to protect me and Molly. You can’t fault him for that.”
“I don’t fault him, but this is a pretty big step to take for someone who is such a commitment-phobe.”
Meg knew that, and it worried her. His whole life—including his friends and social life—was based around his job. Now Meg was going to be part of both, and she didn’t know how this was going to work.
Jason said he hadn’t ever considered getting married because he didn’t have the right mental focus to be a good husband. Meg thought that was a load of crap. He was a big chicken. Relationships took work, and it meant standing up to his parents. Even this thing with Molly, Jason wasn’t full-on confronting them, he wasn’t going to the judge, no; he was taking a back road to outsmart them. The problem with that was it wasn’t neat and clean. It was going to get messy because Meg’s fragile heart went a little crazy when he was around. There was so much chemistry and so many unresolved issues; it was going to blow up in their faces, and they were going to end up in bed. It wasn’t
if
, it was
when
.
“He doesn’t want me, Jill. He’s trying to do the right thing, but he doesn’t want me. He has this assistant, and I think they had something going at one point. She’s his type, not me.”
“Wait a second. You think he’s going to marry you but keep things going with someone else? How is that right? You gave up a very nice guy and you’re not going to fool around. Are you?”
Meg smiled. “No. I’m not. He said we’re going to be faithful, but I don’t know. This woman is in his business night and day. Apparently she’s beautiful, smart, and doesn’t sing bad karaoke on Friday nights.”
“So she’s boring?” Jill rose and started stacking boxes. “If he can’t see how amazing you are, he’s an idiot.”
Meg stopped and thought about that. Maybe it was true, but Jason never took the time to understand her, not the way she understood him. “We’re very different. We have different backgrounds and upbringings. Different priorities.”
“You’re wrong there. You are both completely dedicated to Molly.”
“Yes, we are.” That was true. Jason was wonderful with his niece, and his only concern in their arrangement was how she would be provided for. He made no mistake with regard to that.
But with each other, they were all over the place. He wanted her, she knew he did. He kissed her like he did, touched, responded to her like he did, and Meg wanted him just as badly. She’d never stopped wanting him, and every man in her life had always had to measure up to Jason.
No one ever did.
***
Jason sat at the kitchen table in the new house with Owen, Nate, and Harper, hashing out the new sales proposal over takeout Thai and some great local beer. It was a free-for-all kind of exchange and a part of the way they did business that he loved. There was a hierarchy to the company, but they all took ownership of its success.
He’d spent the first part of the day in meetings at the office in the city, and when they decided they needed to sit down and figure out this problem, they came to the house because no one would look for them there. It was perfect, and with his office just down the hall, they had all the access they needed and none of the interruptions.
Having pretty much wrapped up the proposal, they were shooting the breeze about Owen’s latest high-octane vacation and Harper’s plan to visit friends in Italy over the winter. Jason usually went to the islands in the winter. He’d find some company and take his boat and cruise someplace warm and tropical, spend a few weeks in the sun. That wasn’t going to happen this year. He’d mentioned it to Meg and was informed they were locked into school holidays. Getting off from work for a short honeymoon had been enough of a challenge for her. She wasn’t going to take any additional days, and Meg felt strongly that Molly shouldn’t be pulled out of school for
“I don’t fault him, but this is a pretty big step to take for someone who is such a commitment-phobe.”
Meg knew that, and it worried her. His whole life—including his friends and social life—was based around his job. Now Meg was going to be part of both, and she didn’t know how this was going to work.
Jason said he hadn’t ever considered getting married because he didn’t have the right mental focus to be a good husband. Meg thought that was a load of crap. He was a big chicken. Relationships took work, and it meant standing up to his parents. Even this thing with Molly, Jason wasn’t full-on confronting them, he wasn’t going to the judge, no; he was taking a back road to outsmart them. The problem with that was it wasn’t neat and clean. It was going to get messy because Meg’s fragile heart went a little crazy when he was around. There was so much chemistry and so many unresolved issues; it was going to blow up in their faces, and they were going to end up in bed. It wasn’t
if
, it was
when
.
“He doesn’t want me, Jill. He’s trying to do the right thing, but he doesn’t want me. He has this assistant, and I think they had something going at one point. She’s his type, not me.”
“Wait a second. You think he’s going to marry you but keep things going with someone else? How is that right? You gave up a very nice guy and you’re not going to fool around. Are you?”
Meg smiled. “No. I’m not. He said we’re going to be faithful, but I don’t know. This woman is in his business night and day. Apparently she’s beautiful, smart, and doesn’t sing bad karaoke on Friday nights.”
“So she’s boring?” Jill rose and started stacking boxes. “If he can’t see how amazing you are, he’s an idiot.”
Meg stopped and thought about that. Maybe it was true, but Jason never took the time to understand her, not the way she understood him. “We’re very different. We have different backgrounds and upbringings. Different priorities.”
“You’re wrong there. You are both completely dedicated to Molly.”
“Yes, we are.” That was true. Jason was wonderful with his niece, and his only concern in their arrangement was how she would be provided for. He made no mistake with regard to that.
But with each other, they were all over the place. He wanted her, she knew he did. He kissed her like he did, touched, responded to her like he did, and Meg wanted him just as badly. She’d never stopped wanting him, and every man in her life had always had to measure up to Jason.
No one ever did.
***
Jason sat at the kitchen table in the new house with Owen, Nate, and Harper, hashing out the new sales proposal over takeout Thai and some great local beer. It was a free-for-all kind of exchange and a part of the way they did business that he loved. There was a hierarchy to the company, but they all took ownership of its success.
He’d spent the first part of the day in meetings at the office in the city, and when they decided they needed to sit down and figure out this problem, they came to the house because no one would look for them there. It was perfect, and with his office just down the hall, they had all the access they needed and none of the interruptions.
Having pretty much wrapped up the proposal, they were shooting the breeze about Owen’s latest high-octane vacation and Harper’s plan to visit friends in Italy over the winter. Jason usually went to the islands in the winter. He’d find some company and take his boat and cruise someplace warm and tropical, spend a few weeks in the sun. That wasn’t going to happen this year. He’d mentioned it to Meg and was informed they were locked into school holidays. Getting off from work for a short honeymoon had been enough of a challenge for her. She wasn’t going to take any additional days, and Meg felt strongly that Molly shouldn’t be pulled out of school for