

  “What is it?” Sky pushed the hair out of her eyes. “You can tell me anything. You know that.”

  Meg could barely bring herself to utter the words. “Look,” she said, pointing at the tombstone. “I killed my mother too.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  A chill ran down Sky’s spine. “What? What are you talking about?” He looked at Meg, who was pointing at the tombstone. “Meghan Marie Novak,” he read. “Your mother?”

  “Yes,” Meg said, as she hung her head. “I never knew her, because she died when she gave birth to me. I killed her.”

  Sky looked at the date of death on the tombstone, and realized that it was twenty eight years ago to the day. “Oh my God, baby, I’m so sorry.” He pulled her close. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you say something to me?”

  She sniffed, and wiped her nose against his fleece jacket. “I don’t know…it’s something I never talk about. I guess I thought that you’d…”

  “That I’d what? That I wouldn’t love you? Because I do, you know. That’s why I’m here, because I couldn’t be away from you. You can try to run away, but I’ll always find you.”

  An involuntary gasp escaped her lips, and the butterflies re-appeared in her stomach. She lifted her head up so she could look him in the eyes. “You love me?”

  “Yes, absolutely. I couldn’t love anyone more.” He kissed her on top of her head. “You’re my guardian angel, and I love you, Meg Novak.”

  “I love you, too, Sky Johnson.”

  “Good,” he said, as he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

  They remained seated on the ground at the gravesite for the rest of the afternoon. Sky kept his arms wrapped around Meg, and she accepted the quiet love and comfort that his presence gave her.

  After a long silence, Sky motioned towards the bouquet of flowers resting at the base of the tombstone. “Did you bring those flowers today?”

  “Yes. Daisies were my mom’s favorite flower. They’re my favorite too.” Meg’s voice faltered as she continued speaking. “Actually, that was supposed to be my name.”

  “Daisy?”

  She nodded her head. “My parents were going to name me Daisy Marie, but when my mom died, my dad decided to name me for her instead.”

  Shit. That’s a hell of a burden to carry. “How does that make you feel?”

  “I don’t know. I know my dad meant it as a tribute to my mom, but at the same time, it’s a constant reminder of what I did, that my being born ended my mother’s life.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. It’s not like you made a choice, it’s just something that happened.”

  “If I’d never been born, she’d still be alive.”

  “Meg, don’t say that…”

  “It’s true, though. My very existence means that she’s dead. It’s why I don’t celebrate my birthday.”

  Sky closed his eyes and shook his head. Now I know what I sound like when I blame myself for my own mother’s death. “It’s getting late, and I’m pretty hungry. Can I take you someplace for a bite to eat?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I just told you that I don’t celebrate…”

  “Yeah, but we still have to eat. It doesn’t have to be a birthday celebration. I haven’t eaten anything since this morning. You do eat on your birthday, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “If I wasn’t here, what would you do for dinner?”

  “I’d probably grab some take out, and eat it at the beach.”

  “Then let’s do that. Come on,” he said as he stood up. He offered his hand to Meg and helped her stand.

  They drove into Southampton village and picked up some fried chicken, a side of broccoli slaw, potatoes, and soft drinks at Catena’s Market. While at the store, Meg introduced Sky to the two brothers who owned the shop.

  “I like that place,” Sky said, as they got into Meg’s rental car. “It’s a real ‘mom and pop’ type of business. And I like that the people in there didn’t make a fuss over me. It’s refreshing.”

  “Yeah, well, this is going to come out all wrong, and I hope you don’t take it the wrong way, but while you’re famous in most of the country, you’re really not that famous here. There are so many huge celebrities out here all the time, and they’re all treated as ‘normal’ people. They’re usually just left alone.”

  “Seriously? I like that,” Sky said. He looked out the window as Meg drove south on Main Street. “This is a really cute town.”

  “Yes, it is,” Meg agreed. She pointed out Knit Hampton, her cousin Jennifer’s yarn shop, as they drove by. “She probably isn’t in there now, but if you stay for the weekend you can meet her. She invited me to a family dinner tomorrow night, and I’m sure you’d be welcome to join us. I know the rest of my family would love to meet you.”

  “I want to meet your family too.” Sky placed a hand on her thigh and gave her a squeeze. “I’ll stick around for as long as you’re here, if you want me to. We can fly back to Nashville together, whenever you’re ready.”

  “Okay. My plan is to go home on Sunday, because I have to work on Monday.” Meg pulled the car into the parking lot at Cooper’s B
each and up the ramp adjacent to the sand. “We can watch the sun set while we eat,” she said, reaching for the bag of food.

  “Good idea.”

  They ate while watching the ocean waves break in the waning sunlight. Sky broke the silence just as they finished their meal. “This was a great dinner,” he said. “What do you want to do the rest of the night?”

  Meg shrugged her shoulders. “I usually just go back to the guest house at the farm, and call it an early night.”

  “Sounds good.” He leaned over and gave her a chaste peck on the cheek. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. I just have to pick my rental car up at your father’s house.”

  Sky drove behind Meg as she turned into a driveway and through a tall white gate. He followed her car past the large farmhouse and barn, to where she stopped in front of a tiny white house. He grabbed his duffel bag from the back seat, and followed her to the front door.

  “This is the farm’s guest house,” she explained as she opened the door and turned on the lights.

  Sky looked around the simply furnished living room. “Do you always stay here when you come home?”

  “Usually. I actually grew up here, in this house.”

  He was confused. “But your father doesn’t live here.”

  “No, he lives in the house he and my mom bought when they were first married. After I was born and my mom died, he needed help taking care of me, so he moved back here to the farm. My grandmother basically raised me. My Aunt Grace and Uncle Peter came out from the city every weekend to help my grandmother out, and so that I could play with my cousins.”

  “Jennifer?”

  She nodded her head. “Jen, Pete, and Gina. They’re like my siblings. Jen is really protective of me, like a big sister. And Gina and I are the same age.”

  Sky put his arms around Meg. “I like this.”

  “What?”

  “Peeling back the layers.” He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head before continuing, “I like getting to know you better. I always thought there was more to you than what you let me see, because you dodged so many of my questions, but had no idea what it was you were hiding.”