Autumn Promises (11 page)

“The truth is, sweetheart, I’m not enough for her. She’d rather have her life go on as it is. Living where she’s a Taggert. At the beck and call of a bunch of people who see her as an accessory in their lives. They take her out. Use her. Admire her. Then they put her back on the shelf while they go off and
really
live. She just sits around and waits to be needed again. Oh, every once in a while she gets this spurt of independence and goes hying off somewhere, but then she just goes back and climbs up on that shelf again.”

Beth had sat across from him and just stared at him with the oddest light in her eyes. “What?” he asked.

“I didn’t see it before. You’ve really thought this out. I guess you two must have really gotten to know each other.”

“We talked a lot.”

“This is what Jack meant earlier tonight when he said he’d begun to wonder if his mother was any happier with her life than you were with yours. I
think you’re right on about Meg. She thinks she has a life, but what she has is a part of everyone else’s. The only thing she does for herself is her work with the historical society, and that grew out of some old papers she found years ago about Laurel Glen. I know she likes to travel, though now I wonder about the reason she does it.

“But, Evan, you’re off as far as the rest of the family goes. They do love her and I know Cole is always telling her to basically get a life. Ross, too. Last year Hope even tried to fix her up with a visiting instructor at the equestrian school Hope and her husband run. It was awful. Meg all but patted the little guy on the head.” Beth grinned. “He might as well have been a lapdog. He was all wrong for her. You, on the other hand, are exactly perfect.”

That had him taking notice. Beth probably knew Meg better than anyone. She was a woman. Women knew about these things. He sat up a little straighter. “You think so?”

Beth stood. “I’ll go home and have Jack see about getting you on a flight. I wouldn’t count on anything until after the weekend, though. Oh, and I’ll call Crystal to tell her you’re coming for a visit. And why?” She grinned. “So you can’t back out once you get there.” With that she turned and walked to the door before looking back. “And Evan. Don’t come home without her.”

E
van flipped on his turn signal and drove under the iron entrance archway to Laurel Glen. Beth and Jack had been married beneath a replica of the apparently famous arch at the church they’d both attended near here.

He looked ahead at several pastures lined with crisp white fencing that stood out in bold contrast to the rolling hills. Remembering Jim’s one-word description of Pennsylvania, Evan realized more than ever how well it fit.

“Green,” Jim had said of the place in summer, but even now, at the end of what reportedly had been a rough winter, the fields were already cast with subtle shades of green.

Laurel Glen was picture-perfect, with its crowning jewel, Laurel House, in the distance atop a far hill.
The farm operation with its brick-and-stone stables and barns sat nestled below along with two cottages.

Evan parked Jim’s cherry-red classic Mustang in the circular drive and started up the stairs. Six steps connected each of the three terraces and were offset from each other as if to encourage guests to slow down and enjoy the view. Evan turned when he reached the top level and did just that. He could understand why Meg returned here time and again. The peace and majesty of the place just seemed to seep into him.

Shaking his head in surprise that anything could calm him just then, he turned and rang the doorbell. As he waited, he sent a prayer winging heavenward that his love would be enough to convince Meg to give all this up.

“I’ll get it,” Ross Taggert called out as he sailed down the wide circular staircase, a nineteen-month-old limpet, who seemed convinced he was her pony, attached to his back. He’d noticed Jim Lovell’s Mustang climbing toward the house. Ross absently wondered what the state police detective, now family member, might want. There had been a time when he’d have been worried—now he was just curious. Ross pulled open the door and got the surprise of the year.

“Evan?” he said, shocked beyond words. “I saw the car and expected Jim. I didn’t know you’d come
east.” He extended his hand in greeting and chuckled as one of the little arms wrapped around his neck was extended, too.

“Hi! I Laurel!” She pointed toward the stairs behind them. “Baby!”

Evan smiled and took Laurel’s proffered hand between his index finger and thumb and shook it. “I know. I met you when
you
were a baby. My, how you’ve grown, little one.”

Ross chuckled. “She’s quicker than we can keep up with, believe me. So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?”

Evan grinned. “I’d rather not get into it on the front step.”

Ross rolled his eyes. “My manners seem to have taken a hike. Come on in. How are Jack, Elizabeth and the twins doing?” he asked as he led Evan into the parlor off the foyer. “Sit. Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything?”

Evan shook his head. “Nah. I’m fine. Cris and I just finished lunch. I’m staying there for now.”

