by Melody Anne
It was growing dark as he climbed from his truck, and he took about one second to figure out where she was. He had a feeling she spent a lot of time down at the dock near her place. She was so frustrating sometimes that he wasn’t sure if he wanted to spank her fine behind or hold her so tight she couldn’t do anything foolish.
Since neither option was acceptable, he locked his truck and pulled out his flashlight as he made his way down the trail. He didn’t want to light it yet, didn’t want her to know he was there.
He stepped from the trail and could see her sitting at the end of the dock, her feet dangling in the water. He didn’t hear a sound from her or around her. That filled him with relief. They had no idea who’d burned down her house, and the one thing he knew for certain was that she absolutely shouldn’t be off in the dark by herself.
He walked down to the dock, trying to figure out how to alert her to his presence without startling her too much. She heard him and jumped about a mile off the dock, her body jarring back down as she glared at him.
Good. At least she was smart enough to be afraid. That gave him a bit more peace of mind. Not much, but a little.
“What the hell, Owen?” she yelled. “You scared me nearly to death.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to startle you. But you know I don’t want you out here alone right now. I don’t think you’re taking your safety seriously enough.”
“I don’t need a lecture from you,” she said, but some of the heat in her words had dissipated.
“I don’t want to give you one,” he told her. “You’ve been through enough.” He made sure to keep his voice calm. “I haven’t had the chance to tell you how sorry I am you lost your dad. He truly was one of the good ones, and I know the loss is unbearable for you. I hope you take comfort in knowing he’ll be missed in this town. I’ll miss him.” He grew quieter as he continued to speak. These weren’t just empty words. He meant them. He really had liked her father.
She gazed at him for several moments before she opened her mouth, then shut it again. There were tears sparkling in her eyes, but she didn’t allow them to fall. He couldn’t imagine the strength that was taking.
“I miss him,” she finally said, the words coming up through a closed throat. “I’m also angry at him,” she admitted, her tone so quiet, he barely heard her. When the words registered, he didn’t know what to say.
“I’m here if you want to talk about it,” he assured her.
“He left me,” she cried. Those tears finally fell as she trembled. He reached for her, but she shook her head. It killed him, but respecting her was more important than his needs.
“He left me, and I wasn’t ready to let him go. I didn’t even know he was sick. I thought I had forever with him. I thought he’d outlive all of us. He was so healthy, such a man of nature. He was supposed to always be here for me. He promised me he’d be here as long as I needed him. But he left,” she sobbed. She was shaking so hard now it nearly killed him not to hold her.
He gingerly moved his hand, resting it on her back. She didn’t pull away this time. There was nothing he could say to comfort her. All he could do was let her say what she needed to.
“And he called me right before he died. He called me and I didn’t pick up. I was with you, and I thought I could talk to him the next day. I didn’t want him to know what I was doing. He never judged me, never made me feel bad about myself, but I still didn’t want him to know . . . I couldn’t be bothered. And now I’ll never get to hug him again. I’ll never hear his deep voice again. I’ll never feel safe in his big arms. He’s my dad, my savior, my hero, and I got so busy I couldn’t give him five minutes. Because I thought I’d always have five minutes . . . when I was ready, not when he wanted them. I thought he’d always be waiting right there for me whenever I needed him. And now he’s gone, and I’m so broken. I’m sad and mad, and I don’t know what to do. I miss him so much.”
Her words cut off as she stopped talking, tears tracking down her face. This time when he pulled her close, she didn’t fight. She wrapped her arms around him and clung tightly, letting him take some of the burden she’d been carrying for six months. She was forgetting for this moment that she was mad at Owen. There was too much she was dealing with on her own, and he was more than capable and more than happy to help lift that burden. He’d take it all if she’d allow him to.
Several minutes passed with her shaking in his arms. Neither of them spoke. Owen didn’t believe in spewing words just to fill an otherwise peaceful silence. Sometimes that meant a situation could be a little uncomfortable, but that didn’t matter. The best things in life usually happened when you allowed yourself out of your comfort zone.
“I can’t keep leaning on you,” Eden finally said.
Owen was relieved to hear a bit of strength returning to her voice.
“Yes, you can—anytime, anywhere,” he told her. His hands were now moving up and down her back. He was in heaven doing nothing more than touching her.
Eden looked up at him, and the moonlight was bright enough for him to see the redness of her eyes, the sorrow that still lurked in the shadows of their depths. He wished so much he could take that pain away.
She leaned closer, her chin tilting, a clear invitation.
He took her mouth in a gentle kiss, a reassuring meeting of the mouths. This wasn’t about passion; it was about comfort. This was him telling her he wasn’t ever going to leave her again. This was him taking a small slice of her burden.
It was so strange to him how much power this one person held over him. If she told him she wanted them to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, he’d hold her hand while doing it. He’d turn so her body was protected as they hit the water. There really wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. In time he’d prove that.
He didn’t try to deepen the kiss, didn’t try to possess her. He simply held her, letting her know she wasn’t alone—that she didn’t have to be alone again as long as she wanted him at her side.
