Every Yesterday (Boot Creek) (17 page)

“Do you like him,” Katy asked.

“I like him,” Megan admitted. “I definitely like him. At least the way he kisses.”

“He’s so cute,” said Flynn.

“And he’s also going back to California. Not really a smart move, but I don’t regret it. Not one bit.”

“Don’t discount it so quickly, Megan. I told you Jackson said Noah can’t quit talking about you.”

“That,” Megan pointed out with a finger stabbed in each of their directions, “does
not
mean he likes me like that.”

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t,” Katy sang out.

“How was the kiss? Tell us,” Flynn begged.

“Oh. My. God.” Megan lifted her foot out of the water and curled her toes. “Like that. And it wasn’t one kiss. It was dozens of them and they were all the toe-curling kind. Every single last one of them.”

“Holy shit. Megan. I can’t believe it. But I’m happy. I’m excited for you,” Angie said. “Wouldn’t it be so cool if we were married to best friends?”

“Calm down. I’m going to be sorry I told you.”

“Did it feel like fireworks?” Flynn teased.

“Yes, it kind of did,” Megan admitted with a laugh. “I swear we are so immature. Good thing we aren’t in a spa in Boot Creek. The whole dang town would know by now.”

“Who says they don’t?” Angie added.

“Not a word of this to anyone else, y’
all. He
’s going to be leaving town. It was a horrible slip up. It just kind of happened. It all started so friendly, and then I went a little nuts. I don’t know what was I thinking.”

“That you’re an adult and you are allowed to have some fun,” Flynn said. “Good lord, Megan. It’s one guy. One time. You hit it off. Nothing to be ashamed about.”

“Y’all know that I’ve never slept with a guy I barely knew. Never.” She gave them her don’t-mess-with-me look. “No one better breathe a word of this to my mother.”

“Megan. You’re not sixteen,” Flynn said laughing.

“I feel it.”

“Yep. That’s another sign.” Katy pressed her lips together. “I’m telling you. That first day I met Derek. I had butterflies. Was giddy. It was ridiculous. I was like a schoolgirl with her first crush. I know exactly what you’re feeling, Megan.”

“See. And it worked out for Katy.” Flynn’s eyes were wild with excitement. “How was it? He’s so hot. I bet it was hot. So did he just show up and you kissed him?”

“No. It was very nice. He even brought me daisies.”

“Which means your mother already knows.” Flynn pointed out.

“True. She is the only flower game in town.” Megan scowled. “But she doesn’t know the rest.”

“She’s probably at home hoping right now. Come on, really? You’re thirty.”

“I’m not thirty yet.” Megan had heard the almost-thirty speech from her mother about a hundred times too many. Megan’s clock wasn’t ticking, but her mom’s was ticking loud enough for her to scare away men for a country mile.

“Well, close enough. So what’d you do? He showed up with daisies and you kissed?”

“No. It wasn’t like that at all. We’d bumped into each other earlier. He wanted to see the candle stuff. I said he could come over. He showed up with flowers. We went to Bella’s. We talked. Enjoyed a great meal together. It was nice. And we’d spent . . .” She caught herself right before she spilled the beans about the project.
Pull yourself together, girl. You can’t ruin the surprise. It’s just too good.
“He wanted to see the car. His grandfather had one exactly like Daddy’s. Same year. Same color. Everything. We have a lot in common. I don’t know. It was nice.”

“From what Jackson says,” Angie said, “Noah’s whole life is cars. His work. His play. His passion.”

Oh, he was passionate all right.

Katy leaned back and closed her eyes. “Nothing wrong with building your career around your interests. I mean, we’re all doing that too.”

“Yeah, but we’re small scale. He’s in a whole other league.” Megan still couldn’t get her head around how big his company was. She’d meant to look it up on the internet, but she hadn’t had a moment to spare yet. Now she was itching to do it. She wanted to know more about him.

She wanted to be in his league. Or did she? A flash of her walking down the beach with the Pacific Ocean lapping at her ankles as her gauzy blouse blew in a gentle breeze, and Noah, tan and smiling, walking toward her in the California sunshine. He has that look in his eye. The one that he used when he said she was hot. Like he was going to explode if he didn’t say it out loud. Walking hand in hand with her, he opens the door of a bright yellow hot rod for her, then gets behind the wheel and drives so fast it makes her squeal with excitement, taking the curves fast and making the beautiful view flash by as they cruise the beach highway.

