Tangled Hearts

by Tea DeLuca

  His phone registered a text alert. You passed inspection, too. Looking forward to tonight.

  They say you can never go home again, and maybe Mags was the home he could never return to, but Melissa was sending him an obvious vibe. He wouldn’t have to work too hard or expend much time or expense. Looking forward to tonight, too.

  Chapter 6

  The smell of cigarette smoke and beer greeted them at the door. Mark hadn’t been to a club in a while. When he needed a hook-up, any bar would supply any number of willing females. Melissa appeared to like the loud music, the watered-down beer, and the rowdy crowd. Or maybe she just liked the company. She hadn’t hidden her interest and took every opportunity to slide up against him, to touch his arm or hand, or to steal a quick kiss on the dance floor. She was sending off all the right hormonal signals, and tonight Mark was determined to let it, whatever that was, happen. History was just that; no reason or way to revisit it and that was for the best. Tonight, he’d focus on the beautiful doctor who promised passion and fun, a combination that sounded right.

  She danced in front of him, gyrating her hips, shaking her shoulders. He fiercely grabbed her waist, pulling her closer till the tips of her stiff nipples pressed through her thin top and his equally thin t-shirt into his chest. His dick was loving the attention; sex void from his life for a while. When the music slowed, she rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. A tiny alarm went off in his head, quick and insistent, but he forced it away. Beyond the crowd at a table near the bar, he saw the woman that would always hold a fragment of his heart. His back stiffened as he watched her juggling her drink and swaying to the music. Damn, not tonight. He swung Melissa around so his back was to the bar and caught her concerned expression.

  “Are you all right, Mark?”

  “Yes, just thought I knew someone, but it wasn’t … him.”

  “Oh.” She was staring beyond his shoulder. “But I do know someone, and I’d like to say hello. Would you mind?”

  “No, go on. I’ll wait for you at the table.” She kissed him longer, deeper as she moved away.

  As he headed to their table, he watched a determined, head-strong woman make her way around the crowd towards the bar. He also saw the exact moment Mags recognized her. She quickly dropped her drink on the table and darted for the ladies’ room. Melissa was not put off as she adjusted her course and followed her prey to the tiny darkened corridor with the restrooms. What the hell?

  “Magnolia.” Her voice firm as she cornered her at the end of the hall. “You know you can’t drink.”

  “I wasn’t, Dr. Stratton.” Mags stared at the dirty dusty floor. “It was just one drink, and I only had a couple of sips. I wasn’t going to finish it.”

  “Honey, with the meds you’re taking, drinking is dangerous. I know it’s been a long haul for you, but now is not the time to deviate from the program. When do I see you for your next checkup?”

  “I think in a couple of weeks.” Cheeks flaming, she felt humiliated, like a child being reprimanded by her mother.

  “If everything checks out, we’ll back you off the meds.”

  “I know. I just wanted to have a little fun, let go, and enjoy tonight.”

  “I understand.” She patted her hand gently. “I’m trying to do the same thing, but no alcohol for you.”

  She nodded and tried to change the subject. “Hot date?”

  “New man. We’ve just been out a couple of times, but he could be the one.” Her face flushed and looked more radiantly beautiful.

  Mags made a hasty retreat, grabbing her jacket, waving at her friends, and heading for the door. What had Melissa said to her?

  “Now, where were we, handsome?” She rested her hand on his.

  “The girl that just left?”

  Melissa smiled. “Sometimes I’m the least popular person in a place like this.”

  “A friend? She seemed upset.”

  Melissa sighed. She wasn’t interested in talking about work. “Not a friend.”

  “Patient?” Mark asked next, his heart catching in his throat.

  Her fingers threaded impatiently through his. “You’re a lawyer, Mark. You know I can’t confirm or deny your question without risking my license. Now, let’s get out of here. Somewhere quieter like my place.”

  Was she saying Mags is or was her patient? A cancer patient? He vaguely registered Melissa, pulling him through the parking lot to his car. As he slammed her door, he scanned the lot for Mags, but her ten-year-old green beetle was gone. What had happened to her since they had broken up?

