Fox: Hi.
He closed his eyes and groaned. Just one word. That was all he’d typed. Like a stalker. He may as well have typed something like hey I like what you’re wearing. For a writer, he would’ve thought he would be able to figure out exactly what to say—or at least say something more than a single word.
Melody: Hi there.
The relief that floated through Fox’s system was a little too much to bear, so he took a deep breath and texted again. After all, he wasn’t a teenager, he could totally do this. Of course, teenagers were probably better at texting than he was, but that was another subject for another time.
Fox: Did you have a good day? Your studio almost already?
Melody: It was an okay day. A lot of work online, trying to get the rosters ready and figuring out my lesson plans. It’s weird to think I’m going to have lesson plans since I never thought I’d be a teacher, but here we are. And my studio is almost ready. Before I know it, it’ll be opening day. I may just throw up again.
Fox: Again? Are you okay?
Melody: I’m fine. It’s just nerves. I used to get sick before recitals when I was younger, as well. Most thought I had an eating disorder, but it was really just stress. I never had a problem with eating like some of the other girls did. And I can’t believe I’m sitting here talking about throwing up and eating disorders, but here we are.
Fox latched on to the fact that she had given him a little piece of herself and who she had been before she moved to Whiskey. He didn’t like the fact that she had been sick, but he wanted to know more about her. It was probably a mistake, but he didn’t care. Not right then.
Fox: So, I know you’re opening the dance studio, so I assumed you had experience. You were a dancer?
There was such a long pause between what he had texted and her answer, he was truly afraid that he had said the wrong thing.
Melody: I used to dance ballet and was at Juilliard for a time. But that was long ago. Now, I’m just a teacher in a small town in PA.
He wasn’t sure what he could say to that since he knew there had to be a lot of history in that one statement, but he did his best.
Fox: There’s nothing just about being a teacher. In fact, you’ll be teaching my niece, nephew, and future sister-in-law. I’m pretty sure the family has a lot of faith in you.
Melody: I know you have to say that because we’re friends, but thank you.
Fox: You know I don’t have to say that.
Melody: Maybe.
Fox paused as he tried to think of what to say, but then she texted again.
Melody: Grandma showed me the article, Fox. It’s…it’s amazing. Thank you for doing that for her. And then I saw it mentioned online on another site, so you’re making her day, week, and month right now.
Fox frowned. Another site? That didn’t make any sense, especially considering that the full article wasn’t even up yet.
Fox: I’m glad you both liked it, but what other place did you see it?
She told him, and he froze.
Melody: And now that I think about it, I saw it on a couple of other places on social media, too. I think you’re viral, Fox. Pretty cool.
Fox blinked, staring at his phone. Well, that was unexpected. He’d have to go and see what she was talking about because it was just an article about a fascinating woman. And it wasn’t even a full story yet.
Fox: Thanks for letting me know. Weird.
Melody: Well, I guess you are pretty weird, Fox. Okay, I need to go get some more work done to get ready for opening day. But thanks again for what you did for Grandma. She loves it.
Fox: Night-night, Melody.
Melody: Night, Fox.
He stared at his phone for a second before pulling out his tablet to check the article. His eyes bugged when he saw the view numbers and clicks, and then he searched for where it had been named. A few big sites had already picked up his byline, and he had tons of emails about it—and it had only been a few hours.
Ms. Pearl, it seemed, wouldn’t just be famous in Whiskey. It wasn’t what Fox had planned on, but he had a feeling Ms. Pearl would have fun with it.
And as Fox leaned into the back of his couch, he had a feeling Melody would, too.
Chapter 8
Fox groaned, but it had nothing to do with feeling good. He hadn’t been able to sleep the night before, and now he had dark circles under his eyes, and his body hurt because he’d worked out too hard. He would have liked to say that he’d worked out as much as he had because he wanted to get a bit stronger and bulk up to look like his brothers, but sadly, that wasn’t the case.
Instead, he’d done it because he was sexually frustrated thanks to a certain blonde who had not only pressed up against him just right that day at the gym but had also been haunting his dreams even when he was awake.
This whole just staying just friends thing with Melody wasn’t going to be easy, because all he wanted to do was pin her against the wall and have his way with her as she did the same with him.
He officially needed help.
He hadn’t texted Melody at all the day before because he’d been trying to keep it cool even if he had no idea what he was doing. And because of that, after work, he’d done double the workout like an idiot and had ignored Loch’s curious stares as sweat dripped into his eyes and his body shook with exertion.
He reasoned that if he could tire himself out, maybe he’d get rid of his hard-on and actually sleep.
It hadn’t worked. Not in the slightest. And after Loch had finally kicked him out of the gym, Fox had found himself at home, exhausted, horny, and still not able to sleep.
He couldn’t blame Melody for it, though. Not when he’d also been thinking about work and Ms. Pearl and all the other things he was juggling these days.
