Laugh Like You've Never Cried (Summer Lake 5) (4 page)

Michael had to laugh at that. “'Scuse me, critter, but no one would have picked Dan out of a line up as your ideal partner, would they?”

The way she smiled at the mention of Dan's name made Michael envy what the two of them had. “No, they wouldn't. Just be careful is all I'm saying. She may not be what you're looking for and you've been through enough already.”

He nodded, serious now. “I know. Thanks Miss. And besides, I've got Ethan to think about. He's the one who's been through too much.”

“Is that all sorted out now?”

“Almost, but I don't have to worry about it for a while. Anyway, I'm going to run home and change. I'll see you over there.”

Missy smiled at him. “Okay, don't take too long.”

***

M
egan put Ollie's bowl down and stared at him. “You wait, Oliver.”

He grinned at her. She'd swear he knew what she was mad at him for, and he wasn't in the least bit sorry. He barked twice and offered her his paw. She couldn't stay cross with him. “Go on then.” He dived nose-first into his breakfast and proceeded to chase the bowl all around the kitchen in his usual manner as he ate.

“You are a big, hairy traitor. Do you know this, Ollie-bug?” Megan smiled as she sipped her apple juice and watched him. He lifted his head to look at her then carried on. “I was doing a good job of saying no to that man until you went and told him yes. What did you have to do that for? Now I'm supposed to have dinner with him, and I don't know what to wear, or what to say, or what to do. Maybe I should send you out with him and I'll just stay here.”

Ollie looked up and gave a short sharp bark. Megan smiled. “One bark for no, right? So you think I should go?”

He licked his bowl clean and came to sit in front of her. He put a paw up on her knee and barked twice. “Two for yes. Okay then, boy. I'll be brave, but don't you worry. I'm sure I won't be out long. He'll soon figure out that I'm no fun and it'll be over early. Maybe we can go for another walk when I get back.”

Ollie cocked his head to one side and whined. The phone rang before she could ask him what he meant by that.

“Hello?” She didn't get many phone calls, apart from Kenzie. It wasn't her. It was a local number that Megan didn't recognize.

“Hey, Megan. It's Missy. I just wanted to see if you'd like to come down for breakfast with everyone? I'm on my way over there. I could pick you up, if you like?”

“Oh. Hello, Missy. No, thank you. I can't. I have to get ready for work.”

“Okay, hon. I just wanted to ask, and to let you know you're welcome to join in anytime you want. It occurred to me that you don't know many people yet. I'm here if ever you want a friend.”

“Thank you.” Missy was nice. Maybe it would be okay to ask her?

“Are you still there, hon?”

Megan realized the silence had lengthened while she grappled with the idea. “Yes. I...I...I'm sorry. I...I...I.” Oh, for goodness sake! She needed to get over the stammering. She took a deep breath. “Could I ask you a question, please?”

“Course you can! What is it?”

“N...n...nothing. I'm sorry. It doesn't matter.”

“I'll tell you what. What time are you at work?”

Oh, dear. Now she'd have to admit that was just an excuse. “Not till noon.”

“Good.”

She was grateful that Missy didn't comment on the fact that she would be able to go for breakfast if she wanted to.

“How about I stop by in about an hour. You can ask me about whatever it is then. My cell signal can be awful sometimes.”

Megan smiled. The line was perfectly clear. It was her stammering that was awful. Missy was just being kind. “I'd like that, if you don't mind.”

“I'd like it too, hon. I'll see you in a little while. Bye.”

“Bye.”

Megan stared at Ollie. “Don't look at me like that! It's your fault I have to go out. I need some help with what I should wear. I haven't done this in a long time. A very long time.”

Ollie just grinned at her. Traitorous dog!

***

O
llie went crazy when he heard Missy coming up the path. He flung himself at the front door, barking.

“Hang on a minute,” shouted Megan. She grabbed his collar. “It's okay Ollie, it's Missy. She's a friend.” At least Megan was hoping she might become one. She led him into the kitchen and closed the door. “It's okay. You wait there.”

She hurried to open the front door. “Sorry about that, he's not used to people coming around. Come on in, I've put him in the kitchen.”

Missy eyed the kitchen door warily as she followed her into the living room.

“He's a good dog.” She didn't want Missy to be scared. “He's just very serious about taking care of me.”

“It sounds like it,” said Missy as Ollie continued to bark and jump at the kitchen door.

“Do you want to meet him?”

