Avery smiled. “Yeah, you really have. But we all make mistakes sometimes.”
“I should have stayed. I should have talked to her about the pictures, about her relationship with that guy… and all the others. I should have asked her whether they meant anything to her.”
“Yes, you should have. It’s not too late, Nick. You can always go home and talk to her now.”
“Tomorrow I’m supposed to be at-”
“Your dad and I will be there to represent the Triple M, honey. You go home and talk to Megan. Convince her you were a fool to leave her and you’ll never make that mistake again.” Avery leaned in to kiss his cheek.
Nick held his mother in a tight embrace. “I just hope to hell she believes me.”
***
Nick jumped out of his truck as soon as he pulled up in front of his stables. He’d already been to Megan’s hotel and his parents’ house. She’d checked out of the hotel days ago and returned her key to their housekeeper. She was gone. He didn’t know how the hell he would get her back.
Nick ran down to the barn, praying Stephan would still be there. He closed his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks when he saw Megan’s brother grooming one of his horses. “Stephan,” he said quietly, not wanting to startle the man or the horse.
He smiled. “Oh hey, Nick. I didn’t know you were coming back today.”
“I wasn’t planning to, but…”
“I heard your horses cleaned up this week. Congratulations.”
Stephan looked good. His eyes were bright. He’d shaved and gotten a haircut. Ranch life seemed to agree with the California boy. “I need to find your sister. You have any idea where she went?”
Stephan turned his attention back to the horse. “She went home.”
“When?”
“Three or four days ago. She said she had to start making some plans and check out other opportunities.”
Nick couldn’t help but wonder whether anyone special was waiting for her back home. He prayed not, but he’d be willing to fight to the death for one more chance with her. “But you decided to stay behind. Why?”
He shrugged. “I really like it here. It’s the first place I feel like I belong. My adoptive parents had a dairy farm in Utah.”
“Huh, so you’re not from Cali?”
“Hell, no!” They shared a look, and Stephan laughed. “It’s okay, but it’s not really my thing.”
“What happened with your parents?” Nick wanted to retrace his steps and get back to the airport, but he owed it to Megan to make sure Stephan was on the right track first.
Stephan fixated on the horse, brushing her down gently as he said, “I screwed up. I started drinking too much in high school, got kicked out of college.” He shrugged. “I went to work at my girlfriend’s father’s car dealership, but I managed to screw that up too, ‘cause I was coming into work drunk all the damn time.”
“Is that why you left town?”
“I turned to the bottle because I was trying to drown the fact my own parents didn’t want me. By the time I realized I would only get sober if I confronted them about it, they were both dead. I guess I’ll never know why they decided to give me up.”
“Does it matter?” Nick asked quietly.
“Wouldn’t it matter to you?”
“Your family are the people who raised you, Stephan. They’re the ones who matter. And you have a sister who really wants to see you get your act together. You have a hell of a lot more than some people.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He propped his sunglasses up on his head. “You mind if I stick around a while?”
“As long as you do a good job and stay clean, you can stick around as long as you want.”
“Thanks, man. I really appreciate it.”
“Now I need somethin’ from you,” Nick said.
Stephan grinned. “Lemme guess, you wanna know how you can track down my sister?”
“You got it.”
***
Nick wandered around the airport to kill time before his flight, and he spotted Anna and Justin. “Hey, what’re you two doin’ here?” They’d been with him in Kentucky, celebrating his victory just hours before.
“Justin had to get back,” Anna said, slipping her arm around her brother’s waist as they walked. “He has a race coming up. I decided to come home too and get ready for work tomorrow.”
“Thanks for comin’ with me, guys. Havin’ y’all there meant a lot.”
“It was our pleasure,” Justin said, falling into step beside his fiancée.
Anna looked up at Nick, her eyes exposing her concern. “I couldn’t help but notice someone was missing. Bri told me what happened. Are you okay?”
He sighed. “I don’t know yet. Meg left Nashville a few days ago.”
“Damn, I was afraid of that,” Anna muttered. “Is that why you’re here? You’re going to L.A. to talk to her?”
“That’s the plan.” He only hoped Megan was willing to listen.
“My jet’s all ready to go, Nick,” Justin said. “Why don’t you come with me? I’ll have the pilot file a new flight plan. He can drop me first and then take you to L.A.”
“You sure it won’t be a problem?” The faster he could see her, the better. Every time he’d tried to call Megan, it went straight to voice mail. He was starting to panic.
“No problem at all.”
Justin and Nick said goodbye to Anna before boarding the private plane. Once they were seated, the flight attendant offered them a drink.
Nick accepted a shot of scotch. He tipped his head back against the leather seat and closed his eyes. “Man, what a week.”
“You’re not kidding. Talk about highs and lows, huh?”
“Yeah.” Nick looked at his future brother-in-law. “What do you know about Meg’s relationship with Logan?” Justin and Megan’s former fiancé knew each other from the racing circuit, and Nick was hungry for any information he could glean about the man she’d once promised to marry.
