Racing Toward Love (Horses Heal Hearts Book 2)
Page 7
Stephen’s hostile expression changed to one of grudging respect as he extended his hand to Ian. “I’m glad to meet you, Ian. My father and I are in your debt for what you did for Megan that day.” He shook Ian’s hand, and Ian saw what appeared to be a flash of resentment before Stephen masked his expression. He noticed right away that Stephen’s grip was strong. He was most certainly a jockey, with hands, arms, and torso strengthened by frequent exercise holding back immensely strong and willful thoroughbred horses.
“No need for thanks,” Ian replied. “I couldn’t just stand by and let those men attack her. I had to intervene. Any decent person would have done the same.”
Stephen withdrew his hand but didn’t try to hide his hostility. “Still, if you hadn’t been there, we don’t know what would have happened to Megan. We have you to thank for that.”
Ian was confused. While Stephen’s words said one thing, his tone and attitude said something quite different. It was as if Stephen didn’t believe Ian rescued Megan out of a sense of duty but because he expected to get something out of it. Where would he have gotten that idea?
At that moment, Megan appeared at the top of the staircase. She had showered, changed, and had been standing a bit out of sight, listening to the men’s conversation after Ian’s arrival. She had also taken the opportunity to admire Ian while unobserved. If possible, Ian was more handsome today than he had been in their previous meetings. He was dressed in light-colored khaki slacks with a solid cobalt blue polo shirt that matched the color of his eyes and showed off his muscular arms to perfection. The shirt clung to his muscled torso like a second skin, and Megan wondered to herself whether he had dressed in such a way on purpose, so she could better admire his powerful physique. His shirt was neatly tucked in, and his slacks were belted, showing off his narrow waist. After getting her fill of him, Megan moved into view and started down the stairs.
Ian’s eyes lit up when he saw Megan descending from her room on the second floor. Megan met his gaze and saw the admiration and even thought she glimpsed a flash of desire there before he quickly masked it. She smiled to herself. Since the weather today was warm and sunny, Megan had decided to wear a sun dress.
The dress was made of lightweight cotton; white covered with a pattern of small, pink flowers, and was held up by spaghetti straps. The hem fell a couple of inches above her knees, and the material clung to her figure in a most flattering way. The dress had a sweetheart neckline, which was low enough in the center to expose a small amount of cleavage without being too provocative. She wore petite pearl pierced earrings, and a pearl necklace her mother had left her. As a finishing touch, Megan had spritzed on a floral scented perfume that was one of her favorites. She wore white sandals with a narrow two-inch heel, enough to show off her legs without being so high that she couldn’t walk long distances and remain comfortable.
As Megan approached the bottom of the staircase, Ian immediately excused himself from the conversation he had been having with Daniel, Stephen, and Thomas and walked forward to meet her. He took her hand, raised it to his mouth, and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, never once breaking eye contact with her. Megan shivered with awareness at his touch and blushed at this unexpected and very romantic gesture.
Daniel, Stephen, and Thomas looked on with interest. Thomas grinned broadly. When she glanced at her father, he was looking at Ian with more concern than glee. She also noticed that Stephen looked absolutely hostile toward Ian. I wonder what’s bothering him? She realized at that moment this was the first her Dad and Stephen had seen a man have a genuine romantic interest in Megan in quite some time, and they were apparently not certain how to react to seeing her from that perspective. She hoped this was something they would get used to. They would have to. She wasn’t going give up a potential relationship with Ian to please either her brother or her father.
~ ~ ~
Ian had borrowed Michael’s car for their outing. He stopped short of calling it a date, considering Megan was just getting to know him, and he didn’t want to push matters too quickly. As he drove the small Volvo sedan the short distance toward Brighton, they passed a modest two-story manor house made of rustic brick and stone with a beautiful flower garden gracing the yard. There was a Bed and Breakfast sign in front. Ian pulled over for a moment and pointed the place out to Megan.
