“Because I found out I couldn’t trust her. For two people to stay together, trust matters almost as much as love. Do you believe that, too?”
“Of course.”
He waited for her to say more. When she didn’t, he prompted her. “Your turn.”
“I’ve never been engaged,” she said. “I broke up with my last boyfriend because I couldn’t see spending my life with a man who was so insecure and needy—even though he was, and still is, my boss.”
“Sounds like smart thinking.” Conner sighed. So much for games. They were back in Branding Iron now, and he was turning up her street. He’d been tempted to invite her to the ranch, but with Travis gone and so much work to be done, the place was pretty much a mess. And given the urges his body had felt when they were kissing in the movie theater, being alone with her in the house might not be the best idea. He pulled into the driveway and came around to walk her to the door.
“Thank you.” She gave him a cautious smile, as if to warn him that they were probably being watched. “I had a wonderful time.”
“So did I.” He squeezed her hand at the door. “I’ll call you.”
She stood on tiptoe, pecked his cheek, and stepped inside. He could hear her greeting her family as he walked back to the Jeep.
Conner punched the dial on the radio as he drove. Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” blared from the speakers. It had been a wonderful day. Being with Megan, talking with her, holding and kissing her in the movie, had been everything he’d hoped it would be.
But was it enough, when she still hadn’t told him what he needed to hear?
Chapter 13
Megan walked down the hall to her room, tossed her purse on the bed, and hung up her jacket. Coward, she scolded herself. Why hadn’t she told Conner about Lacy? H
e’d given her the perfect opening, almost as if he’d suspected she was hiding a secret.
She recalled what he’d said about trust. She knew he’d been asking for a sign that he could trust her. So, what had stopped her from giving it to him?
But why wonder, when she knew the answer to that question? Telling Conner that she was Lacy would change everything between them. It would change the way he thought of her, the way he saw her. And the next time he kissed her, if it happened again, he would be imagining sexy, mysterious Lacy in his arms.
Sooner or later, she would have to tell him the truth. But she was so happy being with him, being in his arms, losing herself in his kisses, and feeling desired for herself, not some gussied-up imitation. Was it wrong to want this blissful merry-go-round ride to last a little longer?
As she was pulling off her sweater, her phone rang. Would it be Conner? She snatched it out of her purse.
“Hi, Megan, this is Tucker.” The familiar voice belonged to the bass player for the Badger Hollow Boys. “Hey, sorry for the last-minute notice, but we landed a major gig for tomorrow night, when another group canceled. It’s a big event, lots of people to hear you. We’re hoping you’ll make a flying trip back here to sing with us. What do you say?”
For an instant, Megan was stunned into silence—not because she didn’t want to sing, but because the offer had come out of nowhere and demanded an instant decision.
“This could be it, your big chance,” Tucker said.
“Or just another bar gig. Be straight with me, Tucker.”
“I am. It’s a big auditorium concert. We’ll be opening for Rascal Flatts. We could get another singer, but you were our first choice. Come on, this is too big for you to turn down.”
“How soon do you need an answer?” she said, thinking of Conner.
“Soon,” he said. “I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes. If you can’t do it, we’ll have to scramble for a replacement. We’ll be rehearsing tomorrow morning. It would be best if you could catch a red-eye out of Amarillo tonight. That way, you’d be here in time to run through the songs with us.”
“I understand. I just need to check on something.”
Megan ended the call and scrolled to Conner’s number. There was no way she could turn down this once-ina-lifetime chance. But Conner had asked her for honesty. She didn’t want to accept the offer without letting him know.
As his phone began to ring, she could feel doubt creeping in. Wouldn’t it be better to tell him about her singing career when they could talk face-to-face? But, no, she couldn’t put this off any longer. Not when he’d made it clear how vital it was that he trust her.
The phone rang again, then again, and again, until his voice message came on. Megan sighed. She couldn’t tell her whole story on voicemail. “Conner,” she said, “I need to go back to Nashville for a couple of days. Call me and I’ll explain.”
That was the best she could do. Now she could only hope that Conner would get the message and call her back.
Bringing up her computer, she searched for, found, and booked a late-night flight. Amarillo, the nearest major airport, was almost two hours away by car. That meant she would have to leave soon. But Conner should still be able to call her.