Laugh Like You've Never Cried (Summer Lake 5) (22 page)

Ollie nudged her shoulder with his head, bringing her back to the moment. Michael's house was as warm and inviting as he was. She needed to get inside as soon as she could. She needed to talk to him. “Come on then, Ollie-bug. Let's go do this. Do you want to see Ethan?”

He gave two short sharp barks and jumped out of the car as soon as she opened the door.

“Ollie!” Ethan came running down the driveway. Ollie put his paws on the boy's shoulders and licked his face which had Ethan giggling. Soon they were rolling in the grass together.

Michael appeared from around the back of the house, followed by Ben.

“Hey.”

“Hey, you.”

“It's hi and bye for me,” said Ben with a smile.”

“You're not leaving because of me, are you?” she asked.

“No, I just dropped by for a quick visit.”

“Yeah, he is.” Michael came and curled his arm around her waist. “I told him he had to get out of here once my little lady arrived. Our weekend already got cut short and we need to get as much family time in as we can.”

Megan didn't know what to say. Family time?

Ben grinned at her. “Well if you all want to come by tomorrow for a family breakfast, or a family lunch, it's on me. I'd love to see you.”

Michael grasped his shoulder. “Thanks, mate.”

Ben stopped to say goodbye to Ethan and Ollie who were still wrestling on the lawn. Megan smiled as Ethan jumped up to give him a hug and Ollie offered him a paw to shake. It seemed she wasn't the only one who was doing better at being around people.

After hugging Ben, Ethan came running to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Finally! I thought you were
never
coming.”

She hugged him back. “I'm here now. That's what counts isn't it?”

Keeping his arms tightly around her waist he smiled up at her. “I suppose. You are going to stay, right? Ollie's going to sleep with me isn't he?”

She nodded. “As long as your dad says it's okay?”

Michael winked at her. “Yep. We're going to do what we said. Ollie can share with you, and Megan can share with me.”

Ethan grinned at them. “Great! We're going to play frisbee then.” He ran off around the back of the house, with Ollie barking and wagging at his heels as he went.

Michael curled his arm around her waist and drew her to him. She reached up around his neck and planted a kiss on his lips. There was no mischief in his eyes today. His smile was full of questions.

“Want to come sit out back so we can keep an eye on our boys?”

She nodded and held his hand as they followed Ethan and Ollie.

Once they were settled at the table out on the deck, Michael reached across and took her hand. “Is this going too fast for you, Meggie?”

She shook her head. “What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean. I'm not the only one who wants you all the time.” He looked down to where Ethan and Ollie were playing on the beach. Ollie had gotten hold of one of the old mooring lines and they were playing tug-of-war. “The little guy does too.”

“I know. That's what I'm afraid of.”

She couldn't believe how rapidly his dimple disappeared. He looked even more disappointed than he had that first night they'd met, when she'd told him he couldn't walk her home.

“I'm sorry, darl'.”

She squeezed his hand. “I don't mean I'm afraid of him wanting to spend time with me. I love it.” She hesitated, then decided to say it. “I love him. What I mean is, I'm afraid of letting him down. I don't want to get too close to him and then hurt him if I have to leave. Honestly Michael, it would break
my
heart to have to leave him now.”

“Why would you have to leave?”

“I...I...I...” Oh for goodness' sake! Why did she keep doing that? “Kenzie. My sister. I think she's struggling. If she can't get by on her own, then I'll have to move to Nashville.”

Michael just stared at her. She had no clue what he might be thinking.

***

M
ichael's heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to process what she'd just said. He couldn't make make sense of it. She loved Ethan? But she might be leaving the lake? To live in Nashville? “So what are you telling me, Meggie?”

“You asked if this was going too fast. I'm trying to tell you how it is for me. I love every moment I spend with you, and with Ethan. I would like to see what might happen between us. But I don't know if I'm going to be able to stay here. I don't want to let Ethan down, because I love him.” She wrapped her little hands around both of his own. Her eyes glimmered green and gold as she met his gaze. “And I don't want to let
you
down, because I love you.”

