It Had to Be Him

by Tamra Baumann

  Josh stared deeply into Meg’s eyes as he gave her one last long, slow squeeze against his muscle-bound body. “Guess I better go.”

  “Yeah. Run!”

  Grandma was on five by the time he took off at a sprint toward the hotel via the beach.

  When he was safely away, she turned and met her grandmother’s steely stare. “What? We bet a kiss on the dart game last night. I lost.”

  “You’d best remember how you moped around for months the last time that boy broke your heart before you end up in his bed again, young lady. And in my day, a kiss for a bet didn’t include all that monkey business with his hands.”

  Grandma saw the getting felt up part?

  Lord, just shoot me now.

  After a fitful night’s sleep thinking of Josh and that kiss, Meg checked her phone for the tenth time as she walked the beach to the hotel. She’d hoped to hear back about her loan from the bank in Denver. No word yet.

  She needed to get Josh’s room ready for later that evening, but first she wanted to set up her reservation software on the computer in Casey’s office. She needed to bill Mr. Randall, her first client, and put that cash to good use on her house.

  As much as she would have loved to avoid her grandmother after the kissing episode, Grams and Haley had already made plans to bake cookies. So instead of a quick drop-off and a promise to return in an hour, she had to endure another lecture on the dangers of Josh and his monkey-business hands.

  She’d been tempted to remind her grandmother she was twenty-eight years old, not sixteen, but it wouldn’t have done any good, so she’d just nodded until Grams ran out of steam.

  Her sister, talking on the phone with a client while tapping on her computer’s keyboard, lifted her chin in greeting when Meg walked into the office. Casey’s usual smile was missing. Either something was wrong with the client she was speaking with, or Meg was in trouble with Casey too.

  She’d find out soon enough, so she set out to put Casey’s old computer back together.

  Casey hung up and started right in. “What’s up with you and Granger, Meg? He checked out this morning and said to tell you he’s cooking dinner tonight for you guys as a part of his rent.”

  Josh was going to cook for them? Awesome! “Nothing’s up. He’s going to be staying, alone, at the house, and in lieu of rent, he’s going to help with the renovations. He’s muscle. That’s all.”

  “So Grandma was exaggerating when she said, and I quote, ‘It was like watching a porno movie when I showed up at her door yesterday’?”

  Meg laughed. It might have been if Grandma had shown up five minutes later. “Grandma watches porn these days?”

  Casey wasn’t amused. She crossed her arms and waited for an answer like she’d done when Meg was ten.

  “Is this my mother asking or my sister? Because bitching about men and talking about sex was supposed to come with a glass of wine. And it’s way too early in the day for that.”

  “Dammit, Meg. I’m worried about you. Why can’t you just talk to me?” Casey closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

  Casey always did that whenever Meg disappointed her. Something that had happened more than she cared to admit.

  Feeling guilty, she circled behind Casey’s chair and wound her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “I’m sorry. You’ll always worry about me, and I appreciate it more than you know, Casey.” Meg gave her a noisy kiss on the cheek, earning a reluctant grin from her sister.

  Meg went back to messing with the computer on the floor. Probably time to go all in on the sister thing. “I haven’t slept with anyone since I got pregnant with Haley. I’ve been on a few dates but wasn’t attracted enough to go to the next level. So when Josh kissed me it got a little more heated than I’d planned, that’s all.”

  Casey’s jaw dropped. “You haven’t had sex in three years?”

  “Could you shout that a little louder, please? I don’t think they heard you on the other side of the lake.”

  “No one should go without sex for three years. It can’t be good for you.”

  “Wait a minute. You’ve been divorced for a couple of years now, so who are you having sex with?”

  Casey went back to tapping on her computer. “None of your business.”

  “Oh, no you don’t. This isn’t a one-way street. Spill!” A memory of a sexy smile across the hotel’s kitchen hit her. “It’s Dax, right? I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

  “Absolutely not.” Casey frowned. “I’d never sleep with an employee. And he doesn’t look at me any particular way.”

  “He does too, but if it’s not him, then who?”