What would that really be like?

“Ladies?”

Megan snapped out of her little Noah daydream. They’d already spent too much time talking about Noah. Instead of relieving the emotions she was struggling with, they were just encouraging her and making her even more curious.

The hostess at the spa led them to the locker room, where they each changed into white waffle weave robes.

Then she guided them all to where the next part of their spa treatments would be done, and handed them each a glass of champagne. The row of thick-cushioned tan recliners filled one wall with bubbling water below them. The water changed from pink to purple to blue and back through the rainbow again.

“How do you know when you find your soul mate?” Flynn asked.

“Don’t look at me,” Megan said. Although she was beginning to believe she might have just experienced it.

Chapter Twelve

Noah hadn’t had any luck getting Megan alone during the wedding rehearsal. She’d been with the girls or talking to the photographer or on her phone the whole time.

Now he sat, staring at her from across the room at the rehearsal dinner. He’d much rather be back at Bella’s having dinner alone with her. Or back at her place having
her
for dessert. But for now, watching her bop back and forth through the room talking to everyone and taking care of business wasn’t all that bad of a second option.

She lifted her chin and waved.

He was running on all eight cylinders now. Truth be told, he’d been running in high gear ever since he woke up in her place alone. He’d taken the opportunity to go out and take another look at the Adventurer. It was sweeter than he’d ever imagined. Right down to the matching numbers. It was the real deal. A rare find. As he’d stood there looking at that car that morning, all alone in her garage, it was like nothing else existed. Everything he’d wished for had just fallen from heaven.

Noah gave Megan a chin nod back, anxious for time to talk to her. He’d be leaving on Tuesday, and tomorrow was the wedding. It might be his last chance to really have any time with her. Plus, his bet with Jackson was that he’d have a deal on that car before the couple headed off on their honeymoon.

He pushed up from his seat and walked over to where Megan was talking to Flynn’s grandparents, Suz and Rich, from the airport.

“Good to see you two again,” Noah said.

“I still can’t believe that you are in the wedding party with our sweet Flynn,” Suz gushed. “It has to be some kind of fate or destiny or something.”

“Good to see you.” Flynn’s grandfather, Rich, extended his hand. “Suz and I told Flynn how helpful you were, but don’t mind Suz. She’s just a hopeless matchmaker. Can’t blame her this time though. Not many guys your age would’ve given us a second look or concern.”

Noah shook his hand. “Small world, isn’t it?” And he wasn’t just thinking about bumping into them, but also that this trip put the car of his dreams right on his path. And Megan, well, he wasn’t sure how the heck she played into it, but he’d figure it out soon enough. “Hope you don’t mind if I steal Megan away.”

“Not at all,” Flynn’s grandparents said in practiced unison. Probably from years of being together.

Megan let him lead her away. “It’s going to be a beautiful ceremony.”

“I’m sure. Want to get some air?”

She looked a little surprised, but then nodded. “Sure. Yeah, I’ve been going all night.” She pointed toward the door across the way. “There’s a meditation garden out that way.”

They walked outside. It was still warm, but without the sun it was tolerable. They sat on a concrete bench next to a small bubbling fountain.

“I can’t stop thinking about your paintings,” he said.
Or you. Or that car of yours.

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” she mused.

“I’m serious. I was thinking that it would be really cool for you to come out to California and do some paintings of the cars in my collection. Maybe some of the new jobs we’re working. We could sell them. I know my clients would go crazy for them.”

She smiled politely.

He’d had a slew of ideas. “We could do a calendar. You could even do a specialty line of your candles that use your prints as the label on the jars. Kind of two arts in one package.”

“Thank you. That’s really sweet.” But the conversation just hung there.

“But you don’t want my advice?”

“I’m sure you’re trying to be helpful, but I told you, I’m doing fine with things the way they are.”

“You don’t want to grow your business?”

“I don’t paint anymore.” All of the peacefulness of this meditation garden couldn’t keep the past from howling in her memory right now.

“But you’re an amazing talent.”

“I like my simple little candle business. It pays the bills. It’s plenty.” She looked off and sighed. “I want to be free to do things.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I don’t exactly know yet, but as the opportunities come up, I don’t want to be tied down with tons of timelines or commitments. Besides, if you get too big for your britches, things don’t go your way. I prefer a simple life, thank you—not be tied down by anything. Not a business, family . . .”

