Newlywed Games (33 page)

“You wouldn’t know the truth if it came up and hit you on the nose!”

His eyes widened at that jab, and he felt the burn of anger in response. “Bit of the pot calling the kettle, don’t you think, Meg?”

Tears shimmered in her eyes, and she looked away. “It doesn’t matter anymore, does it? I’m leaving.” Her voice was choked with tears. “This marriage is over!”

Her declaration was met with stunned stares from the others in the room.

“Meg, honey, you can’t be serious,” her mother said. “All couples have problems. You’ll work this out.”

“I’ve never been more serious!”

“She’s right.”

Meg looked at Bruce sharply, clearly startled by his agreement. He met her gaze firmly. “If Meg can’t trust
me, then what hope do we have?”

“But you’re so right for each other,” his mother said, jumping in to smooth ruffled feathers. “Your marriage is so perfec—”

“Our
marriage?
There
is
no marriage!” Meghann was nearly shouting now. “There never
has
been! It’s all been one big, fat lie after another.”

The stunned silence that met Meg’s words lasted for all of a minute. Then the room exploded into chaos.

“You two are living together?”

Bruce wouldn’t have believed anything could make him laugh right then, but the stunned expression on his brother’s face almost did just that.

Almost.

Gayle gasped as the color drained from her face, and Bruce waited for Meghann to cave in to one of Gayle’s well-timed spells and try to backpedal. But she didn’t get the chance.

Brock stepped toward them. “What happened to your high Christian ideals? Or do you only hold to them when it’s convenient?”

“Give it a rest, Brock. You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bruce knew his words were harsh, but he couldn’t deal with his brother’s outrage right now.

Meghann shook her head. “No, no, no! We are not living together. We aren’t even dating! Bruce—” she rolled her eyes—“Mr. Halloway is only my boss. I made it up…I told Mom we were dating to placate her. Then, when she was so ill, there was a misunderstanding. Suddenly she was looking at me, all excited about my marriage, and I didn’t have the courage to tell her it wasn’t
so.”

Bruce watched Meg with mixed emotions. He was proud of her for finally setting things right, but he was also afraid. The lie had kept them together. Now…

Now there was nothing.

“So…what? Were you blackmailing Bruce to play along?”

Bruce almost slugged his father for that comment, but Meg glanced at him, and the sorrow in her face cut him to the quick. “Of course not. He just got involved. I never intended for it to happen, but he was in the right place at the wrong time and took pity on me and played along with this farce.”

She held her hands out in entreaty. “We didn’t mean to hurt anyone. It just kept growing, and then you all came, and we were suddenly caught even deeper in the deception. But it’s over now. I’m so sorry for all of this, but it’s over. And everyone can go back to their own lives.”

So saying, Meghann snatched up her purse and grabbed her suitcase. Bruce didn’t want her to walk out like this. He caught her arm. “I
can
explain about Charmaine. If you’d just listen—”

A single, lonely tear rolled down her cheek, then she pulled free of him. “I’ve had enough lies to last a lifetime and then some.”

His hand fell away, and she turned to walk out the door.

Pain filled Bruce…a pain more intense than he’d ever known. She wouldn’t listen. Wouldn’t even give him the courtesy of hearing what he had to say. She had
to be the most unreasonable woman he had ever met.

“Fine! Go! See if I care!” But they were hollow words, and he knew it. He did care. More than he’d ever cared about anything in his life.

He stared at the closed door she had slammed and thought he’d go mad.

What should he do? He could go after her, even force her to listen, but doubted it would accomplish anything.

But if he let her go, he’d be saying good-bye to more than just Meg. He’d be saying good-bye to his heart.

He raked a hand through his hair and turned around. Four faces stared blankly at him. “What are all you looking at?” He threw up his hands, marched off to his room, slamming the door behind him.

And so help him, if anyone came in and tried to talk to him, he would not be responsible for his actions.

Gayle’s gaze went from the door Bruce had slammed to the one her daughter had just gone through, brokenhearted. Had she pushed too hard? Was she the cause of this? Her anguish was disturbed by laughter. Turning, she stared at Brock, who was sitting in one of the living room chairs.

“What is wrong with you?” Olivia scolded.

