by Janet Dailey
Conner shook his head. “He was unconscious when I got the trees off him. Until I felt his pulse and checked his breathing, I was afraid I’d killed him.” He shuddered at the memory. “I called an ambulance, then called Rush. We didn’t dare move him before the paramedics showed up. He came to later, in the hospital, but he was in so much pain that they had him on drugs. He was asleep when I last saw him. And I was busy working yesterday. So, no, we haven’t talked since the accident. That’s one reason why I wanted to see him today. He needs to know that I’m sorry, and that Rush and I will take care of the ranch and the business.”
Megan rested a hand on his arm. “I’m guessing Travis already knows those things.”
“Maybe so. But it would make me feel a whole lot better to hear him say it.”
They arrived at the hospital, left the Jeep in Visitor Parking, and took the elevator to the third floor. Partway down the long corridor of patient rooms, Conner paused and stepped through a half-open door. As she followed him inside, Megan stifled a gasp.
Travis was sitting up in bed. His head was circled with a bandage. His face was a mosaic of scratches, cuts, and small dressings. Monitors and an IV drip were attached to his hands. His other injuries were hidden under his hospital gown.
His mouth widened in a painful grin as he saw Conner and Megan. “Shh!” he whispered, nodding toward Maggie, who was slumped over the arm of an overstuffed chair. “Don’t wake her. She sat up with me all night, and she just nodded off.”
“No, it’s all right. I’m awake.” Maggie stirred, blinked, and pushed herself upright. Her eyes were bloodshot, her makeup gone, her hair and clothes rumpled. Still, she managed to look beautiful, Megan thought. Here was a woman completely in love, a woman who would do anything for her man.
“How’s the patient?” Conner asked her.
She yawned and ran a hand through her thick auburn curls. “Why don’t you ask the patient?”
Conner turned toward the bed. “The boss says to ask you. So, how are you doing?”
Travis’s smile was more like a grimace. “I feel about the way I look. My ribs hurt like hell and I’ve got a headache that won’t quit. I turned down the oxycontin and went with Tylenol last night, because I’ve seen what addiction can do. But I’m going to get through this.” He glanced at Maggie. “This lady is going to get her five-star wedding, if I have to be carried to the altar.”
Maggie laughed. “Listen to him. This is after I offered to bring in a justice and marry him right here in this room.” She reached over and clasped Travis’s free hand and squeezed it. If any two people deserved happiness, it was these two, Megan thought. Would she and Conner ever love each other as much? Would they get the chance?
Conner moved closer to the bed. “I want to make sure you know how sorry I am, Travis,” he said. “I’ve thought of at least a dozen things I could’ve done to keep that load of trees from sliding onto you. I didn’t do any of them.”
“Not your fault.” Pain showed in Travis’s face as he spoke. “If I’d been smart enough to get out of the way when that trailer started moving, I’d have been clear. Or maybe I should’ve tied those trees down better. Hell, partner, stop beating yourself up. It was an accident, plain and simple. All we can do is thank God it wasn’t worse. I may look like a train wreck, but at least I’ll heal—and I didn’t lose anything vital.”
“But I may put off our wedding portrait until after the wedding,” Maggie said. “That, or have this guy photoshopped.”
“Or we can leave me as is and have fun telling the grandkids how the old man got attacked by a load of trees,” Travis joked.
Just then, a nurse bustled in with a tray, which she set on the overbed table. “Lunchtime!” Her voice was as brisk as her manner.
As the nurse left, Travis lifted the metal cover on the plate. “Yum. Creamed tuna on toast. Highlight of my day. You might as well go get yourself something from the cafeteria, Maggie, darlin’.”
“I’ll wait until you’re asleep,” Maggie said. “Go ahead and eat. You need to keep your strength up.”
“What I need is a sixteen-ounce prime rib,” Travis grumbled.
“Speaking of lunch,” Conner said, “Megan and I have a date. I promised her a good time. So we’ll leave and let you enjoy your creamed tuna.”