“Michael and I grew up in this area, and I remember that bed and breakfast being there when I was a boy. The elderly couple who owned it must surely have passed away by now, but I have memories of the two of us riding our bicycles over here to get fresh-baked biscuits. The woman who owned the place loved to bake, and her biscuits were wonderful. The place always represented warmth and happiness to me. Someday I’d like to stay there just to see what it would be like.”
“It’s very quaint,” Megan said as she looked over at Ian, “I agree that it looks very inviting.” If this was Ian’s way of telling her he wanted to take her there for a night, she probably wouldn’t be objecting. The more time she spent with Ian, and the more she learned about him, the more attracted she became. She worried she may be falling fast for the man who had risked his life to save her.
Ian didn’t say anything further as he pulled back onto the road and continued into Brighton. He found a convenient place to park near the city center, opened the car door for Megan, and offered her his arm as he escorted her toward the beachfront. As they strolled along the wide, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks, Megan drew Ian into several shops that offered the opportunity to browse their eclectic and unique decorative items and fashions.
Normally, Ian would have found a day of browsing through shops like this deadly boring, but watching Megan gasp and exclaim over the oddities and unique pieces of art in each of the shops entertained him immensely. He even got into the act a bit himself, picking out a scarf in a particular clothing store that he thought Megan might like.
Megan had focused on another scarf. “What a beautiful scarf,” she exclaimed. “Ian, what do you think?”
Ian motioned to the scarf he had picked out for her. “I like this one better for you.” He held the scarf up to her face, gently brushing her cheek with the knuckles of his hand, and looking directly into her eyes. “The green in the pattern matches your eyes exactly.”
At Ian’s touch, Megan’s body tingled and warmth settled in her core. Megan blushed at her body’s reaction. Her gaze locked with Ian’s, and she could see desire flash in his eyes before he masked his expression. Determined to get control of her emotions, she broke the connection and looked in a mirror located near the display of scarves. Ian was right. The green in the scarf did match the color of her eyes exactly. She put down the scarf she had been holding and purchased the scarf Ian had picked out. She couldn’t remember the last time someone, anyone, had spent so much time focused on her and her desires. It was an exhilarating feeling.
They exited the shop, with Megan proudly wearing her new scarf. Her happy, carefree smile warmed Ian completely. She hooked her arm with Ian’s, and they proceeded toward the waterfront. Neither of them noticed the man dressed in nondescript clothing, watching them intently and following them at a discreet distance.
As a surprise, Ian had planned to take Megan to his parents’ restaurant on the waterfront. He was anxious for Megan to meet his parents and vice versa. It would be the first time in Ian’s adult life that he had brought a woman to meet his parents. The significance of this was not lost on him. The fact that the idea of Megan and his parents meeting didn’t fill him with dread was a welcome, if unexpected, surprise.
First, however, Ian escorted Megan through the Pavilion Gardens and the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery before finally heading toward the beach. As they walked, they window-shopped at several eclectic shops, and Ian noted with interest what specific items caught Megan’s eye. Then they came upon an upscale dress shop. Several designer hats were displayed in the window.
“Absolutely! Let’s go in and see what they have. I’m sure you’ll find something that suits you.”
Megan smiled warmly. “Thank you, Ian.”
They entered the shop, and Megan soon found a lavender sheath dress, matching hat, and pumps that fit perfectly. The mini fashion show Megan had put on for him had Ian working hard to tamp down his desire. Megan was a beautiful woman, and the lavender dress not only clung to her athletic, but curvy, figure, it also set off her auburn hair and green eyes to perfection. Ian mentally shook himself. Down boy. Remember, you’re not ready to start a relationship now. There are too many issues you have to deal with before that can happen.
After they left the shop, they were close enough to the car park that Ian took her bags back and stored them in the boot. Had he not been so absorbed in Megan, Ian might have noticed that at each of their stops, a man, blending seamlessly with the many other pedestrians, had been watching them closely, never letting the pair out of his sight.
