could swear she smelled coffee. She decided to take her things to the great room. There must be a coffee pot behind that bar.
She piled her suitcases one atop the other and clutched her overnight bag and her purse in the other hand. The carpet made her progress down the hall completely soundless. When she reached the entryway, she left her bags and moved into the great room.
Kevin was sitting at the table, staring at the screen of his laptop. She wasn’t sure, but he looked upset.
“Good morning,” she said.
Kevin slapped the laptop shut and lifted his head. “Oh. Hi.”
“Mind if I share that coffee? It smells great.”
“Sure. Help yourself.”
Megan’s brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine.”
Megan poured herself a cup of coffee and examined the pastries on the tray. Maple bars, apple fritters, and croissants. At least a dozen. Maybe her concern about a sudden heart attack wasn’t far off the mark. She chose an apple fritter and settled on a chair opposite Kevin.
His thick dark hair was wavy in front. She hadn’t noticed that before. His hazel eyes looked green in this light. His square jaw was firmly set, as if he were sinking his teeth into a problem.
Megan let the silence of the room do her work. Before long, Kevin sighed and offered, “There’s something you should know before we get to the ranch.”
“Go on.”
Kevin’s gaze shifted right, left, up and down, searching for the words he needed. Whatever she needed to know was not easy for him to say.
Megan asked, “Something about your family?”
Kevin nodded.
Okay , thought Megan. Twenty questions it is. “About your father?”
“No, not him.” Kevin made a disgusted noise. “He’s a lost cause.”
“Your mother, then.”
He shook his head. “No, she’s okay. It’s my sister Karla.”
“What about her?”
“She’s—not well.”
“Oh?”
“She’s been having a lot of problems. Teen stuff mostly, but during the last year or so, she’s teetered on the edge of—” He dropped his chin and studied his lap. Then he shifted his gaze to the wall of drapes. “My mother thinks she’s mentally ill.”
Megan replied as neutrally as she could. “Okay. Every family has problems.”
“Just promise me, when you meet her, you won’t run the other way.”
Megan pulled a bite of apple fritter free and held it at the ready. “I promise.” She popped the bite in her mouth.
“No, really. I’m serious.”
Megan chewed and swallowed. “And I promised. I will not run the other way. What time are we leaving?”
Kevin didn’t look very reassured, but he checked his watch. “I want to miss the morning rush hour. How about 8:30?”
“Excellent.” Megan picked up her coffee and balanced what was left of her fritter on the saucer. “I’ll go enjoy my room as long as possible.” She retreated to her room, snagging her purse on the way.
Once inside, she settled her coffee and fritter on the table and pulled her phone out of her purse. She wanted to check routes from Seattle to—
“Darn it! I don’t even know where we’re going in Colorado.”
She frowned at the tiny screen. It occurred to her that they were going to be on the road a very long time. Way too long. She would need to take breaks. Her leg was already aching from two days of unaccustomed activity. She dreaded the thought of sitting for long days, then trying to walk afterward. She typed in a question. “How many hours to drive from Seattle to Denver?” She picked Denver because she didn’t know exactly where they were going.
The answer was 1,333 miles, and a time of 20 hours and 30 minutes if they drove non-stop and encountered no rush hours and no road construction!
Megan slumped in her chair. She could not spend 20 hours in a car. She was a girl! Girls had to pee! Two ten hour days would still be torture. For Megan to be comfortable, it would have to be a three day trip. And that was a long time to be in a car with a man she hardly
She piled her suitcases one atop the other and clutched her overnight bag and her purse in the other hand. The carpet made her progress down the hall completely soundless. When she reached the entryway, she left her bags and moved into the great room.
Kevin was sitting at the table, staring at the screen of his laptop. She wasn’t sure, but he looked upset.
“Good morning,” she said.
Kevin slapped the laptop shut and lifted his head. “Oh. Hi.”
“Mind if I share that coffee? It smells great.”
“Sure. Help yourself.”
Megan’s brow furrowed. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine.”
Megan poured herself a cup of coffee and examined the pastries on the tray. Maple bars, apple fritters, and croissants. At least a dozen. Maybe her concern about a sudden heart attack wasn’t far off the mark. She chose an apple fritter and settled on a chair opposite Kevin.
His thick dark hair was wavy in front. She hadn’t noticed that before. His hazel eyes looked green in this light. His square jaw was firmly set, as if he were sinking his teeth into a problem.
Megan let the silence of the room do her work. Before long, Kevin sighed and offered, “There’s something you should know before we get to the ranch.”
“Go on.”
Kevin’s gaze shifted right, left, up and down, searching for the words he needed. Whatever she needed to know was not easy for him to say.
Megan asked, “Something about your family?”
Kevin nodded.
Okay , thought Megan. Twenty questions it is. “About your father?”
“No, not him.” Kevin made a disgusted noise. “He’s a lost cause.”
“Your mother, then.”
He shook his head. “No, she’s okay. It’s my sister Karla.”
“What about her?”
“She’s—not well.”
“Oh?”
“She’s been having a lot of problems. Teen stuff mostly, but during the last year or so, she’s teetered on the edge of—” He dropped his chin and studied his lap. Then he shifted his gaze to the wall of drapes. “My mother thinks she’s mentally ill.”
Megan replied as neutrally as she could. “Okay. Every family has problems.”
“Just promise me, when you meet her, you won’t run the other way.”
Megan pulled a bite of apple fritter free and held it at the ready. “I promise.” She popped the bite in her mouth.
“No, really. I’m serious.”
Megan chewed and swallowed. “And I promised. I will not run the other way. What time are we leaving?”
Kevin didn’t look very reassured, but he checked his watch. “I want to miss the morning rush hour. How about 8:30?”
“Excellent.” Megan picked up her coffee and balanced what was left of her fritter on the saucer. “I’ll go enjoy my room as long as possible.” She retreated to her room, snagging her purse on the way.
Once inside, she settled her coffee and fritter on the table and pulled her phone out of her purse. She wanted to check routes from Seattle to—
“Darn it! I don’t even know where we’re going in Colorado.”
She frowned at the tiny screen. It occurred to her that they were going to be on the road a very long time. Way too long. She would need to take breaks. Her leg was already aching from two days of unaccustomed activity. She dreaded the thought of sitting for long days, then trying to walk afterward. She typed in a question. “How many hours to drive from Seattle to Denver?” She picked Denver because she didn’t know exactly where they were going.
The answer was 1,333 miles, and a time of 20 hours and 30 minutes if they drove non-stop and encountered no rush hours and no road construction!
Megan slumped in her chair. She could not spend 20 hours in a car. She was a girl! Girls had to pee! Two ten hour days would still be torture. For Megan to be comfortable, it would have to be a three day trip. And that was a long time to be in a car with a man she hardly
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