by Jody Holford
It had barely been a year since Dr. Lane had passed away suddenly. “It’s okay. I understand. It’s not easy, and it’s hard on Sam because she and her mom are so close.”
“Like you and your dad were?” Megan hoped the question would prompt her friend to open up more.
A soft laugh came through the phone. “Meg, it’s fine. Anyway, I’ve got patients to see. Did you need something, or did you just miss me?”
Pursing her lips, Megan tried to decide if she should tell her over the phone. “No. I…uh, just wanted to say that Adam is going to join us tonight for the BBQ I heard you’re hosting.”
“Well, that’s an interesting development,” Stella replied. Megan could picture her friend’s smile.
“I wouldn’t call it a development. Charlie left yesterday.”
“Hmm. Should be interesting,” Stella said, her tone teasing and much more awake.
Great. Now she’d have everyone in her business. Why did she have to share so much? If she’d kept her mouth shut, good or bad, none of them would think this situation was interesting, worrisome, or amusing. Maybe then she could figure out what she thought of it all.
“I’m looking forward to spending the evening with friends and my family.”
Stella laughed. “Okay. Me too. Can you pick up some buns? I forgot. I don’t want to ask your brother because they’re taking care of the meat and the grilling even though I said I could handle both.”
Now it was Megan’s turn to laugh. “You thought two professional chefs were going to let us mere mortals handle the food? Nice try. We’ll grab buns.”
“We?” Stella’s laugh was almost a giggle, and it made Megan smile.
“See you soon, Stella.”
She hung up and couldn’t ignore the worry curling around her nerves. Her family, including Garrett and Stella, were protective, but they wanted her happy. What she was sharing with Adam was short term, and she knew, as Parker had said, she wasn’t seen as the short-term type. Which meant everyone would worry about her and she didn’t want that. She just wanted space to enjoy whatever this was for however long it could last.
Pulling herself out of her own thoughts, she checked her email, pleased to see Professor Cawl had sent a few more names. Finding Adam a nanny felt a heck of a lot better than trying to pick a wife for him. He could resume that little search on his own after she was gone. She didn’t want to think about him finding a wife—now or when she’d moved out. Checking out nanny candidates might keep her busy enough not to obsess over her and Adam. Who are you kidding? It was fine. She was a great multitasker.
Chapter Twenty
Adam grabbed a selection of buns from the store, feeling somewhat odd about Megan asking him to do such a domestic chore. Not that he didn’t and couldn’t pick up things from the market, but when she’d texted, asking him to do so, it felt like such a couple-ish thing to do.
Or maybe it was the phone call he’d received from her friend Stella that was causing him to read too much into everything. He’d been on his way out of the office when she’d called him at work to say tonight was an impromptu surprise celebration for Megan’s graduation. It was thoughtful of Stella to inform him. He would have been the only one, other than Megan, caught unaware.
Standing in the flower section, he tried to decide if it was appropriate to get her flowers or if he should get her something else that said, “Way to go.” Part of him wanted to get her a present that said, “Please don’t go,” but he knew it was just his dislike of drastic change pushing on his lungs and making it hard to breathe. He and Charlie would be fine.
Adam grabbed the brightest bouquet and went to the check out. By the time he arrived home, he’d worked himself into a spiraling frenzy of uncertainty. How do I introduce myself? Hi, I’m your daughter’s boss and happen to be sleeping with her, but only temporarily. Or maybe, Megan and I are friends with benefits. Oh, the burgers look great. He closed his eyes and gripped the steering wheel tightly before turning off the car and telling himself to chill out. He smiled, thinking of how Charlie liked to tell him to do just that. Come on, Dad. Chill out.
Megan opened the door just as he was about to slide his key in the lock. She registered surprise at finding him there, and then she looked at the flowers, and her expression softened, her eyes lighting up, and Adam felt his heart twist painfully.
“Those are beautiful,” she said in a low, breathy voice.
“So are you,” he replied. It was the truth.
