Branded for You, page 6
Chapter 8
Sunday morning, Megan studied her laptop screen as she worked to update a client’s website. Even though Sunday was a day she usually took off, she had to get the updates done and then immediately start working on a new client’s website.
Her mind kept wandering to Ryan and the fantastic time they’d had at the dance Friday night and later when they were looking over the city. She normally could do website updates blindfolded, but today her lack of concentration was going to get her in trouble.
Images of his sexy grin made her smile. He was so dang good looking. As far as she was concerned, he wasn’t just eye candy or eye broccoli. He could easily be a complete meal topped with dessert.
When she messed up the updates for the third time, she groaned and put her head on her arms on the desk. She needed to get her act together and she needed to do it now. It was stupid to feel like a lovesick teenager at her age.
She raised her head and leaned back in her chair in front of the desk in her parents’ guestroom. If she didn’t have such a tight deadline for the updates as well as the website she’d promised to have up and running this week, she’d go out and start looking for a house now. She pushed hair out of her face. Maybe since she couldn’t get her act together she’d go look anyway, then put in time ’til late tonight.
With a sigh, she stared out the window and watched sunlight winking through leaves of the tree that shaded that side of the house. She hadn’t heard from Ryan yesterday, but she wasn’t surprised since he’d left town to catch a flight from Phoenix to Montana to go to his cousin’s wedding. Apparently they were having a Sunday afternoon wedding because the church hadn’t been available at all on Saturday and not until Sunday afternoon. Ryan had told her the date held significance for the bride and groom and they were determined to have their wedding on that date.
Her thoughts turned to the possibility that her parents could be losing their home and she wondered if they were going to make it. She frowned as she thought about what they’d told her—a man was setting out to destroy the reputation of the Hummingbird Café and put her parents out of business.
Was there anything she could do to help them save their house and their business?
Megan let the thoughts turn in her mind, trying to think of some way to help. She pulled her hair back and fastened it with a band that had been sitting beside the computer then clicked a new tab on the Internet browser and did a search for Prescott area rental homes. She intended to rent for a while before finding a home to buy.
After she put in her criteria, she found three homes she was interested in and wrote down the telephone numbers and contacts. She wanted a fairly small place with three bedrooms or two bedrooms and a den; two baths; no pool; and desert landscaping that didn’t require much in the way of maintenance. She doubted there were many pools in Prescott, but it was still one of her must-not-haves.
Just as she reached for her cell phone to call the first contact, her phone rang. She looked at the caller identification screen and saw that it was Bart’s mother.
Her skin tingled as mixed feelings went through her. She loved Bart’s family, she just didn’t love Bart. She missed Grace and Montgomery Wilder, Bart’s parents.
Megan took a deep breath and answered. “Hi, Grace.”
“Megan,” Grace said. “It’s good to hear your voice.”
“It’s good to hear yours, too,” Megan said and meant it. “How are you?”
“Lovely, Megan.” Grace was a refined, educated woman with a pleasant speaking voice. “Are you doing well these days?”
Megan shifted the phone to her opposite ear. “I just moved to Prescott recently.”
“That’s why I’m calling,” Grace said. “Bart told me you’ve moved and I need your address.”
“I can give you my parents’ address,” Megan said. “I’m still looking for a place of my own.”
“We miss you, Megan,” Grace said quietly.
“I miss all of you too.” Megan felt like a large rubber ball was lodged in her throat and she tried to keep the tears she felt out of her voice. “I’m sorry I went underground. It’s just been…difficult.”
“Oh, honey.” Grace sighed. “You have nothing to be sorry for. In fact, I’m sorry for the way Bart treated you and that he was such an ass.”
A tear rolled down Megan’s cheek. She hated that she still got emotional despite the fact that it had been seven months since Bart had left her for another woman.
“You’ve been nothing but great.” Megan swallowed hard. “Thank you.”
“You are a wonderful woman, Megan.”
“So are you, Grace.” Megan sniffed back another tear. “You said you need my address?”
There was a shuffle of papers on the other end of the line. “Christine is getting married to a fine young man named Todd, and we would like to invite you to the wedding.”
“Tell her congratulations, please.” Megan pictured Bart’s beautiful and sweet younger sister. “I would love to go,” she added, “But I don’t think I could handle it just yet. It’s so hard for me to think you’re not my mother-in-law and I’m not family anymore. It would just be too difficult.”
“Megan, nothing has changed between you and the rest of the family,” Grace said. “We miss you and want you to feel comfortable if you visit, which we hope you will. We still think of you as the same wonderful sweet person you have always been. Every member of the family is angry with Bart for what he did and we feel nothing but love and sadness for you.”
“Thank you,” Megan said.
Grace continued, “We understand that you need your space, but we want you to know you’re a part of this family and always will be. And that goes for any man you might meet and marry someday. This family knows what happened to you. You are deserving of the best and we want the best for you. The rest of the family has given you space because you’ve said you needed that. They just want you to be happy.”
