by C. C. Coburn
“S’okay,” she said, and shrugged out of his embrace.
“Can you give Rocket a brush-down, honey? I’ll pay the penalty box for you.”
Daisy brightened and said, “Sure.”
Luke bent and gave her nose a peck. Of all his children, Daisy was by far the most independent and least demonstrative. Well, at least until Cody showed up.
“I’ve been thinking I should increase your allowance. You do more than your fair share around here.”
Daisy’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yep, really. And I might backdate it to the beginning of the year.”
That promise got the desired response as Daisy threw her arms around his waist. “I love you, Daddy,” she said.
“And I love you, squirt,” he said, hugging her back.
He knew he wasn’t demonstrative enough with his kids. He didn’t mean to be so distant, never imagined he’d be such a hard taskmaster as a father. Life had sent him down a path he wasn’t happy about traveling, but it wasn’t fair of him to take it out on his daughters.
His throat closed as Daisy continued to hug him. He coughed to clear it, then gently pried her away.
“I’ve got to go talk to Megan,” he said. “Can we discuss your raise a bit later?”
Smiling, Daisy shrugged. “Sure.” She picked up a brush and started to groom Rocket.
He mounted the rear veranda steps, eased his boots off and opened the back door. Sasha and Celeste were in the kitchen cutting up cake.
Sasha looked up guiltily. “I was only trying to help Megan, Daddy. I’m not taking over,” she explained. “She seemed upset, so I thought she wasn’t well. Celeste and I are finishing the trifle for her.”
Luke hadn’t realized how stormy he must’ve looked himself until he’d seen the worry reflected in Sasha’s eyes. “It’s okay.” He patted her shoulder reassuringly. “That was kind of you. I’ll go talk to her.”
“Me, too!” Celeste piped up, climbing down from her stool.
Luke scooped her up and put her back on it. “No, darlin’, Sash needs your help here. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” He turned and strode out of the kitchen, through the living room and down the hallway. He paused outside Megan’s door and rapped lightly. When there was no response, he turned the handle and stepped inside.
He could hear a shower running in the bathroom and walked to her bedroom. He paused outside the door and listened, then walked in.
Above the sound of running water he could hear Megan crying.
Unable to comfort her, fearing she’d lash out at him for intruding, he made himself take a step backward. And then another and another. Silently, he left her room.
Back in his own bathroom, he turned the faucet on cold, and stepped under the punishing spray. You heartless bastard! he cursed himself. She’s done nothing other than come here and try to help you to provide a normal family life for our son. And now look what you’ve done! Luke had no idea exactly what he’d done wrong, but he planned to find out, once Megan had regained her composure.
WHEN MEGAN HAD COLLECTED herself enough to face their guests, she got out of the shower and dried off, then splashed cold water on her face, hoping that would subdue the swelling around her eyes. The outfit she’d arrived in yesterday, freshly laundered and pressed, hung on the outside of her closet door. Her underwear, also freshly laundered, was on the end of her bed, neatly folded.
There wasn’t a hair dryer in evidence so Megan brushed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Dressed in her clean clothes, she took a deep breath and headed to the kitchen. She’d been short with Sasha and Celeste, who’d greeted her warmly when she’d come inside a half hour ago and headed straight to her room. She needed to make it up to them.
“I dunno,” she heard Celeste saying, “I don’t think Mommy’s going to be happy that we’re makin’ the trifle.”
“Too bad,” Sasha snapped. “It’s gotta get chilled enough for tonight.”
Megan entered the kitchen and forced a bright smile. Celeste sat on the kitchen counter looking so serious, Megan’s heart went out to her. She’d called her “Mommy” again. How wonderful and wanted that word made her feel.
No longer needing to force her smile, she said, “Sasha’s right, sweetie, the trifle does need to chill.” She lifted Celeste off the counter and shifted her onto one hip, then turned to Sasha. “Thank you for thinking of that. I’m afraid I’ve been indulging myself in the shower too long.”
