Time Out (5 page)

Her cell phone
rang, saving her from responding. “Excuse me,” she said, reaching
for her purse. Glancing at the call display, she saw it was Shaw.
She considered letting it go to voice mail, but then she would have
to talk to Nick.

“Hi there,” she
said, smiling. “How are you?”

“Better now.
Damn, it’s good to hear your voice. I missed you yesterday.”

He was so
sweet. Definitely the kind of guy she could fall for if she
intended to stick around. “Did you manage to round up the-” Megan
glanced at Nick, who was listening to her intently. He was probably
the last person Shaw would want to know about his business
challenges, so she asked, “Can I call you later?”

“Sure, but I
just wanted to firm up our plans for tonight. You wanna grab a beer
at Jimmy’s? We can decide where to go from there. Dinner, movies,
it’s your call.”

Jimmy’s wasn’t
the kind of place a date would have taken her back home, but it
seemed to be a hot spot in Nashville, and she’d always had a good
time there. “Jimmy’s sounds good. Does eight o’clock work for
you?”

“Perfect. I
can’t wait to see you, gorgeous.”

She was still
smiling when she disconnected the call. She saw Nick shooting
daggers at her across the table. “Is there a problem?”

“No, no
problem.” He got up and reached for his cowboy hat. Jamming it on
his head, he said, “You have a nice day.”

***

Nick walked
into Sela’s real estate business hoping his friend’s wife hadn’t
stepped out for lunch. The receptionist at the front desk pointed
him toward Sela’s office.

“Hey there,
pretty lady.” He tapped his knuckles on her open door.

With a huge
smile, she got up and came around the desk. “This is a nice
surprise. I haven’t seen you in ages.”

He patted her
tiny baby bump before drawing her into his arms. Even though he was
a few years younger than Sela’s husband, Aiden, their families had
been friends for years. “How’re you feelin’?”

“Great,” she
said, holding his hands. “Aiden’s being crazy, totally
over-protective. But I can’t say I mind the pampering.” She
winked.

He chuckled.
“Enjoy it while you can, right?”

“That’s what I
intend to do.” She pointed at a guest chair as she reclaimed her
swivel chair. “Sit down, tell me what brings you by.”

Nick had
debated his decision all morning. His family and friends loved to
get into his business, and if they found out he was maneuvering to
keep Megan as their house guest a little while longer, they’d no
doubt question his change of heart. He couldn’t explain it, but if
she moved out, he would have no reason to see her again. He wasn’t
ready to let her go just yet.

“I hear you’re
tryin’ to help Megan find a place,” Nick said.

“I am.” Sela
laced her fingers over her stomach. “In fact, I think I may have
found something perfect for her. I was just about to call her when
you walked in.”

“Can you hold
off on that a bit, Sela?”

She frowned.
“Why? I thought you were as anxious to have her out of your
parents’ house as she is to leave.”

“I was, but,
uh, that was before. I’m beginnin’ to wonder if I was a bit too
harsh.”

A slow smile
spread across Sela’s face. “Go on.”

He knew his
request would peak her curiosity, but he couldn’t explain it to
her. “We decided to call a truce.” He shook his head when Sela’s
smile widened. “It’s not like that.”

“Are you sure?
You can’t deny the woman’s gorgeous, Nick.”

No, he couldn’t
deny that. “Doesn’t matter. She’s seein’ someone.” Not that he
would ever let Shaw Carver stand between him and something he
wanted. Whether it was the Derby trophy or a woman, they both knew
the rules: There were no rules. Win at all costs.

“Shaw Carver. I
heard.” Sela fanned herself with a glossy brochure. When Nick
raised an eyebrow, she giggled. “Must be the pregnancy
hormones.”

“Jesus, do I
really need to hear this?”

Sela wasn’t the
first woman to admit to him she found Shaw attractive. He had to
wonder if Megan saw something in Carver she didn’t see in him.
Aside from the charm he’d kept safely hidden up to that point,
obviously. He needed to change his strategy and remind his old
buddy Carver their fight was a long way from being over.

“Is that why
you’re suddenly interested in Megan, because you want to prove a
point to Shaw? Everyone knows your feud goes back a long way.
Personally, I think it’s a little silly for grown men to be so
competitive.” Sela rolled her eyes.