Justin laughed. “Logan always told me it was hell bein’ with her.”
Nick went on high alert as he sat up straighter. Nothing Justin could tell him would impact the way he felt about Megan, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. “Why’s that?”
“Everywhere they went, men were coming on to her, and not just your average guys.” He smirked. “She ran in the same circles with all the hottest celebrities. Poor Logan. You’ve got to be one secure guy when the man voted ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ is asking your fiancée out.”
“Yeah, I guess you do.”
“According to Brock, she was always faithful to him. That wasn’t why their relationship ended.”
“Good to know.” Knowing he wore his insecurity like a second skin was a little embarrassing, but he already considered Justin family, so he wouldn’t try to hide the truth from him. “So, why did it end?” He’d heard Megan’s side of the story, but he was curious to hear Brock’s perspective.
“Logan had to face facts. She would never love him the way he loved her.”
Nick had to wonder whether he would have to confront the same fate when he and Megan finally came face-to-face again.
“He says she’s a great girl. One of the best people he’s ever known.”
“Yeah, she’s special all right.” So special, Nick knew he would never be able to replace her if he couldn’t convince her to forgive him for deserting her when she needed him most.
Chapter Sixteen
Megan swore when she glanced at the time on her cell phone. She only had twenty minutes to get to the airport. At that time of day, that would be nearly impossible. After giving her condo a quick once-over to make sure she hadn’t left anything behind, she grabbed her keys and opened the door. Nick stood on the other side.
Nick glanced at the suitcase she was gripping. “I’m glad I caught you. It looks like I’m just in time. You plannin’ a trip?”
Megan had almost convinced herself she wouldn’t have to see him
again, and she was on the verge of convincing herself that wasn’t a fate worse than death. Then he had the audacity to show up on her doorstep looking even more gorgeous than sexy actors paid to look that way. “I don’t have time for this. I have a plane to catch.” When he seemed unwilling to step out of her way, she glared at him. “How did you get in here? We have security.”
He grinned that breathtaking smile that stole her heart the first time. “Stephan gave me the code.”
“I’ll deal with him later.”
He pushed the door open. “Fine, but you can deal with me now.” He advanced, forcing her to step back before he closed and locked the door.
“I don’t have time for this. I’m already running late.”
“Whatever it is can wait. This is more important.” He threaded his hands through the hair at the nape of her neck and kissed her as though they’d been separated for months instead of days.
“You don’t have the right to do that anymore,” she said, wishing her voice didn’t sound as broken as she felt.
He let his forehead fall against hers. “I know. But I can’t help myself, baby. God, I’ve missed you.”
“Stop it! I don’t want to hear this. You made it perfectly clear how you felt when you took off to Kentucky without talking to me first.”
“I was goin’ through hell,” he whispered. “Seein’ those pictures… seein’ some other man touchin’ you that way… It took everything in me not to hunt him down.”
“I don’t want to talk about those pictures. I can’t.” She’d imagined Nick looking at those pictures and the disgust he must have felt dozens of times.
Nick kissed her hand as he led her toward the white sectional. “We have to talk about the past before we can look to the future, sweetheart. Your past and mine.”
She couldn’t imagine Nick having anything as shameful in his past. He wasn’t naïve enough to be lured into being the third person in a failing marriage.
“I have a job interview in New York,” she said, hoping he would take that as a sign she was moving on with her life… without him. She had no choice. Loving him and losing him again wasn’t an option. Coming to terms with her life, post-Nick, had nearly destroyed her.
He sat down, pulling her down with him. “New York? Is that really where you want to be?”
“I can’t stay here.”
“Why not?”
The fact he would ask her that question smacked of indifference, which made her wonder why he was there at all. Was his conscience pressuring him to say goodbye in person, to wish her well, and give her the empty ‘friends’ speech she despised, even when she was the one delivering the hollow words?
“I can’t get a decent job here now. Not with that crazy bitch on the loose, wielding those pornographic pictures of me.” Even though insulting Robert’s wife made her feel marginally better, she couldn’t blame her. If Megan were Nick’s wife, she may have gone to the same lengths to prevent another woman from sinking her claws into him.
“Those pictures won’t be a problem anymore.”
“How do you know that?”
“Bri made a call to the crazy bitch.” Nick smirked. “She made it clear that if she used those pics to smear you, she would lose every dime she had defendin’ herself in court. It seems once she knew you had friends in high places, she backed down.”
Megan had plenty of acquaintances in high places, but none of those people would go to the mat for her. “What are you talking about? Who would-” Her mouth fell open as understanding dawned. “Those are your friends, your family, not mine.”
“You seem to have won them over. They’re the most loyal group of people I know. Once they count you among their friends, they’ve got your back. No questions asked.”
Megan tried hard to contain her emotions, but it wasn’t easy. No one had ever defended her. She’d gotten used to going it alone until a problem seemed insurmountable. Then she felt she had no choice but to run away.