Sasha merely nodded and continued pouring the custard over the trifle. “I made custard, too. You forgot to do that before you went riding. It had to chill, as well.”
Megan couldn’t understand this girl, who was so generous, yet wanted to push Megan away, usually with veiled accusations. “Thank you,” she said, not wanting to inflame the situation. “I guess I just assumed there’d be some in the refrigerator.”
“This isn’t New York City. We live on a ranch. We don’t rely on buying everything from the supermarket.”
Duly chastised, Megan said, “You’re right, of course. I’ll have to get used to that, won’t I?” she agreed, and moved Celeste to the other hip. She was a bit too old to be carried around, but Megan loved having her chubby little arms around her neck, squeezing perhaps a little too tightly.
“How about if I put you down here,” she said. “We don’t want my outfit too crushed before the guests arrive.” She sat her on the kitchen table and started to unwind the French braid in Celeste’s hair, which was coming out. “Thank you, Sasha, for ironing my outfit. How do you get the creases so neat and crisp?”
“Spray-on starch.”
And lots of it, Megan thought, noting the stiffness of her collar rubbing against her neck. So there were clearly some things it was okay to get at the supermarket. She turned her attention back to Celeste. “Hold still, sweetie, and I’ll redo your hair, so it’s nice and pretty when everyone gets here.”
“I need a bath first. You can wash my hair, too.”
“Sure. Let’s do that, but since I can hear Daisy running water upstairs, you can have your bath downstairs, okay?” She turned and let Celeste climb onto her back. “Will you be okay here, Sasha, or would you like me to help with anything?”
“I don’t need your help,” she said.
Have it your way, miss! And while you’re at it, get that chip off your shoulder, Megan thought, then nearly bumped into Luke as she piggybacked Celeste out of the kitchen.
Luke caught her arm as she stepped back. The warmth of his touch sent desire licking through her body as she remembered the way he’d touched her as they made love in the meadow. She rejected that memory, determined this man would never get to her again.
“Can we talk?” he asked, his dark eyes pleading.
Surprised by the pain and intensity she saw in his expression, she said, “I’m going to give Celeste her bath.”
“Now, please. It’s important.”
Megan bent to let Celeste slide off her back, saying, “Why don’t you go get undressed and I’ll start your bath?”
“Okay, Mommy.” Celeste danced off toward the hallway. Moments later they could hear her clattering up the stairs to her room.
“Don’t get in the bath until I’m there!” Megan called.
“Okay, Mommy!”
Megan smiled at Celeste’s retreating back. She’d never get tired of hearing Celeste call her “Mommy.”
She followed Luke to the downstairs bathroom. He put in the plug and set the bathwater running, then gripped Megan’s hand and drew her down the hallway to her room.
Once inside, he locked the door and turned to her. “I want to apologize for my behavior this afternoon. I know you came here with the best intentions for our son’s welfare. I appreciate that you’re trying your hardest with my girls. I don’t expect, and neither will I ask, anything more of you. I want to assure you that I won’t be seeking the company of women outside our marriage and that…I won’t trouble you for any more…marital favors, either.” W
ith that, he reached to unlock the door, but Megan stayed his hand.
“Just a minute,” she said. “I’ve listened to you. Now you can listen to me.”
Expressionless, he nodded.
“You took something very important away from me when you said those hurtful words about other men in my life.” She drew in a deep breath. “That hurt so badly, Luke. You destroyed something in me that I’ve fought very hard for.”
He stared at her blankly, then asked, “You mean you’re not mad at me for making love to you?”
“No. I’m angry at myself for letting that happen so soon. I’m upset with you for that comment afterward.”
“But—”
“I didn’t have much self-esteem left after what I’d been through trying to raise our son on my own, but what little I had, I held very dear. I had never—would never—succumb to allowing a man to share my bed in order to get by. When you said that, it made me realize you neither respected me nor had any real understanding of how difficult it’s been to raise our son on my own.”
“But—”
“You should’ve known there was no one before you. And there’s been no one since. Yet you were prepared to believe the worst of me, to humiliate me by insinuating those things.”
