“That makes sense,” Andrea said. “But why don’t we close the store and move into the conference room? We’re drawing a crowd in the lobby, and heaven only knows what stories will circulate about what happened in here.”
Cable nodded. “You’re right. Okay, keep it simple. Megan was upset by a man who tried to make a move on her and who became very insistent.” He shrugged. “We sent him on his way.”
“Got it, Brandon said.
“Fine,” Andrea said. “Let’s go where we can speak privately.”
“No,” Ben said. “I’ll call my office and have the rest of my appointments rescheduled. I’m taking Megan home. Now.”
“Ben, look...” Cable started.
“Hello?” Megan said, moving out of Ben’s embrace. “Remember me? I have a voice, you know, an opinion. Granted, I fell apart when that... that creature threatened Ben, but up until then I was holding my own.” She frowned. “Well, sort of. I’ll give you the information you want, Sheriff Montana... Cable.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Ben said.
“Yes, I do, Ben,” she said, looking directly at him. “What just happened has shown me that I have a long way to go to be able to stand up to Charles, to be strong enough. Messages from him intimidate me, for heaven’s sake. Let me salvage at least a modicum of my pride here.”
Ben threw up his hands in defeat.
“Thank you, Megan,” Cable said. “This shouldn’t take long.”
“I need to go cover the registration desk,” Andrea said. “I’ll call your office for you, Ben, and say you won’t be back today.”
Megan, Ben, Cable, and Brandon crossed the lobby, went into the conference room and closed the door. Megan sank onto one of the chairs.
“Take your time, Megan,” Cable said gently.
“Charles...” Megan began, then cleared her throat and lifted her chin. Her hands were clutched tightly in her lap. “Charles has put together false documentation of incidents that show that I’m mentally unbalanced.
“According to him, I have attempted to burn down the house. I’ve come at him with a butcher knife. I’m completely nuts. If I don’t return to him, he’ll have me committed to an institution.”
“That cooks it,” Ben said, starting toward the door. “It’s time I paid a visit to Chastain.”
Cable moved quickly, grabbing one of Ben’s arms.
“Hold it right there,” the sheriff said. “I told you before that all that would get you was a stretch in jail for assault.”
Ben narrowed his eyes. “Get your hand off me, Montana. I can deal with an assault charge. It’ll be worth it to have ten minutes alone with Chastain.”
“No!” Megan jumped to her feet. “You’d be playing right into his hands, Ben. He plans to file charges against you already, saying that you took advantage of me, seduced me. That you were after the Chastain money.”
“What?” Ben said.
“He’d never make that stick,” Cable said, releasing Ben’s arm.
“Charles knows that,” Megan said. “But it would raise questions, cast enough doubt on Ben’s reputation that his medical practice might very well be destroyed. It was when I heard that... well, I...I just lost it.”
Ben took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That man,” he said, a raw edge to his voice, “has got to be stopped.”
“I agree,” Cable said. “But beating him to a pulp isn’t the way to do it. You’re a doctor, Ben. You heal people, put them back together. You don’t take them apart.”
“Well, damn,” Brandon said. “That makes sense. I wish it didn’t, but it does. I’m all for Ben popping Chastain in the chops, but it’s not the road to go.”
“Nope,” Cable said. “There’s only one way that Chastain can be cut off at the knees.”
“And that’s by making a public announcement, backed up by medical reports, that Charles Chastain is a wife beater,” Megan said quietly.
“Yes, ma’am,” Cable said, tugging his Stetson low on his forehead, shadowing his eyes. “But that decision is entirely yours to make. I’ll catch you folks later.”
Cable strode from the room, then Brandon gave Megan a quick hug and followed the sheriff out the door.
“Ben,” Megan said. “Promise me you won’t confront Charles. Please? I have so much to deal with that I can’t be worrying about that, too. Promise met.”
Ben sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, all right, I promise. I don’t like it, but...okay.”
“And you have enough to deal with regarding your personal situation without having to worry about me. I need to put distance between us, Ben. I’m bringing nothing but threats and grief into your life.
