Always For You (Always Love Book 1) (7 page)

“Maureen—” Ali began, but I cut her off.

“No. No more teasing, no more suggestive comments, Ali. I can’t take it. Just leave it alone. Smith and I are friends, and we’re partners. That’s all we’re going to be. I need you to let me accept that, so I don’t end up hurt any worse than I already am. Got it?”

Ali didn’t answer, but she nodded.

“Good. Let’s go back inside and make the best of tonight.” I began to move slowly back around the corner of the house, but Meghan stopped me. She wore an odd expression.

“Reenie, I understand what you’re saying, and I’ll respect it. But don’t be too quick to stop hoping. Sometimes there’s more to a person and how he feels than what you might think. Just promise me . . . you don’t have to do anything but keep an open mind. Okay?”

I didn’t want to agree. I wanted to stay as far away as possible from Smith Harrington with his warm gray eyes, inviting smile and strong, sexy body. But Meghan wasn’t Ali. She didn’t tease, and she didn’t push me. In her eyes, I saw compassion and understanding.

“All right. Whatever you say. It’s not going to matter or make any difference, but I promise, I’ll try to stay open-minded.”

“That’s all I can ask. Now come on. Sam should be done frying the chicken by now, and he gets real cranky when we don’t eat it right away.”

I
STOOD IN THE DIMMING
light and cooling air of the early evening just outside the farmhouse kitchen door, listening to the female voices around the corner. I’d only come outside because I was worried about Maureen. She’d been paler than normal and a little stiff as she’d gone outside. Flynn had shaken his head when I went to follow Meghan outside.

“Don’t sweat it, man. Women . . . I love them to bits, but they’re crazy sometimes. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I grew up with two sisters.” Apparently, he’d bought my assurances about my intentions toward his sister, since he was treating me like an old friend.

Across the room, Sam had grunted. He was using long silver tongs to remove the fried chicken from the pan. “Preaching to the choir, dude.” He grinned at us. “But it’s the kind of crazy I can’t live without.”

“Hey, hey.” Rilla held up her hand. “I know I can’t move fast enough to get away from this conversation, but I’m still here. Woman, remember?”

“Honey, don’t you worry.” Sam carried her a plate that held a piece of chicken, a biscuit and a pile of something green. “Women may be crazy, but you’re all much smarter than us guys.” He patted her arm. “Prettier, too. Plus you can do cool tricks, like grow humans.”

Rilla chuckled, shaking her head. “You’re just lucky I like you so much, Sam Reynolds.” She lifted the chicken leg, bit into it and closed her eyes in pleasure. “Plus you made me food, which makes you pretty much my favorite person ever these days.”

While the focus in the room shifted to Rilla, I slipped out the back door. When I heard Maureen speak, her words anguished and tired, I came to a screeching halt. Meghan stood at the corner of the house, so I could see her, but Reenie and Ali were only voices floating to me on the evening breeze.

“. . . time after time of Smith showing me in every conceivable way that he only wants to be my friend.”

My chest constricted as her words filtered through my brain.
When the hell had I made Maureen think I only wanted to be her friend?
Yeah, what I’d said to Flynn right before Reen came out here may have leaned in that direction, but that was because he was her brother. I wanted to let him know I wasn’t going to take advantage of her. I didn’t figure she’d want me to tell him what I really hoped would happen between us. Plus, I’d just met the guy. I didn’t know if he was the type to throw down on short acquaintance.

Everything was quiet for a minute, and then I heard both Ali and Maureen say something I couldn’t discern. Maureen’s voice was low and intense, and only at the end, when it rose a little, could I make out the words.

“I need you to let me accept that, so I don’t end up hurt any worse than I already am. Got it?”

My heart ached for her.
She was hurt?
And I hadn’t even realized it? All this time when I’d been sure Maureen had been fencing me into the friend zone, had she actually been convinced I was doing the same to her?

My feet began to move before I knew what I was going to do or say. I didn’t get more than two steps before Meghan caught my eye, giving her head the slightest shake
no
. I froze where I stood.

On the other side of the house, Maureen said something else, and I heard the sound of movement. I took two steps back toward the door as Meghan spoke.

“Reenie, I understand what you’re saying, and I’ll respect it. But don’t be too quick to stop hoping. Sometimes there’s more to a person and how he feels than what you might think. Just promise me . . . you don’t have to do anything but keep an open mind. Okay?”

I knew that was my cue to get the hell back inside before Maureen rounded the corner and figured out I’d been eavesdropping. I took the two steps in one leap and opened the door. Luckily, the kitchen was empty now; apparently Flynn, Rilla and Sam had moved into the other room. I followed the sound of their voices and sat down at the set table.

“Hey, where’d you go?” Flynn glanced at me curiously.

“Uh, I went to see where Maureen was, but you were right. The girls were off talking somewhere, so I just came back in.”

“See? I told you. Better not to get involved in their stuff. Here they come now. ‘Bout time! Food’s getting cold. You know how Sam gets.”

“Yup. Ali, Reenie, help me bring everything out, please? You men, don’t bother getting up. Just sit there and look pretty while we serve you hand and foot.” Meghan paused behind her husband’s chair and kissed his cheek. “Except you, honey. You cooked, so you’re off the hook for the rest of the night. The snarky comments don’t apply to you.”

For the next hour, I ate chicken, biscuits and something I found out was called collards. Although I had my doubts, they were actually delicious. Talk flew fast and furious around the table, as it usually did with a group of people who knew each other well and liked each other anyway. Maureen did a good job of pretending nothing was wrong, as if she hadn’t fled the kitchen half an hour before. She and Flynn shared stories about growing up together, as did Ali and Sam.

