Megan held her breath, eyes closed, as Cassie zipped up the back of the dress. She’d had to order it online and, thanks to a shipping snafu, it had just arrived—only hours before Luke was due to pick her up for the banquet. If it didn’t fit, she was sunk.
“So, are you going to look?”
Dipping her head in embarrassment, she dared a quick glance in the full-length mirror hanging on the bathroom door. Another last-minute online purchase; until recently she hadn’t cared about her appearance to need one. For years, she’d settled for clean and hopefully unwrinkled, which made the woman staring back at her nearly impossible to recognize.
“Wow.”
“Definitely wow,” Cassie agreed. “That dress was positively worth waiting for.”
“It’s not too tight?” Megan smoothed her hands down her sides, loving the feel of the sleek red fabric. She’d chosen it, hoping the stretchy material would be comfortable. Though, she had to admit, the snug fit and above the knee length, while perfectly appropriate, left very little to the imagination.
Cassie shook her head. “It’s perfect. Luke is going to trip over his tongue when he sees you in it.”
The mental image of Luke panting after her like Lily begging for a treat was ridiculous enough to break through her worries about the dress.
Cassie was right. She looked amazing. She felt amazing. As if when she’d wiggled into the dress a piece of herself had fallen into place, as well. A piece she’d almost forgotten existed.
She’d been taking baby steps to...something...ever since she and Luke had started dating. But this dress felt like a giant leap toward the woman she wanted to be. Confident, sexy, and hopeful for the future. A woman who didn’t spend her life in crisis mode, waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next problem to surface. She and Luke had a good thing going, and she wasn’t going to second-guess it anymore. At least, not tonight.
Feeling a bit like Cinderella getting ready for the ball, she slid on the matching sky-high heels Cassie had loaned to the cause. Unfortunately, that had been the only clothing size they’d had in common, or she could have avoided the entire shopping debacle.
Although, seeing herself now, Megan had to admit she was glad she’d gone to the trouble. This was the start of a new chapter in their relationship, and in her life. A new outfit was practically required. And wearing it, she looked like a whole new person.
“Mom, is dinner ready yet? Lily and I are starving!”
Owen’s voice broke the spell. She might have a boyfriend and the beginnings of a social life, but she was still a mom. Maybe she’d find a better balance over time, but right now her kid needed dinner. Turning from the mirror and the vision of what might be, she kicked off the heels and faced the present.
Two sets of eyes, one human, one canine, stared accusingly at her, as if five minutes past mealtime was a crime of epic proportion. She was about to point out the unlikely odds of starving to death in such a short time when Cassie placed a hand on her arm.
“Hungry enough for the Salty Chicken?” Cassie asked.
Owen’s eyes lit up at the mention of his favorite takeout restaurant. “With extra sauce?”
Cassie agreed before Megan, off kilter in her cocktail dress and bare feet, could call time-out on whatever was happening. “Sure, as soon as you’re packed, we can head straight there.”
“But I was going to drop him off after dinner,” Megan protested once Owen had darted down the hall. “You’re already watching him overnight. You don’t have to take him out to eat, too.”
“Whatever.” Her friend blew off the concern with a shrug of her shoulders. “I was going to pick up food on the way home anyway. Might as well save you the trip. Besides, this way you can take your time getting ready, do your hair, all that stuff.” Cassie ran a hand over her own no-nonsense ponytail. “I don’t know that I even remember what that involves, but I do know it will be easier if you’re not darting back and forth to the kitchen while doing it.”
Unexpected tears stung Megan’s eyes. A few months ago, she’d thought she had no one in her life to rely on. Now, she not only had an amazingly hot boyfriend, but a really good friend. She wasn’t quite sure which was better. “Thank you.” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “For the shoes, and watching Owen, and...” Emotion clogged her throat, stopping whatever words she might have used to express the importance Cassie’s friendship and support had come to mean to her.
“Stop.” Cassie shook her finger in warning, a suspicious glint of moisture in her eyes. “It’s not a big deal.”
Megan wanted to argue, but Owen was already back, overnight bag and plastic container of kibble in tow.