Missy wrinkled her nose. “Maybe. If he's not going to eat me.”

Megan smiled. “He won't, I promise. He'll be fine once he knows you.”

She opened the kitchen door and took hold of his collar. He barked at Missy while Megan clung on to him. “Stop it, Ollie-bug, be nice now. This is Missy.”

Missy held out a hand and let him sniff her. Once he'd done that he gave two short sharp barks and then started to wag around her legs.

Missy laughed. “I guess that means I meet with your approval?” She reached down to stroke him and he rolled on his back, offering up his belly for tickling. Missy knelt down and rubbed, laughing some more as his back leg peddled in the air.

“Oh, he'll love you forever if you give him belly rubs.”

“Typical male,” said Missy. “Gets himself all worked up over nothing and then forgets all about it as soon as you touch him.”

Megan nodded. She didn't know what to say.

Missy smiled at her. “I'm sorry you couldn't make it for breakfast. Maybe soon? We're not that bad when you get to know us.”

“Oh, it's not you. It's me. I don't do well in groups. Especially when I don't know anyone.”

Missy wrinkled her nose. “We'll have to change that then. You already know Ben, nothing scary about him. Dan's easy, and hopefully I'm not too bad, though I can be a bit bossy.”

Megan smiled. “I don't believe that.”

“Actually, I save that for the guys. They're the ones that need it. Especially when they're being dumb. And last night, Michael was being really dumb. He's a good guy, but sometimes he doesn't know when to tone his joking down.”

Megan nodded. “I noticed.”

“Look, hon. I hope you don't mind, but he told me that the two of you are going out tonight.”

Megan nodded again. She didn't know if this would make it harder or easier to ask Missy her question. She decided to wait and see.

“It occurred to me that you've been hiding out here and haven't been out on a date in a while.”

How could she know that? And was it really a date?

Missy shrugged. “It's a small town, hon. If you'd been out at all I would have seen you around, and if you'd been dating I would have heard about it. I just figured that it's been a while, and you might want a girlfriend to talk to.”

Megan stared at her. Was there a catch? She'd never had a girlfriend she could talk to about dating or about guys. Not that she'd done much dating, and was that really what this was—a date?

“Feel free to tell me to butt out. I don't want to interfere, just wanted you to know you've got a friend if you need one.”

Megan relaxed. “Thank you, Missy. Thank you, so much. I do need one. I'd love it to be you, if you really don't mind.”

Missy grinned. “I wouldn't be here if I did, now would I? Be warned though, you may acquire three more friends before long. Emma, Holly, and Laura, who you met last night?”

“They seemed nice.” They had. It was the blonde one sitting next to Michael's chair who hadn't. Megan frowned as she tried to remember her name. “Leanne. She didn't seem too happy I was there.”

Missy laughed. “Don't worry about her. She's only here for the weekend and she's great, too. It's just that she thought she might get to spend some time with Michael herself.”

“I see.” Megan wondered why on earth Michael would want to take
her
to dinner and not the beautiful blonde.

Missy shook her head. “No, you don't see, hon. He's not interested in her. Never has been. He's interested in you.”

“He doesn't know me!”

“Exactly! He wants to. Last night he saw you come in early on. It was all we could do to stop him from crashing your meeting upstairs.”

Megan stared at her.

Missy laughed. “Don't look at me like that, hon. The guy likes you. He's thrilled you agreed to go on a date with him tonight.”

“He called it a date?” She'd been trying to convince herself that he was just being nice. Making a new friend, like he'd said.

“He did. Why? Is that not what you were thinking?”

“I don't know what to think, Missy. I've never really dated much. I was in one long relationship and other than that, well....I haven't really.”

“So, you're about to start. Michael's a good guy. Go out with him. It'll do you good.”

“He does seem very nice.” She looked away. “He's very handsome. It's just, he's....well, he's all fun, and I'm not. I don't really know how to have fun.”

Missy touched her arm. “Don't you worry about that, hon. It's hard not to have fun around Michael. He's a big joker, but he's more than that too. He's a genuine, decent guy. I've known him all my life.”

Megan nodded.

Missy grinned. “So what are you going to wear?”

“I don't know. That's the question I wanted to ask you. What
should
I wear? I mean, I haven't really got much, but I feel like I should make some kind of effort to look nice.” She looked down at her sweatshirt and jeans. “I couldn't really go like this, or could I?”

