Meg squirmed in her seat, feeling very much like an outsider. As if sensing her emotions, Scott reached for her beneath the table, his hand coming to rest on her thigh, squeezing lightly. The act calmed her, then immediately spiked her pulse, but she forced herself to focus on his mother’s words.
“Michael asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”
The women around the table squealed, called out congratulations, and Emma’s daughters jumped up to hug her. The men, Scott and his brothers in particular, sat in stunned silence. Which was what Meg sensed had had Emma so concerned. And why she was glad her fiancé hadn’t been able to make this family dinner.
Meg immediately slid her hand over Scott’s, giving him silent support, as she knew he’d been dreading something like this. Having never met Michael, she couldn’t judge Emma’s taste in men or why her sons were so concerned.
“Isn’t this a little soon?” Ian spoke up first, his dark tone silencing the women’s excitement.
Emma turned her gaze toward her oldest son. “Funny you should ask that. Michael and I have been together now . . . for about as long as you and Riley,” she said pointedly. “And my granddaughter is asleep in a crib upstairs. Any other objections?” she asked, her voice strong.
But the wobble of her chin and the sheen of tears in her eyes told a whole different story. She might be a grown woman, but she desperately wanted her family’s approval. Meg didn’t blame her. Though she didn’t know what it was like to have such a large family, with everyone having differing opinions and feelings, Meg envied this group their closeness.
“He’s a nice guy, but do you have to marry him?” Scott asked. “It’s just so permanent, and what if things don’t work out?”
“Are you saying you don’t believe in marriage anymore?” Olivia asked her brother.
“Goddammit, Liv, this isn’t about me,” Scott snapped back.
That was too close to the conversation they’d had about his feelings on family, and Meg slipped lower into her chair. She didn’t know how many gut-punching reminders she could take.
“He’s good to her,” Olivia said to Ian, but the sweep of her gaze encompassed all her brothers. “You’ve all seen it. What do you want? For Mom to be alone for the rest of her life? Dad’s not. He’s off doing what’s best for him. He always has. Why does he deserve to get what he wants out of life with Savannah but Mom doesn’t?” She wrapped an arm around her mother’s shoulder.
“Okay, everyone, stop. Right now,” Emma said. “I called you all here to give you the courtesy of letting you know. I wasn’t asking your permission. I’d like it if you could all be happy for me. If not, then at least shut up about it.” Emma’s voice cracked, and Scott jumped out of his seat to go to her, followed by Ian and Tyler, who’d sulked in silence.
“I guess it’s just that no one’s good enough,” Scott said gruffly as he reached her. “I love you. Michael’s a good guy. I’m happy for you.”
Or he’d get there, Meg thought, her heart too wrapped up in his feelings and this family drama. She really needed to get out of here and breathe. Except leaving here meant going to Scott’s house, not her own. She pulled in a shaky breath, watching as everyone now congratulated Emma and made their peace with her decision. Meg was the last to step up and offer her good wishes.
Then finally it was time to leave. Exhaustion beat at every bone in Meg’s body. She couldn’t wait to go to sleep.
Olivia caught up with Meg before she made it to the front door. “Are you okay?” Olivia asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be? I feel bad that your family isn’t all supportive of your mom, but I’m sure they’ll get there.”
Olivia smiled. “They will. The guys are . . . guys. But I’m talking about you.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Meg lied. No reason to involve his sister in her feelings for Scott.
“Okay, well, I wanted to know if you and Scott were up for dinner tomorrow night. You know, the four of us. I think it’d be fun.”
Meg blinked, surprised. “Oh, umm . . . I don’t know. Scott might be busy.” Not that he tended to go out at night, but a couple’s date when she and Scott weren’t really in a formal relationship?
“I’m not busy, and dinner sounds good to me,” Scott said, coming up behind her.
“Great!” Olivia said. “One of you call me in the morning, and we’ll pick a place and time. I’m going to check on Mom.”
Once they were in the truck headed home, Scott glanced at her, one hand resting on the steering wheel as he drove. “Any reason you were trying to avoid going out with them?” he asked, way too perceptive as usual.
She figured honesty was the best way to handle this. “For the same reason I’m trying to get you to see that I’m here for security reasons only. I know we’re sleeping together, but that’s because we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.”
He grinned. “You’ve got that right.”
She shook her head. “I just don’t want to give your family the wrong impression,” she said.
“And what impression would that be?” he asked.
She wondered why he was deliberately being so dense. “That we’re a couple with any long-term potential,” she said.
“Well, thank you for being so blunt. Now I know you’re only in it for sex,” he said, sounding grumpy and put out even though he was the one, more than her, who didn’t believe in anything else.
She raised an eyebrow at that. “And you’re not? Or are you lining up for labor, delivery, and daddy duty?”
When he didn’t answer, she glanced out the passenger window and remained silent for the rest of the ride.
By the time they arrived at Scott’s, neither one of them was up for much in the way of conversation—or anything else, for that matter.