  Huffing out a breath, she said, “Beau Bailey. But don’t you tell anyone or I will kill you. Neither of us is looking for another relationship right now so we’re keeping it quiet.”

  “Beau Bailey? He’s hot, I’ll give you that. And built. But kinda old.”

  “He’s only two years older than me, brat!”

  Megan flopped down on the corner of her sister’s desk, amazed they’d been able to keep their relationship a secret in their nosy town. “So . . . you guys meet at some seedy motel down the highway, have hot monkey sex, then say see you next Tuesday, same time, same place?”

  Casey struggled to keep a straight face. “We have hot monkey sex, but never in seedy motels. Why would we do that when I have perfectly good rooms here?”

  “You do it here? Oh my God, Casey. Dad would kill you if he found out!” Meg had a whole new kind of respect for her sister.

  Casey beamed a smug smile. “That’s why it’s handy Beau is a general contractor. If people see him here, they just think he’s fixing the plumbing or something.”

  “Well he’s fixing your pipes, that’s for sure! Wow. This is too much for my traumatized brain to absorb. My sister, Miss Straight As, Miss Perfect, Miss ‘why can’t you be more like Casey, Megan,’ is a ho. And I love it!”

  Casey rolled her eyes. “I’m not a ho. I’m a woman with normal needs. The hot monkey sex is just a bonus.”

  “Stop!” Holding her sides in laughter, Megan said, “As it is I’m not going to be able to look him in the eye the next time I see him.”

  “The point is, Meg, it’s dangerous to scratch your itch with Josh. He’s hurt you. Toby has wanted you since the tenth grade. You should put him out of his misery. It’ll help you separate sex and co-parenting.”

  Wiping the tears from her eyes, she said, “News flash. Toby and I have had sex plenty of times and it was just okay. Josh, on the other hand, was stellar. It’s made it hard for me to want anyone else.”

  Casey’s eyes narrowed. “It was after your junior prom, wasn’t it? When you and Toby came home with those guilty looks on your faces? I knew I shouldn’t have let you stay out that long past your curfew.”

  “Yep. And then we hooked up a lot when I was home in the summers from college. Sometimes we’d go out on the boat and—”

  “I don’t want to know—he’s an employee too. And while Josh has a smokin’ hot body—he looks damned good in just his boxers, anyway—you need to figure out if the attraction is just physical or if there are still real feelings involved.”

  Just his boxers? A hot surge of jealousy stiffened her spine. But Casey would never betray her like that. Would she?

  Meg slapped her hands on the desk. “Why have you seen Josh in his underwear?”

  “It was an accident. But your reaction told me what I wanted to know. You still have feelings for him, don’t you?”

  Meg sat beside the computer on the floor again as she pondered her answer. It was her turn to close her eyes and rub her temples, but not because she was disappointed in her sister. “I honestly don’t know, Casey. He’s changed so much from what he was before, but in some ways he’s just the same. He said he realized he needed to switch his priorities and it seems he has. And the way he looked at Haley yesterday was so sweet it melted my heart. Maybe it’s because when he smiles I see Haley’s smile? I don’t know. I’m just
so confused.”

  When Meg opened her eyes again, Casey was sitting right next to her on the floor.

  “Sleep with him, then. It’s probably the only way you’ll know for sure. And if it turns out to be nothing more than fantastic sex, then you deserve some. Just don’t hand him your heart until you’re sure.” Casey pulled her into a hard hug. “But you’d better warn him—if he hurts you again, Grandma told me she’s aiming to kill the next time.”

  Josh crossed the threshold to Zeke’s shop the next morning at seven forty-five. Wailing country music pouring out from a boom box from the eighties assaulted his rock and roll-loving ears. He called out for Zeke, but got no response.

  He’d been so impressed with the high-tech tools the day before, he hadn’t given much thought to the other side of Zeke’s shop. A rickety metal desk by the entrance held stacks of papers, one weighted down by a black rotary-dial phone.

