So now, here they were. She with a ring on her hand, evidence of his pledge to build a life with her, and him with an almost giddy sparkle in his eyes as they endeavored to share the news with his family. She still felt sick.
“Ah, welcome home, sir.” One of the family’s servants smiled as she opened the door for them.
“Thank you.” He grinned wide, and Meg smiled too because it was unusual for Jeremy to show so much emotion. “Is Daddy down yet?”
“No sir, but your mother says they shouldn’t be long. I believe Miss Kay is with them.”
“Ah.” He nodded. “Feel free to let them know we’re here. I know we’re earlier than I’d planned, but we were able to catch an earlier flight. We’ll be waiting in the dining room.”
“Yes, sir.”
Meg followed him, an assortment of scents assailing her nostrils as they went. She knew from stories Jeremy had told her that the family tended to have brunch on the weekends with a buffet laid out. Her fiancé immediately began filling a plate with pancakes and ham.
“Aren’t you hungry?” he asked her, “We didn’t have anything but coffee since leaving this morning.”
She was about to deny that she was, but her stomach growled loudly enough that he heard it and cocked an eyebrow at her. With a sigh, she took up a plate as well and made herself a sensible portion of eggs and bacon. Just as she was sitting, another servant entered with a silver carafe, pouring each of them a cup of coffee.
“Well, good morning!” A husky voice cried out from the doorway, and Meg looked up with a genuine smile for Jeremy’s sister.
“Good morning, Kay. So good to see you again.”
Kay offered her a little hug, pecking her cheek, then ensconced her brother in a tight embrace that was evidence enough of how much the siblings cared for each other.
“How did it go?” Jeremy whispered.
“Piece of cake. You’re up to bat next.”
Meg’s eyebrows pulled together, and she shot a questioning glare at Jeremy. He winked at her, and she blinked in response.
“My sister has decided …”
“To go to university here in the States instead of returning to Durma,” James Rawley announced as he entered the room, his single crutch making a clicking sound with each step. One leg was entirely encased in a cast, and the same arm was wrapped in a bandage. Still, he managed to make do under the circumstances, hobbling to the head of the table with a wry grin on his face.
“That’s wonderful,” Meg said, nodded across the room to Kay as the woman made a plate of food, placing it in front of her father before starting on one presumably for herself. “Congratulations.”
Even though he had been in the hospital when Meg met him, she found James Rawley to be a delightful man. He’d minimized the danger that was a result of his accident but had gracefully allowed Jeremy to take charge with the doctors and even his mother and sister until he was out of the woods, medically. She imagined that even though he was gregarious by nature, the elder Rawley was used to being in charge.
“Good morning, children.” Larra Rawley swept inside, offering a hug to her son and a tight smile to Meg. It was hard to know how to take Lady Rawley. She had the same stoicism Meg had recognized in Jeremy the first time she’d met him. But the mother didn’t budge much from that stance, and it unnerved her. She felt her stomach knot up again in nervousness.
“So as soon as your mother sits,” Lord Rawley said, stuffing a large bite into his mouth and chewing before continuing. “Then you can tell us your news, Jeremy.”
Meg was just drinking a sip of coffee when he said it, and the liquid immediately went down the wrong pipe. She coughed and sputtered a moment before recovering. Jeremy lovingly patted her back, leaning close to ask if she were all right. All she could do was nod.
Kay had a smile on her face, and Lady Rawley narrowed her eyes at her, though when she spoke, everyone knew the question was addressed to Jeremy. “News?”
“Yes, I have news.” He reached under the table for Kay’s hand. “We do, actually. Meg and I are going to be married.”
“Ah!” James proclaimed. “I knew it. I just knew it. Congratulations, my boy.”
Larra sat, her gaze switching from Jeremy to Meg and back again a few times before she too smiled, inclining her head to them. “Yes, congratulations. Your father and I aren’t entirely surprised. We’d suspected.” She pinned her husband with a look. “But I do want to hear how you knew they’d tell us this morning.”
