Newlywed Games (2 page)

“I haven’t abandoned Meghann.” At least not yet. He wasn’t about to tell Charmaine he was going to have to cancel on Meg. “I’m in a bit of a hurry.” Mostly to get away from her.

She batted her lashes. “I thought maybe we could get together.”

“No.” He tried to step around her, but she expertly slid herself in his path.

“Well, then a drink…for old time’s sake.”

He looked her straight in the eyes. “I’m really not interested.”

She held up her hands. “You can’t blame a girl for trying.”

He was relieved when she sidestepped out of his
way, but then was caught off guard when she tripped and clutched at the front of him to regain her balance.

She pasted on a sweet, innocent smile. “Pardon me.”

As he grabbed her to set her aside, Meghann opened the door and witnessed them. His eyes locked with hers for an instant, and as clearly as if she had shouted it at him, he could read in her disbelieving eyes,
You used me!

He hadn’t. Never in a million years.

Embarrassment and hurt flamed to her face, then she ran away.

“Meghann, wait!” He shook Charmaine off and hustled after Meghann. He searched for her but couldn’t find her anywhere. Why did she have to choose that very moment to come down the hall? She didn’t understand. How could she with the damaging evidence?

Meghann, where are you? Let me explain, please!

Several months later, Meghann shifted in the hard chair as sounds gushed in from the hospital hallway, battering her. A straight-back chair with what little padding it offered did not make for a good bed. She didn’t know what time she drifted off or how much sleep she got, but apparently enough to make her stiff. She moved slowly to her mother’s bedside, trying to work out the kinks in her shoulders. Her mother had collapsed two days ago and slipped into a coma. Meghann had insisted on staying through the night against the hospital staff’s recommendations. She wanted to spend every last minute with her mom.

Beep…beep…beep.
…The monitor continued to measure out each beat of precious life.

Contrary to the doctor’s prediction, her mother lasted through the night. That had to be a good sign.

Thank you, Lord!

“Good morning, Mom.”

Heavy lids fluttered open. “I’ve had better,” her mother rasped out.

“You’re awake!” Tears sprang to Meghann’s eyes. Her prayers had been answered.

“I woke up some time ago. The doctor and the nurse have both been in to poke at me while you slept.”

Meghann sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed back the hair from one side of her mom’s face, feeling more like the parent instead of the child. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

“You looked so peaceful sleeping there.” Her mother patted Meghann’s hand. “It reminded me of when you were a baby and I would slip into your room to watch you sleep.”

A heavyset nurse that Meghann recognized from the day before entered the room. The nurse picked up her mother’s chart and looked at Meghann. “I see you’ve woken up, too, and have seen the good news for yourself.” The nurse scratched something onto her mother’s chart. “It seems she’s pulling out of this.”

This? Don’t they even know what’s wrong with Mom?

“Congratulations on your new marriage.”

The nurse was looking right at Meghann so she could only assume the woman was speaking to her. “Marriage?”

“I heard you tell the doctor you just got married.”

When did I tell the doctor that?

“Did I ruin a surprise?” The wide-eyed nurse tucked her multicolored pen back in her uniform pocket.

Meghann searched her brain for conversations with the doctor the previous day. Had she mentioned marriage? Only when the doctor told her to talk to her mom and give her something to fight for. She had told the doctor the thing that would make her mom happiest would be if she told her she had just gotten married. The nurse must have only heard a piece of the conversation. Why didn’t some people get their facts straight before pouncing on every bit of gossip they thought they heard? Meghann opened her mouth to set the record straight when her mother’s tired voice stopped her.

“Oh, darling, I’m so happy for you.”

Meg’s protest died in her throat with her mother’s smile and bright eyes. Did her mother really look better or was it her imagination?

“It must be that nice young manager you’re always talking about.”

“A-assistant manager,” was all she could manage to say. Did she really talk about him that much?

“My daughter always tried to play down her relationship, but a mother can tell. I knew she was hiding something.” Her mother turned back to her then. “His name’s Bruce, right, honey?”

Her affirmation came out as a squeak, then she cleared her throat with a nod. “Bruce Halloway.”

“Meghann Halloway. Doesn’t that have a nice sound to it?”

Meghann thought so. But exactly how did she suddenly become Mrs. Bruce Halloway? More important, how did she tactfully become unmarried to her boss?

The doctor came in then, giving Meghann the chance to collect her thoughts. Her mother looked so invigorated with the news of her marriage. She would be disappointed to find out it was all a misunderstanding.

The doctor brought her out of her thoughts. “Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. She’s improved since I was last here, but she’s not out of the woods yet.”

Keep it up? But…but…it’s not true!

She looked from the doctor to the smiling nurse to her ill mother. A weak smile pulled at Meghann’s mouth.

I guess I’m married…for now.

“I’
M GOING TO KILL MY MOTHER
!”

“No, you’re not.” Meghann’s friend Jennifer tried to console her, but she knew better.

Slouched on her gingham-covered sofa, Meghann Livingston rolled her head to the side with a sigh and gave her friend a weary pout. “Yes, I am going to kill her. When I tell her I have no husband, she will collapse again…only this time at my feet.”

