CHAPTER 34
Ean and the three outsiders stood, stepping away from their table. They wore their wealth, privilege and power like cologne. Megan swallowed hard. What were Ean’s former law firm’s partners doing here?
“Ramona, I thought you’d never eat here again.” Ean’s easy smile faded when he noticed Megan.
Megan ignored the chill seeping into her bones. “I was surprised she picked this restaurant as well.” She sealed her lips to trap any further comments inside her mouth.
Why are you having lunch with your former firm’s partners?
When were you going to tell me about your meeting with them?
Ean’s expression was guarded, as though he’d heard the questions. He gestured toward the tall, imposing silver-haired man beside him. “Let me introduce you. Megan McCloud, this is Hugh Bolden, my former boss.”
Hugh extended his hand. His laser blue eyes seemed to take her measure. “Pleasure.”
Ean continued down the line. “August Craven.”
Megan released Hugh’s hand to accept August’s greeting. The older gentleman’s smile deepened the creases on his cocoa skin. “Nice to meet you.”
Ean moved on to the final introduction. “Jorge Arnez.”
Megan stepped forward to greet the youngest and tallest of the group. The thick waves of his inky black hair hinted at threads of gray. His large hand enveloped hers. “It is a pleasure.”
Megan released Jorge’s hand. “It’s good to meet you as well.”
“How long are you gentlemen staying?” Ramona made the question sound natural.
Jorge responded for the group. “This is just a day trip.”
“A day?” Ramona sounded surprised. “Trinity Falls may be small, but you won’t get to see much in one day.”
Megan felt Ean’s eyes on her. She turned to him. Tell me they’re not here to ask you to return to New York.
Ean smiled and cupped her cheek. “I’ll see you later.”
Megan’s breath caught in her throat. She’d gotten a brush-off when she’d needed reassurance.
“Enjoy your lunch.” She led Ramona back to their table.
Their server, a young man in need of a haircut, appeared. He traded a basket of fresh rolls for their drink orders. They both asked for iced tea with lemon, then he left.
Ramona opened her menu. “Breathe.”
“What?” Megan’s thoughts were spinning so fast. She would either pass out or throw up.
“You’re turning blue.” Ramona lowered her menu. “What’s wrong?”
Breathe in. Breathe out.
The restaurant was full. A quick look around confirmed Megan’s suspicions. Most of the diners were looking from Ean, to his visitors, to her and back again. Their attention skittered away when they saw her watching them.
“What’s wrong?” Megan struggled for composure. “Do you really think Ean’s former bosses flew in from New York just to visit Trinity Falls, Ohio?”
“No-o-o.” Ramona gave the simple word a few extra syllables. “But why do you think they’re here?”
“It’s obvious. They want Ean to return to New York.”
Ramona frowned. “How is that obvious?”
Beneath the table, Megan clenched her fists to stop their trembling. “Why else are they wearing Lord and Taylor suits? This isn’t a visit. It’s a business meeting.”
Ramona slid a look across the aisle toward the table of very well-dressed men. “They do look fine.”
“Focus.” Megan’s hands itched to shake her cousin.
“What?” Ramona gave Megan her full, wide-eyed attention. “Just because his former bosses are here doesn’t mean they’re trying to get him back.”
“Then why are they here?”
Ramona continued. “And even if they were trying to talk him into returning to the firm, that doesn’t mean he would. He’s in love with you.”
Shock punched her in the gut. Megan sucked in a breath. “How do you know?”
Ramona rolled her ebony eyes. “I’m not blind.”
Megan had hoped for a stronger endorsement, perhaps something like, I can see it on his face. I could hear it in his voice; He told me.
Their server returned with their drinks and took their meal requests. Ramona asked for the grilled salmon and Caesar salad. Megan picked the chicken noodle soup and sandwich at random.
Megan sweetened her iced tea. “I know Ean cares about me, but does he care enough to stay in Trinity Falls?”
“Why wouldn’t he stay here?” Ramona stirred the lemon slice into her drink.
Megan lifted her gaze toward Ean’s table. “I—”
“Stop staring.” Ramona interrupted her.
Megan lowered her eyes. She sipped her iced tea. It was a struggle to keep her gaze from returning to Ean and his group. She squeezed her drink’s lemon garnish into her beverage. “You’ve said yourself, repeatedly, that Trinity Falls is slow, boring and backward.”
“It is.” Ramona sipped her drink.
“Ean spent seven years in New York. How can he be satisfied with Trinity Falls after that?”
“Where have you been for the past two months?” Ramona set her glass on the table. “No one twisted Ean’s arm to get him to return to Trinity Falls. He came back on his own.”
“I know that.” Her glass was cold and wet between her palms. “He’d had enough of the rat race and came home to spend more time with his family and friends.”
“So you were listening.” Ramona pulled apart a wheat roll and slathered it with butter. “His father was dying, and he didn’t even know. Do you really think the firm’s partners would be able to persuade him to go back to working for them after something like that?”
They sat in pensive silence for several minutes. Ramona finished a buttered roll. Megan toyed with her drink. Finally their server returned with lunch. Once Megan and Ramona assured him they didn’t need anything more, the young man disappeared.
Megan stared at her soup and sandwich. “Maybe they wouldn’t be able to change his mind this time, but suppose they try again?”
Ramona’s sigh was short and irritated. “Now you’re borrowing trouble.”
“Maybe because I’m scared.” Megan stirred her chicken soup as she watched Ramona slice her salmon salad into more manageable pieces.
Her cousin stabbed a forkful of the salad and chewed. She seemed deep in thought. “Let’s say, for argument’s sake, Ean does decide to return to New York. Why couldn’t you go with him?”
The question caught Megan by surprise. “He hasn’t asked me.”
Ramona rolled her eyes again. She spoke with exaggerated patience. “For argument’s sake, let’s say he did. What’s keeping you in Trinity Falls?”
Megan spread her arms. “Our bookstore, our grandparents’ house. This town is my home.”
“Home is where your heart is. Is a store and a house more important than your relationship with Ean?”
The server appeared to check on their meals and refill their iced tea. He then crossed to Ean’s booth. Megan’s gaze followed the young man as he returned Ean’s credit card and left the receipt for the bill before going back to his station.
Megan looked away. A week ago, Ean had asked her to move in with him. Today he was having lunch with the principals of his former law firm. A meeting he’d never mentioned to her. What did Ean really want? Did he want to settle down to a small-town life with her? Or was he considering returning to his cosmopolitan life in the Big Apple?
Megan sighed. “I don’t know if I could live in New York.”
Ramona forked up more of her salad. “It does take some getting used to. But perhaps a better question would be, could you live without Ean?”
Megan stared at her half-eaten sandwich and cooling chicken noodle soup. “I don’t know if I can do that, either.”
She looked up as Ean and his companions stood to leave the restaurant. His eyes found hers as he drew closer. Ean offered a smile Megan couldn’t return.
Ramona’s voice cut through the fog in her mind. “You’d better figure it out.”
Megan knew her cousin was right. She also knew she was running out of time.