“But… who…?”
He swiped at a tear sliding down her cheek. “Titan Records wields hell of a lot of power, not to mention Bryson’s Hotels and Resorts… Hunt Racing…” Nick laughed. “Trust me, that team of lawyers would make Mrs. Alfinore wish she’d never been born.”
“Nice friends to have,” she said, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. She didn’t know why he was there, and in spite of the fact she wanted to throw her arms around him and tell him how grateful she was that he and his friends had come through for her, she had to remain guarded.
“They’re the best.”
“Um, Stephan seems to enjoy working at the Triple M. Thank you for keeping him on.”
“I think he’ll be a great fit, once he has a little more experience under his belt.”
“I hope it will give him a purpose.” She swallowed, trying to conceal the fact that meaningless small talk was driving her to the edge of sanity. “I think he needs that.”
“Everyone needs that.” He looked at her a long time before he asked, “This job in New York, you think it will give you that?”
“I don’t know. It’s different, behind the scenes work. It would give me production experience so that maybe, in time, I can produce my own show.”
“That’s still your goal?”
“Of course.”
“You could do that in Nashville, you know.”
She held her breath, waiting for him to continue. “I lost my job in Nashville.”
“True, but I happen to know they’re willin’ to take you back now that they know the images won’t surface.”
“Really? How do you know that?”
“My mother spoke to the station manager. She called me when I was on my way here.”
“Well…” She cleared her throat. “That’s good to know.” Nick still hadn’t said he wanted to try to move past what happened. She couldn’t even consider moving back to Nashville until he did. Living in the same city with him, knowing he didn’t want her anymore, would be agony.
“Do you mind tellin’ me a little bit about your past?” Nick asked.
“Um, sure. What do you want to know?”
“Why’d you sleep with that producer?”
She slid back on the couch, setting her leg between them as she forced herself to face him. “I was still reeling from my break up with Brock. My mother was dying, and I was dealing with all the stress and guilt from that.” She raked her hand through her hair and propped her head in her hand. “Robert was just a friend at first, a supportive shoulder to lean on during a difficult time. I never expected it to evolve into more, but obviously it did. I had no idea he was married until it was too late.” She looked him in the eye, praying he would believe her.
“Were you in love with him?”
“No! I think I was missing having a relationship with my father. Robert was older, caring, nurturing, protective…” She shuddered thinking about the kind of comfort he’d sometimes offered. She’d left that relationship more broken than when she’d entered it. “He said he was divorced. I never had reason to doubt that.”
Nick slid her hair through his fingers. “Was he in love with you?”
“He said he was, but who knows? The man was obviously a skilled liar. It doesn’t matter now anyway. He’s just an embarrassing part of my past. Someone I’d rather forget.”
“What about Logan? I was talkin’ to Justin about your ex today. It sounds as though he loved you… a lot.”
“He did.” She still felt guilty about how much she’d hurt Brock. He deserved better, and she hoped he’d finally found it. “But I didn’t love him.”
“But you said…”
She looked at him. If she didn’t let her walls down now, she would regret it for the rest of her life. “I thought I knew what love was when I was with Brock, but I didn’t.” Her voice trembled as she forced herself to keep looking him in the eye. “I had no idea what love was until I met you.”
He pulled her into his arms. He trailed kisses all over her
neck and face before finally bringing his lips back to hers. “It feels like I’ve been waitin’ to hear that forever. I am so in love with you. I’ve never said that, never even thought that about another woman.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. She’d allowed herself to believe the worst, and the thought of living without him had extinguished all of the light in her life. She wanted to be completely honest with him about her thoughts and feelings. She wanted him to be the one person she could reveal her true self to without fear of judgement or recrimination. “I was so afraid I’d lost you. I didn’t know how I was going to put my life back together without you, Nick.”
He held her face as he drew back to look at her. “Whatever you want, whatever you need to make you happy, I’ll find a way to make it happen. But Nashville is your home now. Tell me you know that.”
Megan didn’t care about the tears sliding down her cheeks. She didn’t care he’d seen her at her weakest and worst. She only cared that he still loved her. “Wherever you are, that’s my home.”
Chapter Seventeen
Nick didn’t want to let Megan out of his sight for a second. Their connection felt solid, but he knew the fear she could lose it still lurked beneath her smile.
Weeks had passed since they’d returned to Nashville, and they’d settled into a comfortable routine. She’d returned to her job, and he was dealing with the demands of operating a huge ranch and owning two of the most sought after horses in the world.
Megan had even started to forge a relationship with her father and siblings, and that seemed to give her a sense of peace she hadn’t had before. But Nick knew only one thing would prove to her he was with her for the long haul. He wanted to put all of her fears to rest. He only hoped she could do the same for him.
“This was a nice idea,” Alisa said, slipping her arm around Nick’s waist as he grilled steaks at the barbeque. “But you never said, what’s the occasion?”
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