Poker Face (12 page)

A blush came to her cheeks, “living with her grandparents for a
while. Things have been difficult for us lately. I needed some distance….no
that’s not entirely true.” She drew a breath. “I think I’ve been avoiding her.”

“Why would you avoid your own daughter?” He asked around a mouth
full of food. Maybe her answer would help him understand how a mother could
just abandon her child.

She stopped eating and idly skated a piece of pancake through the
syrup on her plate with her fork. “You don’t want to hear about my problems.”

“Yes I do.”

Their gazes met and held. The woman propped her elbows up on the
table, clasped her hands as if she were about to pray. “Okay. Her father died
and I really don’t know what to say about that. They were very close. I see how
much she’s hurting but she refuses to let me help her. I’m not even sure I know
how…”

“So you gave up?”

“No! Of course not! I’m… I’m taking a break. Jim had been sick for
a while, and now there’s all this tension between Megan and me. It’s all just
so…I don’t know… overwhelming”

“Does your daughter know you’re coming back?”

“Yes,” her brow creased with uncertainty, “Surely she doesn’t
think I’ve abandoned her?”

A stinging flick to the ear woke Drew. He half-opened his
heavy-lidded eyes to see his father frowning down at him. “Son, from where I’m
standing it doesn’t look like you’re taking this bet too seriously.”

“What time is it?” Drew asked as he yawned and stretched coming
out of the fog. Shit. His whole body tensed as he remembered he was sleeping on
the couch. He looked pathetic—like a put out dog, something his father would
never be able to relate to. He focused more intently on his father’s
expression, which was plagued with disappointment and shock…maybe even a little
humor.

“What happened? Did she kick you out of your own bed?” he shook
his head, tsking.

No rampage? No scolding? No lectures on how a
real
man goes
about seducing a woman? “What are you up to? Why are you here?”

“Is that any way to thank your father?”

“For what?”

“For finding someone interested in putting in an offer on the
ranch. Why the tortured expression? I thought you’d be doing a little happy
dance?”

“I…”

Mackenzie’s hand came up. “Before you go into all the boohoo’s
over your “new family” not having a home….turns out this man is interested in
keeping Tink, Birdie and Griffin on after he buys the dump, so all is good in
the land of misfit toys…you are free and clear of all obligation,” his mouth
twisted into a mischievous grin, “even sleeping with the barracuda, which, just
so you know, is every bit as attractive as her mother. I’m not sure I
understand your whole hesitation there, but anyways… Ms. Barracuda is in the
kitchen reading over the offer as we speak…..”

Drew hit the hardwood with a loud thump, tangled in a mess of
blankets that took the sudden spill with him. He fought his way out, “You’re up
to something!” and popped to his feet, tugged on a pair of jeans and looked his
father directly in the eye, “Are you forgetting this entire setup is a hoax….a
stupid bet? Megan doesn’t own a damn thing, the papers are fake! As soon as I
tell her what you and her stepfather have done and why…”

“She’ll pack and catch the next flight home, forgive her
stepfather, because her mother expects it, and never speak to you or I ever
again. Now, I’m okay with that outcome, but is that what you really want son?
I’d think long and hard before you answer. Don’t forget you’ve been the key
player in this whole ordeal. You think she hate’s you now…” Mackenzie nodded at
the couch and the cushions knocked cockeyed from Drew’s tossing and turning,
“wait until she finds out you’re a real piece of shit ….”

“She already knows I’m a piece of shit,” Drew uttered.

“Your inability to convince her otherwise is not my fault, that
dear son is yours… along with accepting payment of any kind for sex….I think
that kind of puts you in the same category as a whore, which makes you one
pretty fucked up individual, not that I’m not proud of you for it..” he
whistled through his teeth, “but all your do-gooder-friends might see things a
little differently. I have no idea why you care.” His gaze swept the small
stuffy den. “I would think you’d be ready to be free and clear of any
obligation to this dump. The only attractive thing I’ve seen in the last
hundred miles is sitting in the kitchen.”

Drew leaned in, and smelled the before-breakfast-alcohol on his
father’s breath. His words were more of a hiss, anger over somehow being drug
back into his father’s sick world. “Some things never change… you always have
had a way of twisting things to your advantage, haven’t you?”

The kitchen door opened and Drew froze at the sight of Megan
laughing, not some fake flirty laugh he’d heard her do when she was trying to
manipulate someone into doing what she wanted, but a sincere laugh.

“I’m so glad you came out,” she said leaning playfully into the
man next her.

The man, or boy, Drew wasn’t sure which he wanted to use to
describe the six foot, young Ben Affleck look-a-like in a crisply pressed suit,
all he knew for certain was he didn’t like the guy, or the way he seemed to
enjoy touching Megan. He looked like a guy that had his shit together,
business-wise, which only made Drew dislike him even more. And he was making an
offer on the ranch, couldn’t forget that little detail. Although noticing how
well Megan fit with the guy, the pair creating the perfect, cute couple, Drew
wasn’t thinking much about the ranch, more along the lines of how bad of an ass
he would make of himself if he took a swing at the guy?

“Uh… me too,” the guy said scanning her with his nasty eyes.

The two wandered towards the front entrance. The guy looking back
as they opened the screen door, “Mackenzie… thanks again for the helpful tip.
The ranch is….
quite
impressive just as you promised. I’ll be in touch.”