“People food makes Lily puke,” he advised Cassie. “She has to have her own food.”
“Good to know,” she answered soberly, as if learning brand-new information and not an experienced veterinarian. “I’ll be careful.”
“Okay. We can go then.”
“Can I get a hug goodbye at least?” Megan was glad he was becoming more independent. A year ago, he’d never have been able to spend a whole night away. But Lily, and his recent social growth at school, had given him the confidence to try new things. Including a sleepover with his friend Emma. Megan had no doubt he’d have a great time, which was something else to be grateful for. She’d still worry, but he was in good hands, and she couldn’t ask for more than that.
“Too tight!” Her son squirmed in her embrace and, even though part of her wanted to hold on forever, she took a deep breath and let him go.
He was moving forward, growing and embracing new relationships and adventures. If she needed any inspiration for her own life, all she had to do was to look at her son and hope to live up to his example.
Luke gripped the steering wheel tightly, willing his hands to keep the car on course even as his eyes drifted from the road. He’d been stealing glances at Megan since he’d picked her up. He hadn’t thought he could be any more attracted to her than he already was. He’d been wrong. So very wrong.
When she’d opened the door in that dress, the impact had hit him like a rogue wave, leaving him speechless for a full minute. Finally finding his tongue, he’d mumbled something trite he couldn’t remember now. But a guy couldn’t be expected to form a coherent sentence when all the blood had rushed from his brain to regions south. It was as though some switch had been thrown and all his dormant caveman genes had woken to demand he take this woman as his mate. Now. Forever. And that revelation, on top of the overwhelming lust clouding his head, was rocking his world.
“Are you okay?”
“Hmm?” He kept his eyes on the road, as if he’d been fully concentrating on it and not her the whole time.
“You’re all flushed. And you keep making a weird face.”
He turned his eyes toward her in time to catch her imitation of his scowl before checking for himself in the rearview mirror. “I am not,” he fibbed.
“Yes, you are,” she insisted. “And I don’t know what that steering wheel ever did to you, but if you squeeze it any harder, it’s liable to break apart.”
He glanced down and eased his grip enough for blood flow to return to his whitened knuckles. “I’m nervous about the banquet going well, I guess.” That was true. Before his sudden testosterone overdose and subsequent “Megan is the one” realization that had been his main concern for the night. Now he was trying to figure out when he could get her alone and if their first real date was too soon for a marriage proposal, an absurdity that would be completely unbelievable if he wasn’t experiencing it firsthand.
She laughed and, for a startled moment, he was afraid he’d spoken his thoughts aloud. But she didn’t look like she was making fun of him, if the smile he caught in his peripheral vision could be believed.
“It’s an elementary school function. It’s probably going to be unbearably boring.”
“Not helping,” he grumbled between clenched teeth.
“But,” she continued, ignoring him, “it will raise a bunch of money and everyone will see how well you are running things.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I am. Unless...”
His hands tightened on the wheel again. “Unless what?”
“You keep looking at me instead of where you’re going.” Her lighthearted tone took the sting out of the rebuke, and he felt a bit of the tension ease from his body.
“Sorry, but that dress...”
“Isn’t going anywhere. You’ll be sick of looking at it by the end of the night. So just get us there in one piece, okay?”
He’d never get sick of looking at her, in or out of that dress, but he nodded and kept his eyes forward for the rest of the drive to make sure they lived long enough to test the theory. Besides, his recently discovered inner cave dweller possessed a primal urge to protect his desired mate at any cost. The realization that he was putting her at risk, not just himself, was enough to temporarily quash the urge to stare.
Only when he had the car safely tucked into a faculty spot behind the school gym did he give in to the need to look his fill. He thought he was prepared; surely the initial impact had been a one-time thing. Now that he knew what to expect, he’d be fine.
He wasn’t fine.
He was so far from fine, he’d need a map and a compass to find it again.
Just as before, his breath caught in his chest until he had to consciously will his lungs to start working again. His heart, on the other hand, was working overtime, his pulse pounding like a runaway stallion that had tossed its rider and was hell-bent for home. The only thing saving his dignity: he hadn’t actually started drooling. Yet.