“Says the woman
who married a professional hockey player.”

Sela laughed.
“Okay, point taken. So, how can I help you?”

“I want you to
hold off on showing Megan any places. I’d like her to stick around
so I can get to know her better.”

“But this place
would be perfect for her.” Sela held up a feature sheet. “It’s a
one-plus bedroom condo in the downtown core, not far from the
station. The owner is looking for a short-term tenant because he’s
going out of town on business for the next ten months. By that
time, Megan’s contract will be up, and she’ll be ready to go back
to L.A.”

“You think
she’s serious about leavin’?” In spite of his parents’ less than
subtle suggestions that it was time for him to get serious with
someone, he wasn’t looking for a woman who could offer him a long
time. A good time would suit him just fine.

“I think so. It
sounds like she had a great life back home. She dated celebrities,
attended red carpet events and movie premieres on the arms of
A-list actors, took limousines everywhere-”

“She told you
all this?”

Sela tapped her
computer screen with a manicured fingernail. “Welcome to the
wonderful world of search engines, my friend. She’s a TV
personality. There’s tons of stuff online about her.”

Nick knew that
was true. That’s how he found out about her famous father and the
scandal with her last producer. “Has she told you anything about
her past?”

“She told me
she was engaged to Brock Logan, but that’s about it. She said she’s
not interested in getting serious with Shaw because she doesn’t
intend to stay in Nashville. Apparently, she intends to leave just
as soon as her contract’s up.”

“Yeah, that’s
the impression I got too.” At first, he’d been relieved she
wouldn’t be sticking around, but after last night… not so much.

“So, what’s
your deal, Nick? Come on, you know you can tell me.”

“If I could, I
would. Honestly, I don’t know what the hell’s goin’ on. One minute
I can’t stand the sight of her, and the next… I don’t know… I start
feelin’ guilty for not givin’ her a fair shake.”

Sela laughed as
she wagged a finger at him. “I knew it. You’ve got a thing for
her.”

Nick scoffed.
He’d hardly call it a
thing
. He was just curious about her
and wanted to take a little time to unravel the mystery. “My
parents have been on me about makin’ her feel welcome. My mama
asked me to keep an eye on her. Now that she’s datin’ that snake,
it’s more important than ever she has someone to watch her
back.”

“Come on now,
y’all have known Shaw a long time. You may not like him, but you
can’t claim he’s dangerous.”

“He’s a player.
Isn’t that bad enough?”

“So are
you!”

Nick scowled.
She had him there. He did have a reputation for dating more than
one woman at a time, but they all knew his relationships weren’t
exclusive. He never made promises he didn’t intend to keep. “What
can I say? I like women.”

“That’s
something else you and Shaw have in common. Face it, y’all are more
alike than you’re willing to admit.”

“Ouch,” he
said, grabbing his chest. Being compared to his rival hurt,
especially when he suspected she may be right.

Sela leaned
forward. “You know I adore you. If you think Megan is the one, I’ll
do whatever I can to help you, but if you just wanna take her away
from Shaw, I don’t want any part of that. Megan seems like a really
sweet girl, and I don’t think she’s had an easy life. She deserves
a nice guy who’s gonna treat her right. If you’re that guy, I’m all
for it. If not, just stay out of her way.”

Nick didn’t
think he was the guy for her, but he could pretty much guarantee
Carver wasn’t. “I don’t want you readin’ anything into this. I told
you-”

“And I told
you, I’ll help you, but only if your intentions are honorable. Come
on now, Nick. I think it’s time you let some nice girl make an
honest man of you.” She winked as she sat back in her seat.

“Yeah, but this
one’s all wrong for me. I’m country, she’s city. I’m a simple guy,
she likes the finer things. She’s red carpet, I’m beer and
nachos-”

“Yeah, but you
know what they say about opposites attracting.”

“Spare me the
clichés on an empty stomach.”

“You’ve dated
girls who are perfect for you on paper, but they haven’t held your
interest for more than a few months.” Sela narrowed her eyes at
Nick. “Are you afraid Megan is too good for you?”

