Free What Endures by Katie Lee Page B

here?”
    She nervously ran her hands through her hair, trying to straighten it. “I-I, uh. . .I think I, um, fell asleep last night.”
    They exchanged another look before Tyler visibly relaxed. “I just, uh, I heard screaming and. . .” He stopped and shook his head. “I’m gonna go get ready for the day then. You staying for breakfast Meg?”
     “I, um. . .”
    Tyler nodded. “I’ll see you in a bit.” He smiled. “Ms. Clark’s due any minute so you guys might want to clean up too.” With a final look, this one distinctly amused, at the both of them, Tyler retreated back upstairs.
    “Oh, God,” Megan mumbled as she began to retrieve her shoes.
    “Megan-“
    “Jason-“ she began at the same time.
    They both smiled awkwardly before he nodded. “Ladies first.”
    “I just, uh. . .” she stopped and shook her head. “Are you sure your leg’s O.K.?”
    He knew that wasn’t what she was going to say but he nodded anyway. “It’s fine.”
    She smiled briefly. “Good, good.” She finally managed to put on her shoes and was running her hands through her hair nervously again. “So, listen, I better head out of here.”
    “Why?”
    “Why?” she repeated, surprised.
    He nodded. “Don’t you want to stay for breakfast?”
    “I, um, need to go.”
    He smiled, enjoying how flustered she was around him all of a sudden. A part of him knew he shouldn’t and yet, she was looking so entirely adorable that he just couldn’t help it. “Why?”
    She sighed. “Are you going to keep asking me ‘why’ all morning?”
    He chuckled. “I've only asked you twice.”
    She shot him one of ‘those looks.’ “I really do need to go.”
    “Tyler will be disappointed that you didn’t stay for breakfast.” He saw her struggle against it, but the smile slowly spread across her face, lighting up her features. Yep, Megan Williams was one beautiful woman.
    “Tyler will deal with it.”
    He limped over to where she was. “I’d be a little disappointed too.”
    Her cheeks flushed but she kept her voice steady when she responded. “You’ll deal too.”
    He grinned. “True. But that’s only because I know I’ll see you later, right?”
    He saw a struggle going on in her eyes but she finally nodded. “Right.”
    She smiled awkwardly at him before she made her way around the couch and toward the door. He heard her call to Tyler to tell him ‘good-bye’ and then the sound of the front door opening and closing.
    Again, that ‘flash’ appeared in his mind. Megan, in his arms, looking so content and happy. For that one brief instant this morning, he had seen that same look. It had felt so right and familiar. And his lips still tingled with that all-too-brief kiss, knowing that if such brief contact could ignite that kind of reaction, what would a longer, deeper kiss invoke? All he knew was, he wanted to find out because when she had been in his arms, it was like all the scattered pieces of his life had aligned perfectly in that one moment.
     

CHAPTER SIX
     
    “Hey.”
    His voice startled her and she nearly fell off the metal bench. “Ahh!”
    “Whoa!” he said, reaching out and grabbing her elbow to steady her.
    “What’s with you and sneaking up on people?”
    “Sorry.”
    She stared at him in surprise. “You’re here.” She flinched at the stupid obviousness of her words. “I-I mean. . .” She stopped, drew in a calming breath and tried again. “What are you doing here?”
    He shrugged. “Summer break seems to compel me to come to Harbor Bay to visit.”
    “I don’t mean in Harbor Bay, I mean, you know, here.”
    Another nonchalant shrug. “I’d figured this was a good place to find you.”
    “You were looking for me?” she asked, surprised.
    “You think I come to Harbor Bay to visit my parents?” he asked with a teasing grin.
    She smiled despite herself. “I’m glad you’re here.”
    He seemed to take a moment, as if gauging her sincerity before he returned her smile. “It’s