With an effort, Brock reined in his merriment. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“Isn’t
what
obvious?” Olivia looked as though she wanted to throw something at him. Gayle thought she
might join her.

“They’re in love.”

Olivia huffed. “Of
course
they are! We know that.”

Gayle nodded slowly. She was beginning to understand. “But
they
don’t know it.”

“Bingo,” Brock said, smiling at her. And Gayle was surprised to find herself smiling back. Her daughter had certainly married into a charming family. No, not married—her smile broadened—not yet.

“So I guess it’s up to us to make them see it.” Brock stretched out his arms and tucked his hands behind his head.

Gayle turned to Olivia and the woman’s conspiratorial smile made her laugh. “Indeed,” Olivia said.

“I think you are all insane.”

Gayle fixed Ivan Halloway with a hard look. She’d had just about enough of this man. “Fortunately, Ivan, what you think is irrelevant.”

His mouth clamped shut, and Gayle looked to Olivia, then indicated the couch. “Shall we?”

Olivia didn’t even glance at her husband. She just nodded. “Absolutely. We have plans to make.”

Indeed, they did.

Meghann slouched on Jennifer’s couch, her arm over her eyes. “Thanks for letting me stay with you for a day or two.” She had intended to go to her place at first, then realized someone would come looking for her there. She just couldn’t face any of them, not yet anyway.

“Hey, what are friends for? I’m sorry it all blew up like that. I can’t believe Bruce was with another woman. He seemed so perfect.”

Yeah. He seemed a lot of things. He was good at appearances.

Meghann sat up. “Would you do one more favor for me? Call Bruce’s and see if my mom is all right? She looked kind of pale when I left.”

“Sure.” Jennifer dialed and she heard her asking about her mother, then she covered the phone with her palm and said, “Your mom is fine. She’s being taken to your place.”

It was a relief to know her mother hadn’t collapsed again because of her foolishness. And what had she gained by all of it? Nothing but heartache and humiliation.

And the truth shall set you free.

She bowed her head, tears threatening again.
I’m sorry, Lord. So sorry for being weak, for getting everyone mixed up in this in the first place. If I’d just trusted you…just held my ground with Mom
…

The tears made their way down her cheeks, as the Scripture verse washed over her again:
“The truth shall set you free.”

Strangely, she did feel freer and an undeniable peace that made no sense at all wrapped around her. In spite of herself, though she had disappointed her mother, hurt all of the Halloways, and lost the man she loved, she knew God was pleased. And that he forgave her for the lies…for the foolishness…for her lack of trust…for everything.

She had finally told the truth, even if it was at a loud, impatient volume.

Rest in Me, child. I am with you. All things work together for good
…

She drank in the thought…and the sense of God’s presence. She could feel it for the first time in a long time. Though not happy, a quietness existed in her soul.

“Thank you, Lord,” she whispered.

Jennifer raised the phone a little, but didn’t cover the mouthpiece. “The lecherous snake wants to talk to you.”

Meg frowned. “The…?”

“Bruce. Mr. Trustworthy. The jerk who used and abused your trust, the rat who made you cry…”

She was saying it all loud enough for Bruce to hear her clearly over the phone. Meg shook her head adamantly. She couldn’t talk to him now. Maybe not ever. How could he have betrayed her that way…with that woman? Was everything he said and did a lie, too? Could she trust anything he said? His past, his money, his ownership of the hotel.

She dropped her head in her hands. Who was he anyway? She didn’t even know who he was anymore. Had she ever? For a few, fleeting moments she’d let herself believe he cared about her. But he hadn’t cared enough to come after her when she left. Nor did he try very hard to explain.

Maybe there was nothing to explain.

Jennifer plopped down on the couch next to her. “He hung up on me. Do you think it was something I said?”

Meg gave a short laugh. “Just because you called him a lecherous snake and a jerk? Gee, I don’t know.” Jenn was loyal if nothing else.

“How about if we pig out on ice cream? I have some rocky road, mint chocolate chip, chocolate cookie dough, toffee, and dutch chocolate, a cupboard full of toppings, and I even have some monkey food. We could make some awesome banana splits and watch a Mel Gibson movie.”

