I looked over my shoulder at Meghan, who stood frozen a few feet behind me. Her eyes were round and her mouth had dropped open.
The guy smiled at me. “I came to see Meghan. I had the address, but I wasn’t sure if this was the place.”
“Owen.” Meghan’s voice was flat, and when she said his name, it dashed my hopes that this dude was her brother, whose name I knew was Joseph.
“Surprise!” Whoever he was, this Owen didn’t know how to read Meghan at all. He was still going on as though this was a big happy pop-up visit, when I could see in her face that she wasn’t happy. Well, join the club, because I wasn’t either. Matter of fact, I was damned pissed.
“Owen, what are you doing here?” Her tone bordered on hostile. Hell, it more than bordered. It actually set up camp there. That made me just a little happier.
He was beginning to get the picture, and the shit-eating grin on his face faltered. “I was just ... I got back to town, after being away all summer. Remember, I went to Europe with Dr. Edgars?”
If Meghan remembered this, she wasn’t copping to it. She lifted her shoulder in a little no-but-keep-going gesture.
“Yeah, well, I got back to Savannah, and I went by to see you, and the girl who’s staying in your apartment told me you were here. I mean, she gave me your address.”
I raised one eyebrow and looked at Meghan. She rolled her eyes. “Laura and I sub-let our apartment to one of Laura’s friends who was doing summer session. I don’t know why she’d give out my address, though.”
A sense of warmth spread through me when Meghan called my house her address. I wanted to rub it in this idiot Owen’s face, that my farm was where she belonged.
“And I really don’t know why you’d haul your ass all the way out here to see me, Owen. Without calling. What the hell?”
“I figured you were bored out here in the sticks, and I was going to come and take you to dinner. Some place nice, back in the city. Give you a little break.” He glanced at me. “I thought you could use it by now. You’re not a prisoner here, you know.”
“Owen.” Meghan’s tone said clearly that she’d had enough. “You have no idea ...” And then she stopped and dropped her head into her hand, sighing. She looked up at me, her eyes pleading for something. I wasn’t sure what it was. “Sam, would you give me just a minute with Owen? We’ll sit out on the porch. And then I’ll be right back in.” She walked past me, not giving me the chance to say no. Her hand trailed over my chest as she stepped over the threshold.
There was nothing for me to do but close the door behind her. I didn’t slam it, which I thought spoke well of my maturity, and I didn’t hover in the living room, on the other side of the front windows, like my dad used to do when I began dating and brought girls home to sit on the porch. I stalked back into the kitchen, pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down.
I had no idea who this Owen was, but he was obviously someone she knew from school. He’d mentioned going on a trip. Europe, with a doctor somebody, probably one of their professors, I thought. I wondered if Meghan would regret that instead of spending her months off partying through foreign countries and checking out all the art she’d studied, she’d been stuck here on a farm in Georgia, teaching sticky little kids how to draw and hanging out with a guy old enough—well, older. Grumpy, that was what she’d called me.
I’d let myself forget for a little while how different we were. When it was just us, out here on the farm, it was easy to see what we had in common and how well Meghan meshed with my life. But that wasn’t reality. Reality was her apartment in the city with Laura, classes and parties and the college world. It wasn’t meeting me at the end of the day, fishing by the river all night or sitting with me out on the porch. She’d told me from the beginning that this was just a fling. Just something temporary between two people who didn’t want strings attached. If I was hurt now, I had no one to blame but myself.
“Sam.” She leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, and she looked ... drained. Her eyes were tired, but she tried a smile that I knew was for my benefit only. “Sorry about that.”
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure I could speak without saying something I’d regret. Something that might be close to begging.
She crossed to sit in a chair across the table from me. “That was Owen. Well, you probably figured that out. Sorry I didn’t introduce you, but I was really shocked to see him. As you could probably tell.”
I swallowed over the lump in my throat. “You’re welcome to have friends come out here to visit you, Meghan. You know that. Or I hope you do.”
