Chapter 7

Megan

When they walked in, Megan noticed that a few people glanced over at them with wide eyes. Some gave them weak smiles. Everyone else hadn't noticed that anything had happened out of the norm.

"I'm sorry," Megan said to Wyatt, who was still standing near the door. "I felt faint, and Dallas and Charles were kind enough to walk me out."

Wyatt smiled. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Mrs. King." He looked up at Dallas and smiled.

"I think I'm in the mood to dance now." Charles looked down at Megan. "Would you do me the honor?" One corner of his lips curled into a smile, and he whispered to both Megan and Charles, "I thought it might help. We don't want to give the gossips any more fat to chew."

Megan looked around and a few people were watching. She looked up at Dallas. He smiled and inclined his head slightly. "I'd be delighted, Charles." Then she took his arm and let him lead her out onto the dance floor, while Dallas spoke with Wyatt.

"Thank you, Mr. Whitfield." Megan looked around and smiled as if nothing were amiss. "I'm sorry about what happened… with Dallas."

Charles smiled. "For one thing, please call me Charles. For another thing, he meant no harm."

Megan lifted her eyebrows. "You've been friends for a while?"

He nodded. "Since college." Charles let out a deep breath. "To make a long story short, some bullies attacked me in college when Dallas came along. He stood beside me and, together, we fought them off." Charles chuckled at the memory. "When everything was said and done, we were beaten and bloody, but we were still standing. We've been friends ever since."

Megan smiled as Charles guided her around the dance floor. "That's amazing." The story had shed a bit more light on Dallas, helping her to see what kind of man he really was inside.

Charles nodded. "I owe him everything."

"You care very much for him, don't you?" Megan looked into Charles's eyes.

Charles grinned. "He's my very best friend and I'd do anything for him." He let out a deep breath, as if trying to find the right words. "Despite what he did tonight, he's the only one who ever liked me for who I am and not for my family."

"But you helped him, right?"

"Yes, I did. But Dallas never asked. I offered." He let out a deep breath. "When I saw what kind of person he was inside, and how hard he was working to make a better life for himself, I said to myself, ‘Now, that's a man I can work with.' And I've been working with him since."

Megan nodded, understanding. She could see that Dallas was a very complex man. A moment later the music came to an end and she and Charles clapped. "Thank you for the dance."

"It's always a pleasure to dance with the prettiest lady in the room." Charles took her hand and led her over to Dallas. "You're a very lucky man, my friend."

Dallas took her hand and tucked it into his arm. "Yes, I am."

"Well, I'm off to mingle." Charles smiled and bowed slightly. "If you'll excuse me." Then he walked over to Colton, Ella, and the children, and began talking animatedly with them.

The string quartet started playing another waltz.

"It appears that they're playing our song."

One corner of Megan's lips curled into a smile. "We have a song?"

"We do now." Dallas took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Megan's heart fluttered as her husband led her in a waltz, letting the music fill her soul as they glided around the room.

"Can you ever forgive me for being so foolish? Not only for how I behaved tonight, but for earlier, too. I should have never accused you of Charles—"

"Dallas," Megan cut him off, "whether ye know it or not, Charles thinks the world of ye and would never hurt ye… and nor would I. And I think the world of ye, too." It was the first time that Megan had ever admitted that she cared for him. She hadn't planned on it. In fact, she didn't want to fall for him. She had lost everyone she had ever loved, and she didn't know if her heart could take any more.

Dallas smiled and brought her to his chest, just as the song came to an end. "Thank you… for forgiving me."

Megan pulled back to look into his eyes. "But Dallas, ye have to start trusting me." She bit her lower lip, trying to find the right words. "Ye've worked hard for what ye have. But ye can't live in fear of someone taking it away."

Dallas nodded as a faraway look came into his eyes. As they danced, they felt the music, letting it envelop them as they glided across the dance floor. "Please, be patient with me."

Megan nodded, knowing she would have to be, hoping they could get over their pasts, but wondering if they ever would.