“Simple.” He devoured another bite. “Kay and Jeremy used to do this very thing as children. If one of them had something important to tell, they’d wait until the other distracted us with another something. I think that’s referred to as tag teaming. Though it used to be that the things they had to tell meant they were in trouble. I think on both accounts today we can celebrate!”
Meg was still watching Larra Rawley. It was an important thing to be accepted by one’s mother-in-law. Of all the problems she’d had to deal with in her first marriage, that had not been one of them. Mr. and Mrs. Slack had accepted her long before she became a part of their family.
Jeremy gave her a little pat. “Told you there was nothing to worry about.” He resumed his breakfast.
Was this supposed to be a victory? She wasn’t sure. Of course he must know his mother better than she did, but the jury was still out in her mind as to whether there was anything to worry about as far as Larra Rawley was concerned.
After they’d all eaten, they began to discuss plans for their days. Larra fixed her eyes on Meg. “I have some seedlings that I’ve been working with in the greenhouse. Might I impose on you to take a look at them with me?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Meg moved her head up and down, hands wringing in her lap.
When Larra stood to pour herself another glass of juice, James leaned to the side and slowly lifted his crutch. As soon as his wife had her back to him, he poked her gently in the rear. She jumped, stifling a screech behind closed lips.
Meg wanted to laugh, but instead sucked her lips into her mouth. But then Kay chuckled, and the sound was too much for her. A bubble of mirth welled from her lips and she giggled, at once smacking her hand over her lips in an effort to stop herself. Jeremy caught the bug too because about that time he was laughing, as was the earl.
“Don’t be angry, dear. You should be happy. Just think, with Kay staying in the States you won’t be going to Durma either, so you’ll be able to keep nursing—” He winked. “—me back to health. And with Jeremy bringing darling Meg into the family, you’ll have someone else around who cares about all of those weeds you keep out there.”
“Are you ready, Meg?” Larra asked, giving her husband a cold glare.
A few minutes later she was standing along side the countess, inspecting a series of very small plants. “They’re trees of some sort?”
“Dogwoods. It’s a hybrid called the Venus. I saw them in Missouri a few years ago and adored them. But the ones I tried last year aren’t flourishing. I don’t usually grow from seedlings, but this seemed a challenge that interested me.”
Meg thought it must be the challenge because raising a dogwood tree from a seedling would take years and much patience. She admired the countess for her interest and determination.
“Hmmm.” She fingered the leaves. “How often do you water? It’s best to let seedlings dry on top before watering. Too much can cause rot.”
“Yes, I know that.”
“I’ve read a bit about the Venus. The seedlings are particularly hearty and don’t succumb to many fungal problems. I wonder …”
“You wonder?” Larra stepped in closer.
“Well, you said the plants didn’t do well. Was there much wind that season? Storms?”
“No more than usual, but yes.”
“You might give them spells out of the greenhouse before planting them. Be careful that the climate isn’t too harsh as in temperature extremes, but give them exposure to the natural elem
ents. Some seedlings, raised indoors, can develop weaker stems. A tree like the Venus will need a strong start.”
When she turned her eyes back to Jeremy’s mother, she found that Lady Rawley was no longer looking at the plants but at her. A blush crept up her neck, and she had to fight the urge to look away.
“My son is very much like me, Meg. Sometimes I regret that. He isn’t as ready with a smile and especially a laugh. But you manage to pull that out of him. No.” She shook her head and peered towards the manor. “Not pull it out of him. More that you give him permission to express things.”
She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing to the woman or not. “I love him very much, Lady Rawley. I know I’m not who you would probably have chosen for a daughter-in-law.”
“They might not always realize it, but I want both my children to be happy and to make their own choices in life. That’s difficult sometimes. You worry that the choices might hurt them.” She smiled warmly, her eyes sparkling with affection. “But I’m not worried about that choice with you. He spoke of you when we were in the old country. Not a lot … men aren’t loquacious with their mothers. But I could tell there was something special there.”
