A Trusting Heart (17 page)

“Give back the money, Dad, or you’ll end up in jail. Do it for Mom’s sake. Who will take care of her when you’re in prison? Think of something else besides money for once.”

Her father smiled acidly at Megan and jingled the change in his pockets. Megan suddenly felt as if she needed to run, to get away from this house as fast as she could.

“I’m sure your mother’s new boyfriend will take care of all of her wants and needs if I have to take some time off. I’m not worried, though. They can’t touch me. My lawyer assures me I’m clean. The Carlisles are dreaming if they think they’ll get one cent back. Oh, and by the way, I used some of that two hundred grand to pay for your college education. You might even want to send them a thank you,” he said, laughing at his daughter’s horrified expression.

Megan dashed around her father and out the door, wishing she could erase the sound of her father’s cold laughter from her mind. Had she really come from those two people? Was it even possible for something good to come from something so clearly bad? Would she someday end up like them? The possibility made her nauseous as she drove quickly out of the elite subdivision and towards her humble home.

Twenty-Four

MEGAN DROVE STRAIGHT HOME and stumbled inside, numbly walking to her room where she fell face first onto her bed. She had been exhausted by Dylan and mercilessly drained by her parents. She didn’t think she’d be able to move for the next three days. The only thing she had the energy to do was cry.

Her mind swelled up in waves of jumbled emotions. Anger, disbelief, jealousy. Why? Why had Trevor been born to Cora? Someone who would go to ridiculous lengths to make sure their child was happy? On the other hand, why had she been born to her parents? She knew there was an answer somewhere, she just wasn’t sure she would like it.

Megan rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. If she continued to lay where she was, the likelihood of getting up the rest of the day would be nil. It was now or never. Megan commanded her body to move and headed for the bathroom. She wished a steaming hot shower could wash the slime-by-association feeling away. At the very least it would wake her up and hopefully rejuvenate her.

Megan was halfway through washing her hair when the doorbell cut through the sound of water.

Oh no.

Megan rinsed quickly and grabbed a towel, wrapping as she ran. It was too early for Trevor to be showing up. Who in the world could she be expecting? Megan whipped the door open.

“Hi! We’re here for our hair and makeup lesson.”

Megan stared at the three Jarvis girls and mentally kicked herself in the behind. She needed a brain transplant operation, now. How could she have forgotten something as important as this? And where was Linette when she needed her?

“Hey, girls, come on in. Let me just grab some clothes and I’ll be with you in just a minute.”

The three girls walked into the front room, giggling and smiling nervously. They were obviously excited about the opportunity to play around with make-up and Megan wanted this to be a fun experience for them. Why hadn’t she planned ahead? Megan grabbed her brand new cell phone and ran back to her bedroom as she speed dialed Cora’s phone number.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Cora. It’s Megan. I was wondering if you had anything planned for this evening?”

“Well, not exactly. There’s a good show coming on at seven that I wanted to see, but other than that, no. Why? Did you have something in mind?” Cora asked hopefully.

“What would you say if I invited you over for a few lessons on hair and makeup? I’ve got Drew’s girls over here rearing to go and I think I’m on shaky ground. I could really use some help with these make-overs.”

Cora laughed, her eyes lighting up. She had been wanting to meet Drew’s daughters and this would be the perfect opportunity. The girls would be meeting her as a friend of Megan’s instead of their dad’s new romantic interest. She was already grabbing her purse as she answered Megan.

“I’ll be there in less than twenty minutes. Just get their hair pulled back and their faces washed. This will be a piece of cake.”

Megan put the phone down, smiling for the first time in hours. Her house was full of giggling girls and Cora would be there soon. It would be impossible to be sad under these circumstances. Maybe Heavenly Father was watching out for her after all.

* * *

“Am I having a bad dream, or did I just step into
Seventeen Magazine
?”

Trevor put the flowers he had brought for Megan down on the coffee table and slipped out of his suit coat as he grinned at his mom and Megan, up to their eyeballs in curling irons, blush brushes, and fingernail polish.

“Trevor, you have perfect timing! I love that in a boyfriend. Would you mind coming over here and holding this section of hair for me? Your mom’s all tied up and this has to look perfect.”