If his heart had been pounding before, it felt like it might explode now. Had she just said what he thought she had?

Her face colored up and she let go of his hands. “I...I...I'm sorry. It was stupid of me to tell you.” She looked devastated, but unapologetic. “I can't take it back, because it's true. Should I go now?” She was getting up.

Michael's brain finally got past the shock. He jumped up himself and wrapped his arms around her. “You're not going anywhere, little one.” He couldn't help it. He scooped her up. Her arms automatically reached around his neck, clinging to him as she stared up at him.

“What are you doing, Michael?”

“I'm hanging on to you, Meggie. I can't let you go.”

“But I just messed everything up by telling you that.”

“No. I messed up by not telling you yet, that I love
you
. I don't know what we're going to do about it, but we're going to do something.”

Her eyes were wide, her cheeks were pink, and her smile was as huge as he'd ever seen it. “You love me?”

He chuckled. “I do. I think I've loved you since the first time I saw you. We've got some obstacles to overcome. But whatever happens, I love you, Meggie.”

“I love you, Michael.”

He carried her over to one of the rockers and sat down, still holding her close to his chest. Her arms tightened around his neck as he covered her mouth with his own. He loved the way she felt in his arms, loved the way she kissed him back so eagerly, so hungrily. He'd been concerned she might not be ready to love after all she'd been through. Yet, she'd had the balls to tell him first, had trusted him enough to be honest. It made him love her even more.

M
ichael opened his eyes and smiled. Megan had her head on his chest, her arm around his middle. She was still fast asleep. He stroked her hair away from her face. She was so beautiful. She felt so right—in his arms, in his bed, in his life. She seemed timid in some ways, but she'd been brave enough to tell him that she loved him. She loved Ethan too, and she cared about not hurting him. That made him frown. She couldn't leave. Surely her sister could take care of herself?

Thinking about it, he understood and admired Megan's loyalty. She'd told him that her sister had helped her out, helped her escape from that dirty old bastard, Adrian. Michael couldn't think about him without getting angry. He didn't know all the details of what he'd done to her—wasn't sure he could handle it if he did—but it had registered with him that maybe she was starting to get over it. Yesterday, after she'd told him she loved him, then stood up to leave, he'd grabbed her and picked her up. She hadn't panicked, hadn't even tried to get away from him. She'd clung to him. That had to be a sign of progress, didn't it?

She stirred in her sleep, making him tighten his arms around her. She couldn't leave. They had something wonderful between them. It would take work, and understanding on all their parts, but he was starting to believe that they could become a family. If she stayed. From what she'd said, Kenzie tried to look out for Megan. Surely Kenzie wouldn't want her to give up her own life?  If it was just a case of money maybe they'd let him help out until she got back on her feet. Megan had said she was coming to visit soon. He couldn't believe they wouldn't be able to figure out something that would work for all of them.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Good morning.”

“Mmm.” She wasn't fully awake yet.

“Do you want coffee?”

She sat up. “I'm sorry. I'll do it.”

He pulled her back down. “You stay here, sleepy head. I'll do it.”

She snuggled against him. “You are wonderful, Doctor Morgan. I just panicked, thinking I should have been up before you and had it ready.”

He closed his arms around her. He could only guess that was another hangover from her time with Adrian. “You don't need to panic about anything anymore, Meggie. I'll take care of you.”

She smiled, but he could see she wasn't sure. “But, Michael what if I have to go? What about Ethan?  How can you let me in, if I might let him down?”

“I've been thinking about that. I don't want you to go. I don't believe you'll have to. But the way you answered Ethan last weekend taught me something. It taught me that all we can do is be honest with him. We need to tell him that we're going to be spending a lot more time together, but that you may have to leave.” Michael hugged her to him. “I can't believe you will. I don't know how I'd let you, but as long as he knows the score from the outset, he'll do okay.” It was a big risk. But living, really living, involved risks. He knew that. And much as he didn't want to see Ethan get hurt, he'd decided that it would be better for the little guy to have Megan around for a little while than not at all.

