by R. C. Ryan
They walked in silence for a bit before Jake asked, “So what happened to Meg Stanford between yesterday and today?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I guess it goes back to that challenge you issued, about the arbitrary deadline I’d set for myself. Last night I had time for some soul-searching. I decided that I didn’t much like the person I’d become.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Jake matched his steps to hers as they moved through the tall grass.
“When I left here as a girl, I stopped trusting the people who were in charge and decided to take control of my own life. I studied hard, played by the rules, and made myself fit into the new life I’d been thrust into. I thought I’d done a good job. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and started planning my future. It didn’t hurt that my stepfather had some very influential friends that made my climb a lot easier. And I never looked back.”
“And now?”
She sighed. “Now, I’m being forced to question everything I’d been told. I don’t have the answers yet. I’ll probably need lots of time to figure things out. But I’ve decided that the old Meg, who came here with a chip on her shoulder, needs to be buried along with the father she never really knew. I don’t have a clue what the new Meg will be like, but I’m willing to give her time to figure it out and reveal herself to me. For instance, I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to ride a horse at a full gallop across a meadow filled with wildflowers. Or—” she bent to pluck a tall stem of grass and chew on it before looking at him “—to taste a blade of grass. Who knows what almost-forgotten thing from my childhood I’ll rediscover tomorrow?”
Jake grinned before nodding toward the barns looming in the distance. “I’m no fortune-teller, but I’ll be willing to bet that one of those things will be mucking out the stalls.” He pretended to test the muscle of her upper arm. “Think you’re up to it?”
She shot him a sideways look. “You think I’m some weak, prissy city girl, don’t you? Let me remind you that I was mucking stalls before I could read.” She pulled herself up into the saddle before wincing in pain.
Jake followed suit before he threw back his head and laughed. “And I’ll remind you of this tomorrow when both your arms and aching back complain as loudly as your backside.”
They were both laughing as they urged their horses toward the house.
Both Meg and Jake studied with interest the sleek car with the tinted windows that was parked beside Jake’s truck.
As they approached, the driver’s side door opened, and a beautifully dressed man wearing tailored slacks, a white shirt and tie, and mirrored sunglasses stepped out.
“Noah.” Meg reined in her mount and stared in stunned surprise.
“That’s not exactly the greeting I was expecting.” He looked from Meg to Jake.
“Sorry. I’m just caught off guard.” She waved a hand in Jake’s direction. “Noah Kettering, this is Jake Conway.”
“Conway.” The man gave Jake a dismissive look before returning his attention to Meg.
She slid from the saddle. “What are you doing here?”
“I might ask you the same thing. When you left, you said you’d be back by the end of the week. Then the firm received your e-mail requesting a leave of absence. You can’t be serious.”
“I wouldn’t have sent it if I hadn’t meant it. I’ve decided that I need some time here.”
“Time here?” He looked at the house and outbuildings, which were nearly swallowed up by the sea of rangeland that stretched for miles in all directions. “What about the firm’s time? What about our clients?”
“I was hoping you and the other partners could handle them in my absence.”
He whipped off his sunglasses, revealing pale blue eyes as cold as chips of ice. “Just like that? You’re expecting our valued clients to start over with a new lawyer who isn’t familiar with their cases? And what about those of us in the firm who are already overburdened with our own clients?” His words were as frosty as his eyes.
Jake took the reins of Meg’s horse from her hand. “While you two talk, I’ll see to the horses.”
“Thanks, Jake.” Meg nodded absently, her attention riveted on the man beside her.
Jake led both horses toward a corral, where he unsaddled them and turned them loose before filling a trough with feed and water.
While he worked he studied the man with fair, razor-cut hair and a face like a male model. Though Noah Kettering had shed his suit jacket, the shirt was custom-made, as were the pants and shoes. The watch at his wrist cost more than the rental car he’d driven here. And the fact that he’d flown thousands of miles across the country as soon as he’d heard from Meg told Jake that she must mean a great deal to Noah Kettering of the firm Howe-Kettering.
Why was he surprised? Meg was smart and ambitious and beautiful. She would be an asset to any man’s firm. Or to his personal life. And judging by the chill in Noah Kettering’s eyes, he wanted her firmly back in place. This didn’t appear to be strictly business with Kettering. This was personal.
Though Jake couldn’t hear everything that was said, he could hear bits and pieces.
Noah’s voice, low with drama. “My father…terribly disappointed.”
“I’m sorry. Your father…my champion at the firm.”
“What about…I feel?”
Jake watched as Meg lay a hand on Noah’s sleeve. “Please don’t think this is about you, Noah. I’m doing this for me. I need time here.”
“Is there no way to change your mind?”
Her chin came up. “You know me well enough to know that I’d have never sent that e-mail if I hadn’t thought this through.”
Noah clenched his hands at his sides before looking around. “Is there some place we can go for dinner and a quiet place to talk? I really need a drink.”
“The nearest town is a hundred miles from here.”
“Unbelievable. That’s where I left the firm’s plane. I had it stocked with your favorite wine and that seafood salad from Nino’s that you love, in the hope that I could persuade you to return with me.”