Far too soon, Eden pulled away, taking a moment to lean against his broad chest, her hand pressed over his heart. He wanted to freeze time and never move, never let this moment slip away. But that wasn’t how the real world worked.
“I should go back now,” she said as she lifted her head, then scooted away, reaching for her shoes and slipping them on.
Owen rose to his feet, then held out his hand to help her up. She took it after a moment’s hesitation. He wanted to tug her against him, but he wasn’t willing to press his luck. Instead, he fell into step beside her as they made their way back up the trail to where their vehicles were parked. He held open her door and waited for her to climb in.
“I wish you’d come home with me. I’d leave you alone if that’s what you want,” he said. He had to at least try.
“Thanks, Owen, but no,” she said. There wasn’t any anger, just an iron will that he was starting to see appear again in her beautiful eyes.
“Soon,” he said.
She looked at him with surprise as he shut her door. He wasn’t giving her a chance to deny him his final word. He even smiled as he got into his truck and started it. He drove behind her as she headed to her motel, then honked the horn as he passed by.
At least she was around people. The arsonist wouldn’t be so foolish as to light a hotel on fire—or at least he hoped he wouldn’t be that foolish. He still made some phone calls and cashed in some favors owed to him to have extra patrols keeping an eye out.
She’d kick his ass if she found out. He smiled, knowing she wouldn’t. What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. And the only way he could even begin to try to solve this mystery was if he knew she was taken care of.
Chapter Sixteen
Eden was exhausted as she fell onto her bed in the cheap motel. She went to sleep almost instantly and had a restless night. The morning came too soon, and she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all when she rose from the uncomfortable bed.
She looked around, feel
ing about as low as she could as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. She wanted to call Owen, have him take away these feelings, even if only for a little while. But she’d told him she needed to be strong, and that’s what she intended to do.
The past couldn’t be erased, no matter how much she wished it could. No, scratch that, she had to remember that everything about her past had shaped her into who she was now. She didn’t want to have regrets, didn’t need to have them. Just because things weren’t going exactly as she had planned didn’t mean every decision she’d ever made had been a mistake.
Still, her heart hurt. She missed her father. She missed the comfort only he could give her, and the way his strong arms would make everything okay. She missed her home, missed the items in that home that had brought her comfort. And she missed Owen. She missed how he made her feel when she was with him.
Talking to Owen about her father the night before, about her sadness and anger at him leaving her so soon, had opened up those wounds a little bit more. Just when she thought she was healing, she’d get pushed back a little bit further. Would this ever end? She wasn’t sure.
Owen was sneaking back into her life one moment at a time. Part of her wanted to allow that to happen. The rational side of her knew they’d had their time together, and now it was over. But the emotional side of her had never stopped loving him.
Why had he left her? Had it been that important for him to see the world? Had she truly meant that little to him? Again, the rational side of her came out, and she told herself they’d been teenagers, too young to commit to a lifetime together. But her emotional side told her they’d known all they needed to know about each other, even at such a young age.
The way her mind was bouncing back and forth made her head ache. If she could just focus on her work, she’d be in a much better place—mentally, at least. But come Monday morning, she might not even have that anymore. No, she wouldn’t lose her job at the attorney’s office, but going back into the small room and sitting at a desk all day seemed a fate worse than death right now. She wanted to stay on this particular case until it was satisfactorily solved, with all the bad guys behind bars.
Her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. It was Roxie. Eden’s finger hovered over the face of her phone. But then she let it go to voice mail. She knew she wasn’t going to get away with ignoring her best friend for long. Roxie would come crashing in through her motel door the second she realized the mood Eden was in.
There was a part of Eden that wanted exactly that to happen. The other part of her wanted to be alone to wallow in her misery. Roxie would have a fit about Eden staying in this depressing motel when she lived in a mansion that was plenty big enough to accommodate a guest. But Eden needed to take care of herself—she had to prove to herself she could.
When Eden took a moment to look at herself in the mirror, she was slightly horrified. She’d had a rough few days, and it showed. All of her possessions had burned to the ground. When she’d woken after her night with Owen, she’d found a bag of clothes at the front desk, a note attached to it.
She’d been grateful he’d done that for her. There was nothing that made her feel more gross than to wear dirty panties. She hated taking a handout, but she’d concede in these circumstances. She didn’t want to think about all she needed to do, but she also couldn’t bury her head in the sand.
She brushed back her hair, then sat down on the bed and picked up her phone. She had to find a place to live, go shopping for more clothes, and restock her toiletries. Those were just a few of the basic tasks she was facing.
An hour later she felt a tad bit better. She had a real estate agent looking for a rental and pulling up listings of houses for sale. One task was accomplished. She had to decide if she wanted to rebuild her house or clear the lot, sell the land, and start over somewhere else. She’d be stuck in a rental for at least six months if she rebuilt. That didn’t sound appealing. There was comfort in owning her home, in knowing a landlord couldn’t change their mind and give her a thirty-day notice to get out.