“Um, are we going to get out?” Megan waved to where his hands still rested on the steering wheel, and he realized he hadn’t even turned the car off.
“Yeah, sorry. Just...thinking.”
“I told you, it’s going to be great. Boring,” she added, with a wink, “but great.”
Her smile, so full of confidence, somehow got through to the part of his brain still capable of higher-level thought. She was right; this was going to be great. He’d worked hard to put everything in place, and this was his chance to enjoy the end product—and to enjoy a real night out with the woman he loved.
There was no doubt in his mind now that it was love. Not the kind that celebrities gushed about two weeks before announcing yet another breakup, or that greeting cards described in flowery phrases that meant less than the paper they were printed on. No, this was deeper. More real. Every cell in his body resonated with it.
He wanted to tell her. The words hovered at the tip of his tongue, waiting to burst free. But that wasn’t a pronouncement to make in a parking lot, and he certainly wasn’t going to expose his innermost thoughts and feelings in the middle of a crowded gymnasium-turned-banquet-hall. But after tonight, with their relationship out in the open, he wouldn’t hide how he felt. And if she didn’t feel the same way? Well...he’d just have to wait until she did.
But when he finally got out of the car and opened her door, she looked up at him in a way that made him think it might not be a long wait at all.
As they walked hand in hand into the school, he was confident that everything he’d been working and hoping for was about to come true.
Less than an hour later, crammed into the dimly lit equipment room with four prominent members of the school board, the hopes and dreams Luke had been so sure of were deflating faster than the lopsided basketball puddled in the corner beside him.
Taking a deep breath of stale air that reeked of rubber and disinfectant, he tried, again, to make sense of what he was hearing.
“You want me to step down as principal?” When all four started to reply at once, talking over each other, he held up a hand. “Rob, can you please explain what on earth is going on?”
Robert Swanson, a former bank officer and the most senior of the board members, both in age and length of term, nodded. “You see, we heard—I mean...” He paused, wiping at the sweat that dotted his liver-spotted forehead. “That is to say, um...” He looked to the others, as if for a reprieve. Finding none, he shoved his hands in the pockets of his suit pants and, with the air of a man doing a necessary but distasteful task, continued without ever meeting Luke’s eyes. “There has been an allegation of impropriety. Given the circumstances, stepping down quietly seems the best choice for everyone. I’m sure you understand.”
Luke bit his tongue to keep from explaining in graphic detail just how much he didn’t understand. Only when he was sure none of his words would be of the four-letter variety did he allow himself to respond.
“What kind of allegation? By whom?” Holy crap, had someone accused him of being inappropriate with a student? The idea was preposterous. He’d taken every precaution, followed every guideline. Everyone he knew did, because a false accusation, although rare, could ruin a career. And, by the time the truth came out, the court of public opinion would have already made up its mind.
Sweat pooled under his heavy suit jacket, and Luke wondered if part of the stink in the room was the scent of his own fear. Still, he kept his voice calm. Acting impulsively wouldn’t help anything. “I can assure you that I follow all the proper precautions regarding student-staff interactions. So if someone is saying otherwise—”
“This doesn’t concern the children. At least, not in that way,” Rob assured him, as if that somehow made everything okay.
Relieved but confused, Luke turned to the woman standing nearest the door. “Melinda, fill me in. Please.” Melinda Harris, one of the newest members of the school board, was the one he knew best because—unlike the others—she still had a child enrolled. Her son, a talented artist, was in the sixth grade. Luke had recently written a recommendation for the boy as part of his application to a fine arts middle school on the mainland and had expressed to Melinda his hope that she’d stay on the board even after her son had moved on. If anyone here could bring some clarity to the situation, it was Melinda.
“Nothing has been decided. There will need to be an investigation,” she started, her hands twisting nervously as a few of the others scowled at her. “But one of the parents has accused you of showing favoritism to a student due to an inappropriate relationship with his mother.”
Clarity hit in an instant. He should have expected this—hell, part of him had been preparing for such a confrontation from the beginning. He just hadn’t anticipated being ambushed in the supply closet while top dance hits played in the background.
