Sheltered by the Millionaire

by Catherine Mann

  And she still hadn’t shown up for the town hall cleanup effort as they’d planned.

  After their argument last night, they’d both thrown on their clothes and he’d driven her home, silence weighing between them in the dark evening streets. It was around one o’clock when they arrived, and he’d insisted on walking her to her door, where he gave her one more searing kiss. But she’d drawn the line there. She didn’t want him to come inside where Abigail waited, babysitting Evie.

  Work boots scuffling through dusty and crumbled brick, he took another garbage bag from Aaron. The job was too mindless to take his thoughts off Megan and what had happened last night. He trusted Abigail to keep her word to stay silent about their date until they—until Megan—was comfortable revealing the news to the town. But this had gone beyond Abigail. Given that they’d run into the Taylors at the restaurant last night, the whole town would know soon enough anyway.

  As if there wasn’t enough to keep everyone occupied. Like rebuilding the town.

  The perimeter of town hall had been secured but there was no quick fix to all the destruction, especially inside in the few areas of the building still standing. Town hall had been almost totally destroyed. Only the clock tower had survived unscathed, but since the tornado, the time had been perpetually stopped at 4:14. The planning committee had decided to rebuild on the same location, but the cleanup effort would take time. They had to be careful sorting through the mess. Even in the digital age, there was so much damn paperwork.

  Outside, Tyrone Taylor was barking orders to people as if it was his place to take charge. The guy seemed to think he ran the town. Luckily for them, Stella Daniels was there, and she had a quieter approach. A far more effective one at that. She let Tyrone bluster away and quietly followed up behind him giving direction and thanks.

  Whit scanned the crowd outside the cracked window, over the parking lot, looking for Megan but she still hadn’t shown. He hadn’t heard from her since he’d driven her home. He’d called in the morning to offer her a ride over, but she hadn’t answered. Was this a replay of the day the tornado hit when she’d shut him out after the kiss?

  Being with Megan had been even more incredible than he’d expected. And his expectations had been mighty damn high.

  He ground his teeth and focused on what he could fix. “Hey, Aaron, wanna help me lift this bookshelf and put it back against the wall?”

  “Sure thing.” Aaron squatted and braced both hands under one side of the walnut shelf. “Okay, Whit, on three, we lift. One. Two. Three.”

  Whit braced his feet, hefting and pushing alongside his friend until the bookcase was standing upright again. Files and thick hardbacks littered the floor where it had fallen. They were dry, but some had been soaked in the past, their pages curled and dirty brown. “We can put the undamaged items on the shelf again and stack the ruined stuff on the desk. The staff can decide what’s crucial to keep.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.” Aaron scooped up two large volumes and paused, half standing, then pointed to the window. “Check out who just arrived—your shelter director lady friend.”

  Whit pivoted fast, then realized he’d given himself away with how damn eager he was just to see her. But he kept looking as she picked her way around a trash dumpster and a pile of broken boards. The sun streamed down on her fiery red hair, which was held back in a loose ponytail. Her jeans and shelter sweatshirt might as well have been lingerie now that he knew what was underneath. She could have been wearing a burlap sack and he would still want her.

  Aaron stepped up beside him at the window. “So you and Megan Maguire have made peace with each other.”

  “We weren’t at war.” His denial came more out of habit than anything else; he was still focused on Megan, who was now talking to Lark Taylor, a local nurse passing out surgical masks for people to wear in the dusty cleanup.

  “Like hell you two weren’t constantly at odds,” Aaron said. “You can’t rewrite history, my friend. We all know how contentious things got over that land dispute when she wanted that site for the shelter. What I can’t understand is how you got her to overlook how you buy up wetlands to build. She went ballistic last time it was mentioned.”

  As if Megan could hear their conversation—or feel the weight of Whit’s stare—she turned, her eyes meeting his through the window with a snap of awareness as tangible as a crackle of static. He waved in acknowledgment, then turned back to cleanup detail. “We stay away from controversial topics these days.”

  Aaron didn’t let him off the hook so easily. “Ah, you are seeing her. I always thought you had a thing for her under all that bickering.”

  Whit didn’t like being transparent but he couldn’t outright deny the obvious. “Why are you so all fired up to know about my personal life?”

  “Oh, I get it. Who’s trying to keep it quiet?” His friend elbowed his ribs like they were in freakin’ high school. “You or her?”

  Whit leveled a stare at his pal, who was grinning unrepentantly. “Do you want my help with this mess or not?”

  “Somebody’s touchy.”

  Touchy? That was one way to put it.

  He was frustrated as hell that Megan appeared to have returned to their old ways of avoiding each other. Damn it, last night had been a game changer.

  Ignoring each other simply was not an option anymore.

  * * *

  Megan said bye to Lark and went in search of Beth. She wasn’t sure if she wanted advice or a buffer, but she just wasn’t ready to face Whit yet, and she couldn’t stand out here shuffling her feet indefinitely.

  A voice whispered in the back of her mind, asking her why she’d bothered to come here if she really wanted to avoid him.

