Неизвестно: Megan's mate

��Megan s Mate, by Nora Roberts

The Calhouns # 5

Summary:

The Calhous had given sister-in-law Megan O'Riley and her young son a new life. All she wanted now was to put her shameful past behind her -so she buried her passions beneath businesslike eficiency and buttoned-up reserve and vowed never, ever, to let her heart lead her astray again.

Rugged family friend Nathaniel Fury se this course for MEgan the day they first met -and all her resistance could not

divert him. But how on hearth was he to get past her formidable defenses and teach her to love again?

Chapter 1

She wasn't a risk-taker. She was always absolutely sure a step was completed before she took the next. It was part of her personality at least it had been for nearly ten years. She'd trained herself to be practical, to be cautious. Megan O'Riley was a woman who double-checked the locks at night.

To prepare for the flight from Oklahoma to Maine, she had meticulously packed carryon bags for herself and her son, and had arranged for the rest of their belongings to be shipped. It was foolish, she thought, to waste time at baggage claim.

The move east wasn't an impulse. She had told herself that dozens of times during the past six months. It was both a practical and an advantageous step, not only for herself, but for Kevin, too. The adjustment shouldn't be too difficult, she thought as she glanced over to the window seat where her son was dozing. They had family in Bar Harbor, and Kevin had been beside himself with excitement ever since she'd told him she was considering moving near his uncle and his half brother and sister. And cousins, she thought. Four new babies had been born since she and Kevin had first flown to Maine, to attend her brother's wedding to Amanda Calhoun.

She watched him sleep, her little boy. Not so little anymore, she realized. He was nearly nine. It would be good for him to be a part of a big family. The Calhouns were generous, God knew, with their affection.

She would never forget how Suzanna Calhoun Du-mont, now Bradford, had welcomed her the year before. Even knowing that Megan had been Suzanna's husband's lover just prior to Suzanna's marriage, had borne Baxter Dumont a child, Suzanna had been warm and open.

Of course, Megan was a poor example of the classic other woman. She hadn't known Suzanna even existed when she fell for Baxter. She'd been only seventeen, naive, and ready to believe all the promises and the vows of undying love. No, she hadn't known Bax was engaged to Suzanna Calhoun.

When she'd given birth to Baxter's child, he'd been on his honeymoon. He had never seen or acknowledged the son Megan O'Riley had borne him.

Years later, when fate tossed Megan's brother, Sloan, and Suzanna's sister Amanda together, the story had come out.

Now, through the twists and turns of fate, Megan and her son would live in the house where Suzanna and her sisters had grown up. Kevin would have family a half brother and sister, cousins, and a houseful of aunts and uncles. And what a house.

The Towers, Megan mused. The glorious old stone structure Kevin still called a castle. She wondered what it would be like to live there, to work there. Now that the renovations on The Towers Retreat were completed, a large portion of the house served as a hotel. A St. James hotel, she added thoughtfully, the brainstorm of

Trenton St. James III, who had married the youngest Calhoun, Catherine.

St. James hotels were known worldwide for their quality and class. The offer to join the company as head accountant had, after much weighing and measuring, simply been too good to resist.

And she was dying to see her brother, Sloan, the rest of the family, The Towers itself.

If she was nervous, she told herself it was foolish to be. The move was a very practical, very logical step. Her new title, accounts manager, soothed frustrated ambitions, and though money had never been a problem, her new salary didn't hurt the ego, either.

And most important of all, she would have more time to spend with Kevin.

As the approach for landing was announced, Megan reached over, brushed a hand through Kevin's hair. His eyes, dark and sleepy, blinked open.

Are we there yet?

Just about. Put your seat back up. Look, you can see the bay.

We're going to go boating, right?

If he'd been fully awake, he might have remembered he was too old to bounce on his seat. But he bounced now, his face pressed to the window in his excitement.

And see whales. We'll go on Alex's new dad's boat.

The i.e. of boating made her stomach turn, but she smiled gamely.

You bet we

will.

And we're really going to live in that castle?

He turned back to her, her beautiful

boy with his golden skin and tousled black hair.

You'll have Alex's old room.

And there's ghosts.

He grinned, showing gaps where baby teeth had been.

So they say. Friendly ones.

Maybe not all of them.

At least Kevin hoped not.

Alex says there's lots of them,

and sometimes they moan and scream. And last year a man fell right out of the tower window and broke all his bones on the rocks.

She shuddered, knowing that part was sterling truth. The Calhoun emeralds, discovered a year before, had drawn out more than a legend and romance. They'd drawn out a thief and a murderer.

That's over with now, Kevin. The Towers is safe.

Yeah.

But he was a boy, after all, and hoped for at least a little danger.

There was another boy who was already plotting adventures. It felt as though he'd been waiting forever at the airport gate for his brother to arrive. Alex had one hand in

his mother's, the other in Jenny'sbecause, as his mother had told him, he was the oldest and had to keep his sister close.

His mother was holding the baby, his brand-new brother. Alex could hardly wait to show him off.

Why aren't they here yet?

Because it takes time for people to get off the plane and out the gate.

How come ifs called a gate?

Jenny wanted to know.

It doesn't look like a gate.

I think they used to have gates, so they still call them that.

It was the best Suzanna

could come up with after a frazzling half hour at the airport with three children in tow.

Then the baby cooed and made her smile.

Look, Mom! There they are!

Before Suzanna could respond, Alex had broken away and made a beeline toward Kevin, Jenny hot on his heels. She winced as they barely missed plowing into other passengers, then raised a resigned hand to wave at Megan.

Hi!

Alex, having been schooled in airport procedure by his mother, manfully took Kevin's carryon.

I'm supposed to take this 'cause we're picking you up.

It

bothered him a little that, even though his mother claimed he was growing like a weed, Kevin was still taller.

Have you still got the fort?

We got the one at the big house,

Alex told him.

And

we got a new one at the

cottage. We live at the cottage.

With our dad,

Jenny piped up.

We got new names and everything. He can fix anything, and he built me a new bedroom.

It has pink curtains,

Alex said with a sneer.

Knowing a brawl was dangerously close, Suzanna neatly stepped between her two children.

How was your flight?

She bent down, kissed Kevin, then straightened to kiss Megan.

It was fine, thanks.

Megan still didn't know quite how to respond to Suzanna's easy affection. There were still times she wanted to shout, I slept with your

husband. Don't you understand? Maybe he wasn't your husband yet, and I didn't know he would be, but facts are facts.

A little delayed,

she said instead.

I hope

you haven't been waiting long.