It Had to Be Him (11 page)

“Nope.” He’d been beaten and left for dead on some of his worse missions. A few punches from Megan’s father were child’s play.

She stood to leave, leaning her mouth so close to his ear her warm breath sent a jolt straight to his lap. “We’ll see. Thanks for sharing
your
breakfast.” She gave his shoulder a pat. “Do we still need to have that drink tonight, or did we just cover it?”

“We still need to talk about Haley.”

She let out a long sigh. “Fine.”

Meg turned to leave, but he hooked a finger in the back of the waistband of her shorts and pulled her against him. Leaning over her shoulder, trying to ignore how nice her hair smelled, he said, “Maybe two-stepping will even be involved tonight.”

She turned her head and cocked a brow. “You stomping on my feet isn’t my idea of fun.”

“I was hoping you’d lead this time.”

She flashed a smile the way she used to for a second before she shut it down. Maybe he was making progress.

“No dancing and no kissing, Josh. Let go. Haley has an appointment to see Ben in a few minutes.”

He spun her around to face him. “She’s sick?”

“She has asthma. It was getting better, but something about being here at the lake has triggered her symptoms again.”

“I had asthma. Grew out of it when I was in middle school.”

“Really?” Megan’s eyes softened as a slow smile lit her face. “Maybe Haley will grow out of it too, then?”

“Probably.”

“God, that’s such a relief. Gotta go.”

“See you tonight.” Guilt stabbed him square in the heart when he’d seen the worry Megan carried about the asthma. Something he could have maybe helped relieve if he’d been around. But how to get her to let him help her now?

While watching Megan’s curvy jean-shorts-clad butt disappear through the swinging doors, a plan to get her and Haley that new car took shape in his mind. He scooped up his dishes and took them to the sink. After rinsing them off, he placed the plates and glasses into the big stainless steel washer.

Casey popped up behind him and corrected his placement. “Where’d a guy like you get such good manners?”

By growing up in a group home and then living his adult life alone—except for his time with Meg. “I bought them on the Internet. Speaking of which, can I use your computer? The Wi-Fi isn’t working in my room. But that’s probably on purpose, right?”

“Yep. What do you need?”

“I want to close that bank account so Megan can’t return the money to me. Then I was going to buy her a new car. I wanted to look at some prices before I go in to negotiate. Is there a dealer nearby?”

Casey’s brows spiked. “There’s a Ford dealer in the next town south. You can use the computer in my office.” As she led the way, Casey glanced over her shoulder. “If you really want to help her, stop by the lumber store near the car dealer. She needs materials for a thirty-foot dock. Have them deliver everything to the old Benson place. They’ll know where that is. But you can’t buy Megan’s love, Josh. You have to earn it.”

She’d finally used his first name. Maybe he was making progress with Casey too. Something told him he’d have to gain her trust before he won Megan over completely. “I’m not trying to buy anything. I just want them both safe. Why does Meg need a dock?”

“It’s not my place to tell. But you’d have a better chance of her taking a dock than the car. She’ll only make you take it back.”

“Not if she doesn’t know it came from me.”

After their visit with Ben, Megan fastened Haley’s life jacket and tucked her in front of the Jet Ski. “All set?”

“Go fast, Momma!” Haley squeezed Meg’s legs in anticipation.

“You got it.” Meg pushed off from Grandma’s dock and then cranked the gas. Haley’s squeals of pleasure put a smile on Meg’s face. Haley craved speed as much as she did. The shot Ben had given Haley earlier had perked her right back up to her normal self.

What would it hurt to take a little extra time out on the lake before they got started on the house for the day? Until her loan came through, and please God let that happen, she couldn’t afford to buy materials to get started on anything serious anyway.

She spotted a familiar ski boat and headed that way so they could do some wake jumping. The boat belonged to the hotel, and her friend Toby would be at the helm. The first guy she’d ever slept with.

Bleached-blond and gorgeous, Toby had told her right up front he was a man-whore and always would be. He didn’t commit, but he’d show her a good time whenever she wanted it.

Strangely, he was the only former lover she was still friends with. Probably because he’d told her the truth. She valued that the most in people.

When they got closer, he lifted a hand in greeting. A kid skiing behind the boat shrieked with pleasure.

Meg circled around and then headed straight into the excellent swells. Haley’s little hands dug into Meg’s thighs as they went airborne, but as soon as they landed she shouted, “Do it again!”

They jumped a few more waves until the kid skiing hit the water hard. As the towboat slowed and the waves settled, she headed toward the boy to be sure he was okay. As they got closer, the kid’s widened eyes and gaping mouth told her he’d probably gotten the wind knocked out of him.

Meg slowed the engine and drifted toward him.

The kid barely squeaked out, “Can’t breathe.”

She grabbed the back of his life jacket and pulled him up out of the water a bit, sending him a reassuring smile. “Lift your arms over your head and try to relax. You’ll be good in just a minute. Does anything hurt?”

The kid shook his head as he lifted his arms.

Haley patted his shoulder. “Fill the tummy balloon as big as you can.”

The kid frowned in confusion at Haley, but then after a few attempts he was finally able to draw a deep breath. Megan let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding right along with him. “You okay now?”

The boy smiled. “Yeah. That was scary. Thanks.”

Toby maneuvered the boat beside them and Megan helped the kid onboard. She recognized the boy’s father. He owned half the real estate in Manhattan and was a regular customer.

