Secure Location - By Beverly Long Page 0,56

ago when she’d stood over his bedside, watching him battle back from a bullet. That time she’d been able to walk away before she did any more damage.

But she hadn’t been nearly as strong this time. She’d made a colossal mistake in sleeping with him. She’d given him reason to think that there was a possibility of a reunion.

Now he must really hate her.

She hadn’t heard from him since he’d left three weeks ago. Had desperately wanted to talk to him to make sure he was okay. Had even reached for the phone a couple times but had stopped herself. What would she say?

I lied. Again. And this time it’s even worse. I asked Scott to lie, too.

She’d gone to Scott’s office that afternoon after Cruz had called her on his way back from Haileyville, knowing that she needed to do something very quickly to get Cruz to drop his investigation.

She’d told Scott half the truth. Had admitted that there were unresolved issues between her and Cruz and had asked for his help in convincing Cruz that the two of them were involved. Scott had had only one question. Does this mean it’s over between the two of you? For good?

She’d said yes. And later, when she heard his side of the conversation with Cruz, was grateful that he played it just right. When he’d asked her to dinner the next night, she’d said yes again. And twice more since then. They’d been very discreet, of course, always leaving the River Walk area and Meg had taken a cab back to the hotel, not wanting the valets to see Scott dropping her off.

Still, she was acutely conscious that their relationship had changed. In meetings, she was hypersensitive to how she responded to his questions or comments. There’d been one really awkward moment in the elevator. They’d been alone and discussing evening plans and Charlotte had gotten in. Meg had gotten flustered and when she’d gotten back to her office, had realized that her neck had pink blotches on it.

She had hoped that Charlotte hadn’t seen it but the woman had been treating her coldly for days now so she thought that wasn’t likely.

Charlotte’s imagination was no doubt conjuring up images that were significantly more risqué than reality. Each of the dinners had ended with a brief kiss. Neither kiss had been as awkward as their first kiss three months earlier but neither had felt right, either.

Meg knew that Scott was deliberately taking things slow. She appreciated his consideration but thought that a hundred years might not be enough time for her to forget the shape of Cruz’s mouth, the taste of him, the heat.

It wasn’t fair to Scott. And she intended to tell him that tonight at dinner. But she hadn’t counted on a flu bug weighing her down.

She picked up her phone, dialed her doctor’s office, waited five minutes on hold and let out a sigh of relief when the receptionist told her that there was a cancellation and the doctor could see her if she could get there in thirty minutes.

Meg shut down her laptop, straightened the papers on her desk and walked out of her office. Charlotte was at her desk, labeling file folders.

“I have an appointment off-site. I should be back within an hour or so,” Meg said. “Do you want me to pick you up a sandwich on my way back?”

Charlotte shook her head. “Mother needs a bone density test. I was going to ask to take an early lunch.”

“That’s fine. Take whatever time you need. I’ll catch up with you later.”

Meg’s doctor’s office was ten blocks from the hotel. Normally, she walked it. But today, she had the valet hail her a cab. She didn’t feel up to the walk and she didn’t want to tempt fate.

For the past three weeks, since Cruz had left, nothing had happened. No more notes, calls or vandalism. It was the one good thing. It made her think that maybe Cruz’s questions had spooked somebody. Was it possible that the person responsible for all the havoc had decided that the police were getting too close?

Whatever the reason, Meg was grateful. Just yesterday, she’d gotten word that her apartment had been repainted and the carpet installed. They were replacing the bathroom mirror today and she could move back in anytime. She couldn’t wait. She loved the hotel but staying in the space that she’d shared with Cruz was painful.

After her appointment, she intended to contact Detective Myers and let