Rilla caught my eye and winked. “We’re the outsiders, you and me and Meghan, since we don’t have a sibling present. I don’t have any siblings at all, actually.” She paused, tilting her head. “At least I don’t think I do.” She smiled a little at me. “I don’t know where my mother is. She left town when I was just a baby, so it’s entirely possible I might have brothers or sisters somewhere out there.”

“How about you, Smith? You come from a big family?” Sam leaned his folded arms on the table.

“Just my parents and my brother Fox and me. But now Fox is married, and he and Ana have two kids. Mila and Jason are three and five.”

“Fox and Smith? Those are unusual names.” Flynn took a long drink of his sweet tea.

I sighed. “Yeah, my parents were big into family names. Could’ve been worse. I have a cousin named Jennings, after his mother’s maiden name. When we were little, we used to call him Jenny.” I smirked, remembering.

“Well, I’m going to clear the table and make some coffee.” Meghan rose and picked up her plate along with her husband’s. “Y’all sit tight.”

“Here, let me help.” I stood up, too, and grabbed my plate and Maureen’s. “I’m a master plate scraper.”

“Well, then, you’re hired.” Meghan smiled as I followed her back to the kitchen.

Once at the sink, I turned on the water and touched Meghan’s arm. “Why did you stop me? I was going to tell her—tell Maureen how I feel. She’s got me all wrong.”

Meghan nodded, her lips pressed into a seam. “I figured that.” She spoke quietly, too. “But Smith, if you told her that right then, when you’d just overheard what she’d said, Maureen would never believe you. She’d think you were only saying it to make her feel better. Trust me. I know what I’m talking about.”

I scrunched up my face. “She’d think I was declaring my undying love to her out of a desire to keep her from being hurt? So she could save face? That’s messed up. I think I’m a pretty nice guy, but I wouldn’t pretend to be into a girl just so she didn’t get embarrassed. Or because I felt sorry for her.”

“Your undying love?” Meghan turned toward me, her hands clasped together and her eyes shining, dishes forgotten under the running water. “I knew it! Or, no, I didn’t know it, but I hoped it. I mean, I know I just met you, and I haven’t seen with you Reenie except for the last hour or so, but the way she talked about you, and what Ali said about the way she
used
to talk about you—I just couldn’t believe you only wanted to be friends with her. Maureen is so great. I’ve wanted her to find a terrific guy as long as I’ve known her.”

I resumed rinsing plates and silverware. “Does she date a lot?”

Meghan shook her head. “Not at all in the time I’ve known her. Ali says she never remembers Reenie having a boyfriend, ever. There’s never even been talk about her hooking up casually with anyone around here. So if she’s doing it, she’s damned discreet.”

A kind of undeserved happiness swelled in my chest. I wanted to pump my fist and yell
yes!
But since I wasn’t a fourteen-year old boy, I settled for a nod. “She hasn’t said anything to me, so I hoped I wasn’t going up against another guy.” I slid a plate into the dishwasher. “Did you say something about the way Maureen used to talk about me? Do you mean like back in college?”

Meghan looked a little guilty. “I really shouldn’t have said anything about that. I don’t want to betray a confidence.”

I straightened up and faced her full-on. “Meghan, I’ve been in love with this girl since she almost knocked me down the steps the first day of college. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s true. I’m tired of biding my time and being patient.”

I expected Meghan to melt a little more. Maybe even a quiet little squee. But instead, she balled up her first and socked me in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell her, you idiot? Why didn’t you ask her out? Date her? What in the hell stopped you?”

I grimaced. “I wanted to. But you’re right, I was an idiot. Every time I would make up my mind to finally ask her out, something would happen to make me think she didn’t want that. Someone would tease us about always hanging out together, and she’s swear up and down that we were only friends. After you hear that a few dozen times, you start to believe the other person’s trying to give you a message.”

“And she thought the same thing about you. Geez.” Meghan dried her hands. “I need to put on the coffee. Would you finish clearing the table, please?”

“Sure.” I went back to the dining room, rounding the corner in time to hear Ali talking.

“. . . plenty of men around here. I swear, Reenie, you just need to get out there. You’re beautiful, you’re funny, you’re smart—you’re a catch.” She poked Flynn in the ribs. “Right?”

“
Oomph
. Uh, well, yeah, of course, but I think she needs to be careful. There’re a lot of crazies out there.”

Maureen rolled her eyes. “I’m not exactly a kid, Flynn. I think I can take care of myself.”

“Hmm.” Her brother didn’t look convinced.

Ali raised her voice to call into the kitchen. “Meghan, isn’t there a new teacher at the school?” She turned back to Reenie. “He’s Mrs. Clark’s grandson. He used to spend summers here, Maureen. Do you remember him? What’s his name—Tom?”

“Tim.” Meghan came into the room, carrying a handful of spoons. “He’s actually the speech teacher. A speech pathologist.” She glanced around the table. “Why do you ask?”

“He’s single, right? Cute? He’d be about Maureen’s age?”

Meghan, alarmed, began to backpedal. “Oh, I don’t know that he’d be a good match for Maureen. I mean, he’s a nice guy and all, but he’s kind of . . . quiet.”

Maureen lifted one eyebrow. “And I’m what? Loud? Overbearing?”

“No, of course not. I just—I didn’t realize you wanted to be set up. Didn’t you yell at me last week about trying to get you to go out?”

“Maybe I’ve changed my mind.” Her eyes flickered to me. “Maybe it’s a good time to try something new. I own the practice now—well, co-own it. And I’m finally living on my own. Why not take the next step?” She tore a little corner off her paper napkin. “Could you introduce us, Meghan?”