Megan was so choked up she could barely speak. “What you just said means more to me than you know, Grace.”
“I meant every word,” Grace said. “If you change your mind, we would love to see you. It’s been too long.”
Megan took a deep breath as she tried to gather herself. “I miss our lunches.” In the past, Megan and Grace would join each other for lunch once a month. Once Bart had left her, it was just too awkward for Megan.
“I miss them, too, honey,” Grace said. “If you decide to come to the wedding you could stay longer, and we could do breakfast or lunch once the kids are off on their honeymoon.”
“I’d like that, and I’ll think about it,” Megan said. “Are you ready to take down my parents’ address?”
“Just a second…” Grace trailed off. “Now I am.”
Megan spelled out the street name as she gave Grace the address.
“If it works out that you can come, feel free to bring a guest with you,” Grace said.
Despite the fact that she barely knew him, Megan thought about how much fun it would be if Ryan went with her. All the way to Albuquerque? She shook her head at her thought. But it was a really nice thought.
“Thanks, Grace,” Megan said. “Please give Montgomery a hug for me.”
“I will do that,” Grace said. “I hope we can get together soon.”
Tears pricked at the back of Megan’s eyes. “Someday we will.” One of the hardest parts of the divorce was the fact that she wouldn’t get to see Bart’s family regularly like she used to. It had just been too difficult emotionally.
When they disconnected the call, Megan took a deep breath.
And then it hit her again. All of it. The pain of Bart’s betrayal, his verbal abuse, the way he’d left her—it slammed into her with such force that tears started rolling down her cheeks. She held her hand to her mouth, holding back a sob.
When she was first married, she’d imagined a perfect little life. A nice house, two or three children, and a husband who loved her.
Now she was divorced with no children. She missed her ex’s family terribly. It was like all of her dreams had been smashed into bits.
A tissue box sat on the corner of her desk and she grabbed a tissue and pressed it to her face as she cried.
Before they were married, she should have seen the signs, but she’d either missed them or overlooked them. A few months after they were married, he began acting domineering, stayed out late, spent time with his friends instead of her, and then the verbal abuse started.
She thought that maybe his work was too stressful, that he was just blowing off steam. But his words grew more and more hurtful, cutting her deeply. She’d lost weight before they were married, but eventually gained it back. He ripped on her because of her size. Toward the end he’d said to her that all of his friends had a hundred and twenty-five pound wives and all he had was a wife he considered to be too big.
Toward the end she hadn’t known what to do. She’d considered leaving him, but she’d never lived on her own and didn’t know if she could support herself with her home-based business.
And then it didn’t matter. Bart had come home one night, told her he was leaving her for another woman, said a few more cruel things, packed his things and left.
Barb’s not fat like you. The words still rang in her ears.
Even though she wanted children so badly it hurt, maybe it was better that she hadn’t had any with Bart. There were no connections between them now and she could move on with her life, never having to deal with him again.
Except for his family. But that was okay. She wasn’t going to let him end that relationship too.
The tears started to subside. She was over Bart. Some of the pain was still there, but he couldn’t hurt her anymore.
Talking with Grace had affirmed that fact.
Megan took a deep breath and brushed away the remnants of tears with the backs of her hands.
“Stop it, Megan,” she said out loud. “This isn’t me.”
She normally had a positive attitude, and she wasn’t going to let him take that from her. She had a new life and potentially a great guy in Ryan. Who’d have thought?
It was more the sadness of what she considered a failure, even though she’d done everything she could to make their marriage work. The mistake had been thinking he could change.
She was resolved all the more to find someone who was different.
Life has a way of teaching lessons. Now she knew what to look for in a man and just maybe she had a good one now.
She sighed. Her concentration was shot. She might as well go look at the houses since she couldn’t get her mind to focus on work. She’d just go ahead and work late into the night to make up for it.
Once again she thought about Ryan and the fact that he happened to be at a wedding himself. It could even be going on this very moment.
She groaned. Stop obsessing over the man and go look at houses. She picked up the cell phone and dialed the first number.
After making appointments with a realtor to take a look at some rental homes, Megan headed out of the house. She had some time before she met with the realtor, so she drove to the Hummingbird Café.
Her parents’ café was quaint with an old-fashioned look to it. It was pretty with light blue trim on white and a blue and white striped awning. Flower boxes filled with geraniums were on the windowsill and a large hummingbird with flowers was painted on the front picture window. Three ironwork tables with matching chairs were on a patio in front of the restaurant for patrons to use when the weather was nice like it was now.
On the right side of the café was a convenience store and gas station which no doubt drew some patrons.
On the other side of her parents’ place was an older restaurant with a sign that said The Chuck Wagon over the door. It had a western look to it with thick dark wood borders, and the place could do with a new paint job. She frowned. It had to be Roger Meyer’s place.
