Page 42 of Last Chance for Her Rancher Boss

And wasn’t it just her luck that every room in town was booked out. Meg felt herself growing more and more brittle with every passing minute.

I could call Mom and Dad.

The thought hit her like a ton of bricks. They knew she was back in Wyoming, back in Fordswell. She couldn’t just be here for this long andnottell them. But she honestly hadn’t had the time to go and see them, not with all the craziness of trying to renovate those stupid buildings. So, yeah, she could call them. Was she really that desperate?

Yes. And desperate times called for desperate measures.

She pulled her phone out of her bag and dialed her dad’s phone number before she could change her mind. Three rings sounded, and Meg was already on the verge of hanging up when he answered.

“Meg?” he asked, less of a greeting and more of a question. “What’s wrong?”

That was a blow, but she deserved it. The fact that if she was calling rather than texting, then he automatically assumed that it meant something was wrong… He was right though, so she couldn’t even deny it. Well, there was no point in trying to cover it all up with niceties then, was there?

“Can I stay at your house? For a few days?”

“Oh, I thought you were reconnecting with Nash?” he said, still sounding surprised.

“Yeah, well…”

Suddenly there was a static rattling sound and her mother’s voice could be heard loud and clear.

“Of course you can stay. What a ridiculous question,” Rebecca said in her clipped voice. “But please, for the love of God, don’t bring any animals with you. I’ve only just had the carpets cleaned.”

The fact that her mom’s biggest concern was potential animal hair in the carpets and not her grown daughter crashing into their home out of the blue actually made Meg feel just a tiny bit better.

“No animals,” she said, trying to keep the waver out of her voice. “I’ll be there soon.”

“All right, Meggy,” her dad said. “Drive safe.”

Meg hung up, relieved that she had somewhere to go. She tried to focus on that rather than the guilt of how surprised she was at their willingness to have her back. She shook her head, trying to shake it clear, and started driving.

When Meg’s mom answered the door, she looked over her daughter with a raised eyebrow and pursed lips. It was a familiar expression.

“Thoseare not allowed inside,” said Rebecca, pointing a stern finger at Meg’s mud-caked boots. “As for the rest of your clothes, I’m assuming they’ll all need to be washed.”

“Probably,” Meg said with a sigh that wasn’t even a bit frustrated. She was just sotired. “I’ll throw them in the laundry.”

“Nonsense,” tutted Rebecca as Meg toed off her boots and followed her inside. “You look like you’ve been dragged backwards through a hedge. Give me your bag. Oh, and say hello to your father.”

Without further ado, her mom took the strap of her duffle bag and disappeared down the hall to the laundry room as if this were all a perfectly normal afternoon for everyone involved. But before she could dwell on her mother’s hospitable reaction any further, Vic appeared in the entryway, with his silver hair and neatly ironed shirt.

Less squeamish about dirty clothes than his wife, Vic wrapped Meg up in a hug, his long arms giving her a squeeze. It was nearly enough to tip Meg over the edge into blubbering hysterics. She somehow managed to keep her tears in check and hugged him back.

“Hi, Dad.”

“I’m making lasagna,” he said, forgoing any sort of actual greeting. “And I was thinking of mashed potatoes to go along with the salad. So I hope you haven’t eaten too recently.”

Meg’s stomach growled on cue. “No,” she said. “I could eat a horse.”

“That seems rather against the ethics of your profession,” he said, and Meg snorted a laugh.

“I’m assuming you remember where your old room is?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think I can find it.”

And it really was that easy. Meg wandered down the hall to her old bedroom, which was now a neutral-looking guest room,while her dad continued on with whatever he had been doing and her mom fussed over Meg’s grimy possessions.

She sat on the edge of the neatly made bed and let her shoulders sink. She even closed her eyes for a bit, just for a few seconds where everything was still and dark and not absolutely insane.

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