Along for the Ride

by Michelle M. Pillow

  ‘That’s because I’m not sorry.’ He kissed her neck.

  She chuckled, content to be in his arms. ‘Me neither. I’m glad you did it.’

  ‘You didn’t need to get back to work, did you?’ He stiffened somewhat, as if just thinking of it. ‘You did come over for pictures. There wasn’t an emergency, was there?’

  ‘No, I, ah . . .’

  ‘What?’ He touched her face, cupping her cheek as he forced her to look at him.

  ‘I deleted the pictures you sent so I’d have an excuse to come and see you.’ She blushed, glancing away before forcing herself to meet his steady gaze.

  ‘I figured it might be something like that.’ He kissed the side of her mouth where he could reach. ‘I already got a confirmation from the department that they were all received.’

  Megan’s eyes widened. ‘You knew when I came here?’

  ‘You are not the only one who can be cunning, my darling, sweet beautiful Detective Matthews. I’ll have to keep my wits sharp. I have a feeling that loving you will keep me on my toes.’

  ‘At least you’ll never get bored.’ She turned away, the strain on her neck not allowing her to continue looking at him.

  ‘With you? Never.’

  ‘Being with a cop isn’t easy,’ she warned.

  ‘You already told me, you’re licensed to carry a gun.’

  ‘That and we work horrible hours, become wrapped up in cases. We are moody and authoritative and –’

  ‘Sh,’ he interrupted. ‘I’ll take my chances.’

  ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you.’

  ‘Well, I think it’s worth it.’ His fingers stayed possessively beneath her breasts, keeping her close. ‘Besides, I heard this rumour somewhere that cops come with accessories.’

  Megan laughed. Her sisters often teased her about that very thing. ‘What? You like the handcuffs?’

  ‘Only when I’m naughty.’ Ryan placed little kisses along the back of her ear.

  Megan sat up and leant over to get his camera. Lifting it, she pointed it at him and pushed the shutter release button. Ryan laughed, adjusting his shoulders on the couch. Not really paying attention to how she framed the photographs, so much as she made sure to cover every inch of upper body, she manoeuvred herself so she was straddling his thighs.

  ‘I love you, Ryan Lucas,’ she said, watching his face in the small viewfinder. ‘And I want you to know, you have a family now. Forever and ever. We’ll never leave you. I’ll never leave you. I promise.’

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘I knew everything would turn out for the best.’ Beatrice grinned, as she looked into the teacups, divining Megan and Ryan’s future. The sisters had finally talked her out of the pantsuits, with Kat using her ‘allowance’ from her rich husband to purchase their mother some new clothes. The woman actually looked good in the three-quarter-sleeve tunic and light denim jeans. Loose and flowing, the material fluttered as she moved.

  ‘You did not,’ Megan said, her tone sceptical as she threw an ace of spades playing card down on the table. It was her last card in her hand, as she played Gin Rummy with her family. ‘Gin.’

  Megan grinned, as she felt Ryan’s fingers creeping along the small of her back, dipping beneath the grey T-shirt she’d stolen from his side of the closet. Across the front, it read ‘Panic Man’ and had a stick figure drawing of a man running from a tornado. Turning to him, she placed her hand on his knee and nuzzled his throat briefly before moving to add up her score for the tally sheet.

  ‘Oh!’ Sasha cried. Ms College Student was in an NYU T-shirt that looked as if it had at least two previous owners before finding its way into her closet. ‘Mom, why couldn’t you have predicted that for me? I was about to go out.’ She set her handful of cards on the table, a straight run of hearts. If she’d played them, Sasha would have had the most points. Instead, according to the rules, she lost points for all the cards in her hand.

  ‘I don’t use my gifts to cheat,’ Beatrice said.

  ‘I believe your gifts, Mom.’ Vincent grabbed the deck and began shuffling. His combed hair was slicked back from his face, as if still damp from a shower.

  ‘Thank you, Vincent.’ Beatrice nodded at him.

  ‘He does not.’ Kat laughed, jolting her husband lightly in the ribs with her finger. He grunted, shooting her a stern look that hardly appeared threatening. For once, her hair was highlighted with a natural-looking dark brown, though the feathery magenta clip on top more than made up for the lack of her usual unnatural colour. Floral embroidery around the neckline of her sheer magenta shirt showed phoenixes with long tails reaching down to from an almost V-like shape. The loose material completely hid the small swell of Kat’s belly.

  ‘I do too,’ Vincent said. ‘It’s how we met.’

  ‘We met because of her meddling,’ Kat corrected, tugging at his lightweight black cashmere sweater.

  Megan was glad to see her sister had come to terms with being pregnant. After Megan and Zoe dragged her to a doctor, and Sasha bought her six books on pregnancy from a used bookstore, Kat had been much more relaxed. She’d even received a short note from Ella, who gave her wholehearted congratulations. No one else had got a letter, though Ella did occasionally call their parents to check in.

  Vincent paused in his shuffling to give his wife a kiss. ‘Either way, I’m a believer.’