“A man?”
There was more to this story. She was way too cocksure, like she’d recited this a million times.

“That too. And yesterdays. There are some yesterdays I just don’t care to repeat.”

He looked into her eyes. A woman scorned, or just a woman who was a lot like him? He wasn’t sure. Maybe there’d been too much stress with being an artist. “I understand your philosophy. I play more of the go-big-or-go-home route, but just the same, I’m not looking for someone to chain me down either. In fact, I’m not looking at all.”

“Exactly.” Lightning bolts seemed to dance in her eyes. “Finally, someone who seems to get it. I swear, it’s a breath of fresh air. I know what’s ahead of me. I’m comfortable with it. Why can’t everyone else just let me be with that?”

“Probably because they think there are bigger things for you. But you can’t predict what will happen tomorrow based on every yesterday.”

“What do you have against yesterdays?” She glanced heavenward, almost as if the question was for someone else. Not him or anyone of this earth.

He let the silence stand for a moment, until she looked at him as if waiting on an answer.

“Nothing,” he said. “I’m who I am because of every yesterday. I’m just not going to base my future on them. You seem to be building a wall around your future so that no one can get over. Aren’t you afraid you’ll miss something ahead?”

Her eyes narrowed, a slight tilt to the curve of her lips. “Were you trying to get over my wall?”

She definitely had his attention. “You’re different. I’m curious.”
And you scare the hell out of me.

“Well, I don’t think I need to worry about you. You don’t seem the relationship-seeker type.”

“I’m a type now, am I?” He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or be offended. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been in a couple pretty long relationships. Been engaged twice.”

“Really? But you didn’t get married. What made them leave?”

“They didn’t leave me.”

“See. Not the relationship type.”

“I called off those engagements, because they changed. Not me.”

“You sure about that? You are the common denominator there.”

“Positive. Once I placed that engagement ring on her finger, everything changed. Second time, just the same as the first.”

“Why’d you break it off?”

“The rules changed. Their attitude changed. Suddenly all the things we’d done weren’t interesting. Maybe they wanted the lifestyle or the money and not me, or they were chameleons willing to act like what they’d thought I wanted. They were good at it if that was what it was.”
And damn if I didn’t learn from that mistake. Or have I, because right now I’m thinking all kinds of things.

“Sorry that happened to you. Twice.”

“Me too. So you can see why I might be a little hard to get close to. Most girls aren’t interested in the things I’m interested in anyway. And then there’s you.” His heart clenched, wondering how she’d respond to that.

“
Me?
”

“You’re different. I really like that. You’re confident. Secure. Fun. You even like cars.”

“I sure do.”

“If you sold me the DeSoto, that could solve a lot of problems for you financially.”

“Why do you seem so worried about my financial stability?” Her lips bunched, and not in a happy, I-want-to-kiss-you way.

“I’m not worried. I like the car. I’d totally buy it from you.”

“Not . . .” She stood up, looking across the way.

“What is it?”

“I thought . . .” She walked forward and then turned, wide-eyed. There wasn’t anything peaceful about the man Megan was focused on, and he was heading their way. At least they’d been out here when he showed up. “It’s Angie’
s ex, Rodney. He
’s here.”

Noah jumped from the bench and laid a protective hand on Megan’
s arm.
“What’s he doing here?”

“I have no idea. But it’s not good news. He always spells trouble.” Her chest heaved with each breath.

“Calm down. We’ll get him turned around and out of here before he sets foot inside the building.”

“He’s coming this way right now,” she said.

Noah stood there. “I’ll handle this.”

She stepped back as Rodney got closer.

“You the sorry ass getting ready to marry my wife?” Rodney asked, flailing his arms as he spoke.

“I don’t think you were invited,” Noah said.

“You gonna make me leave?”

Megan’s heart pounded. She could smell the whiskey on Rodney’s breath from where she stood. If he made a scene, it would ruin the mood for the whole weekend. “Rodney, you just go on back home. Y’all’s divorce has been long over. You’ve got no reason to be here.”

“Thought I should warn the poor sucker who was going to marry her,” Rodney said. “You him?”

“No one’s interested in what you have to say. Why don’t you get back in your truck and leave? You don’t want to make a scene.”

