Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  Drew was setting out platters of cold chicken, grilled vegetables, and warm bread when Jen and Meg entered the kitchen. He rushed to Meg and wrapped her in his arms, and when she began to sob again, he tightened his grip and shot a worried look at his wife.

  Jen bit her lip and shook her head, then wrapped her arms around Drew and Meg. “Come, sit down at the table. You’ll feel better if you have something to eat and drink.” She poured Meg a glass of lemon water from the pitcher on the table, and watched while she drained her glass. “Good girl,” she said, brushing the hair out of her cousin’s face. “Now, try to eat something.”

  “I’m not hungry.”

  “You have to eat.”

  Drew agreed. “Just try to eat a little.” He filled a plate and placed it in front of Meg.

  Meg let out a long sigh, and began to pick at her food. They ate in silence for a few minutes, until she placed her utensils down. “Can I ask you a question?”

  Jen and Drew answered in unison. “Sure.”

  She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. “Am I over-reacting?”

  “It’s hard to say, since we haven’t heard Sky’s side of the story yet,” Jen said, treading lightly on her words. “It could all be a misunderstanding.”

  Tears began to roll down Meg’s cheeks. “But the pictures…there’s no denying them.”

  “There were plenty of pictures when the tabloids tried to destroy us,” Drew said. He reached out and took Jen’s hand in his. “But there were explanations for them. Some were old, and others were completely taken out of context.”

  “And the most important thing we did was communicate with each other,” Jen added.

  Meg hung her head. “I don’t know if I can. It’s too raw right now.”

  “Just don’t let it fester. If you go too long without talking to him, it might end up being too late,” Jen offered. “Why don’t you go upstairs and check on Quint? We’ll be outside by the pool if you need us.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” Meg ran up the stairs, and found Mary standing outside Quint’s room. She was startled by the lack of crying and fussing. “Is he sleeping?”

  “Yes. He was so hungry, he took the whole bottle, so I gave him a little bit of rice cereal too.”

  “Rice cereal? The pediatrician said I could start him on it next month. Are you sure it isn’t too early?”

  “He’s a big boy, Mrs. Johnson. Raising children isn’t always by the book. And look how well he’s sleeping.”

  Meg tip-toed over to the crib. She gazed at her sleeping son, before retreating from the room, closing the door behind her, and rejoining Mary in the hallway. “I wonder if the reason he cries all the time is because he isn’t getting enough to eat.”

  “I don’t know. But he definitely had enough tonight, and he’s sleeping soundly.”

  “Thank you for taking care of him,” Meg said. She covered her mouth but was unable to stifle a yawn. “I’m so tired. Please tell Jen and Drew that I decided to turn in for the night.”

  Backstage before the show that night, Sky scrolled through the mountain of texts he received since the morning, before listening to the voicemail messages that had piled up on his phone. He winced at the terse message from his father expressing disappointment in him, and his stomach dropped when Fiona described the shattered phone and laptop she found when she went to the cabin to check on Meg and the baby. “I’ve got to try her again,” he mumbled, as he dialed his wife’s cell phone.

  “Shit!” He punched a nearby wall when he got Meg’s voicemail again. He had been trying to reach her since he learned about the tabloid fiasco earlier that day. “Goddamn it Meg, answer the phone. Please, just call me back.” He ended the call and shoved the phone into the pocket of his jeans.

  “Hey, buddy. Still can’t reach her?”

  Sky spun around and came face to face with Jack and Becky. “No, she won’t answer the phone, and she’s not returning my calls. I don’t know where she is, or where our son is. It’s like she’s disappeared into thin air. She hasn’t used any of her credit or debit cards since this morning at a store in Nashville. When Mrs. B. checked the house, she found a smashed phone and lap top, and most of their clothing gone.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Jack sighed, and added, “I met with the band, and we pulled “Heat” from the set list. Maybe we should have cancelled the show tonight.”

