See Megan Run (8 page)

"Logical, maybe, but I’m not buying it. My
mother’s always been reserved." Megan said the last word slowly.
Nicole never starved or beat her, but Megan still felt like her
childhood had lacked an essential element. She sat up and placed
the pillow under her chin.

"Even with your dad?" Lynne asked.

Memories of her mother laughing, actually
laughing, came to Megan. Her mother did light up whenever her
father had walked into the room. Nicole never lit up when Megan
came into a room, and therein lay the problem. No amount of
rationalization could convince Megan her mother really loved her.
The coldness didn’t start when her father died, it simply got
worse. Megan shook her head.

"I wish I could say that’s it. ‘I now see the
light.’" She shook her head harder. "She wants something, and now
all I have to do is wait to see what it is."

Lynne sighed. "I’m not giving up on you
yet."

"It’s not me with the problem."

Lynne paused. "How good was the kiss?"

Megan hugged the pillow. "He never kissed me
like that before."

They’d been young and experimenting with
kissing, sex, and everything in between. He’d touched her with
wonder and she’d done the same. But this kiss packed a punch that
no million of the others could compare to, much less any other man
she’d ever kissed. "It was incredible." 
And that’s what
scares me
. Megan blinked at the left-field thought. "That about
sums it up."

"I bet your toes curled."

"Goodbye." Megan closed the phone on Lynne’s
laugh.

She placed her chin back on the pillow. She’d
come home with the vague idea of doing her twenty-seven days on the
rock. Things weren’t any clearer now. She wasn’t sure how to get
them back to a place that would make them clear. Ah, this was why
she never came home, it made her depressed.

Megan straightened at the knock at her door,
pushing aside the dark memories. She put the phone and pillow on
the bed and opened the door. "Hi, Mother." Nicole rolled her
eyes. 
Who was this woman
?

"You know what I just realized? I’d rather
have you sour and sarcastic than nice. Be yourself. I think I can
take it."

Megan stepped back, caught off guard. "I am
nice."

"You are to everyone but Aiden and me, which
is why I’m here to talk to you."

So, here were the conditions. Megan crossed
her arms. "And what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"I don’t know what happened the other night,
but it has to stop."

"Nothing happened the other night."

Nicole rubbed her hands against today’s
peasant skirt.

Megan made money from knowing people’s likes
and dislikes, what made them comfortable and uncomfortable, and her
shoulders relaxed at the visible tick. Her mother was nervous. "I
have no intention for anything to happen anytime."

Nicole’s hand twisted in the skirt. "It’s for
the best if it stays that way."

"And if I don’t let things stay that
way?"

"I told you the house is yours as long as you
stay."

Finally, the note of frustration Megan was
listening for. Could her mother be telling the truth? Of course
not. When it came to Nicole everything came with conditions.
Megan’s eyes narrowed. "Not that it’s any of your business, but
Aiden and I came to an agreement to play nice for the wedding, so
whatever you feared to happen, won’t."

"I’d rather you stayed sour and sarcastic to
him, too."

"What planet are you from?"

Nicole chuckled. "See, you’re being
yourself."

Megan pursed her lips, searching for the
angle. She came up empty and only said, "I don’t get you."

Hell, I don’t trust you
.

"The nature of the mother-daughter
relationship."

"Yes, if I were a teenager."

Nicole dropped the eye contact. "We never did
go through that stage. I think it’s natural we go through it now. I
want us to have a close relationship." Nicole put up her hands. "I
want you to be yourself, but you can keep that one comment to
yourself."

Well, at least her mother knew her. "Fine.
Aiden and I—there is nothing to worry about."

"And that’s what worries me."

Megan wasn’t sure what to say to that.
Nothing was what it was supposed to be, here. "We won’t ruin the
wedding with our stuff, if we actually have stuff."

"It’s you and not the wedding I’m worried
about," she said softly. "Shep and I are going out for dinner."
Nicole smiled a little. "No need to stay up and worry." Nicole
hesitated, then leaned forward and planted a kiss on Megan’s cheek.
"See you tomorrow."

