My One and Only: Book 1 in the Love and Weddings Trilogy (10 page)

              Meredith reached out with shaky hands and pulled the overstuffed folder toward her. “Give me a couple days and we’ll get together and talk.”

              Anne nodded and stood up with a bright smile on her face. “Perfect. I feel better already. I’ll be waiting to hear from you. By the way, I love your hair,” she said and walked away.

              Meredith stared after her and then turned and stared at Taryn. Taryn held up a hand. “Don’t say it. And if you can take our mom off our hands then I’ll give you a bonus above and beyond whatever she pays you.”

              Meredith’s eyebrows went straight up as she grinned. “It’s a deal.”

              Brogan laughed and lifted the edge of the kitten folder, shuddering noticeably. “Pale peach lace everywhere. Please steer her away from that. She’s a determined soul though, so don’t let her bulldoze you.”

              Meredith shrugged and slipped the Kitten folder into her laptop case. “I also happen to be a determined soul. I’m not intimidated.”

              Taryn smiled at her, her eyes actually lighting up. “Best news I’ve had all day. Well, I’ll go tell Kam to hurry up on your lunch,” she said and hurried away.

              Meredith stared after in surprise. “Was Taryn just being nice to me?” she asked in a shocked voice.

              Brogan laughed and leaned back in his chair as Rob and Asher walked toward them with the paperwork in hand. “Taryn can be a little tough on the outside, but she’s a good soul. I bet you two will be great friends someday.”

              Meredith grinned but shook her head. “I’ve had a couple people mention that lately, but I don’t know…”

              Brogan reached over and patted her shoulder. “Listen, the past is in the past. Taryn is willing to give you another chance. Why not give her one too?”

              Meredith blinked in surprise. “I guess you’re right. As much as she’s made up her mind about me, I did the same to her. Okay, I’ll throw away my ideas and see what happens.”

              Rob sat down and looked curiously back and forth between them. “What’s happening?”

              Brogan gestured towards her. “Meredith just agreed to take Anne off of Taryn and Bailey’s hands as far as the wedding.”

              Rob stared at her as if she were an angel from heaven. “You just made my day. Look, whatever she’s paying you; I’ll give you a bonus if you can get her to use a caterer. She calls Wren every night with different ideas for the food as if Wren can work here part-time, be a mother and wife
and
pull off making food enough for five hundred people.”

              Meredith held up her hands. “Consider it done, but Taryn just offered me a bonus if I can keep your mother busy so you really don’t need to.”

              Rob shook his head. “I don’t even care. If you can keep Wren out of this, then you’ll be getting a bonus from me too.”

              Meredith grinned and then gave up and laughed. “This day is turning out better than I expected.
Bonuses
,” she said musingly as their waiter appeared with their food.

              Asher remained quiet throughout lunch and after the papers were signed he left immediately. She watched him leave and frowned. Usually, he’d always stick with her and walk her to her car. Something was up and she was very afraid she knew what
it
was.

              “What’s wrong with Asher?” Brogan asked, looking after him as well. “He was so quiet and solemn today. It’s like he had a personality transplant. Hope everything’s okay.”

              Meredith nodded. “I hope so too,” she said softly and then gave Brogan a hug and left as well.

              Pule watched Meredith get out of her car and slipped out of his own. He’d been waiting for her for almost half an hour. She looked tense and unhappy for some reason. He was about to change that.

              “Mer! Wait up,” he called and jogged across the street.

              Meredith turned around and smiled at him. “Pule, what are you doing here? I thought you were at the Police Academy all day?”

              Pule shrugged and opened the door for her. “Half day today. You need some company?”

              Meredith sighed but nodded her head. “Sure, I could use a good distraction. Come on up.”

              Pule frowned and followed her up the stairs to the apartment that she shared with Cleo. Meredith unlocked the door and he followed her through. They sat on the couch and looked at each other for a moment.

              “So why the sad face? What’s going on?” Pule asked softly, inching his hand closer to hers in case a chance arose for him to make his move.

              Meredith closed her eyes for a moment and frowned. “How can life be so good on one hand and then so bad on the other? Can’t life just be perfect every now and then? I mean, everything’s going so well now.
Finally,
things are starting to fall into place for me. My wedding planning business hasn’t been doing well but that’s about to change. I got a new client today and you’ll never guess who.
Anne Downing
. And on top of that, I’m starting an online dating website that’s going to be amazing.
And
, Brogan’s going to have the website up and running in a couple days. So yeah, life is pretty good.”

              Pule frowned and tilted his head to the side as he studied her. “
But
… I hear a but in that sentence.”

