She rose from her seat and pushed her chair in so no one would trip. Olivia and Meg joined her, and together they walked toward the stores.
“I wasn’t all that together when Ian and I met,” Riley said, surprising Meg by continuing their talk.
She glanced at the pretty brunette.
“I fought everything Ian did for me to the point where I ended up in the hospital because I was so insistent on meeting up with my father and handling things alone.” Riley placed a hand on Meg’s arm, and they slowed to a stop. “My point is, we all have problems and issues, but please don’t think you have to go through it alone.”
To Meg’s horror, tears filled her eyes at Riley’s openness and generosity. She pulled a tissue from her bag and wiped her eyes. “Thank you,” she said.
Olivia tapped her shoulder. “Do you think I had it together when Dylan and I started seeing each other?”
Meg shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t confide in me about you.” Which had been her first clue that her best friend had fallen in love.
“Well, I was a mess. So wrapped up in my past I didn’t want to trust any man. So listen to Riley. She’s smart. And just know we’ve both been there.”
“Except I’m pregnant,” Meg said, pointing out the obvious. “And I honestly don’t think your brother has dealt with what that means. So while I’m really grateful to have his support and help now, I don’t expect him to stick around for too long.”
She blew out a long breath, not wanting to dwell on that thought, or the tears would return, and they wouldn’t be happy or grateful ones. “Now can we go shopping?”
“In a second.” Olivia pursed her lips and hesitated before she spoke. “I also understand how you feel. And I’m not saying you shouldn’t be wary. Be smart. Protect yourself if you feel you need to.”
For some reason, hearing her friend say the things she’d already been telling herself about Scott really hurt. Because it validated her fears that he would eventually realize she came with too many burdens and he wouldn’t stick around.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful. Besides, I have more to worry about than myself and my feelings.” She patted her belly. “And I wouldn’t burden Scott with my—”
“Whoa. That is not what I was saying,” Olivia rushed to assure her, sounding horrified. “I just meant I think it’s always smart to prepare for the worst. But Meg, it’s okay to hope for the best too.”
That’s what she’d always done, with each new guy, only to be disappointed every time. But every instinct she had told her Scott was different. She knew for certain he desired her. In bed, they were explosive. She enjoyed talking to him, spending time with him. Getting to know more about what made him tick. And she had to admit it was a relief not dealing with Mike on her own.
“You need to start believing that things are going to turn around for you. And I think you should trust Scott. If nothing else, he’s a man of his word. If he says he’s in, he means it. If he changes his mind, he’ll be honest about that too. But if he does, he’d be an idiot. And even though he drives me insane, my brother is not stupid,” Olivia said.
Meg nodded. “You’re right. I’m going to look at things differently.” For right now, Scott wasn’t going anywhere. And she should enjoy every minute for as long as she could.
“Now that that’s settled, let’s go buy out the store for you two pregnant women,” Riley said.
With the heavy subjects out of the way, Meg had a blast shopping with Riley and Olivia. Riley did know what clothing was comfortable and what wasn’t, directing them away from certain styles and brands and toward others. Meg and Olivia took turns trying on the padded bellies, making sure the clothes they bought would last longer than a few weeks. They laughed over what they’d look like down the road and ignored the more graphic things Riley tried to warn them about. Meg wasn’t ready to purchase moisturizer for dry nipples quite yet.
From the store, they went for a late lunch. By the time they finished, Meg felt happier and more relaxed than she had in a long while.
She stretched her legs beneath the table. “This meal … this whole shopping trip was amazing.”
“I think we should make it weekly,” Olivia said.
“My mother-in-law would love to have Rainey once a week. I’m in,” Riley said. “I need girl time.”
“Hey,” Olivia said, leaning on the round table and speaking in what sounded like a conspiratorial whisper. “Do you think we should tell the waiter it’s Rick’s birthday? They make a whole big deal. All the waiters clap and sing, and everyone in the restaurant usually joins in.”
“Who’s Rick?” Meg and Riley asked at the same time.
“Rick Devlin. Your security guy.” Olivia tipped her head to the right.
“What are you talking about? I don’t have security.” Meg followed the direction to see a guy with military bearing sitting at a table alone. Her stomach churned uneasily as realization dawned. “He looks exactly like the guys wandering around Tyler’s office. But nobody said anything about someone watching me.”
“Okay, I think I misspoke,” Riley said. “Ian is Scott on steroids. Times twenty-five, not fifty. I think he’s got more of that dominant gene in him than I realized.” She sighed and took a long sip of her iced tea.
“Are you telling me Scott is having someone follow me?” Meg asked, horrified.
“I thought you knew!” Olivia muttered. “You said you were at Tyler’s this morning and that Scott has them helping you.”