Trevor’s smile faltered slightly as he took hold of the section of hair Megan handed to him. It looked as if she were trying to recreate an African wedding ceremonial hairdo. He couldn’t even count all of the loops of braids sticking out from the poor girl’s head, but by the way the girl’s eyes were shining, she was in heaven. Trevor’s smile slipped back firmly into place as he watched the two most important women in his life primp three of the happiest girls to death.

“Ta da! What do you think, Trev? Aren’t these three of the most beautiful girls you have ever seen? I think they look like models. What do you say?” Cora asked.

Trevor laughed at the look of triumph on his mother’s face and knew his mom was just as happy as the girls were. She loved to be needed and helping these girls out with their makeovers had given her a beautiful glow. She looked as if she had been given a makeover.

“I’m almost positive that the five most beautiful women ever created are standing right here before me. I am humbled to be in your presence.”

The three girls giggled and blushed at the compliments. It had to be true if it came from somebody as good looking as Megan’s boyfriend.

“Well, all dressed up and nowhere to go? That’s a real bummer. Do you girls think you’re up to going to the food court at the mall? I’m starving to death,” Trevor said.

The girls’ eyes turned big and round with wonder. This was almost too much. Most of the kids from school hung out at the mall and if even one guy they knew could just see how stylish they really were, their lives would be complete.

Megan chuckled as she walked over to Trevor and kissed him firmly on the cheek, causing his eyebrows to shoot up into the air.

“You really do know how to make a girl’s dreams come true, don’t you?”

Trevor grinned and slid his arms around her waist, not caring if his mom and three teenage girls were watching and leaned down for a quick kiss.

“You think the food court is good, wait and see what I have in store for you.”

Megan could feel herself blush and moved out of the circle of Trevor’s arms smoothly. Trevor would just have to wait.

Twenty-Five

AFTER A QUICK TRIP to the mall for Chinese food, Cora dropped Megan and Trevor off at Megan’s house while she took the girls home to their dad. Megan smiled to herself as she walked through the front door and threw her purse on the counter. How could such an awful day turn out to be so wonderful?

“What are you smiling about? You look like you know a secret.”

Megan laughed, flopping tiredly down on her couch as she smiled up at Trevor who was now standing over her with his hands resting on his hips. Why was it he always reminded her of an eighth grader?

“I just think life can be so funny sometimes. Take your mom, for instance. I think it’s so sweet that the matchmaker is the one who got matched up. Did you notice how she insisted on taking the girls home? I think she wants to see Drew again. As a matter of fact, I think your mom is very interested in him. How do you feel about that?”

Trevor looked as if he suddenly didn’t want to know her secret after all. He slouched down on the couch beside her, carelessly draping his arm around her shoulders.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t like it.”

Megan shrugged his arm from off her shoulders and turned to glare at him.

“Hey! Now, don’t look at me like that. Try and see it from my point of view. I’ve had my mom to myself ever since I was born. I’ve never even seen her look at another man. It’s just kind of weird for me to see my mom dating. Have some compassion.”

Megan relaxed back against the couch again, stiffening when his arm made its way back around her shoulders.

“Well, I think you should be supportive of her. I think it’s wonderful and so romantic for her to find love after being alone for almost thirty years. And think of the cute stepsisters you’ll have if your mom decides to marry Drew. Three sisters and two little brothers. Now that’s a beautiful thought.”

Megan snickered at Trevor’s arrested look. He looked shocked by the thought of having so many sisters all at once. Poor thing. Poor Blaine! Blaine would most likely have to do all of the Christmas shopping.

“Make that four sisters. You forgot to count Linette,” Trevor said too sweetly.

Megan’s snickers stopped immediately as she turned to stare at Trevor.

“Trevor, I hope this isn’t your way of proposing to me, because it’s pretty off the wall, even for you.”

Trevor grabbed the remote control from off of the coffee table and quickly turned on the TV. “What channel was that English romance on anyway?”

Megan grabbed the remote from his hands, hiding it behind a throw pillow.

“Don’t change the subject. You need to deal with this romance, right here. Are you seriously thinking about marriage?”