“Is there anything we can do or get for you?” Megan asked.
Travis’s eyebrow lifted mischievously. “Chocolate,” he muttered.
“We’ll see.” Conner escorted Megan out of the room and downstairs to the parking lot.
“I’m amazed Travis is in such good spirits,” she said as they headed downtown.
“He’s a tough guy,” Conner said. “Did you know he was once a highway patrolman?”
“No, but I’m not surprised. He’s got that way about him.”
“Not many people know this, but he served three years in prison for manslaughter. He stopped a car that matched the description of a kidnapper’s vehicle. When Travis told the driver to open the trunk, the guy took off. Travis shot him through the rear windshield. He thought he was saving a young girl, but there was nothing in the trunk except some weed. It turned out, the kidnapping was a hoax—just a couple of fool girls making up a story.”
“That’s awful!”
“It gets worse. The college kid who was killed had rich parents with connections to the court. Three years in prison for a cop. Can you imagine how rough on Travis that must’ve been?”
“What I can’t imagine is why he doesn’t seem bitter,” Megan said.
“He was. But then he met Maggie.”
They were getting into the downtown area. Megan had been in Cottonwood Springs before and was somewhat familiar with the place. “The mall has a store that sells gourmet chocolates,” she said. “What do you say we stop before lunch so I can buy Travis and Maggie a nice assortment.”
“Fine. But only if you’ll let me split the cost. That way, the chocolates will be from both of us.”
* * *
They bought a two-pound box of handmade chocolates at the mall, then ate a leisurely lunch at a Chinese restaurant a few blocks away. Laughing as he fumbled with chopsticks, Conner basked in the glow of being right where he wanted to be, with the woman he wouldn’t mind facing across the table for the rest of his life. It was too soon to be falling head over heels in love, he told himself. But today everything felt so good, so right. It was hard not to give in to the sheer giddiness of it. It was all he could do to keep from jumping out of his chair and dancing.
Maybe today, Megan would finally confess that she was the sexy singer who’d knocked his socks off at last year’s Christmas Ball. Then he would tell her that he’d already figured it out. They would share a good laugh, put the whole silly secret behind them, and move on.
But first, she needed to fess up and tell him the truth. And it would have to be her idea. If she couldn’t be honest with him, he might be smart to rethink their relationship.
“We can do whatever sounds fun to you,” he said as they left the restaurant. “But here’s one possibility. When we were in the mall, I noticed an oldies-style movie theater. This week, they’re showing Christmas classics. We could check it out.”
“That sounds like good, relaxing fun,” Megan said.
“If we don’t hit the start times right, we can just stroll around the mall. You can even sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what you want for Christmas,” he teased.
“Only if you’ll do it first.” She gave him a playful punch.
Conner laughed. “I know what I want, but I’m not sure he could get my present down the chimney. Come on, let’s catch a movie.”
They made it to the theater in time for a choice of two movies: It’s a Wonderful Life and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
“Your choice,” Conner said. “Name it.”
“I’ve seen It’s a Wonderful Life more times than I can count. Every time I see it, I love it more. I vote for that one.”
Conner secretly hated the sentiment
al classic, but he was out to please his lady. “Sounds like a winner,” he said. “And there’s not even a line at the box office.”
They picked up sodas at the concession stand. At this early hour, the small, dark theater was empty.
“If you don’t mind, I like to sit near the back.”
“How’s this?” Conner chose two center seats, a few rows from the rear of the theater. They sat, putting their sodas in the cup holders as the feature started. No one else had come in.
“Hey, we’ve got a private showing.” Conner raised the armrests between their seats before he leaned back, laying an arm behind her shoulders.
Megan laughed. “I feel like I’m in high school again.”
His hand cupped her shoulder, pulling her closer against him. “If we were really in high school, you know what I’d do, don’t you?”
“What?” She was all big-eyed innocence.