Ben closed the distance between them and framed Megan’s face in his hands.
“Wrong,” he said. “You’re forgetting a long list of other very important things you’ve added to my existence, one of which is front row center in my mind at the moment.”
“Which one?”
Ben smiled. “Sunshine. And, ah, Megan, as dark as my future is going to be, that is a precious, precious gift I will always cherish.”
Ben lowered his head and kissed Megan, softly, gently, brushing his lips over hers. Then he returned to capture her mouth in a searing kiss that caused the smoldering embers of desire within them to burst into licking flames that consumed them.
The kiss pushed into oblivion the cold fear of what had taken place in Sleeping Beauty, replacing it with the heat of passion, intertwined with the soothing warmth of caring.
Ben raised his head and took a sharp breath. “Not the place.”
“Conference rooms are nice,” Megan said dreamily. She blinked. “Oh. Goodness. Shame on me.”
Ben chuckled. “Come on. I’ll take you home.”
“No.”
“No?” he said, raising his eyebrows.
“No,” she repeated. “We have a birthday present to buy for a special little boy, remember? Oh, and I want my hamburger, too.” Megan started toward the door, glancing back at Ben over one shoulder. “And French fries.”
Ben laughed and started after her.
Man, oh, man, he thought, how he loved that woman.
By unspoken agreement no reference was made to the incident in Sleeping Beauty while Megan and Ben consumed hamburgers, fries and thick chocolate milk shakes.
The next stop was a toy store in the mall, where Ben rubbed his hands together as he swept his gaze over the vast array.
“Oh-h-h, yeah,” he said, smiling. “This is great, really great.”
Megan laughed in delight. “Who is the little boy? You, or Joey?”
“My dear Megan,” he said in mock seriousness, “there are certain things in life that are ageless. I’m pleased to have the opportunity to enlighten you regarding such an important matter.”
“Do tell.”
“I just did.” Ben dropped a kiss on her lips. “Let’s go check out the trucks. Trucks are good. A guy can never have too many trucks, you know what I mean? Red trucks, blue trucks—hey, one of every color. Trucks are—”
“Rizzoli?”
“Hmm?”
“Put a cork in it.”
“Right.”
They bought a truck.
It was over two-feet long, bright orange with oversize tires, and made a terrific whirring noise when shoved along the floor.
Once the batteries were in place, a push of a button caused the rear section to lift and dump real, or imagined, cargo, and the headlights to blink red, then white, in a continuous rhythm.
“Now this,” Ben said, holding the purchase out at arm’s length when they returned home, “is a truck.”
“It certainly is,” Megan said. “How does one go about wrapping such a thing? All those different edges are going to poke through the paper.”
“No problem, my sweet,” Ben said, setting the truck on the sofa. “We stick it in a grocery bag and plop a bow on it. Trust me...Joey Mackane won’t give a hoot about the wrapping paper, or lack of s
ame. He’s all boy. He’ll dive right in to get to the good stuff.”
“You really like Joey, don’t you?” Megan said quietly.
“He is one neat little kid. He’s smart as a whip, funny, loves his nifty mom, and he knows that mud puddles were put on this earth to be splashed in. Yep, he’s something.” Ben started toward the kitchen. “I’ll get a sack and a roll of tape.”
Ben deserved a Joey in his life, Megan mused as he disappeared from view. Whether he could see or not, he would be a wonderful father. It didn’t require sight to give hugs, to tell stories, to be there to talk, share, care. Surely an adoption agency would realize that and—
Oh, Megan, stop it, she told herself. She was envisioning Ben and a little boy in her mind’s eye. And standing right there with them in her imaginings, just as bold as you please, was Megan Chastain, wife of Ben, mother of his child.
Dreams, she thought with a sigh. Hopes and dreams. Very few of which, she’d discovered thus far in her life, ever came true.
Chapter Ten
It was a picture-perfect day for a backyard birthday party. The sky was a brilliant blue dotted with puffs of white, fluffy clouds, and the air was crisp.