That begged the question why now.
The answer was as obvious as the woman herself. Liz Robins. He’d seen her—more of her than he’d wanted to given her low-cut minidress—smirking a few minutes before Rob had corralled him. Now he knew why. Apparently, if she couldn’t be his date to the Scholar’s Banquet, she’d sabotage it for him instead. Classy.
“So, because of one person’s accusation, you want me to resign?” Now that he understood the situation, his bewilderment shifted to anger. “Do you seriously expect me to just up and quit right now? What, do you want me to write my resignation letter on a scorecard or something?”
Stepping forward, he strode through the group that had pressed him into the equipment room a few minutes ago. “In case you hadn’t noticed, we are in the middle of the biggest fundraising event of the year. The school that you all represent depends on what happens tonight. Those donors expect me to be out there, running things, and if they get wind of a scandal, you can kiss those big fat checks goodbye.”
“Is that a threat?” Rich Dillard, another of the old guard, demanded, his face reddening in indignation.
Beside him, Alice Bell, a small, round, nearly silent woman tsk-tsked. “We hoped you would have the decency not to cause a scene.”
Nick laughed bitterly. “Too late for that. You already created one when the four of you dragged me in here. You think people didn’t notice?” He tipped his head at the still closed door. “Every gossip in town is out there right now coming up with their best conspiracy theories and, trust me, every one of them will be juicier than me dating a parent.” He watched the faces of the board members as the truth of what he was saying sank in. “If I walk out now, with no explanation, they’re going to have a field day. You’ll have parents pulling their kids out left and right—and demanding their tuition be refunded, too.”
“He’s right,” Melinda said, voicing what the others refused or were too stubborn to admit. “I told you we should wait, call a meeting of the board, and deal with things properly.”
“But she said if we didn’t do it now, she’d tell everyone!” Rich insisted, his voice rising. “That she’d make sure not a single donation came in.”
“And you fell for that?” Luke let his disappointment in the older man’s judgment show through, just like he did when lecturing a student who’d let peer pressure push him into a rash decision. “Really, Rich? You’re a lawyer. You know she can’t do that without legal implications. She faked you out. She faked you all out.”
Shaking his head, Luke opened the door, letting the festive music seep in.
“Wait!” Alice shouted, confusion and a touch of panic lending a shrillness to the exclamation. “We haven’t settled anything.”
“And we aren’t going to. Not here. Not tonight. If you want to get rid of me, you can call a meeting of the board and follow the procedures spelled out in my contract. But first, you might want to figure out what you’re going to say to those people out there, and you’d better do it quick.”
“Us? What about you? What are you going to do?”
“My job.” That, it seemed, had just become a heck of a lot more complicated. And he wasn’t sure who to blame. Liz for her dramatic stunt? The board members for going off half-cocked? Or himself, for naïvely thinking he could have it all.
Megan hadn’t thought anything of it when a few of the board members had asked to speak to Luke privately. They might be on a date, but this was a school function and he was, technically, on duty. So while he went to deal with whatever minor issue they wanted to address, she roamed the room, trying to look like she belonged.
And that was silly, really, because she had as much right to be there as anyone else. More, maybe, since she not only had a child at the school but was also the plus-one for the principal. Yet, being allowed entry wasn’t the same as feeling welcome. Most of the attendees there so far—early arrivals like herself and Luke—were members of the faculty or on the decoration committee. The former were huddled in groups discussing standardized testing and an upcoming teacher-training workshop, not exactly her areas of expertise. Decorating wasn’t, either, but it beat standing alone in the corner, reenacting her memories of middle school dances.
Bypassing a very serious woman with a clipboard and a frown, she headed for a group of women about her age huddled around a table full of empty vases. “Need some help?” she offered.
“Oh my goodness, yes!” A statuesque woman with pale skin, even paler hair, and impossible blue eyes thrust an open box of assorted seashells toward her. She looked like a Viking, if Vikings had elaborate updos and wore black cocktail dresses. “These centerpieces were supposed to be done last night, but the supplies got put in the art closet instead of in the PTA closet, and none of us had a key. Now people are already arriving and Lisa over there is hopping mad.”
