She headed for the living room and found the house was empty except for her and Drew. He stood by the front door with keys in his hand.
“Where’d everyone go?” Megan looked around the empty room so she didn’t have to look him in the eyes. After the way she’d acted while underneath him the night before, she doubted she could ever look him in the eyes again. Her face felt hot just thinking of some of the things they had done to one another.
“They left for the festival. I guess no one listens to me anymore.” She wanted to laugh at his pouting, but it would only make matters worse.
“Don’t worry about them. The entire town and probably most of the county will be there. We’ll all be safe,” she said, reassuring him. “Do you mind running me by my place so I can change clothes? I mean, it’s the least you can do since you marked me.”
Drew grinned like a teenage boy and Megan’s heart thudded hard against her ribcage. “That was an accident.”
“Uh huh. Why do I have the feeling you knew exactly what you were doing?” It sure felt like he knew what he was doing. Her face flushed and she turned away so he couldn’t see.
Putting both hands on her arms, Drew turned her around and lifted her chin to look at him. “Megan, why are you still embarrassed about what we did?”
“I’m not.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We need to get going. Hopefully, the meeting with the feds won’t take too long and I can make it to my booth on time.”
If her feet would have allowed it, Megan would have run out of the house so fast the door would have been blown off its hinges. Yes, she still felt weird about having sex with him, and it wasn’t like she was embarrassed while they were in the actual act. In the dark, it was just.. easier. With the lights off, Megan could be whoever she wanted to be. Unfortunately, the light eventually came on and she had to face it. Today wouldn’t be that day. Today she had other things to think about.
“Want me to carry you?” Drew asked, coming up behind her and nuzzling the back of her neck with his nose.
Megan chuckled and worried if she got in his arms again she would end up with another territorial mark marring her body. And she would enjoy it. “No, I’ll manage.”
Before they got in the car, Drew had her call the FBI and push the appointment to later that evening. He thought it would give her more time to practice not tensing up when the agents were brought up. They didn’t like it, but they agreed in the end. Megan worried they would hook her up to a lie detector test. Would she be able to pass it? Or what if they made her so nervous she went invisible? Her blood pressure started to rise at the thought. She was not going to be anyone’s test monkey.
Once on the road, Drew reached over and placed his hand on Megan’s thigh and squeezed. By the set of his jaw, she could tell he wanted to say something but didn’t trust the privacy of his vehicle. Oh, how she missed her old, boring life.
Drew parked the car and carried her to her porch so she wouldn’t have to walk on her gravel driveway, making Megan feel very much like a damsel in distress. Normally, that idea would have her balking, but at that moment, being held in his arms, she couldn’t muster up one ounce of her usual independence. He eased her onto the wooden porch and she shook off the fairytale imagery.
“Take a look and see if it’s all clear before we go in,” Drew requested, nodding his head toward the house.
Uncomfortable yet excited at the straightforwardness of his request, Megan cleared her throat and scanned the house. “It’s clean, but I don’t have a key.”
He jiggled the knob and smirked. “Sorry.” Then he put his elbow through the glass she’d just had replaced, shattering it, then reached through and opened the door.
“You are so going to pay for that window.” Megan crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him. Drew stood with his hands on his hips, smiling down at her. “Now you’re going to have to carry me in. I can’t walk on that glass.”
Looking delighted, he heaved her up in his arms and walked across the glass, smashing it into her hardwood floor on his way to the bedroom. Ugh, the man is so infuriating. “You’re going to buff those scratches out, too, aren’t you?”
Drew set Megan on her bed and stood between her knees. “I’ll take care of the window and I’ll fix your floors.” He ran his hands up and down her arms, ending with both hands on each side of her face, kissing her out of her mind. “Think we have time?”
Out of breath, she pushed away and pointed toward the door. “No, you have cleaning to do while I get changed.”
Drew’s shoulders slouched, but the glint in his eyes told Megan exactly what he wanted to do. Again. She rolled her eyes even if he looked ridiculously sexy. “Go, so I can get ready.”
