by Amy Gamet
“It’s common courtesy, something you obviously know nothing about.”
“That man can’t get used to the idea of someone like me running Charlie’s winery.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What planet are you on? Do you speak English? Because that’s not what I heard.”
“That’s exactly what he said.”
“Oh, my gosh. You are unbelievable, do you know that? A person could pay you an honest compliment and you would think they are making fun of you behind your back.” She stood up and grabbed her drink.
Rafael ran his hand through his hair. “Look, I know you were trying to be helpful…”
She held up a hand. “Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.”
Two hours later, Rafael was still sitting at the bar, one of several patrons remaining. He blinked his eyes hard, forcing them to focus.
He’d had too much to drink.
Not his usual vice, that was for sure. He’d just been sitting here thinking since Melanie had left the bar. Sure, she’d stayed and talked to Brandy for a while, avoiding his stare like she hated his guts. And for all the times he’d sat here alone in the Grill, tonight was the first time he ever remembered truly feeling lonely.
Brandy came over to him. “You doing okay, cowboy?”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not driving home, are you?”
He shook his head. “I walked.”
“Can I get you something else?” Her eyes went to the clock. “It’s almost last call.”
“I think I’ve had enough.”
She let out a long breath and folded her arms over her chest. “Then can I give you some advice?”
He nodded.
“Leave her alone.”
He leaned into the back of his barstool. “Why?”
“She’s had a rough time, and you’re not some knight in shining armor who’s gonna swoop in and make it all better. So just leave her alone.”
He picked up his glass, downing what was left in a single swallow. “You don’t know me.”
“I’ve got eyes, and I can see. I saw what she tried to do today, and I saw how you shot her down. You’ve got to make a choice. Either you stay this way and lose the girl, or you make some changes.” Brandy took his glass. “I say leave her alone. It’s a hell of a lot easier than changing who you are.”
Rafael pursed his lips.
Brandy was sounding like a prophet.
I must be drunker than I thought.
He pulled out his wallet and left a bill on the bar, then stood and put on his coat. Bill Martinson and his friend were sitting at a table nearby, and Martinson held up a hand.
“‘Night, Rafael,” he called. “Next time we’ll have to talk some more.”
Rafael nodded. “Okay.”
Either you stay this way and lose the girl, or you make some changes.
He pushed out the door into the night, his eyes drawn to the wide full moon standing watch overhead.
This town was the only place he ever wanted to be, the end-all be-all of every dream he’d ever had. But in his imagination, he was a part of this place—a member of the community—and recent events had shown him just how far that was from reality.
He turned around and went back into the bar. Brandy cocked an eyebrow.
“Can you get her to come out again tomorrow?” he asked. “She’s not usually here on Saturday, and I really want to talk to her.”
Chapter 5
Melanie waved to the older man raking leaves. “Hey, Mr. Henry.”
He walked toward her shaking his head. “Just the person I wanted to talk to. I saw you walking alone last night.”
She stopped walking and sighed as he continued.
“That’s not safe for a woman these days to walk alone at night, even in Moon Lake.”
She’d gotten this lecture more times than she cared to count from half the neighbors on her street, not to mention her own mother. She patted her purse. “It’s only a few blocks, and I have pepper spray.”
“It’s still not a good idea. I just want you to be safe.”
“I know. I’ll be fine.”
She continued walking. She knew her neighbor meant well, but she had a hard time believing it was dangerous for her to walk two and a half blocks through the peaceful streets of Moon Lake.
That was one of the reasons she loved it here.
Crossing the street, she opened the heavy wooden door to the Grill and stepped inside, surprised to see how crowded it was already. Her eyes went straight to Rafael’s spot, even as she cursed herself for checking to see if he was here, which he wasn’t.
She sat down at the bar and Brandy walked over. “Thanks for coming out tonight,” said Brandy. “For your viewing pleasure this evening, we have hell freezing over in the game area.”
“What are you talking about?”
Brandy pointed to the back corner of the bar and Melanie twisted around. Rafael was playing pool.
Pool!
He was even talking to people.
“Oh, my goodness.” Melanie spun back around.
“I know.” Brandy put a beer down in front of Melanie. “Maybe your little pep talk last night made him see the error of his ways.”
“I doubt it. He was so angry with me, he could’ve spit.” She shook her head. I don’t understand that man at all.”
“Maybe he’s trying to do what you wanted.”
“I didn’t want it for me, I wanted it for him.”