“Great. Let me just get this one passed off to the cavalry in the kitchen and I’ll be right back.”

Ross puzzled over Evan’s sudden arrival all the way to and from the kitchen. He’d reached no conclusions when he got back. “So Cole says Crystal’s expecting. There’s no problem there, I hope.”

“Oh, no. I’m here for me. And hopefully Meg.”

Now, there was an answer he hadn’t seen coming. “Meg?”

“I’m in love with her,” Evan said starkly.

Why was he so surprised? Ross wondered. Meg was gorgeous. She and Evan had quite a lot in common, he realized now that he thought about what he’d heard from Jack about his father. But why tell
him?
“That’s…ah…nice. Does Meg know this, or am I the first one to hear?”

“I’m pretty sure she does. I’m also pretty sure that’s what sent her running back here where she feels safe.”

Ross frowned. “Why would she need to feel safe from you?”

“Because I threaten all of this,” Evan said, gesturing to the house.

The man’s manner was too calm for Ross to consider what he’d said as any kind of attempt at intimidation. “How do you threaten Laurel House?”

He shook his head. “No, not your house. Not your farm. I mean her life here at Laurel Glen with your family. If you want to call it a life.”

Now, this was intriguing. Evan Alton saw what so few others did. Ross chose to overlook the “your family” part of his explanation. He would get to that in a minute. Right then he was interested in what Evan had to say about Meg and, old-fashioned as it sounded, what the man’s intentions were toward his sister. “What is it you’d call it if not a life?”

Evan didn’t answer right away, but clearly gave the question a long moment’s thought. “Existence, I guess.”

“I don’t know if that’s a fair assessment. Of Meg’s life or our family. She has friends, my wife among them. I’ll admit I often feel she gives more than she’s willing to take, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t try. For instance, I never expected her to move into that cottage. For years I’ve done all she’ll let me to make up for my father cutting her out of the will.” Ross shook his head. “You ever try to make her take something she says she doesn’t want?”

Evan grimaced, then smiled sadly. “Besides me, you mean?”

It was Ross’s turn to wince. “Sorry. The Taggerts can be a stubborn lot, but I see you’ve found that out.”

“I’ve dealt with a Taggert for thirty years, Ross. I know about stubborn. Luckily I’ve not only had practice on Meg’s son, but I’m every bit as tenacious. I’m not giving up. That’s why I’m here.”

“That’s why you’re at Laurel Glen. But why come to me?”

“Because I’m going to have to wear her down. And I can’t do that if I never see her. I understand you had to let your foreman go. I imagine you and Cole are pretty busy right now.”

Ross gritted his teeth. Every time he thought of that nitwit he’d hired to replace Jack he got angry all
over again. “I’m not letting Cole do as much as I probably should. He’s got an injured wife and a full veterinary practice besides the work he does with our horses.”

“And you’re also shy a trainer.”

“Actually, Meg started filling in there and Hope’s tried to give me an hour here and there, but she’s as busy as I am.”

Evan grinned. “Perfect. I wondered if we could work out a deal. The use of the foreman’s cabin in exchange for taking some of the workload off you.”

Ross chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be good. But if Meg smells a setup, she’ll be on the next slow boat to China or the next plane to Colorado to visit Jack while you’re gone! You’ll be playing plane tag. I think we better tread carefully and move into this so she doesn’t catch on. Amelia was just saying she wanted to have a little family dinner party to introduce baby Rose to everyone. If we enlarge the guest list a little we can include Crystal and Jim, which is a plausible reason for you to tag along with them, since you’re in town. Here’s what we’re going to do.”

Meg handed CJ a cup of tea and sat on the settee across from her and Cole. “So, darling, how much longer are you going to be off the job?” she asked, and watched Cole’s reaction carefully. The poor boy was still privately beside himself with worry over
CJ’s accident. He put up a brave front, but his wise-cracks still had a bit of an edge to them, exposing his unsettled heart.

“I—I…um…I don’t know. I promised I’d take it easy as far as riding goes. I’ll be able to work some of the young ones on the lunge line soon enough.”

“Then I’ll continue helping for a while longer.” Meg glanced at Cole to see his reaction, but her nephew’s gaze was now fixed on the foyer. Then he grinned and there was an expression in his eyes she’d come to know over the years. Part mischief and part glee. It usually signaled trouble for someone.