So clipboard lady was Lisa. “Gotcha. Well, I’m here, just show me what to do.”
“It’s simple. Each vase gets a scoop of sand from the bucket over there, and then some shells, with a candle in the middle. Jillian’s on sand duty, and I’ve got the candles, so if you could do the shells, that would be great.”
“Shells it is.” Megan grabbed a few and placed herself in the center spot of the little assembly line. Turning to her left, she offered a smile. “Jillian, you’re friends with Cassie, right? She mentioned that you offered to hold the banquet up at the Sandpiper Inn, but the board turned you down.”
Jillian nodded vehemently, sending her dark curls into a riot of motion. “We were going to donate the space, and we already have the linens, centerpieces, et cetera. It would have saved the school a bundle.”
“And we wouldn’t be standing here shoveling sand instead of enjoying the party,” the Viking woman added ruefully. “But Lisa didn’t want to lose control, or let Jillian here get a share of the limelight. She’s running for PTA president next year, and since half the school board is related to either her or her husband, she gets what she wants.”
“And Mrs. Cristoff wouldn’t have gotten her chartreuse tablecloths,” Megan said.
The women all laughed. “True,” the Viking said. “And if you want a friend for life, just tell her how much you love them.” She looked around. “She should be here shortly. Just look for a little old woman in a bright green dress.” She paused. “I’m Kirstin, by the way.”
Setting aside a finished centerpiece, Megan extended a slightly sandy hand and smiled up at the taller woman. “Hi, Kirstin. I’m Megan. Nice to meet you.”
“Oh, we know who you are,” Kirstin said with a laugh. “Everyone does.”
Megan’s hand tightened around the shell she’d just picked up, the delicate edge digging into her palm. “Excuse me?”
Kirstin’s pale face blanched even whiter, her eyes going wide. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that! Not like people are talking about you behind your back or something. I mean, some are, but—”
“She means, all the kids know who Lily is,” Jillian interjected, rolling her eyes at Kirstin. “So, by extension, everyone knows who you and Owen are.”
“Right,” Kirstin hastily agreed, blushing. “I didn’t mean it in a creepy way, I swear.” The woman’s complexion was like a virtual traffic light signaling her emotions. Megan felt a flash of sympathy at the thought, and forgave her on the spot for the poor choice of wording.
“It’s fine.” She reassured her with as much of a smile as she could muster. “It’s just that...well, Owen has had his difficulties, and sometimes people haven’t been very kind about it, or about me keeping him in this school. He’s doing a lot better, but I guess I’m still a bit defensive.”
“Of course.” Jillian handed her another sand-filled vase ready for shells. “But everything I’m hearing has been positive. I’d say Lily and Owen are practically celebrities at this point.” She hesitated and then, after exchanging a loaded look with Kirstin, continued more quietly. “That said, I did hear something about you and Dr. Wright...?”
Megan shrugged, trying to look like it was no big deal. “We’re dating, if that’s what you mean. I’m here with him tonight.” Looking up from the finished centerpiece in her hands, she searched Jillian’s face for any sign she was holding back. “Why, what are people saying?”
“Not much,” the brunette assured her.
Kirstin nodded in agreement, chiming in to add, “A few of the single moms were talking about it last week at my yoga class, just saying how lucky you are if it’s true.”
“Well, it is, and I definitely am,” Megan admitted with a grin.
“I bet. And the good news is, once a rumor is confirmed, it stops being interesting. So you two being out in public tonight will probably put an end to most of it, at least for a while.”
“Good.” It seems her worries about their relationship causing drama had been overblown. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d overthought something and she was more than happy to be proved wrong. Setting down what looked to be the last of the centerpieces, she scanned the room again. She was enjoying the women’s company, more than she’d expected, but surely Luke was almost done with whatever he’d been called away for by now.
“Speaking of our esteemed principal...” Kirstin pointed with a stubby candle somewhere over Megan’s shoulder. “He seems to be looking for you.”
Spinning around, Megan spotted him walking away, toward the place where he’d left her. She frowned. “He must not have seen me over here.”