  He’d never seen a phone like that except on old television shows. He lifted the receiver up and placed it against his ear. A steady dial tone sounded, so he poked his finger in the number seven hole and twirled it around. It made a clicking sound on its slow journey back around the dial. It must’ve taken forever to dial a number back in the day. Interesting.

  The old tube computer screen on the desk and the stacks of handwritten invoices littering the desktop showed Zeke wasn’t big on technology. Maybe he’d ask the old guy if he’d like help updating his systems.

  Moving deeper into the shop, Josh spotted a pair of jean-clad legs and worn work boots sticking out from under an old rusty truck.

  The music was so loud Zeke would never hear him, so he crossed to the boom box, turned it down, and then waited.

  And waited.

  When Zeke’s legs didn’t move, Josh kneeled down on the dusty floor and peered under the truck’s chassis. Zeke softly snored. His hand clutched a wrench that lay across his slowly rising and falling chest.

  Morning nap time, apparently.

  Josh stood and, spotting a broom in the corner, figured he’d make himself useful until Zeke woke up.

  After the floors were clean, he got the hose out and sprayed down the driveway. While blasting pine needles and dirt along the concrete, he glanced up and spotted Sue Ann walking out the door of a big house down the street and getting into her car. Everyone lived a stone’s throw away from one another. Was that a good or bad thing? He’d always wondered what it’d be like to have a big family, but after seeing how screwed-up Megan’s was, maybe it wasn’t all roses and sunshine.

  With the front looking a little more presentable—he’d come out and pull some weeds for Zeke later—he ventured back inside.

  Zeke was draining his to-go cup of coffee. “You’re late, Granger.” Before Josh could respond, Zeke added, “If you’re going to work here, we need to go over the rules.”

  “Okay.” So it was a job? He thought he was just helping the guy out for the day.

  “Rule one. Don’t mess with my music. Got it?”

  “Yep.”

  “Rule two. I like my workspace dirty. Makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something. No more cleaning up.”

  Not sure what he meant by that, Josh just nodded sharply and said, “Right.”

  “Rule three is . . . well, I forget what rule three is, but don’t do it and we’ll get along just fine.”

  “You got it. So what can I do to help?”

  Zeke rubbed his chin. “Well, since you’re the new guy, it seems fitting to send you over to the diner for more coffee and some donuts. Then we’ll pull us a tranny.”

  Not bothering to mention he didn’t drink coffee or eat donuts, Josh was happy to comply. A year ago, if you’d asked him where he saw himself, it was out of the FBI, but never in a dusty old mechanic’s shop in a tiny town. He still wanted to get a counseling degree, but for now, this could work too.

  After Meg sent off the paid reservation receipt to Mr. Randall and transferred his third of the weekly fee to her new business checking account, she drafted an e-mail alerting all of their existing clients about the new lodge. Just as she was about to hit “Send,” her phone signaled she had a new e-mail. “Cross your fingers for me, Casey. I just got a response from my loan officer.”

  Casey stopped typing on her computer. “Well?”

  Afraid to look, she drew a deep breath and tapped the screen. After she read through the e-mail twice, she let out the breath she held. “It’s only half of what I asked for. She said it helped that I had over twenty thousand in my account—thank you, Josh—but that was all the loan committee would approve. She said I could come in this afternoon and sign the papers.”

  “That’s great, Meg, but what about the other half?”

  She settled in the guest chair in front of Casey’s desk. “I was just getting ready to send an e-mail to all of our clients to drum up some pre-booking money. If I can get enough, I think I can just barely squeak by and have everything ready by September.”

  “That’s risky.” Casey’s face turned all mama-is-not-happy. “If you spend their money in advance and then have delays and can’t open on time, you’re screwed. And our clients will be upset with all of us.”

  “I know. But it’s the only way I can make this happen on my own. Please don’t tell Dad what my plan is. Let’s just let him think I got the full loan.”

  Casey opened her mouth to answer when a knock on her office door interrupted her. Thank goodness. Meg’s plan wasn’t the best one, but nothing better had come to mind.

  Ryan stood in the doorway beside a frowning Ben.

  Casey whispered, “We need to talk about this some more, Meg.” Then she turned to their brothers. “Hey, guys. What’s up?”

