Luck Be a Lady - Cathie Linz [43]
This news did not improve the disapproving look on her father’s face. “He took you to a brothel and refused to marry you?”
“It was only because we spent the night together,” she said.
“What?”
“The shotgun wedding. Not that they went through with it.”
“Who?”
She waved his question away. She wished she could wave all his questions away. “It’s not important.”
“Logan takes you to a brothel, spends the night with you and then involves you in a shotgun wedding scenario, and it’s not important?”
“He was probably trying to marry her to get his hands on her money,” Jeff said, having joined them in time to hear Megan’s rambling explanation. “He can’t be making much on a cop’s salary.”
“He’s a police detective,” she said.
“I’ll have his badge for this,” Jeff growled.
“No, you won’t.” Megan glared at her uncle. “You won’t do a thing to Logan. Leave him alone.”
“How can you defend him?” Jeff demanded.
“Because he was helping me.”
“By taking you to a brothel? How could that help you?”
Megan wasn’t ready to admit she was looking for her mom. Not yet. So she had to come up with some other reason no matter how lame. “The history of prostitution. You know how I’ve always been interested in history.”
“So he took you there as a history lesson?” her dad said.
“Yes.” She nodded emphatically.
“Bull,” her uncle said. “I’m not buying that story for one minute,”
“Enough,” Gram said, coming forward for the first time to put her arm around Megan’s shoulders. “Can’t you see how tired the poor girl is? Let her be now. She’s returned and she’s okay. That’s all that counts. So you boys just back off. Megan and I are going to go have some alone time.” She indicated to the bellman to follow with Megan’s vintage suitcase and her bag. “What a lovely teacup,” she said as she guided Megan through the lobby to the elevators leading up to their floor.
“I’ve been looking for it for ages.”
Gram frowned. “Did you lose it somewhere?”
“No.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I know.”
“Your room or mine?” Gram asked.
“Mine.”
“Where did you get the suitcase? I had one of those back in the sixties.”
“It’s a long story.”
“We’ve got some time.”
Megan tipped the bellman and closed the door after him. Looking around, she was astonished to realize how much had changed in her life since the last time she’d been here. She’d been preparing for Faith’s wedding, so happy for her cousin. Never suspecting that her own life was about to change dramatically. Megan decided to get right to the point. “Did you know that my mother is alive?”
“No. Neither one of my sons told me their hare-brained idea or I would have set them straight. I only found out yesterday.”
Megan wearily sank onto the bed. “Why couldn’t my father just tell me that he and my mother got divorced? And why did she leave and not want to see me again? Was she driven away? Threatened?”
Gram sat beside her. “I can’t see your dad threatening anyone.”
“But I can see Uncle Jeff doing that,” Megan said.
“Possibly. Your mother wasn’t the easiest person to get to know.”
“I already heard she wasn’t a people person.”
“Who told you that?”
Megan paused, wanting to confide in Gram but unsure if she could trust her.
“What are you up to? And don’t try saying nothing. I can read that face of yours like a map. I know every freckle, every expression ...” Gram’s eyes reflected her love as she cupped Megan’s cheek with her hand.
“You have to swear not to tell anyone else,” Megan said.
“More lies? More secrets? Don’t you think it would be best to just come clean?”
“No. Not yet.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’d prevent me from doing what I need to do.”
“They?”
“Dad and Uncle Jeff.”
“And what is it exactly that you need to do?”
“Find my mother.”
“Flight 1231 to Chicago Midway has been delayed because of bad weather in Chicago.” The announcement was made with blasé indifference. “We’ll update you when we have more information. Please remain here in the gate area for further announcement.”
“Great.” Logan swore.
So did Buddy.
Logan raised an eyebrow. “I thought you gave up cursing.