              Meredith nodded her head and looked down at her lap. “But I’ve hurt someone I care about and it’s eating me up because there’s no way I can fix it. It makes me feel sick inside.”

              Pule grinned. “Meredith, you have to be used to hurting people by now. And people are used to you doing the hurting. You just happen to be very blunt and feisty. It’ll blow over. You’ll see.”

              Meredith grimaced and shook her head and Pule frowned. “
What?
What is it?”

              Meredith cleared her throat. “Oh nothing, it’s just I don’t
want
to be like that anymore. I don’t want to be known for hurting people’s feelings. I want to be me but not at the expense of other people. Everybody changes.
You’ve
changed in the last year. Asher has changed. And I have too. I just wish people would realize that and not assume that I’m some horrible witch all of the time.”

              Pule blew out a breath. “And by people, you mean me.”

              Meredith nodded. “We’re friends, I get that we tease each other and we’re real with one another. But I’d like for once for people to look at me and see a smart and possibly kind, business woman. Not some witch. I wouldn’t mind if you looked at me at some point and thought of me as a nice person.”

              Pule blinked in surprise as a slow smile lifted his face.
Meredith cared about what he thought about her.
She was upset that he’d think badly of her. Meredith must have feelings for him. Pule sighed and sat back, feeling much better about life.

              “Meredith, rest easy. I know you. You might be feisty but you’re a sweetheart. I know that. Soon everyone else will too. Relax.”

              Meredith shrugged and pulled her legs up underneath her, as she tucked her skirt around her legs. “You still think I’m capable of going crazy on people… and maybe I am. But I’d like to think I’m a changed person. Sometimes, I wish I could move to another state and start over fresh where people didn’t know about me and all the stupid things I’ve done,” she said as she leaned back, closing her eyes and looking silently miserable.

              Pule frowned.
Something was up.
She really was eaten up about this person she’d hurt. Time to pull it out of her.

              “All right. Just tell me who you hurt and we’ll deal with it. Tell me what happened and we’ll find a way to fix it. We’re friends. You can tell me anything.”

              Meredith sat up and looked at him, hope lighting her sad, blue eyes. “Really? You’ll help me fix this?” she asked in wonder.

              Pule shrugged and smiled cockily. “Pule Matafeo, fixer of disasters and hero to beautiful women everywhere. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of me.”

              Meredith laughed and turned towards him. “Actually, I have heard of you.”

              Pule grinned and sat up. “All lies. Now spill it.”

              Meredith groaned and covered her face with a pillow before she looked up at him again. “I don’t think I can say it,” she said quietly.

              Pule frowned wondering how serious this was. “Meredith, come on. This is me. You can tell me anything.”

              Meredith bit her lip and groaned lightly. “You promise you’ll help me no matter what?”

              Pule nodded. “Your dark secrets are safe with me and if there’s anything I can do to help you fix this, you have my word of honor as a Matafeo that I will.”

              Meredith smiled a wobbly smile as her eyes filled with bright tears. Pule grimaced hoping she wouldn’t actually start sobbing.

              “Okay, so here’s the deal. Asher has made it clear that he has feelings for me,” she said quietly as if she was telling the most horrible thing in the world.

              Pule blinked and waited. There had to be more. But she just sat there staring at him as if that was it.

              “
And
….,” he prompted.

              Meredith frowned and looked at him as if he was stupid. “Didn’t you hear me? I just said Asher has feelings for me.”

              Pule rolled his eyes. “You’re kidding me. This is the cause of all your agony?” he asked doubtfully. “Mer, everyone knows Asher likes you. You guys have dated a little. We all know you’ve kissed a few times
. Are you feeling okay?”
he asked, wondering if she was having a hormonal situation.

              Meredith threw a pillow at his face, snapping his chin up and making him laugh.

              “Don’t be a jerk. Look, yeah we went out a few times, but just as friends. And okay, yeah, we kissed a few times.
Or a lot
, but that’s not the point.
We were friends.
And now? He wants to change all of that and be serious with me.”

              Pule frowned at that since
he
wanted to be serious with her but he was willing to play along. “So he comes to you and wants to take things to the next level and you shut him down. What’s the big deal? Happens to guys all the time. Heck, it happens to Asher all the time. The dude is used to it.”

              Meredith stared up at the ceiling for a moment. “The big deal is
I hurt him
. And for some reason it turns out I hate doing that. I hate knowing that I hurt someone I care about. I can’t stand it,” she said softly.

              Pule frowned at the pain he heard in her voice. “So if this is eating you up so much, why did you turn him down? Why not date the guy? You guys get along and you make each other laugh.”

