I climb from the truck, but Craig doesn’t let go of my hand right away, instead choosing to bring my fingers up to his mouth and kiss my knuckles softly.
“I’m looking forward to it, Megan.”
I give him a crooked grin, squeezing his hand before I let it go and pull reluctantly away. “It’s Meg,” I tell him softly. Then, I head up the walkway to the front porch, where the outside light is still on, giving him one more fleeting glance over my shoulder before I disappear inside the house, leaving part of my heart in that truck with him.
***
Cardon Springs is the only place I’ve ever been where I can come here for a bit of solitude and time to rest my brain, bruised heart, and shattered pride, only to wind up tied in knots over the one thing I never expected to find—a man.
If Craig can be considered simply a man. Because I don’t think he is. He can’t be. A man has never been able to make me want things like a quiet home life and someone to come home to every evening. A man has never kept me awake at night with thoughts of his dark eyes and memories of his firm, muscled body. And a man certainly has never had me so worked up and anxious about him coming to pick me up in less than an hour that I’ve resorted to confessing almost everything to my aunt in hopes of feeling some sort of reprieve from the racing thoughts I can‘t seem to halt.
“I think you’re getting way too ahead of yourself, my dear.” Aunt Nancy is doing what she usually does, making copious amounts of tea and force-feeding it to me like it’s the answer to all my problems.
Thank God I didn’t have it in myself to admit to her that Craig and I slept together the other night. She has no idea just how ahead of ourselves we really got.
“I know you think that,” I argue. “But you were right about him, Aunt Nancy. Craig is a good man. A good man with an infant son that’s his world. Am I ready for something like that?” When I’m frustrated, I gesture with my hands a lot while I talk, so I wisely set my mug of tea down before I end up wearing it and scalding myself.
My aunt offers me a narrowed glance. “Do you think he was ready?” she asks. “No one’s ever ready to fall in love with someone, Meg, whether it’s a romantic relationship, or the bond between a father and a son.”
“I never said I was falling in love with him,” I say, eyeing her warily.
“You never said you weren’t,” she counters, grinning.
“Who’s the one getting ahead o
f themselves now?” I turn around, pacing across the room to try to rid myself of the anxiety that’s creeping into my chest and constricting it. “I can’t fall in love with him, anyway. You know that.”
“Because you’re so determined to make Cardon Springs your temporary home?” She doesn’t speak with malice, but there’s an undertone of longing in there that hurts my chest even more. “Give it time, sweetheart,” she adds. “Maybe your feelings about Craig are reason enough to just slow down and see what happens next, instead of planning your way out of this town.”
Something blows over in the wind that’s whistling across the front porch, and I glance back toward the opened screen door but see nothing banging against it. Then, my gaze is turned and focused on my aunt, resisting the urge to keep pacing, keeping my face stoic. “I got another job offer in Dallas.”
Aunt Nancy remains still, but her eyebrow arches. “When did that happen?”
“A few days ago,” I admit. “I want out of this town, you know that.” Silence falls between us just as the kettle begins to whistle again. My aunt must have forgotten to unplug it, and I take the opportunity to compose myself by crossing the room and unplugging it myself. I turn back to face her. “At least, I thought I wanted out of this town.”
Aunt Nancy sighs, offering me a sad smile. “You’re putting way too much pressure on yourself about this, Megan.”
Not very often does she use my full first name, so it commands my attention and I swallow down my anxiousness. I watch as she stands up slowly from the table, leaning her weight on the surface of it to gain her balance. “I think you need to just slow those wheels in your head that have been turning since you got here. You’re always planning your next move, striving for more, yearning for more. And that’s not a bad thing, honey.” She pauses to give me a smile. “Now, you’re unsure how to feel because you like a good man like Craig. Because you like the small-town job you’ve just started. Why, because you don’t feel like it should be enough?”
“I don’t know what to think, Aunt Nancy,” I confess, sounding defeated and letting my shoulders sag slightly.
“You know what I think?” She shifts her weight to lean back against the table, reaching out her hand. I take the steps forward to close the gap between us, letting her surprisingly strong hand envelope mine. “I think you’re scared, sweetheart. Of Craig. Of being hurt. Of being happy.”
“I’m not,” I reply weakly, swallowing hard past the lump in my throat. “I’m petrified.”
My aunt only squeezes my hand tighter. “Oh, Meg, the most rewarding things in life are the ones that frighten us most.” She smiles encouragingly. “Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see headlights in the driveway flash through the sheer dining room curtains. I hadn’t heard Craig pull in. Judging by my aunt’s glance over her shoulder, she didn’t realize he was here, either.
As I kiss Aunt Nancy on the cheek, thank her for the tea and the pep talk, and gather my purse and belongings to head out to Craig’s truck, I contemplate her question. She’s right, what is the worst that could happen?
But just as quickly as the question sears through my mind, the answer follows. I could fall in love with him, I think nervously. Maybe I already am. And if that’s the case, he could break my heart.
Chapter Ten
Craig
I’m pretty sure someone could have told me that anything could have happened tonight between Megan and I.