  ‘Stop,’ Zoe protested. Pushing up from the table, she grabbed a bowl. ‘Please remember some of us don’t have warm bodies to go home to.’

  Vincent chuckled and went back to shuffling the cards. ‘Want me to set you up on a date?’

  ‘Uh, no, I think I’ll pass,’ Zoe answered, walking to the kitchen. She had raided Kat’s closet as soon as their pregnant sister had outgrown some of her tighter clothes, staking claim to the fitted mesh tunic she now wore along with some of Kat’s other shirts. ‘I’ve seen the guys you work with. Ancient is not my thing.’

  ‘Since when?’ Sasha teased.

  ‘Ew!’ Zoe yelled from the kitchen.

  ‘You’ve been staring at that cup grinning for a while, my dear,’ Douglas said, adjusting his glasses. ‘Why don’t you share?’

  Megan exchanged a secretive look with her father. She knew the man was only humouring his wife, or at least she was pretty sure that was what he was doing.

  Ryan leant close to her ear, nipping gently at it under the pretence of whispering to her. Megan laughed. It has been two months since she’d moved in and sex had not even started to get old. The second they walked in their apartment door, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

  ‘Actually,’ their mother said, ‘I think I’m going to make a confession.’

  ‘I knew I was adopted,’ Sasha said. ‘Thank the gods.’

  Beatrice gave her a disapproving look. ‘Thirty hours of labour pains you gave me, smart mouth.’

  ‘Sorry, Mom.’ Sasha hung her head, trying not to laugh.

  Beatrice turned to Megan, serious. Megan’s smile fell somewhat. Nervous, she asked, ‘What? Are you telling me I’m adopted?’

  ‘I knew your engagement to Ryan was a fake when we went to Montana.’ Beatrice gave a meaningful look at Ryan and Megan. ‘That’s why I pushed for the trip so fast. I’ve felt bad for lying about not being able to read your first tea-leaves reading to you, Ryan, but I thought not telling everyone else the truth would make it easier for you to woo our Megan.’

  ‘Kat, you told her!’ Megan tried to kick her sister’s leg under the table, not once believing her mother had actually read the truth of it in the teacups.

  Kat pulled away, shaking her head. ‘I swear, Megs, I didn’t say a thing.’

  ‘Sasha?’ Megan waited as Sasha shook her head before turning to Zoe who came from the kitchen.

  ‘I didn’t say a thing to her,’ Zoe said. ‘She probably overheard us talking.

  ‘I don’t know why you girls refuse to believe. I have hoped for years that one of you would embrace this family’s gift, or at least show
some interest in your potential.’ Their mother sighed loudly, shaking her head.

  ‘You can teach me,’ Ryan said diplomatically.

  ‘Sorry, you’re male,’ Beatrice answered. ‘Men can’t possess the gift.’

  ‘Maybe a granddaughter will,’ Vincent offered, only to get a dirty grimace from his wife.

  Beatrice brightened at the thought. ‘I didn’t think of that. You know, Kat, if you have a girl, I’d be willing to –’

  ‘Mom? You were saying about our readings?’ Megan interrupted, saving Kat’s unborn baby from years of lessons into the art of tasseography.

  ‘Oh, right, you should get married in Las Vegas,’ Beatrice said. ‘It’ll bring you luck and I have coupons.’

  After an abrupt silence, they all laughed.

  ‘I’m serious,’ Beatrice protested.

  Megan glanced at Ryan. He gave a slight shrug. Turning to her mother, she said, ‘OK, then, Vegas it is. Works for us.’

  ‘Wonderful, I’ll book the flight!’ Beatrice announced.

  ‘Aside from Las Vegas,’ Ryan interrupted. ‘You were saying something about a confession.’

  ‘Oh, right.’ Beatrice nodded. ‘I saw in the first reading that you had yet to actually get together and the engagement wasn’t real, but it could be. So I took you to an isolated place and now look.’ Lifting her hands to the side, she sighed. ‘Happy, happy, happy.’

  ‘I still think Kat told you. She never could keep a secret,’ Megan said.

  ‘I can too!’ Kat tossed the card Vincent dealt her at Megan’s head. ‘I keep secrets from you all the time.’

  ‘Oh, yeah, prove it then,’ Megan challenged. ‘Tell me a secret you’ve been keeping.’

  ‘All right.’ Kat met her steady gaze. ‘I knew Ryan wasn’t married when Zoe told me about it at the slumber party we had for you. I also knew he’d take you back if you played your cards right. And I also knew the only way you’d learn your lesson and really apologise was if you thought Ryan was completely lost to you. It was the only way you, Ms Know-It-All Detective, would let your guard down long enough to say what was really in your heart.’

  ‘You never could back away from a challenge,’ Sasha agreed.

  ‘You were in on it?’ Megan frowned. ‘And you didn’t tell me?’

  ‘We all were,’ Zoe said. ‘Except for Mom.’

  ‘I already knew on my own,’ Beatrice said, motioning to the teacups. ‘I didn’t need to be told.’

