“Yeah, she mentioned that.”
“She did?”
Nic nodded.
Megan wasn’t really surprised, though. “She isn’t usually one to sugarcoat things. I kind of like that about her, but I hope she wasn’t too brutal.”
“Oh, she’s got a streak all right. She gets it from her uncle Damon.” Nic scowled.
Megan wanted to ask, but that scowl said everything. “Well, thank God for small favors then. My takeaway is that she was annoyed because the investigation was curtailing what she considers to be her basic human right—independence. My fault entirely, I admit. So not only did she think she’d help you along, but she wanted to impress her dad with how smart and capable she is.”
“Mission accomplished. I’m going to get her to teach me how to work those social networks. Sounds like a new investigative technique.”
“That should feed nicely into her little diva ego.”
Nic didn’t reply, just strode along beside her, kicking a soccer ball back into someone’s yard, taking her elbow and guiding her around a car whose rear was sticking out of the driveway and blocking the sidewalk.
“So how are you handling all this with her?” Nic eventually asked. “I should probably know.”
“Well, I helped her recognize how she was responsible for this whole situation in the first place. If she didn’t want her independence curtailed, then she probably shouldn’t have made choices that placed her in danger. Then we discussed process. How no one can ever anticipate all the angles, so it’s her responsibility to weigh options and decide whether or not she’s willing to risk the potential consequences. If she’s not, then she needs to make different choices.”
Nic seemed to approve. “That’s a hugely important lesson. Especially at her age. She’s coming up on the big stuff. Alcohol. Drugs. Sex.”
Just the mention of sex brought the conversation to a screeching halt. Neither of them needed reminders about how out of control teenage sex could get.
When they got to the end of the block Megan turned left, intending to cut down the street behind his mother’s house. As much as she wanted to walk, she kept eyeing his spit-polished dress shoes that couldn’t be all that comfortable to walk in.
“What do you think, Nic? You’ve been curiously silent.”
“I have, haven’t I? That’s because I’ve been listening.”
She couldn’t miss the something in his voice and glanced up. “You’re proud of yourself. For listening?”
He inclined his head with a look of such solemnity that Megan couldn’t take her eyes off him and wound up almost tripping over an elevation in the sidewalk, where a tree root was trying to break through.
He steadied her with another light touch on her elbow. “Can’t listen if I’m doing all the talking, can I?”
“Guess not.”
“But I do want to talk, Megan. Now. About us. About the other night.”
What could she say about the other night? She couldn’t deny how she felt. He already knew.
“I don’t know where we can go from here,” she admitted.
“That’s why I want to talk, to figure it out together. There’s been a lot of alone happening. Too much, I think.”
“That’s a pretty way to phrase it.”
“I’m trying to help make situations better, not worse.”
Something about that sounded scripted, and she wasn’t sure if there was an epiphany in there. She didn’t ask because they turned the corner to his mother’s street and he seemed to recognize where they were.
“We won’t be able to talk if we go inside. Do you want to go somewhere?”
She opened her mouth to reply, but then he grinned, that sexy half smile that had always managed to get her out of her clothes. His handsome face seemed so animated in that moment, so alive. Exactly how she felt. “I know where we can go.”
Megan knew where he was taking her even before he led her to the end of the driveway and unlatched the gate.
They made their way quietly around to the rear of the house, to the staircase leading to the apartment above the garage.
The very place Violet had been conceived.
Megan felt as if they were stepping into the past. Into memories of their stolen moments. He’d kissed her for the first time on these very steps.
The sun was on the verge of paling into twilight, that split second where it hung in the sky before beginning to descend. Birds were singing in the trees almost urgently, as if sensing the night would come and silence them.
The man walking beside her, so much older now after a lifetime apart—their daughter’s lifetime, in fact—yet a presence still so familiar, so reassuring.
The tread of his steps echoed on the wooden stairs as they climbed, and Megan couldn’t shake off the surreal sensation as she took a seat on the top step beside him, somehow knowing they wouldn’t go inside that apartment, the memories inside would be too emotionally charged, too much.
This top step was perfect, the moment all about promise. About first kisses. About making the choice to give in to the way they’d felt for each other, to fall in love. A reminder of the way they’d flirted during tutoring sessions. They’d gotten to know each other during long walks home.
For a long time they sat there, staring into the silence as the day predictably faded. Megan wondered if Nic was remembering, too, thought he might be. She could feel the warmth of his body, though he was careful not to touch her, and she was reminded of a newer memory, of the night in his condo, of how his mouth felt on hers, how right. Even after all this time. Even after all that had passed between them.
“I’m realizing that I need balance in my life,” he finally said, his voice low, hushed in the fading quiet. “I want a life that involves more than work, more than worrying about all the people I shouldn’t be worrying about anymore. It’s time to let go of some things to make room for new things.”
“Violet?”
“And you.”
Megan’s eyes fluttered shut, and everything went still. She didn’t breathe, couldn’t sense her pulse. The moment was utter stillness as she savored the impact of knowing he wanted her.
The way she wanted him.
“We’ve been given a second chance,” he said softly.
She could barely push the words out, resisted reality intruding on the way she felt right now, knowing he wanted her, acknowledging how much she still wanted him. She’d never resolved her feelings for him. She’d run away, dealt with the consequences of their choices, but she’d given her heart to Nic and had never taken it back.
