Megan leaned against the sturdy railing enclosing the porch of the mountain cabin her parents had rented, a mug of coffee warming her hands in the morning chill. She’d been drawing out this moment, savoring both the custom dark roast and her last chance for one-on-one time with her mother before they had to pack up.
“They look like they’re having fun,” her mom observed, moving closer for a better view.
Down in the yard, Owen was busy upturning rocks, intently checking the wet grass underneath. Behind him trailed his grandfather, a field guide of North Carolina wildlife in his hands. He’d had it shipped overnight after noting Owen’s interest in the creatures they’d found on their daily walks. Together, they were marking each new discovery.
“Definitely. I love seeing how well the two of them get on.” Megan took another sip of her coffee and smiled. “And I admit, I enjoy getting a bit of break.” She’d felt almost guilty at first, unused to Owen preferring to spend so much time with anyone other than her. But it was important, and normal, for a kid to have role models in his life other than his mother. And that knowledge, plus sheer exhaustion, had overcome any lingering hesitation about sitting on the sidelines while her parents entertained Owen. Or, as was often the case, he entertained them.
“If anyone deserves to relax, you do. Your father and I are so impressed with how well you’ve handled everything, but I know it’s a lot.”
Setting her mug down, Megan warmed at the praise. “Thanks. I do the best I can. But I wish he could have more days like this.” She took a deep breath of crisp air and continued. “I was hoping you and Dad could start visiting more often?”
“Oh, honey, I would love that. But your father’s so busy right now, I just don’t know when we’ll be back in the country.”
“What about Christmas? If Dad is so busy, maybe you could come?” Megan was begging, and she hated it. Especially knowing it was pointless. Even now, her mother was shaking her head, features pinched.
“I’m afraid we’re going to be in Switzerland. One of the foreign ministers is organizing some sort of think tank at his chalet, and wants your father to be part of it. They want to work out all the details before the legislative session starts up.”
Disappointment, bitter and ugly, rose inside her, stealing the peace she’d been feeling a moment ago. She shouldn’t have gotten her hopes up. It had been years since they’d opened presents together. Still, was it so wrong to want her son to have a big, family Christmas?
Her mother fussed with the chain holding her reading glasses, avoiding eye contact. “Perhaps you and that man you were telling me about can do something this year? You did say that he and Owen get along so well.”
“They do.” Megan picked up her mug and, realizing it was empty, set it back down again. “But I thought if you and Dad were there, it would give you a chance to meet him. I think you’d like him.”
“I’m sure we will...just as soon as we can get there.”
Megan fought the urge to push harder. She wasn’t a little girl upset about her parents missing a recital. She was a grown woman. And if her parents still didn’t want to make their only family a priority, she wasn’t going to beg and plead to try to change their minds. But the rejection—because that’s what it felt like—stung.
She shrugged and started for the door. “Well, let me know where to send your present, I guess.”
“Megan, don’t you walk away from me like that.”
That tone of voice would have stopped her in her tracks only a few years ago. But one of the benefits of living through hell is realizing your own strength. So her footsteps didn’t falter on the old oak boards. “Sorry, Mom. It was great seeing you, but I’ve got to pack.”
She didn’t have time for melodrama or hurt feelings. She was busy enough, what with her job, Owen, and now a boyfriend. That was plenty. It had to be. Yes, it would be good for Owen to spend more time with his grandparents. And yes, having them around would make her newfound social life easier to manage. And maybe she had hoped to finally make up for the time she’d missed with her parents. Oh well.
Life didn’t get easier just because you wanted it to.
She was moving forward now, and if her parents were not part of her future, she wasn’t about to let them drag her backward.
Luke was equal parts impressed and horrified when he found Megan perched precariously on a rickety ladder leaning against the equally rickety eaves of her house. She was obviously trying to clean out the gutters, but the ladder was about a foot too short, leaving her standing on her tippy toes and stretching dangerously as she dug her gloved hand into the clogged metal. A pile of rotten leaves and debris sat on the ground beneath her. Evidence of her hard work if not her good judgment.
Ever since she’d returned from her Thanksgiving trip to the mountains, she’d become even more self-sufficient, if that were possible. He didn’t know what had happened; she’d refused to talk about it other than to say that her parents would not be in town for Christmas. He’d heard the hurt in her voice. There was more going on there, but family stuff could be tricky and he didn’t want to push her if she wasn’t ready. Earning Megan’s trust had been accomplished one step at a time and he wasn’t going to undo all that progress by focusing on something that didn’t really involve him.