“Whatever.” Brandy started wiping down the bar. “He asked me to have you come in tonight.”
“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I just did.”
“Yeah, after I’m already here. That’s super helpful.”
“Hey, Melanie.”
Melanie’s stomach flipped just hearing Rafael’s voice. She turned to face him. “Hi.”
“Got a minute?”
“Sure.”
“I’m sorry about last night. You were trying to be nice to me, and I was out of line.”
“I wasn’t trying to embarrass you.”
“I know.”
“I saw you playing pool just now,” she said.
He smiled. “I haven’t played in years. Used to be pretty good, but Dean just beat the pants off me.”
“Why haven’t you played?”
He stared into the distance. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try me.”
He seemed to think about that before making up his mind. “When I was a kid, my dad worked as a janitor in an office building in Manhattan. Every day he’d take the subway into work, and every day he’d take the subway home. He’d tell me about the people who got on, and how they got better dressed and more obnoxious with every stop, until he finally got into work and he was nobody. Completely invisible. Last night after I left here, I was thinking, I’ll bet he never talked to any of them. I’ll bet he just did his job and never said boo and didn’t look anyone in the eye, that they were as invisible to him as he was to them.”
Melanie’s mouth turned into the slightest smile. “A self-fulfilling prophecy.”
“Exactly.” He shook his head. “And I don’t want to be like that. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Think you can give me another chance?”
She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean?”
“Introduce me to people you know. I promise not to be an idiot this time.”
“Okay.” She looked around the Grill, her eyes landing on a table of women. “See the lady with the curly brown hair? That’s Susan Chandler. She’s the unofficial mayor of Moon Lake.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means she knows everyone, and everything about everyone.”
Melanie caught Susan’s eye and waved, and Susan came over to the bar. “Melanie. Where have you been hiding yourself now that Tori’s Treasures is closed?”
“Susan, this is Rafael Delacruz. He’s my new boss. I’m working at Crescent Moon.”
“A
h.” She shook Rafael’s hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I’ve seen you around for ages.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” said Rafael.
“Oh, look, there’s Ricky Morrison,” said Susan, pulling Rafael’s arm. “He needs to give me the run-down on the plans for the firemen’s carnival. Come along Rafael, I’ll introduce you.”
Melanie turned back to Brandy, who was popping maraschino cherries in her mouth.
“You’re bad,” said Brandy. “She’s going drag him around like a puppy until he’s met everyone in the place.”
“I prefer to be called efficient. He had his chance to do this the easy way, but he blew it. I’m sure everyone will like him.”
“Hey, even I like him,” said Brandy. “He just left me a better tip than he ever has before.”
“That’s probably because you’re actually being nice to him.”
“Whatever.”
Melanie eyed her friend warily. “Why are you so grumpy lately?”
“I’m not.”
“Uhm, okay.”
Brandy sighed heavily. “Okay, fine. I broke up with Robbie again.”
“I didn’t know you were back together.”
“Well, we were, and now we’re not.”
“I thought you didn’t like Robbie.”
“I don’t, but I really don’t like being alone. You know what I did last night? I watched TV and went to bed. I’m not made for living that way.”
Melanie took a sip of her beer. “You just described my life, six days a week. On the seventh, I come here.”
“More power to ya. I couldn’t do it.”
“Like I have a choice.”
Brandy raised her eyebrows. “Of course you have a choice. There’s choice number one, right over there.” She gestured to Rafael. “And he’s not the first one to come your way since Greg hit the road. It’s like you’re blind to the opposite sex.”
“I am not.”
“Ah, but you are.”
Melanie rolled her eyes. “Forget it.” She spun around and watched Rafael, deep in conversation with a small group of people, one of whom she knew for sure was a vineyard manager at another winery.
For the next two hours, Melanie watched from the bar as Susan made it her business to introduce Rafael to every group of people in the Grill. When he finally made his way back over to Melanie, he was grinning from ear to ear. “That was the owner of Owl and Hawk. He invited me to a weekly poker game with guys from Trudeau, Vertigo, Lakeshore and Coltre di Stelle.”
“That’s awesome.”
“It really is. There’s so much going on around here, people doing the same thing I’m doing every day, and there’s a lot to talk about. I think I’ve been missing out.”
“I’m glad for you.” Melanie put her empty glass down on the bar. “But I think I need to get going home. I was out late last night, and you tired me out this week.”
“I’ll walk you.”
“You don’t need to. I walk home from here all the time.”
“I want to.”