A huge sigh escaped Meg’s lips, and she realized she’d been holding her breath in anticipation of what her future mother-in-law would say. “There is something special between us.”
“But . . .” Larra looped her hand under Meg’s arm, leading her out of the greenhouse. “You will probably find us a bit stuffy. Oh and when you make your first trip to Durma, you might regret this all together. But the balls and socials are glorious in a way … I always enjoyed that part of being a countess.”
Meg’s heart swelled as the woman chattered on. She wasn’t following along entirely, as her mind drifted to Jeremy and all that he had come to mean to her. Lady Rawley was right that she would find this new lifestyle wholly different from her own. But she could find a way to fit in and even blend a little of herself into her life with them.
And besides that, all that really mattered was that to Jeremy, she wouldn’t be an appendage or an aside in his life. No, he loved her, first and foremost. And she would rely on that.
The Present
Meg’s hand was firmly enveloped in Jeremy’s as the two of them made their way down the sterile white hallway of the hospital. The air around them was cold yet charged with the tension radiating in waves from his wife. She hadn’t said much on the flight nor the drive here.
His thoughts turned to their life together. A honeymoon in Durma, her first trip outside of the United States. Later that same year, they’d visited Paris and Venice. They made at least two journeys abroad each year until their first child was on the way. France, India, Australia … Jeremy had the ability to fulfill those dreams of travel that she’d never expected to have come true.
In between those adventures, he’d taught her to ride a horse. He and his father had built Meg and his mother a new greenhouse wherein they could toy creating hybrids of plants, experimenting to their hearts’ content. And of course, both their hearts ran over with love and affection when they’d held their first child, Jareth and then their second son, Jenson.
And now here they were, back in her hometown. He wanted to growl in frustration. The feeling of helplessness in not having prevented all of this gnawed at him. And in truth he could have prevented it. He could have kept that phone call from Rhonda a secret and let things remain as they were. But his marriage wasn’t built on lies and cover-ups. Those were the traits of her first marriage.
They reached the doors of the ICU, and she stopped short. Head turning to the side, she pointed to a restroom sign. “I’ll be right back.”
He let her fingers slip out of his and watched her walk away from him. She wouldn’t think so, but she was still an attractive woman to him. She was plumper than she would have liked, and there was gray in her hair that she fussed over. But she was beautiful to him.
Today she had her curves covered under a baggy tunic, but that was to be expected. In their years of marriage, he’d learned to recognize the way her mood affected her overall outlook. She was nervous and worried, and that in turn made her feel imperfect in some way. It was something he’d never been able to heal in her.
When she emerged from the ladies’ room, he could see that she’d probably splashed some water on her face. As she started to sweep past him, he caught her hand and drew her close. A furrow of her brow spoke the question on her mind.
“You.” He pointed at the spot just between her eyebrows, then traced his finger down the side of her face and along her chin. “You are special and beautiful, and I’m so proud to call you mine. We leave this place the same way we arrived in it. Together. I will always be standing by you.”
Her eyes turned glossy, but she smiled and cupped his face tenderly. “I look like a nervous wreck, don’t I? I just want to get this over with.”
He hit the button to open the double doors, and they made their way down the hall and around the corner until they found ICU Room 15B. The door was open, but the curtain was drawn, and Meg peeked her head inside tentatively.
“Meg!”
He thought he recognized Rhonda’s voice, though he couldn’t yet see her. Meg let go of his hand, and he followed her inside where the two women clutched each other in an enormous bear-hug. The woman who had been his wife’s best friend in childhood looked only similar to the one he’d met all those years ago.
Her hair was a few shades darker, probably colored. Her figure was still slender, though with more rounded edges than she’d had before. Her face was the thing that surprised him most. She didn’t look old so much as tired and worn.