“This.” He leaned over and gave her what was meant to be a playful kiss. But as their lips clung, he felt her catch fire. He turned in the seat, using both his arms to mold her against him. He felt the little catch of her breath, the pounding of her heart against his as her mouth softened, lips parting, opening to welcome the thrust of his tongue.
A moan rose in her throat as their mouths played with each other, exploring, taking time. Her hands cupped his head, one finger circling the contours of his ear. The light contact sent a hot current pulsing through Conner’s body. He could feel the need, the mounting desire. He fought the temptation to slide a hand beneath her sweater and touch her in intimate ways, right here in the theater with the movie playing on the screen.
What was he thinking?
“Damn it, woman,” he growled. “If we don’t stop now, what you’re doing to me is going to get us in trouble.”
Flushed and breathless, she pulled away as he released her. Their timing was good. A family with teenagers, and what appeared to be elderly grandparents, filed into the theater and took seats a few rows in front of them. She gave him a smile.
“I think we’d better just watch the movie,” she whispered.
He leaned back with a sigh, caught her hand, and cradled it in his. Even that chaste contact of her warm skin with his was enough to send his senses spinning.
He might have suggested that they leave for the privacy of the Jeep, but Megan really seemed into the movie. He watched a tear trickle down her cheek as Jimmy Stewart came home to his family, saved at last, and the blasted angel finally got his wings.
“Thank you,” she said, stirring in her seat. “I’d forgotten what a wonderful story this is.”
“My pleasure.” Conner wouldn’t lie by saying he’d enjoyed the film, but he’d loved being next to her and watching her tender reaction. “What do you say we drop those chocolates off at the hospital and head for home?”
They held hands all the way to the Jeep, where he helped her inside. So far, things couldn’t have gone better. They’d agreed that they wouldn’t take more time at the hospital. Megan offered to stay in the vehicle while Conner ran their gift inside.
* * *
He took the elevator up and slipped into the hospital room, where he found Travis and Maggie both asleep. Maggie had pulled her chair close to the bed. Her head rested near Travis’s side. A smile tugged at Conner’s lips as he laid the gold-wrapped box on the overbed table and stole out of the room again. His partner was a lucky man. Now, if only he could find the same kind of luck—and love—for himself.
Megan could be the one. He loved her looks, her laugh, and her unselfish way of helping her family. The chemistry between them was sizzling hot. But he’d had chemistry before. What mattered every bit as much was honesty.
Before the accident that had ended his rodeo career, he’d been engaged to a beautiful, sexy woman. They’d broken up when he’d found out she’d lied to him about her past and about her whereabouts when she wasn’t with him. What she’d actually done had been forgivable. What he couldn’t forgive was the fact that she’d lied to his face, more than once.
To make matters worse, the breakup had happened the night before the buck-off that had shattered his hip. Had his emotions clouded his concentration? Or had the accident been a pure twist of fate?
Conner would never know. But he hadn’t trusted a woman since. The question now was, could he trust Megan enough to break free of the past and love her with all his heart and soul?
Megan had shown no sign of mentioning her secret identity. But maybe she just didn’t know how to bring it up. As he crossed the parking lot to the Jeep, he thought of a way that might encourage her. At least it was worth a try.
“I’ve got an idea,” he said as they headed homeward on the highway. “Let’s play a game. First I tell you something you don’t know about me. Then you can tell me something I don’t know about you. Okay?”
Did he detect a slight hesitation? “Sure,” she said. “You start.”
“Here goes,” he said. “I hate peanut butter. When I was little, I put this big glob of it in my mouth and almost choked to death. To this day, I can’t stand to eat the stuff.”
“Yuck,” she responded. “I can’t top that.”
“We’ll see. Now it’s your turn.”
She seemed to be thinking. Maybe she would finally tell him her secret.
“When I was little, I wanted to be a mermaid,” she said. “I used to lie in the tub with my legs together, hoping they’d grow into a tail. As you see, that never happened. What can I say? I was a weird kid. Okay, your turn again.”