By the time they reached the beach, both Ian and Megan were starving, and Ian led her toward his parents’ restaurant, The Wharf. The Wharf was a casual restaurant and bar with a light, relaxed atmosphere and a variety of cafe and bistro-type foods to offer.
“I hope this restaurant looks all right for lunch,” Ian said tentatively.
“It looks wonderful,” Megan replied as she looked over a copy of the menu posted next to the restaurant’s entrance. “There are several dishes I’d love to try.”
“That’s great because this is my parents’ restaurant. I’d like for you to meet them while we’re here in Brighton. Is that all right?”
Megan’s eyes widened for a moment, and she suddenly appeared nervous. She looked down at her dress and smoothed her hands down the sides. “Am I dressed well enough to meet them, Ian? I had no idea I would be meeting your parents today. I might have dressed more formally if I had known.”
Ian’s heart warmed at Megan’s reaction. Truly, he hadn’t thought introducing her to his parents was such a big deal. But on second thought, he realized that Megan was the first woman he had brought to meet his parents. He also realized that he wanted very much for his parents to like her.
“You have nothing to worry about, love. You look beautiful. My parents are going to love you.” He placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her through the restaurant looking for an open table.
As Ian seated Megan at a cozy table for two, the hostess approached. She was middle-aged, with a warm, friendly appearance, and judging by her familiarity with Ian, had known the Stafford family for a long time.
“Ian, it’s wonderful to see you. What brings you to Brighton?” Her blatantly curious gaze settled on Megan.
“Hello, Grace,” Ian replied. “I’d like you to meet Miss Megan Brady.” He looked from Grace back to Megan. “Megan, this is Grace Anderson. She has worked for my parents as hostess for this restaurant since I was a boy.”
“Hello, Grace. It’s nice to meet you.” Megan’s expression turned from polite to mischievous. “Sometime you’ll have to tell me what Ian was like as a boy. I can imagine he could be quite a handful.”
Grace laughed. “You would be right about that Miss Brady. Ian and Michael could be terrors when they were boys, but we all loved them even then.” She looked to Ian. “I’ll tell your parents you’re here. I’m sure they’ll be ecstatic to see you.” She left with a wink at Ian. He felt his cheeks grow warm at the implied meaning in Grace’s departing comment. His mother would indeed be happy to see him with an eligible young woman.
It wasn’t long before Georgia Stafford appeared. At first glance it was easy to see that Ian was his mother’s son. They both shared the same blond hair and striking blue eyes. She greeted Ian with a hug and kiss, and then looked to Megan. “Hello, my dear. I’m Georgia Stafford, Ian’s mother.”
Ian took Megan’s hand and asked her to stand. “Mum, this is Megan Brady. She’s the woman I met at the Rusty Nail Pub.”
Georgia’s eyes widened as she realized who Megan was. Megan blushed. “Met is not the right word, Mrs. Stafford. Ian saved my life that day. I want to make sure you know I consider your son a hero and will accept no lesser description of his actions that day. I’m sure you agree if you know what happened.”
Georgia sighed as she looked at her son with a combination of pride and consternation. “My guess is that Ian has kept the most frightening details out of his description, however, I know my son well enough to know he would not hesitate to intervene if he felt someone was in danger.”
It was Ian’s turn to blush with embarrassment. He hadn’t expected Megan to sing his praises to such a degree. He was heartily relieved when he saw his father, Justin Stafford, approaching. Grateful for the interruption, he reached out to shake his father’s hand. “Dad, you don’t know how great it is to see you.” Ian turned once again toward Megan. “I want you to meet Miss Megan Brady.”
Justin reached out and clasped Megan’s hand in his larger, work-calloused one. It was easy to see that Ian’s brother, Michael, was almost a carbon copy of his dad, from the color of his hair and eyes to his lean muscular physique. Megan also noticed that Justin’s hands were marked by burn scars from many years of cooking over a hot grill.
