Branded for You(10)

Megan frowned. “Someone spread rumors?”

“He certainly did,” Margaret said. “Mrs. Webb, Jenny’s caregiver, overheard him one day, so we know it’s true.” Margaret’s face was pinched as she went to the fridge and took out a carton of milk. She carried it to the table. “Some of what was said is that we’ve had roach problems which we have not. Among other things, someone reported that our hired help isn’t legally in the U.S., which is also untrue. We think Meyer did that, too.”

Paul’s features turned darker. “After the rumors and the scathing review, business dropped off and never recovered.”

Anger rose within Megan. “Who is this Roger Meyer?”

Margaret took two glasses out of the cabinet and poured a glass of milk for herself and one for Paul, then sat in the chair. “He owns a competing restaurant next door to ours. He leases that building from Mr. Cowell and wanted to lease our building, too, so that he could expand his place.” She stabbed at her slice of cake. “He thought he had a deal worked out but we outbid him. He was angry. Met him one day and he said we would never make it and it would be a sorry day that we ever bought it.”

Megan looked from her father to her mother and back. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”

“We’d hoped it wouldn’t be an issue.” Paul tossed the notice on the table and speared his cake with his fork as if driving it into an enemy. “If the owner gave us more time or let us work out some kind of payment plan, we might be able to make it. We put up seventy-five grand when we bought the place.”

“He’s going to keep our down payment and take everything away.” Margaret’s tone was bitter.

“What are you going to do?” Megan clenched her hands.

Paul swallowed a bite of cake and chased it down with milk before he spoke. “We’ll give talking to him another try. If that doesn’t work…I don’t know what we’ll do.”

That the Hummingbird Café wasn’t doing well was a shock to Megan. Her parents’ restaurant was a family-style place, much like one they’d had in New Mexico before they’d moved to Prescott a year ago. Their restaurant in Albuquerque had been popular, successful, and profitable. Her mother’s peach pie alone sold like crazy, not to mention her country potpies.

Megan spent a little more time with her parents as they told her about the reporter trashing the service as well as the food. The Health Department had come out and found nothing out of order, but damage was done by more rumors that were spread.

Also, on an Internet restaurant recommendation and review site, one negative review after another had been posted within a short timeframe. They were certain they were false reviews that had to be connected to Roger Meyer.

Her father changed the subject. “Why are you in so late tonight?”

“It’s not that late.” She glanced at the clock and saw that it was closing in on eleven, later than she’d thought it was. “Besides, we’ve been talking for a while.”

“I found a home for you to buy,” Paul said in his I’ve-decided-so-this-is-how-it’s-going-to-be tone. “It’s in this neighborhood. We can go look at it tomorrow.”

“I’m not sure where I want to live yet,” Megan said calmly. But she knew it wasn’t going to be this close to her parents. She loved them, but she needed her space.

Paul finished his cake and wiped his hands on a napkin. “I know what’s best, Megan. We’ve been here longer than you and I’ve already checked out all of the good neighborhoods. This is one you can afford and you’ll be close to your mother.”

Megan swallowed down the words she wanted to say. She stayed calm. “Dad, I’m thirty-two years old. I can handle it on my own.”

Paul snorted.

Megan felt her face warm. “Time for me to get to bed.” She said goodnight to her parents and retreated to the guest room.

“Why am I doing this?” she said to herself when she closed the door behind her. “Why did I come to Prescott? I feel like I’m sixteen again.”

Megan fumed for a bit and then went to bed. Her thoughts bounced from her parents’ financial difficulties to the way her father still tried to dominate her life to her evening with Ryan.

It didn’t do her any good to worry over the restaurant and house tonight, so she settled on thinking about Ryan and the time they’d spent together.

Her lips tingled as she remembered his kiss and she brought her fingers to them. His kiss had been just enough to make her want more, yet she’d only met him today. With his long legs and taut muscular body, he was one tall, sexy cowboy.