Christine Rimmer - The Reluctant Cinderella

“Dad!” echoed Michael around a half-chewed lump of pancake.

“Gross,” muttered Olivia.

And then, in unison, all three kids announced, “I’ll get it.”

“Stay put.” Megan slid her napkin beside her half-empty plate. “All of you.”

Olivia groaned. Michael shrugged. Anthony let out a big, fat sigh. But they all remained on their stools.

In the foyer, Megan pulled open the door and found Carly on the front porch looking absolutely gorgeous. Her blond hair fell in soft, perfect waves around her beautiful face, which glowed with just a touch of blusher and a dab of lip gloss. She was dressed in the spirit of the day, in trim, royal-blue capris and a curve-hugging white shirt. On her perfectly manicured feet she wore a pair of strappy red sandals. She carried a layer cake on a crystal cake stand.

The cake was almost as stunning as Carly, a good eight inches high and slathered in ivory-colored swirls of buttercream frosting, with an accurate depiction of an American flag drawn in colored icing across the top.

“Wow.” Megan was so impressed with the cake she almost forgot to feel guilty about going love-wacko over Greg. “That is beautiful.”

Carly blushed and smiled her prettiest smile. “I baked it for you and Angela and the kids. It’s a red velvet cake. And if I do say so myself, it is delish. Where I come from, we would always have red velvet cake on Independence Day.”

Megan ushered her inside and shut the door. “Come on back to the kitchen. We’re having blueberry pancakes. There’s plenty. Join us.”

“Oh. No. Really. I can’t. All I have to do is look at a pancake and I put on five pounds.”

Megan, who always did a lot more than look at her pancakes, only shrugged and offered, “Coffee, then?”

“I’d love a cup. Yes.”

They went on to the kitchen, where Angela spotted the cake and said, “Oh, Carly, you shouldn’t have….” Even the kids got all wide-eyed over it—well, except for Anthony, who only got wide-eyed lately when his mostly absent dad was at the door.

Carly took a stool, accepted a cup of black coffee and talked to each of the children in turn, asking them how they were doing and what their plans were for the day. Michael peppered her with a volley of questions. Olivia, whose rock collection was her pride and joy, solemnly explained that her grandpa had sent her a real quartz crystal, a big one, all the way from Arkansas. Even Anthony opened up to her a little. He said his dad was coming and they were going to the Catskills Game Park and maybe there would be fireworks after dark.

Carly was good with kids. Megan couldn’t help wondering why she and Greg had never had any.

Not that she would ask. Oh, no. Not going there. No way…

The kids finished their breakfast, cleared their places and ran upstairs to get ready to go. Angela served herself the final stack of flapjacks and sat at the counter while Megan got the coffeepot and gave all three of them refills.

Carly, sitting between Angela and Megan, sipped and said how good the coffee was, and asked Angela how her job managing that dentist’s office was going.

Angela said it was great. “And I get holidays. All the good ones. What more can I ask for?”

Regular support checks from Jerome would be nice, Megan thought. But of course, her sister would never say that.

Megan knew what was coming. After a moment, it did.

Carly turned to her and sweetly scolded, “You didn’t call me yesterday to tell me how it went. Did Greg hire you?”

Keeping her expression totally noncommittal, Megan shrugged. “Not yet. That was just the preliminary meeting. There will be a more formal presentation at my office next week, with my whole team involved. There’ll also be Gregory, Sr., and a few vice presidents, I think.”

Carly let out a cry of delight. “Look at you. So calm and collected. I mean, you just said ‘Not yet.’ Why, he is going to hire you, isn’t he?”

“Surprised?” Megan couldn’t help teasing.

“Well, I…I just…”

Megan smiled. “Hey. It’s okay. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your setting up that interview.” Too bad I went and fell for the guy you’re still in love with….

“Oh, well.” Carly’s thick lashes swooped down. “I was happy to do it.”

“I’m very grateful. The chance to land the Banning’s account, that’s a big deal for me.”

Carly sipped more coffee. “So tell me. How is Greg?” Her cheeks were pinker than ever and those Delft-blue eyes glittered with a frantic kind of hope.

“Well, of course, it was a business meeting,” Megan hedged, and felt like a low-down, backstabbing creep. “But he seemed well. You know, healthy. All that…”

On Carly’s other side, Angela looked up sharply from her plate of pancakes. She’d always had a sixth sense about what was going on with Megan. Megan lifted an eyebrow and Angela lifted one right back.

Carly was oblivious to the sisterly signals. “Did he seem too thin? I worry, you know? That he’s not eating right…”

“Uh. No. He looked okay. Fine. Really.”

“What did he say about me?”

Good googly moogly. Megan honestly couldn’t recall his mentioning Carly’s name once. “Nothing. Really.” Carly’s face fell. And Megan heard herself adding, “He sends his regards, of course.” Liar, liar, pants on fire…

“His regards…” Carly mulled that over for a moment, her full lower lip quivering just a little.

“Yes,” Megan said, so cheerfully it set her own teeth on edge.

Carly pasted on a smile. “Well. That’s something. I guess….” She popped off the stool as if she’d been ejected from it. “And you know what?” She tugged on the hem of her crisp white shirt. “I really do have to get going. I only meant to stay for just a moment. My, how the time does fly.” She was halfway across the kitchen already.

“Bye, Carly,” said Angela, with another sharp look at Megan. “Thanks again for the amazing cake. We will totally enjoy it.”

“My pleasure.” Carly’s voice was tight. She ducked out through the dining room.

Megan trailed her to the door, where Carly paused, swallowed back the tears that were shining in her eyes, and asked, “Your next meeting with Greg and his dad and the executives, when is that?”

“Monday.”

“Well, you’d better call me afterward this time. Promise?”

“I will.”

She reached up to smooth her perfect hair. “I want to hear all about it, now. I mean it.”

Since the meeting next Monday was going to be business and nothing but, Megan told herself, she had zero to worry about. “You bet.”

Carly’s forced smile widened. “Good luck.”

Megan thanked her again, and at last she left.

Back in the kitchen, big sister was waiting. “Okay.” Angela pushed her plate to the side and picked up her coffee cup. “What the heck is going on?”

Megan picked up her own cup and leaned against the counter. “Absolutely nothing.”

Angela gave a tiny snort. “Liar.”

Megan scowled at her sister. Leave it to Angela to cut right to the chase. “Really. It’s nothing.” Because I’m not letting it become something.

Angela wasn’t buying. “Something happened. With Greg Banning…” Megan winced—and her sister had one of those lightbulb moments. “Oh. My. Gosh.” She sent a glance over her shoulder, as if checking to see if Rhonda Johnson or Irene Dare or some other neighborhood busybody might be lurking there. And then she whispered, “You and Greg…?”

Megan plunked her cup down and crossed her arms over her midsection. “No. That’s not so. I’m telling you, nothing happened.”

Angela patted the stool that Carly had vacated. “Sit. Now.”