Trevor felt the familiar weight of the engagement ring in his pocket and wondered if he should spring it on her tonight. He looked at her from under half-closed lids and decided against it. He’d wait another week. But it couldn’t hurt to have her start thinking in that direction.

“And what if I was? Haven’t you thought of children and becoming a mother? Would it be so bad to get married to someone like me? Just picture yourself doing makeovers for your own daughters. Of course, they’d have black, curly hair, but wouldn’t that be something you’d like to do someday?”

Megan tilted her head and thought about becoming a mother. Would she be like her own mother or would she be more like Cora? She sighed and knew the answer to that would be entirely up to her.

“Yes, I would like to be a mother. Very much. It’s the husband part I’m worried about.”

Trevor sat up, turning his body so he could massage Megan’s shoulders and back.

“You would love it. Think of it, a massage every night. I might even do the dishes, too. I’d probably pick up my socks. And . . . I’d take Marjorie for a walk every night.”

Megan laughed, relaxing under the gentle massage. Forget the socks, though. If he’d just take over Marjorie’s walks, that in itself would send her running to the altar.

“And what would you get in return? A twenty-eight year old failed real estate agent, a loser of a dog trainer, and a known bomb at relationships. I just don’t think you’ve thought this through very well. You really don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

As Trevor’s hands stilled on her back, she turned to look up into his eyes. He looked very serious and fierce.

“I don’t let anyone put my girlfriend down. Even you. So as your punishment, you have to come up with ten nice things to say about yourself in under one minute, or I get to kiss you. Starting now.”

Megan’s mouth fell open in surprise. Was he serious? Holy Hannah. He was looking intently at his watch and smiling. She’d better hurry.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this! Oh, all right. Um, I’m pretty good at budgeting money. I have great taste in houses. I’m a really good hair braider. I make the best lasagna in the world. Yes, even better than your mother’s. Um, I think my toes are cute. I’m really good at packing suitcases. I’ve never had any cavities. I’m a safe driver. I read my scriptures every day. And, finally, I have great taste in English romances.”

With that she grabbed the remote she had hidden under the pillow and flipped on the TV, turning it to A&E just in time to hear the opening score of
Pride and Prejudice
. She laughed at Trevor’s dramatic anguish and decided that it wouldn’t be so bad after all to have his arm around her during the show. It might even be nice.

During a commercial, Trevor turned down the volume and tickled her ear to get her attention.

“So how was your date with Dylan? Did he propose to you? I bet he offered you children with ordinary, straight, blond hair.”

Megan grimaced and stretched before answering. She didn’t really want to go into everything that had happened. She didn’t want to see her good mood disappear.

“Well, put your mind at rest. Dylan has accepted the fact that I am not interested in pursuing a relationship with him at this time. Or any time for that matter. So, you see, everything is just the way it should be.”

Trevor looked into her eyes searchingly, as if he were trying to read her mind. “You know, you can talk to me about anything. You do know that, don’t you? Anything at all.”

Megan winced at the memory of being with her parents that afternoon and knew she didn’t want him to know how dysfunctional her family really was. He’d reconsider that cubic zirconium.

“Oh, Trevor. Do you really want to be disillusioned this early in our relationship?”

Trevor frowned thoughtfully and then looked Megan straight in the eye. “Megan, if there is something that is upsetting you, then I want to know what it is. When you care about someone, you have a natural urge to make everything better. To help. Please, disillusion me.”

Megan groaned as she massaged her temples. She really didn’t want to tell Trevor that her father was a thief. Call her a coward, but she did have her pride. She’d just have to walk around the truth a little bit.

“What do you do when someone hurts you badly? What do you do when you have all of these feelings of pain and anger and you don’t know what to do with them? I feel like I’m going to be swallowed up by it all. It’s like my mind is in constant replay of every bad thing they’ve ever done or said to me and I just can’t get over it. I went over to my parents’ house after my lunch with Dylan and we had a major confrontation. I wanted to deal with a couple issues and they flat out didn’t. My mom pretty much disowned me and my dad couldn’t help laughing as I walked out the door. It wasn’t a very pleasant afternoon.”