Luke shook his head. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought that was what Cody meant back in the judge’s chambers. I thought it was the reason he wanted us to get married, so there’d be some stability in his life. Obviously, I misunderstood what he’d said.”
“That sort of thing did go on in our neighborhood. But you misinterpreted what he said and applied it to me and that hurts so much.”
Luke took both her hands in his. “I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I’d never intentionally hurt you, Megan.”
He halted as though waiting for her to speak, and when she didn’t he said, “We’ve let too many misunderstandings keep us apart for the past fifteen years. Can we try to put them aside and start fresh?”
“I’d like that,” Megan managed to say. But deep down she wondered if the time to start fresh had expired too long ago.
“Mommy! The water’s goin’ over the sides!” Celeste’s plaintive call brought them both back to the present.
Megan reached around Luke, unlocked the door and opened it. “Coming, sweetie,” she called, then slipped past Luke and headed to the bathroom.
Chapter Seven
Twenty minutes later, Megan felt almost as wet as Celeste. She lifted the child from the bath, set her on the mat, looked down at her damp clothes and thought glumly that Sasha wouldn’t be happy to see how she’d treated her handiwork. They hung limply from her body. Her top and blouse hadn’t fared much better, but as she didn’t have anything else to wear, they’d have to air dry. At least she still had her jeans.
“Can you be a big girl and finish drying yourself while I go put on some dry pants?” she asked Celeste, then reached in to pull out the plug.
“Okay…but hurry, Mommy.”
Megan placed a kiss on Celeste’s forehead and slipped out of the bathroom. Sasha was waiting in the hallway with her arms crossed. She looked Megan up and down with disdain.
“I…I got wet,” Megan stammered, wondering why she allowed this child to get her so flustered and feeling guilty.
“You can’t wear them tonight even if I do get them dry,” Sasha said, disapproval dripping from every word.
Megan kept her temper in check. “You said my jeans would be fine for this party, didn’t you? And my top and blouse will dry quickly enough.”
“Everyone’ll be here any minute,” Sasha told her. “You can borrow my hair dryer.”
Touched again by Sasha’s strange but basically generous ways, she followed the girl upstairs to her room. “This is a lovely room, Sasha,” she remarked, admiring the professional finish. “I like the contrast of the orange and purple. It’s very effective.”
“It’s mango and jacaranda,” Sasha corrected her, and went to a chest of drawers for a hair dryer. “I painted it myself.”
“I’m genuinely impressed. Do you hope to be an interior decorator when you grow up?”
Sasha handed over the hair dryer. “No, a doctor,” she said, and walked out of the room.
Megan stood there for a full ten seconds, open-mouthed.
“Mommy! I’m cold!” Celeste called.
Megan glanced around the room once more, then returned to the downstairs bathroom.
Wrapped in a huge towel, Celeste bounced on Megan’s bed while Megan changed into her jeans, then dried what she could of her clothes by holding the dryer over her chest and moving it from side to side. It only took a few minutes, then she sat on the bed and turned the dryer on Celeste’s long tresses.
As she combed out Celeste’s nearly dry hair, a knock sounded at the door. “Come in!” she called, then looked up, expecting it to be Sasha coming to admonish her again, perhaps for leaving the bathroom a mess, or Daisy to have a chat.
She was startled to see Luke. Based on what he’d said earlier, she’d assumed he’d never set foot in her room again.
“People are arriving,” he said, “How long do you think you’ll be?”
“I’m just finishing Celeste’s hair and then I’ll be right out.”
“Mommy’s makin’ me pretty, Daddy,” Celeste said. “Leave us girls ‘lone, okay?” she added primly.
LUKE BLINKED. HE HADN’T realized how much his little girl was growing up. She’d taken charge of the situation, dismissing him in favor of doing “girl things” with her new mommy. Still…it was nice to see them together.
If only he and his son could share some “guy things…” Then maybe they could grow closer. A thought occurred to him, something that might help that wish come true.
