woman said, then looked up at her with a soft smile. “I’m Mary Garner, by the way. And you must be from Legal?”
“Yes, Megan Gallagher,” she said.
“Nice to meet you.” Mary looked down at the stain. “I would have preferred a more pleasant greeting, but with kids, you don’t have much control over what happens.”
Megan knew she needed to apologize, even if it was only for the way she’d spoken out there. “I didn’t mean to be so abrupt with the boy.”
“And he didn’t mean anything by it,” Mary murmured, then straightened. “He did a bang-up job of ruining your slacks, though.” She started for the door. “I think that’s just chalk,” she said over her shoulder. “It should come off.” Mary left, closing the door behind, and Megan thought she said, “Let me get a brush and I’ll give it a try,” but she couldn’t be sure.
She sank back in the chair, staring at the stain. If she returned to the loft to change, she could be back at work in an hour. Or maybe she should just find a store nearby and buy a new pair of slacks. She couldn’t work in these. The door clicked open and Mary was back with a brush in one hand and a white terry cloth rag in the other.
She left the door open, letting the chaotic noise into the small room, and it played across Megan’s frayed nerves.
“Now,” she said. “We’ll fix this up right away.”
Megan stood quickly, making sure Mary didn’t get within touching range. “No, please, I’ll take care of it.”
The woman hesitated, brush at the ready. “I’m sure we can get—”
“No, no,” Megan said quickly. “I’ll take them to the dry cleaners. I don’t want to take any chances of permanently ruining them.”
Mary held the brush up, but didn’t come any closer. “You don’t have children, do you?”
That question came out of the blue. “No.” Was it that obvious?
“You’re an only child?”
“No, I have a brother...an older brother.”
Mary nodded as if that explained everything. “Oh, I see.”
Megan had no idea just what she thought she saw, because she kept speaking as she went around the desk to sit in the chair and drop the brush and rag by the phone. “Since you’re here, maybe we can get a bit of business done before you go to the dry cleaners. If that’s okay with you?”
Megan would have gladly sat down and answered any questions Mary had about the legal proceedings, but she never got the chance. Before she could, Greg, the second twin, came barreling into the room, saw her and ran at her full tilt.
She put out her hands to ward him off, her earpiece falling to the floor once more. “Oh, no, you don’t!”
The little tornado was stopped in his tracks when someone came in behind him and snatched him up off the floor. It was Rafe! He’d come out of nowhere to rescue her from the kid he was holding in one arm, while the little boy squirmed to get free and wreak more havoc.
Megan met Rafe’s gaze, shocked that he seemed on the verge of smiling. “Don’t let him go,” she said quickly.
“I won’t,” he promised. “Now, tell me what’s going on.” He paid no attention whatsoever to the little boy, who had twisted around in his hold and was pressing both hands against his chest to try and escape.
“That...child’s brother,” she said, bending over to pick up the ruined device again. “He knocked me over, broke my earpiece and smeared blue stuff on my slacks.”
She met Rafe’s gaze again, and he seemed sober now. “Should I lock him up in jail?” he asked, and his words not only stopped her, but the boy became ominously still, staring up at him.
“What?” she gasped.
He smiled then, an easy, teasing smile that showed a single dimple at the corner of his mouth. “Or I could chain him to a chair for the day, just give him bread and water?”
“Nuh-uh!” the boy said with a quick shake of his head.
“Just kidding, buddy boy,” Rafe said to the child, then whispered in his ear. It
“Yes, Megan Gallagher,” she said.
“Nice to meet you.” Mary looked down at the stain. “I would have preferred a more pleasant greeting, but with kids, you don’t have much control over what happens.”
Megan knew she needed to apologize, even if it was only for the way she’d spoken out there. “I didn’t mean to be so abrupt with the boy.”
“And he didn’t mean anything by it,” Mary murmured, then straightened. “He did a bang-up job of ruining your slacks, though.” She started for the door. “I think that’s just chalk,” she said over her shoulder. “It should come off.” Mary left, closing the door behind, and Megan thought she said, “Let me get a brush and I’ll give it a try,” but she couldn’t be sure.
She sank back in the chair, staring at the stain. If she returned to the loft to change, she could be back at work in an hour. Or maybe she should just find a store nearby and buy a new pair of slacks. She couldn’t work in these. The door clicked open and Mary was back with a brush in one hand and a white terry cloth rag in the other.
She left the door open, letting the chaotic noise into the small room, and it played across Megan’s frayed nerves.
“Now,” she said. “We’ll fix this up right away.”
Megan stood quickly, making sure Mary didn’t get within touching range. “No, please, I’ll take care of it.”
The woman hesitated, brush at the ready. “I’m sure we can get—”
“No, no,” Megan said quickly. “I’ll take them to the dry cleaners. I don’t want to take any chances of permanently ruining them.”
Mary held the brush up, but didn’t come any closer. “You don’t have children, do you?”
That question came out of the blue. “No.” Was it that obvious?
“You’re an only child?”
“No, I have a brother...an older brother.”
Mary nodded as if that explained everything. “Oh, I see.”
Megan had no idea just what she thought she saw, because she kept speaking as she went around the desk to sit in the chair and drop the brush and rag by the phone. “Since you’re here, maybe we can get a bit of business done before you go to the dry cleaners. If that’s okay with you?”
Megan would have gladly sat down and answered any questions Mary had about the legal proceedings, but she never got the chance. Before she could, Greg, the second twin, came barreling into the room, saw her and ran at her full tilt.
She put out her hands to ward him off, her earpiece falling to the floor once more. “Oh, no, you don’t!”
The little tornado was stopped in his tracks when someone came in behind him and snatched him up off the floor. It was Rafe! He’d come out of nowhere to rescue her from the kid he was holding in one arm, while the little boy squirmed to get free and wreak more havoc.
Megan met Rafe’s gaze, shocked that he seemed on the verge of smiling. “Don’t let him go,” she said quickly.
“I won’t,” he promised. “Now, tell me what’s going on.” He paid no attention whatsoever to the little boy, who had twisted around in his hold and was pressing both hands against his chest to try and escape.
“That...child’s brother,” she said, bending over to pick up the ruined device again. “He knocked me over, broke my earpiece and smeared blue stuff on my slacks.”
She met Rafe’s gaze again, and he seemed sober now. “Should I lock him up in jail?” he asked, and his words not only stopped her, but the boy became ominously still, staring up at him.
“What?” she gasped.
He smiled then, an easy, teasing smile that showed a single dimple at the corner of his mouth. “Or I could chain him to a chair for the day, just give him bread and water?”
“Nuh-uh!” the boy said with a quick shake of his head.
“Just kidding, buddy boy,” Rafe said to the child, then whispered in his ear. It
Similar Books
