By leaving all that she’d grown to love in a matter of mere days.
“Why are you crying?” asked Lily.
She drew herself up short and brushed at her cheeks while cradling Lily close. “They’re happy tears, Lily. You have a family now.”
“Bart’s family,” Lily announced firmly.
“Your family, too. They love you, and they’ll take care of you.” The moment approached. She couldn’t just disappear and leave Lily wondering. “Lily, Mellie has to take a little trip.”
“Where will we go?”
“You’ll stay here, sweetie. It’s not a little-girl trip.”
Lily frowned. “I go with you. I always go with you.”
Mellie didn’t think her heart could hurt any worse. “You get to stay with Bart this time.”
Lily brightened. “My Bart,” she crowed.
Mellie nodded and cuddled her close. “Bart’s yours. He loves you so much.”
Lily relented and allowed the cuddling. “I love Bart.” Then she straightened. “When will you come back?”
Oh, Lordy. I won’t survive this. Mellie bit her lip and pasted on a smile. “A few days.” At three, a few days could mean anything, Mellie had learned. “Now” was the only concept Lily really understood; an hour or a week from now were no different.
Lily grew solemn. “Do you want to take Bear?” She held out her beloved stuffed toy.
Mellie couldn’t speak for a minute. “It’s not a Bear trip, either, sweetie, but thank you.”
A relieved Lily quickly crushed Bear back into her embrace.
Mellie busied herself tucking Lily into bed, barely making it through all the nighttime rituals of reading a story and singing her to sleep, but somehow she managed.
Then she stood over her baby sister for long moments as Lily’s long dark lashes cast shadows on her innocent cheeks.
OUTSIDE THE DOOR OF THE bedroom that was part of the suite Chuck and Maeve had reserved for Mellie and Lily and themselves, Maeve Branch Lawrence stood silently and watched the young woman she’d come to admire greatly as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. She hadn’t heard the entire conversation, but she’d heard enough.
Mellie loved Bart; Maeve had seen it on her face countless times. But she also was very aware that Mellie took a lot of responsibility on those delicate shoulders and that something wasn’t right.
She wouldn’t trouble Bart with this, not tonight when he was already wound like a spring over the race tomorrow, because she knew her valiant and honorable son. He would stop at nothing to keep Mellie from leaving, and he’d worked too hard to throw away this chance at a championship.
She would talk to Chuck, tell him what she’d heard.
They’d keep a close eye on Mellie. Maeve knew she believed that her presence with them jeopardized the family somehow, never mind that Chuck had enough money to hire an army to protect all of them and would do so in a heartbeat.
You’re valiant, too, sweetheart, Maeve thought as she watched those slim shoulders shake. She took a step toward the door and drew Mellie’s attention, crossing the room to stand beside her and watch over the sleeping child.
Then she put one arm around Mellie’s shoulders. “I was thinking about a cup of tea. Interested?”
Mellie’s troubled gaze met hers, and at last she nodded. “I am. Thank you.”
“Good.” Maeve gave the girl a squeeze and led her from the room.
“TWO LAPS, BUDDY,” SAID Bart’s crew chief, his voice deadly calm. “That’s all you have to manage, and the trophy’s all yours.”
“All ours,” Bart corrected, his focus intent, his gloved hands tightly gripping the wheel. “How far back is the No. 464 car, Tom?” he asked his spotter.
“Nearly three car lengths. Lapped traffic coming up. Just concentrate on not getting wrecked, and you’re home free.”
Bart refused to let himself absorb the possibility yet. Anything could happen—and would, if he got ahead of himself and started celebrating.
“White flag coming up,” intoned Tom, excitement leaking through.
Bart ruthlessly stifled his own as he shot over the start-finish line to begin the last lap of a race that had been white-knuckle close most of the day. He navigated his way through dense traffic at the rear of the field, but his heart pounded faster and faster as he came into Turn Four, then sped down the homestretch—
“You did it, you son of a gun!” yelled his normally sober crew chief.
“You guys rock!” shouted Bart as the checkered flag swept down. “We did it!” He cut loose with a huge yell.
“Yeeeehaw!” He grinned as the sounds of his cheering crew poured into the headphones built into his helmet.
