"Don't know. We didn't talk too much about him, only me. He gave me quite the lecture." Taylor snorted. "Since high school, I've wanted to dance naked around the statue, but been afraid. Maybe there was a reason to fear the Cupid superstition."
"Dancing around naked in the town square was a little too risqué for me. Until last night when the alcohol subdued my fear," Meghan admitted.
"All I needed was a little liquid courage for me to shed my clothes," Kelsey said with a grin.
"It was kind of fun until the sheriff arrived," Taylor admitted with a giggle.
"Now we test the superstition. Who will find love first?"
Taylor waived her hand and gave a disgusted sound. "I'm not looking for love."
Meghan wanted to spew. Then why had they taken this chance if they didn't want to find love? "Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing you're not searching for a man."
"Hey, I can cross off dancing naked in the town square from my bucket list," Taylor said.
"You're a little young for a bucket list."
"Never hurts to start early," Taylor retorted.
The bell tinkled above the diner's door and Meghan glanced up. Oh no, here are the sheriff. Maybe it was time to leave. She had a school dance to prepare for.
He strolled up to their table. "Good morning, ladies. Looks like you all survived last night's escapade."
"What are you talking about, Sheriff?" Meghan lied flashing her blue eyes at him as innocent as she could appear, feeling the need for a defensive move. "The cat and I were cuddled up at home, watching reruns."
"Well, I found your clothes, your purse, and your cell phone on a bench in the park."
Meghan clammed up. How could you respond to that remark accept to admit guilt and she wasn't going to do that if he was here to arrest them.
"I don't see any bullet holes in your head. You toughed out the military," Kelsey said, a sarcastic tone to her voice.
"Made sergeant and earned several medals," he responded. "And you're looking well. Your brothers still looking out for their little princess."
Kelsey stiffened. "Of course."
"Good to know," he said. "Ladies, I will tell you like I told Taylor. You got a pass last night. But if I ever catch any of you strutting around the fountain, naked again, you'll need a lawyer."
"Thanks for that bit of cheery news," Meghan smarted off. Like she would ever consider doing that little escapade again. Frostbite was probably the only thing she'd gotten out of their nude dancing. Max had gotten a date and she'd gotten frostbite.
"Hey, you aren't combing the yellow pages this morning looking for someone to bail you out of jail. The day could be worse."
"I talked them into it," Taylor confessed. "The Cupid statue was my idea."
Lifting her chin defiantly, Kelsey gazed at him. "We're testing the superstition. A scientific study will tell us if Cupid will find us true love. I'll let you know the results."
"It doesn't," he replied. "Remember before you go streaking again."
"Streaking?" Meghan said, her voice echoing in the room. "That fad died in the seventies with my mother's generation."
Facing the auburn haired librarian, he smiled. "Would you rather I call what you did last night indecent exposure?"
The table grew quiet and Meghan cringed inside her stomach aching. That label had never entered her alcohol soaked brain.
He turned to Taylor. "Are you still cooking me dinner tonight? Do you feel like it?"
Reaching up to her temple, she rubbed the spot. "I'm fine. A small headache. But I'll be all right."
His mind pictured her full breasts, tiny waist, and long legs beneath her white apron and the memory had his heart beating a little faster.
"Be here at seven. I'm going to fix you chicken picante," she said. "It's a new dish I'm trying out."
A grin spread across his face. "So I'm the guinea pig?"
"You'll enjoy the chicken picante. See you later."
The door shut behind the lawman and Meghan and Kelsey both turned to Taylor. She was cooking the sheriff dinner?
Turning, she noticed Meghan and Kelsey staring at her. "What?"
"You're fixing him dinner," Kelsey asked, a stunned expression on her face. "The man that broke my heart and left me for the military."
"My naked butt is not looking out between bars. What would you have me do? Write a thank you note? Cooking him supper seemed the least I could do."
Meghan shook her head. Taylor had a really good point and he had given them their personal items back without carting them all to jail. That was a conversation she didn't want to have with her no nonsense mother.
Shaking her head, Kelsey warned, "He's bad news."
"Hey, I'm the only one last night who said out loud, I'm not searching for love. The rest of you are looking for a man."
"You don't owe him anything," Meghan said while Kelsey just raised her brows. She was one to talk. She promised Max a date after his rescue. But that was something she wasn't going to tell the girls about just yet. One date and then they could both move on.
"After he didn't take me to the pokey, I merely offered to cook for him since he doesn't get many home meals. You guys should appreciate the fact I put my naked butt on the line with the law while the two of you ran off."
There was no need for dramatics and Taylor was a really great actress."And who suggested we do the Cupid dance?" Holding up her hand, she said, "But I will say it was good of you to take one for the team. Make sure it's only dinner. Remember your last love interest."
Flipping her straight dark hair away from her face, Kelsey smiled. "A lawman, a cheater, who is on his honeymoon at this moment, celebrating with his cheating spouse."
Taylor sighed. "You're right. Don't worry. I'm not taking Kelsey's seconds. I'm returning a favor and this will be the end of it."
