The Broken Road

by Melissa Huie

  “I’m sorry to hear that. What about Allison? Why don’t you move in with her?” I replied, playing with the string on my sock. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to hear the answer to the question.

  Shane gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah, we’re not on that page yet. Plus, her two roommates don’t really like me.”

  Relief settled over me. Then some slight apprehension. Could I block out these feelings? Yes, I had to. Besides, he had a girlfriend. We could be just friends . . . I hoped.

  “Yeah, sure, you can move your stuff in,” I said with a smile. “But only until you can find something on your own.”

  I pushed aside the doubt that had been looming. We were just friends. What could go wrong?

  “Thanks Megs. You’re so great to me.”

  He surprised me by wrapping me up in a hug. I quietly inhaled his cologne and closed my eyes. This was going to be harder than I thought.

  I let out a fake chuckle and pulled back. “So, when are you bringing over your stuff?” I hope that I had a few days to prepare.

  “Well, I figured you wouldn’t leave me out in the cold, so I brought over what I could fit in the truck.” He practically bounced off the couch and gave me a knowing smile.

  I swatted him in the leg. “You arrogant jerk! What made you think I would say yes? I could have said no!”

  “Aw, come on. You can never say no to me. Don’t try to lie,” he said, calling my bluff as he walked out the front door.

  I sat on the couch for a minute, shocked at what had just happened. He had pulled a fast one on me. He was moving in and I didn’t think I could have said no. I chuckled. He hadn’t changed one bit. Still used his charm and smile to get what he wanted.

  While Shane brought in his pillows and trash bags of clothes, I made up his bed in the guest room. He added his toiletries to the bathroom and a pang of nervousness hit my gut. This was going to be interesting. There was only one shower in the house and my fantasies about the two of us in the shower flooded back. My face flushed and I quickly turned my attention to an invisible speck on the comforter.

  “So, is Allison going to be okay with you living with me?”

  He paused while he hung up a white polo shirt and winked. “She’s just someone I like to have fun with. We’re not serious, so she’s cool with it.”

  “Ah. Okay. Good. I just wanted to make sure there weren’t going to be any issues,” I mumbled as I headed back down the stairs to cool off. These feelings would need to be separated if this was going to work. I quickly pulled on my shoes and winter coat for Penny’s last walk of the night.

  The temperature had dropped and the smell of snow lingered in the air. Penny and I quickly walked down the treelined street. I hoped she would hurry up and go already, but she took her sweet time. Twenty minutes later, we returned home to find Shane’s black Ford F150 gone and the lights off. It was none of my business where he went. It was none of my concern. Remember that, Megan!

  I shucked off my snow boots and coat, locked the doors, set the alarm, and headed upstairs with Penny in tow. After peeling off my clothes, I paused. Normal sleepwear included underwear and nothing else. That had to change since Shane was living here. It would be awkward if he peeked in and saw me in nothing but my Victoria Secret panties. I slipped on a tank top shirt and cotton boxers and climbed underneath the cloud-soft down comforter. Penny climbed onto her large dog bed and did her usual routine of turning around until she got comfortable. This had been one hell of a day, and the last thought I had was, Will Shane come home alone?

  Chapter 2

  THE HYPNOTIC VOICE of Bob Marley woke me up. I reached over to turn up the volume then quickly remembered that another person lived in my house. Shane had lived with me for the past week and I still wasn’t used to having a roommate. So far, it hadn’t been bad. He was barely around, so I sometimes forgot that he had a bed at my house.

  Since Shane moved in, my morning routine had been completely out of whack. Instead of showering with the door open and my iPod blaring, I now started each morning by peeking out of my bedroom to see if he was around before darting across the hallway to the bathroom.

  After a quick shower, I dried my hair and gathered my pajamas in my arms. Clutching the bathrobe tightly, I tried to sneak back to my room. I thought I was safe until I heard a cough behind me.

  “Do you always get up this early?”

