Page 7 of Marshall

“You’re a goof.I used to think about that job, I did.But then I became disillusioned about it when—” She stared at him, her mind working around the things that she’d been thinking about off and on.Marshall asked her what she had remembered.“The day that I’d been given the orders to…that doesn’t matter.The day I went home for my birthday, Michael said something to me.I didn’t get it until right now.He told me that someone would come gunning for me, just like that.Someone would come for me.I asked him what he’d said, and his face, just for about a split second, he looked angry.He said something about my uniform when I asked him to repeat it.About how my shirts weren’t going to fit all the medals because I was so little.Or something like that.That’s not important.But I remembered him saying that.”

“You have that memory thing, what your grannie calls a curse.That’s why you were so sure that he’d signed off on that paperwork.You’ve seen his signature before, correct?Does he or anyone in the service know about your memory?”She shook her head, a lot of other things coming to her as she sat there.“You’re going to have to be extra careful now, babe.”

“So will you and the rest of the family.Not that he knows about the shit I have in my head, but I also know things about him that no one else knows.The president is living on borrowed time as far as I’m concerned.”They talked for another hour.

When it was dinner time, not even realizing that it was that late, he helped her down the first flight of stairs and then carried her down the rest.It was a good feeling having a man lift you up off the floor and carry you around like you weighed nothing.It also made her feel like she was feminine too.Something that she’d not felt like since she’d gone on a date with Bobby Dunn his senior year, and he kept staring at her boobs.When Marshall stopped walking and asked her about Bobby, she laughed.

That was another thing that she loved.Being able to laugh when she wanted.Being a stick in the mud during her service years hadn’t diminished her sense of humor, but it did hide it pretty well.Being unable to join in the humor of her battalion left her feeling left out.Cold hearted.Which was the purpose of it, she supposed, but being free of her burden, something that she was beginning to see as just that, a burden, she was able to have a lot of fun too.

Grannie and DJ joined them in the kitchen.They’d been taking their meals in the bid warm room, and she was thrilled that both her sister and grandmother were able to be so close.It wasn’t until DJ squealed that she remembered that Marshall had asked her to marry him and then she got to show off her ring.

“I still have my old wedding dress.Your momma, she was a bit uptight and wouldn’t wear ahand me down dress.Durned fool paid enough for her own dress that I could have paid all the taxes in town for it.The marriage didn’t last much longer than you two being born.She was about four months gone when you two came along.Then she was gone about a month or so after you kids turned four.”Meggie, as she decided that she was going to go by from now on, said that she’d love to wear her dress.Even if it was at the courthouse.“Nah, you’ll have yourself a big wedding after this mess with my boys is over.We’ll need something to celebrate.Besides, I’m guessing that now that you have Marshall in your life, you’ll take on that dream you used to have of being the president right up front for you to do.You never were a kid.Neither of you girls were ever ones to sit on your fanny’s when there were things to get done.”

They joked around at the table until the dishes were taken away and put in the dishwasher.The cook, Pie, of all things, said that they could have a bowl of fresh fruit if they wanted.Or she could make something different.They all had an idea of the dessert they wanted, and it ended up being on the table for them to enjoy.

Watching a little television she wasn’t really paying attention so much as she thought that she would have otherwise.All she could think about was that the president, her president, had put out a hit on her, and her father was—or had already attempted to kill her.Not him per se, but he’d hired someone to do it for him.It hurt her heart to know…well, she didn’t know if it hurt her heart that he’d do that to his own child, but more like she simply couldn’t believe it about him.

“MJ.”She smiled at her sister.“Did you like the movie, or are you pining for your future husband?”

“Neither.What do you think about what Marshall told you guys about Father?I want a serious answer.”She gave her an answer that she didn’t realize her sister would be thinking about.“Killing them all isn’t an option, I’m afraid.Father would be no trouble, but you’d have to take out the uncles, too.They’d be whining about losing their brother.Like he’d only just wandered off.The president?He’s too high profile.But I’d do it to either one of them if it came to me or them.”

“I’m glad to hear that.I’m assuming you mean Grannie and I in that count, too.”She said that she’d be covering their backs forever and would do it until everyone learned to leave them all alone.“I had hoped that you’d feel that way.But before Marshall?I don’t think you cared if you lived or died, did you?”

“Not really.I would only admit that to you.But yeah, I was getting bored with life.And me.Do you ever feel like I’ve put too much on you by me working and you staying with Grannie?”She said she’d never thought about it.“I did.All the time.I was afraid every time I’d come home…not afraid so much as thinking every time would be the last time I came home, and there you were with her.”

“I love the two of you too much to do that to you or her.Besides, you’ve given me more than I think you did for yourself.If not for you, I couldn’t have gotten a good education.Had a roof over my head.Not enough to eat either.When you found me after you got out of boot camp, I thought for sure I was going to end up dead.And back then, I could have cared less.But now…it’s like you saved my life by being in the service.Given me hope and a purpose.I don’t know why I thought that I needed a man in my life or even thought that one would have been needed to provide for me.I can do that on my own, thanks to you and Grannie.You saved me from that as well.I would have been married with a bunch of kids without home nor hearth and as miserable as I’d ever could have been.”

