Someone to Trust

Lee turned toward her. “Megan?”

She had not turned the lights on, but the moon was shining brightly enough that she could read the confusion on his face.

She knew what she should do but she didn’t have the courage. Maybe she could wait. Sleep on it and maybe an answer would come to her. She couldn’t bear to let him go. Not now, not when she’d just found him. She looked up at his handsome face etched with lines of concern as he waited for her to answer him. He was such a gentle, caring man. He was her gentle giant.

Without thought, Megan wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest.

“I’m okay,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest. “I’m just tired.” That wasn’t untrue. She was tired and scared. And, she completely disliked Felicia. She supposed she should pray about that. Later.

As if reading her thoughts, Lee offered gently, “Look, I’m really sorry about Felicia. She can be…well…she can really be something else. I had no idea—”

“It’s okay—really. I shouldn’t have let it get to me and I shouldn’t have responded the way I did. I can’t picture you with someone like that.”

Chapter One

She never knew what hit her! One minute, Megan McCormick was walking down a sidewalk lined with quaint shops, and the next, her bottom was firmly planted on it. She was certain there would be an indentation left in the cement when—
if—
she got up.

Minutes before, Megan had been juggling too many packages and minding her own business.
Okay, that wasn’t entirely true.
She had been munching on an icing-filled chocolate chip cookie. They were her favorite, fresh from the bakery down the street. She tried not to frequent the wonderful place too often, lest she sabotage a lot of dental work and diligent exercising, but today, she was having a treat.
Hey, a girl deserved to have her favorite cookie every once
in
awhile.

She’d also been somewhat engrossed in the couple strolling hand-in-hand just ahead of her. Admittedly, she was an avid people-watcher and they intrigued her. As caught up in one another as they were, they were oblivious to observance.

Love was in the air, as spring announced the impending, jubilant arrival of summer, with melting snow cascading down the mountainside, creating trickles in some places and streams in others. Wildflowers were springing up where the warm sun kissed the ground, while birds, returning from their winter flight south, heralded their arrival home with triumphant chirping.

The young couple must have been affected by the springtime bounty of love, for they stopped every several feet to touch, to whisper or to simply smile into one another’s eyes.

For a few moments, Megan gazed at them wistfully. Though the tender scene was one stories were made of, it aroused unwanted memories for Megan, causing her heart to ache. She had been in love—
once.
She had been a complete fool. A blind fool. One who should have known better.

Stop it!
She silently admonished herself, trying to regain control of her tortured thoughts
.

You have rehashed this so many times!
So much so, she was sick and tired of it. She could only take comfort in the fact she was wiser now and would never be taken advantage of again. Men simply were not to be trusted and storybook romance was just a story. Trumped-up love for novels which were sold to dreamers who walked around with their heads in the clouds. As for Megan, her feet were now planted firmly on the ground. She held little hope—or desire—of ever being knocked over by Prince Charming on a white steed.

Megan was so busy arguing with herself that she wasn’t paying any attention to where she was going or what pace she was keeping. Just as she rounded the corner, an impact caused Megan to lose her footing and her packages went sailing. Her arms flailed desperately in the air as she tried without success to catch herself.

Womp!
Bemused, she shook her head, looking around at the myriad of color now blanketing the walkway. Her packages were scattered everywhere. Then she noticed, much to her amazement, a rather large pair of hiking boots planted firmly beneath the contents of some of those purchases.

Megan gasped.
The brick wall she had run into came with feet!
She allowed her eyes to trail upward, past the long length of a masculine frame and the very broad shoulders, until she was staring into the most incredible, albeit concern-filled, gray eyes she’d ever seen.
Now those are eyes out of a novel
.

“Are you all right?” a deep voice asked.

Everything except her pride
.

“I think so,” she mumbled, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

“Are you hurt?”

Certainly!
However, she refused to tell him where
.
Instead, Megan shook her head.

“Here. Let me help you up,” he offered, and before she could protest, two strong arms hoisted her to her feet. Flushing, Megan peered into eyes that were now twinkling with amusement.

Was he laughing at her? Of all the nerve!

Jaw tilting and back stiffening, Megan huffed, “It is not funny; you really should watch where you’re walking.”

All right, so she shouldn’t blame him, but she was miffed. How dare he laugh at her
?

“You are absolutely right. I beg your pardon.” He sounded sincere enough, but why was he staring at her? Why was he wearing that ridiculous grin? Had she grown two heads or something?