Jennifer had strung rows of big balloons across the yard from the house to the back fence, creating a rainbow-colored canopy. She’d borrowed folding chairs and tables from the supply at Hamilton House, and set them around the edge of the grass to leave plenty of room for five little boys to run and play.
Ben introduced Megan to all the people she didn’t know, and she was greeted with friendly smiles and heartfelt welcomes.
Everyone piled their plates high with sandwiches made from a wide variety of cold cuts, plus several different kinds of salads. The noise level was high, the chatter nonstop. A good time was being had by all.
When the birthday boy had made a wish and blown out the five candles, and the cake and ice cream had been consumed, Joey sat on the grass and began to open his gifts.
While everyone’s attention was directed toward the treasures being unwrapped, Cable Montana motioned to Ben to come to the back of the assembled group.
“How’s Megan doing?” Cable said, keeping his voice low enough for only Ben to hear.
“Okay,” Ben said. “But we haven’t discussed what happened at Sleeping Beauty.”
Cable frowned. “Don’t you think you should? Just because we dealt with Chastain’s messenger boy and he went back to Phoenix empty-handed doesn’t mean that Chastain is going to roll over and play dead.”
“I like that image of him in my mind,” Ben said, smiling slightly.
Cable chuckled. “Poor choice of words, considering that I’m talking to you, but you get the drift. Chastain has a lot to lose—hell, everything to lose—if Megan reveals the truth about him. We haven’t heard the last of him, Ben. No way. Megan needs to blow the whistle on him, and the sooner the better.”
“She may never have enough courage to do that, Cable,” Ben said, frowning. “I won’t push her, either. It has to be her decision. Sometimes reality is just too difficult to deal with.”
“Yes, but hiding your head in the sand won’t make the reality go away,” Cable said.
No joke, Ben thought. He still hadn’t called his brothers for an update on the condition of their sight. He was a pro at burying his head in the sand. But his reality hung over his head continually, like a dark, menacing cloud.
“Remember what I told you in your office, Cable. Megan has another choice,” Ben said. “She can bargain with Chastain. Trade her silence for her freedom.”
“True,” Cable said, nodding. “But does she really want to stand silently by and watch that scum possibly become governor? And how will she feel if she reads in the newspaper that Chastain remarried? Megan would know what that woman was suffering at the hands of that sleazeball.”
“Whew,” Ben said, shaking his head. “You don’t pull any punches, Montana.”
“I want Chastain stopped, Rizzoli. I want him to pay up,” Cable said tightly. “And my hands are tied without Megan’s cooperation.”
“I’ll tell her what you said, but I won’t push her. We all have to deal with...with things in our own way, in our own comfort zone.”
“Or not deal with them at all?” Cable said, looking directly at Ben.
“Meaning?” Ben said, narrowing his eyes as he met the sheriff’s intense gaze.
“Just what I said before. Hiding your head in the sand isn’t going to cut sit.” Cable paused. “I get the feeling that we’re discussing more than just Megan’s situation here, Ben.”
“You’ve been a cop too long. You have a suspicious mind, buddy.” Ben switched his gaze to Joey. “I’m going to move closer. Joey is about to unwrap the truck that Megan and I got him. If I’m lucky, he’ll let me play with him and that spiffy vehicle. See you later.”
“Mmm.” Cable watched Ben walk away. “What’s your head in the sand about, Rizzoli?” he said under his breath.
“Well, double darn it,” Aunt Charity said. “That’s what I get for taking a nap like a silly old woman. I missed the good stuff. I would have given that fella what for, by golly, for pestering you, Megan. When a lady says no to a man’s advances, the answer is no.” She nodded. “I would have made that clear, by gum.”
“Calm down, dear,” Aunt Prudence said, patting her twin sister on the knee. “Ben, Brandon and Cable took care of the situation in short order. Let’s change the subject, shall we?”
Bless you, Aunt Prudence, Megan thought She didn’t want to dwell on what had happened in Sleeping Beauty. Not now. Not on Joey’s birthday.
