Right Here Waiting (15 page)

She didn’t look too pleased, but at least she didn’t stop
him from turning and walking away. When this day was over, he would need to go
into town and have a beer to unwind.

Blade headed for the ranch house. He needed to talk to
Martha. He found her in the kitchen mixing up a fresh batch of biscuits for
dinner.

“I’m glad I found you,” he told her, removing his cowboy
hat. He pulled up a chair at the kitchen table and sat down. He motioned for
Martha to pull up a seat across from him.

“This better be important,” Martha said as she washed
biscuit dough off her hands at the kitchen sink. When she finished, she dried
them on a hand towel.

“It is,” Blade told her as she sat down. “Megan is
insisting I sign the document so she can go back to New York. How can I convince
Megan her life is here with me?”

“You can’t. I know you’re not going to like this, but I
think you should sign it.” He shook his head in disbelief.

Did he hear Martha correctly? Why would she want him to
sign it? “I can’t sign it.”

“Why can’t you? Did you break your fingers and it’s
preventing you from picking up a pen and signing it?”

“If I sign it, I lose her for good.”  He felt frustrated.

“Says who?” Martha demanded.

“Megan does. She’ll run right back to New York.”  This
conversation wasn't going as he planned. He thought Martha would help him come
up with a plan to get Megan to stay here.

“Let her go.”  He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“How can you say that? I can’t just let her leave. I’ll
never see her again if I do.”

“If you never see her, it's your own fault for doing
nothing about it.”

“Wait a minute,” Blade exploded. “I’m not the one
threatening to leave, so how can it be my fault if I never see her after she’s
gone?”

“You’re missing the whole point in what I’m telling you.
Have you once stopped to think about this? You are asking the poor girl to do
all the sacrificing. Don’t you think it’s time you started making some
sacrifices of your own where she is concerned?”

“Are you saying I should leave the ranch behind and go
with her when she goes?” Why hadn't he thought of that?

“It's exactly what I’m saying. Now go call the attorney
and set up an appointment to sign the document.”

Blade got up and went over to the phone. If it meant he
needed to move to New York to be with Megan, he would do it.

* * *

“
I
could use a drink,” Josh commented later in the evening. I know there are no
nightclubs around here, but is there somewhere nearby where a person can get a
drink? I need to unwind.”

“There’s a bar in town called Harry’s. A lot of the ranch
hands go there at night to relax and have a beer.” She remembered as a young
teenager how hurt she was when she learned Blade went there to pick up women.

“Do you want to go there with me? It beats sitting around
here doing nothing. There isn’t even anything on television tonight.” She was
surprised by the invite since she and Josh never did stuff together outside of
work, but there was nothing better to do.

“Sure, just let me change into a clean pair of jeans and
get my purse and I'll be right with you.”

She went into the bedroom. A night out on the town away
from this place would do her some good. It would help her keep her mind off
Blade and her problems. Besides, she needed to be around people.

After putting on a clean pair of jeans, she checked her hair
in the mirror and decided to brush it. She washed it this morning in the
kitchen sink after returning from her talk with Blade.

She slicked her lips with a fresh coat of light pink lip
gloss before going out to join Josh.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked.

“Sure,” she said with a faux smile. She wasn't really
happy, but in her line of work, she had learned to play the part well.

“Should we take my car or your rental van?”  Her car was
repaired and delivered back to her late that afternoon. She now had the freedom
to come and go as she pleased, as long as she returned to the ranch at the end
of the day and she did her best to continue helping to run the ranch. She
promised Martha she would go over the ranch books the next day on her lunch
break. At least there was some kind of work she could do here.

“We’ll definitely go in your car.” She didn't mind
driving at all.

She grabbed her keys off the coffee table and followed
Josh out the door, locking it behind them. Out of habit she looked around for
Blade, but she didn't see him anywhere. She felt a sting of disappointment,
which was quickly followed up with relief.

Harry’s was already filling up with the locals when they
arrived. Because she wasn’t feeling very social, they chose a booth in the very
back.

She didn’t even bother to look up when the waitress came
over to take their orders. “I’ll have a beer.”

“Oh my God!” the waitress exclaimed. “Is it really you,
Megan? It has been ages since I saw you last. I never thought I would see you
around these parts again.”

She looked up and at first, she didn’t recognize the
woman. After a moment she remembered who she was. It was Karen Rodgers. At one
time, she and Karen were like sisters. It all changed when Karen stole a
sweater from another girl at school and pinned the blame on her. After the
incident, Megan was known around school and Hidden Oaks as a thief.

She forced a smile. “It’s nice seeing you again, Karen.” Megan
didn't really mean it.

“We’ll have to get together before you leave town.” That
was the last thing Megan wanted to do, but she knew she needed to be polite.

She was about to tell Karen she didn’t think she would
have time when the girl turned all of her attention on Josh, as if she just
noticed him sitting there.

“And who have we got here?” she asked, all but drooling
all over Josh. He didn’t seem to mind all the attention she was giving him at
all. He seemed genuinely interested in her.

“I’m Josh,” he said, holding out his hand and shaking
hers. “And who is this beautiful woman I’m having the honor of meeting?”

The way they were acting with each other made Megan sick.
Karen finally wrote down their orders and moved on, leaving Megan feeling
relieved.

She slid down in the booth when she saw Alex enter the
bar, hoping he wouldn’t see her. She was out of luck. He spotted her instantly
and came walking over to the booth. He looked from her to Josh, taking in the
scene before he spoke.