“So go after him,” Jillian admonished, shooing her away. “We’re all done with these.”
Megan didn’t need to be told twice. Waving a quick thank-you, she made her way through the now crowded room as fast as her borrowed heels would let her.
Luke had one goal in mind when he stepped into the gym. Damage control. Once Liz realized her plan hadn’t worked, she was going to explode, and he needed to be sure Megan didn’t get caught in the blast. Luckily, she was easy to spot, having strategically positioned herself to keep an eye on the action. At least she had the sense to look away when she saw him head her way. After all, even snakes had an instinct for self-preservation.
“We need to talk,” he stormed, struggling to keep his voice low. Causing a scene would only feed her ego.
“Oh, did you want to say goodbye? I heard that you might be leaving.”
“You heard wrong,” he stated flatly, refusing to be baited. “But I’m happy to explain the misunderstanding—outside.” Without waiting for her reaction, he strode for the door. The sound of her shoes on the pavement outside told him she’d followed. He’d known she would, if only because she didn’t want him to have the last word.
“So did Rob wuss out? Or are you just hoping to get me to change my mind?” She tipped her head, looking him up and down. “You do look awfully good in that monkey suit you’ve got on...maybe we should find somewhere private and you could try to persuade me.”
His stomach roiled at her insinuation. No doubt some men would be more than happy to take her up on the offer, but a tight dress and red lips weren’t enough to make up for ugly behavior. “I’m not going anywhere with you. Not now, not ever.”
Liz’s perfectly plucked eyebrows narrowed, and he had the random thought that the Botox must be wearing off. “Pretty big talk from a guy about to lose his job.”
“Maybe,” he acknowledged with a shrug. “But right now, I’m still in charge of this school. And I’m not going to have you stirring up drama that hurts the school just because I hurt your feelings.” He took deep breath and tried to sound as sincere as possible. “So let me say that I’m sorry I upset you. I didn’t mean to.”
Liz’s slow clap echoed in the night air. “Very impressive, Luke. I almost believe you.”
“Believe what you want. I’m just trying to do the right thing here.”
“This from a guy giving special favors to a student just so he can get a woman in his bed? Spare me the sermon.”
Luke shook his head, knowing that was exactly how she’d spin it. “That isn’t what happened.”
“Really? Because from where I stand, not only did you let that troublemaker stay, now he gets to bring his mutt with him.” Her lips twisted into a cruel smirk. “And maybe that’s not the only perk. For all I know, Megan could be working off that tuition bill the old-fashioned way.”
If looks could kill, he’d have murdered her on the spot. Rage and helplessness churned in his gut. For a split second, he thought he might actually throw up. Never had he felt so frustrated. Or so helpless. And not just because of the very real threat this woman posed to his career. What had his insides revolting was the idea of her jealousy and hatred hurting Megan—or even worse, Owen.
Luke could try to find another job, although it might be hard if the accusations were put in writing. But if Owen got kicked out of school, then what? Would he have to go to a school on the mainland, one that likely wouldn’t allow him to bring a service dog? Would Megan have to move if the commute got to be too much, adding one more disruption into the little boy’s life? All because he’d turned this woman down for a date? If it was the plot of a sitcom, he would have said it was too farfetched to be real. And yet he was living it. And the consequences were much too real.
“Hate me if you want. But don’t go slandering innocent people,” he warned. “There are legal implications to this that go beyond my job, or your love life. I get that you are angry. Fine, be angry at me. Slash my tires or put poop on my doorstep or something. But if you hurt this school or anyone involved, I’ll make sure every possible action is taken to stop you.”
“Is that a threat?” She was trying to look tough, but her posture wasn’t quite as confident as it had been a minute before. Good.
“Why don’t you ask your lawyer? ’Cause, honey, you keep this up, and you’re going to need a good one.”
“You know what, I don’t have to put up with this kind of treatment. Enjoy your stupid banquet—I’ve got better places to be.”
He half expected her to say something else, to dig herself deeper and just to drag him down with her. But she just muttered something unladylike about what he could do with his precious school, and flounced off toward the parking lot. A full retreat, although he knew she’d never admit as much.