Kelsey shrugged. "Ryan was my first love and I thought I would die when we ended. He's a risk for women's hearts. He'd break yours as quickly as he shattered mine. Be wary, very wary."
The bell above the door rang and she stood. "The lunch crowd will be coming in soon and I've got work to do. You guys?"
"There is a high school Valentine's dance. I'm one of the chaperones. Ugh," Meghan said wishing her head would stop pounding before she face screaming kids and loud music.
"Painting is in store for me today. There is still a lot of construction to do before the grand opening. Ya'll will be at the opening? Right?"
"Wouldn't miss it. When is it?" Meghan asked.
"Hell if I know. Whenever my brothers are through with the changes I'm making."
Standing, Taylor glanced at her friends. "Ladies, I had a great time last night, even if it didn't end the way we'd envisioned."
Meghan laughed. "It was fun. Though tonight, the coach and I are the school chaperones. Yuck."
"I'm waiting for the phone call from my brother where his head explodes in my ear."
"Mom and Dad are in South Padre until warm weather reappears or they would have learned about our shenanigan. At twenty-five, I can hear the lecture now."
Walking out the door, Meghan glanced towards the square in town. The memory of the chill, her cold feet as she ran around the God of Love. Max driving past her and then backing up and telling her to get in the car. Today, he was more handsome than he'd been at seventeen. Today, he had muscles that the boy had yet to achieve. But his smile, his sense of humor and the way he gazed at her were all the same. And damn, but her heart still speeded up at the sight of him. Just one of Max's grins spread happiness all through her.
Yet, she had to remember. In one of her darkest moments, when she'd been frightened out of her mind, he'd deserted her.
Max stood next to the refreshments. Canned soda - no punch bowls were allowed due to so many attempts at spiking the lemonade. Now only canned soda's and fresh cookies were allowed at the dance. Some parents were in charge of keeping the cookie trays loaded. More parents were too busy watching their kids and probably em
barrassing him or her with their date, while they stood around in groups, pointing to their children.
Meghan was standing with some of the teachers, but he noticed she kept glancing over at him. Waking up this morning she must have felt a little embarrassed. After all he'd seen her completely naked. In fact his memory could display the memory of her sweet naked body at any moment.
The DJ put on a new record and he glanced over at her. That song was their song. The one they turned up every time they heard it in the car. The one they had slow danced to at the prom. The one that had been playing in his car the first time they made love.
Unable to stop his feet they started moving towards her. Surprisingly she met him halfway and automatically, they fell into step.
"You remembered," he said his voice husky with the memories of their time together.
"Of course," she said. "I haven't forgotten anything about our time together."
He wanted to say something that he knew would spoil the mood, but instead he kept it to himself. Why couldn't he let go of the past. Why couldn't he let go of her?
The urge to pull her in close was tough, but he knew they didn't need speculation about the two of them running rampant at school. Especially since some of the old administration was still here and they remembered the M&M romance. He'd even been teased about it since his return.
"Did you recover from last night?" he asked thinking he should say something to get away from all the feelings gathering like a storm inside him.
"Yes," she whispered her voice sounding odd. "Most of the day I had a headache. But with lots of fluids I'm better now."
"Good. Did you get your things back?"
She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Oh yeah, Taylor had them. Seems the sheriff let her go with a warning for all of us. He even took her home last night."
Max nodded. "Ryan Jones is a good man."
They danced a few more moments together, the silence feeling awkward and yet familiar. This song had been their song and while in college, he destroyed the cd. He didn't need to hear the one melody that reminded him of her. That brought back so many painful memories.
"I saw you get hurt on television," she blurted out surprising him. "I worried about you."
Warmth spread through him. "Yeah, it wasn't good. Torn ACL. The final blow to a career I loved."
She gazed into his eyes, her emerald eyes sympathetic. "I thought you'd go into broadcasting or training with a big team."
Deciding his next steps had been a difficult time and he'd quickly come to the realization, he loved the game.
"The only place I could get on as a trainer was up in Buffalo. I'm a Texas boy and I didn't want to just be a trainer. I want to coach. I want to train high school boys and help them get a scholarship if they work hard enough. Being a trainer in twenty below weather just didn't appeal."
"So you came back here," she said gazing into his eyes.
"Why did you come back?" he asked.
"Ran out of scholarship money. I had my four year degree and decided to work while I'm getting my masters. Then I'll go for my PhD. Cupid had an opening for a school librarian and I decided I wanted to come home. So here I am, until I finish my masters."
The song ended and reluctantly he released her, missing the feel of her in his arms, the sweet smell of her perfume. They stood staring at one another before they began to walk off the dance floor.
"I've got to check the locker rooms. The doors are locked, but sometimes the kids find a way to get in through a window," she said walking beside him.
"I'll go with you. It's probably better there are two of us for safety reasons," he said, knowing it was just an excuse to spend more time with her.
Leaving the gymnasium, they walked along the hall to the girls locker rooms. Pulling some keys out of her pocket she opened the door and flipped on the lights. There was no one there, but together they looked in every shower, every office to make certain a kid wasn't hiding.