“Oh,” Andrea said, her eyes widening as she splayed both hands on her stomach. “Baby Hamilton is doing an Olympic-form tumbling act. I think I overdid the sugary cake and ice cream.”
Janice Sinclair smiled. “Being pregnant has made you glow, Andrea.”
Andrea laughed. “I don’t glow when I have to get up three or four times in the night to go to the bathroom. I’m definitely grumpy.”
The women sitting in the circle of chairs laughed. Megan swept her gaze over the aunts, Andrea and Janice.
Janice Sinclair was so beautiful, Megan thought, yet she gave the impression that it was of little importance to her. She had gorgeous blond hair, big blue eyes and a stunning figure. The breeze had tousled her hair, and she hadn’t bothered to reapply her lipstick after eating lunch. She was just... Janice, and Megan had liked her from the moment they’d been introduced.
In fact, she was fond of so many people here in Prescott. She wanted to stay in this enchanting little town, start over here, surrounded by such warm, friendly, loving people... family.
Most of all, she wanted to stay with Ben.
“I appreciate it, Megan,” Janice said, pulling Megan from her thoughts.
“Pardon me?” Megan said. “I... drifted off somewhere.”
“I was saying thank you for stepping in and running Sleeping Beauty yesterday,” Janice said. “I’m just sorry you had the nasty experience with that man.” Janice paused and looked at Andrea. “I think perhaps I should have a larger standby staff available for the shop.”
Andrea nodded. “I believe you’re right. People take vacations, get the flu, and what have you. There’s an endless number of retired women in Prescott who might be happy to have a workday now and then. It would break their routine, and also give them some personal pin money, as the old saying goes.”
“That’s not an old saying,” Aunt Charity said. “I use that phrase all the time, and I’m not completely decrepit, just because I take an afternoon nap once in a while.”
“Every afternoon, dear,” Aunt Prudence said pleasantly. “If we don’t, we nod off during the ten o’clock news and don’t hear the weather report.”
“That is no one’s business, Prudence,” Charity said with an indignant sniff.
“Charity,” Prudence said gently, “we are surrounded by part of our family at the moment. We have no reason to keep secrets from them
. In fact, we wouldn’t be truly family members if we did.”
“Well, yes, you have a point,” Chanty said. “All right, young ladies, spill your secrets, or you lose your membership in this family. Fair is fair.”
Andrea laughed. “Sorry, Aunt Charity, but I’m fresh out of secrets.”
“Me, too,” Janice said, smiling.
All eyes turned toward Megan.
This is it, Megan thought. Everyone was just having fun, like playing Truth or Dare because they were at a birthday party, but there would never be a better opportunity to tell her family the real circumstances of her life. Courage, Megan. You can do it.
She lifted her chin. “I came to Prescott because I was running away from Charles, my ex-husband and a man who hopes to be governor, because he... physically and emotionally abused me.”
Megan took a shuddering breath.
“That is my secret, and I want you to know the truth,” she said, “because being a member of this family means more to me than I can ever begin to tell you.”
“Bless you, dear,” Aunt Prudence said. “My heart goes out to you, but you’re safe now. All that you suffered through is behind you.”
“Not yet,” Megan said, her voice trembling. “The man in Sleeping Beauty yesterday wasn’t making a pass at me. He was delivering threats from Charles.”
“We’ll shoot the bum,” Aunt Charity said. “No, that’s too quick and easy. We’ll run him out of the state on a rail, the snake. Governor? Ha, my patootie. We’ll cook his turkey. Once the press knows what he did to you, Megan, he’ll be dead meat.”
“Cook his goose,” Aunt Pru said. “Not turkey, Charity. Goose. And that’s poultry, not meat.”
“Don’t get picky, Pru,” Charity said. “We’ll kick his butt.”
“That’s what I said,” Andrea said, smiling. “And I attributed that statement to you, Aunt Charity. Brandon and I knew about this yesterday, because Ben wanted Brandon to watch over Megan while she was in Sleeping Beauty. As it turned out, it was a good thing that Brandon was on red alert.”
The Most Eligible M.D. (The Bachelor Bet #3) Page 12
