Chapter 58

Meredith was grateful that Garrett had directed her to his truck, not the diner. She couldn’t return there just yet. For a couple of reasons.

One, she was weepy as hell and she didn’t want anyone other than him to see her like this.

Granted, all of her friends, including newcomer Lacey, were perfectly aware of her familial trials and tribulations. Still. It’d been humiliating from the get-go to have to accept everyone knew her parents had turned their backs on her when she’d come home from school. They’d publicly ostracized her at a time when Meredith could have used their support. And everyone knew it.

But it was also (and this was reason number two) infuriating that they’d dared to come to town and act as though she’d been the one to cut the cord, that it’d been her to shut off the communications, to end the visitation rights, as it were. She never had and she never would have…except that they’d pushed her too far today.

That burned her to the core.

Typically, Meredith wasn’t one to point fingers, place the blame at another’s feet or cry foul play when someone slighted her. She wasn’t a fan of controversy or confrontation. While she’d been known to create a scene or two from time to time, she didn’t do it maliciously and she always acknowledged her part, particularly if there was wrongdoing to atone for.

In this instance, however, she felt overwhelmingly compelled to do all the aforementioned finger-pointing, blaming and crying about foul play. Hell, she even wanted to add a resounding shame on you to her parents, for good measure.

They’d ditched her, not the other way around.

Meredith had struggled with this reality since she’d returned to Wildfire. At some point, she realized, she had to stop being the victim.

More specifically, she had to stop allowing herself to be victimized.

They’d made their bed and all that.

And she’d moved on with her life. She’d sculpted and crafted a new one for herself, complete with amazing friends she knew she could count on anytime, anywhere—for anything. Ones who would never shun her, because she tried something brilliant and failed at it spectacularly.

Though she could still contend that her experiment at school had actually proven a theory, she’d exacted that experiment on too grand a scale. Her only saving grace, really, was that it’d had a delayed reaction so that she’d been the only one left in the building…and had thankfully and miraculously been down the hallway at the time of the explosion.

Regardless, the people who she confessed this epic catastrophe to did not scoff at her, shove their noses in the air and pretend she no longer existed.

They let her lick her wounds while being supportive of her. Encouraging her, even, helping to get her back in front of the periodic table of elements and a chem set.

Whereas her parents had found some way to convince themselves she ceased to exist.

Until something of interest to them cropped up.

Then, they’d blown into town based on the fact that Meredith could possibly be on the verge of another success, and they had to be right there on the cusp with her.

But if she didn’t make the grade with this contest, then what?

She was damn certain they’d fade into oblivion once more.

Christ…That was so fucking painful to work out in her mind, to lay out in her mind. To stare at it in her mind’s eye…and digest it all.

Mostly, the facts she’d just presented to herself made her want to curl up in the fetal position and sob.

Again, precisely the reason she was so grateful Garrett was stashing her away, out of sight from curious and even concerned eyes, and was currently driving her out of town. Taking her to the ranch first, to collect his horse. Then she knew they’d head up to the ridge and they could ride away from this nightmare. For a few hours, anyway.

So that Meredith could collect herself.

Yes, she found it intriguing that she wasn’t mortified over Garrett having witnessed that brief, though horrific, exchange with the Carlisles. In fact, it occurred to Meredith that she should be devastated he’d seen how she’d been kicked around this morning. She should be ashamed of herself, perhaps.

And yet…

She slid a glance his way and he was staring straight ahead, eyes on the road. From his strong profile, however, she could see the corner of his mouth still twitched.

He wanted to smile.

For her.

For her achievement—because she actually had just slayed a beast. The one that had attempted to kick her around this morning.

More tears tumbled down her hot cheeks, but somehow, for some inexplicable reason, Meredith let out a soft laugh.

One that was decidedly not devoid of humor.

This caught Garrett’s attention and he slipped a quick look her way.

“You okay, darlin’?”

“I think I’m better than okay, cowboy,” she tentatively said, trying out those words on her tongue. They tasted good. So she added, “I have the niggling suspicion I just grew up in my parents’ eyes. I also believe I just surpassed them in both humanity and graciousness.”

“Indeed, you did. And I’m damn proud of you.”

She continued to stare at his prominent visage, thinking for what had to be the millionth time since she’d encountered him in Tristan’s parking lot that he was the most ruggedly handsome man she could ever imagine meeting.

Also the most amazing one.

“Cowboy,” she quietly said, “do you think people treat others inappropriately because they fear their own shortcomings?”

“I do.”

“And that perhaps when someone else’s coattails offer them the opportunity to appear as though they, themselves, have greater value by virtue of standing next to that person, they can really and truly jump on that person’s bandwagon…Then immediately hop off, if it takes a wayward turn…And honestly not even question their own morality, their own intentions, their own—”

“Worthiness, Meredith Jane?” He shot her another glance. “Is that what you’re gettin’ at, darlin’? That your parents need you in order to validate their own existence, because they’ve never done anything great? Or, more importantly…They’ve never tried? Like you have? Like you continue to do—no matter what setbacks you face?”

She was silent a moment as more tears built.

He continued. “Honey, some people lack courage, plain and simple. Those people sometimes seek it from others. As though, via osmosis, it makes them more significant. You can relish the fact that your aspirations and escalation to greatness are things others find worthy enough to latch onto. But henceforth…I think you will very clearly ascertain whose intentions are honorable…and whose aren’t.”

“Henceforth, huh?” she quietly quipped, in hopes of combatting all the emotion that suddenly swept over her.

“Yes, darlin’,” he jested in return, with the grin that he finally gave into. “Henceforth.”

She smiled back at him, despite it being a shaky one. And said, “I believe you’re wholly correct, Garrett. I believe I do now know how to spot the real deal. In fact…I’m staring at him right this very second.”

“Just remember, Meredith Jane. The person you have to remain the truest to, now and always, is yourself.”

“And isn’t it interesting that the people who point that out, remind you of that, are the ones who aren’t trying to bring you down when you’re already so low, you’re nothing more than knee-high to a grasshopper?”

“Some individuals, honey, need you on the same level with them, if you haven’t excelled beyond their expectations. Those are the only ones who should feel knee-high. Certainly not you.”

She took a few moments to mull this over.

Then she grabbed a napkin from his glovebox, dabbed at her watery eyes, blew her nose and inhaled deeply. Exhaled slowly.

Without looking at him, she asked, “Why, do you suppose, it’s all right—in my viewpoint—that you now know I’ve been berated by my own family?”

“That’s an easy one, Meredith Jane.”

“Oh, yeah? Do tell…”

He flashed another grin at her. “One, I love you. Two, you stood up for yourself. And three…”

“Yesss…”

“You’re my jam, honey.”

A laugh burst forth from her that she was not anticipating.

Meredith’s hand flew to her mouth and her eyes popped.

Garrett chuckled. “Did I use your term appropriately, darlin’?”

Tearing her hand away, she said, “As usual, cowboy, you said the absolute perfect thing to me. It’s no wonder I fell in love with you.”

“Well, I do aim to please. And after a ride on the ridge, an early dinner and a long bubble bath, because I know how much you adore those, I’ll show you just how willing I am to please you.”

He winked.

She melted in her seat.

And suggestively told him, “The bubble bath doesn’t have to be that long, cowboy.”