Sheltered by the Millionaire(28)

"It is sweet. But you would be wise to remember, sometimes I don't have  much of a sense of humor when it comes to things like this. You just  caught me on a good day."

"Fair enough." He had a feeling there was a lot more to learn about  Megan before he could banish the wary look that still lurked in her  green eyes. "I will keep that in mind."

He glanced at his watch, and damn, he was running late. When he woke up  this morning, he hadn't thought there was a chance in hell he could get  through the day of Craig's memorial service without a bottle by his  side. But Megan and Evie had given him a welcome distraction. They were  good for him.

"Do you have a meeting?" she asked.

"I need to go home to change and get some things together for Craig's memorial service."

She pressed a trembling hand to her mouth. "Oh God, Whit, I'm so sorry.  How selfish of me not to think about how difficult today is for you."  She touched his shoulder lightly. "What can I do?"                       
       
           



       

"This helped keep my mind off things."

"I'll meet you at the church."

"You don't have to-"

"I want to be there for you."

He brushed his hand along her back, which was as much contact as would  be appropriate here in a classroom full of kids. But he knew how tough  it was for Megan to spend time away from her daughter and appreciated  her being there for him. "I'll see you tonight."

This wasn't a day when he could feel joyful by any means, but suddenly the weight didn't seem as heavy.

* * *

Since her parents' death, Megan had avoided funerals and memorial  services, but she'd wanted to be here for Whit. As she stood in the  church vestibule with Whit after the service, she was relieved it was  over, and certain that attending had been absolutely the right decision.

It had been emotional experience for everyone. Not just mourning their  friend, but also remembering that fateful day all their lives had been  forever changed so quickly. Paige Richardson's husband was taken from  her in an instant.... A thought that had Megan reaching for Whit's hand.

Whit's words about his friend had brought tears to her eyes,  reaffirming how important it was to be here for him. He was trying so  hard and there was danger in a relationship that was too one-sided. It  wasn't fair to him.

At least the service had been in the evening so she wouldn't be  spending as much time away from Evie. Her daughter had been excited  talking about going to preschool tomorrow. She'd chattered about her  friends and all the fun activities coming up for December.

Megan stood silently at Whit's side while he gave his condolences to  Craig Richardson's widow Paige and his twin brother Colby, who'd  returned to town from his home in Dallas.

Everyone was making small talk, doing their best to hold it together.  Then Whit took her elbow and guided her outside, shouldering through the  crowd and into the chilly night full of stars. In the dark, the scars  from the storm didn't show. It was almost if it never happened. Except  tonight reminded her too well it had.

She tucked her arm in his. "Are you okay?"

"Hanging in there. It's hard to believe he's been gone for over a  month." Whit sighed, cricking his neck to the side as they walked to his  truck.

"Did I hear right that R&N Builders is helping out with the  reconstruction?" Colby Richardson and Whit's friend Aaron Nichols were  partners in the business.

"You did. Colby has offered all the services of his very successful  company to help," Whit confirmed, although his forehead was still  furrowed over what should have been a good piece of news.

"I'm sure you'll be glad to have more time with your friends, especially now."

"Hmm."

She squeezed his arm as they walked. "Something's bothering you?"

"The whole evening is just surreal. Especially seeing Colby with Paige."

"Because Colby is Craig's twin?"

He shook his head. "Because Colby and Craig each went out with Paige in  high school. There is still a lot of tension between Colby and Paige."

"It must be difficult for her to have him around reminding her of her dead husband."

"Maybe so." He nodded, stopping beside his truck and opening the door  for her. "Tonight sure makes a person think hard about what's  important."

"That's an understatement." She climbed inside, thinking back to the  first time she'd sat inside this vehicle, terrified for her daughter.

He settled behind the wheel without starting the truck. "It meant a lot to me to have you here."

"Of course I was here for you."

He stretched his arm along the seat, his fingers toying with her hair.  "I think we both know what we have going is about more than sex."

His words stirred up a flurry of nerves in her belly. "Are you saying  you're thinking about happily ever after and white picket fences?"

"I'm saying you mean something to me." He angled toward her, his eyes  intense in the darkness. "And yeah, that scares the hell out of me, but  this isn't casual. Not for me."                       
       
           



       

"Well, it scares the hell out of me to think about letting a man in my  life again." As terrified as she was to say the words out loud, tonight  had reminded her there were no guarantees in life. She linked her  fingers with his. "But it scares me more to think about not trying at  all."





Eleven

Whit couldn't remember being this nervous-and genuinely pumped up-about a Friday night date.

But then he'd never proposed to a woman before.

The diamond solitaire damn near burning a hole in his suit coat pocket,  he shifted gears on his Porsche as he drove through Royal with Megan at  his side. They weren't hiding out in some tucked away place. He'd  chosen a restaurant near his Pine Valley home, where the odds of running  into friends were high. Megan had agreed. The whole town knew they were  dating. Evie had accepted him into their routine this past week.

And soon, everyone would see the ring on her finger.

Things were moving fast, sure, but during the week since Craig's  memorial service, Whit had felt as if he and Megan had lived two  lifetimes together. Their lives fit together. More than fit. They were  good together and he didn't want to lose that. He'd been searching his  whole life for a steady home life to build a family. Megan was the  perfect woman for him.

Steering through the night streets, he noted the Christmas lights just  beginning to crop up in windows and could see the efforts to rebuild the  town starting to bear fruit. There was still a lot of work to be done,  but then couldn't that be said about life overall? Everything was a work  in progress. And he looked forward to meeting the challenge with Megan  at his side.

God, she was gorgeous in a green lace dress, her thick hair swept up  into one of those loose kinds of topknots that somehow stayed in place  but begged his fingers to set free. She was such an intriguing mix of  contrasts. On the one hand, a no-nonsense kind of woman not afraid to  get her hands dirty whether she was working with animals or building a  compost heap. On the other hand, an elegant woman as comfortable curled  up reading her daughter a book as she was dressing up for a five-star  evening out. Megan's confidence didn't come from a sense of entitlement  or wealth. It came from within. From having tackled life head on and  made her way in the world.

He respected that.

Megan trailed her fingers along the window as they drove past the Royal  Diner, still closed due to damages from the storm. "Evie and I used to  have supper there on days I would work late."

"Amanda will reopen," he said. "It's just going to take a while. I hear  she and Nathan took out good insurance on the place. With luck the  diner will be even better than ever."

"Like the hospital?" She smoothed a hand over her green lace dress. "I  almost feel guilty getting all dressed up to have fun when there are  still people dealing with the chaos of the aftermath."

"There's nothing wrong with enjoying yourself. You work hard and  deserve a break. I think even the people who are struggling take comfort  from seeing life returning to normal around them. It's good to do  regular things. Support local businesses." He rested his hand on top of  the steering wheel. "I know a perfect diner Evie will love when you two  move in with me-I guess I should say, 'What if you and Megan moved in  with me?'"

Wait, that wasn't what he'd meant to say. He was going to propose, then  ask her to move in while they were engaged. But damn it, the words were  already out there, so he held his peace as he stopped at a red light  and waited for her response.