Page 13 of Miles. Alton & The 9:04
He blinked several times, attempting futilely to wrap his mind around what he was seeing.“This looks amazing, Ms.Dootch.”
“Megan, please.Ooh, mint jelly.I can't forget the mint jelly,” she said, pouring the wine for him to sniff.She also presented him with the cork.His eyes went to the nicely decorated table with dishes he didn't own.
“Megan, this is all lovely, but how did you get into my house?”
“The window in your bedroom was cracked, so I climbed in there,” she told him.“I also see you have a guest room.No need to pay for a B & B, and I could use a night out of the camper.I have slept two nights in a row in that thing.”
“You drove from South Dakota?I sent you a plane ticket,” Thom said.
“Oh, I cashed that in and used it for gas for old Nell over there, my Ford,” she told him.“I use the camper when I'm doing trade shows on the weekends.Most of my crafting gear is inside there, so once I get settled here, I can start working again to add to our coiffures.”
Seldom was Thom Brown left speechless.He watched the woman as she continued to hum while walking barefoot in his home, preparing one of his favorite meals.It's what he’d wanted and prayed for, but it felt...off.Megan, to him, felt...off.
“Megan, this is supposed to be a visit to see if we, I guess, vibe,” Thom said.
“I'm vibing with you just fine, sir,” she said, winking at him.“Plus, on paper, we are right at 95 percent.Some of the other matches I got were in the low eighties.I have looked forward to speaking with you every Sunday, and tonight on that couch over there, I will find out when it feels like to be in your arms.When you wake in the morning, I shall be here to make you breakfast, and we will make plans to head to the courthouse and make us official.”
Every alarm in him stood up and began to wave red flags.He stood there, smelling like shit and feeling like it as well for not being grateful.She wanted to be here, she wanted to marry him, and more than anything, Megan Dootch had stated clearly, she wanted to be in his arms.Thom began to grapple with the reality of the woman weirding him the fuck out.
“Okay, I need a moment to eat this elephant.I will shower and come back to feast on this amazing dinner you've prepared, and then we will talk,” he said, setting down the wineglass.
“Sounds good.Let me know if you need me to come wash your back,” she smiled, biting her bottom lip.
“I think I have it,” he said, holding up a finger.“Be back in a jiff.”
Thom hurriedly showered, double checking the locks on the doors.He also double checked his emotions as he cleaned his body and towel-dried slowly.Thom dressed in the bathroom, coming out to find his potential bride halfway through the first bottle a wine, looking glassy eyed and turned up to a solid eight.The one thing which popped into his mind was her hole was more than likely damp.The idea of such a circumstance didn't stimulate him in the least.
“Megan, you started without me,” he said, looking at her.
“In more ways than one,” she replied, giving him a sleepy-eyed look.“I will need to test out that bed in the guest room for comfort tonight.Tomorrow night, I shall be in the bed with you.”
Thom exhaled loudly.“You know, that might not be a good idea, especially considering our situation.Let's keep everything above board, so we have no misunderstandings, Megan.I've booked you a place to stay and I can take you there after dinner.”
“You don't want me here with you, Thom?But we're going to be married, and for six months, all I've been thinking about is being a good wife to you.Am I doing something wrong?You don't like me?You don't want me to be yours?”
It was said followed by a hiccup.This made Thom check the bottle of wine, which had been full when he went for a shower, and now it was nearly empty.His potential bride was two sheets to the wind, and he was officially over it all.
“Megan,” he started, but the woman was passed out on the couch. The adorable June Cleaver dress was up and all the good intentions under it were on display.He took a blanket and covered her lower half and went to the table to eat the meal alone.
The preparation of the lamb chops wasn't half bad.It wasn't half good either.Thom Brown was raised never to waste food, and he didn't; therefore, he ate the meal and put away the leftovers.He left her meal under a cloche on the counter for after she slept it off.
From his back porch, he looked down the railroad tracks of the former line for the 9:04.He maintained the tracks in hopes of one day having his special music event.In the meantime, he lowered his head in prayer.
“Lord, if this is meant for me, I accept your gift.If it is not, please show me what your plan is for me,” he said, closing the prayer.
He planned to let her sleep it off, then take her into town.If she wanted to sleep in her camper, he was okay with that too, but all of it felt...off.It was theoffnessof it that made him pause, and life had taught Thom at an early age that if it felt wrong, then it was not right.
“I'm going with that.It feels wrong,” he said, taking a seat on the patio.