He left the room, but not before giving Megan another kiss. She looked at the clock on the nightstand. “Dang it.” Rushing to the closet, she grabbed the first pair of jeans and shirt she could find and tugged them on. She hurried to the bathroom and tossed on a little blush and mascara before starting on her rat’s nest of hair. Trying to hide the hickey, she brushed all of her hair to the side, but it still showed. She dabbed concealer on it which only made it more visible so she split her hair down the middle and loosely braided both sides. Megan looked like grown woman trying to relive her teens. In the end, the best she could do was leave it down and hope her hair stayed in place.
“We need to go, Sweet Cakes,” Drew called from outside the bathroom door.
Megan swung the door open. “Sweet Cakes? Seriously?” She raised a brow and did her best at looking offended. Fighting a smile was hard when Drew stood there with his hands on his hips and a sexy grin. Other than the mean kids at school, she had never been given a nickname.
“Do you like Sugar Pie better?”
Tapping a finger on her bottom lip, Megan looked toward the ceiling. “I think I like, I don’t know, Megan?”
“Nah, I think I’ll stick with Sweet Cakes.” He reached around and smacked her on the ass. “Yes, Sweet fucking Cakes.”
“Oh god,” she said, walking past him. No way would she admit it, but Megan liked it when he called her baby, but she would take that secret to the grave. Carefully, she slipped on a pair of socks and sneakers and took test steps to make sure she could walk without looking like a penguin. When she was satisfied she said, “Let’s go.”
Traffic on the way to the festival was horrible and as annoying as sitting in an idling car was, it made Megan giddy. It looked like there would be record-breaking attendance this year. Pride filled her as they drove through downtown and she took in all the hard work Hope had put into renovations. People would take notice of the town’s facelift and want to check out the shops. She just hoped one of those shops they checked out was hers.
The police had downtown completely barracked for the booths in the square. Luckily, they waved Drew through—riding with law enforcements had its perks—and he parked the unmarked car behind her store. She was already antsy about standing all day and with the good parking spot, it wouldn’t be extra time on her feet.
Drew walked beside her through the back of Dazzled. Brandy was waiting on a line of customers at the register, but when she saw Megan she shrieked and ran to her, enveloping her in a tight bear hug.
“Oh my gosh! I heard what happened! Are you okay?” Instead of waiting for an answer, Brandy spun Megan around, inspecting her. Of course Brandy had heard what happened. By the whispering and pointing going on in the line of waiting customers, they had all heard, too.
“Yes, I’m fine. Now get back to work. We’ll talk later.” Megan smiled as Brandy rolled her eyes and stomped off. “If you need me, yell.”
Brandy shooed her away with a wave of the hand, and Megan decided Brandy was going to get a large raise after the past week’s fiasco. Hurrying out of the building, she walked straight into the swarms of people covering the streets. Drew, silent yet impossible to ignore, was right on her heels.
“Shit! I think the entire population of Hope is here.” He moved to stand
beside her to gawk at the crowd. Drew spotted Megan’s booth and pointed to a smiling Lillie as she directed the boy from the bakery to where he needed to unload the multitude of cakes.
“This is great, isn’t it?” she asked Drew as they made their way toward Lillie.
“It’s something,” Drew sighed.
She wanted to ask him what he meant by that, but Lillie was already talking. “I’m so glad you’re here!” Lillie wrapped her arms around Megan before letting go. “Feels like I’m in some messed up Hee-Haw version of The Twilight Zone. I love it.”
Megan snorted and Drew shook his head, trying not to smile as he scanned the crowd.
“I think all of your stuff is here, but you’ll have to check to be sure,” Lillie said, gripping her long, flowing skirt as she walked around the tables. She looked like a bohemian princess causing Megan to feel old and frumpy standing next to her in a t-shirt and sneakers.
Drew leaned in close enough to brush his arm against her. “I’m going to find my family real fast. Do not go anywhere without telling me. Got it?”
