Megan was speechless. Who was Cecilia? And what had Christian been so depressed about in regard to her? Then she recalled their conversation about the woman who had believed the tabloid story about him being unfaithful to her. So Cecilia was the woman who had the power to make Christian look so miserable. She didn’t want Caroline to assume that she and Christian were in a similar relationship. What if Christian didn’t want to see her anymore and Caroline was left in the uncomfortable position of tutoring one of his ex-girlfriends?
And yet, part of her was tempted to accept the offer. How had Christian guessed that it had always been a desire so close to her heart to learn how to play? And Caroline was such a kind, generous woman. Megan had felt comfortable with her immediately.
“Would you say yes if I allowed you to pay a portion of what my students usually pay me? I won’t take much, mind you. That would defeat the purpose of me doing it as a thank-you and as a favor to Christian,” Caroline said, accurately guessing one of the reasons for Megan’s hesitation.
“A favor to Christian?” Megan asked sharply. “He asked you to give me lessons?”
“He knows who the best teacher is, that’s all,” Caroline said.
She smiled. “He told me that you were a taskmaster.”
Caroline rolled her eyes. “When you have a task like Christian at age seven, you’d better be master of it or he’d roll right over you.” She laughed as she tried to imagine Christian at that age. “Does that mean yes?” Caroline asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
Megan nodded.
* * * *
As Megan, Christian, Seth, and Sarah were saying their thanks and drawn out goodbyes, Katie asked Christian if she could speak with him briefly. His sister led him into their parents’ large, comfortable kitchen.
“What’s wrong?” Christian wondered when he saw Katie’s indecisive look.
“Chris, do you really know what you’re doing when it comes to Megan?” When Katie saw his sudden guarded expression, she tried to explain.
“Look, when you asked the family not to allude to the fact that we knew about Megan’s history, I’m not sure if you knew what you were really asking. Mom and Dad remember the Nightingale incident—there are few parents who lived in the neighborhood at the time that wouldn’t. You were young, and it must have only skimmed your consciousness. But I was in the same grade as Hilary Shreve. Such a reprehensible crime occurring right there in our parish—I can tell you that it deeply affected me, just as it did most people. It made me question everything I had formerly assumed about the inviolate nature of the little world I inhabited in St. Cat’s Parish. Father Gregory was shaken to the bone. It seemed like he went gray overnight. Another of Nightingale’s victims came from a family that belonged to the church—the McCarthys. They moved from Chicago after Nightingale’s trial was over.
“What a media circus that was,” Katie continued, her eyes clouded with the memories. “I don’t have to elaborate on the press’s impact to you of all people. I can only imagine how it affected Hilary Shreve. She was such a popular girl, so effervescent. After what happened to Megan, she changed. She became harder, more of a loner. I can’t say that I blame her. A lot of kids began to shun her, probably because they were too uncomfortable with their own fears and anxieties to know what to say to her.”
Christian waited when Katie paused. Sorrow settled like lead in his chest when he considered how such a tiny, innocent girl had come to represent a whole community’s doubts, fears, and regrets.
“Megan is very special. She has such a…calming effect, doesn’t she?” Katie asked wistfully after a moment.
When Christian nodded, Katie met his eyes soberly. “Maybe I don’t need to tell you. Maybe I’m just being an intrusive big sister. But…it’s a considerable charge, Chris. Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?”
Christian hesitated only briefly before answering. “Surer and surer every minute I spend with her.”
Katie stood up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Megan became drowsy on the car ride back into Chicago. Seth and Sarah were making out in the backseat and making increasing sounds of gratification and arousal. Megan’s eyes flew open once when Seth murmured, “Yes, right there,” followed by a gruff moan. Megan met Christian’s amused gaze, but she only gave a small smile, and returned to her content lassitude.
She was only vaguely aware when Christian turned on the radio to a jazz station. Afterwards, he reached for her hand and held her warmly. His calloused thumb caressing her wrist and palm was the last thing she recalled before falling asleep.
When she awoke, she was being carried in Christian’s arms. She should have insisted that he put her down right then and there. A glance through heavy eyelids told her that they were on the elevator at 748. The feeling of being surrounded by his arms was too heavenly to forsake, however. She savored the moment until the elevator door opened before she spoke.
“You can put me down, Christian. I’m awake.”
“Maybe I don’t want to,” he replied huskily. When they got to her front door, he paused.
“Will you get my keys out of my pocket?”
She complied, enjoying sliding her hands against the denim made warm by his hard body. She heard his quick inhalation, and guessed correctly that he’d enjoyed her hands on him as m
uch as she had.
Not until he was carrying her to her bedroom did the realization strike her.
“How come my house key was on your key ring?” she asked, bewildered.
Christian didn’t speak for a few seconds as he laid her down on her bed. He remained leaning over her in the darkness.