  “No. It would only validate what the gossip mongers are saying. I’m not gonna go into hiding, and I’m not gonna let the fans down.”

  Becky crossed her arms in front of her. “Is there anyone in her family you can talk to? Someone has to know where she is.”

  Before Sky could answer, Mac interrupted them. “Show time, guys.”

  The band played the set with their usual intensity. Sky made a valiant effort, dancing around the stage and belting out one hit after the other, but when he strapped on his acoustic guitar to sing “When I Met You” he broke down in tears.

  Instead of turning away from the crowd, he wiped his eyes, swallowed hard, and addressed the scandal head on. “By now, many of you have heard the rumors and gossip that came out about me this morning. Let me assure all of you that what was insinuated, and what you read and saw, was and is totally untrue.” He paused to wipe his eyes again. “For the record, I love my wife. And if you can hear me, baby, this song’s for you, just like it’s been every night since we met.” He strummed his guitar, and began to sing:

  The world stopped turning when I met you

  For just a moment I was lost in time

  I knew right then that I had to have you

  I knew right then I had to make you mine

  When he finished the ballad, the crowd erupted in the loudest cheers of the night, giving Sky the strength to finish out the show with a burst of energy. After the encore, he left the stage and tossed his guitar to the guitar tech. As he bolted from the arena, he said aloud, “I’m coming for you, Meg. I’m gonna find you. If it’s the last thing I do, I’m gonna find you, and fix our marriage.”

  CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

  Meg tossed and turned all night long. Each time she fell asleep, a nightmare about Sky and Larissa woke her. It wasn’t until after the sun came up that she realized Quint had slept through the night for the first time. If only I’d been able to sleep as soundly as he did, she thought.

  She nursed Quint, then set him down in the portable play yard with his favorite stuffed bunny. She had just begun a yoga routine when Jen entered the room.

  “How are you doing today?”

  “Quint slept well. I wish I could say the same.”

  Jen bit her lip and nodded her head. “Maybe some spa time would do you good. I arranged for massages for us, and Kenny is going to come by to give us blow outs.”

  Meg sighed. “Thanks, Jen. That sounds great.”

  After breakfast, Meg and Jen retreated to the spa. Meg removed her robe and lay down on the massage table. She inhaled the eucalyptus and rosemary scented oils used by the masseuse, and immediately began to relax. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the soft new-age music, and as the tension seeped out of her body, she drifted off to sleep.

  An hour and a half later, she emerged from the massage room feeling refreshed. Kenny greeted her and steered her to the shampoo sink, where he treated her to a refreshing scalp massage and deep conditioning treatment for her hair.

  As he began to blow her hair dry, Meg asked, “Where’s Jen?”

  “She’s upstairs. Her mom dropped the kids off, and she wanted to see them.”

  “Oh my God, I’m such an idiot. I didn’t even realize they weren’t here.”

  “Don’t beat yourself up, sweetie. You were beyond stressed yesterday.”

  “I was. I still am,” she said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” He fluffed her hair, and handed her a mirror so she could see the back of her head. “You look beautiful.”

  “If I do, it’s because you made me that
way.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you for making me feel better about myself.”

  She sprinted up to the second floor to check on Quint, who was the center of attention in the play room, surrounded by PJ, Laura Grace and Belle. Mary was overseeing the play time, while PJ and Laura Grace took turns showing Quint their toys.

  PJ ran towards her. “Aunt Meg,” he squealed. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

  Meg sat on the floor, and pulled him into a tight hug. “I missed you, sweetie.”

  “I missed you too. Where’s Uncle Sky?”

  Her face fell, and she blinked back tears. “He’s not here. Quint and I came by ourselves this visit.” She was relieved when she heard her name being called from downstairs.

  “Meg? Where are you?”

  “In the play room, Jen.”

  “Can you come down here a minute?”

  Meg stood up. “Be right there.” She kissed Quint, and then handed him to Mary. “Thanks for holding down the fort with the kids.”

  She met Jen at the bottom of the staircase. “What’s up?”