Eden knew she had to get out of the small motel room, or she was likely to go crazy. As much as she wanted to avoid any and all company, she got dressed, put on the minimal makeup she kept in her purse, and left the room.
It was a beautiful day, aside from the low-hanging smoke in the air. She’d noticed that her throat had been a little sore for the past week. She was sure the entire town was sucking in too much carbon dioxide, but it wasn’t so dangerous that the mayor was advising residents to evacuate yet.
Eden made her way to her favorite café and slipped inside, grateful when she found a table in the back corner. If she kept her head down, maybe no one would notice her. News spread as fast as the wildfire burning on the edges of town. She’d have snoopy people asking her all sorts of questions if she wasn’t careful.
Her phone rang again after the waitress, who was new, thank goodness, took her order. It was Roxie again. Eden thought about answering, then silenced the phone after the second ring. She didn’t know what to say.
“I knew you were purposely ignoring my calls!”
The irritated voice startled Eden so badly she jumped in her booth, knocking her knee against the bottom of the table. She turned guilty eyes on Roxie, who was standing beside her, her black boot tapping on the cheap linoleum floor.
Guilt consumed her at the sight of her best friend, who looked equally worried and ticked off. She had a right to be mad. Eden would’ve been upset with Roxie if she was going through hell and didn’t call her. Best friends were always there for each other.
“I’m sorry,” she said, the words not even enough.
“You know, we’re not supposed to suffer alone. We can’t allow ourselves to get to such a low place that we don’t even take calls from our bestie,” Roxie said. Her anger had drained away. She took the seat across from Eden.
The waitress came back, and Roxie ordered some ice tea and a sandwich; then they were alone again.
“I’ve been trying to make it on my own. It’s so easy to lean on other people, and right now that’s not the best thing for me,” Eden said.
“I disagree. I think at this moment you shouldn’t be alone at all. You need support. You’ve been through hell, and it doesn’t appear to be getting any better for you,” Roxie said.
“At least it can’t get worse,” Eden told her, managing to get out a small, humorless laugh.
“You never, ever say that,” Roxie told her as she closed her fingers and knocked on the table. Eden wasn’t even sure the table was made out of real wood, so the gesture was probably futile.
“I’m not worried about anything I say right now,” Eden said. “Seriously, if I say something is up, it’s bound to be down. I don’t think it’s possible for me to affect any sort of outcome.”
“You’ve had a rough year,” Roxie said, reaching across the table and taking Eden’s hand. “Why didn’t you call me the second your house caught fire?”
Her friend seemed genuinely hurt that Eden hadn’t immediately come to her.
“I told you, I’m trying to do this on my own,” she said.
“Where are you staying?”
“I’m at the motel down the road,” Eden said, not daring to look at Roxie.
There was a gasp from her friend, and Eden was forced to look up. The horror on Roxie’s face was almost comical. The hurt look in her eyes wasn’t.
“What’s wrong with staying with me?” she asked quietly.
“Oh, Roxie, I didn’t want to be a burden on you, on anyone,” Eden said.
Now Roxie’s eyes narrowed to slits, and Eden knew she was about to get a lecture. She sat back and waited. She deserved this.
“It’s absolutely unreal that you’d say that to me. I know I left this town behind, just like Owen did.” She paused and Eden swallowed. Two of the most important people in her life had left her behind. Maybe that was why she had so many issues about not leaning on anyone but herself.
“You had to get away. I understood,” Eden told her.
“No, I was running away, and I left everyone behind, including you. I was selfish and didn’t think about how it would affect you. Now I realize that, and I’ll continue to make it up to you. You’re coming home with me. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Roxie leaned back and folded her arms, her expression stubborn. Eden had no doubt if she tried to refuse, Roxie would call in some favors and have Eden dragged to her house, even if they had to handcuff her.
“I already paid for the motel,” Eden said.
Roxie rolled her eyes. “I don’t care. Cancel it. I’m not leaving your side until we get to my place.”
There was nothing else Eden could do. And she had to admit she was truly grateful for Roxie insisting she come home with her. She didn’t actually want to be alone. She was simply being stubborn.
“Thank you, Roxie,” she finally said, hating how close she was to tears.
“There’s no need to thank me. You’re more than my best friend. You’re family,” Roxie assured her.
Eden wasn’t able to stop a lone tear from falling down her cheek. That made Roxie tear up, and one of her own fell. The two women looked at each other, then laughed at how silly they must look. But the laughter was exactly what Eden had needed.
“Really, thank you for not letting me be foolish,” Eden said after a while.
“I expect you to do the same for me when I’m being an idiot,” Roxie said.
“That’s a deal,” Eden assured her.
They rose from the table, and Roxie gave her a big hug. Eden wasn’t alone, no matter how much she might think she was—she was never alone. If she closed herself off, it was by choice. There were people out there who loved her, people who’d be sad if something happened to her. That was so much more than some had.
Roxie stayed true to her word; she didn’t let Eden out of her sight as they went back to the motel and Eden grabbed the few items she had and checked out. Then Eden’s best friend followed behind her in her beautiful silver Lexus as they made their way through town, up the hill to Roxie’s place.