Megan, too shocked to move, placed a hand
over where her mother’s lips had touched her. Nicole had laid a
motherly kiss on her cheek. Megan’s hands curled. Twelve years ago
she’d have given anything for the gesture. Now she’d give anything
to forget it. Twenty-five more days and she’d get her world back to
where it was supposed to be.

*****

"I’m worried about you." If it had been
anyone else standing at his door saying those same words, he’d have
tried his best not to maim the person when he slammed the door in
her face.

"Hi, Mom." Aiden said with a sigh.

"Don’t give me that tone." She lifted her
chin and walked past him into the living room. A good thing he’d
cleaned, or it would have gone onto the "he’s depressed" list Aiden
was sure his mother was making.

"It’s starting to feel like this subject has
been beaten to death, revived, and shot ten times."

"You arrested Reg."

"Because he was disturbing the peace."

"You didn’t go to dinner last night. I know
how you love to eat." Jocelyn hesitated, then added, "Shep is also
worried."

She’d memorized the list, which meant last
night’s dinner had raised her blood pressure. "What did you say to
Megan?"

"Nicole told me you kissed her."

Aiden paused. No, Nicole and Megan’s
relationship hadn’t progressed that fast. Eavesdropping. Megan had
forgotten rule number one: Never speak a secret out loud if you
don’t want everybody to know it. He groaned inwardly. "The kiss
meant nothing. It was just one of those things."

"Anything having to do with Megan means
everything."

As usual, his mother’s insight was spot on.
Any denial would make things worse. "What did you say to her?"

"Hmm?"

Aiden rubbed his face. She used the mother
tactic of phrasing a noncommittal noise as a question. Jocelyn was
going to give the subject of Megan CPR just to kill it again. Maybe
he could disappear until the wedding. Pack a few bags and go
anywhere, somewhere no one knew him. A place where phones weren’t
allowed, preferably a place not found on a map.

"I understand your mother-bear instincts, but
you and Megan used to be close."

His mother frowned. "You’re supposed to be
angry right along with me, and that’s more worrisome."

Aiden walked away from her to the couch. The
shuffle of his mother’s footsteps let him know he’d have to do
something drastic to get her out of his hair. "I’m going to get her
out of my system." He sank into the couch cushions and saw his
mother’s face. He fought the smile.

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"I’m going to ask her on a date. She’ll be
annoying, stubborn, and pushy." Like she used to be. "And seeing
her like that will let me get over her quickly."

"You’re pulling my leg, and it’s not
funny."

He had been when he started, but now the idea
held some appeal. "I’m going to call her up now."

Jocelyn pushed him back down. "You’re not
thinking clearly."

"This is the best idea I’ve come up with in
ages."

"That’s not a compliment to yourself,
dear."

Aiden’s smile widened. "See, you don’t have
to worry about me. I’m being pro-active." The worry line deepened
on his mother’s forehead. Good. That’ll teach her to meddle. "If
you’ll excuse me, I have a phone call to make."

"You don’t know her number. How are you going
to call?"

Aiden snorted, "This is Riverbed."

He held back the laugh when she cursed. She
didn’t do it often, but she put a punch behind it when she did. His
mother trailed behind him as he dialed Nicole’s home phone
number.

*****

Megan opened the door to her room with less
patience this time. "Oh, hi, Jane."

Jane held the house phone out to her. "It’s
for you." Megan took it, confused. Jane crossed her arms, letting
Megan know she wasn’t moving.

"Hello?"

"I’m calling to see if you want to go to
dinner tonight?"

Megan pulled the phone from her ear to look
at it, then put it back to her ear. "Aiden?"

"That is I."

Megan’s eye trailed to Jane’s. "Why
dinner?"

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"Aren’t you cagey?"

Megan turned from Jane, who had yet to leave.
"I guess I’m confused. I know we came to a truce, but I didn’t
expect us to spend actual time together." She licked her lips,
almost tasting him again. "I mean, you know…because…"

"Is Jane standing there listening to every
word?"

She didn’t have to glance back to see Jane
glaring holes in the back of her head. "Every inflection."

"I know the feeling."