              Meredith lowered her head and massaged her temples. “
Why did I turn him down?
Because we’re business partners now, that’s why. I can’t date Asher now that we’re in business together. It would ruin everything. Say we did go out and things are great for a while and then like it always happens, things fall apart and then we have to dissolve the business because we hate each other? Then where would I be? I’d be out on the streets. I refuse to be so pathetic and stupid. Pule, this is my chance to make it. I finally have a chance to show people I’m not a complete loser and now Asher wants to date me? No. Way,” she said, emphatically as she crossed her arms over her chest.

              Pule shook his head. “You’re throwing a relationship away because of pride? Dude, that’s cold, Mer, even for you.”

              Meredith glared at him. “That’s not cold. That’s being logical. Do you think a man would choose a relationship over business?
Huh
?”

              Pule laughed. “No. Of course not.”

              Meredith growled at him. “The double standard. Gag.”

              Pule sighed in an exaggerated way that he knew would send steam flowing out of Meredith’s ears. “Women are women and men are men. We’re fundamentally different physically and emotionally. That’s nothing to get offended over. Women are soft and loving and giving. Men need that. Where would the world be without women and their calming and gentle influence?”

              Meredith looked at him suspiciously as she tried to find the hidden insult. “Regardless of how wonderful women’s influence has been on the world, we should have the right to choose a career over a relationship if we want to.”

              Pule nodded his head. “Absolutely. But if that’s such a wonderful thing, then why is it tearing you up so much? You look miserable and sick at heart. That’s not the look of a killer business woman. That’s the look of a woman who has made a huge mistake and doesn’t want to admit it.”

              Meredith stared at him for a moment and then growled before throwing two more pillows at his head. He ducked the first one but the second one caught him squarely in the face. She was getting a better aim. He glared at her and threw the pillow on the ground beside him as he tried to gauge whether or not she was just going to give up and physically attack him.

              “Is the truth hard or are you just in a violent mood?” he asked conversationally.

              Meredith groaned loudly and collapsed on the couch as she kicked her legs up and down. Pule laughed. “Nice legs by the way. At least you have good genetics to be grateful for.”

              Meredith ignored him so he decided to try again. “Look, I promised I’d help you. I’ll help you. I hate seeing you so eaten up with guilt and remorse.”

              Meredith lifted her head. “It’s not guilt and remorse.
I just
….I just feel bad that Asher feels bad. This is just one friend having empathy for the heartbreak of another friend. No. Big. Deal.”

              Pule nodded his head as he leaned back against the couch. “Yeah, right. Anyone who says, No. Big. Deal, is really saying,
this is such a big deal
,” he said in a fake, high pitched voice.

              Meredith snorted as if she was trying hard not to laugh. “Well, you might have a point. But how can you help me? I mean, I just want things to go back to normal with Asher. We used to hang out and go dancing and to the movies and out to eat and we’d have so much fun. And now, there’s just nothing. I have work of course, but there’s no one to hang out with now. I’m a little lonely,” she said with a pout on her face.

              Pule tried not to smile. “Well, when you’re used to dating two or three times a week and now you’re not, well, that’s going to burn for a while.”

              Meredith rolled her eyes. “We weren’t
dating
. I keep telling everyone that. We are just friends who like to hang out. At least we did.”

              Pule winced for Asher and felt a moment’s pain for the man. If the woman he was in love with said what Meredith just had, he’d want to die. “I hate to point this out, but if you were just friends as you put it so bluntly, then why does Asher have feelings for you? And you obviously care about him. I mean, if just the thought of causing him pain gives you agony, then honey, you aren’t just friends. There’s something going on there.”

              Meredith groaned loudly and stared at him. “Regardless of who has what feelings, I am
choosing
to just be friends with Asher, because that’s all it can ever be. Now help me figure that out. And while you’re at it, I want you to talk to Asher and see how he’s really doing. Today after lunch he just walked out of the restaurant without waiting for me or even saying goodbye. Find out if he’s mad at me. Find out if he … if he hates me,” she said quietly.

              Pule rubbed a hand over his face and wished he hadn’t promised to help her now. Talking to Asher was no big deal usually. Talking to Asher about his feelings for a woman that
he
personally had feelings for as well? Not fun. But he’d given his word as a Matafeo and he’d promised to help her. Which meant, he had no choice.

              “Fine, I’ll use my sharply honed police skills to track the poor man down and see if he’s still breathing. Satisfied?”

              Meredith smiled in relief. “For now. You actually have to help me fix the whole mess, but this is a good start,” she said patting his hand.

              Pule stood up and wondered why men were such idiots.
Oh right, a pretty woman could make a fool of a man easier than breathing.
How could he have forgotten about that?