Dressed in a pair of Capri pants and a sunny tank top, she looked and smelled like a summer day. She moved back, letting him into the house.
“I left the buns in the car but thought these should go in water,” he said.
“That was very thoughtful of you,” she said, taking them from him.
Adam leaned around the flowers and pressed his mouth to hers. She tasted like summer—like fresh air and heat. He wanted to pull her close, but it wasn’t a good idea.
“I’ll just change and then we can go?”
She was still looking at the flowers, her fingers playing with one of the petals. “What are these for?”
Shit. He couldn’t tell her because the BBQ was a surprise celebration. “Because you deserve them. They’re so bright and happy, they made me think of you.” God, when did you turn into a sap?
Her smile bloomed brighter than the bouquet she held. If he kept thinking this way, he’d be falling for her in a way he simply couldn’t allow. A way that would only end in pain and heartache for everyone involved.
“Uh, about tonight,” she said, following him into the kitchen.
“What about it?” He loosened his tie and pulled it off.
Megan grabbed a dark blue vase from one of the cupboards in the island. “It would be best if my family didn’t know about…us.”
Her eyes met his, and before Adam could respond, she continued. “Not that there is an us. I’m not saying that. I am perfectly fine with our arrangement, but I really don’t want to explain it to my family or Stella.”
Because she was embarrassed of the fact that she’d accepted so little from him when she deserved so much more? She arranged the flowers, her eyes darting back and forth between him and the arrangement.
“Is that okay?”
He realized he was staring at her but hadn’t said anything. It shouldn’t bother him that she didn’t want to announce it. They weren’t a couple. They weren’t…anything. Yet the idea of having to keep his distance or pretend they weren’t intimate dug into his skin like a paper cut.
“Of course. I don’t want to make things uncomfortable for you. Are you sure it’s okay if I crash your family dinner?”
Megan left the flowers where they were on the island and came to stand in front of him. Christ. She smelled so good it made his mouth water. Before she could say anything, he took her face in his hands and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her like he’d been thinking of doing all day, since he’d left her warm and sweet in his bed.
Her hands slid up his chest, around his neck, and she kissed him back with the same passion he felt. His hands roamed down, and he groaned into her mouth.
He gripped her shoulders, forced himself to stop. “We won’t get there on time if we don’t stop now.”
“I’m not as particular as you are about being punctual,” she said, a smile playing on her lips.
“If we keep kissing like this, we might not get there at all,” he amended.
“You’re not mad?”
It was as silly for him to be mad as it was for him to be hurt by it. She wasn’t asking much. And if he were going to a work function, wouldn’t he ask the same? He wasn’t entirely sure. “No. I understand and don’t want to make things difficult for you.”
“So you’ll keep your hands to yourself?”
He smiled. “I can do that.” Somehow he’d managed to do it for the last five years. That seemed crazy to him in this moment where his fingers nearly shook with the desire to touch her.
&nb
sp; “Just until we leave. Then your hands have an all access pass,” she said, going up on tiptoes and pressing their bodies closer together.
Adam groaned again and pressed his mouth to hers. “You’re trying to kill me.”
“Didn’t you say anticipation was a good thing?”
“Way to throw my words back at me. In that case…” he said, letting his hands glide down to grip her incredibly shaped bottom. Pulling her tight against him, he urged her up further, doing his best to kiss her enough to dull the ache, to sate the need snapping through him like a livewire. When her body sank fully into his and her breath came in short, frantic bursts, he pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll go get changed.”
She glared at him through still-heavy-lidded eyes. “You have a bit of a cruel streak, Mr. Klein.”
“Somehow I think this evening will be harder on me than you,” he said, winking at her.
Her eyes glanced downward, and she gave him a cheeky smile. “Most likely.”
…
Stella Lane’s property was astounding. She’d been several grades behind him and Dec in school, so really, he only knew her through Megan. Everyone thought Brockton Point was such a tiny place, but his graduating class had three hundred kids. It wasn’t small enough to know everyone. Only for everyone to know your business.