“I thought you weren’t going to do any dating while you
were in town? At least that was the impression I got when I asked you out.” She
felt heat rise in her cheeks.

“I’m not on a date, Alex.” She wasn't used to being in
this position. New York was so big when she turned down a date with a guy her
chances of running into any of them while out with another, whether it be a
male friend or date, were slim to none.

“Well, than who is this you're with? He looks like a date
to me.” She hated how Alex just jumped to conclusions. It wasn't as if she were
still his girlfriend. What they once shared was great, but they were young then.
He really wasn't her type.

“This is Josh. He’s my co-worker and a really good friend
of mine from New York. He came here to help me work on a project for the ad
agency we work for. We’re just relaxing after a day’s work.”

Alex’s expression softened.  "Good to meet you,
Josh," Alex said. The men shook hands.

She wished Alex would leave until she saw Blade enter the
bar and start looking around as if he were here to meet someone. “Why don’t you
join us?” she asked on impulse.

Alex seemed surprised, but accepted her offer. To her
disappointment, her plan didn’t work. Blade spotted them and didn’t let Alex’s
presence stop him from sauntering over to their booth.

“Do you mind if I join the three of you?” he asked,
removing his cowboy hat. What was he up to?

Before she could open her mouth to say anything, Josh
said, “Not at all.  Have a seat.”  What was going on?

Instead of Blade sitting next to Alex, which would have
been easier, Josh jumped up and moved to the other side to sit with Alex,
leaving the space next to her available for Blade. Blade sat down and slid his
arm around her, pulling her into his embrace.

She tried to move away, but in the small booth, there was
nowhere to move. Not wanting to cause a scene, she laid her head on his
shoulder.

Karen returned with beers for her and Josh. “My, my, my,”
Karen said, eying the four of them. “What do we have here? Don’t you think this
is a bit awkward, Megan?”

“What are you talking about, Karen?” she asked, feeling
her temper rise.

“This little scenario. You come here with one man,” she
said, holding her hand out in Josh’s direction. “Now you have your
ex-boyfriend, Alex and the man the whole town knows you always had the hots.
How many men do you need, Megan dear?”

She wanted to jump out of the booth and rip all her hair
out, one strand at a time. Blade must have sensed it because he tightened the
arm which was still around her.

“Karen, enough,” Blade told her sharply. “I came here to
have a beer and to relax a bit. I’m quite sure Alex would also like a drink.”

“I’ll have a beer as well,” Alex said, not bothering to
look in Karen’s direction. Karen walked off in a huff.

Megan was seething with anger. “I would love to just rip
the little bitch’s hair out.”

“Don’t let her get to you, darling.”  Blade stroked her
cheek with his thumb. She flinched under his touch.

“If she’s anything like she used to be, she’ll be
spreading it all over town I’m dating three men at the same time.”

“She hasn’t changed at all since I’ve known her,” Alex
said, confirming her worst fears.

“Too bad because you probably won’t be around here long
enough to hear any of them,” Blade commented.

She looked at him. “What do you mean?”

“You’ll probably be back in New York by the time Karen’s
vicious rumors make it full circle.”

She came here to forget about Blade and her problems. Now
Blade showed up and brought up her problems.

“How can I go back to New York? You won’t sign the
document.”

“I have an appointment with the attorney to sign it
tomorrow afternoon.”

Here he was pretending to care and now he was letting her
go. Was it true? He got what he wanted from her and he was letting her go now?
He no longer wanted her. Her heart sank.

“I think this is our cue to leave,” Josh told Alex.

“What about my beer? It hasn’t even come yet.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll buy you another one later.
Right now there’s something I want to show you,” Josh told Alex as he
practically dragged him out of the booth by the arm.

She tried to stop them, but Josh ignored her. He dragged
Alex away from the booth and out of the bar. Alex protested the whole way.

* * *

B
lade thought she would be happy, but
he couldn't deny the hurt look he saw in her eyes. It seemed as if everything
he did when it came to Megan was wrong. When was she going to make up her mind?

“If you’ll excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” she
said, trying to step over him to make her escape.

“No, Megan,” he said, blocking her retreat. She sank back
down in the booth in defeat, but wouldn’t look at him.

“Darling, you’ve done enough running. It’s time for you
to stay and talk things out with me. I’m not going anywhere.”

“I know, you’re staying on the ranch and I’m going back
to my life in New York City.”

He forced her to turn and look at him. “That’s where
you’re wrong.”

“What do you mean? You just said you were going into the
attorney’s office tomorrow afternoon to sign the document.”

“Yes, I did, but you’re not returning to New York alone,
Megan.”  He wore a smug expression.

“I know. Josh will be going back with me. We’re shipping
the equipment back. He’s going to return the rental van and we’re driving back
in my car.”

“That wasn't what I meant. I’m going with you.”  What
made him decide to go with her?

“You don’t need to. I’ll be fine, Blade.”

“The arrangements have already been made. Josh has a
flight booked for one month from now and I’ll be going with you in your car.”

“Since when is Josh going back to New York by plane? He
never told me any of this.”

“Of course he didn’t. I told him not to.”  What was going
on here? Blade and Josh were now keeping secrets from her?

“How could you do this? When did you and Josh have a
chance to talk without me knowing about it?”

“I sent him an email this afternoon.” This explained a
lot.