  His deep voice laced with sleep stopped me in my tracks. Shane stood in the doorway to his room blurry-eyed and wearing only green and white stripped boxers. I looked away, averting my eyes to anything but his broad shoulders and muscular arms that sent shivers down my spine.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” I said with a sheepish grin.

  Shane returned a sleepy smile of his own. “It’s okay. I just got to bed an hour or so ago.”

  My mouth fell open. “What the heck were you doing until five thirty this morning?” Then I shook my head. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know. I forgot that you’re such a night owl.”

  Shane chuckled. “Yeah, and you always go to bed early. When we were younger, I tried to get you to sneak out after midnight but you were always fast asleep. I remember that. I remember a lot actually. Have a good day at work.” He gave me a wink and then closed the door behind him.

  I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until I exhaled. Damn, that man is beautiful. I reminded myself to breathe. I shook my head and dove into my closet. I dressed in a knee-length wool black skirt, a ruffled button-down pink top, and black knee-high boots. With Penny at my heels, I quietly headed down the stairs to let her outside.

  I had just let Penny back inside when I spied a paper sack on the table. To my delight, there were two of my favorite pumpernickel bagels. My heart swelled. He remembered. Shane’s caring nature shouldn’t have surprised me. He remembered the little things and never asked for anything in return. When my father died five years ago from a heart attack, Shane was my rock. He was the only person to see me fall apart, after trying to be strong for my mother and brother. He made sure that my mom’s house was stocked with groceries. He ran our errands and did our laundry for a week. Shane’s bad boy image suited him. He had a passion for fast bikes, large trucks, and causing mischief. Unfortunately, Shane had a wild streak and he used to run with a bad crowd. He had been arrested several times for bar brawls, drug possession, trespassing, and one time for indecent exposure. Thankfully, Shane grew up. Despite the baggy jeans, the tattoos, and the piercings, he was a sweetheart. Shane would give a stranger the shirt off his back and his last dollar if that person needed it. He had such a good heart and believed the best in people.

  I left a note of thanks next to the bag, threw one of the bagels into my lunch bag, and headed out to the car. Halfway to work, my cell phone rang

  “Hello?”

  “Hey. Are we still meeting at the pub tonight?” Jen Walsh asked. We had been best friends since we were sophomores in high school. Our birthdays were a month apart. We grew up in the same neighborhood and had the same interests. Jen was the person who introduced me to Shane with the hopes that we’d end up as a couple, But to her dismay I started dating Tommy. After Tommy and I got engaged, she tried to talk me out of it. Jen said that Tommy wasn’t good enough for me, that he was too focused on his career. I should have listened to her.

  “Hey. Yeah, the pub’s fine. What time again?” I asked, shifting into fourth gear.

  “Let’s make it eight. I have to drop Lauren off with my mom,” Jen replied, naming her darling three-year-old daughter.

  Jen was a nurse at the county hospital where she met her husband, Matt, a pediatrician. They married young, had a child a year later, and were happier than any other couple I knew. I often felt like I was living a child’s life compared to theirs. To be twenty-six years old and already know what you were doing with your life, to have it already laid out in front of you—I couldn’t wrap my head around it. I didn’t even know what I was doing tomorrow.

&n
bsp; “Yeah, that’s fine. That will give me time to take Penny on her walk. Oh, by the way, did you hear? I have a new roommate,” I joked.

  Jen laughed. “Yeah, I heard. He sent me a text last week. I meant to call you. Is it weird? I mean, given your feelings and all?”

  I hesitated as I pulled to a stop light. “It’s okay. I haven’t seen him around much. I’m sure there will be some awkward moments, but we’re both adults now. I’m sure we can deal with any past issues.”

  “I bet.” I heard a thump followed by a cry in the background. Jen cursed under her breath. “That was Lauren. I’ll see you tonight.”

  I laughed as I pressed the END button. Lauren was the most daredevil child I had ever met. There wasn’t a couch or playground set that she couldn’t conquer.