“It’s wonderful to meet you, my dear,” Justin said. “Our son, Michael, has told us about you. It goes without saying that we’re grateful you were able to exonerate Ian from those very serious charges.”
“I was happy to do so, Mr. Stafford,” Megan replied with a smile. “I’ve just finished telling your wife how grateful I am to Ian for saving me. I don’t know what would have happened to me had Ian not been there.”
Georgia and Justin beamed with pride at their son, who was looking for the nearest hole to crawl into. It was definitely time to change the subject. “Now that we’re here, Mum, what do you recommend we have for a late lunch? Both Megan and I are starved.”
“We have just the thing,” Georgia said enthusiastically. “Please try a new pasta dish we’ve introduced. It seems to be very popular with our customers. It’s a penne pasta mixed with stir fried spring vegetables in a creamy Alfredo sauce. The sauce is made with just a hint of white wine and thyme.”
“It sounds delicious,” Megan said. “I’ll definitely try it.”
“I will have some as well,” Ian agreed, happy that he had been successful at changing the subject away from himself. Unfortunately, his mother had other ideas.
“Ian, dear, how have you been sleeping? Are the nightmares coming less frequently than before?”
Ian grimaced. Until now, he had safely kept Megan unaware of his PTSD and its symptoms. To his chagrin, this conversation had Megan’s undivided attention. How was he to answer without letting Megan know he was damaged, probably irreparably. He couldn’t prevaricate. His mother knew everything and would know right away he was avoiding the issue. “No, Mum, they haven’t gotten better. There are times when I have to take medication, so I can get a good night’s sleep.
Georgia frowned. “I wish there was more I could do, sweetheart. Are you getting along with the therapist the Army recommended?”
Ian cast a worried look at Megan and hoped his mother got the message. “She’s working out fine, Mum. Now how about getting us some lunch?”
Georgia did seem to finally realize Ian didn’t want to discuss his medical issues in Megan’s presence. “Of course, darling. It will be right out.” She bustled away in the direction of the kitchen, to most certainly supervise the preparation of their meals.
Ian noticed that Megan was looking at him with concern. Damn it! Why did Mum have to bring up the nightmares? That’s the last thing I need right now. Megan
was just starting to feel comfortable with me and now this. He had to do something to reassure her. Before he could say anything, Megan spoke.
“Ian, is there anything you’d like to tell me?”
Ian tapped his fingers on the table top, clearly on edge. When he noticed that Megan was distracted by the sound, he stopped tapping and schooled his features to show a nonchalance he didn’t feel. “No, love. My mother is making a mountain of a mole hill. There’s nothing to be concerned about. I’m fine,” he lied, hoping Megan didn’t notice he wasn’t meeting her eyes. At that moment, their meals were served, and Ian was grateful for the interruption.
Megan had noticed Ian’s discomfort but believed him when he said that his mother was exaggerating his problem. Her parents had been guilty of the exact same thing with both her and Stephen in the past. Every little cut or scrape drew way too much attention. She knew exactly what that was like. More recently, after their mother passed away, and with her father incapacitated by his grief, Megan took on the role of mother to Stephen and had also been accused of being overprotective of her brother on more than one occasion. She decided to set aside her concern and enjoy this time with Ian, believing if there was something he thought she should know, he would tell her.
After they finished their very delicious lunch and said goodbye to Ian’s parents, Ian escorted Megan back in the direction of their car.
As they walked, Ian debated whether this was the right time to satisfy his curiosity about who the men at the Rusty Nail Pub were and why they had threatened her. It was clear from his recollection that she knew who the men were but hadn’t expected them to try to harm her. While he had hoped that Megan would feel comfortable enough with him to volunteer the information without his having to ask, he finally decided that she owed him an explanation.