  Truth be told, Megan wanted to rush into town hall and find Whit, to touch him or even just look at him. And the strength of that desire was the very reason she had to stay away until she found her footing again. No man should have the power to rock her with just a simple glance through a window.

  She needed to get her head on straight fast because given the way people kept looking at her and whispering to each other, she suspected that Vera Taylor hadn’t wasted any time in spreading the word about seeing her with Whit at the restaurant last night. Vera liked to pretend she was the expert on couples and marriage and everything else, but the senior Taylors were poster children for all the reasons marriage made people miserable.

  But then on counterpoint, she saw the Holt family patriarch and matriarch bringing refreshments to the volunteers. Watching David and Gloria Holt lodged an ache in Megan’s chest. Seeing them resurrected dreams she’d buried five years ago when Evie’s father had walked out, leaving Megan pregnant and alone. The Holts were such a team, married for decades and still so deeply in love. Word around town was that David still brought his wife flowers every week. And Megan was glad Gloria had delivered her baked goods to boost the TCC’s spirits after Megan’s brownies. It was no contest: Gloria was renowned for her blue ribbon fruit pies.

  Finally, she spotted Beth’s blond head. Just last week, she and her friend had decided to create compost heaps for rubbish wherever possible. It wouldn’t take care of all the recyclable debris, but it would help.

  “Sorry I’m late,” Megan said, kneeling beside a box of moldy computer paper that had been soaked by rain.

  Beth swiped a wrist over her forehead, brushing back her hair. “The Holts are adorable, aren’t they? Real soul mates.”

  “If you believe in that kind of thing, I guess.” She tugged on the facemask Lark had given her and passed another to Beth.

  Her friend pulled the elastic bands around her ears. “You don’t believe in soul mates?”

  “Years ago I did. I imagined finding him, getting married and starting a family.” She looked up and shrugged, tossing a moldy ream of paper into the pile. “It’s obvious things didn�
��t work out that way. But I have my daughter. I love her and I don’t regret having her for even a second.”

  But she couldn’t deny life was tougher. Choices were more difficult.

  “You don’t mention Evie’s father often. I’ve never wanted to pry, but it’s tough not to feel judgmental of the guy when you’re working so hard to do everything on your own.”

  “Thank God I found out what a selfish jackass he is before I married him.” Still, the fallout for her daughter wasn’t so clear-cut. “My only regret is the pain Evie will feel when she realizes he abandoned her. She doesn’t ask about him now, but someday, she’s going to want answers. Telling her he lives very far away won’t be enough.”

  “There must have been some positives that drew you to him in the first place.”

  The oak tree branches rustled in the afternoon breeze as Megan tugged on work gloves. “I was blinded by his charm.” She dug deeper into the rubble to move past bad thoughts. “He went out of his way to romance me with dinners and trips, gifts that seemed thoughtful as well as extravagant. It was like a Cinderella fantasy after the way I grew up.”

  “You’re a big-hearted person who sees the best in people.” Beth reached to give her arm a quick squeeze. “The only person I’ve ever heard you criticize is Whit.”

  “And people who abandon their animals.” She scrunched her nose under the mask.

  “Surely he ranks a level above them.”

  “Of course he does.” Megan kicked through layers of dirt until she found more paper goods for the compost heap and some limp file folders that could go to the recycling pile. “I just don’t want to repeat the past. I let myself believe in love at first sight. I was wrong. It takes time to get to know a person, to trust them.”

  “You’ve known Whit a long time.” Beth loaded branches into a wheelbarrow for a bonfire later. “There’s no issue with love at first sight here.”

  “I didn’t say I love Whit Daltry.” The L word. Her chest went tight. She tore off the mask to breathe deeper.

  “I never said you did. You’re the one who got defensive.” Beth pulled off her surgical mask and guided Megan toward a park bench. “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And I’m seeing lots of smoke steaming off the two of you.”

  Megan sat down beside her friend, toying with the mask and snapping the elastic ear bands. “I’ve learned the hard way that attraction isn’t enough. And I have Evie to consider now.”

  “You’re not the only single mom to have been in this situation before, you know.” Beth squeezed Megan’s wrist. “There’s happiness out there for you.”

  She looked out over the volunteers who’d turned up in droves, a town full of people who’d welcomed her into their fold. “I am happy with the life I’ve built.”

  “Fair enough. Still, there can be love and a partner for you. There can be a man who wants to be a father to that amazing daughter of yours. But you’ll never know if you don’t try.”

  Megan heard the logic in Beth’s words, but accepting what she was saying was easier said than done. “I think we’re all just feeling our mortality because of Craig and the others who died. We’re all reacting out of grief and adrenaline, a need to affirm life.”

  “Or the tornado could have torn away your defenses and is making you face what you’ve been feeling all along.”

  “Okay, Dr. Freud.” Megan bumped shoulders with her friend. “Do you think we can back off analyzing for a while?”

  The crunch of footsteps on downed branches gave her only a second’s warning. She looked over her shoulder and found Whit approaching. Denim and flannel never looked so good. She smoothed back the wisps of loose hair into her ponytail before she could stop herself.