"All clear," she said. "Now let's go check the boys."
Walking to the boys side, they could hear the sound of the music blaring from the gym. "What are you getting your masters in?"
"X science. I'm hoping to eventually go to work where my parents are," she said. "The pay is triple what I'm making as the Cupid librarian. Plus, I think I'll enjoy being a scientist."
When they reached the other side of the building, she pulled out her keys once again. Pushing open the door, she flipped the light switch, shocking a young couple who were in the midst of a kiss that screamed trouble. They jumped apart, staring in surprise at them.
"Jordan and Blaine, you know you're not supposed to be in here," Max said. He knew the two kids. They were the M&M couple of their day. He only hoped they had a happier ending than him and Meghan.
"The door was open and we just walked in," the boy said, taking his girlfriend by the hand.
"No making out on school property," Meghan advised. "Leave the locker area and don't come back, we'll let this time go, but if I catch you again tonight, detention."
"Thanks Coach, Miss Scott, "Jordan said and hurried his girlfriend out the door.
"Didn't we get caught as kids?" he asked.
She frowned.
"Seems I had you up against the wall," he pushed her up against the wall in the boys locker room. "My hand was carassing your head, but in my mind it was your breast."
She smiled. "I thought you had your tongue down my throat when Mrs. Blankenship walked through those doors."
"Let's try again," he said his mouth inches from hers, his brain filled with the sweet, intoxicating scent of Meghan. His mouth crushed hers beneath his and he felt like he'd come home. Truly home for the first time in years. The sweetness of Meghan surrounded him as he plundered her mouth.
She gave in to the kiss, letting him explore her mouth, her arms slipping around his neck, her body leaning into his. He felt her breasts - those beautiful orbs smashed against his chest, her center snug against him and her lips subtle beneath his own. Kissing him back, he couldn't help but think she may protest they were done, but her body was saying something totally different.
His hands reached to find the nipples he'd glimpsed last night, when she pulled away. Her breathing was heavy, her reaction was slow as she raised her fingertips to her lips. He could see the questions forming in that damn sexy brain of hers.
Just then the door slammed open and two of his football kids laughing and pushing came through the door.
"Back right out that door," he told them. "The locker room is off limits."
"You're in here," a smart kid said.
"You're right," he said. "We're making rounds. Now if you want to stay that's fine, but that will be five miles on the track come Monday morning."
"No sir," the two boys said as they scrambled out the door.
When he turned around, he saw Meghan staring at him.
"I need to get back out there," she said.
"Okay," he responded trying to act like the kiss meant nothing, but he knew differently. He'd kissed a lot of women during his football days. And slept with even more. Such was the life of a professional football player. That kiss had done nothing but bring back old memories of how good things were between them.
"Look, I know I agreed to a date, but we're not doing this again. Tonight, that song..."
"Brought up all the old memories and feelings," he finished for her, wanting her to know he'd felt it too. "Our date is next Saturday. Be sure to pack an overnight bag as we'll be staying in Dallas."
"No," she said her eyes widening. "I can't. I won't spend the night with you."
He held up his hand, knowing she would say that, he'd already made the arrangements.
"I reserved two separate hotel rooms," he said. "It will be late when we get out of the basketball game and I'm not taking a chance of driving us home after midnight with the drunks out."
Too many times he'd had near misses driving home from Dallas to Cupid. Sure it was only three hours away, but th
ey would be tired and it would be easier, just to spend the night. While he'd love to share a room with her, he knew that wouldn't happen on this date.
"All right," she said. "But we're looking forward not backwards."
He laughed. "You really are hung up on discussing our past."
"Your memory seems to have gotten the facts a little twisted. I'm the one who remembers being crushed when you left town."
She turned and walked out the door. Why did he get the feeling he was missing a vital piece of information. What the hell was she talking about? Soon, they were going to discuss the past.
Chapter 3
Meghan sat next to Max in the arena. The drive here in his flashy red Corvette had been filled with moments of tension. Once he'd tried to bring up the past and she'd given him a look that clearly said don't go there. And he'd backed off. She didn't want to get into a he said, she said scenario with each of them accusing the other. In her mind it was clear. Her pregnancy scare had frightened him into running to Austin to be with his football buddies, while she'd anxiously waited for the doctor to confirm that the pee stick was correct. She was pregnant.
In the end, they'd dodged a huge bullet. For some reason, it tested false positive, which the doctor told her happened on occasion. But he should have been there by her side. Holding her hand, soothing her and helping her decide what they were going to do. Thank goodness, she'd seen when things got rough, he ran to football.
"Look, he said there's Stephen Rose he has more turnovers right now than anyone in the league," he said leaning in close to her.
"Yeah, but Paul Durant has almost as many," she replied.
He gazed at her and laughed. "I thought you didn't like basketball."
"I don't. But in my stats class, we had to do the research necessary to determine which teams have the best players in the NBA and present our statistics to prove why we thought our team was the best. I got to know the players intimately," she said with a laugh. "Not physical intimacy, statistics intimacy."
Cupid Scores: (Western Historical Small Town Contemporary Romance) Page 3