“Would you look at who just strolled in with Jim and Crystal,” he said, grin widening.

“Who?” Meg asked.

“Evan,” Cole said, smiling more broadly.

Meg rolled her eyes. “Very funny. Did you really expect me to fall for one of your terrible April Fools’ jokes?”

Cole made a dramatic grab for his heart. “You wound me. And who says I was joking? Look.”

She did and was instantly sorry she had. Evan stood with his daughter and her husband, looking boldly handsome in a gray suede jacket and black slacks. He laughed at something Ross said and shook hands with him. Then the four of them sauntered into the parlor, stopping to chat with Amelia and ogle baby Rose.

Meg looked away when Evan took the baby. The
man did love babies. She gritted her teeth against the pain and anger raging inside her. What was he doing here? Was she to have no peace from him or the memories?

Her mind was in a turmoil, and that whole last night played itself over again in painful clarity. She yearned to go to him. To feel his arms around her again.

To demand to know why he’d intruded on her world!

However much she wanted to do just that, Meg absolutely refused to move—or to stoop to his level. Then a snicker drew her attention back to Cole. She looked at him and that wiseacre smirk of his. “When you were fifteen I would have sent you to your room for that rude noise
and
for wearing that expression.”

Unapologetically he asked, “Are you going to just sit there?”

She arched an eyebrow. “A lady does not approach a man. You, however, were just his guest and he went to a lot of trouble to see you got to your plane. Go thank the man again for his hospitality and his help.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Cole quipped and stood, then he bent over her and whispered, “Care to send your love, Aunty Meg?”

“Go on. Get, you scamp!”

“He is so good-looking,” CJ said.

“Cole? Of course he is, darling. He’s a Taggert.
It’s in their genetic imprint. As are that smart mouth and seriously twisted sense of humor. Only the women are spared.”

“I mean Evan Alton, Meg, and you know it,” CJ insisted. “Are you sure he’s too aggravating? He seemed so nice the couple of times I met him when he was here before.”

Meg carefully folded her hands in her lap, proud they didn’t shake. “Oh, believe me. I’m sure. Nice.” She said it like a sneer. “Pandas look
nice,
but then you notice their claws and teeth.”

CJ frowned. “So you’re saying he’s not nice?”

“I’m saying he’s an arrogant, know-it-all cross between a horse and a donkey.” She stood and winked at CJ. “You figure it out.”

She had no idea what she intended to do next but, as she turned she found her gaze helplessly captured by Evan’s. He started across the room toward her, rooting her to the spot. Maybe she couldn’t seem to get her feet to obey, but she had no intention of letting him know how much he unnerved her.

Smiling politely, Meg held out her hand, bracing herself as she did so. She wasn’t disappointed. Her hand slid into his, and the slightly abrasive calluses on his palms raised gooseflesh on the rest of her. She refused to shiver.

“Evan, you’re certainly far afield,” she commented coolly.

He nodded, smiling. “I had some unexpected busi
ness to attend to in the Northeast, so I decided to spend some time with Cris and Jim before the baby comes.”

The doorbell rang. Ah, she thought, saved by the bell. “How nice,” she said. “Have a good visit. If you’ll excuse me, a very special man just came in. I really must make him feel at home.” She stepped away and walked into the foyer, where Ross was handing Xandra Boyer’s coat to Sally, Laurel House’s housekeeper. Adam stood behind her and his son, Mark, hung back, looking as if he’d rather be tortured than attend a dinner party.

Meg charged right up to the boy, who was six feet tall and thin as a rail. His face lit as soon as he saw her.

“Mark. Just the man I’d hoped to see here tonight. Have you grown since I last saw you?” she demanded, tilting her head up at an exaggerated angle.

Mark’s green eyes brightened. “Aunt Meg! I brought Dragon’s Keep with me, just like I promised last time I was here.”

“Your new medieval video game?” Mark nodded.
Oh, bless you, boy.
“Stupendous! Dinner is about to be served, so playing will have to wait, but that should give me time to pick your brain. You’re my dinner partner.” She hooked an arm around Mark’s thin arm and steered him into the parlor. “I want help getting to at least the second level before the night is out, so don’t try to get away.”

She glanced back over her shoulder and sent a smirk Evan’s way. Her triumph was short-lived, however, because he raised his glass to her in a silent salute. Or had he just picked up the gauntlet she hadn’t meant to throw down?