Page 28 of Shimmering Emeralds
Stella’s head whipped back on her neck as if I had just slapped her. “I need to calm down?? No, I’ll tell you what I need… I need for you to go. We all do.”
She turned to her daughter for back-up, but Meg proved that she wasn’t on board with her mother’s plan by saying, “No, Mother. I want Levi to stay. Why don’t you go check on Claire and the baby.”
Stella’s startled gaze traveled back and forth between Meg and me. Her eyes opened wider by the millisecond as she attempted to process the fact that her daughter was effectively ousting her from the room, while allowing me to stay. Her mouth fell open and snapped closed a few times as if she was not quite able to fully comprehend this shocking turn of events.
Meg’s expression softened a bit before she said, “I appreciate you being here, but Claire needs you. Levi is here with me, and we’ll contact you right away if anything changes with Harper.”
When she turned to me to verify my continued presence, I fervently nodded my agreement to that plan.
Stella gathered her large, burgundy leather handbag and started to leave in a huff. Seeming to rethink that, she paused and turned to face Meg. “I care about you and Harper so much. I just want what’s best for both of you.”
“I know,” Meg nodded and smiled at her mother. When her mother continued to linger, Meg said, “I love you.”
Stella’s face brightened with surprise at the endearment from Meg. I knew from experience that the young woman wasn’t usually very vocal about her emotions.
“I love you too, sweetheart.” After speaking those soft words, Stella left. It was a rare, sweet moment between the duo that I was glad to get to witness.
As soon as the door closed behind her mother, Meg looked at me and said, “I do love her, but, wow, she can sometimes be a giant pain in the ass.”
I chuckled and realized that in an instant, the bristly, sassy Meg that I knew and loved so much had replaced the loving, demonstrative woman that had been here for a brief moment. She was truly an enigma, who kept us all on our toes. It was one of the most irresistible and adorable things about her.
“You won’t get any arguments about that from me.” I weighed in. We both knew that Stella had never approved of me as a suitor for her daughter. In fact, I wondered if Meg’s mother’s influence had played a significant part in Meg’s decision to suggest I follow my dreams to Nashville.
We spent the remainder of the day sitting in the two chairs next to Harper’s bed and watching her for any further signs of movement. Despite how much we both willed it to happen, the child remained motionless.
I served as Meg’s errand-boy, making sure she had food and even stopping by her house to pick up some clothes that actually fit her, so she could change out of my baggy sweats.
It was strange being in the space where Meg lived. The home was messy and lived in, but comfortable with a distinctively ‘Meg’ feeling to the space. I chuckled when I saw the enormous coffee maker that took up half of her kitchen counter space. Her culinary priorities hadn’t changed a bit in our years apart.
In her bedroom, I paused just over the threshold and took a deep breath. The air smelled of lilacs and a distinctive and fresh outdoor smell, just like Meg. The bed was unmade and clothes were strewn over a chair in the corner. The space was cluttered and lived-in, yet somehow perfect.
Standing there, I realized that I wished my belongings were added to the mix. My clothes would be stacked in piles in the drawers or hanging neatly in the closet. It would make a wonderful contrast to Meg’s mess, and would bring some much-needed balance to both of our lives. If only I could convince Meg how great it would be.
I went to the drawers Meg had indicated and was pleased to find that at least some of her clothing was neatly folded and placed where it belonged. After grabbing her a few pairs of comfortable-looking stretchy leggings and oversized tee shirts, I went to the drawer that she had indicated contained her undergarments.
My hand hovered over the metal handle for a long moment. It felt overly intimate to be getting ready to dig through the woman’s skivvies. I’d seen––and helped her out of––her underwear many times before, but that had been a long time ago.
Deciding that this intimacy was out of necessity, rather than of a sexual nature, I quickly opened the drawer and grabbed a few items to add to the bag of clothing. I couldn’t help but notice that some of her panties were quite lacy, and much skimpier than what she used to wear, but I forced myself not to focus on them. It felt perverted to be pawing through her sexy underwear, while she was at the hospital by her comatose daughter’s side.
Just as I was zipping the overnight bag, a text buzzed through on my phone. Glancing down at the display, I realized it was from Meg. Icy-edged panic raced through my veins as I scrambled to slide the button and see if something had gone wrong with Harper.
My fear turned to amusement as I read her message.My stomach is growling. Will you pick me up a steak from The Rusty Nail on your way back? RARE. They know how I like it, and tell them I said to give you my employee discount.
After shaking my head over her disgusting eating habits, I typed back,Yes, I’ll get you a slab ‘o’ meat and some rabbit food for me.
Can’t wait!Her immediate response had me grinning from ear-to-ear. Deep down, I knew she was more excited to see her dinner than me, but it was fun to pretend that she missed having me by her side.
Pulling me out of my quick daydream, Meg proved that she couldn’t just allow me to believe I was the reason for her impatience by texting,Hurry up. I’m hungry!
I’m on it.I responded before slinging the clothes bag’s strap over my shoulder and jogging out the door to go take care of my favorite lady’s request before she got ‘hangry.’
25
Meg
Ithought Levi would never return with my clothes and our food. Even though I kept trying to tell myself that I was just overly hungry from trying to survive on vending machine pretzels and peanut butter crackers, I knew what I truly craved was Levi’s calming, steady presence by my side.
It was reassuring to know he was here with me, even though I worried about how long he would actually stay. I kept trying to remind myself that his presence was most likely temporary, but when I caught him gazing at me like I was the cherry on top of a hot fudge sundae, it was hard to remember that he wasn’t truly mine.
