“Did you say us?”
“Yes, we’re going to San Fran to say goodbye to Anthony and wish him a peaceful journey to the afterlife with the man he loves. If the network can’t get permission, then we’ll still go and do it privately without the cameras running.”
“What happens if the networks do get the approval?”
“Lyric refilms everything he has so far with his crew members.”
“So, our home will be invaded by network people,” I said, sounding as thrilled as I felt.
“Lyric said it wouldn’t take long. Just a day or two of filming. There’s no guarantee that Anthony will cooperate, so he might get stuck using the footage and recordings he already has.”
“I’m not upset with that option,” I admitted.
“Me either, but I’m willing to play nice and put up with a little bit of disruption to give Anthony the peace he deserves.”
“I will do anything to see you happy, but I have one condition.”
“Name it,” she replied with a raised brow.
“No network people stay here overnight. I am not curtailing my sexy times with my lady or wearing a gag to keep from yelling out when I come inside you.”
“You are noisy,” she teased.
“And you love every minute of it.”
“I do, and that love grows stronger every day.” Maegan turned around toward the stove, put the cooked burger she’d already browned back into the pan with the vegetables then added two cans of diced tomatoes, one can of beef broth, and one can of tomato sauce into the pot and reduced the heat. “This soup needs to simmer for thirty minutes. Think I can make you yell and come in that amount of time?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
“MOM, I’M NERVOUS ABOUT TODAY,” I said into the phone as I drove to Memphis’s house to pick the lovebirds up for our trip north. They couldn’t rouse themselves out of bed long enough to attend Sunday brunch, so I wasn’t even sure there would be a trip north.
“About rummaging through someone’s belongings looking for a rare treasure? Honey, you’ve loved that since you attended your first garage sale at five years old,” Mom said. “Do you remember trying to talk Mrs. Darling into lowering the price on that Care Bear?”
“Mom, I even knew back then there was a difference between merchandise in mint condition and those with wear and tear. I wasn’t willing to pay a buck for that bear when it was only worth a quarter in the shape it was in. I bought it for a bargain, and you helped me get the stains out and repair the slight tear around the embroidered cupcake in the center of its belly.”
“And you turned around and sold it for a buck twenty-five the following week. Boy, Mrs. Darling wanted to be pissed, but you convinced her there was no way your bear could be the same raggedy stuffed animal you bought from her.”
“Hey, I didn’t cheat her out of a cent. When I sold the bear, it was in much better shape.”
My mom laughed warmly on the other end of our connection. It helped soothe my nerves. “I suspect your nerves have more to do with meeting a certain someone’s parents.”
Even though my folks had figured out Elijah’s relationship with his parents was strained, they never pushed him or asked me to betray his trust. They knew a good man when they saw one, and the only thing they cared about was how Elijah treated me. I had told my mom about our plans when she texted me that morning to invite us to dinner. Just telling her “sorry, we can’t make it,” would never do.
“To be honest, Mom, I shouldn’t care a damn what those people think about me.”
“Except you do.”
I did. There was always the chance Elijah would patch up the relationship with his parents, and I didn’t want to be a source of contention between them. This meeting felt every bit as important to me as it did for Elijah, although for very different reasons. “I do,” I admitted.
“Are you willing to hear some very sound advice from your mother?” she asked.
“Always.”
“Here’s what you do, my darling daughter. You go into their home, or wherever you’re meeting up, with your chin up and shoulders back. Remember whose daughter you are and smile and be gracious even if it’s the last thing you want to do. Know who truly loves you and where you’re wanted, needed, and loved. And, Maegan, if you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, remember the one thing women have been doing since the beginning of time.” Jackie Miracle paused for dramatic effect. “Fake your enthusiasm, darling.”
“Mom!” I blurted out before laughter rumbled in my chest and spilled out of me, echoing loudly through the interior of my SUV.
“Darling, at thirty years old, I’m positive you’ve had to fake your way through something, although I suspect the skill has gotten rusty the past six months. Not everyone is as lucky as you and me, Maegan. Faking-it skills are useful in many situations and meeting Elijah’s parents might be the most important one of all.”
“M-m-mom, stop,” I said, trying to catch my breath. I pulled to a stop in front of Memphis’s house, expecting I’d have to knock on the door so he’d come up for air long enough to get in the SUV or tell me he wasn’t going. “I need to get off here and let Memphis know I’m here.”
“I bet he’s forgotten all about your plans.”
“Maybe, but—” My words cut off when the front door opened. “I’ll be damned. They look exhausted, but apparently, we’re still on.”
“Drive safe and have fun. Call me tonight after you get home from meeting Elijah’s parents.”
“Will do. Love you, Mama.” She returned the affection and blew kisses through the phone at me before disconnecting the call.
“Good morning, fellas,” I whispered once they were inside the vehicle.
Memphis snorted and leaned over to kiss my cheek in greeting. “We’re not hungover, Mae.”
“Drunk on love, my dear. Same difference. You fellas look like you need a damn nap. You’ll want to be sharp for our hunt this afternoon, Memphis. I have a good feeling about this one.”