  * * *

  I pulled into the office parking lot with a minute to spare. My Uncle Bob had hired me as an office manager right after I moved back to the area. While I suspected the offer was out of familial obligation, I liked to think that my degree in business management made it happen. I walked into the outdated industrial office building, which totally contrasted to the firm’s modern office suite. I stowed my bags underneath the desk, hung up my coat, and had started checking the voice mail when Paul Jenkins, a junior partner, came up to my desk.

  “Good morning, Megan. I see you managed to find your alarm clock,” he said snidely. Paul demanded the respect of a senior partner even though he was only a junior. He was on a very high horse and on more than one occasion, I had to knock him off of it.

  “Yes, Paul. I was able to get out on time this morning, just like every other morning this week. Is there something I can help you with?” I didn’t want to help him as much as I wanted to flick a rubber band directly between his beady rat eyes, but I refrained, begrudgingly.

  “I need the Anderson file. Do you have it?” Paul demanded. His god-awful toupee slid slightly to the right of his dome-shaped head.

  I checked the file log-out sheet. “I spoke to you and the other partners about this on Wednesday. We need to make sure that every file is signed in and out. According to this sheet, you signed it out on Monday. I suggest you speak with Miranda, your paralegal, about this.” I always felt like I had to speak to Paul the same way I spoke to three-year-old Lauren—slowly, deliberately, and carefully avoiding big words.

  Apparently, Paul didn’t like that suggestion, as he turned up his large nose and walked off in a huff. He always treated me like his personal secretary and was a sexist, pigheaded jerk to boot. It was a golden rule that the front desk personnel were treated with the utmost respect. We had the ultimate control in the office. We decided if there would be regular or decaf coffee in the morning, and if that new pain-in-the-ass client would be settled in your office to your surprise or if you would just call him back later. And if you pissed us off enough, we would put your butt in the economy section in the middle seat close to the bathroom when we made your travel arrangements. We were the foundation of any firm and had the power to make or break your day.

  I dialed Miranda’s internal number. It was only fair to give her a heads up that Mr. Stick-Up-My-Butt Paul was on his way to her office.

  “This is Miranda,” her African accent trilled. Miranda Reinhardt was from South Africa and I just adored her. She was a beautiful, talented paralegal. We became fast friends when she joined the firm the previous year.

  “Hey Mir. Just a warning. Paul is on the warpath. He’s on his way back to your office,” I hurriedly whispered, watching Paul as he stomped down the hall.

  “Lovely. Thanks for the warning.” She quickly hung up and I could hear him down the hall loudly demanding the file.

  I sighed and logged into my computer.

  * * *

  The morning went by quickly. When lunchtime rolled around, I took my meager lunch and walked into the break room just in time to see Uncle Bob sneak some chips out of the vending machine. “Ahem,” I said with a smile. “You know, if Aunt Karen knew that you’re eating chips, she’d be highly upset.”

  Bob laughed. His big belly jiggled like Santa Claus. “Your Aunt Karen won’t find out. This diet has me going crazy. Did you know she packed me a grapefruit and turkey sandwich today? That’s all! How am I supposed to survive on that?”

  I joined him at the table. “Aunt Karen doesn’t want you to go through what Dad went through.”

  Uncle Bob grumbled. “Yeah, well. I’ll die of starvation before that happens.”

  I laughed, handing him half my bagel. He gratefully took it.

  “So, how are your mom and Kyle doing?” he asked, smearing cream cheese on his bagel. He closed his eyes in happiness after the first bite of carbohydrates.

  “They’re doing well. Kyle loves his job. He transferred to the station in Edgewater. Mom is happy that he’ll be close to home and he’s happy that he can mooch off her for dinner.”

  Bob nodded. “It’s great to see Kyle come around. He was a bit of a hellion after your father died.”

  My younger brother had only been eighteen when my father died. He took it extremely hard. Kyle rebelled and acted as if he were invincible. Mom pleaded and begged him to straighten himself out, but it took getting arrested for vandalism and destruction of property for him to change his ways. Thanks to Uncle Bob, he was sentenced to community service and avoided time behind bars. Now Kyle was with the Anne Arundel County Police Department and doing a lot better.

  “Good, Bob, I’m glad to see you’re still here,” Paul called as he walked into the room.