But Megan chose the honorable path this time when she recognized and understood the choices before her. There was no need to tell him how she felt. He already knew.
That much didn’t need to be spoken.
“What about the past? The choices I’ve made?”
“I don’t have all the answers, Megan. But I do know that I’ve never stopped loving you. I want you in my life. We can work through the rest of it. I mean, hell, we’re already living with the results, and I don’t want to waste any more time. Not with Violet, and not with you.”
“You think you can learn to trust me again?”
“If you can trust me not to go police chief all over you.”
Megan knew exactly where that had come from. “And you don’t think she can compete with Damon yet?”
He shook his head. “Police chief isn’t in the same league as overbearing asshole.”
“Guess not.”
“I need you and Violet to keep me in line. I’ve got a long history of bossing people around. Just ask my family.”
What Megan found most endearing, loving, humbling, was the way he twisted everything around to take the responsibility on himself. He may have done it consciously for once, but he was still Nic, responsible, protective, caring, wonderful Nic.
The years hadn’t changed the man she’d fallen in love with.
And if he was willing to take a chance on her, on t
hem, to forgive and work through the past and give them the chance for a now, then shouldn’t she be willing to do the same?
There was only one answer.
Tonight was another first, the first kiss of their future. Only this time, she was the one who wrapped her arms around him, who pressed her mouth to his with seduction on her mind….
And loving him with everything she had to give.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“WHO ARE YOU SPYING ON, gorgeous?”
Violet jumped at the sound of Grandmama’s voice. The blinds snapped into place with an accusing rattle and she spun to find her grandmother framed in the bedroom doorway.
She considered making up some excuse, but decided not to bother. This was Grandmama—she didn’t miss a thing that went on around here. Took one to know one. Violet didn’t miss a thing, either.
“Mom and Dad,” she admitted. “They’re outside.”
“What are they doing?”
“They were talking.” She grinned. “Now they’re kissing.”
Grandmama grinned back. “About time, don’t you think?”
“I think.”
Grandmama sat on the bed and patted the place beside her. Violet went to sit next to her, thinking about Camille or Esperanza and the way they could spend hours in bed talking about everything while they lurked on Facebook. Her grandmother was that cool, like a friend.
“Okay, so you’re moving to town for at least a year, and your Mom and Dad are kissing. What comes next?”
Violet considered that. “Well, it’ll probably be more like two years no matter what Mom says.”
“That’s even better. Your mom told me she’ll be starting work here in around six weeks. Two months max. How does that work? When will you actually move?”
“We’ll go back to Chile.” Now that she knew they were definitely coming, she didn’t have to worry about staying here with Dad. She had to go home and say goodbye to her friends. There’d be going-away parties and presents… “Mom will wrap up the project. We’ll take the house apart, grab GigiMarie and come back here.”
Grandmama considered that. “You know, I’ve never been to Chile.”
“You haven’t?” Violet acted surprised. “Got a passport?”
“I do. Got it to take a seniors’ trip last year.”
“Then you’re all set. Did you know there’s everything there? Mountains, desert, even penguins.”
“Penguins, really? I had no idea.”
Violet whipped out her phone and scrolled through her pictures. “No lie.”
Grandmama took the phone and positioned the display in the light so she could see without her reading glasses. “Well, would you look at that? Penguins. I’d like to see one. A real one, I mean. Not like those in the zoo.”
“They’re really cute.”
She handed the phone back. “I’m thinking your father could use a vacation, too. I can’t remember the last time he went anywhere that wasn’t for work. Do you think he’d come with me if I asked him?”
“Do police chiefs get to take vacations?”
Grandmama rolled her eyes and made Violet laugh.
“I think this police chief has so much unused vacation time, he could take a couple of years off.”
“Then you should totally come down. If he gives you any grief, tell him you’re scared to fly alone. He won’t be able to tell you no.”
“Ooh, I like that. Clever girl.”
A matter of survival. Had to know how to work the old folks. “But you have to come right before we leave. Mom always takes off the week before we move so we can go around and see anything we’ve missed.”
“What a fun thing to do.”
“Mom’s pretty big on having fun.”
Wrapping an arm around Violet’s shoulder, Grandmama gave a squeeze. “I’m so glad you’re here. Have I told you that lately?”
“Every day since I got here.” Resting her head on Grandmama’s shoulder, Violet admitted, “I don’t think I’ll get tired of hearing it.”
“Good.” She pressed a kiss on the top of Violet’s head. “Will we all get to fly back together?”
“Yep.” She lifted her head, met Grandmama’s gaze and told her, “Then I’ll have a year or two to figure out how to convince Mom that she wants to stay here for good.”
Grandmama laughed. Then she hopped off the bed and went to the window. Lifting a slat, she peered through. “Still kissing. My guess is you won’t have to do a thing, gorgeous. Looks like your dad will take it from here.”
Violet was counting on it.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-8967-7
THEN THERE WERE THREE
Copyright © 2011 by Jeanie LeGendre
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
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*Falling Inn Bed…
Table of Contents
LETTER TO READER
TITLE PAGE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
BOOKS BY JEANIE LONDON
DEDICATION
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
COPYRIGHT
Then There Were Three Page 23