“Owen’s not really a friend. Or maybe ... well, I don’t know. Laura’s really my only friend at school. I know other people, but there’s no one I’d want to come out here. No one I care about. And Laura’s in North Carolina, you remember that.”
I nodded. Meghan mentioned Laura frequently, and I knew the two talked via cell quite a bit.
She took a deep breath. “I met Owen in freshman year, and I knew from the beginning that he had a crush on me. He was the one who always came by our dorm room or made sure he was at the same parties we went to. Laura always teased me that all I had to do was crook my finger and Owen would propose.”
When I nodded again, I felt like an idiot. But I knew there was nothing I needed to say here.
“I made sure we were just friends. I never encouraged him in any way or flirted. I didn’t want to hurt him. When he finally started dating someone else, I was thrilled. But then one night he got drunk and came to my apartment, and he told me the girl he was dating was just a substitute for me, that when I was ready, he’d drop her for me. I felt horrible. I didn’t know what to do. So for the longest time, I didn’t do anything.
“Then my dad got sick and I was back and forth to Florida all the time. When Daddy—died, I was there, and I stayed until the funeral, but then I had to go back to school. Joseph was staying with Mom, but I had exams. So I came back, and I was hurting so bad. I just wanted it to stop. I wanted anything that would make the pain go away. I went out that night, and I got drunk. I mean, really, really wasted. I drank until I couldn’t remember my own name ... and you can probably guess what happened next. Owen was there, and he found me crying in a corner. He took me home, and we ...” She dropped her forehead onto her arm so that her voice was muffled when she finished. “We had sex.”
I closed my eyes. I remembered that pain. I had done some fairly reprehensible things in the name of making it go away. I imagined Meghan, hurting and needing comfort, and I couldn’t blame her for what had happened.
“Honestly, I didn’t even remember it. I woke up with him looking down at me like we’d just had our wedding night. I couldn’t get away from him fast enough, and I tried to explain what had happened, but nothing’s ever gotten through to him. He keeps hanging around, no matter how many other guys I sleep with.” Her eyes flashed to me, worried. “He thinks in the end we’re going to end up together, so he’s willing to wait me out.”
“What did you tell him just now?” I understood this guy was hung up on her, but someone had to tell him to get lost. If Meghan couldn’t do it, I was happy to volunteer.
“I sat him down and told him that I was never going to be with him again. I told him that what had happened between us once was a huge mistake and that I couldn’t even remember it at all. I said he didn’t mean anything to me, that I only let him hang around me because I felt sorry for him.” She raised eyes to me that were brimming with misery. “I was cruel, and that’s the one thing I’ve always sworn I wouldn’t be. But I didn’t know what else to do.”
I couldn’t sit still anymore. I went around the table and knelt in front of her chair, pulling her to me. “You had to tell him. The guy’s living his life based on a lie, on the chance that you might someday change your mind. What you did was the kindest choice.” I stroked her hair. “Don’t beat yourself up. It’s going to be better in the long run.”
She shook against my shoulder, and I realiz
ed she was sobbing. “I’m a terrible person, Sam. You were right that day. I’m irresponsible and immature and I’m a bad friend.”
“Meghan, no.” I lifted her up, sat down in the chair and held her on my lap. “I was stupid. You’re one of the kindest, most mature people I know. Plus, you’re so full of joy and life, you make everyone around you happier. Hell, you even made me smile, right?”
She sniffed, loudly. “He was so upset when he left, Sam. What if he gets in an accident? What if—” She shuddered. “He wouldn’t do anything to himself, would he? Oh, God. I need to call Ziggy. He used to be his roommate. He needs to know.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out her cell. I held her while she scrolled her contacts and hit a name. She spoke to the guy who answered for a few minutes, choking a few times as she explained what had happened.
After a short conversation, she hung up. “Ziggy’s going to text me when Owen gets back, and he won’t leave him alone until he seems okay. Those guys are idiots, but they’re good friends. I know Ziggy’ll watch out for him.”
I kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry you had to do that.”
Meghan craned her neck around to look at me. “I’m sorry Owen ruined our hour alone. Ali should be here any minute now.”
I touched her cheek. “That’s okay. You couldn’t help it. And when Ali gets home, I think I’ll take the two of you over to Kenny’s for dinner, so you don’t have to cook or clean up.”
She narrowed her eyes. “You’re being awfully understanding. I thought you were going to be mad about missing out on the naked.”
“I might have been, except that I just remembered that Bridget is going to be gone all night. My sister’s a big girl. She can handle the idea of you being in my room with me.” I turned her face and kissed her. “We might not have had our hour, but we’ll have all night.”
ONCE THE WEATHER CLEARED up, it hit me that I only had two more weeks with my students. I planned several field trips, taking them to the park, to a few special places in town and even out to our neighbor Fred’s farm to draw horses. They loved it, and I enjoyed watching their eyes light up when a new concept clicked in their minds.
I was moving between the kids when I caught sight of someone heading our way. Fred had given us permission to be in the field, and I realized the man was a little taller and a little slimmer than the farmer. As he grew nearer, I recognized the artfully-mussed hair.
Alex put on a stern face. “Hey, what’re all you guys doing in my pasture?”
They all laughed. Apparently, even though he only returned to Burton a few times a year, Alex was popular among the elementary school set. Either that or these kids weren’t easily scared.
He smiled at me. “Hello, pretty girl. Are you responsible for these hooligans?”
“Guilty as charged.” I leaned up to give him a quick hug. “The bigger question is, what’re you doing here? I thought you went back to Atlanta weeks ago.”
“I did.” He swatted at the back of his neck, where a mosquito had landed. “I’ve got a meeting in Savannah tomorrow, so I decided to stop off and visit the old homestead for the night.”
“Bet your mom and dad were glad to see you.” I knew Fred and his wife Ellen missed their only son.
“Of course they were. I’m kidnapping Mom into the city with me tomorrow, so she can have a little fun while I’m at my meeting. She’s tickled.” He ran his eyes up and down me, with one brow raised. “So, things are going well with Sam the Man? You two crazy kids setting a date yet?”
I shook my head. “You know the score. We’re just enjoying ourselves. Nothing serious.” I kept my eyes on the black horse grazing at the edge of the field. “And I leave next week.”
“And how does Sammy boy feel about your imminent departure?”
“I’m sure he’s fine with it.”
“But he hasn’t said anything.”
I shrugged. “Not really. We don’t talk about the future. He’s got a life here, and I’ve got mine—elsewhere. That’s why we keep things casual.”
“Hmmm.” Alex smirked. “Funny thing. I ran into Reenie Evans when I stopped for gas on my way to the farm last night. She seemed to think what you and Sam have going on is pretty intense.”
My eyes flashed up to his face. “She wasn’t supposed to—she promised not to say anything to anyone.”
“And she probably wouldn’t have, except I brought it up and pushed her about it. And Reenie doesn’t consider me just anyone. She and I were best friends with Ali coming up through school. She wasn’t gossiping.”
I pressed my lips together. “Still, it’s nobody’s business. After I leave, I don’t want people giving Sam a hard time and pestering him.” I leveled a look at him. “Got it?”
Alex held up his hands. “Whoa, sister, don’t look at me. Atlanta, remember? I’m the least of your worries.”
Ali’s car pulled up along the far side of the field, interrupting any reply I might have made. I’d asked the parents to pick up their offspring right from the farm so that I didn’t have to drive back into town, and Ali had decided to take Bridget right to the stand with her. She sauntered over, her face lighting up as she spied Alex.
“Miss Meghan, I can’t get his ears right.” Jared, one of my third graders, stood up and tugged at my hand.
“That’s my cue to exit, stage left.” Alex snuck a quick kiss to my cheek. “I’m going to get the skinny on all things Burton with my pal over there. See you later, lovely.”