Rolling her eyes, Megan nodded. “Got it.”
“Keep an eye on her for me,” he said to Lillie.
She turned to Lillie, who could break him in two with her bare hands. She nodded to him as if she were worried what he would do if she didn’t. It was pathetic, really. Megan wasn’t scared of him, so why would Lillie be?
As soon as Drew left, Megan got down to business. People stood, waiting with tickets in hand for them to start. Lillie had already set up, linking four cafeteria-style tables at the ends to make one big square with only a gap to walk in and out of. The stereo and microphone were in the center. Lillie even put up the posters Drew and she had made.
“I can’t believe you got all this done,” Megan said in amazement at the women in her life. “Thank you so much.”
“It was nothing, really. Brandy came out earlier and put the numbered squares down and the rest was pretty easy.” Lillie clapped her hands, causing her multitude of bracelets to rattle. “Let’s get this party started.” She leaned in and whispered, “I do not want to keep the rednecks waiting. A few look like they could turn rabid.”
Megan laughed. “Are you staying?”
“Of course! I wouldn’t miss this shit for the world. I thought this cake-walk thing was some kind of urban legend.”
Megan couldn’t help but laugh again. “Stop it.”
Squeezing through the small opening between the tables, Megan turned on the microphone. “Hey everyone! Are you guys ready to have some fun?”
The crowd clapped and a few even whistled. Megan never thought so many people would be this excited about the prospect of winning a cake. Maybe Lillie was right and they were in a strange parallel dimension.
“Go ahead and stand on a number and Lillie here will take your tickets.” Lillie posed with the fishbowl like she was a model for a television game show. “And all the goodies here were baked by Black Sheep Bakery and not me, so they’re actually good. Trust me. I know my sweets.”
Lillie took the tickets and Megan turned on the music, watching people, young and old, male and female, walking around and around the squares, waiting for the music to stop. Megan loved this. She loved looking around and watching parents eating cotton candy (which she would eat as soon as possible) with their kids and the kids running from booth to booth, excited about everything they saw. This was what living in a small town was all about, and she was proud to be part of it.
****
Three long and exhausting hours later, Megan announced they were going on a short break. Megan found a relief worker to sit at the booth before hooking her arm with Lillie’s. “If I don’t get some food, I’m going to throw a hissy fit. Corn dogs, cotton candy, candied apples, funnel cakes. Corn on a freaking stick! If I don’t get foods that will clog my arteries soon, I’m going to freak right out.”
Lillie made a gagging sound and scanned the food booths. “I doubt there will be anything I can eat in this place.”
“Cotton candy and funnel cakes are vegetarian and a candied apple has fresh fruit in it.” Megan smiled when Lillie leaned her head back to look at her with her top lip curled. “Come on, it’s a festival. You know you want to…”
Lillie let out a breath. “Okay, but just today, and you’re going to take my hot yoga class as soon as your feet are better.”
“Deal.”
“Now, let’s find Drew and tell him where we’re going.”
Megan’s shoulders slumped. She didn’t want to see him. The more she watched the families surrounding her, the more it brought home the fact that life was never going to be for her. No matter how badly she wanted it. Her blessing was also her curse and there was no room for a family. Being with Drew, even just for sex, wasn’t going to go anywhere, so why continue to do it when she would only end up hurt?
“Megan, don’t think like that.” Lillie pulled her through the crowd and moved straight to Drew. She wondered if Lillie had zoned in on his thoughts to find him since they could barely see two feet in front of them with the crowd.
“Hey, ladies,” Drew greeted them, leaning in to kiss Megan, but she moved at the last second and he kissed her cheek. He looked at her funny, but let it pass. They weren’t in a relationship and she didn’t plan on them ever being in one, so there was no way was she going to give the good people of Hope more to talk about.
“We’re going to grab some grub real quick then get back to work.” Megan jabbed a thumb over her shoulder. She waved a hello to Laura as her dad was about to swing the hammer of strength.
