CHAPTER 19
Bright and early Saturday morning, Megan pounded on the front door of Ramona’s condo, then leaned on the doorbell. She kept up the racket for a good seven minutes before her cousin finally answered her summons.
Ramona stood in the doorway, her right hand braced on the knob, the other pressed against the threshold. An ice pink silk robe wrapped her figure, baring her from midthigh. “What the hell is the matter with you?”
Megan plucked the flimsy black garment from her purse. She shook it out and waved it. “You left this behind.”
Ramona gaped. She dragged Megan across the threshold with one hand and slammed the door shut with the other. “Have you lost your mind?” She snatched the bra from Megan and stuffed it into the pocket of her robe.
“No, but you’ve lost yours.”
Ramona narrowed her eyes. “Well, listen to the little mouse roar.”
Megan ignored the taunt. “Why did you take off your clothes for a man who has no interest in you?”
Ramona planted her fists on her hips. “Of course he’s interested in me.”
“Then why did he tell you to leave?”
Ramona’s lips were tight with temper. “Aren’t you full of questions? I have one. Where did you spend last night?”
“Alone in my bed, wondering why I was allowing you to hijack my happiness again.” Megan shed her winter coat. Ramona had a penchant for keeping her thermostat at desert climes.
Ramona snorted. “Hijack your happiness? That’s rich. The town may be buzzing about how much time he’s spending with you, but Ean’s not yours.” She strutted barefoot across the white carpet and into the living room. “He may have returned to Trinity Falls, claiming that he’s here to stay, but that doesn’t mean you have what it takes to satisfy him any more today than you did when you were fourteen.”
Ramona’s words delivered a sucker punch to her self-confidence. Megan ignored it.
She slipped off her walking shoes and followed her cousin, still in attack mode. “Did you ever care for Ean? Or did you chase after him only because you knew I had a crush on him?”
Ramona spared Megan a disdainful look over her shoulder. “I’ve never chased after anyone. I’ve never had to.”
“Did you ever care about him?”
“He was exciting, if you know what I mean.” Ramona’s grin was wicked. She settled onto her overstuffed white armchair and crossed her legs.
Megan did know what Ramona meant, and that enraged her. “You went after him because you knew I liked him. The same way you stole my toys and my clothes. Why?”
“Poor little orphan Megan. Our grandparents’ favorite.”
Ramona’s words confused Megan. “Our grandparents didn’t have favorites.”
“Easy for you to say.” Ramona’s tone was dry. “You couldn’t do anything wrong in their eyes. Miss Perfect.”
“Why do you say that?”
“You never got dirty, never stayed out past curfew, never did poorly in school.”
“You chose to do those things. No one made you do them. But our grandparents still loved you.”
“But I wasn’t you, was I, Megan?”
“No, but you weren’t orphaned, either. Both of your parents were alive.” She hated reliving this painful past.
“But they didn’t dote on me the way our grandparents doted on you.” Ramona’s tone was tense.
Was her cousin actually envious of her? She couldn’t grasp that concept. Ramona had everything: career success, social success, confidence and beauty. Why would Ramona possibly envy her?
Megan sank onto the sofa. “Your Heritage High graduating class was right when they voted you most likely to succeed. You have a successful business and you’re the town’s mayor.”
“But you’re trying to turn the town against me.” Ramona folded her arms.
“Because you’re trying to put us out of business.” Megan sighed. “We were never in competition, Ramona. I thought you realized that when you decided to stay with me after Grandpa died.”
Ramona relaxed her arms and straightened in her chair. “You thought I stayed because of you?”
“We’re the only family we have left. Why else would you stay here rather than go back to New York and Ean?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you.” Ramona looked away.
“No, you don’t. But you should at least understand the reason yourself. Why did you come home?”
Ramona’s café au lait cheeks flushed. Her lips tightened. Megan remained still and quiet, waiting her out.
Finally Ramona crossed to the far side of the room, facing the fireplace. “I wasn’t ready.”
“For what?”
Ramona hesitated. “The demands of Ean’s career. He was working all of the time. I barely saw him.”
It sounded like a plausible explanation. Ean’s career was very demanding. That was the reason he hadn’t been able to come home more often or stay for longer visits. Still, something in Ramona’s voice made Megan realize her cousin wasn’t completely forthcoming.
“That didn’t mean you had to leave New York.”
Ramona turned to her. “I didn’t have anyone else in the city.”
“Neither did Ean.”
Ramona shrugged a shoulder. “He survived.”
Megan’s lips curved in a slight smile, as proud as though she had a right to be. “He did more than survive. He thrived.”
“And then he came home.” She gave Megan a considering look. “Is there any truth to Quincy getting a job in Philadelphia?”
Megan’s brows jumped up her forehead. “Why? Are you looking for another ticket to a big city?”
Ramona returned to the armchair. “I’m just curious.”
Megan gave her a hard stare. “Ramona, don’t play games with Quincy.”
“What? Are you his mother?”
Megan stood. “You should know that some people are tired of your self-serving antics, including me. Ean made his choice and he chose me.”
Ramona angled her head. “Are you actually color blind?”
Megan lowered her brows. “What?”
Ramona gestured toward Megan’s outfit. “Your pantsuit is very nice. It flatters your figure. But that’s a god-awful ugly color.”
Megan spoke through clenched teeth. “Stop chasing after Ean. He’s mine.”
Megan left Ramona’s condo feeling like the strong, assertive woman Ean saw whenever he looked at her. She should have drawn the line for her cousin years ago.
What was behind Ramona’s crack about my clothes? Megan shelved the mystery for another time.
She exhaled as she climbed into her car. Guilt at the possibility Ramona had given up her life in New York to stay with her in Trinity Falls had made her the passive one in their relationship. Ramona claimed that wasn’t the reason she’d stayed. Megan didn’t believe her. Nevertheless, she was done being the doormat. Today she’d fought for her man. Tomorrow she’d fight for her bookstore.