Megan had brought Lemon, their cat, to Stella and her dad before he’d passed, but Adam had never come out to her clinic or home. An older white farmhouse sat in the center of the property, like it was proudly greeting visitors who drove up the winding road. Even from a distance, Adam could see the impact of time in the weathered white boards and the slight slope of the porch. It was beautiful and charming but might need a little work.
To the right of her home was a much newer building, more modern but with finishing touches, such as a wide-planked porch that connected it aesthetically to the original home.
“This is incredible,” Adam said as he turned his car into one of the parking spots between the house and vet clinic. It was a paved area, lined for vehicles. In the distance, he could see a huge barn, a fenced-in area, and a couple of more outbuildings.
“It is. It’s been in her family for a long time. She came back to take over for her dad. I’m not sure if she planned on living in the house again, but that seems to be where she’s settled,” Megan said, looking out the window from the passenger seat.
Only one other vehicle was parked in the lot, but an older Range Rover sat in the circular gravel driveway near the house.
“Your family is already here?”
“Guess so.”
“Your brother was giving me the evil eye when I met him,” Adam said, remembering how Megan’s older sibling had greeted him.
Megan laughed and looked at him. “My brother is protective. Don’t worry about it.”
“Right. I’ll do that. Not worry about it.” Since there were plenty of other things to worry about, such as how much he wanted to take Megan’s hand when they got out of his car, he figured it wouldn’t be a problem.
He grabbed the buns while Megan grabbed her purse, and they walked toward the farmhouse.
“She lives here alone?”
“Yeah. Her dad did before her, too. Seems like a big place for one person, doesn’t it?”
Adam looked up at the shuttered windows. He hated an empty house. He liked coming home to the sound of Charlie’s shows or his son playing.
Megan gestured to the veterinarian building. “The clinic’s patient load is kind of out of control right now. Stella hasn’t confided a lot in me, but I get the impression that some of her dad’s patients are used to paying in rather unconventional ways. Between that and the time she puts in over and above regular business hours, I worry about her spreading herself far too thin.”
Adam brushed a hand down her hair without thinking. He loved the texture of it against his skin. “You care so much about everyone.”
She looked up at him, eyes wide and so sweet his stomach cramped. “That’s what you do. You care for others. They care for you.”
And then one or the other leaves or disappoints. He hated that his thoughts immediately went there.
Megan overlooked his lack of response and moved toward the house. “I think she misses her father a lot more than she’s letting on.”
Adam spent so much of his time focusing on getting ahead and finding security, he never stopped to think about how very lucky he was. He didn’t have to go through the pain of losing his family or missing them because he’d never had them to rely on. It had always been him, on his own. Until it was him and Reece and Charlie. If he were honest with himself, he knew that there would have been a much shorter life span on his relationship with Reece had it not been for Charlie.
“You okay?” Megan looked at him as they took the steps up to the door.
“I am. Thank you for including me in this,” he said, flexing his fingers in an effort not to touch her. He wanted to. So bad. Touch her. Kiss her. Pull her close. He wasn’t normally a touchy person, other than with Charlie, but being near Megan made him want to keep her as close as possible.
“It’s nice that you’re here. Stella adores Charlie. So do my brother and Garrett.”
It struck him, as the door opened, that Megan had given his son something Adam hadn’t: a family.
“Hi. Come in,” Stella greeted.
Megan embraced her friend, who was tiny and attractive. He’d seen her in town and possibly waved in passing, but he’d never actually spent time with her or had a proper introduction. Her long dark hair was pulled up into a ponytail, making the sharp contours of her cheekbones more pronounced.
When Megan pulled back, he thought he saw a flash of concern in her eyes, but then it was gone, and she gestured to Adam. “Thanks for letting me bring Adam.”
Adam put out a hand to shake, and Stella took it, a wide smile warming her face. “It is my pleasure. We’re very glad you could join us. I didn’t think you ever left the office.”