“Thank you, Noah. That was very kind of you.”
“I wasn’t being kind. I was being practical. Something you’ve apparently forgotten. What you’re doing here is—” he looked with contempt at the dusty yard, the shabby ranch house, before his gaze swung back to her, noting her wind-blown hair, her grass-stained denims “—completely insane.”
“I’m sure it seems that way to you. In fact, a day or so ago, I’d have agreed with you.” Her voice lowered. Softened. “Why don’t you come inside and I’ll make some coffee?”
“Do you have anything stronger?”
She smiled. “There may be a few longneck beers left over from my father’s stash. As I recall, he used to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day.”
“Sorry. Not my style. And this isn’t yours. At least it wasn’t the style of the Meghan Stanford I knew.” Noah sighed and replaced his sunglasses, hiding his eyes from view. “I really can’t spare any more time. I left the office in such a hurry, I carried at least a hundred documents that will require my attention on the flight home. A flight I fully expected you to be taking with me.”
“I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you, Noah.”
“I’m not the only one who’s disappointed. Think about my father.” He gave a sigh of disgust. “You’ll let me know when you’ve made a decision to return to civilization?”
“You’ll be the first one I contact.”
He managed a thin smile. “I guess I’ll have to take some small satisfaction in that. Good luck, Meg. I hope…” He glanced toward Jake before finishing. “…I hope you come to your senses sooner rather than later. The firm needs you. And I…” He leaned close and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips before turning away to settle himself behind the wheel of the car. “…I need you, too. But I like to think I’m a patient man.”
“You are. And I’m grateful.” Meg leaned in the open window. “Thanks for coming
all this way, Noah.”
“It was Dad’s idea. In fact, he insisted.”
“Thank your father for me. Safe flight.”
She stood watching as he drove along the curving driveway, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. When the car was out of sight she turned to see Jake leaning against the corral, his arms crossed over his chest.
She was grateful that he’d given her some space. She turned away, her gaze sweeping the landscape, her foot tapping.
Finally, she took in a long, deep breath and crossed the distance between them. “I’m sure you have questions. Can we talk in a little while?”
He shrugged. “If you’d rather.”
“Thanks. If you’re hungry, Ela and Phoebe sent chicken and corn bread.”
He followed her up the steps of the porch. As she unlocked the door and stepped inside, he remarked casually, “I didn’t hear you invite Noah to stay for supper.”
“He’s not a chicken-and-corn-bread kind of guy.”
Jake chuckled. “Too bad. His loss. I guess that means more for me.”
“If I don’t eat it all first.” Relieved that Jake was willing to give her time to clear her mind, she washed her hands at the sink and began removing the bags of food from the refrigerator, while Jake set the table.
“Milk or coffee?” Meg asked.
“Both, as long as you have both.”
“I do.” She measured coffee and filled the maker with water before fetching two frosty glasses of milk.
When everything was ready, they took their places across from each other. As they ate, Jake tried to gauge Meg’s mood while he waited for her to fill in the blanks. She took her time, feeding an appetite sharpened by the hours spent in the high country.
At last, when the meal was finished, and they were sipping strong, hot coffee, she began to talk haltingly.
“Noah is the son of Cyrus Kettering, the senior partner of Howe-Kettering. He’s being groomed to replace Cyrus when he retires.”
“And you’re being groomed to be the wife of the new senior partner.”
“I know how it looks, but…” She sighed. “It isn’t something we’ve talked about exactly. Mostly, when we have time away from work, we talk about our latest clients, and our strategy for winning our next trial. It’s an extremely high-energy world, and that leaves little time for small talk or romance. But he’s made it plain that we’d make an unbeatable team. His father makes it equally plain that he approves. It was Cyrus who interviewed me, at my stepfather’s request, and Cyrus who gave me my first assignment with the firm, and who has personally watched my star ascend.”
“And you owe him.”
She nodded. “Big-time.”
“Enough to marry his son?”
When she said nothing in her defense, Jake studied her over the rim of his cup. “So he sent his top gun out here to bring you back to the fold.”
Meg nodded. “Something like that. I think Cyrus was not only sending a message to me, but he was also asking me a question. Just how important is all of this to me? And now he has my answer, and I have his. Though he doesn’t like it, he has no choice but to grant me this time, or he risks losing me.”
“What about your risk?”
She sighed. “It’s huge. Cyrus could decide to bring in a replacement. The city is full of hotshot legal eagles who would die to have a chance at my job.”
“That’s the business risk. What about the personal risk?”
She shook her head. “What Noah and I have is a mutual love of our chosen careers. We’ve never actually talked about a commitment.” She kept her eyes on the tabletop, avoiding Jake’s gaze. “I’m sure a lot of people slide into an arrangement because of a shared interest.”
“Slide into marriage? What about love? Passion? Romance?”
She gave a short laugh. “A nice thought. In my world, there isn’t time.”
“That’s a pretty harsh world you’re living in.” He reached over to press his hand over hers. Cold, he realized. “Maybe some people settle. You don’t strike me as someone who’d settle for less than having it all.”
