Sheltered by the Millionaire(22)

"You're not the only single mom to have been in this situation before,  you know." Beth squeezed Megan's wrist. "There's happiness out there for  you."

She looked out over the volunteers who'd turned up in droves, a town  full of people who'd welcomed her into their fold. "I am happy with the  life I've built."

"Fair enough. Still, there can be love and a partner for you. There can  be a man who wants to be a father to that amazing daughter of yours.  But you'll never know if you don't try."

Megan heard the logic in Beth's words, but accepting what she was  saying was easier said than done. "I think we're all just feeling our  mortality because of Craig and the others who died. We're all reacting  out of grief and adrenaline, a need to affirm life."

"Or the tornado could have torn away your defenses and is making you face what you've been feeling all along."

"Okay, Dr. Freud." Megan bumped shoulders with her friend. "Do you think we can back off analyzing for a while?"

The crunch of footsteps on downed branches gave her only a second's  warning. She looked over her shoulder and found Whit approaching. Denim  and flannel never looked so good. She smoothed back the wisps of loose  hair into her ponytail before she could stop herself.

Beth stood abruptly as Whit leaned against the bench. "I think I'm  going to head inside and see if Drew needs help. Good to see you, Whit."  She scooped up her mask and jogged toward the clock tower.

The sounds of traffic being routed around town hall mixed with birds chirping. The world was almost normal again.

Almost.

Whit gestured to the scarred bench. "Mind if I sit?"

"Of course I don't mind." That would be silly, and she didn't even one hundred percent understand the turmoil inside her.

"I noticed that your car's blocked in so I'm offering you a ride if  it's not clear when you're ready to leave." His hard thigh pressed  against hers. He pointed to where utility vehicles had recently arrived  and boxed in her compact.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Did you have something to do with my car getting blocked in?"

"Why would I do that?" He palmed his chest in overplayed innocence.

"You're funny." And she was being prickly for no reason. She rested her hand on his knee.

He covered her gloved hand with his. "Just trying to keep you happy.  When are we going to make it official and tell folks we're seeing each  other? They all know anyway."

Panic made it tough to breathe even without the surgical mask. "I need time to figure out what to tell Evie."

"Well, people are already talking so you should figure that out soon before someone says something in front of her."

"I know, I know." She sagged back on the bench, accepting she'd reached  a crossroad with Whit. Beth's words knocked around in her mind. Had  Megan just been hiding from her feelings for Whit all along? She tugged  off her work gloves. "We just need to be careful with Evie. She's  fragile right now."

His thumb stroked the inside of her wrist. "Do you think she's going to be jealous of the time we spend together?"

"Just the opposite. She likes you." And that had a whole different set  of potential landmines. "You're really good with her and that's scary  too. Her heart's going to be broken when we-"

Irritation flickered through his dark brown eyes. "You're dooming this before we're even off the ground yet."

Was she? She reminded herself of the conversation with Beth. "I want to  try. I just need time. Okay? Let's finish helping out and then you can  drive me home if I'm still blocked in."

"Evie will be there. What will you tell her?"

She chose her words carefully. This was such a damn big step for her.  She hoped he understood just how much. "That you're Mommy's very good  friend." She tugged another surgical mask from her pocket and passed it  to him. "Let's get back to work."                       
       
           



       

* * *

Whit hadn't had a role in blocking Megan's car but he was more than  happy to ride the good luck that fate had dealt him. Now he had time  alone with her to figure out why she was so spooked.

Not spooked enough to avoid him altogether though, because she could  have asked Beth to bring her home. But she hadn't. Instead, Megan had  worked beside him tirelessly at town hall, as if she didn't already  carry a full load at the shelter, and agreed to a lift in his truck when  they were done.

Sun dipping into the horizon, he pulled up and parked outside her  cottage. "You fit right in here. You'd think you've lived here all your  life."

"It's a welcoming town." She dusted off the knees of her jeans. She'd really dug in to help at town hall today.

She worked hard all the time and he couldn't help but want to make things easier for her.

Whit angled toward her, enjoying the way the setting sun brought out  highlights in her hair. "Are you planning to stay in Royal?"

She blinked in surprise. "I don't have any plans to leave."

"That's not the same as planning to stay." He stroked a loose strand behind her ear.

"What about you?" she countered. "What if your business expands and  there's a great opportunity to take things global or something?"

"No matter how large my company grows, Royal will always be where I've  planted my roots," he said without hesitation. "This is the only place  I've ever been able to call home. That's not something I'm willing to  throw away."

She shook her head slowly. "Home is family, not a place. If I got an  offer from another shelter for a significant pay raise, I would have to  consider it, for Evie's future." She cupped his face. "Why are we  discussing this now? It's a what-if that may not ever happen. Let's  focus on this moment."

"Right, of course." His hand slid behind her head and he guided her to  him and kissed her. It was just one of those simple kinds of kisses. But  he was finding there were so many ways to savor this woman and they'd  barely even begun.

She eased back and smiled. "I need to let Miss Abigail go. Do you want  to come inside and have supper with Evie and me? It's nothing fancy.  Just hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, maybe apple slices with peanut  butter."

"Peanut butter?" He kissed her nose. "Now that's an offer I can't turn down." He stepped out of the truck.

She was trying, and that was more important than he wanted to admit to  himself right now. He needed to keep his focus on the moment.

He followed Megan into her house, the warm space full of color and  clutter reminding him again how his place didn't come close to feeling  like a home. Tails wagging, Piper the Scottie and Cosmo the Border  Collie raced across the room to sniff his shoes. The cats Truffles,  Pixie and Scooter lounged on the back of the red sectional sofa in the  same spots he'd seen them last time, as if they hadn't moved.

Evie jumped up from her Barbie house, wearing an angel costume with a  halo and tiara, the two headpieces jumbled on top of each other. She ran  to her mother and flung her spindly arms around Megan's waist. "Mommy, I  missed you." She peeked up, a little bit of gold garland from the halo  dropping over one eye. "Hello, Mr. Whit."

Miss Abigail scooped up her purse and sweater from the sofa beside one  of the snoozing cats. "Well, hello, Whit. This is a surprise."

Megan kept her arms around her daughter. "My car was blocked in. Whit offered to bring me home."

"Right." Abigail winked. "Have fun, sweetie, and call if you need me to  babysit. Anytime." She patted Whit on the cheek. "Treat her well."

The door closed behind the retired legal secretary. He took heart in  the fact that Megan hadn't even bothered denying Abigail's assumptions.

Megan eyed him nervously, then blurted, "Would you mind keeping an eye on Evie while I change and cook supper?"

He could tell what that cost her. "Thanks, of course I can." He looked over at Evie's toys. "We'll play-"                       
       
           



       

"Tea party," the little girl squealed, and ran to the coffee table.

Megan's laugh tickled his ears as she left the room.

Whit sat on the sofa. "How's Tallulah?"

Evie arranged a tiny pink plate in front of him and one on her side,  then placed two more on the table and whistled for Piper and Cosmo, both  of whom were apparently familiar with the game and sat beside her. "My  mommy's taking very good care of your kitty cat."

He didn't bother mentioning it wasn't his cat. From the mischievous  glint in Evie's eyes, he suspected she was exerting some subtle pressure  of her own. "Your mother is a very good person."