Adam laughed, immediately liking her, and relaxed his shoulders as he dropped his hand. “Every now and again. Charlie talks about you. He really enjoys it here and likes you very much.”
“You have a great boy. He’s so great with animals, and he makes everyone he meets laugh and smile.” All true. The words and genuine welcome made Adam immediately fond of Stella.
A woman who had to be Megan’s mom and a salt-and-pepper-haired man came into the wide foyer. When Megan’s brother joined them as well, he saw the striking similarity between Parker and their father. The Carter family aged well, apparently.
“Hi. Nice to finally meet you. I’m Helene Carter, Megan’s mom,” the slightly older version of Megan said. She was lovely, and Adam could see more than just looks had been passed onto her daughter. She had the same genuine happiness pulsing around her that Megan did, the kind that made people want to be the planets rotating around their inner sunlight.
“Nice to meet you as well, Mrs. Carter. Your daughter is a wonderful part of my son’s life. You must be Mr. Carter,” Adam said, reaching out a hand to shake.
He’d only ever met Reece’s family a handful of times. Like him, she wasn’t close to the people who’d raised her. Maybe that had bonded them more than he realized. Meeting Megan’s parents could have been unnerving if she hadn’t insisted on them maintaining a quiet profile for the evening.
“Please, call me Richard. It’s great to meet you. Megan loves your little boy. We’ve enjoyed listening to her tell us stories about her adventures with him.”
“Yes. He’s going to miss her very much,” Adam said, his eyes connecting with Megan’s. His heart and stomach collided, a physical reminder that Charlie wouldn’t be the only one to miss her.
“Nice to see you, Parker,” Adam said, nodding in her brother’s direction.
There was definitely a protective gleam in the man’s eye, but an acceptance as well. He could certainly see why the people who loved Megan would want the best for her.
Parker smiled at him. “You, too. Come on back. Want a beer?”
“Uh, no thanks. I’ll take a soda if there is one,” he replied, following behind Megan’s family and Stella.
Megan kept one hand in his, and when he felt her hand on his ass, he nearly jumped. She giggled behind him, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“Payback,” she whispered, then took the buns from his hands as they passed through the kitchen. “I’ll just leave the buns here. Is Garr cooking?” Megan asked.
“Of course. He’s afraid to let me near the grill. Like I don’t know how to use one,” Parker said.
Adam arched an eyebrow at Megan. She put the buns on a massive, square, marble-topped island that sat in the center of the rustically modern farm kitchen.
“Garrett and Adam are both chefs. They try to outdo each other. Both of them are excellent, so when they invite you for dinner, it’s a win either way,” Megan explained.
Through the open French doors off the end of the kitchen, Adam saw Garrett turning something on the grill.
He saluted with a massive set of tongs and called in, “But I’m better, right?”
Parker put his hands on his hips. “She’s my sister. She’s not going to say you’re better.”
“But I bring her ice cream,” Garrett called.
“Oh dear. I think you’d better tell them it’s a tie, honey,” Helene suggested.
Adam laughed, not understanding the nerves percolating in his gut. He didn’t have a problem mingling or getting to know people. Part of his job necessitated being a people person, but those were clients—there was always a line of professionalism firmly etched in the sand. But, outside of Declan, he didn’t have a lot of people in his life he’d call friends. And though he and Megan were keeping their relationship quiet, he felt like he had a sign over his head that read: I’ve been naked with your daughter.
“Here’s a cola. Come on out. Dinner will be ready shortly,” Stella said, passing him a can of pop.
The patio was wide and long, stretching away from the house and overlooking the green pastures and wooded hills behind the property. One horse grazed in the meadow. Garrett manned the grill at the far edge of the patio, but as it went out quite wide around the house, there was plenty of room for chairs, an outdoor eating area, a fire pit, and a hot tub. Along the far railing was a banner that read: Congratulations Megan!
