Justin's Bride by Susan Mallery

Author:Susan Mallery [Mallery, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459291782
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 1995-08-28T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Megan stumbled through the back door of her store and hurried to her small office. Once inside, she turned the key in the lock, then leaned against the smooth wood. Her heart continued to pound wildly in her chest, her throat hurt and her eyelids felt puffy.

Yet none of that compared to the ache in her chest or the heat of the shame that continued to flow through her.

“Everyone knows the fussy old maid is chasing after the handsome sheriff. The whole town is laughing.” Colleen’s voice filled the small space as the words repeated over and over in Megan’s mind.

She closed her eyes, but that didn’t shut out the vision of people laughing. It didn’t stop her from wondering if Justin found her pitiful. What if he did? What if he was using her as a source of amusement while he was here? She raised her hands to her face and cupped her flushed cheeks. Please, Lord, it couldn’t be true. Not Justin. Anything but that.

Then she remembered what had happened just before Colleen had walked in. How she’d pulled him close and kissed him. Like some wanton. She’d thrust herself at him. What if he hadn’t really wanted to kiss her back? What if he’d acted out of pity?

The thought was too horrible to consider. Yet she couldn’t let it go. A strangled gasp of pain escaped her lips and she sank down until she was huddled on the floor, her hands clutching at her knees. The tears returned and flowed down her cheeks. She ducked her head toward her chest and let them fall.

“You’re not terribly unattractive.”

Megan bit down on her lower lip, but that didn’t stop the sob. Not terribly unattractive. What did that mean? That she was simply ugly rather than hideous?

“Surely the pain of being alone...alone...alone.”

Would she always be alone? She hadn’t meant to be. She’d thought she would marry. But she hadn’t. Colleen was right about that. After Justin had left, she hadn’t been interested in being courted by anyone else. Then, when she’d finally gotten engaged, her fianc;aae had broken off with her. She’d had to deal with the store and mourning for her father. She hadn’t had time to miss the man. By the time she’d figured out she could successfully run the business, there had been no one left to marry. Before she’d known how much time had passed, she was an old maid with no prospects.

That wasn’t so bad, she thought, wiping away her tears. She didn’t mind being alone, as long as people weren’t laughing at her. As long as Justin hadn’t kissed her out of pity.

Megan wasn’t sure how long she sat there in the dark office. When the tears dried and her legs started cramping, she rose to her feet and walked over to the mirror on the wall. She studied her face, searching for signs that she’d been crying, trying not to think about her sister’s pronouncement that she wasn’t “terribly unattractive.” Her eyes were swollen, her nose a little red.

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