Resisting the urge to rub her aching bottom, Megan self-consciously ran her fingers across her chestnut hair which, except for a few escaping tendrils, was still in a tidy bun. Her sunglasses had slipped unceremoniously down her nose, but that wasn’t funny. Was he going to let her in on it, or had she just simply bumped into a lunatic?

So much for Prince Charming!

“Um, you have icing smeared above your lip and uh…chocolate on your teeth.” The brick wall cleared his throat. She just knew he was trying not to laugh.

That’s just great!
She was now wearing the fresh, chocolate chip, icing-filled cookie. She rolled her eyes heavenward! Megan looked around for something to wipe her face.

“Here.” The brick wall came to the rescue, extracting a clean, neatly folded bandana from his pocket. Much to his credit, he handed it to her without even a twitch of the lips or a twinkle in the eye.

“Thank you,” Megan muttered, as she wiped her mouth.

“Um…” He pointed to the left side of his mouth as an indication for her to wipe hers.

As she did so, he rubbed his nose. “And…”

She followed suit by rubbing her nose, then lifted her well-arched eyebrows at him. He answered the unvoiced question with, “I believe that’s it.”

Thank goodness!
Megan began dusting crumbs from her shirt.

“Oh!” She groaned aloud as her attention was captured by the scattered packages littering the sidewalk. Why today, of all days, had she chosen to purchase lingerie? Some of the people passing by were sidestepping them, while others were turning to look curiously at the couple blocking their paths.

Just as she thought things couldn’t get worse, Prince Charming bent over, at the exact moment she did, to help retrieve her stray packages.

Thud!
A chestnut head smacked against a coal-black one.

“Excuse me.” He winced.

“Sorry,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead. Well, this scenario was certainly not out of a romance novel.
More like a comic book!

Megan held up her hand. “I’ll get them, thanks.”

Ignoring her comment, he walked over to where the torn bag of dog food lay. The dog food! Had she not been foolish enough to try to lug that as well as the packages, this would never have happened. He met her back in the center of the sidewalk with the bag balanced effortlessly on a broad shoulder.

“I’ll take that,” she offered, trying to shift the packages around so she could handle it. She wasn’t having much success.

“Really, I can handle it,” she assured him, shifting packages again. He, however, didn’t seem very convinced.

“The least I can do is carry it to your car. We don’t want you having any more mishaps.” He was grinning again. Megan’s mouth opened in protest and then promptly closed. She mentally assessed the situation. As much as she did not want his help, or the help of any man for that matter, it appeared she needed it. She knew when to concede.
Sometimes!

In any case, if he was a lunatic bent on doing her harm, he’d already had ample time. More than likely, he was a tourist, because she didn’t recall
bumping
into him before. The poor direction of her thoughts caused her to roll her eyes again.

Megan guessed he was vacationing with his wife and kids who were either shopping or waiting for him in one of the popular mountain cabins or chalets. Megan walked quickly, staying just a few paces ahead of him, which was no easy task considering one of his strides equaled two of hers.

“What breed?” His voice filled the space.

“I beg your pardon?”

“What breed of dog do you have?”

“Oh. A Great Dane,” she answered.

“Big dog. What’s his name?”

“Sir.”

He repeated himself slowly, spacing his words out. “What…is…his…name?”

“Sir,” she answered again.

The voice behind her not only slowed but became louder. “What…is…his…name?”

Megan stopped so abruptly and unexpectedly, she was nearly bowled over again as he collided into her.
Boy, this giant man was irritating her
. She whirled around to find she was only able to speak into his chest, which lost some emphasis. She backed away, looked up, and repeated his actions by slowing her words and talking loudly.

“His…name…is…Sir.”

He laughed. “Sir?”

With lifted brows, she challenged, “What else would you call a dog his size?”

“Good point,” he admitted with a nod, flashing straight white teeth at her. Much to her chagrin, she felt her heart skip a beat.
Whoa there, girl! You are much too level-headed to be swayed by a handsome face and a great smile. You’ve sworn off men. Especially married ones!

Unloading the dog food into the back of her SUV, he extended his hand. “I’m Lee Grainger. I do apologize for getting in your way and hope you will not suffer any bruises.”

Suddenly ashamed of herself for blaming him, she extended her hand with a humble grin. “I’m Megan.”

His large hand completely swallowed her smaller one. Feeling a small tingle go through her, she nearly snatched her hand away. The brick wall…um…Lee Grainger gently turned her hand over in his palm, revealing mild abrasions mixed with a small amount of gravel.

“You are hurt,” he said with concern. “We need to get these cleaned up.”