But today was his day off, and he wasn’t going to think about that. Not if he could help it. That meant that he would take it easy, get some work done around the house, set up his yard for the new season, and maybe do something crazy like read a book while drinking coffee.
Unheard of for him these days.
Before he could go about his day and try to relax before another long workweek and trying to figure out his relationship with Melody, he needed to take a shower. His phone buzzed right before he headed to the bathroom.
The screen showed Melody’s name, and he swallowed hard before casually answering. Or at least, what he thought was casual.
“Hey there.” He cleared his throat. Smooth, Fox. Smooth.
“Hey. So, uh, I know I should probably call the company involved, but I don’t know what to ask, and I hate sounding like a dumb blonde.”
Fox grinned, not able to help himself. “You’re going to have to back up a few steps. Which company? And how can I help?”
She laughed, and it went straight to his cock. Hell, he loved her laugh. “Sorry. Hi, Fox. How are you? I was in the middle of a thought when I called and, apparently, I finished my internal conversation with you instead of starting over.”
“I’m just waking up. I was lazy today. Sleeping in.”
“Oh! I didn’t wake you?”
He shook his head, then remembered she couldn’t see him. “No, I’ve been up, but I don’t have plans today other than being lazy if I feel like it. So, what’s going on, Melody?”
“Grandma Pearl wanted to watch a movie she recorded this morning, but I can’t get the box to work. Now, she’s off with her friends for their weekly brunch—I swear that woman has a more active social life than any teenager in Whiskey. Anyway, I’m trying to get it to work, but it keeps giving me an error message that makes no sense. I think something just needs to be rebooted, but this is a new system to me, and I could just really use any advice or help you can give me.”
“Everyone in town pretty much has the same box. I can probably help you fix it rather than trying to get someone on the phone. I’ll be over in a few to try and help out. Or at least help you growl at it while you fix it. That way, you’re not alone.�
� He snorted. “Technology rules our lives, and it sucks most of the time.”
“Totally. You don’t have to come over, but I’d appreciate it. The internet is working, same as the house phone, but the cable part isn’t. Hence my anger and confusion at the damn thing.”
“Give me ten minutes to hop in the shower, and I’ll be over.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. “Sorry you’re not going to have your lazy day.”
“Helping a pretty woman while not having to actually work? I can still have my lazy day.”
“Fox.”
“What?”
“Don’t call me pretty. We’re not doing the flirting thing, remember?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. It wasn’t easy to remember that, but he would at least try. For her. “Got it. See you soon.”
He hung up, swallowed hard, then went to take a quick, cold shower since he didn’t need to head to Melody’s with an erection from hell. It would probably all go to waste anyway since as soon as he saw her, he’d get hard all over again. But he’d at least try.
He looked down at his dick and sighed.
Okay, maybe two cold showers.
* * *
As soon as he stepped into the big house that had always called to him, he knew that any cold showers he took when it came to Melody wouldn’t help.
He was hard all over again just looking at her in her tight jeans, comfy, cotton shirt, and bare feet.
How could toes be so sexy?
“Thank you so much for coming. I actually just tried to call them to ask for help, but I ended up on like four different ‘press one to enter’ panels and still couldn’t talk to a customer service guy. I’m so freaking annoyed. But, I made iced tea with honey. And if this doesn’t work, I might add whiskey to it.
Their eyes met at the word whiskey, and both of them froze, their gazes locked.
He’d never look at the liquor the same way ever again. Not after her.
“Tea sounds good. Let’s hold off on any extras until can see if I can figure anything out with your box.”
He held back a cough at that, and her eyes brightened.
“Well, my box is over there.” She winked, and his cock strained against his zipper.
He did his best not to look down below her waist at her personal box. Jesus, he was going to hell. But he followed her into the living room anyway, ignoring any ache down below and doing his best to forget the sexual tension burning between them.
Something he was learning he would have to get better at if he were going to survive Melody living in Whiskey.
* * *
By the time the cable box lay forgotten on the coffee table, wires and empty cups of tea next to it, two hours had passed, and Fox was ready to throw the damn thing across the room.
“It’s haunted. That’s the only thing I can think of.” Melody sat next to him, the heat of her thigh pressed into his. His cock was beyond ready, and he had a feeling he was just going to have to get used to a perpetual state of hardness from now on.
“I cannot believe we tried fourteen things, finally got the place on the phone, and it’s still not working.” He’d lost any cred he might have had with being able to fix things. And all because of a damn cable box.
“I hate it. They may be sending a new one—which they wanted to charge us to install. At least between us, I think we convinced them to do it for free—but they still wouldn’t tell us if we lost the DVR settings or not. Grandma isn’t going to be happy.”
Fox reached out and squeezed her hand. “We’ll figure it out.”
He liked saying that. We. As if it were the two of them.
Friends, he reminded himself. They were friends.
“Thanks for everything, Fox. I guess this isn’t how you wanted to spend your day.”
“It’s what friends do. And I had fun, even when we were yelling at the damn thing. I should go, though, since I bet you have work to do, and I promised myself I’d get my yard looking somewhat decent.”