“I ain’t making a scene. I’m gonna save that sonofabitch some damned heartache’s what I’m gonna do.” Rodney staggered and Noah caught him by the arm.

“You have no business here tonight.”

Rodney raised his chin. “I got business. My son is in there. I’m his father. His dad. That kid’s always my business.”

“You don’t want him to see you like this. Come on, man.” Noah spun Rodney around and grabbed him by the arm. “You’ve had about one too many. Want me to call you a cab?” Noah paused, looking Rodney right in the eye. “Or a cop? Your choice.”

Rodney pulled his arm back. “Don’t need your help.”

Megan had dialed 911 and requested assistance when Noah first approached Rodney. Even though the goal was to get him to leave, she couldn’t let him drive off drunk either. She looked up, and she couldn’t believe what she saw. Rodney was already halfway back to his truck. Noah was still standing where he had been, just off to her side.

“Thank you so much, Noah. I called the police. I hope they get here before he gets that truck started.”

“Clearly he’s not over her.”

“It’s been a long time. He was an awful husband and father. Angie would die if she knew he’d shown up. Can we not tell her?”

“Fine by me. You can tell your friend or not,” Noah said. “But I feel like I have to let Jackson know. He has a right to know. Especially if this guy might show up again.”

“If Jackson knows, he needs to tell Angie. They can’t start their marriage with a secret.”

“But we can keep a secret from our friends? That doesn’t seem right.”

“You’re right. Tell him. Let
him
tell Angie. He can assure her everything will be okay . . . or not. Up to him.”

“Yeah, we’ll let them figure it out,” Noah agreed.

A police car pulled into the parking lot and right up in front of Rodney’s truck.

Megan went back over and sat on the bench. “Poor Billy. He’s still young, but I have a feeling Rodney is always going to be a problem for them. I’m so glad he has Jackson to look up to now. They make a good family.”

“Yeah. I’ve never really thought I’d have kids. Don’t think I’d ever heard Jackson talk about it either, but watching Jackson with Billy, I can see that it was meant to be.”

“I know. And that cool room makes me almost want a kid.” Megan pondered and then shook her head.

“I bet you’d be a good mom.”

“Thank you . . . I think.”

“Maybe you’ll have a little girl who looks exactly like you someday. I bet you were an adorable little girl.”

“I was awkward. And a tomboy.”

“You want to have kids?”

“I’ve never thought I’d have children. Maybe if I met the right man I’d think differently. I’m not against it. I’m just not one of those girls with a clock ticking. If it’s meant to be, I’ll know it. But I’m not the marrying type.”

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard a woman say that about kids. Do you really mean that?”

“Yeah, I do. My parents ended up divorced. Daddy marched to his own beat. He’d always been an embarrassment to Momma the way he drove around in his big white pickup truck with six-foot American flags flying from the two back corners of the tailgate. I personally thought it was kind of funny. He seemed to be having one heckuva time. But people in town were used to the behavior and, after a while, they barely even stared when he cruised by waving. He’d become the self-proclaimed welcome center for Boot Creek.”

“That’s kind of funny.”

“Mom said he wasn’t like that before he retired. She said retirement gave him a touch of the crazies.”

“Or just the freedom to be he who he really was,” Noah said.

“But he wasn’t the man Bootsie had fallen in love with, and try as she did to be an understanding wife, eventually it got so bad that she’d left him and moved into the upstairs of the bakery.”

“That had to have been hard.”

“It was. Especially when not two weeks later Daddy had hooked up with a bleached blonde dancer from the go-go club up off the interstate. She’s not but a few years older than me. He sold the house, gave Momma her half, and bought himself a big house in the next town over.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah, Momma divorced his butt so quick. But Daddy was high-functioning crazy. Using his retirement money to gamble his way into that little dancer’s heart. But through it all, Daddy had never risked losing that car.”

“Can’t blame him.”

“I don’t want to end up like either of them. And sometimes people fall in love for all the wrong reasons, but one of you is completely in the dark.” Her eyes clouded. “I can’t go through that. And it’s not even just my gut, look at all the data I have.”

“That’s yesterday’
s data.
”

“It tells a story.”

“It’s history.”

“I had a bad feeling about Rodney all along, but Angie wouldn’t listen. If she had, she could have avoided that whole heartache.”

“That was Angie’s path. Not yours. And she got Billy out of all of that. And now Jackson. That doesn’t seem like such a bad path to me.”