“It’s probably a good idea,” Memphis said before his face cracked open in a big yawn. He reclined his seat and Lyric stretched out in the back. They were both asleep before we crossed the town lines.
The quiet trip gave me plenty of time to think about how I wanted to approach the afternoon. I realized my mom was one hundred percent right. I didn’t need to love Elijah’s parents, and they didn’t need to love me either. We just needed to be respectful of each other, which meant I had to keep my opinions to myself.
I sent Elijah a text once I arrived at the Gambini estate then woke Lyric and Memphis. I handed them both a piece of gum to freshen their breath, and we headed to the front door. I wasn’t prepared for some of the rare china and antiques I found inside the house, and Memphis discovered records that made me question if I should call an ambulance for him. Those high dollar items were way out of our price range, and neither of us wanted Sonny to get taken advantage of when it was obvious he wasn’t familiar with their value. Memphis and I promised to email him the contact information of appraisers and auction houses who wouldn’t try to screw him over. There were many wonderful items we both could afford, including an extraordinary Blue Libbey collection.
I realized I hadn’t told them about my plans to meet up with Elijah once we were loaded up and heading south. “I’m sorry, guys. You were so tired, and my mind was preoccupied.”
“It’s no problem,” Lyric said. “Memphis and I will grab a bite to eat at the exit then drive back to Blissville.”
“We’ll even unload the SUV for you before we drop it off at your house,” Memphis added. “Is any of the stuff going home with you?”
“No, I’m going to sell all of it.” I rarely kept the things I found at estates. “Thank you so much for helping me.”
It didn’t take us long to arrive at the London exit where Elijah waited for us in the parking lot of Long John Silvers.
“Mmmmm. Greasy fish, coleslaw, fries, and hush puppies,�
� Memphis said. “I haven’t eaten here in forever.”
“I’ve never eaten here,” Lyric said.
“You’re in for a treat.”
Lyric looked to me for confirmation, but I just shrugged. Different strokes for different folks. “I get a basket that has fried chicken instead of fish that’s good.”
“I’m up for new experiences,” Lyric said, holding out his hands for my keys.
“See you guys later,” I said, dropping them into his open palm.
Elijah was waiting next to the passenger door of his old beat-up truck. He smiled like he was seeing the sun for the first time in years. “You always look so beautiful, Freckles.”
I didn’t normally wear a dress and sandals to rummage through estates, but I didn’t want to wear just any old thing to meet Elijah’s mom and dad. I had decided to skip any dark and dusty corners to stay clean and smelling good, but I worried for nothing. The Gambini estate was immaculately clean, and there was an order to the collections.
“This old thing?” I asked, looking down at my cream dress with lavender and yellow flowers on it.
“My mom is going to love you, Maegan.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so. Are you ready?”
“I’m ready to tackle anything with you by my side.”
Elijah opened the door for me and stood behind me as I hoisted myself inside the cab of his truck in as ladylike a way as possible. The first time he did it, I thought he was waiting to catch me if I fell and assured him I wasn’t a klutz. Elijah patiently explained he was blocking anyone from seeing my underwear if the wind caught my skirt and blew it up over my head. I adored his charm and caring mannerisms.
We didn’t say much on the ride to his parents’ house beyond me commenting on how lovely the old farmhouses and barns were. Since we were early, he showed me his high school and the field where he played football, the grocery store where he bagged groceries as a teenager, and a covered bridge that looked so old I held my breath while he drove through it.
“The community is a lot like Blissville, but more spread out because its rural.”
“I love all the cows,” I said wistfully. “There’s only grain farms around us now.”
“Many farmers have stopped raising beef and pork over the last few decades, but there are a few holdouts. Most of these guys out here are raising food for their own families and to sell to other people in the community they trust to pay when the time comes. They’re just making enough money to cover grain and vet bills.”
“I couldn’t eat anything I raised,” I told Elijah. “I’d want to make all the animals my pets.”
“It wouldn’t be easy.”
“Your family never had livestock?”
“My grandpa did when I was really little,” Elijah said. “I don’t remember seeing cows on his farm, but there’s pictures of me toddling around beside them.”
“It sounds like a lovely way to grow up. Clean and wholesome.”
Elijah snorted, pulling my attention off the fields and onto him. A wry smile had spread across his face. “Freckles, kids in the country have the same needs and desires as city kids. We just have to get more creative when going about it.”
“Like how?”
“Well, say you’re a young lad who wants to see his lady love.”
“Lad and lady love?” I asked interrupting him. “Have you been reading my historical romances?”
“Yes, but that’s not what I was thinking about right now.”
“You’re reading my romance books? When?”
“When you’re having your book club meetings with the girls or whatever,” Elijah said with a shrug. “I’m curious about the kind of men you like, so I pay attention to the title of one that makes you squirm and fan yourself. Then I read it when you’re not around. I’ve discovered that none of them have a damn thing on me, so I’m neither jealous nor disapproving. Can I get back to my story now?”
I nodded my head, knowing I looked ridiculous with my mouth gaping open.