She still looked uncertain. “I don't want to go. You know that. But if she needs me, I will. I'll have to. You do understand that, don't you?”

He nodded. “I understand that you feel you have to. But, I think we'll be able to find a way so you don't need to.”

She said nothing, and he decided not to push. Not for now. He heard Ollie bark and Ethan giggle. He needed to get up and see what they were doing. They were going to have a good day together. A family day. Talk of her leaving could wait. He couldn't see any real reason she would have to go. “How about we cross that puddle when it rains? I'm going to check on our boys and make you some coffee.”

She smiled and nodded. “Okay. I'll be right down.”

He cupped her face between his hands. “I love you, Meggie. We'll make this work, you'll see.”

She brought her hands up to his face and planted a kiss on his lips. “I hope so.”

***

M
egan watched him pull on some sweatpants, wishing he could have stayed in bed with her a while longer. She laughed when she heard him with Ethan and Ollie. The three of them thundered down the stairs laughing and barking. How she hoped he was right, that there would be a way for her to stay here. She hugged the duvet around herself. She loved him. She loved Ethan. And they both loved her.  They even loved Ollie! She hadn't talked to Michael about babies yet, but they would get around to it. And besides, she still had to think about Kenzie. She loved her too, and she would never let her down. If it weren't for Kenzie, she would still be trapped with Adrian. She knew that, and she was prepared to repay that debt no matter what the cost.

***

K
enzie stirred her coffee and stared out the window of the cafe. She had no idea what the hell she was going to do next. Since Hunter had kicked her out, she needed every penny she could lay her hands on. The motel where she was staying was the cheapest she'd been able to find. It was really was cheap—and nasty, but she didn't want to give up, didn't want to admit failure yet again. She was convinced that if she stuck around long enough she'd get picked up by some band or other. She knew her voice was good, but not fantastic. She was never going to be a solo artist. But she'd convinced herself that she had to stay here in Nashville, had to make it this time, stick around long enough to finally succeed at something.

Megan had sent her the money to buy a ticket to California. While that money would go a long way to supplement what she made at the diner and buy her more time at the motel, she would never use it for that. Besides, she wanted to make sure her little sister was doing okay. Megan was the sensible one, the smart one, but she wasn't exactly street smart. It sounded as if she was pretty hung up on this Michael guy she was seeing. Kenzie needed to protect her, to make sure she wasn't getting herself into another horrible situation.

She'd always felt guilty that she hadn't taken Megan with her when she'd run away from home. But Megan was only fourteen at the time and seemed better able to cope with the church than Kenzie. When she'd heard that Adrian had taken her back to his home in New Mexico, Kenzie had lost it. That man was one of the reasons she'd run away. He was a slimy bastard. He'd touched her any chance he got. He'd cornered her one night and she'd only managed to escape by kicking him in the balls and screaming bloody murder. If she'd thought for a moment that her leaving would expose Megan to him, she would have stayed.

That was mostly why she wanted Megan to come live with her again. She wanted to be able to keep an eye on her, wanted to protect her. For the longest time Megan had claimed that she was fine with Adrian, that he was good to her, that he wasn't a bad man. That was her trouble. She always wanted to believe that people meant well, that if there was a problem it was her fault. Kenzie couldn't stand the thought that this Michael might be taking advantage of her, or might be using her. Even if he wasn't another pervert like Adrian, and she didn't believe he wasn't, Megan was perfect prey for men like that. She was the ideal mix of a sweet and trusting nature packaged in a body that brought out the worst in men. Even if Michael was a decent guy, he had a kid. She didn't want her sister to be roped into bringing up someone else's brat, especially if it meant she had to give up the chance of having her own kids someday.

Kenzie drummed her fingers on the table. Maybe she wouldn't wait until the end of the month as she'd been planning. Maybe she should switch her shifts at the diner and go next weekend. Surprise Megan. Surprise Michael and see how he was treating her when he wasn't expecting a ferocious sister to be checking up on him. She drained her coffee and left, setting out towards the bus station. She was going to buy her ticket now, before she needed the money for something else. She gave a short laugh, something like food!