  Melissa squeezed his thigh, running her hand dangerously close to the straining in his pants. “Come in for a night cap,” she purred as he helped her from her car. He followed her into her apartment where she skipped the beer and went right to the twelve-year-old Scotch, but the burn couldn’t erase the questions and the new pain surfacing in his heart.

  Soft music filled the room and the light fragrance he smelled on Melissa all night. She stood in front of him slowly unbuttoning her blouse. “I don’t want to play games, Mark. I know what I want with you.”

  The shirt slipped off her shoulders with the bra that soon followed. She leaned in, taking his mouth in a leisurely kiss, stroking, exploring, battling for control. She worked his t-shirt over his head and outlined each muscle with her fingertips then her tongue. His dick rose to join the party, though his heart wouldn’t release his fear. He slid his hands under her skirt and realized she was panty less. “Up,” he instructed so he could reach his wallet in his back pocket. By the time he followed her into the bedroom, her skirt had dropped to the floor somewhere along the way, and he had found two condoms.

  “You’re way too dressed,” she purred, her eyes lit with desire.

  He finished undressing then pinned her to the bed with his strong muscular body. She pushed him back, her hands moving in up and down strokes along his length, her tongue against the tip, making him painfully hard. She rolled on the condom, and he flipped her to her back and pushed quickly against her entrance. Smoothly and easily he slid within her heat. The rush was coming too fast; the prelude soon abandoned as she gripped his ass and raised her hips against his insistent thrusts. Then the explosion, equally quick, he fell back on the cool sheets, already preparing to leave. But Melissa pinned her leg over his and circled his waist.

  “That was wonderful,” she said breathlessly. “Stay the night and we’ll …”

  “I can’t, honey,” he said, unwinding himself from her. “Much as I’d like to, I have to work in the morning. I need fresh clothes, a shower, you know.” His pants buckled he reached for his shirt.

  She sat up, the sheet falling from her breasts. “Is that it? You won’t call me again?”

  “No, no, that’s not it at all.” Mark sat on the edge of the bed beside her. What the hell was he doing? “I’ll call you about that old movie festival we talked about earlier. I’ll see you real soon.”

  She shifted under his gaze. “Do you have Liddy this weekend? Maybe we could do something together, just the three of us.”

  Mark felt his entire body recoil. It was one thing to test the waters for them, but Liddy was an entirely different matter. “I know Liddy knows you, Melissa, but I’d rather she not see us as a couple till this relationship has developed.”

  She leaned back against the pillows. “Developed into what?”

  “Into a serious relationship.” He met her eyes coldly. “This moved kind of quick and might not amount to much.”

  She pushed up to kneel on the bed and pulled him over. “I’ve always appreciated a challenge, honey, but I don’t play games. I’m direct and honest about what I want. So, call me, or I’ll call you.” She kissed him hard, fiddling with the loops on his pants. He considered undressing again, but Melissa was a little too direct, too pragmatic when relationships should be spontaneous, emotional, and grow over time. And he didn’t want her in the same room with him and his little girl. That he was absolutely certain.

&
nbsp; Chapter 7

  Thank God for Liddy, or he might have lost his mind that weekend worrying about Mags. She burst through the door with her mother trailing behind her. “Daddy, can I have a puppy?”

  “Honey, we’ve talked about this. The apartment is too small for a dog, and I work all day. I couldn’t take care of a dog, and you’re not here all the time.”

  “I want a puppy,” she declared, logic not an issue. She threw her doll on the floor and stamped her foot.

  “How about a juice box?”

  No,” she screamed louder. “I want a puppy this tall.” She gestured with her hand. “A big dog with black and white fur.”

  Mark turned to Stacy who shrugged. “Neighbor has a husky.”

  “Baby, that kind of dog needs space like a backyard to run around in.” Liddy’s eyes filled with tears. “Maybe someday I’ll buy a house, and we can get a dog.”