"The whole town is going to be talking."

"Yes or no?"

Curious now about his reasons, Megan
answered. "Yes."

"I’ll be there in thirty."

Megan turned back to Jane. She’d been right.
Jane’s glare could melt ice.

"Don’t hurt my boy."

Megan threw up her hands. "He’s the one who
called me."

"And when he gets here, I’ll tell him the
same."

Was she tempting fate by going out with him?
Because, really, what did they have to talk about? Megan’s only
choice was to go and find out.

Jane sighed. "Are you going to wear
that?"

She looked at her shirt and jeans. They were
clean and very expensive but, from the expression on Jane’s face,
if she pointed either out she’d be disowned. "I think I packed a
dress."

"You haven’t unpacked?"

In case I had to depart fast
, she
almost replied. Jane walked to the closet. Megan pulled the
suitcase from under the bed and heaved it onto the mattress. Jane
placed the hangers on the bed. Megan noted but didn’t comment—there
weren’t any wire hangers.

Chapter 8

Later Aiden might regret his impulsive
decision, but now he only saw the benefits. Jocelyn left in a sour
mood. She’d be busy trying to make sure he and Megan didn’t do
anything they’d regret later. Shep had taken Nicole out to dinner,
so no comments from the peanut gallery. Jane, he could always
depend on her, was bound to give him a lecture. Thankfully, when he
pulled up to the house Jane and her barbed tongue weren’t in sight.
He closed the door to his truck and saw Megan leaning against the
pillar closest to the door. She’d done something to her hair,
because it framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were closed, head
tilted back, and she looked content waiting there for him. The
dress stopped short of her knees, the neckline dipped low, and her
breasts swelled at the top of the material. The ties of the dress
were knitted in a bow on the back of her neck, leaving her
shoulders bare. Megan looked smooth and delectable, and all
woman.

Okay, the good idea didn’t seem so smart now.
She stretched and the silky material lifted, caressing her curves
on its way up her body. He got a glimpse of her supple thighs. His
mother had been right; this was not one of his brightest ideas.
Aiden balled his hands into tight fists in his pockets. The urge to
touch her hadn’t lessened in the past twenty-four hours. Worse, he
needed to keep a cool head or they’d end up liplocking again or,
much worse than that, in a bed.

"Hope you haven’t been waiting for long,"
Aiden murmured.

She opened her eyes and let her arms fall
back into place. "It was better than being under the watchful eye
of Jane. It started to feel like the old days. The only difference
is she trusts my willpower now. She used to sneak condoms into my
purse."

Aiden glanced at her side. His stomach
clenched. She wasn’t carrying a purse. "No need for her to worry. I
figure we can grab a few drinks at Tessa’s." He gestured to his
vehicle. "Ready?"

"I can’t believe you still have that thing."
He smiled when she frowned. "You made the Red Demon green."

"It’s the Green Demon now. It runs good,
other than a few repairs. I haven’t needed to get rid of it."

He opened the passenger door and had to turn
his head away while she climbed in, not wanting to see what lay
beneath the black silk.

"Same seats," she said tightly as he started
the truck.

The patent leather was probably steeped with
the memories of them making love on them. Aiden gunned the engine.
"If it’s not broke, don’t fix it."

She made a noncommittal noise, then said, "So
how much has changed since I’ve been gone? Jane’s letters never
went into detail on gossip."

Aiden chuckled and relaxed his hands on the
steering wheel. "Let’s start with the seediest scandal. Mayor Allen
was caught cheating on his wife, about seven years back. The town
was split on whether or not it was true, after it came out that
Gracie was the supposed mistress."

"Gracie Malone? As in afro, lazy eye, and
smells funny, Gracie?"

"Marcy had finally talked Gracie into letting
her do her hair and changing the perfume." Aiden shrugged. "If you
are a desperate man, she’d pass for a good mistress."

Megan shook her head. "I don’t believe it,
and Jane never told me that one. I should have known."

"Jane only gives you the goods when it
matters."

"True."

Aiden shrugged. "As for the scandal, you
aren’t the only one. He’s still mayor and married."