“I thought I had it all.” She sighed again, long and deep. “Now I’m not sure about anything. In the dark of the night, watching Cory asleep in the barn and seeing Honey with her puppies, I felt so sure. Staying here until I figured things out seemed like the right thing.”
“And now?”
She gave him a wan smile and withdrew her hand from his to clench it tightly in her lap. “I’m sure I’ll have to fight a lot of demons, but for now, I’m doing the only thing I can.” She drained her cup. “And it’s not some big, noble gesture. It’s purely selfish. I’m doing this for myself. So that whether I stay or go, I’ll be satisfied that I took the time to think it through. One step at a time.”
Jake crossed to the sink and filled it with hot water before gathering the dishes. Meg removed a clean linen cloth from a drawer and dried. When the dishes had been put away and the table wiped down, Meg set mugs, coffee, cream, and sugar on a tray and led the way to her father’s old office.
While Meg filled their mugs, Jake piled logs and kindling on the grate and started a fire to chase away the chill of the night.
As they settled themselves in front of the fire, Meg sipped her coffee and smiled. “It’s hard to believe that the nights are still cool enough for a fire. Back in D.C. I’d be cranking up the air in my town house.”
“Do you miss it?”
She thought about his question before forming a response. “Funny. I don’t, so far. I have friends there, of course. Guys from the office who are always willing to talk shop over a quick dinner. And friends from boarding school who are often in the city for a day of shopping, or a weekend. I’m comfortable enough with them that I can call, even at the last minute, if I find myself with a free evening and a chance to enjoy a leisurely dinner.” She glanced at him. “Maybe, if I stay long enough, I’ll miss the city and all it has to offer. But right now all of this is so new and yet so familiar, I’m beginning to feel that I never really left.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe what a difference a day makes.”
“Yesterday was a tough one for both you and Cory.”
She nodded. “And so enlightening. It was like having a switch thrown, and suddenly I was bathed in so much light it was blinding. I couldn’t seem to take it all in. I didn’t know if I’d been blinded, or blindsided, but I was definitely overwhelmed.”
“Either way, you’re dealing with it.”
“I hope Cory is.” She turned to him. “How do you read Cory, Jake?”
“He’s scared. He’s lost his anchor. I’d guess that after his mom died, the only secure thing he had left was his father. And now that anchor’s gone, too. Any kid would be scared and angry.”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think—” she searched for the proper words “—he’s carrying a heavy load of guilt.”
“Don’t you think it’s natural for a kid to feel guilty because he’s alive and his parents are dead?”
“Maybe.” She sipped her coffee. “I just wish I could get him to open up to me.”
“Give him time, Meg. If last night was any indication, he’s come a long way from that mute kid you confronted when you first arrived.”
Meg laughed. “You’re right. I’d forgotten just how alarmed I’d been, thinking he couldn’t speak.” She got to her feet and set her empty mug on the tray. “There’s another cup of coffee left. Want it?”
Jake shook his head. “I’ve had enough.” He crossed the space that separated them and set his cup down before taking her hand. “If you’d like, I’d be more than happy to keep you company here tonight.”
Her smile was quick and easy. “I just bet you would. That’s very generous of you, but I need to prove that I can take care of myself.”
“You don’t have to do this alone, Meg.”
“I do.” She picked up the tray and started toward the kitchen.
Jake followed. “If you really plan o
n being alone, I could lend you my rifle. It’s in my truck.”
She shook her head as she set the tray aside on the kitchen counter. “I’ve never even handled a rifle. If an intruder broke in, I’d probably blow a hole in the wall, or shoot myself in the foot. And wouldn’t that have everyone in Flora’s Diner laughing at the silly city girl?”
Jake couldn’t stop the grin that curved his lips. “Yeah. You’ve got a point. You’d be the talk of the town. But I wish you’d let me stay. I could sleep in your dad’s office, if you’d like.”
“Nice try, cowboy. But since I’ve decided to be perfectly honest, I have to admit that if you were anywhere in this house tonight, we’d find a way to get together. And it wouldn’t be just for warmth.”
“Now you’re talking.” That sexy smile widened.
“That’s why you’re going back to your ranch. And I’m going to prove to myself that I can survive the night by myself.”
His smile faded. “Keep your cell phone charged and by your side.”
“I will.” She held open the back door.
“It probably wouldn’t hurt to leave the outside porch lights on.”
“All right.” She touched the switch, flooding the area with light.
He paused. “I don’t like this, Meg. I should stay.”
“I don’t like it either. But you’re going.”
He paused and brushed a quick, hard kiss to her mouth. They were both startled by the sparks that sizzled between them.
She put a hand to his chest and looked up at him. “Don’t make this any more difficult than it already is, Jake. Go.”
He stepped out the door and made it down the steps before turning. “I could—”
“Good night, Jake. And thanks for everything.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m not leaving until you close the door and lock it. And for good measure, wedge the back of the chair under the handle.”
She did as he asked. When she waved from the window, he turned and walked to his truck. She was still waving as he drove away.
She looked, he thought, like a scared kid putting on a brave face before boarding the bus on the first day of school.