Meghann’s mother had recently been released from a Florida hospital after being treated for what the doctors were calling overexhaustion for lack of a better, more accurate diagnosis. Truth was, they didn’t have a clue what was wrong with her mother. Other than a slight potassium deficiency, all the tests came back negative. Even the CAT scan revealed nothing.

Meghann shook her head. It just didn’t make sense. A person didn’t just faint and slip into a coma for no reason. But that’s what her mother had done. It had been a terrifying time, but thankfully her mother seemed to be recovering. And the doctor had said she should take it
easy and rest or the next time could be worse.

The next time?

No!
If Meghann could help it, there would be no next time. Only one thing could be worse than
almost
dying, and that wasn’t going to happen. Her mother was all she had.

Why were you driving yourself so hard, Mom?
Was she that lonesome? So much so that she had to fill her every waking moment?

It was no wonder Meghann had said what she had, that she’d tried to give her frighteningly ill mother some hope…some shred of something to hold on to. No wonder she’d avoided setting the misconception straight and lied through her teeth. It was everything her mom wanted for her.

Her mom thought it was unreasonable for her daughter to still be single at twenty-five.
“What is wrong with all the men these days? Are they all afraid to commit?”
Her mom’s questions played over and over in her mind. Meghann just hadn’t found the right man yet.

That isn’t true.
She had found him. She planned to invite him over for a home-cooked meal but had to postpone it when her mother collapsed. And now she was in a bind. Her mom was on the mend and coming to visit her under the guise of meeting a nonexistent husband, and Meghann had the unfortunate task of breaking the bad news to her.

“I have to let her down easy.” Meghann said to her friend, then sat up with a start. “I’ve got it! You tell her. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a shock coming from you.” She raised her brows in hope.

Jennifer shook her head. “You take life far too seriously. Why are you making this so hard?”

Because it is hard.

“It’s really quite simple.” Jennifer’s dark eyes blazed with delight.

Meg stared open-mouthed at her friend. “Simple?”

This she had to hear. True, Jennifer could reduce almost anything to simple terms, even Einstein’s theory of relativity. Take out all the difficult-to-understand stuff and whatever is left, if anything, must be right. But what Meghann had done wasn’t difficult to understand, just stupid. Crazy. Totally wrong.

And utterly impossible to get out of.

“Care to explain how telling my mom I’m not really married to Mr. Right and not killing her in the process is…
simple?”

“Yep.” Jennifer’s nod was firm and her smile broadened. “You don’t.”

Meg frowned. “I don’t what?”

“You don’t tell her you’re not married.”

Meg came up off the sofa, disturbing her black Lab at her feet. “I thought you were going to help me!”

Jennifer laid a gentle hand on her arm. “I am, Meg, more than you know. Look, your mom’s not really well yet, right?”

Sinking back onto the couch again, Meg nodded. “Right.”

“But thinking you’re married and settled has been a big help for her, right?”

Meg’s midsection twisted at the playful sparkle in her friend’s eyes. “Right…”

“And telling the truth might send her into a relapse, right?”

Meg fixed her friend with a glare. “Is this supposed to be helping me?”

Jennifer sighed. “All I’m saying is that you keep up the ruse for now. I mean, what’s more important? Making sure your mom gets better or making yourself feel better by telling the truth?” She came to kneel beside Meg. “Really, who are you hurting? You’ll tell your mom the truth when she’s strong enough, but for now, go along. It’s what she’s always wanted, so why not give it to her for a while? Honor thy father and mother and all that.”

Meghann hated to admit it, but for once, Jennifer sort of made sense.

Lying to your mother was wrong, regardless of your intentions. How can continuing the lie make it better?

Meghann knew the question was valid. Knew the lie was wrong.
But what else can I do, Lord? What if I tell her and it’s too much for her, too hard on her heart?

No. She couldn’t take the chance. Meghann rubbed a hand over her eyes, trying to wipe away the ache. “So how do I explain the absence of my supposed husband while Mom is here?”

Jennifer’s triumphant grin did little to ease Meg’s worries. “I’ve already thought of that. He’s on an extended business trip. And you get one of the guys from the hotel to call you now and then to talk with you. Trust me, your mom will buy it.”

“I don’t know, Jenn.”

“Trust me.”

Meghann waited expectantly, scanning the travel-worn passengers exiting the terminal gate at the Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. Person after weary person emerged and donned a smile as their eyes met their waiting party.

The flow of people through the door stopped. No, that couldn’t be everyone. Her mother would have called if she had missed the flight. She glanced nervously at her watch, straightened it on her wrist, then glanced back to the empty doorway. Her eyes darted around the crowded waiting area, searching face after unfamiliar face. Another small wave of travelers coming through the exit caught her attention. There, she saw a familiar form at the back of the group. She let out a sigh of relief when she caught her mother’s gaze. At the sight of her daughter the smile in her mom’s eyes spread across her weary face. The two embraced for a long moment.

“I was beginning to wonder if you were on the plane. I had almost given up,” Meghann said, stepping back slightly. Though some of her mother’s color had returned from when Meghann saw her a few weeks ago, she still looked drained.

“Everyone jumps up and tries to stampede off the plane as if the folks who came to meet them will be gone before they can get there. I wasn’t afraid you would leave without me—” a teasing smile lifted her mother’s lips—“at least not until you thoroughly searched the plane.”