“Your brother says he’s still the best-looking.” Tom relayed the message from Will’s spotter.
At that moment, Will zoomed up on Bart’s left and tapped his bumper, then proffered a big thumbs-up. He escorted his twin as Bart reversed course to retrieve the checkered flag and do his burnout, and Bart knew that though Will would have given a lot to be in his place, he was genuinely happy for his brother.
“Yeah, but I’ve got the trophy!” Bart yelled, and his whole team laughed.
Bart grabbed the flag and sent smoke spiraling through the air.
But as he drove to Victory Lane after the burnout, he was already asking after Mellie. Somehow the win wouldn’t be as big without her there.
MELLIE STOOD ON THE PODIUM with Bart, feeling like a fraud. She had no business being there. They’d only known each other a matter of months, and he’d spent years in pursuit of this dream.
But when he looked at her as he was right this minute, she knew his triumph would be tarnished if she slipped away now. She was still planning to leave the first second possible, but for now, she might as well settle in.
Then Bart swooped her up in his arms and kissed her—in front of thousands at the track and millions more on television. “Thank you for being here. You make it all better.”
She touched his face. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Break it up, you two. Get a room.” Will appeared on the podium and exchanged a backslapping hug with his twin. “Tell you what, you take the girl, and I’ll take the trophy.”
“You wish.” Bart grinned at his brother.
“Uncle Bart!” cried Sam. “You did it!”
Bart exchanged high-fives with his nephew. “Sam, my man. Want to hold the trophy?”
“It’s nearly as big as he is,” Zoe said.
Soon the entire family was crowded around Bart as the ceremony ended and the crowd began to drift away.
Mellie saw her chance and began edging backward. When she reached the edge of the stage, she leaped down.
“You can’t do this to him,” said a voice behind her. Mellie froze, then turned to see Chuck Lawrence behind her. “Do what? I was just—”
“Maeve heard you with Lily last night. You can’t leave him, Mellie. Not after all he’s been through.”
“I have to. It’s for his own good.”
“Bart’s a grown man. He won’t thank you.”
“For what?” Bart appeared from behind Chuck.
“What’s going on?”
Mellie pressed her lips together. “Nothing.”
“She’s trying to run,” Chuck said in the same moment.
Bart’s gaze whipped to hers, the glow of triumph deserting his features. “You’re kidding. Why, Mellie?”
“I…”
“She has the idea, I think, that she’s going to lead Biscayne Bay away from all of us, isn’t that right, Mellie?”
“What?” Bart exploded. He closed the distance between them. “Mellie, for God’s sake, that’s insane. You can’t go. I won’t let you.”
“It’s not your choice. I’m not a prisoner—or am I?”
Bart scowled. “Of course you’re not, but—” He exhaled with force. “Look, Mellie…” He reached for her.
She stepped back. “Bart, please. I can’t let you do
this. Take care of Lily, yes. She’s better off with you. But they won’t ever give up, and I can’t bring this down on you.” Her eyes filmed. “Don’t you know how lucky you are to have this beautiful family? You can’t let them be endangered just because you have this white-knight complex about me.”
Bart stared at her, then he did something completely unexpected.
He grinned. “White knight, huh? That’s what you think?” He neared her again and this time clasped her hand so she wouldn’t escape. “I promise you, Miss Mellie,” he said in a low, husky voice, “what I feel for you is hardly so pure.”
“Bart!” She glanced behind him to see Chuck grinning, too.
“But here’s the thing,” Bart continued. “You don’t have to leave. There have been developments.”
“Like what?”
“I talked to my dad.” His brow furrowed.
“You did?”
He nodded.
“Was it—are you okay?”
“Yeah. I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever understand how he could be so self-centered, but he says he’s a changed man and—” He shook his head. “Maybe he is. He even says he’d like to talk to you, if you’d see him, so he can apologize. He never meant to put you in harm’s way, he swears, but—” Lines formed between his brows. “I don’t think you should put yourself through that.”
“He is Lily’s father…” She gnawed at her lip. “And he was good to us. He made my mother very happy until…” She met Bart’s gaze. “I guess I would like to hear what he has to say. The important part, though, is that you and he are talking again. It’s a step toward healing your family.”