I crouched down to check out Jared’s work, but I was all too aware of Alex and Ali, whispering and glancing at me. That could only spell trouble.
Once all the children had been collected, I headed back to our farm. Our farm. I wasn’t sure just when I’d begun thinking of it that way, but it was true. The smell of the soil, the worn buildings and the vivid green of the fields had woven their way into my heart. I didn’t want to think about how much the man who worked the land played into those feelings of belonging.
Since I was seldom home this early in the day, I took advantage of the opportunity to grab my easel, paints and music and go into the woods. There were pictures in my head begging to be given life, and I was eager to spend some time pouring them onto the canvas.
I set up, turned on my favorite play list and began working on a scene that had been in my mind for the last few weeks. The forest was silent except for the chirp of bugs and the chattering of squirrels, and I enjoyed having the time to hear myself think. I’d loved teaching this summer, and I knew for sure it was what I wanted to do after graduation. But there was something to be said for a little break now and then.
Something had shifted between Sam and me since the day Owen had made his unexpected visit. He was by turns more tender and yet somehow almost aloof. I wasn’t sure how that could be true, but it was. When we made love—and that was doubtless what we were doing; it had moved beyond sex after that first night—he seemed desperate, not only to bring us both pleasure, but to connect in some way. But when I brought it up, he joked about our friends-with-benefits arrangements. I couldn’t be angry; it was exactly what I had wanted, and I had gotten it.
Absorbed in both my work and my thoughts, I was working on the background, making the trees come to life, when a shadow fell across the canvas. I didn’t startle as I might have, because I could smell Sam’s unique aroma. Instead I smiled.
“Are you here for a lesson?” I kept moving my brush over the canvas.
“I might be.” He didn’t touch me, not wanting to disturb my work, but he stood so near that I could feel him against my skin. I breathed deep, inhaling his scent. Laying down my brush, I turned.
“Okay.” I stood up and pointed to my small artist’s stool, the collapsible one I used when I was working outside. “Sit down.”
He looked down at me, considering. His brown eyes were filled with that inscrutable something that I’d been noticing for the last few weeks. He hadn’t shaved this morning, and soft blond scruff covered his jaw and ch
eeks, tempting my fingers.
“All right. It’s about time I get a lesson, considering I’ve been feeding and housing the teacher for the last two months. Not to mention giving her the best sex of her life.”
I laughed, surprised by his teasing. “The best, huh? Someone’s full of himself this afternoon.”
He spread his hands in front of him. “I only speak the truth. Now, are you going to teach me or not?” He sat down on the chair, looking faintly uncomfortable and more than a little incongruous; it was obviously not designed for a man of his size.
I bit back a smile. “Pick up the brush, and we’ll work on some stroke work.” My brush looked tiny in his large hands. I found another one to use myself, to demonstrate what to do.
He was surprisingly adept, and after a few minutes, he was painting passable leaves. I worked on a few other techniques with him, leaning over his shoulder so I could help.
“No, not quite like that. Here, let me show you.” I covered his hand holding the brush with mine and brought it to the canvas. “See? Just a light touch at the top and then a little more as you move down—yes. Just like that.”
He grinned up at me. “Am I natural, or do you make all your students feel good about themselves? Or are you just trying to get into my pants?”
I laughed. “All of the above. Yes, you’re actually good. And I do try to make my students feel good about what they can do.” I swung a leg over his lap, facing him while I straddled his hips. “And I definitely want to get into your pants.”
“Oh, you do?” He laid my brush on the tray and used both hands to hold me by my ribs. “Isn’t there some rule against that?”
“Not if the student is a really sexy guy who is more than happy to put out to his teacher.” I thought about what I’d just said. “Well, and assuming both are above the age of consent. Which we both are.”
“Hmm. If you decide you want to teach, you might want to brush up on those pesky little details.” He threaded his fingers through my hair. “But this student is more than a little hot for teacher.”
Love in a Small Town Box Set 1 Page 20