  “When you marry Melissa?” Stacy whispered under her breath.

  Mark glared at her as his daughter went into a meltdown. She screamed and cried, throwing herself onto the sofa. “Liddy, come on. Don’t cry. How about this?” For a second Liddy’s bright blue eyes caught his. “I’ll take you to the animal shelter. We can’t take a dog, but you can play with the ones there. How about that? And maybe we can make a trip to the library for a book about dogs. Okay?”

  She wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and his heart as Stacy patted her head. “Good job, baby. You have all the makings of a woman who’ll get exactly what she wants from a man.”

  “I’m going to fix you something to eat. Go wash your hands like a good girl, please.” When the door shut behind her, he turned on Stacy. “My daughter is not a manipulative bitch like her mother.”

  “Whoa. What the hell is wrong with you? Misplace your sense of humor?”

  “I’m just tired of aggressive women.”

  “Like Melissa? Damn, Mark, she adores you, can’t stop talking about you, and let it slip you’re hot in bed, but I already knew that. She spends a lot of time with Liddy. I’ve even asked her to babysit on occasion. Liddy loves her.”

  “I don’t want Liddy to think we’re a couple, mommy and daddy, you know.”

  “Don’t you like her?”

  “I do, but I’ve made enough mistakes in my life. I’m not making a mistake that might affect Liddy.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “When are you seeing Melissa again?”

  “Next week.” He grabbed the bread and cheese for one of her favorites. “There’s a song and dance movie festival at Clips. Seems we both like the couples like Fred and Ginger.”

  “Who?”

  He shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  Early Saturday morning he showered before Liddy awoke, fed her breakfast, and drove to the animal shelter. The gates surrounding the property were locked, and she was seconds away from another meltdown. “I have a better idea, pumpkin. There’s a park nearby with paddleboats, snow cones, a beach we can make sandcastles, and there’s a dog trail. Lots of people will be walking their dogs.” Her smile brightened, and she lifted her juice box in a kind of salute. Dodged the bullet on that one.

  Liddy ran up ahead as they entered the park. The park was filling quickly with families taking advantage of the warmer weather. He lifted her into the brightly colored boat and paddled around the lake. Keeping a protective hand on his energetic child, he let her drag her hand in the water, squeal when he pointed out a sea turtle, and hugged her as she climbed in his lap. Digging in his backpack, he covered her head in her beach hat as the morning sun reflected hotter off the water till she grinned at him and screamed she was hungry. Returning the boat, he carried her on his shoulders to the concession stand and bought several hotdogs and cold drinks. At the picnic table, she fisted her dog and chewed through her toothy smile but seemed even more eager to share the bun with the ducks and the birds. Her laughter tugged at something so deep within him that the intensity was frightening. Loving someone that much sucked the life out of you. What if she left? What if you weren’t good enough for her? He had only loved one other person like he loved Liddy.

  “Daddy, can we go in the water?” She gripped his hand, fearlessly holding on to him.

  “Let’s make a sandcastle, baby.”

  He dug out her plastic pail and kept a close eye on her as she collected water to mix with the sand. Block after block of sand, she ordered where each should go, and the castle took shape. Off in the distance a woman caught his eye struggling to contain the strong young dog she held on a leash. It looked like a husky that had taken control and walked its owner, running and tugging, much like the sled she had been born to pull. The woman held as long as she could, extending the leash, but the playful animal did circles around her till the leash tangled around her legs. Shorter hair, willowy frame, it looked like Mags, but she didn’t have a dog, did she?

  Liddy kicked off her sandy flipflops and dumped another bucket of water. As she filled the bucket with wet sand, his eyes drifted again to Mags. He couldn’t believe she had taken the dog, his dog. Back then Larry Miller, owner of the local pet store, had a Siberian Husky that was about to have puppies. Mark wanted one in the worst way, but Mags, a little fearful of dogs in general, realistically pointed out that the apartment was too small for a dog that size. He had cajoled and promised everything under the sun till she smiled, agreed, and stripped off her clothes. Yeah, that was a good day. After they broke up, he never thought again about the dog, but apparently when the call came, she accepted his… Why? Why the hell was she living his life without him?