  Jen took her by the arm. “Come with me,” she said, leading Meg towards the library and reaching for the doorknob. “Everyone else is in here.”

  Meg’s heart raced, and her eyes darted from the door to Jen. “Everyone else? Who else is here?”

  “Well, let’s see…my mom and dad, your dad, Drew, and Gina.”

  Meg wrestled her arm out of Jen’s grip. “What is this about?”

  “We just want to talk to you. Let you know we’re here for you.” Jen opened the library door. “Come on in.”

  All conversation ceased as Meg entered the library. Victor rose from his seat, and wrapped his arms around her. “You may be a grown woman, but you’ll always be my baby girl.”

  She accepted the box of tissues her father handed her, wiped the tears from her eyes, and blew her nose. “Thanks, dad.” She looked around the room, and added, “I appreciate all of you being here for me.”

  Grace led her to a sofa. “Sit. We’re all worried about you. How are you doing?”

  Tears streamed down Meg’s face. “Oh, Aunt Grace, I’m absolutely devastated.” The family members listened patiently as she poured her heart out to them. When she recounted the previous day’s whispers and stares in the supermarket, she said, “I’ve never been so hurt, and humiliated.”

  “You know, he addressed the gossip at his show last night,” Gina said. “There are tons of videos posted online.”

  Meg’s head snapped up, “From last night’s concert? What did he say?”

  “We can look up the video later, but basically he said that none of it was true. He cried when he dedicated a song to you. Look, he’s not here, so I’m not going to get the chance to cross-examine him, but he seemed sincere. He might be telling the truth.”

  “But, the pictures…” Meg’s voice trailed off.

  “Forget the pictures,” Drew interrupted. “We went over this yesterday. You need to talk to him.”

  The rest of her family members nodded in agreement. An awkward silence descended over the room, until Grace cleared her throat. “Meg, how have things been between you and Sky since the baby was born? Is your relationship back to normal?”

  Meg’s cheeks turned bright red. “What do you mean by ‘relationship’?”

  Before Grace could answer, Drew spoke up. “Peter, Victor, let’s get out of here and give the girls a chance to talk privately.”

  Once the men left the room, Grace continued. “Let me ask the question again. How is your and Sky’s sexual relationship? Is everything okay in the bedroom?”

  Meg’s jaw dropped at her aunt’s bold question. When she recovered, she shook her head and spoke in a whisper. “It’s not good.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “The baby never sleeps. Last night was the first time he ever slept through the night. Sky gets frustrated with me because of all the attention I give to the baby. I love Quint, but having him has killed our relationship.”

  Gina tried to lighten the mood. “Okay, so you’re not having sex every day anymore. That happens with all couples, baby or not, right?”

  Meg stared at her feet. “It’s not that. We haven’t had sex since before the baby was born.”

  Jen stared at her cousin in disbelief. “What?”

  “Quint is four months old, and we haven’t umm…you know…made love since I was eight months pregnant.”

  “Oh, Meg,” Jen said. “That’s not good.”

  “Even I know that five months is too long, and I’m single,” Gina added.

  “Men have needs,” Grace added. “You have to take care of your husband, and show him you love and value him.”

  Meg lashed out in frustration. “But why is it my fault? I have to take care of the baby.”

  Grace moved closer to Meg, and rubbed her back. “I want to share some advice my mother – your grandmother – gave me after I had children. She told me that while it’s important to be a mother, it’s just as important to be a wife.”

  Jen nodded her head. “It’s really the secret to a happy marriage once children are born. You have to maintain that connection with your husband. It shows him how much you love him.”

  Meg opened her mouth to reply, but before she could speak she heard a ruckus, and the shouting of a familiar voice on the other side of the library door.

  “Where’s Meg? Where’s my wife? I know she’s here.”

  Sky burst through the door of the library and, ignoring everyone else, ran directly to Meg. “Baby, I’ve been so worried about you and Quint. Why didn’t you call me back?”