  “Afternoon, Paul. What can I help you with?” asked Bob wearily. Paul had an affinity for being obnoxious, a trait not lost on Bob.

  “Megan, I need to speak with Bob alone,” Paul insisted arrogantly.

  I rolled my eyes and kissed my uncle on the cheek. I left the room but not before I gave Paul an evil glare. If it was so important, he should have taken it to the office. Bits of the conversation wafted up the hall.

  “It’s a high profile case, Bob. We should talk about assisting the district attorney on this one. Think of all the potential clients,” Paul insisted.

  “This is a federal case, Paul. My hands are tied. Besides, there could be a conflict of interest . . . .” Bob’s voice trailed off and I couldn’t hear what he said next.

  That’s interesting. Uncle Bob is normally all about the high-profile cases, so why is he hedging about this particular one? I brushed the thought out of my mind. It’s not my concern, I told myself.

  Before I knew it, it was five o’clock. I had just logged off the computer when my phone rang.

  “Connors, Piper, and Dobbins. This is Megan. How can I assist you?”

  “Hey, Megs.” I practically melted at the sound of his voice. God, get a grip. I should not be acting this way.

  “Hey, Shane. What’s going on?”

  “Are you going to the pub tonight?” he asked. I heard traffic in the background so I figured he was on his bike.

  “Yeah, I’m meeting Jen around eight. Are you gracing us with your presence?” I teased.

  Shane laughed. “Yeah, I think Allison and I might join you. Is that cool with you?”

  I silently groaned. Seriously? Yes, I mind, you fool.

  “No, that’s cool. We’ll get a booth,” I replied, hoping he hadn’t noticed the sarcasm in my voice.

  “Okay, good. I’ll see you at Artie’s.” And with that, he hung up.

  I sighed. Really? Did he have to bring Allison with him? I sucked it up because I knew that if I wanted to hang out with him I’d have to deal with her tagging along.

  * * *

  Shane’s truck was parked on the street when I got home. I brought my bags inside and was greeted by an eager Penny. I went upstairs to trade my dress clothes for a pair of sweats and track shoes and clipped a leash to her collar.

  “Come on, Pen. Let’s go.”

  We took off down the street and made it a good mile and a half before turning around. By then my cheeks were freezing and my n
ose was running. I turned the corner and noticed a green Expedition pulling up to the house. Oddly enough, it stopped in the middle of the road and then drove away. I watched the taillights fade. I wonder what that was all about, I thought.

  I deactivated the alarm in the house with a push of a button on my key ring and let Penny in. I quickly turned the alarm back on and locked the doors. I didn’t know who they were, but I didn’t want to advertise that I was home. My parents’ rule on home safety echoed in my head: always lock your doors as soon as you’re inside. I fed Penny and ran upstairs to take a shower before I left to meet everyone. It was six thirty and I was late.

  Chapter 3

  AN HOUR AND HALF LATER, I arrived at Artie’s Pub and Grill. The noise was deafening and the pub was full of familiar faces. The old neighborhood hang had always been the place to be on Friday nights. It took a while, but I finally saw Jen through the crowd and made my way over to her table.

  “Hey, Girl,” Jen gave me a big hug. She was about six inches taller than I was, with long curly hair and deep green eyes. Her white cowl-neck sweater and dark jeans set off her tan from last month’s Aruba trip nicely.

  “Hi. It’s crazy in here,” I shouted. I could barely hear her above the din of the crowd.

  “Yeah, its nuts. It’s too cold to do anything else. What better way to get rid of the wintertime blues than to come and drink?” Jen laughed.

  I joined in. It felt so good to see her again. Even though we only lived twenty minutes apart, life just kept getting in the way.

  “How are Matt and Lauren?” I motioned for the waiter and asked for a beer.

  Jen sipped her wine. “They’re great. Matt’s working the late shift tonight at the hospital and Lauren’s going through the terrible threes. How are you? How’s work going?”

  I launched into a tirade about the way Paul was treating everyone. I took a breather to sip my beer and felt a hand on my shoulder.