The woman hurried over to her. Christian noticed she gave him an angry, suspicious glance.
“There’s nothing wrong with Emily. She’s at Mom’s. It’s you I was worried about. Where have you been?” her aquamarine eyes traveled over Megan’s face, as if searching for bruises. “Why are you dressed like that? Have you been drinking?”
“Yes, some wine. We were at a blues club downtown. Christian Lasher, this is my sister Hilary and my brother-in-law Terry Molloy.” Christian gave a warm greeting and shook Terry’s hand. He dropped his outstretched arm when he saw Hilary’s hostile expression.
“Emily mentioned she’d spent time with you, Christian. I was surprised to hear it, since I hadn’t heard about it from anyone else.” Even though Hilary was ostensibly speaking to Christian, her accusatory stare was for Megan.
Megan blanched. Christian hated seeing her discomposure. He spoke quickly because Megan looked like she was ready to apologize. For some reason, the idea of watching Megan apologize for anything offended him on a bone deep level.
“Did Emily say she had a good time?” he asked Hilary.
“Yes,” Hilary was forced to admit.
“I’m glad. She’s a smart, fun little girl. You must be very proud of her.”
Terry murmured his thanks for the compliment, but Hilary looked furious at his intrusion. She grasped her sister’s upper arm. “Megan, we need to talk to you. Now. Privately.”
“Hilary,” Megan murmured in embarrassment. “Christian and I were…”
Hilary drew herself up to her full, “big sister” height, which was maybe one and a half inches taller than Megan’s. He could easily see the physical similarities between the two women, although Hilary looked like she was closer to his age than Megan’s. She was undoubtedly a beautiful woman, but that bitchy expression she was wearing effectively cancelled out any charm she might have.
“I could see what you and Christian were doing. So could Terry, the cabdriver and just anybody else who walked along here.”
Christian couldn’t restrain a disbelieving bark of laughter at Hilary’s sanctimonious attitude. “Lighten up, Hilary. No crime has been committed. Haven’t you and Terry eve
r kissed in the back of a cab?”
He knew he hadn’t endeared himself to Megan’s sister when her mouth fell open in angry disbelief. He thought he might have scored some unintentional points with Terry though, when he saw Megan’s brother-in-law raise his hand to cover a smile.
“That’s none of your business,” Hilary replied hotly. “You obviously don’t know anything about Megan. She doesn’t drink excessively. She doesn’t like blues music, and she certainly doesn’t like the kind of music you play.”
Christian’s expression hardened. “I would think Megan is fully capable of deciding what she does and doesn’t like.”
Megan raised a shaky hand to her forehead. Her tone was resolute. “Please, both of you. Stop it. This is ridiculous.”
Hilary looked at her sister with sharp concern. “Come inside. I’ll make you some tea.”
Megan glanced up at Christian uncomfortably. He held her gaze. Clearly, the evening wasn’t ending in the way that either of them had expected. “I’m sorry, Christian.”
“Don’t be. I had a great time.”
“Me, too,” she replied sincerely. The apology in her eyes made him feel like clobbering Hilary. He kept his feet planted with hard effort when Hilary herded Megan toward the door.
“Megan?”
She looked back.
“I’ll call you tomorrow.” He kept his gaze fixed on Megan, but he would have had to be stone blind to miss Hilary’s scowl of disapproval.
* * * *
Megan spun around the second Terry closed her condominium door.
“Hilary, I can’t believe you acted like that. You totally embarrassed me in front of Christian,” she said. When she saw her sister’s anxious expression, however, her fury seemed to melt out of her. Exhaustion took its place. She sagged down into one of her dining room chairs. The last thing she felt like doing at this minute was arguing with her sister.
“I can’t believe the way you’re acting, Megan. Why would you be spending time with a guy like that?”
“Because I happen to like him,” Megan said indignantly.