“I’m leaving,” he said, and bent to kiss Celeste’s forehead. His face passed Megan’s as he straightened. She didn’t exactly pull back from his gaze, but she sure wasn’t turning her face toward him for some of the same attention.
BY THE TIME CELESTE pronounced that Megan had finished with her hair and gotten dressed, the house was full of children and adults.
“Megan, there you are!” Beth greeted her as they entered the living room. She planted a welcoming kiss on her cheek.
Megan relaxed almost immediately. She’d been dreading the moment she had to meet the rest of Luke’s brothers and their wives, but Beth had effectively broken the ice.
Beth took her hand and drew her into the group. “Everyone, this is Megan. Luke, maybe you should do the introductions.”
Matt was holding Sarah. He kissed Megan and looked into her eyes, his expression one of concern. “I hope you’re settling in?”
Megan nodded mutely. What had Matt’s look meant? Had Luke told his brother they were already having problems? She pushed the thought away and turned to smile at the other occupants of the room.
“This is my brother, Jack,” he said, indicating a tall, well built man with jet-black hair and brilliant blue eyes who came forward and shook her hand. Megan noticed that his hand was large and calloused, his grip firm. Jack is a carpenter. Luke’s words rang in her head.
“Welcome to our family, Megan. I hope you and Cody will be happy here,” he said, then stepped back.
“I’m happy to meet you, Jack,” Megan said, glancing across at Cody, who stood scowling in the corner of the room. Apparently, he’d already met his new relatives and passed judgment on them. They were far too clean-cut and warmhearted for his liking, she guessed. “Have you met my son, Cody?” she asked, sending him a warning look. “Cody’s learning to ride, thanks to Daisy’s patience, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” Cody said, lightly punching Daisy’s shoulder. “Hey, kid. You wanna play catch?” he asked her.
Daisy gazed up at him; she obviously loved having someone around who didn’t think doing your hair, playing with dolls or cooking and cleaning was the greatest thing on earth. “Yeah!” she said, and they disappeared outside.
Megan didn’t r
ealize she’d been holding her breath until the screen door slammed behind them. At least Cody had made a firm friend in Daisy. They’d be good for each other. As long as Cody didn’t swear around her.
Luke was saying, “And this is my brother, Will.”
Another man, almost the same height and coloring as Matt, stepped forward and pulled her into a bear hug. Megan’s breath left her in a whoosh and then a woman’s voice said sternly, “Will O’Malley, leave that poor girl alone!”
He obeyed and moved back, grinning sheepishly to allow a woman with green eyes and an unruly tumble of dark auburn curls to come toward Megan. “Please forgive my husband, Megan. He has no idea how to behave in company.”
Megan looked at Will, who could barely wipe the smile off his face, and thought, He knows exactly how to behave to get his wife’s attention. “It’s fine. I just haven’t been hugged quite so…enthusiastically in a long time.” Megan laughed, breaking the tension.
“I’m Becky, by the way,” the other woman said, then gave Megan a hug that wasn’t quite as ferocious as her husband’s. “I’m so glad Luke found you and Cody and brought you home.” She looked around the room. “Now our family’s almost complete.”
At Megan’s frown of confusion, Becky explained. “We think Jack and Adam need to find themselves wives, but as Adam barely talks to anyone, he’s not going to manage it on his own. If we could only get him to move closer to home…”
Megan grinned at Becky’s desire to matchmake for a reluctant but much-loved brother-in-law. “I take it he’s the strong, silent type?” she said, and noticed Luke shifting uncomfortably beside her.
Becky nodded. “Oh, boy! Is he ever. Just like Luke. Worse than Luke. Much worse than Luke. At least Luke can carry on a conversation. Sometimes.” She dug Luke in the ribs.
Becky was right; Luke was the strong, silent type. He rarely wasted words. Rarely smiled, too, as though watching and waiting, gauging what was going on before committing himself. He hadn’t been like that when she’d known him before. He was far more gregarious back then.