She adamantly shook her head, declaring, “No, I’m fine really. I should have been watching where I was going. I’ve learned a valuable lesson about trying to carry too much while also trying to eat a cookie. It’s kind of like the walking and chewing gum thing; I have difficulty with that, too!”
For pity’s sake, she was rambling on and on.

“Anyway, I appreciate your help.” She climbed behind the wheel of her vehicle as she added, “I promise to tend to these cuts as soon as I get home.”

“I’m supposed to be in Laurel Ridge a little while; perhaps we’ll
run
into each other again sometime,” Lee said, eyes crinkling with mischief. Smiling at his play on words, but ignoring them entirely, Megan waved as she pulled off.

Glancing in her rearview mirror, she found him staring after her.
Ah, a man with a sense of humor. A rare trait these days.

****

In her cabin, later that evening, Megan sat with her feet tucked under her on the antique leather sofa, gazing into the fire blazing in the stone fireplace. She was cozily wrapped in her well-worn, yet favorite afghan, a gift from her grandmother. Sir’s large tan head rested contentedly in her lap, as she sipped hot cocoa and stared into the fire.

Megan had long since abandoned work at the computer. She was having great difficulty concentrating. Although she had a deadline for her latest copywriting project
,
she just couldn’t focus. After two hours of trying to bring her thoughts into line and complete the task at hand, she gave a sigh of resignation and opted for a cup of cocoa instead.

“Sir, I think that fall earlier today rattled my brain.” At the sound of his name, the animal looked up with understanding brown eyes.

She spoke her thoughts aloud, stroking his head gently; Sir listened with his usual attentiveness.

“What are my chances of meeting someone who will love me for who I am? Someone who enjoys the same things I do. Things like solitude, quiet walks and peaceful nights spent by the fireplace. I’ll tell you what the chances are, Sir—they’re slim. I’d certainly need to have help from someone else.” Megan looked heavenward. Sir picked up his head, turning it slightly with ears perked.

“Why?” Megan responded to Sir’s unvoiced question. “Because the person I’d be interested in is probably enjoying the solitude of a cabin right now, in front of a fire with his golden retriever.”

She let her gaze roam around the place she’d learned to call home. She admired the openness of the rustic design, which included a more than ample kitchen and dining area. She loved the oak cabinets with plenty of counter space and a breakfast bar. The floor plan also boasted a great room, which was where she was now seated. Along one wall of the living space was a massive stone fireplace bordered on each side by floor-to-ceiling windows. The rear wall held French doors leading out to a wrap-around porch, which offered a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below.

The first floor was completed by a small bedroom and bathroom. The second story held a loft area which is where Megan’s desk was set up, although more times than not she wound up working at the table on the main floor. Just beyond the loft was a large master bedroom with a fireplace and a bathroom of its own.

Her perusal stopped and lingered almost lovingly on the oak floors she had stripped and refinished. It had been a backbreaking task that seemed to take forever, but she had been so proud when the job was finally completed.

Megan purchased the log cabin on a whim, as a twenty-fifth birthday present to herself. She had happened upon the place accidentally while visiting Cindy, an old high school girlfriend. She had come up for a couple of weeks in the summer and fallen completely in love with the area as well as the cabin. After some careful consideration, she decided the cabin would be a wise investment. Not only would it provide her a regular vacation spot so she wouldn’t always have to stay with Cindy and her husband, but she could also use it as rental property for the many tourists who frequented the Smoky Mountains. Because it was less than a half-day’s drive from Atlanta, she could also use it for weekend getaways.

However, shortly after the purchase, she’d left the city and life she had known. She moved into the two-bedroom cabin, nestled on the side of the mountain, and had one of the most incredible views in all of Laurel Ridge. Living in a place like Laurel Ridge was the fulfillment of all her secret longings.

Sir whined, jumped up and went to the front door, interrupting her reflection of the past.

“Okay, okay!” Megan said, getting up to retrieve his leash. “But, you’ve got to make it quick; it’s chilly tonight.”

Sir wagged his tail; his cropped ears perking up, letting her know he had not taken offense at her reluctance. Truthfully, she didn’t mind walking him.

Sir was the first dog she had ever owned. He, too, was purchased on a whim, within two weeks of her moving into the cabin. She had no regrets about the cabin or Sir, but she was determined to change her circumstances, to stop dreaming about things she longed to do and actually do the things she enjoyed for the first time in her life. When Megan made a fresh start eighteen months earlier, she refused to look back.

“Come on, boy,” she said to her large, loyal roommate when she had the leash secured on Sir’s collar and the door open.

“How about that walk?” The excited response she received nearly yanked her off the front porch by a dog on a mission.