“Since you don’t like my fancy, old-fashioned references, I’ll try to bring my story up to the twenty-first century,” Elijah said, looking at me briefly before turning his eyes back to the road. “When a horny teenaged boy wanted to see the teenaged girl of his wet dreams, he had to find inventive ways to sneak over to her house in the middle of the night since she most likely lived several miles away.”
“And her daddy most likely kept a loaded shotgun behind his bedroom door for intruders and horny boys baying at the moon outside his daughter’s window.”
“You’ve read this book then?” Elijah asked.
“And saw the movie.”
Elijah threw his head back and laughed. I was so happy to see no signs of tension in his expression or body language. It seemed like he’d resigned himself to accepting whatever came out of the day rather than trying to predict. “Freckles, if we weren’t pressed for time, I’d take you to my favorite secluded spot overlooking the Oak Run River.”
“Maybe next time,” I said, reaching over and squeezing his thigh. “Tell me how the horny kids met up.”
“Easy,” Elijah said. “They stole their daddies’ tractors and met in the middle of a field somewhere.”
“Is that what you did to spend time with Brandy?”
“Me? No. Our families were great friends, so I never needed an excuse to go over there or have her over. Our families went on vacations together and everything.”
“Oh.” His love for her went back further than I had imagined. I didn’t know why it bothered me so much, but it did. Maybe it was because she got parts of him I could never experience. I’d never be his first for anything. Not his first love, his first wife, and certainly not the woman who’d bear his children. Fuck! I suddenly felt on the verge of tears again which hadn’t happened since I heard the great news about Anthony.
“Jack was the one who stole the tractor to meet his girlfriend.” Elijah quieted suddenly, and I could tell what he was thinking. “Hell, maybe he was meeting Brandy, and I just didn’t know it. Maybe he got a kick out of me playing lookout while he snuck off to fuck my girlfriend.” I could feel Elijah pulling further inside himself while sick ideas played over and over in his brain.
“Elijah,” I said gently. “Does that really matter now? Hasn’t the damage already been done? Even if they had fooled around in high school, what they did as adults was way worse. Stupid kids do stupid things, but adults should know better.”
“I’m so sorry, Freckles.” Elijah pulled his truck over to the side of the road and reached for me. I unbuckled my seatbelt and slid across the bench until I was right beside him. “I used to think not having a center console in this old beast was a terrible thing until the time you rode me to a delicious orgasm behind the strip mall after hours.”
“We’re a little out in the open, so I’ll just stay in the middle seat if that’s all right with you?”
“Fine, but on the way home, I might be dragging you off to the river after all.” Elijah placed his warm palm on my thigh. I pressed my legs together trying to calm the shiver of longing vibrating through my core. “I made my peace with losing Brandy a very long time ago. Our marriage never would’ve survived for more reasons than her unfaithfulness. What I resent more than anything was losing my brother and my father, two people I loved dearly. Jack and I weren’t just brothers, we were best friends, just like Milo and you. That’s the betrayal I can’t get past, along with my dad siding with them. I really hope you believe me and know I’m with the woman I want, and my pain and humiliation are not an indication of wishing I could have someone else.”
“I know,” I said, twisting in my seat to cup his face. “There’s no faking the love and adoration I see in your eyes. Trust me, baby; I know a thing or two about faking it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Not with you,” I said, rushing to clarify. “I’ve told you that you were the first man to give me an orgasm, and I’ve never had to fake anything wi
th you. I guess that response just popped out after my conversation with my mom today.”
“Do I want to know why you and your mom were discussing faking it in the first place?”
“It’s nothing bad,” I assured him. “In fact, it’s quite hilarious.” I recounted the story word for word while we were parked by the side of the road. When I was done, Elijah was howling with laughter.
“I love that woman, Freckles.” He wiped the tears from his eyes. “I especially love the subtle way she worked in that your dad is good in bed.”
“Oh God! I didn’t pick it up until you mentioned it. Eww, Elijah!” I slid back to my original seat and buckled my seatbelt. “Let’s get on with the show, so I can think about something else right away.”
It turned out, Elijah had pulled over half a mile from his parents’ house which was a lovely, two-story farmhouse like the ones I’d been admiring for the past hour. “It’s so beautiful,” I said in awe.
“It’s not as grand as our home,” Elijah said.
“I can still feel the rich history here,” I told him. “Has this home been in your family for a long time?” I asked, following him up the steps leading to a wraparound porch. “This porch is amazing.”
“It’s been in the family for several generations. The porch is my mom’s favorite place, so I bet she’ll invite you to pull up a rocking chair later.”
Just then, the front door opened to reveal a short, graying woman grinning at her son. “Elijah!” she said in a tearful voice. “I’m so happy you’re home.”
“I’ve missed you too,” Elijah said, scooping his mother up into a hug that left her feet dangling off the ground. Then he set her down and placed his big hands on her dainty shoulders. “Mama, I’ve brought home someone very special to meet you.”
Chin up. Shoulders back. Smile.
“Is this your Freckles?” she asked then turned to look at me with wide, hopeful eyes. Was she worried I would judge her for the past and find her lacking?
The Lady Stole My Heart (The Lady is Mine, #2) Page 9