  Silence descended over the room as every set of eyes turned towards Meg.

  A combination of rage, confusion, and pain overwhelmed Meg as she stared at her husband. She did not want to admit that she had butterflies in her stomach, too, at the thought of him tracking her down. Instead of answering him, she turned the tables on him. “How the hell did you find me?”

  “What difference does it make?”

  Meg swung her head in Jennifer’s direction. “Did you tell him I was staying here?”

  Jen looked her cousin in the eyes. “Sky sent me a text asking where you were. All I told him was that you and Quint were safe. He deserved to know that much, Meg.”

  “And when you weren’t at your father’s house, or at the farm, this was the next logical place to look for you.” Sky turned to Jennifer and added, “It would have been easier if I didn’t have to climb over the driveway gate.”

  “Well, you can climb back over the gate and get the hell out of here. I don’t want to talk to you. Leave me alone.”

  “Meg, baby…we need to talk.” Sky looked around the room, and added, “Alone.”

  Jennifer agreed. “Yes, you do need to talk. The two of you should use the pool house. You’ll have more privacy there.”

  A chill ran down Meg’s spine at the thought of spending time alone with her husband. “But what about the baby…”

  Grace shot her niece a look that could stop a clock. “Remember what we were just talking about. Quint will be fine. Mary has taken care of all of Jen’s children, and Jen and I will be here as well. You’ll only be fifty feet away.”

  Meg sighed, and hung her head. “Okay. You’re right.”

  Sky jumped in. “Where is Quint? I want to see our son.”

  “He’s upstairs. I’ll take you to him.”

  Meg walked out of the library with Sky trailing in her wake. They climbed the stairs in silence, and when opened the play room door, PJ ran towards them.

  “Uncle Sky! I missed you. Aunt Meg said you didn’t come with her.”

  “Hey, buddy,” Sky said, picking up PJ and giving him a hug before setting him back down on the floor. “I couldn’t get here until today.” He turned and scooped up Quint, who began to wave his arms and babble in excitement at seeing him. “How’s my little man?” He kissed his son on the forehead, and said, “Daddy’s missed you so muc
h.”

  Mary removed a bottle from the warmer, and handed it to Sky. “I was just about to feed him, but maybe you’d like to instead.”

  “Oh…yeah, sure.” Sky sat down in a nearby rocking chair, and began to feed Quint. “Since when does he take a bottle?”

  Meg shrugged her shoulders. “Since yesterday. I pumped and froze my breast milk. We also started giving him a little rice cereal. It fills him up, and helps him sleep. In fact, last night he slept through the night.”

  Sky’s eyes grew wide as he looked up at Meg. “No kidding. That’s great.”

  Meg watched her husband feed their son. This is so awkward. It’s only been two days apart, but it’s been a long two days. It feels like I’m talking to a stranger. Maybe this is what Jen meant when she said I shouldn’t let too much time go by before talking to him, or it might be too late.

  She listened to Sky hum a tune she had never heard before, while he rocked Quint and rubbed his back until he burped.

  “That’s my boy.” Sky’s voice was barely above a whisper, as he held Quint close against his chest. “Daddy loves you.” He nuzzled his face against the baby’s head and inhaled the faint scent of baby lotion and powder, before standing up and handing him to Meg.

  “Kiss our son goodnight. We have to talk.” He walked towards the doorway of the play room, and watched while Meg said goodnight to the baby before handing him to Mary.

  He grabbed Meg by the arm and pulled her towards the staircase. “Let’s go.”

  “Go where?”

  “To the pool house, like Jen suggested. We need to have this conversation in private.”

  Meg and Sky crossed the back yard at Fair Fields and entered the pool house, where they discovered a note on the kitchen counter from Jen.

  Meg read the note aloud. “There’s some food in the fridge. Stay the night here, so you two can sort things out.” She looked out the window towards the main house, then finished reading the note. “And don’t worry about Quint. We’ll take good care of him. Hugs, Jen.”