Meg hadn’t kept in touch with either Raymond or Rhonda after they were married. She tried to put a final end to the relationship as gently as she could, telling Rhonda that her new life just couldn’t find space for the hurt that Ray had caused and that it was best that all of them let the healing begin.
He’d always admired Meg for that. It was difficult to let go of toxic relationships, especially for a person as inherently loving as Meg.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Rhonda said, stepping back but with her hands still on Meg’s arms.
“You too, Rhonda. How are you holding up?”
The woman shrugged, but the tears welling in her eyes held the truth. “He’s ready, Meg. I’d keep him here if I could, but he’s just really tired and… ready.”
He watched his wife, ever the compassionate one, gently brush away her friend’s tears. Then she looked over her shoulder at Jeremy and frowned. “Are there too many of us in here? I know there are rules.”
“Nah, I’ll give you some privacy. I’ve got to run down and put something in my stomach and call the kids.” She paused, not looking at anyone but frozen just a few moments. “We have three. Two girls and a boy.”
“We have two, both boys,” Meg told her, then took a few steps towards Ray’s bed and placed her hands on the rails.
For the first time Jeremy looked at him. He was gaunt and pale, an oxygen mask obscuring most of his face. All of his hair was completely white, which was odd considering he was nearly the same age as the rest of them. Wires were connected to his body on all sides, with a monitor keeping track of all of his vitals.
As she was passing, Rhonda put out her hand and placed it on Jeremy’s arm. “Thank you for bringing her.”
He nodded, afraid of what he might say if he opened his mouth. Maybe something along the lines of he’d just as soon not have brought her here.
“He’ll probably wake up any minute. He usually gets about ten to fifteen minutes of lucidity before the pain sets in. They’ll give him a shot and then he’ll be out again.”
As if on cue, Ray’s eyes fluttered open moments after Rhonda left the room. He blinked several times, breathing heavily so that his mask fogged up. When he focused on Meg, his face turned tender, and he used a shaking hand to tug the mask down.
“You came.” His voic
e was rough, and just the two words sent him into a fit of coughing. Meg hurried to grab a cup, pouring some water and holding the straw to his lips. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Better? Or do you need some more?”
He shook his head, flinched and then leveraged himself with a hand against the railing so that he could turn himself to face her more fully. “I’m glad you came.” His eyes raised to look at Jeremy, propped against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. “And you brought your bodyguard.”
It was hard to find the wherewithal to be annoyed with a man who was lying on his deathbed, but Jeremy managed all the same. He cocked an eyebrow and fixed Ray with a stony stare, then flicked his gaze to something outside the window with a long sigh.
“Men …” Meg muttered.
“Well, I’d better get on with this. I have another date with Morpheus, and they’ll be bringing me the cocktail any minute now. I’m just not sure where to start …”
From the periphery of his sight, Jeremy watched as Meg placed one of her hands onto Ray’s. He gritted his teeth and listened.
“It’s okay. Take your time.”
Ray swallowed and closed his eyes, then pointed to the far corner of the room. There was a brown paper bag beside the visitor’s chair. “Jeremy, do you mind grabbing that? It’s Meg’s.”
Jeremy looped his fingers into the handle of the sack and handed it to his wife. He couldn’t help noticing her hands were shaking as she took it from him. She peeked inside, then looked to Ray in question.
“So, you know when we moved into the house. There were those boxes that got lost.”
She closed the flaps of the bag and gave her ex-husband her total attention. “I remember. The movers paid us fifty bucks I think. Tried to say they hadn’t had possession of them, but just to get rid of us, they paid a little.”
“They didn’t have ‘em,” he groaned and resituated himself again. “That was when it started really, Meg. I was short on cash, so the boxes never made it to the truck. I was counting on them giving us all the cost of the move back, but they were hard-assed about it.”
All for Family (The Rawley Family Romances Book 3) Page 13