  “It’s done, Daddy,” Liddy beamed.

  “I think so. Does it need anything else?”

  “A king and a queen.”

  “And a princess,” Mark sighed.

  Frantically, Liddy kicked the sandcastle. That was always her favorite part. Done with the play, she put on her shoes and demanded to see the puppies. Mark patted her head and watched Mags drag the dog to a bench where she curled up with a book, and the dog stretched out at her feet. The last thing he wanted was Liddy to cross paths with Mags. He led her in the opposite direction where kindly older couples nurtured her interest in dogs. By the time they returned to the picnic area, Mags was gone.

  “Daddy, up.”

  He lifted his tired little girl who tilted her head to capture his eyes. “I didn’t see the big black and white dog.” Mags’ dog, his dog.

  “Maybe next time, baby. Maybe next time.”

  Chapter 8

  “Get in there, Rufus,” she cried as she struggled to get the playful animal inside the dimly lit apartment. Her candles had long burned out, but the scent of lavender lingered in the room. The dog still had too much energy, circling her and knocking her off stride. What had she been thinking when Larry called about the dog? She tried to push out the memory of hoping, believing Mark would come back, that he would realize he loved her enough to put them back together. She was wrong. He never came back and didn’t waste any time finding someone else and marrying. She lifted the heavy bag of dry dog food and used her body to push an eager Rufus aside. How could she have known that marrying that day was so important to him? She wouldn’t have guessed that without a piece of paper, there’d be no them. Damn, if that was what he wanted to keep them together, she would have gone through with the wedding. She never thought he’d throw her away. He promised he’d never leave her.

  She patted Rufus’ head; her snout deep in her bowl. She loved the damn dog. Through the dark days she had curled up on the bed in Mark’s spot and made her feel less alone. Yes, the apartment was too small and maybe it was time to think about moving, but it was close to her work and the park she loved, and, if she were honest, it was tied to Mark. Even after five years he was everywhere; they were everywhere. They had made love everywhere, laid awake and planned the future, watched the sun rise and set, and loved so deeply nothing would ever come between them until it did—the damn wedding. Who knew calling off the wedding would make him
walk away?

  Resting an economics textbook and a pile of file folders on the counter, she stared thoughtfully at her choices. She needed to study and the end of the month sales reports for the store needed to be tallied for corporate, but her romance novel on the bed was calling her name. Mark had laughed at her obsession with romance novels, but he indulged her. He listened to her swoon over her latest book boyfriend then he’d recreate the fantasy for her in their life. How would she ever get over Mark? Her mother was right. She never took a date seriously, too busy comparing the guy to Mark. Her phone buzzed, a number she didn’t know, but her curiosity always forced her to answer.

  “Hello.”

  A warm male voice responded. “Magnolia? My name is Craig Jensen. Your mother gave me your number. She plays bridge with my mother. Damn, this is awkward.”

  She laughed softly. Poor man. “I understand, Craig. The moms are trying to hook us up?”

  He seemed to relax. “Exactly, and I admit I’m out of practice. I lost my wife two years ago.”

  “I’m sorry.” He sounded nice. She had to try again. Somehow reinvent her life without Mark. “Would you like to meet for coffee?”

  “Yeah, that would be great. Maybe I can show you in person I’m not such a nerd. Monday? Lunch time?”

  “Great. I don’t have a lot of time for lunch, but my shop is across the street from a coffee shop. Would that work?”

  “That would be great, Magnolia. Text me the address.”

  “Okay, I will, and please call me,” No one, but Mark would call her Mags again. “Maggie.”

  “Maggie it is. See you Monday.”

  It was a start, and it would please her mother. She’d save the reports to do at work and flipped open her textbook. She ignored the romance novel, begging for her attention. Time to let go of Mark, too, and what they had.

  Chapter 9