As they were digging out ice cream and toppings, Jennifer’s doorbell rang. Meghann froze with her hand reaching for the jar of caramel topping. That couldn’t be Bruce, could it? He didn’t know where Jenn lived. He wouldn’t come here, would he?

“Oh, Dan, they are lovely,” she heard Jennifer say.

Meghann let out the breath she was holding hostage. They came into the kitchen; Jenn with a bouquet of flowers. How sweet.

“Dan, you remember my friend Meghann.” Meg shook Dan’s outstretched hand. “I’m sorry, Dan. I’m going to have to cancel our date tonight,” Jenn said, filling a glass of water for her flowers. “Meg had a major jerk dump on her, and I can’t leave her alone.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Dan looked more sorry for himself, but he didn’t argue.

Meghann’s heart went out to the big lug. “Jenn, you go. Don’t change your plans on my account.”

A spark of hope lit Dan’s eyes, but Jenn shook her head firmly.

“I couldn’t do that to you.”

She put a hand on her friend’s arm. “I could really
use some time alone. We’ll talk more when you get home.”

“Are you sure?” Jennifer looked her square in the eye.

“Positive.”

Reluctantly Jennifer left, and Meghann was alone with her pain and a big bowl of ice cream. With the works.

The next day, Meghann returned to her cottage. Her mother was there, waiting.

“Why, Meghann? Why would you lie to me about something like this?” Her face was filled with sorrow.

Meg sank onto the couch. “It didn’t start out that way, Mom, honest. Remember in the hospital, when that nurse congratulated me on my marriage?”

“Of course I remember. It made me so happy…”

“But it was a mistake. You were in a coma. The doctor said to talk to you about happy things; things that would make you want to fight for your life; something worth living for. I told him the only thing that would make you happy was if I told you I just got married. All the nurse must have heard was just the ‘I got married’ part. Then she congratulated me when you woke up.”

She met her mother’s eyes. “You were so happy, so excited. It was the first spark of real life I’d seen in you for days.” Her voice choked off, and she cleared her throat. “What was I supposed to do?”

“You could have simply told her she heard wrong. I would have understood.”

“Mom, you didn’t see the look on your face. You got ten times better just with that news, and the doctor confirmed it and said whatever I told you was helping and to keep it up. I was going to tell you when you got here, but then Bruce showed up at the airport, and you perked up even more. I just didn’t want to do anything that would hurt you. Emotionally or physically.”

“Meg, sweetheart, when it’s my time to go, I doubt there will be anything you can do or say to stop it.”

“I know that, but I didn’t want to push you there before your time!” Meghann drew a calming breath. “I’ve seen your hands shake and wondered when you were going to pass out again. I just wanted to make you happy for a change. I know you were really disappointed when I chose to stay out here and not return to Florida. I was just trying to give you what you wanted while you recuperated.”

“What I want is for you to be happy.” Her mother had genuine tears flooding her eyes.

“Why can’t I be happy without a husband and a house and a baby?”

“I never said you couldn’t—”

Meghann took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “But you did, Mom. Every time we talked, every time you asked if I’d found someone, every time you sounded so disappointed when I said no. You made it abundantly clear what you wanted for me,
from
me. And I just couldn’t give it to you. Not in reality. I want to make you happy, and when I don’t live up to what you want for me, I feel like I’ve failed you.”

Her mother rose from the couch and went to stand
by the sink. “You aren’t suggesting that I’m meddling, are you?”

“What about the house thing, Mom? ‘Jump on it. You don’t want someone to buy it out from under you.’ And you kept insisting I’m pregnant when I told you I wasn’t.” Meg was on a roll, and it was easier to just keep talking than to stop what had been building in her for years. “Did you ever listen to yourself, Mom? Did you ever think how it sounded? ‘Meg, dear, do you have a boyfriend? You know I’m not getting any younger. I want to hold my grandchildren before I die. You are all I have in this world.’ ”

Her mother looked away. “It’s just that you sometimes do need a nudge. Dreams don’t come true on their own accord.”

“Whose dreams, Mom? Yours?”

“Well, I thought they were your dreams, too.” A tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away.

Meghann went to touch her mother’s arm gently. “They are, Mom. But in God’s time.”