Zeke hopped out with the grace of a man half his age. “You missed all the fun in town today with that man of yours.”
“He’s not my—is he still there?”
Zeke chuckled. “Yep.”
Josh was tenacious when he wanted something. “Haley’s still with Grandma though, right?”
“She is. Doubt that boy be dumb enough to step foot on Ruth’s land again without permission.”
She counted on that. “Okay, so let me give you the grand tour.” As they walked toward the big two-story log cabin, she gave him the executive summary. “As you saw, the dock’s crap and needs to be replaced, but that’s something I can do myself. I need to move some walls and make suites. The roof’s questionable, the plumbing moans a bit, I need to add three new baths, and the kitchen needs a total remodel. I’ll refinish all the wood floors myself. I’m not sure yet, but if I can clean up the original baths and make them shine, we might just call them vintage.”
Zeke chuckled. “Vintage, huh? I suppose that’s what you could call me too.”
“Maybe. If we could shine you up enough.” Meg slid her arm through Zeke’s. “You sure you want to be helping me like this? My dad’s not going to like it.”
“Hell, Meggy, I’m not afraid of your father like everyone else in this town. An old widower with no children doesn’t have anyone to help spend all the money I’ve saved from these celebrities who hand it out like candy. If I never worked another day, I’d be just fine.” Zeke pulled a big flashlight from the tool bag he carried. “Now to get under the house and get dirty.”
Megan’s phone signaled an incoming text, which she ignored. “I’m right behind you.”
“You hate spiders, but can’t bring yourself to kill them. Never understood that about you. Answer your beep and I’ll be right back.”
“Thanks.” Relieved she’d avoided the creepy crawlspace, she tapped her cell’s screen and cringed.
It was from Josh.
You can fly a helicopter? How do I not know this about you, Wonder Woman?
Confused, because she expected him to be angry after his pain meds wore off, not cracking jokes, she typed, What do you want, Josh?
I want you to talk to me while we go for a helicopter ride. I’ll pay the full fee. Amusement parks have nothing on the rates Anderson Butte charges.
He’d told everyone he wasn’t leaving until he saw her and Haley. The seeing Haley part wasn’t happening. Talking to him when he wasn’t drugged up was probably inevitable.
She’d have to look into those whiskey-colored eyes again. And if he smiled at her as sweetly as he’d done when he first saw her in the clinic, it was going to hurt. But at least the meeting would be on her terms for a change. In the air. In an environment Josh couldn’t control.
Yeah, maybe the perfect venue. And she’d have the added benefit of scaring the crap out of him.
Meet me behind the clinic in a half hour.
Josh crossed his arms and leaned against his truck as he waited for Megan, detesting the pit forming in his gut. He hated that he had to keep up the lies, even if for just a while longer. Hopefully the story he’d come up with would convince her to give him a second chance.
He was deep in strategy mode when she slipped quietly next to him, leaning against his truck and crossing her arms too. “Pondering how to make your next million, Josh?”
The sight of her made his heart roll over in his chest. She’d pulled her hair up into a cute ponytail and she had on a little pink T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes. Her new, curvier hips were just a bonus. But she wouldn’t look him in the eye. Not a good sign. She was obviously still hurt and angry with him.
He couldn’t blame her.
He’d just up and left her when she’d been pregnant with their child. He didn’t deserve to be taken back, but he hoped to God he’d find a way to make her see how sorry he was for it.
“Nope. Those days are behind me. I was just thinking I was glad that helicopter has doors on it. That way you can’t tilt me out and be rid of me.”
“Zeke has a smaller helicopter like that. Too bad I didn’t think to borrow it. You ready?”
“Yep.” Maybe he shouldn’t be giving her any ideas.
He stood aside as Megan circled the helicopter, preparing it for flight. “Thank you for meeting with me, Meg. I appreciate it.”
She stopped mid-stride and finally met his gaze before glancing at his arm. “Well, if we’re being nice to each other, then I’m sorry my grandmother shot you. Let’s go.”
He climbed inside and buckled in. Mimicking her moves, he slid his sunglasses on and then placed the headset that dangled in front of him over his ears.