The two of them talked for a little bit more.She told her that Marshall had been called away by Hamish but that he’d be back before they locked up the house.Also, that grannie had gone to bed too.

“She loves living here.I don’t think that she’ll want to go back home after this is all over.”Meggie asked her sister why she thought that they’d have to leave.“I don’t know, MJ.Because you’ll have a family soon?That you have this hunky man at your beck and call?Any and all of that, I think.”

“None of that matters to me one bit if I feel like I’ve abandoned the two of you.You’ll live here with us and grannie until you find a man that sweeps you off your feet, too.A more hunky one.”They both laughed.“I want you to stay here until you can’t stand me anymore.We have plenty of help around here that Grannie doesn’t need you so much.I want you to get out there and find Mr.Hunkyfor yourself too.”

“Maybe.”They both headed up to bed after locking up.Marshall told her that he’d be a little later than he had thought and that he’d see them in the morning.That was all right with her.She wanted to be healthy enough to find out just how hunky her new mate was.At the last minute, she decided to leave a note on his desk, knowing that he’d go there before coming up to bed.When she finished with it, simply saying that she’d love to be his mate in all ways and she would stand wherever he needed her to run the pack.

Chapter 4

Marshall hadn’t realized that there was a pack meeting tonight.Waking up to about fifty messages about it, he was glad that he’d turned his phone to silent so that he could get some sleep.It had been tempting to go and make love to Meggie, but he’d been exhausted and when he checked on her, she was sleeping soundly.

Arriving in the kitchen, just as she was leaving, he pulled her into his arms and held her.Pie disappeared, and he lifted Meggie’s chin up so that they were looking at each other.Her smile nearly had him begging her for more.Smiling down at her, he asked her if she was serious about running the pack with him.

“I am.I’m as sure about that as my love for you.However, I think we should keep that part to ourselves until this crap with my family is over and done.There are a few things that came up yesterday that need my attention or I’d go with you to your meeting.According to your note, you said that you have to meet with Hamish on the land deal that he has with the pack.Is that where you’re headed?”He told her that he was, and as much as he’d like to make love to her, he had to get this settled up before the howling tonight.“Howling?Is that what you guys call a meeting?”

“Usually, it’s just a pack meeting that you and I would listen to some complaints then we’d eat and be on our way.But it’s a full moon.”She looked at him like he was stupid, and that caused him to laugh.“It’s not true about how we only shift in the full moon, but with it being there tonight, we would have a lot of newer pack members and small children to shift the first time so that the pack, all of them, are there to help with any questions.But tonight, too, we’ll introduce ourselves to the pack and then we’ll set up some times that we’ll be able to meet with people.And only at the pack house.I’ve learned this from other pack meetings.We don’t want them to show up at any time they want at our home.”

“No, that’s a good idea.I would hate to have people just showing up all the time without a good reason.”She kissed him quickly on the mouth.“We have to go our separate ways, I’m afraid.I have things to do, and I know you do as well.But sometime today, we have to bond.I was speaking to Lauder and the others and they said that we’re stronger as a mated couple.As much as I hate that being the reason, I’m sure you can understand my apprehension about going around a bunch of wolves as just little old me.”

“You’re not human anymore.You understand that, don’t you?”Meggie told him that it was Hamish that explained why she wasn’t.“Good.I would have, too, but it just seems like we’re just chasing our tails, the two of us.No pun intended.But I meant to talk to you later about it.I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.We have been going in several different directions at one time about everything.It doesn’t help that we have my family to deal with.Oh, before I forget, DJ used your name as a reference for a job.With Grannie having such wonderful care, she needed to get out of the house more.”

“Luke called me after he hired her.He was pissed off—not really about me not telling him about her sooner.I had to explain to him that I’d only just met her as well.”My wolf needs just a bit more taste of you.”She pulled back from him, shock on her face.Then it occurred to him what he’d said.“No.No, I didn’t mean that.I just meant a kiss.I’m so sorry that…never mind.I’m going to leave now while I still have my head on my shoulders.”

She said his name, but he was too embarrassed to turn around and speak to her.Hurrying out to his truck, he was nearly to the meeting he was going to have with the bank auditor when Meggie reached out to him.

“You know what?That was childish of you.”He said that he didn’t mean anything like she had thought.“How the hell do you know?You didn’t let me explain what I was thinking.I did wonder if you meant for your wolf to have sex with me, but before I could discard that thought, you wererunning off like a kid caught with your hand in the cookie jar.Don’t do that again.Please?”

“I’m sorry.”He pulled off the road, not wanting to have an accident while he was speaking to Meggie.“I’m so befuddled when I’m around you.Not your fault, not at all.But you’re mine, and I want everyone in the world to know it.That’s not right either.I don’t want you to be disappointed in me about sex.”