Once they determined the boy was fine, Mr. Randall held out his hand for a shake. “Thanks for the rescue, Megan. Toby tells us you’re opening up a lodge on the other side of the lake?”

Meg glanced at Toby, who sent her an eyebrow hitch and a cute grin.

She shook Mr. Randall’s hand. “Yes, I’m hoping it’ll be done in a few months.”

“How many will it sleep? My wife wanted to organize a little getaway with her sisters and their families here in September. But someone has already bought the hotel out for the week we wanted.”

Yay. Maybe her first customer. “I’m still remodeling, but barring any difficulties, I hope to have four master suites, and a couple of rooms with singles and bunk beds for the kids. It’s going to be a little more rustic than the hotel, though.”

“Great. Casey knows the dates. Go ahead and bill my account for booking the reservation.”

“You got it. Thanks, Mr. Randall. You guys have fun.” Megan mouthed a silent “thank you” to Toby and drove off, probably grinning like a lunatic. Because the hotel offered to let their privacy-craving customers buy out the whole place, the customers were used to paying a non-refundable third of the fee. That was just one more good thing about catering to the rich.

“Haley-Bug, we’re one step closer to getting the money we need to fix up our new house. A few more reservation deposits like that and we’ll be on our way!”

“Yay!” Haley clapped her hands as if she knew what Meg was talking about. How great was it that her daughter was happy just because Meg was? A far cry from the relationship she had with her father. Thank God her sister and Grandma had been there for her growing up. Probably she should remember to thank them for that.

As they pulled up to their rickety dock, Meg spotted a pile of building materials stacked neatly near the shore. After she freed herself and Haley from their life jackets and unloaded their supplies, they went to check out the stack. It was everything she’d need for her new dock. An invoice weighted down by a rock lay on top.

She studied the paid receipt, looking for any clues as to who would have been nice enough to buy her the materials anonymously. Maybe Zeke. He’d seen how bad and a little bit dangerous the dock was. Nothing on the paper gave it away. She’d figure it out and then pay whoever it was back after she got the loan.

Just as she was thinking that moving back home might not be so bad, a voice that had the same effect on her as fingernails trailing down a chalkboard made her cringe.

“Well, there you are, Meg. Funny how you’ve been back for days and we haven’t run into each other.”

Not funny. On purpose.

She slowly stood as Haley attached herself to Meg’s legs as if Cruella de Vil were approaching. “Hey, Amber. How are you?”

Amber navigated her way down the grassy hill toward them in her ice pick heels. She hadn’t changed a bit. Long blonde hair, tall and thin like a model, but with silicone-enhanced curves in all the right places and a fake, stiff smile. Like a Barbie on Botox.

Amber always dressed as if attending a swanky cocktail party. Probably because there weren’t any of those in Anderson Butte unless Amber was throwing one. “I wanted to be sure you knew about the fund-raiser for the new children’s section at the library we’re holding tomorrow. Everyone’s coming.” Amber leaned down and said to Haley, “There’ll be lots of fun games for you, sweetheart. And I’m just dying to meet your daddy.”

Haley’s head whipped up. “My daddy?”

Frickin’ Amber. She’d done that on purpose. “We’ll talk about that later. Why don’t you go grab a juice box from the backpack while I talk to Mrs. Downey?”

Haley frowned as she slowly headed toward the backpack that lay under a nearby pine tree.

Amber’s eyes got fake big and she threw her hand over her mouth. Probably to hide her evil sneer. “Oh, Meg. I’m so sorry. I’d forgotten Haley doesn’t know who her father is. But I hear he’s a real looker. And he’s moving here . . . but doesn’t have a job?”

The condescension in Amber’s voice raised Meg’s hackles. “Yeah, so maybe Haley and I will stop by tomorrow if we have time. Thanks.”

“If it’d be embarrassing for you to come and not be able to make a donation, we still need someone to work the ice cream booth from twelve till one.”

The old Meg might have “accidentally” poked Amber in the chest and made her totter off her ridiculous heels. But Haley was watching. “The ice cream booth is always fun. Sign me up.”

Her evil deed for the day accomplished, Amber beamed a satisfied grin. “If your ex is looking for a place to stay, my guesthouse is available. Maybe I can even find a way for a good-looking guy to
work off
his rent. See you tomorrow.”

Meg’s blood boiled as she watched Amber slither away like the snake she was. Amber’s not-so-thinly veiled reference to the time she’d slept with Meg’s boyfriend in high school and then later married him had hit its intended target.

That woman, married or not, would probably love to get her hands on Josh just to irritate Meg. A week ago, that wouldn’t have bothered her a bit. She would have told Amber they deserved each other and good riddance.

Now she wasn’t so sure. It seemed Josh
had
been more invested in their relationship than he’d let on back then. And there’d been other small changes in him too. When he’d mentioned dancing with her, which he hated to do, she’d almost accepted just to see if he’d really do it. Luckily, her brain did its job and reminded her heart not to engage.

He’d only hurt her again.

J
osh ran through his to-do list quicker than expected. By noon, he’d scratched off: buy Meg a car, set in place a plan to make it look like Meg won the car, and have materials for a new dock delivered. The last remaining item was the one he had the most trepidation about.

Anderson Butte was only a few hours away from the ranch where he’d grown up after his mother had died. He’d never known who his father was. It had been just him and his mother in their small apartment. Looking back, they were probably poor, but the complex had a pool and a park nearby where they played and had fun.