However, letting her handle her family issues was one thing. Letting her break her neck doing home maintenance was another.
Afraid to call out and risk startling her, he stood quietly, chest tight, waiting for her to look down. When she did, she rewarded him with a weary smile.
“You know there are easier ways to do that, right?”
“Yeah, but they all involve paying someone else to do it or buying equipment that costs more than I’m willing to spend.” She gingerly eased herself down the ladder. It was clear that she knew she’d be even sorer tomorrow. “But I will admit, the videos on the internet made this seem a lot easier.”
“They always do.” Luke glanced through the sliding-glass door and saw Owen occupied with his Lego toys on the floor, Lily right beside him. Taking advantage of the relative privacy, he grabbed Megan’s arm and tugged her around the corner of the house before planting a kiss right on her surprised mouth. She tasted like sunshine and lemonade, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever get his fill of her.
Too soon, Megan pulled away. “Stop it,” she protested, laughing. “I’m filthy!”
He shrugged. “So? Guys like girls who get dirty.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Really?”
“Sure, haven’t you ever heard of mud wrestling?” To be honest, it wasn’t something that had ever appealed to him, and still didn’t, but when it came to Megan, he was speaking the truth. She was grimy and sweaty, mud striping her face and arms, and her tank top sticking to her in places... And she was still the sexiest thing he had ever seen. Pulling her hips to his, he made sure to show her exactly how hot she made him with another sizzling kiss.
When they broke to take a breath, he was pleased to see the dazed look in her eyes. In the two weeks since she agreed to officially be his girlfriend, they hadn’t managed time for even one real date. He’d spent the Thanksgiving break at his mother’s, helping her with some maintenance around the house. Since his return, they’d both been slammed with work. Moments like this proved he wasn’t the only one who wished they had more time together. But Megan never forgot her main priority. Even now, she was stepping back, looking in the direction of the rear of the house.
“Owen—”
“Is playing with his Lego. If anything was wrong, Lily would have let us know.” Indeed, he’d only ever heard the perfectly mannered dog bark once, and that was when Owen’s shirt had gotten stuck on a branch while he’d been climbing a tree at the park. Both Luke and Megan had been within eyesight but hadn’t realized the predicament until Lily had sounded the alarm. Megan had explained at the time that Lily’s primary job was to calm Owen before he got upset, but that if that didn’t work, she would bark until someone arrived. Truly, the dog was a miracle.
Yet Megan still worried, and right now that could work in Luke’s favor. “But hey, why don’t you go check on him? Maybe grab us some cold drinks while you’re in there.”
Megan crossed her arms and glared at him. “You aren’t fooling me. As soon as I am inside, you’re planning to take over and finish cleaning the gutters, aren’t you?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“That’s so sexist. Just because you’re a man, you think you should do the dirty jobs?”
“Hey, we already established that I have no problem with you getting dirty. What I do have a problem with is you being unsafe. There’s a reason those ladders have a warning label saying you shouldn’t stand on the very top. It’s too easy to overbalance. So, unless you have a taller ladder somewhere, you need someone with a longer reach. Besides,” he added with a wink, “if you end up in the hospital, who will I take to the banquet?”
“Well, there’s always Liz Robins,” Megan quipped, smirking.
Luke grimaced. “Definitely not an option.” He’d rather clean all the gutters in the neighborhood than spend one evening with that man-eater.
“Fine. Knock yourself out.” She tipped her head toward the house. “I’ll go make some lemonade while you prove your masculinity.”
He took the time to watch her walk away, enjoying the view before she rounded the house and he was left with only the sad-looking ladder for company. The thing was even more decrepit than he’d first thought. The old wood was bleached and splintered from who knew how many years of Florida heat and humidity. Still, he’d rather risk a rung crumbling under his weight than have Megan topple off the top. And not because he cared about the stupid fundraiser, but because he cared about her.
Luke didn’t think that made him sexist. Dumb, maybe, given the way the first rung of the ladder creaked under his foot. He did have a longer reach than Megan, but he also weighed significantly more. He hoped no more than the dilapidated contraption could hold. Still, he eased upward, gripping the hot, sun-scorched side rails as tightly as he dared—a tumble from the ladder was nothing compared to how hard he’d fallen for Megan.