  “We wanted to talk to Meg about something. Glad you’re here too, Casey.” Ryan flopped down onto a chair beside Meg as Ben sat on the edge of the desk.

  This couldn’t be good. She figured the parenting-by-committee thing would stop once she became a mother, but apparently not. “What’s going on, Ry?”

  “When Granger took my gun from you the other day, he left prints. So I ran them. I’ve been looking into his background.”

  “Dammit, Ryan! You promised you’d stop doing that to all my boyfriends.” She turned to her sister and Ben. “And you two wonder why I never told anyone Josh’s name?”

  Casey ignored her and said, “What’d you find on him?”

  “I’m sitting right here, you guys. Stop!”

  Ryan turned to Casey. “His prints weren’t in the database, but his background check is too sterile. It’s like it’s so clean and perfect, it’s fake. Even my background report has more information than Granger’s.”

  “Oh, so now it’s a crime to have a perfect background check?” Meg stood to leave. “I’m outta here.”

  “Sit down and talk to us, Megan.” The command in Ben’s tone made her stop mid-stride. He’d never spoken to her like that. He was the one always on her side.

  Taking her seat again, she said, “What?”

  Ryan asked, “Has he told you where he’s been for the last few years? There’s virtually no banking activity except for regular deposits I can’t trace. And what do you know about his past? How did you two meet?”

  She gave them the CliffsNotes version of her and Josh’s short relationship.

  Ryan took a little pad of paper from his chest pocket. “What was the address of the condo and the name of the business he worked for?”

  She told him, then asked, “Why are you guys doing this? Is it a crime to buy me a car? You’re the ones who made him give me the money he won’t take back.”

  Ryan flipped his notebook shut. “Yeah, see, that’s what’s weird. He has a boatload of cash in his bank accounts, but no assets except his truck. He doesn’t own any real estate. Doesn’t even rent a storage unit for his things that I can find. It just doesn’t add up.”

  “I’m fairly sure accessing his private information without just cause is illegal, Ryan, so either turn yourself in or cut it ou
t!”

  Her brother shrugged a big shoulder. “We want to be sure Granger is who he says he is. Did you ever meet any of his friends or people he worked with?”

  “Okay, that’s it! I’m done. I have to fly to Denver and back this afternoon and then get a room ready for Josh, the apparent serial killer, all by five thirty. See you guys later.”

  Megan slammed the door closed behind her and replayed Ryan’s last question in her mind. She hadn’t met a single friend or co-worker of Josh’s. If they went out with others, it had always been with her friends. Looking back, that was a little weird. She’d ask him about it when she saw him later.

  Josh put his truck into park just as Megan’s new car pulled up beside him. He grabbed the bags of groceries he’d picked up and got out.

  When he spotted Meg in a red dress and matching sexy, tall heels freeing Haley from her car seat, he stopped dead in his tracks.

  He needed to step up his game and figure out a way to show her that she could trust him again. He wanted to get back to the place they once were. Before he’d hurt her, they’d talked about getting married. But what more could he do?

  Haley hopped out and ran toward him with a big smile. That she was happy to see him sent a wave of heat to his chest.

  “Hi!” She held up a plastic bag. “Me and Grandma made you cookies.”

  Doubt rifle-packing Grams knew they were for him. “Thank you, Haley. We’ll have them for dessert.” He turned to Meg. “It’s just spaghetti. You didn’t have to get all dressed up for me.”

  She grabbed a duffel and a bottle of wine from the front seat. “It wasn’t for you, pal. I had a meeting in Denver.” She held up his favorite vintage. “I got my loan today so we’re celebrating.”

  “Congratulations. But I’m still enjoying the dress and the wine, even if they weren’t for me.”

  He couldn’t take his eyes off Megan’s curvy butt as she led the way to the front door of the large but forlorn cabin that begged for a coat of stain.

  She tilted her chin over her shoulder, sending him a cute grin. “Well, look fast, because I’m not done fixing up your room, so I’m losing the dress and heels in about two seconds.”