overreact, that's all.”
He held her tight, both arms wrapped around her as she stood there trembling. What the hell was that all about? “You want to tell me about it?”
She heaved a big sigh before she looked up at him. “Another time, maybe. For now you need to go.”
Now he really didn't want to go. She squeezed her arms tight around his waist. “I'm going to go inside and you are going to drive off into the night.” She looked up, her eyes shimmering gold and brown as they pleaded with him. “Please?”
“Okay, but can I call you later? After the little guy's gone to bed.”
That smile was going to be the end of him! “Yes, please. I would like that.”
He tried to pull himself together as she stepped away from him. “Will, Meggie. Not would.”
She gave him that smile one more time and made her way up the path, giving him that little wave before she closed the front door behind her.
He stood there, staring after her for a moment, then came to his senses. He checked his watch. It really was time to go.
***
M egan closed the front door behind her and reached down to pet Ollie who was barking and pawing, wagging around her legs. She was still shaking. Michael couldn't be more different from Adrian if he tried, but when he'd grabbed her arm just then it had all come flooding back. She shuddered, then straightened up.
“Everything's okay now, Ollie.” She knew she was telling herself, not him, but Ollie barked twice. She had to smile. Michael said that meant yes, so it must be true.
She took out her phone to check Michael's text.
We won't have to wait till Saturday. I can't!
She smiled. She couldn't either!
Chapter Nine
T uesday was one of Megan's nights to close up the library by herself. She looked over at the blonde woman who was sitting in the reference section. She was pretty sure she was one of Michael's friends who had been at the Boathouse the other night. Not Leanne, but one of the ones at the other end of the table. Holly maybe? The woman kept giving her a friendly smile, but Megan was wary. She'd never seen her in the library before. She was hoping that this wasn't going to be like college. She'd thought when she went to college that all the bullying was behind her, but it wasn't. The first time she had gone out on a date with a guy, she'd been warned off the next day by a group of the popular girls. He was one of their crowd—she wasn't. She'd kept out of the way after that. She'd gone back to hiding, in her sweatshirts, in the library, behind her big glasses. It was easier that way. She was really hoping this wasn't going to be history repeating itself, that the blonde woman wasn't here to tell her to stay away from Michael, that she wasn't welcome. She took a deep breath, deciding that even if she was, well....tough! She liked Michael. As he had said, she was tired of hiding, tired of being scared. Since she'd come up here and started building her own little life, she was starting to feel that she had as much right as anyone else to do what she wanted. So if that woman was here to warn her off—well, she just wasn't going to listen!
The woman stood up and started making her way towards the desk. For the first time, Megan wished she was wearing heels so that when she stood up for herself she could at least do it eye-to-eye. The woman smiled. It did seem a friendly smile.
“Hi, Megan. We met the other night, if you remember. With Michael? I'm Emma.”
“Hello.” At least she hadn't stuttered! But she didn't know what else to say.
Emma smiled warmly. “You seem to have guessed that I really came here to see you. I'm no good at pretending.”
Megan nodded warily, still unsure where this might be going.
Emma looked a bit shamefaced now. She hung her head and smiled. “I'm sorry. I wanted to make friends with you, but I didn't want to come knocking at your door. So I thought I could set up a not-so-chance, chance encounter here at the library.”
Megan smiled, relieved. Emma
He held her tight, both arms wrapped around her as she stood there trembling. What the hell was that all about? “You want to tell me about it?”
She heaved a big sigh before she looked up at him. “Another time, maybe. For now you need to go.”
Now he really didn't want to go. She squeezed her arms tight around his waist. “I'm going to go inside and you are going to drive off into the night.” She looked up, her eyes shimmering gold and brown as they pleaded with him. “Please?”
“Okay, but can I call you later? After the little guy's gone to bed.”
That smile was going to be the end of him! “Yes, please. I would like that.”
He tried to pull himself together as she stepped away from him. “Will, Meggie. Not would.”
She gave him that smile one more time and made her way up the path, giving him that little wave before she closed the front door behind her.
He stood there, staring after her for a moment, then came to his senses. He checked his watch. It really was time to go.
***
M egan closed the front door behind her and reached down to pet Ollie who was barking and pawing, wagging around her legs. She was still shaking. Michael couldn't be more different from Adrian if he tried, but when he'd grabbed her arm just then it had all come flooding back. She shuddered, then straightened up.
“Everything's okay now, Ollie.” She knew she was telling herself, not him, but Ollie barked twice. She had to smile. Michael said that meant yes, so it must be true.
She took out her phone to check Michael's text.
We won't have to wait till Saturday. I can't!
She smiled. She couldn't either!
Chapter Nine
T uesday was one of Megan's nights to close up the library by herself. She looked over at the blonde woman who was sitting in the reference section. She was pretty sure she was one of Michael's friends who had been at the Boathouse the other night. Not Leanne, but one of the ones at the other end of the table. Holly maybe? The woman kept giving her a friendly smile, but Megan was wary. She'd never seen her in the library before. She was hoping that this wasn't going to be like college. She'd thought when she went to college that all the bullying was behind her, but it wasn't. The first time she had gone out on a date with a guy, she'd been warned off the next day by a group of the popular girls. He was one of their crowd—she wasn't. She'd kept out of the way after that. She'd gone back to hiding, in her sweatshirts, in the library, behind her big glasses. It was easier that way. She was really hoping this wasn't going to be history repeating itself, that the blonde woman wasn't here to tell her to stay away from Michael, that she wasn't welcome. She took a deep breath, deciding that even if she was, well....tough! She liked Michael. As he had said, she was tired of hiding, tired of being scared. Since she'd come up here and started building her own little life, she was starting to feel that she had as much right as anyone else to do what she wanted. So if that woman was here to warn her off—well, she just wasn't going to listen!
The woman stood up and started making her way towards the desk. For the first time, Megan wished she was wearing heels so that when she stood up for herself she could at least do it eye-to-eye. The woman smiled. It did seem a friendly smile.
“Hi, Megan. We met the other night, if you remember. With Michael? I'm Emma.”
“Hello.” At least she hadn't stuttered! But she didn't know what else to say.
Emma smiled warmly. “You seem to have guessed that I really came here to see you. I'm no good at pretending.”
Megan nodded warily, still unsure where this might be going.
Emma looked a bit shamefaced now. She hung her head and smiled. “I'm sorry. I wanted to make friends with you, but I didn't want to come knocking at your door. So I thought I could set up a not-so-chance, chance encounter here at the library.”
Megan smiled, relieved. Emma
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