  ‘And,’ Kat continued, as if no one had spoken, ‘I knew Ryan was coming over that night to drop off my Romanian gift. I knew it was him ringing the doorbell and, when you said no one was there, I knew he’d be hiding from you so I screamed like I was in trouble and sent you after him.’

  ‘That’s why you got those stripper – er, I mean costumes.’ Megan thought of the sexy nurse’s uniform her sisters had tried to get her to wear.

  ‘Wait,’ Ryan said softly. He leant into her. ‘Costume? What costume?’

  Megan smirked at him, not answering.

  ‘I thought you two would talk it out that night, but clearly you were still too hard headed at that point.’ Kat grinned. ‘So I let you stew.’

  ‘That’s horrible,’ Megan said.

  ‘Yes.’ Kat didn’t flinch. ‘But necessary, Megs.’

  Megan sighed. It was all done with now. And, whereas she didn’t like to be manipulated, she couldn’t really find fault with Kat’s logic. It was true. She was hard-headed and it was quite possible that, without the true fear of not being able to have Ryan, she might have dragged her feet in apologising completely to him. It was only when she had nothing to lose, that she put it all on the line.

  ‘I’m so glad that’s out in the open now.’ Kat sighed. ‘I hated to do it to you, Megan. But, you see, you’re not the only one who knows their sisters.’

  Megan slowly stood, moving to walk around the table.

  ‘Don’t hit her, Megan,’ Sasha said. ‘She’s pregnant.’

  Kat stood, facing her. Megan gave her a wry smile. ‘Thanks, Kat. Just don’t ever do it again.’

  Kat nodded, her features falling in relief as Megan hugged her.

  Sasha gave a nervous laugh. ‘I don’t know what you did to mellow Megan out, Ryan, but, whatever it is, keep doing it.’

  ‘I plan on it.’ Ryan gave his fiancée a meaningful private look, full of sexual tension.

  Megan rejoined him at the table. ‘So, as long as confession time is over, how about we play cards?’

  ‘Sounds good to me,’ Zoe said.

  ‘And this time I’m going to kick your butt, Miss Megan,’ Sasha warned.

  As Vincent dealt, everyone became quiet as they adjusted their cards. Leaning towards Megan, Ryan whispered, ‘So, um, what was this about a costume?’

  Megan laughed. Kissing him lightly on the lips, she answered, ‘Don’t worry, sweetheart, I promise to show you later.

  Epilogue

  Rosa and Pete, deciding marriage wasn’t for them, separated after a month, starting what the other tenants of the building felt was a renewal of their old habit of off again, on again living. However, after discovering Harry wasn’t technically capable of legally binding couples in matrimony, they decided to get married for real. The second ceremony was performed by a friend of a friend who ordered his licence online. They’re positive this time it’s forever.

  William the Pacer is still happily patrolling the floors of the East Village apartment building and is only too happy to talk shop with his fellow enforcer of the law, Detective Matthews, who he has taken to saluting every time he sees her. Megan gave him a plastic badge. It’s his most treasured possession.

  Margie and Mrs Hartman formally apologised for their little deceit. Mrs Hartman with a plateful of chocolate no-bake cookies and Margie with a baby African Grey parrot named Clara. The bird was politely given back with a promise to visit it often. Margie was relieved to have the beloved pet returned.

  Mary still maintains that Ginger is in ‘sales’. Ginger maintains that she’s a beautician. And Megan pretends to believe them both, though she’s secretly trying to get Ginger out of the call-girl lifestyle.

  The first time Megan met Diederick Meier the Third, he came on to her. As soon as he realised she was Ryan’s woman, he jokingly offered to buy her from his friend. Megan threatened to have him arrested and they’ve been great friends ever since. He is still leading his secretive double life.

  Jersey St Claud smiled throughout his whole trial, as if enjoying the attention of the spotlight, before being found guilty and sentenced to six consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Megan had never been so glad to step out of a courtroom in her life as she did the day she finished testifying at the Preying Mantis’s trial. To celebrate, she took a nice long bath by candlelight with Ryan in their clawfoot tub, away from the annoying camera flash of his fellow reporters. Though her picture did again appear in the newspaper, it was never one taken by Ryan. Those he saved for their private stash.

  Megan and Ryan really did get married in Las Vegas. Beatrice couldn’t have been happier, until she saw Megan and her sister bridesmaids dressed in tight cop uniforms complete with hot pants, tight blue halter tops and suspiciously shaped rubber batons. Kat’s naked belly protruded, with the words ‘Flower Girl’ painted across her stomach in a sea of swirly flowers. Vincent protested that the baby might be a boy, but his logic fell on deaf ears. Even Ella made it home for the ceremony.

  Douglas merely laughed at his daughters, proud to give his eldest away to such a fine young man. With the groom stood Diederick, the only one from their apartment building who could make the journey, and Vincent. Ryan and his groomsmen wore baggy black and white striped jumpsuits with a ball and chain dragging from the lock on their ankles.