“He’s got a lot to make up for.” His eyes showed his confusion over how to feel about the man who’d cost them all so much. “Only time will tell how sincere he is, but…” He exhaled strongly. “I’ll try.”
She placed one hand on his arm. “I’m glad.”
“Bart,” called out his PR representative. “You have to get to the media center. You’re not nearly done.”
“Hold on,” Bart responded. “Give me a minute.”
Mellie tried to remove her hand, but he wouldn’t let go. “This is your day, Bart. Just go on. We can talk later.”
“I’m thinking about chaining you to my side,” he said grimly. But then she saw his eyes sparkle.
“Go ahead,” she urged him. “Lots of reporters are waiting for you.”
“Go on, son,” Chuck added. “I won’t let her escape.”
“Not quite yet,” Bart said. Over his shoulder, he spoke to the PR rep. “Give me five minutes, and tell the press they’ll have a scoop worth waiting for.”
The woman shook her head. “It’d better be good.”
After she left, Bart turned to Chuck. “I’ve got this, okay?”
Chuck studied him, then smiled. “I believe you do.” He departed, as well.
Bart drew her behind the stage. “Okay, first, let’s dispel the notion that you have to go. My dad has agreed to work with the police and share everything he knows about Biscayne Bay and where the money might have been stashed.”
Her eyes widened. “But—”
“And second, the guy who attacked you has decided to accept witness protection and is singing like a bird. It also turns out that the Feds have been looking hard at Biscayne Bay for a long time, and the heat is going to ratchet up way too much for them to be worrying about little old you—or any of the rest of us.”
“Really?” Mellie took her first deep breath in days.
“Really.” He cradled her cheek in one big hand. “So here’s the thing, I know I’m too old for you and you’ve hardly had a chance to be young. You can’t possibly want to tie yourself down.”
She frowned. “What?”
“But I’m no white knight, Mellie. I want you to be mine. If I were a really good man, I’d set you free to lead any life you want, but…” He bent and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ll offer you the world’s longest engagement if you need time. I want to spoil you rotten and let you kick up your heels and have fun…but I’d really like it to be with me.”
“Engagement?” she echoed. “Like…to get married?”
“I’m too old, right? Twelve years…might as well be thirty. But blast it, Mellie, my heart doesn’t seem to care. I love you, and I want you in my life forever. But you’ve got so much ahead of you, so I understand if—”
Mellie’s heart was pounding double-time. “Are you proposing to me?”
His expression turned wary. “Is that bad?”
“Bart!” called out his PR person. “Time’s up.”
“One more minute,” he shouted back, then turned to her. “Mellie, please, just think about it, okay? And don’t go anywhere, promise? Even if the answer is no, just…just, don’t, okay?” He turned to leave, still holding her hand.
She gripped his hard and stopped him. “Yes.”
He looked back at her. “Yes, you won’t leave?”
“Yes, I’ll marry you.” She couldn’t stop an enormous smile from spreading over her face.
“No, you’d better think about it, Mellie. I don’t think you’re ready to make that decision. You’re too young.”
Somewhere inside, the part of her that had always been older than her years showed her what was really happening with him. “Are you scared of me, Bart?”
“What? Of course not.”
“I’m not a child, you know.”
His eyes went hot. “I’m very aware of that.”
“So…”
“Bart!”
“Coming!” he shouted, and pulled Mellie along. “So…what?”
Mellie felt more sure of herself than she had in a very long time. As they rounded the corner and not only the PR rep but a battery of cameras and microphones greeted them, she tugged at Bart’s hand until he slowed and faced her. “I know my own mind, Bart. And I would love to marry you.”
He scanned her features for the truth, and what he saw seemed to convince him. He grinned and drew her close, then glanced back over his shoulder. “Here’s your scoop, gang—the future Mrs. Bart Branch.”
He swept Mellie up into an elaborate embrace, then dipped her right in front of the cameras and proceeded to lay a very thorough kiss on her.
When they came up for air, both their ears were ringing from the shouted questions, but Bart placed his mouth close to her ear when he spoke.
“Too late to run now, Miss Mellie.”
All she could do was smile.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7577-9
RIGHT BEFORE HIS EYES
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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AT LAST
Copyright © 2010 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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END OF THE LINE
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