Nick masked his
bark of laughter with a cough. “Come on now, girl, you know I’m not
the insecure type. Megan may not be in my wheelhouse, but that
doesn’t mean I think she’s out of my league.”

“Are you sure?
Like I said, she’s dated some pretty impressive guys. Maybe in the
back of your mind, you’re wondering if you can measure up?”

Nick would
never admit the thought had crossed his mind. He couldn’t picture
himself walking the red carpet on her arm any more than he could
picture her mucking stalls.

“You’re crazy
if you think that,” Sela said quietly. “You’re a catch, Nick. If
Megan can’t see that, it’s her loss.”

“I’m not tryin’
to sell myself to her-”

“Fine, but if
ever you decide you want to, it won’t be a tough sell.” Sela came
around the desk, and he stood up to give her a hug.

“Does that mean
I can count on you to stall her apartment search for a while?”

“There are tons
of other agents in the city. I can’t promise she won’t call one of
them if she senses I’m dragging my heels.” Sela walked him to the
door.

“Maybe if I
make it a little more tolerable for her on the ranch, she won’t be
in such a hurry to leave.”

Sela reached
for the door handle. “Just how do you intend to do that,
cowboy?”

Nick grinned.
“I can be pretty charmin’ when I want to be.”

“So I’ve
heard.”

“You think your
husband might want to grab a beer with me at Jimmy’s tonight?”

“What are you
up to?” Sela asked, crossing her arms.

“Let’s just say
tonight might be the time to start layin’ on the charm.”

***

Megan was tired
after a long morning on set, so she decided on a double shot of
espresso before venturing into Alisa’s boutique to do a little
shopping on her lunch break. She didn’t want to run into Nick while
she was getting ready for her date with Shaw, so she’d decided to
leave straight from the office.

“This is a nice
surprise,” Lena said, coming around the counter to hug Megan.

Anna had
arranged a girls’ night at Jimmy’s not long before so she could
introduce Megan to all of her girlfriends and family, including
Lena and Alisa. Since their boutique was just down the street from
the television station, Megan often stopped by on her break to
check out the new merchandise or just to chat.

“What’s new?”
Lena asked.

“I need a new
outfit, including shoes. I have a date with Shaw tonight. We’re
starting out at Jimmy’s, so something casual would work.”

“Why don’t you
just go on back to the ranch and change?” Lena asked, leading her
to a rack of designer jeans.

“I’m not really
sure I’ll have time.” Megan knew time wouldn’t be the problem, but
she didn’t want to make Nick look like the bad guy for making her
feel unwelcome. She was just a visitor in his town. No sense
causing trouble for him when she wouldn’t be around long.

“These are so
cute, aren’t they?” Lena held up a pair of black skinny jeans with
pink embellishments on the pockets.

“They are.”
Megan scanned a rack of dresses before pulling out a brightly
colored dress with thin straps. “Do you think this is too much for
Jimmy’s?”

“Not if you
pair it with the right shoes and accessories. Wait ‘til you see
what it looks like on. Shaw will love it!” Lena took the hanger
from Megan and held it up in front of her.

Megan was
stunned when Nick’s image flashed in her mind. His gaze was heated,
as it had been last night when they stood so close…

“Hey, are you
okay?” Lena asked, reaching for her hand.

“Yeah, I’m
fine.” Megan shook her head. “Sorry, I was just thinking about-”
Before she could offer an excuse, Alisa walked in, balancing her
adorable son on her hip.

“Perfect
timing!” Alisa’s face lit up when she spotted Megan.

Megan was
overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the people she’d met
in Nashville. They were all so welcoming, as though she was one of
them instead of a stranger just passing through. Imagining herself
fitting into their world, sneaking away to have lunch or coffee
with her friends in the middle of a workday, was so easy.

“Did you come
to check out the new collection?” Alisa carefully extracted her
long blonde hair from her son’s tight grasp.

Megan’s
attention was drawn to the little boy. He had his father’s dark
hair, his mother’s blue eyes and creamy skin.
Nick must have
looked like that as a baby.
The thought caught her off guard,
and she knew it must have shown on her face.

Lena reached
for her arm. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little pale. Why
don’t you come over here and sit down?”