“You know she’s not done, right?”
The question came from behind him, and he knew the voice even before he turned to see Megan standing just outside the heavy double doors. With her face in the shadows, he couldn’t read her expression.
How long had she been standing there, listening to Liz spew her venom?
He started toward her, stopping short when she took a step back. “How much of that did you hear?”
She shrugged. “Enough to know this isn’t going to work.”
“What do you mean?” His pulse pounded in his ears, maybe his body’s attempt to drown out her answer. “She left. She knows she can’t prove anything.”
“She doesn’t have to prove it to cause trouble. All she has to do is get enough people talking. Some of them will have sympathy for her—or at least pretend to if they think it might get them somewhere.”
Luke wanted to tell Megan how wrong she was, that the world didn’t work that way. But he couldn’t. A rumored scandal didn’t need to be true to be believed. Still, that didn’t mean they should just give up. “My friend Grant is a lawyer. He can help, maybe write some kind of cease and desist letter or something. Stop her in her tracks. We can fight this, Megan.”
The harsh glow of the security lights glinted off the tear tracks on her cheeks, the only giveaway that she was crying. Her voice held steady, unlike his, and he had to wonder how, when he was ready to crumple to the ground. “Don’t you get it? It’s too late. She’s already won.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“I have to. You heard her, she’s out for revenge, and she doesn’t care who she hurts in the process.”
He could sense her resignation, but he couldn’t—wouldn’t—accept it. “Megan, I’m in love with you.”
Her bitter laugh was somehow even sadder than her tears. “You know how they say ‘all’s fair in love and war’?”
He nodded, unable to speak past the knot of pain blocking his throat.
“Well, I lost my husband in a war. And I’m not going to let my son be collateral damage just because we fell in love. So, fair or not, this thing between us is over.” She shrugged, as if this was all no big deal and she hadn’t just torn his still beating heart from his chest. “It has to be.”
“At least let me drive you home.” Maybe once they were away from here, and she’d had some time to calm down, she’d feel differently.
“Are you kidding me? What do you think people will say if you vanish in the middle of the fundraiser, and it comes out that you left with me? Liz wouldn’t even have to say a word, the scandal will write itself.”
“Then how will you get home?”
“Don’t worry. That’s why God made taxis. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I’m used to it.”
Luke watched as Megan marched off. He knew he should have called the cab himself, but he suspected Megan wouldn’t accept any semblance of help from him. As she disappeared around the corner of the building, her phone to her ear, he tried to pull his chaotic thoughts and emotions under control. Every fiber in his body was screaming at him to run after her.
But Megan didn’t want that. And after everything, he owed it to her to respect her wishes.
So he turned, put one foot in front of the other, and walked back into the building, away from the only woman he’d ever loved.
Megan decided not to call a cab, after all—too much money, and it wouldn’t be that far a walk. But the borrowed shoes didn’t make it past the first half mile of the trek home. Kicking them off, she stretched her cramped toes on the chilly sidewalk and wished she’d had the forethought to bring a jacket.
Of course, she hadn’t thought she’d be outside longer than it took to walk from Luke’s heated car to the gym, and given Florida’s mild winters and her own lackluster social life, she’d never bothered to invest in the kind of outerwear suitable for a formal event. And given how well tonight had gone, she wasn’t planning to do so in the future. Rubbing at the goose bumps studding her arms she picked up her pace. The faster she walked, the warmer she’d be, and the sooner she could curl up in bed and cry.
She’d made it another quarter mile or so when one of the cars cruising by slowed and pulled up alongside her. Instinctively, she gripped her purse tighter. Paradise wasn’t known for random crime, but occasionally the tourists got a bit rowdy. With the local colleges out for the holidays, there were a few more of those than usual. A glance up and down the street showed nothing but dark storefronts. She’d have to call 9-1-1 if she needed help.
The sound of the car door opening prompted her to action, her fingers fumbling over the pass code in her haste. She’d just found the bypass when a feminine voice called out.
“Megan! It’s me.”