Drew looked to his family then back to her with worried eyes. “Hold on a sec and I’ll go with you.”
Megan waved him off. “No, don’t worry. Lillie will be with me the whole time and your family needs you.”
“Scouts’ honor,” Lillie said, holding up her fingers in a peace sign. Megan wondered if she knew her error.
In resignation, Drew ran a hand through his hair. He stared at Megan intently before speaking so she would understand he was serious. “Don’t go off anywhere and keep your eyes out. I have a bad feeling.”
Megan put her hand up to her eyebrow in a salute. “Sir! Yes, Sir.”
“Do you have to be such a smart ass?” he asked, suppressing a smile.
“Why, yes. Yes I do,” she said, then turned around, linked her arm with Lillie’s, and walked away.
Ignoring the looks Lillie was giving her, Megan let her nose lead them toward the food. “Let’s start at the corndogs and work our way down.” Lillie stopped moving and stared at her. “What?”
“You have a crazy look in your eyes. You’re kind of scary when you’re hungry.”
“Of course I am. I’ve been standing around all day watching people stuff their faces with the best junk food known to man and I haven’t even eaten breakfast. Carnival food is like my version of a wet dream.” Megan pulled a laughing Lillie to the nearest stand and ordered a jumbo soda and cosmic corn dog. “We’ll get a funnel cake next.” With a mouthful of corn dog, her stomach growled at the prospect. “If you’ve never had a funnel cake, then you’ve never really lived.”
Lillie threw her head back, laughing. “I’ve never met anyone who loves sweets like you and stays so skinny.”
Megan shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe God figured he gave me enough problems so he wanted to reward me?”
Chapter Twenty-One
“My eyes are going to bleed,” Megan said around a mouthful of cotton candy. It was like watching a train wreck; she couldn’t peel her eyes from the sight. Mrs. Webber was reapplying her lipstick for the next senior to take his turn at her kissing booth. “I’ve never seen anything like that in my life.”
There was a line of about fifty old men waiting for their turn to get lip-locked with Mrs. Webber and her red lipstick. She beamed like she’d won the lottery. In a way, Megan guessed she had. There was a glow about her that was undeniable and if she wasn’t mistaken, she was wearing a new dress.
Though it was disturbing to watch, Megan was happy to see her having such a good time. No doubt she felt young again.
Would her line have been as long had she not traded with Mrs. Webber? Megan wondered.
Probably not.
Lillie tugged on the sleeve of her shirt. “I’m not feeling so well.”
Megan watched as Mrs. Webber bent over Ernie Baxter from the VFW and smooched him. She cringed. She hoped Ernie didn’t break a hip or something being bent like that. “It’s not that bad. I mean, it’s gross to us, but this is the most exciting thing to hit these guys since Viagra.”
“No, I really don’t feel good.” Her grip became tighter.
Megan peeled her eyes away from the train wreck and studied her friend’s face. She had a sickly, greenish tint to her skin and her forehead was beaded with sweat. “Oh no, are you okay?”
“I think I need a restroom,” Lillie said, frantically scanning the area. “Quick.”
“Go to Dazzled. It’s the closest,” Megan said, rushing her. She felt horrible. Maybe she shouldn’t have pushed her to eat that third funnel cake so soon after the pretzel. Megan’s stomach was used to that kind of punishment and could probably withstand motor oil. Lillie obviously still had a lot to learn when it came to junk food.
Good thing she had Megan to teach her the ways.
Lillie ran toward Dazzled, holding a hand over her mouth. Megan turned to find Drew but found Dwayne Webber standing next to her.
“Hey, Megan. Is Lillie okay?” he asked, his eyes on Lillie’s back as she disappeared into the crowd.
“Yeah, we just overindulged ourselves and she’s paying for it,” Megan laughed and pointed toward the kissing booth. “Looks like your mom is having the time of her life.”
Super Chick Page 22