“I figured you’d be interested Christopher. Glad I could help.
Golf next week, don’t forget.”

How much of an ass would he make of himself if he took a swing at
his own father?

Drew expected Megan to follow the guy out on the front porch, but
she didn’t, stopping at the threshold instead.

‘
You don’t even own the ranch Filly. You’re the butt end of a
cruel joke’
it would all be over if he could make his mouth say the words.
His conscience would be clear. His life would go back to the way it was before
the stupid bet. He’d continue to save his money, and someday he’d make an offer
Stratford couldn’t refuse. What did he have to lose if he dropped the mega
bomb, right here, right now?

The guy paused and lowered his voice his smoldering gaze never
leaving Megan. “I’d like it if you’d join me for dinner tonight, uh… to discuss
the ranch.”

The idiot was basically undressing her with his eyes, right there
in front of everyone. What the hell would he do if he ever got her alone? Drew’s
narrowed gaze slid to his father in question. What the hell was he up to? What
game was he playing?

Megan glanced briefly back at Drew and his father, while they all
waited for her reply. The guy reached up and loosened the knot in his gray tie
obviously having difficulty breathing.

Strangely, Drew felt the same suffocating feeling. Good Lord
Filly, answer the man!

“I guess… dinner would be a good idea, since we still have some
things to settle before our attorneys take a look at the papers.”

A corner of the guy's mouth quirked up with relief, his eyes
bright with hope.
You idiot, she’s only agreed to dinner not marriage.

“6:00?” the guy asked.

Megan nodded, and closed the door as the guy strolled towards his
red convertible.

“Breakfast is ready,” Tink shouted causing Drew to almost jump out
of his own skin. What the hell was wrong with him? Why was he so jumpy? So she
had a date. He watched with what he could only assume was the same dopey-eyed
expression as she passed him and his father with a huge smile on her face.
Hell, honestly, she looked too giddy about her new dinner date for his comfort.
Did she fall for every guy that showed a slight interest? Suddenly, Drew was no
longer hungry; in fact, his gut felt like he’d swallowed a swarm of angry bees
and he wondered if he was coming down with Birdie’s bug.

“Sometimes all a stubborn man needs is a nudge in the right
direction” His father winked.

So that’s what this was, a nudge in the direction his father
wanted him to go in by making him
jealous
. Obviously the man didn’t know
his own son’s restraint.

*****

Forks clinked against ceramic plates. Other than that everyone ate
in silence, a complete one eighty from all their pervious meals where
conversation, laughter and stories flowed freely. The quiet could be
contributed to Tink and Griffin’s absence, but then again Griffin never talked.
It was still odd without him there.

One was left to wonder if Tink’s disappearance act right before
everyone sat down to eat was due to the company at the table.

Megan took a bite of her scrambled eggs. She couldn’t help
occasionally glancing across the table at Drew and his father, side by side the
resemblance between father and son was scary, both had dark handsome features
and strong jaw lines, the same brown eyes that seemed to swallow the light,
thin builds, that’s where the similarities ended. Mackenzie sat back
comfortably in his chair as if he was in no hurry to go anywhere, while Drew
leaned forward, anxious and stiff pushing his food around on his plate not
eating it.

She remembered the way Drew had joked with Birdie and the others
before, the way he’d tossed pieces of biscuit up catching the pieces in his
mouth, his deep chuckle that had irritated her; something had changed in his
demeanor. His playfulness was gone. The only other time she could recall seeing
him so sad was the first time she’d met him and told him the ranch was up for
sale.

She understood now why the ranch meant so much to him. The people
there were the closest thing to family he’d ever had, and she threatened to
take that away. No wonder he hated her. She felt a slight tug on her heart
realizing they both actually longed for the same thing.

Normal.

“Jonathan, you’re welcome to stay a few days,” Birdie offered
increasing the tension at the table by her question.

All eyes went to Drew. “I’m sure Dad needs to get back to the
office.”

Mackenzie chuckled stretching out his arms, one landing casually
across the back of his son’s chair. It was placed there to crowd him, an
annoying presence, and Megan watched as Drew fell for it seeming even more
uncomfortable than before.

“I get the impression my son’s not happy with me being here. Maybe
I should take a few days off… some bonding time might be what the two of us
need.” Mackenzie’s face puckered as if he’d bitten into a sour lemon, “think
you all have room for one more though? Seems my son has already been reduced to
the couch. What’s left? Not sure I’ll find the tub too comfortable.”

“I haven’t been reduced to anything,” Drew snapped.

“I’m just stating the obvious. Am I wrong? I don’t think I’ve ever
been forced out of my own room by a woman. I’d tell her… sleep in my bed or
find somewhere else to sleep.” His annoying laughter filled the kitchen causing
several mouths to gape open.

“I’m sure you would,” Megan mumbled with an eye roll.

“Emma can share a room with me, and you can use hers,” Birdie
spoke up coming to the rescue. She looked at Emma for confirmation and was
greeted with a quick nod of approval, but the young girl's expression said she
wasn’t too pleased with Mackenzie sleeping in her room. Megan suspected they
all would give up their bedroom if Drew wouldn’t have to suffer through anymore
insulting comments meant to make him feel like less of a man. Birdie smiled
weakly, “See, problem solved. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”