The voice was familiar, but not enough to identify who “me” was. Her thumb hovering over the call button, Megan slowly turned, shielding her eyes from the glare of the idling car’s headlights. “Kirstin? What are you doing here?”
“Rescuing you?” She looked up and down the empty street. “That sounds a bit dramatic, when I say it aloud. But it is cold out, and I thought you might want a ride.”
“But...you don’t even know me. Why would you—”
“Grab any excuse to ditch the world’s most boring gala?” Her laugh rang out over the deserted street. “I only go to that thing because, as an employee, it’s expected. I hate that kind of thing.” She leaned across the hood, a conspiratorial grin making her look more like a rambunctious teen than the model Megan had likened her to earlier. “Really, I could say you are rescuing me. I said a friend had an emergency, and bounced. As long as you get in the car, it’s the truth.”
A friend? They had just met. Still, Kirstin had gone to all the trouble of finding her. It would be rude to turn her down; besides, her toes were going numb.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to make a liar out of you,” Megan said, forcing her face into what she hoped was a smile. Surely, she could keep up some semblance of normalcy for a few minutes, and then she’d be free to fall apart in the privacy of her own room.
Kirstin’s car, an older model compact hatchback that had definitely seen better days, was blessedly warm. “Thank you,” Megan sighed, holding her fingers up to the vent. “I didn’t realize how cold it was.”
“Yeah, this front sure blew in quickly. I heard it might drop down near freezing in the morning. Of course,” she said with a roll of her eyes, “I didn’t bother to check the forecast until after I’d already left the house in this.” She pulled at the wispy material of her little black dress. “So you aren’t the only one that got fooled by Mother Nature.”
“No, but you weren’t trying to walk across town barefoot.”
“Well, I don’t think that was your original plan for the evening, either.”
“No, I guess not.” She’d expected to be with Luke all night. A lump formed in Megan’s throat. Darn it, she was not going to cry. Not yet. Still, her eyes filled and one traitorous tear spilled over. Furiously she wiped at it, but another one followed right behind. When had she become a crier?
Kirstin dug one hand into the jumble of sunglasses and receipts in the center console. Pulling out a travel-size package of tissues, she handed it over silently.
Grateful for the lack of commentary, as well as the ability to wipe away her smeared mascara, Megan managed to say “Thank you” around the catch in her throat.
“No need. Like I said, just helping out a friend.”
There it was again. “You keep saying that. Why?” Maybe she just wanted to focus on something other than Luke, but the casual use of the term didn’t fit with Megan’s understanding of the word.
“Why am I saying what?” Kirstin brow furrowed. “Wait, that didn’t make sense. I mean... Actually, I don’t know what I mean. What did you mean?”
Megan laughed, even as a few more tears fell. “You called me your friend. Twice. But we just met, like an hour ago. You don’t know anything about me.”
“Oh.” Kirstin nodded slowly, as if processing. “I see what you mean. I guess it is a little weird, when you put it that way.”
“A little.”
“Sorry.” She shrugged self-consciously. “I guess potential friend is more accurate, but that’s a mouthful, and makes it sound like a job interview or something. Or a blind date.” Her nose wrinkled. “But I know plenty about you. I know that you care about your son, enough to fight for him to get the services he needs. And you’ve done a great job with him. He’s an amazing kid.”
“Wait, how do you know Owen? Do you have a kid in his class?”
“No, I don’t have kids.” There was a sadness in her voice that had Megan regretting the question. “I’m the school’s reading specialist. Dr. Wright finally got the board to approve the budget to hire one, and he had me perform an initial evaluation with every student when I started.”
“Oh.” Thinking back, she had said something about being an employee, but Megan had been too caught up in her own drama to pay attention.
“And I know you’ve got great taste in clothes,” Kirstin continued easily. “That dress is a killer. And you jumped in to help with the centerpieces without anyone asking, and were fun to talk to while you did it. But—” she quirked an eyebrow dramatically “—there is one thing I don’t know about you. Something pretty important.”
“What’s that?” Megan asked warily, mentally bracing herself for whatever personal question Kirstin was waiting to lob at her.
“Your address. Unless you want me to just keep driving in circles?”