  Beth stood abruptly as Whit leaned against the bench. “I think I’m going to head inside and see if Drew needs help. Good to see you, Whit.” She scooped up her mask and jogged toward the clock tower.

  The sounds of traffic being routed around town hall mixed with birds chirping. The world was almost normal again.

  Almost.

  Whit gestured to the scarred bench. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Of course I don’t mind.” That would be silly, and she didn’t even one hundred percent understand the turmoil inside her.

  “I noticed that your car’s blocked in so I’m offering you a ride if it’s not clear when you’re ready to leave.” His hard thigh pressed against hers. He pointed to where utility vehicles had recently arrived and boxed in her compact.

  She eyed him suspiciously. “Did you have something to do with my car getting blocked in?”

  “Why would I do that?” He palmed his chest in overplayed innocence.

  “You’re funny.” And she was being prickly for no reason. She rested her hand on his knee.

  He covered her gloved hand with his. “Just trying to keep you happy. When are we going to make it official and tell folks we’re seeing each other? They all know anyway.”

  Panic made it tough to breathe even without the surgical mask. “I need time to figure out what to tell Evie.”

  “Well, people are already talking so you should figure that out soon before someone says something in front of her.”

  “I know, I know.” She sagged back on the bench, accepting she’d reached a crossroad with Whit. Beth’s words knocked around in her mind. Had Megan just been hiding from her feelings for Whit all along? She tugged off her work gloves. “We just need to be careful with Evie. She’s fragile right now.”

  His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. “Do you think she’s going to be jealous of the time we spend together?”

  “Just the opposite. She likes you.” And that had a whole different set of potential landmines. “You’re really good with her and that’s scary too. Her heart’s going to be broken when we—”

  Irritation flickered through his dark brown eyes. “You’re dooming this before we’re even off the ground yet.”

  Was she? She reminded herself of the conversation with Beth. “I want to try. I just need time. Okay? Let’s finish helping out and then you can drive me home if I’m still blocked in.”

  “Evie will be there. What will you tell her?”

  She chose her words carefully. This was such a damn big step for her. She hoped he understood just how much. “That you’re Mommy’s very good friend.” She tugged another surgical mask from her pocket and passed it to him. “Let’s get back to work.”

  * * *

  Whit hadn’t had a role in blocking Megan’s car but he was more than happy to ride the good luck that fate had dealt him. Now he had time alone with her to figure out why she was so spooked.

  Not spooked enough to avoid him altogether though, because she could have asked Beth to bring her home. But she hadn’t. Instead, Megan had worked beside him tirelessly at town hall, as if she didn’t already carry a full load at the shelter, and agreed to a lift in his truck when they were done.

  Sun dipping into the horizon, he pulled up and parked outside her cottage. “You fit right in here. You’d think you’ve lived here all your life.”

  “It’s a welcoming town.” She dusted off the knees of her jeans. She’d really dug in to help at town hall today.

  She worked hard all the time and he couldn’t help but want to make things easier for her.

  Whit angled toward her, enjoying the way the setting sun brought out highlights in her hair. “Are you planning to stay in Royal?”

  She blinked in surprise. “I don’t have any plans to leave.”

  “That’s not the same as planning to stay.” He stroked a loose strand behind her ear.

  “What about you?” she countered. “What if your business expands and there’s a great opportunity to take things global or something?”

  “No matter how large my company grows, Royal will always be wh
ere I’ve planted my roots,” he said without hesitation. “This is the only place I’ve ever been able to call home. That’s not something I’m willing to throw away.”

  She shook her head slowly. “Home is family, not a place. If I got an offer from another shelter for a significant pay raise, I would have to consider it, for Evie’s future.” She cupped his face. “Why are we discussing this now? It’s a what-if that may not ever happen. Let’s focus on this moment.”

  “Right, of course.” His hand slid behind her head and he guided her to him and kissed her. It was just one of those simple kinds of kisses. But he was finding there were so many ways to savor this woman and they’d barely even begun.

  She eased back and smiled. “I need to let Miss Abigail go. Do you want to come inside and have supper with Evie and me? It’s nothing fancy. Just hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, maybe apple slices with peanut butter.”

  “Peanut butter?” He kissed her nose. “Now that’s an offer I can’t turn down.” He stepped out of the truck.

  She was trying, and that was more important than he wanted to admit to himself right now. He needed to keep his focus on the moment.

  He followed Megan into her house, the warm space full of color and clutter reminding him again how his place didn’t come close to feeling like a home. Tails wagging, Piper the Scottie and Cosmo the Border Collie raced across the room to sniff his shoes. The cats Truffles, Pixie and Scooter lounged on the back of the red sectional sofa in the same spots he’d seen them last time, as if they hadn’t moved.

  Evie jumped up from her Barbie house, wearing an angel costume with a halo and tiara, the two headpieces jumbled on top of each other. She ran to her mother and flung her spindly arms around Megan’s waist. “Mommy, I missed you.” She peeked up, a little bit of gold garland from the halo dropping over one eye. “Hello, Mr. Whit.”

  Miss Abigail scooped up her purse and sweater from the sofa beside one of the snoozing cats. “Well, hello, Whit. This is a surprise.”