The Elliotts Come Home – Chapter 1
Megan Lawrence smoothed the skirts of her plum-colored bridesmaid gown and tried swallow the panic rising in her throat. She’d been looking forward to this day for so long, but Lainie Carmichael seemed bent on ruining it.
“W-what?” she asked, sure she couldn’t have heard Lainie right.
Her boss took a long drag from her cigarette. They were standing on the back porch of the Glendale’s ranch on the east side of Chance Creek. Megan knew she needed to get back upstairs where one of her oldest friends, Cindy Glendale, was getting ready for her wedding, which would start in less than half an hour. She’d been thrilled when Cindy had asked her to be her bridesmaid. The day was fine, the happy couple was head over heels in love and she’d felt optimistic for the first time in ages when she’d pulled on her pretty dress and made her way here for the celebration.
“Maybe it’s time you think about a different career,” Lainie Carmichael repeated. The older woman wore a blue dress with small, white polka dots, a cheerful outfit that belied her dour mood. She’d been scowling since the moment she arrived and Megan wished she hadn’t bothered coming at all. “Look, Megan, all I’m saying is you haven’t brought a new listing to our agency in over four months. And don’t tell me it’s the slow time of year, because it isn’t. Real estate pops in the spring.”
“I’m doing my best.” Megan hoped Lainie didn’t hear the waver in her voice. She needed this job desperately and she’d always loved houses and everything about them. It wasn’t her fault hardly any homes were for sale these days. People were holding onto their properties—especially their ranches. Passing them down to their children, not selling them. She and all the rest of the real estate agents in town fought like dogs over scraps for any that did come up.
Lately she’d been losing those fights. She was the youngest agent in town. The others had built their reputations and client lists over the course of years.
“Like I said, if that’s your best, maybe it’s time to think about another line of work.” Lainie flicked her ashes over the side of the porch and they drifted down into the bushes.
“I don’t want another line of work.” She couldn’t start over now, not when she was already struggling to make ends meet. She was two months behind on her mortgage already and the only reason she even owned a home was because her parents had left the house to her and she’d been able to assume their loan. She wouldn’t be allowed to refinance it since her income this past year had been so spotty.
“Prove it.” Lainie gestured at the guests who were arriving in a constant stream. “There will be a hundred people at this wedding. Someone must be thinking of selling. Figure out who it is and get the listing.”
“But—I’m a bridesmaid.” She needed to focus on making this the perfect day for Cindy.
“Exactly. You’ll talk to everyone here before all is said and done, right? Which means you should have no problem drumming up a listing before the night is over—if you know what’s good for you.” Lainie ground the butt of her cigarette on the porch railing and tossed it away. “You can’t sell real estate if you can’t find listings.”
Megan watched her thread her way through the growing crowd. Lainie had been a thorn in her side since she’d started this line of work, but this was the worst confrontation they’d had. If only she hadn’t stepped out of the house for a breath of fresh air, she would still be enjoying what had promised to be a lovely day. She’d enjoyed every part of helping Cindy prepare for her wedding and she’d hoped to set aside all her financial worries for a single night. How could she enjoy herself if she was grilling all of Cindy’s guests?
“Who’s that?” she heard Ella Hall ask her sister-in-law, Regan. The Halls had arrived in a group several minutes ago and were standing on the porch near Megan, waiting for the wedding to start. The ex-actress was gesturing at several men getting out of a dusty black truck in the driveway.
“I don’t know,” Regan said. “Never saw them before.”
“Those are the Elliotts,” Lisa Matheson said, joining them. The Mathesons lived on the Double-Bar-K ranch. Lisa’s four grown sons and their families were spread through the growing crowd. “Most of them, anyway. I don’t think Nate is back yet. That’s Carter, Lincoln, Hudson and Gage.” She pointed them out in turn. “They used to live up on Elliott Ridge. Been gone for years, though.”
“Elliott Ridge? You mean the ghost town?” Megan said, startled into speaking up despite the fact she wasn’t part of their conversation. No one lived there except a caretaker, as far as she knew. She’d only been up there once. Technically in Chance Creek county, it was a forty-five minute drive into the hills. The little town still stood, but it had been abandoned after the lumber mill shut down.
“Ghost town? That’s intriguing,” Regan said.
Megan could see the family resemblance between the Elliott brothers, something in the set of their shoulders and the way they moved. As they approached the house, Megan found her gaze drawn to Gage. He was dressed respectably for the wedding in dark jeans, a clean, white shirt and boots, but everything about him hinted at self-assurance and coiled power. Just as he reached the steps up to the porch, he scanned the assembled crowd and noticed her looking back at him.
Heat rushed through Megan as his gaze held hers. She wanted to look away but couldn’t. Dark brown eyes assessed her as he ascended the stairs slowly, joining his brothers in front of Cindy’s sister, Melody, who had been greeting each guest in turn.
She ought to be helping out like that. Better yet, she should be upstairs with Cindy.
So why couldn’t she move?
And why didn’t Gage look away?
Megan had the feeling he could read her thoughts as he kept her pinned in place with the frankness of his interest. Then he nodded. Turned. Shook hands with Cindy’s sister.
And the moment was over.
“Don’t you need to get upstairs?” Regan asked Megan. “The ceremony is due to start in fifteen minutes. We’d better find our seats,” she told Ella.
Megan could only nod.
“See you at the reception,” Ella said. She cocked her head. “Everything okay, Megan?”
“Y-yes,” Megan managed. The one-two punch of Lainie’s ultimatum and this new man’s stark assessment of her was making it hard to breathe. “See you later,” she squeaked and pushed forward through the crowd. “Excuse me,” she said as she pushed through the other guests, worried that Cindy might be missing her. “Excuse me. Pardon me.”
She hit a wall of solid backs. The Elliott brothers were bunched up around Cindy’s sister, still exchanging greetings and good wishes. Together they were blocking the door.
“Excuse me,” she said again. “I just need to get past.”
One of them turned and stepped back to usher her through a small gap. The same man who’d given her such a frank look. Gage.
“Excuse me,” Megan said a final time as she edged past him, refusing to look up and meet his gaze again. Their bodies were so close together they might as well have been in an embrace.
“No problem.” His voice was deep and resonant and a thrill passed through her, even as she told herself not to be ridiculous. She knew nothing about this man, and probably never would.
“Enjoy the wedding,” she whispered as she made it by him and then she darted for the entrance, letting out a relieved breath when she made it inside. She hurried upstairs to Cindy’s childhood bedroom, slipped inside the room and shut the door behind her.
“Megan, you’re flushed. What’s wrong?” Cindy asked, turning to see who’d come in.
“I was rushing. That took longer than I meant it to.” She was not going to distract her friend on her wedding day by telling her about Lainie’s threat—or about the handsome stranger she’d met on the front porch. “Are you ready?”
“She is,” Cindy’s mother said. She made a final adjustment to Cindy’s veil and Megan’s heart melted at the sight of her friend in all her wedding finery. Cindy was a beautiful bride.
“I really am.” Cindy came to take both of Megan’s hands. “I’m so happy. I hope you feel this way someday soon. Let’s find you a new boyfriend at the reception. Then I can be your maid of honor.”
“I think you’re missing a few steps in between there,” Megan joked. “Besides, you’re going to be too busy at the reception to worry about me.” She didn’t add that she’d be busy, too—shaking down Cindy’s guests to try to find a listing.
“I guess you’re right,” Cindy admitted. “But I’ll find you one soon. That’s a promise.”
“Looking forward to it,” was all Megan said.
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