“You could, but I think we can do better than that. I'd offer to lend you something. We're about the same size, even though—and you have no idea how thrilled I am to be able to say this—I'm a bit taller than you, but we can do that next time. I think this first time you should wear something of your own. You're going to be nervous enough by the looks of you. You need to at least feel comfortable in your clothes.” She stopped rubbing Ollie's belly and stood up. “Come on, where's your closet. Let's see what we can do.”

“What do you mean? This first time? This will be the only time.” Megan stared at her. “Won't it?”

“If you want it to, then yeah.” Missy grinned at her. “But if Michael gets a say, then I doubt it. Come on, where's your closet? We need to find you something before you have to get ready for work.”

***

B
en helped Michael push the boat trailer back into the shed. “Thanks, bud. It was a good afternoon.”

“Yeah. It was fun. I'm looking forward to tonight more though.”

Ben smiled at him. “I hope you have a good time. Megan's great. Just think about dialing it back a bit, huh?”

Michael nodded. “I will. I'll be good, Uncle Ben. I promise.”

Ben laughed. “All right. I'm not nagging.”

“I know, mate. What about you? What does your evening hold?”

“Um. I have to work tonight.”

Michael laughed out loud at that. “You mean you're hiding from Leanne, right?”

Ben grinned. “Well, she's a bit much for me. When Dan first mentioned her, Jack said she'd eat me for breakfast. The way she was carrying on this afternoon, I'm afraid that's exactly what she's got in mind!”

Michael grasped his shoulder. “Go for it, mate. It'd do you good.”

“No. Not for me. I'll get some work done instead. But just you bear in mind that as lovable as
you
think you are, you might be as scary to Megan as Leanne is to me. You might be better not subjecting her to the full force of your charm all at once.”

Michael nodded. He already understood that. “Thanks, mate. I'm a clown not an idiot.”

Ben grinned. “I know that, bud. Sorry. Maybe I am being nagging old Uncle Ben after all. I'd just hate to see you screw it up.”

Michael looked him in the eye. “This is about mistakes you already made, not mistakes I might make, right?”

Ben shrugged. “Maybe. Have a great night. I'll catch up with you tomorrow.”

Michael caught up with him as he walked back down the driveway. “Sorry, mate.”

“It's okay. You're probably right.”

Michael felt bad. “What do you say, want to help me work on the old Cadillac tomorrow afternoon? I want to get her all tuned up and ready to roll again. It'd be like old times, you and me spending a Sunday afternoon under the old girl's hood.”

Ben smiled. “Sure, why not.”

M
egan ran back upstairs to check the mirror one more time. She was tempted to change back into her jeans before Michael arrived. She felt comfortable in her jeans. Safe. The skirt she was wearing went all the way down to her feet, skimmed the top of her boots, but still she wasn't sure. Missy had loved the outfit they'd put together. She wore a plain white peasant top with the full, tan-colored skirt and cowboy boots. She was all covered up, but she felt exposed. Missy had wanted her to leave her hair down, but that was just too much. She'd conceded a little by fastening it into a looser bun than she normally wore, even letting a few wisps escape around her neck, but that was as far as it went. She picked up her glasses from the dresser and put them on to inspect herself.

She had to smile. She looked...pretty! She really did. She'd put on a tiny swipe of mascara and a smear of the only lipstick she owned, the one Kenzie had bought her two years ago. She'd also fastened those big gold hoops to her ears, another gift from Kenzie. She wondered what her sister would think if she could see her now. She'd probably tell her she looked like a wild gypsy girl. She shook her head. As if! She, Megan Reid, could never be considered wild. But for this one night, this one
date
, with the handsome Michael, she could at least dream. Heck, if she could just manage not to stutter she'd be doing well.

She jumped when she heard a knock on the door. How on earth had that happened? Where was Ollie? He never let anyone get through the front gate before he started his barking and threatening. She ran down the stairs to find him whining and wagging, pawing at the front door. What the heck was going on with him? She opened the door and heard herself gasp. Michael stood there holding a beautiful bunch of cream colored roses. But it wasn't the flowers that made her gasp, it was the sight of him. He was wearing a white shirt and faded blue jeans. He looked totally...what? Cool! That was the word for him. He was just cool. Like the boys in high school. The ones who had never even noticed that little bookworm Megan was alive. Michael was certainly noticing her though, and apparently liking what he saw. That dimple sat next to a broad grin as he held out the flowers.