Page 43 of Megan's Mate
“An expert juggler. Nothing she hates more than to bobble a ball. You’d understand that.”
“Yeah, I do.” Megan picked up a pencil and ran it between her fingers. “I worried about coming here, Suzanna, bringing Kevin. I was afraid I’d not only bobble a ball, but drop all of them, because I’d be so anxious not to say anything, even think anything, that would make you uncomfortable.”
“Aren’t we past that, Megan?”
“You were.” Sighing, Megan set the pencil down again. “Maybe it’s a little harder, being the other woman.”
“Were you?” Suzanna said gently. “Or was I?”
Megan could only shake her head. “I can’t say I wish I could go back and change things, because if I did I wouldn’t have Kevin.” She took a long breath, met Suzanna’s eyes levelly. “I know you consider Kevin a brother to your children, and that you love him.”
“Yes, I do.”
“I want you to know that I think of your children as my family and I love them.”
Suzanna reached over to lay a hand over Megan’s. “I know you do. One of the reasons I dropped in was to ask if you’d mind if Kevin came along with us. I’m going to do some greenhouse work today. Alex and Jenny always enjoy it—especially since it includes pizza for lunch.”
“I can’t think of anything he’d rather do. And it would make up for having to wear a tie the other night.”
Suzanna’s eyes lit with humor. “I nearly had to strangle Alex to get him into his. I hope Aunt Coco doesn’t plan any more formal dinner parties for some time to come.” She tilted her head. “Speaking of Aunt Coco, have you seen her today?”
“Only for a minute, right after breakfast. Why?”
“Was she singing?”
“As a matter of fact, she was.” Megan touched her tongue to her top lip. “She’s been singing in the morning for several days now.”
“She was singing just now, too. And wearing her best perfume.” Uneasy, Suzanna nibbled her lip. “I was wondering if Trent’s father... Of course, he’s gone back to Boston now, so I thought there was nothing to worry about. He’s a lovely man, and we’re all very fond of him, but well, he’s been married four times, and he doesn’t seem able to keep his eye from roving.”
“I noticed.” After a quick debate on privacy versus disclosure, Megan cleared her throat. “Actually, I don’t think Coco’s looking in that direction.”
“No?”
“Dutch,” Megan said, and watched Suzanna’s eyes go blank.
“Excuse me?”
“I think she and Dutch are... infatuated.”
“Dutch? Our Dutch? But she’s always complaining about him, and he’s snarling at her every chance he gets. They’re always fighting, and...” She trailed off, pressed her hands to her lips. “Oh...” she said, while her eyes danced over them. “Oh, oh, oh...”
They stared at each other, struggled dutifully for perhaps three seconds before bursting into laughter. Megan fell easily into the sisterly pleasure of discussing a family member. After she told Suzanna about walking in on Coco and Dutch in the kitchen, she followed it up with the scene on the terrace.
“There were sparks flying, Suzanna. At first I thought they were going to come to blows, then I realized it was more of a—well, a mating ritual.”
“A mating ritual,” Suzanna repeated in a shaky voice. “Do you really think they—?”
“Well.” Megan wriggled her eyebrows. “She’s been doing a lot of singing lately.”
“She certainly has.” Suzanna let the idea stew for a moment, found it simmered nicely. “I think I’ll drop by the kitchen before I go. Check out the atmosphere.”
“I hope I can count on a full report.”
“Absolutely.” Still chuckling, Suzanna rose to go to the door. “I guess that was some moon the other night.”
“It was,” Megan murmured. “Some moon.”
Suzanna paused with her hand on the knob. “And Nathaniel’s some man.”