They both stood up as she smiled, and he had to do his best not to reach out and touch her. It wasn’t easy, but he was stronger than the temptation. Maybe.
“I owe you one,” she said softly as they walked to the front door. “Seriously.”
“I’ll put you to work doing yard work if you want.”
She laughed again, and he took it in, the sound soothing his soul. “I don’t know if I owe you that much.”
They paused in the foyer, their gazes meeting, and a heated silence stretching between them.
“This doesn’t count as the owing,” he whispered then kissed her, knowing it was a bad idea.
He crushed his mouth to hers, her gasp lost in the kiss. Soon, her back was against the wall, his hands on her face as he deepened the kiss. He didn’t touch her anywhere else, and their bodies remained a breath apart, but they were close enough that he could feel her heat.
She tasted sweet and sinful and everything he ached for.
When he pulled away, their bodies shook, and he forced himself not to kiss her again.
“That was…” she whispered.
“A mistake,” he finished, not missing the hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know we’re trying to be friends.”
“And kissing complicates things.” Her gaze met his, and he saw the need in her eyes that matched his, but he knew they both needed to take a step back if they were going to make any progress with what they had said they wanted. “I need friends, Fox. I need to be steady. You know?”
And there were no guarantees in relationships. He’d be damned if he hurt her.
“I get it. And that’s why I’m going to walk out of here, and we’re going to text later. Because I’m your friend, Melody. That I can promise you.”
She smiled softly. “Good, because I’m your friend, too.”
He respected her, and that meant he’d respect her choice. The thing was, in the end, it was his choice, too. So…no more kissing. No more thinking of her when he slept—something he wasn’t sure he could control.
But he’d do his best.
Because he liked Melody, wanted her in his life. And that meant he’d take a step back and remember what they’d promised themselves and each other.
And he’d just end up sleeping with a hard dick. Again.
Chapter 9
The next morning, Melody scrolled through the news, shaking her head. There were hundreds of articles about how the world was going to end with all the pain and horrors that encroached on the lives of so many, and while Melody knew there was nothing but truth in most of those stories, she couldn’t help but check out one that had nothing to do with any of that.
She knew her grandmother was an amazing woman. Even if she hadn’t known some of the history behind that, she’d have figured it out. Just by being in the woman’s mere presence. There was nothing usual about Grandma Pearl, and everything about the woman who shared her blood was fascinating. And Melody knew that Fox’s initial story wasn’t even a fraction of what had happened in her grandmother’s life. Her grandma had lived a full and captivating life, and if you asked the woman, she probably would have said that she hadn’t even begun living yet. And that was just one more reason why Melody wanted to be exactly like her grandmother one day.
It had been two days since the story hit the Whiskey Chronicles website, and she couldn’t believe how many shares it already had. People were calling and sending letters already, trying to get to know the fascinating Ms. Pearl better. Melody had been busy working, trying to get everything set up for her dance studio, and she hadn’t been able to figure out exactly how her grandmother felt about the new attention. If Melody hadn’t been feeling so rundown from working as hard as she was, she might’ve been able to find the energy to prod her grandmother and figure out exactly what was going on in that head of hers.
And because Melody was working so hard, she hadn’t really been able to ask Fox how he felt about it either, because they kept missing each other beyond texts. The
y’d tried to schedule lunch, but it hadn’t happened. Other than when he’d come over to help her with her cable box—she blushed thinking about it—she hadn’t seen him.
He must have been working long hours with his job, though she really didn’t know what an editor and owner of a newspaper did, but adding in the extra attention his single article had been getting, she assumed he was working hours just as long as hers. She didn’t know why she felt as if she were missing him, even though they’d talked over text and seen each other in person less than two days ago.
Shaking her head and trying to put thoughts of Fox’s voice and the feel of him out of her mind like usual, she went to check the mail that had already come earlier that morning. Most were letters to her grandmother, bills, and junk mail. But there was one envelope addressed to her with no return address.
She frowned, wondering who on earth would be sending her a letter. Between both of her email addresses—her personal one and the one for work—she got constant electronic notes, and even texts and phone calls about the upcoming classes and from her contractor…and Fox. But she didn’t know anyone besides her grandmother who would write her a letter.
She set the rest of the mail on the counter in organized piles so her grandmother wouldn’t have to leaf through everything. She still didn’t know what they were going to do with all the letters since it had only been two days. The people who’d written must’ve rushed or lived close in order to send Grandma so many, but she figured her grandmother and she would end up going through each one and making even more piles. Grandma Pearl did love her stationery and receiving letters.
When everything was organized, she set the single letter addressed to her in front of her and ran her finger over her name. She didn’t know why she hesitated, but it felt weird getting something addressed to her. Fox had been very careful not to mention Melody’s name or even her parents in the article. That had been something that he had told her grandmother ahead of time because they hadn’t wanted to get into her family and true personal life until they were ready.
Whiskey Reveals Page 7
