Confusion doused her earlier exhilaration, and she touched his jaw, making him look at her. “You don’t like it?” she asked, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.
Kane swallowed the huge knot in his throat and forcibly schooled his expression so he didn’t disappoint her. He loved her thoughtfulness, but how could he like something that made him feel so inferior? Every time he looked at this leather-bound book he’d be reminded of the giant chasm that separated him and Megan. Other than the showy and striking pictures, he’d never be able to enjoy this book, never be able to duplicate one of the beautiful pieces of furniture for Megan like he suddenly wished he could, just to surprise her.
“It’s great,” he said, shoving his regret way down deep inside, to that dark place where it had lived for so many years. “But I have nothing to give you.”
She gave a soft little sigh tinged with relief, which to his ears translated to, “That’s why you looked so upset?” He’d let her think that because the truth might break the fragile bonds of his new marriage.
She shifted on his lap and rested her hands on his bare chest, her gaze capturing and holding his. “You’ve given me more than I ever possibly dreamed I would have.”
“Andrew?” he guessed. He set the book on the table and dropped his hand to her knee, deciding he liked the way she looked in his shirt. Liking better, though, how she looked in nothing at all but a warm flush tingeing her body.
“Andrew, and you,” she whispered.
“I’m not such a great bargain,” he said gruffly, not wanting the responsibility of trying to remain balanced on that pedestal she was putting him on. One false move and he’d fall and break his neck.
“Oh, yes, you are.” She smiled a siren’s smile and wiggled her bottom. “I happen to think you’re quite handy to have around.”
Desire rocketed through him and he groaned, unable to resist her. “You’re using me?” he teased.
“Absolutely. What’s a husband for, if not to use properly?” She slowly unbuttoned the shirt she wore, revealing lush curves and smooth skin. And as Megan set out to seduce him and his body eagerly responded, a disturbing thought filtered through his mind.
His wife had discovered one of his weaknesses. Her.
Megan darted out of the bedroom from where she’d just changed into a short outfit and picked up the phone in the living room as it rang for the third time. She answered with a breathless hello.
Her greeting was met with silence, then a tentative female voice asked, “Is Kane there?”
She could still hear the water running in the bathroom where she’d left Kane ten minutes earlier, after they’d shared a morning shower. Megan found herself blushing at the memory, which was ridiculous. It wasn’t as though the caller could read her thoughts.
“He’s in the shower,” she said, curious as to who this woman was and what she wanted Kane for. “Can I give him a message?”
Another pause. “This is his sister, Diane. Would Andrew happen to be there?”
“No, he’s not.” Realizing the intimate scene she’d just set for Kane’s sister, she thought it wise to introduce herself before Diane jumped to the wrong conclusion. “I’m Megan, Kane’s wife.”
“Kane’s wife?” Shock and disbelief filled Diane’s exclamation. “Kane got married? Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Everything happened so suddenly.” And it had, a whirlwind of events that had irrevocably changed her and Kane’s life. Knowing Diane would want details, she explained her friendship with Andrew and learned that Diane already knew of her from Andrew’s letters. As for her marriage to Kane, she told her the same thing she’d told Mrs. Henderson, that she and Kane had been corresponding for the past year and a half and their long-distance relationship had evolved into something more. If Kane wanted to tell her the truth, she’d leave that to him.
She followed her brief story by saying, “I’m sure Kane was going to call to tell you the news.”
“Hmph,” Diane said indignantly. “Kane is terrible about calling, and he’s even worse about answering my letters-which he’s never, ever done. But maybe that’s because he’s been spending all his time writing to you.” Her voice held a teasing quality.
Megan didn’t correct her assumption, but she did find it odd that Kane wouldn’t respond to his sister’s letters.
“I’m sure I would have found out sooner or later from Andrew that my big brother got married,” Diane went on. “At least he writes me faithfully.”
Megan smiled. “I’ll make sure he continues to do so.”
“Good,” Diane said, sounding satisfied. Then she grew more heartfelt. “Megan, take care of my brother for me, okay? He’s been through so much. He raised me after our parents died, and I know he didn’t have an easy marriage with Cathy. It was so difficult for me to move away and leave him, but my husband got a better paying job, and, well, we have a young family of our own and knew he’d never be able to make the kind of money he is now if we stayed in Linden. But I miss Kane and Andrew so much.”
Megan was certain the sentiment was returned by both Andrew and Kane. “I’ll have to see what I can do about coercing Kane into taking us on a vacation.”
“Oh, please do!” Diane said excitedly.
They talked for a few minutes longer. By the time Kane exited the bedroom and she handed him the phone so his sister could congratulate him on his new marriage, Megan felt as though she and Diane had forged the beginning of a friendship.
And as Megan sauntered into the kitchen to give Kane some privacy, she decided she liked having a real family of her own, complete with the sister she’d never had but always wanted.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KANE arrived home from work the following Thursday afternoon expecting Joyce’s car to be parked out front as it normally was. It wasn’t. He was surprised she’d left without her weekly pay, which he gave to her after he cashed his check on Thursdays. Maybe Megan had paid Joyce after her tutoring session with Andy, he thought, climbing out of his truck.
Megan. They’d been married less than a week, but already they’d settled into a comfortable pattern shared by married couples. He looked forward to coming home and seeing her, sitting at the kitchen table, eating dinner and talking about everyone’s day. Just like a real family. Andy had asked Megan if he could call her mom, and the delight and love shining in her eyes had warmed Kane. Despite his personal reservations about marrying Megan, he knew he’d done the right thing for his son.
He entered the kitchen, set his lunch box on the counter, then followed the voices drifting from the living room. Megan and Andy sat on the couch together with Andy reading from a textbook while Megan followed along and helped him pronounce the more complicated words.
“Where’s Joyce?”
Megan glanced up, startled.
Andy stopped reading and put a bookmark between the pages before closing it. “Hi, Dad. Joyce isn’t here.”
“She didn’t show up for your lesson?” It wasn’t like Joyce to be so irresponsible.
“She was right on time,” Megan said, straightening the school papers scattered on the coffee table. “I paid her for the week and sent her home.”
He stopped in the middle of the room, frowning. “Is she sick?”
“No.” Finally, Megan looked up, meeting his gaze. A hint of defiance shimmered in the depths. “I let her go.”
“You what?” His voice rose an octave.
Megan didn’t flinch. “I said I let her go.”
“As in she won’t be back?”
“Yes.”
He gaped at her, unable to believe she’d be so bold. He could feel his world shifting, throwing him off balance. He struggled to find even ground. “You let her go without asking me?”
“I thought we’d discuss it tonight,” she replied reasonably.