Conner sighed. She wasn’t making this easy. “Sometimes at night, I dream that I’m back riding bulls. In the dream, it seems so easy, just like floating on the bull’s back. But then, I fall off and wake up.”
“I have road trip dreams,” she said. “I’m always driving on the same road. It starts easy, but then it gets harder and harder, until I’m driving up this steep mountain, scared of falling off the edge.”
One more try, Conner resolved. This time, he’d take the truth deeper. “I was engaged a few years ago. We broke up before my accident. She’s married now. No regrets. It would never have worked out between us.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Because I found out I couldn’t trust her. For two people to stay together, trust matters almost as much as love. Do you believe that, too?”
“Of course.”
He waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he prompted her. “Your turn.”
“I’ve never been engaged,” she said. “I broke up with my last boyfriend because I couldn’t see spending my life with a man who was so insecure and needy—even though he was, and still is, my boss.”
“Sounds like smart thinking.” Conner sighed. So much for games. They were back in Branding Iron now, and he was turning up her street. He’d been tempted to invite her to the ranch, but with Travis gone and so much work to be done, the place was pretty much a mess. And given the urges his body had felt when they were kissing in the movie theater, being alone with her in the house might not be the best idea. He pulled into the driveway and came around to walk her to the door.
“Thank you.” She gave him a cautious smile, as if to warn him that they were probably being watched. “I had a wonderful time.”
“So did I.” He squeezed her hand at the door. “I’ll call you.”
She stood on tiptoe, pecked his cheek, and stepped inside. He could hear her greeting her family as he walked back to the Jeep.
Conner punched the dial on the radio as he drove. Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” blared from the speakers. It had been a wonderful day. Being with Megan, talking with her, holding and kissing her in the movie, had been everything he’d hoped it would be.
But was it enough, when she still hadn’t told him what he needed to hear?
Chapter 13
Megan walked down the hall to her room, tossed her purse on the bed, and hung up her jacket. Coward, she scolded herself. Why hadn’t she told Conner about Lacy? H
e’d given her the perfect opening, almost as if he’d suspected she was hiding a secret.
She recalled what he’d said about trust. She knew he’d been asking for a sign that he could trust her. So, what had stopped her from giving it to him?
But why wonder, when she knew the answer to that question? Telling Conner that she was Lacy would change everything between them. It would change the way he thought of her, the way he saw her. And the next time he kissed her, if it happened again, he would be imagining sexy, mysterious Lacy in his arms.
Sooner or later, she would have to tell him the truth. But she was so happy being with him, being in his arms, losing herself in his kisses, and feeling desired for herself, not some gussied-up imitation. Was it wrong to want this blissful merry-go-round ride to last a little longer?
As she was pulling off her sweater, her phone rang. Would it be Conner? She snatched it out of her purse.
“Hi, Megan, this is Tucker.” The familiar voice belonged to the bass player for the Badger Hollow Boys. “Hey, sorry for the last-minute notice, but we landed a major gig for tomorrow night, when another group canceled. It’s a big event, lots of people to hear you. We’re hoping you’ll make a flying trip back here to sing with us. What do you say?”
For an instant, Megan was stunned into silence—not because she didn’t want to sing, but because the offer had come out of nowhere and demanded an instant decision.
“This could be it, your big chance,” Tucker said.
“Or just another bar gig. Be straight with me, Tucker.”
“I am. It’s a big auditorium concert. We’ll be opening for Rascal Flatts. We could get another singer, but you were our first choice. Come on, this is too big for you to turn down.”
“How soon do you need an answer?” she said, thinking of Conner.
“Soon,” he said. “I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes. If you can’t do it, we’ll have to scramble for a replacement. We’ll be rehearsing tomorrow morning. It would be best if you could catch a red-eye out of Amarillo tonight. That way, you’d be here in time to run through the songs with us.”