People passed by on the street and a group stopped in front of the Chuck Wagon then went inside. A tall and lean man came out of that restaurant and started to walk past Megan toward the convenience store, but he stopped in front of her. He had brown hair and muddy brown eyes. He might have been considered good looking, yet his angular face seemed somehow at odds with his smile.
“You don’t want to go in there.” He jerked his thumb toward the Hummingbird Café. “Bad food and they’ve been in trouble with the Health Department.”
Anger burned in Megan, making her face hot but she kept herself composed. “You must be Roger Meyer, the owner of the Chuck Wagon.”
“Yes, I am.” He grinned. “Best restaurant around.”
“If your restaurant is so great,” she said, “why do you have to tear down someone else’s? Is your reputation not good enough to stand a little competition?”
Meyer’s face darkened. “You must work for them.”
“My parents own the Hummingbird Café.” She stared him down. “Why don’t you leave them alone and tend to your own business.”
She didn’t wait for a response and walked past him to the café. Skin on the back of her neck crawled as she could feel the jerk’s eyes on her.
When Megan pushed open the door to the Hummingbird Café, bells danced in a playful jingle. She took a deep breath and then let it out, along with the heat of her anger.
The interior of the restaurant was cool and bright. The tables were set with white tablecloths and bud vases with single red carnations in each one. At night, the lights would be dimmed and tables set with a single votive candle for atmosphere. The chairs and tables were light blue to match the trim on the outside. Tables for two were along one side and the rest of the tables seated four but could be pulled together for larger parties.
It was closing in on noon, but only four of the tables were filled with customers.
A hostess station was at the front of the restaurant and Tess was standing beside it with an order pad in her hand.
“Hi, sweetie.” Tess pushed a hand through her blonde waves. “Stop by for a bite to eat? Or for my great company?”
“Your great company, of course.” Megan smiled. “Is Jenny feeling any better?”
Tess nodded. “She’s with Mrs. Webb. That woman is incredible, especially to be watching her on a Sunday while I work.”
“I’m glad Jenny is feeling better.” Megan glanced over her shoulder and out through the large window to the street. She turned back to her sister. “I just met that Roger Meyer. What a jerk.”
Tess frowned. “What did he do now?”
“Stopped me in the street and told me how bad this restaurant is and that I shouldn’t come in here.”
A look of irritation crossed over Tess’s pretty features. “I wish that guy would just go away. I should put some roaches into the back of his kitchen and call the Health Department.” She shook her head. “But I’d never stoop to his level.”
Megan looked around the restaurant and said to her sister in a low voice, “Is it always this slow?”
“Ever since Roger started his vendetta against Mom and Dad.” Tess scowled. “Of course it can’t be proven that he was responsible, but we know he is.”
“That sucks.” Megan shook her head. “There’s got to be a way to stop him and get traffic coming here.”
“If you can think of a way, let us know,” Tess said. “At this point we’d probably do anything to get customers coming in. I might start dancing in my panties and bra on the tabletops.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Megan laughed. “Where are Mom and Dad? In the kitchen?”
Tess nodded. “Yep.”
“I’ll go say hello,” Megan said.
Tess raised her order pad. “And I’d better get back to work.”
Megan walked down an aisle between tables to the back and slipped into the kitchen. The busboy and dishwasher, Tucker, was busy washing and drying dishes. Paul was at the stove stirring a large pot of chili. Her father stopped stirring to taste the chili.
Margaret was rolling pie dough on a counter and flour was on her apron and on the tip of her nose. In front of her was a large bowl with peach slices glazed in sugar and next to that were two empty pie tins.
Megan breathed in the scent of peach pies baking in one of the ovens. “Making your awesome best in the west pies, I see.”
Margaret raised her head. “Did you finish your work early?”
“I decided to go look at a few rental homes and find a month-to-month place until I figure out just where I want to live.” Megan leaned up against a clean counter. “But I thought I’d stop by for a few moments and see how everything is going with you and Dad.” She decided not to mention her brief conversation with Roger Meyer.
Margaret placed the dough she’d just rolled into one of the pans for the bottom crust, then picked up another blob of dough and started rolling it out. “Better watch it or we’ll put you to work.”
“Except we all know that cooking, baking, and serving are not among my talents,” Megan said. All things she absolutely hated. She’d helped her parents out with cleaning and washing dishes, but those tasks weren’t among her favorite things to do by a long shot. She looked at her watch. “I’ve got to go meet with the realtor now.”
Margaret rolled out the dough. “Anxious to move out?”
“Once I’m out you’ll have your guestroom back,” Megan said, wanting to avoid a guilt trip.
“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like,” Margaret said as she placed the raw crust into the second pie tin.
“I know, Mom.” Megan gave her mother a smile. “It will be good for me to get my own place.”
Margaret nodded. “Do what is best for you.”
Megan tried not to sigh, but then realized her parents could probably use the regular income from the money she was paying them as rent.
She held back a groan. Was it her responsibility to stay with her parents and pay them rent instead of finding another house?