Melanie looked into his eyes and knew this wasn’t just about keeping her company, or even about being a gentleman. She swallowed. This was it. The moment of truth.
And I want it.
“Okay. Let me just say goodbye to Brandy.”
Brandy’s jaw about hit the floor. She whispered in a loud hush, “If you walk out that door with him after a night of drinking, people are going to talk. That’s all.”
“He’s just walking me home.”
“Right. And I have a bridge I want to sell you.”
“Brandy, I’m not going to invite him in or anything.”
Brandy shook her head. “You come in here every week by yourself, and you leave by yourself. Today Rafael was paraded around like some kind of show dog, now you’re going to walk out the door with him at midnight. Do what you want to do, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. One night of small talk isn’t going to convince the whole town Rafael Delacruz is good people.”
“I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Hey, I like him. You won me over. I’m just saying, not everybody does.”
Melanie shook her head. Anger at Brandy’s words rose up, even as she knew they rang true. This was a small town. If she left with him tonight everyone would assume they were together, and that was bound to get around, fast.
That took things to a whole other level.
She walked back to Rafael. “I think it’s better if we don’t leave together.”
He furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”
“It’s late, and I don’t want people to get the wrong idea.”
“You mean you don’t want them to think we’re a couple.”
“Yes,” she said, grateful for his understanding.
His eyes bored into hers. “Because they would talk about you and that dirt bag who used to steal things and eat out of garbage cans.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Don’t worry, Melanie. I understand completely.” He threw back the rest of his drink and put his glass down on the table. “I thought you were better than that.” He turned and walked away.
“Rafael!” She wanted to stop him, to make him understand, but already she was aware of the eyes of the other patrons on their conversation. If she walked out that door, wouldn’t she be inviting the exact same comments she was trying to avoid? Maybe even more so now that they’d caused a scene?
She took a step toward the door.
Brandy called across the room. “Let him go, sugar. Just come back over here and have a seat for a while.”
It was nearly an hour later that Melanie walked slowly home. Brandy had offered to drive her, but Melanie wanted this time to think. What would have happened if Rafael had walked her home?
I would have kissed him if he wanted me to.
But now he thought she was a shallow, rotten person who didn’t want to be seen with him. How would she ever convince him that wasn’t true? If they really were in a relationship, she would proudly walk down Main Street in his embrace.
But they weren’t, and that’s where it got sticky.
She knew she should be glad Brandy had talked some sense into her, but all she could think about was how much she must have hurt Rafael’s feelings and how much that hurt her own in return.
Her house came into view, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
What was that on the porch?
Was that a person?
Every warning she’d ever heard about women walking alone at night suddenly mocked her independence. Reaching into her purse, she pulled out her pepper spray, desperately wishing she’d allowed Brandy to drive her home, after all.
The figure stood up and Melanie stopped walking, some fifty feet away.
“It’s me, Rafael.”
She immediately felt her shoulders drop in relief. “You scared me half to death.” She walked to the house and rested her foot on the stair he stood upon.
“I thought we should talk before you came to work on Monday.”
She nodded and took in a shaking breath. “I wasn’t ashamed to be seen with you.”
“You said you were.”
“No, I said I didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. What I meant was, I didn’t want the whole town to think I was drunk off my rocker, taking you home to jump your bones.”
She wished she could see his face, but he was in silhouette from the light in the window behind him. She swallowed. “You have to see that was a good decision. People would talk.”
“People always talk. You have to live your life the way you want to, not the way they want you to.”
“If you and I were together,” she said, her voice low, “I would be proud to be seen with you.”
He took a step down the stairs. “Why?”
She took a step up, her knees all but shaking, and his features came into view. “Because I like you. You’re sweet and kind. You’re a good man.”
; His gaze dropped to her lips and she knew he wanted to kiss her, and she willed him to do it with all her might. He dropped his head close to hers.
She lifted her chin and he met her lips in a tentative kiss.
* * *
Rafael kissed the soft, full curves of her lips. She was responding to him, her fingers curling in the hair at his nape, and he took her mouth more deeply, tasting her with his tongue.
She moaned softly and his mouth melded with hers as his hands moved to her waist, squeezing her against him. This was Melanie in his arms, Melanie’s breasts crushed against him, and a deep sound reverberated in his chest. She seemed to take that as encouragement, her mouth now pursuing him.
His hands traced her arms, encircling her wrists and the bracelet she wore there, its warm metal digging into his palm. He brought the bracelet to his lips and kissed it.
Melanie met his eyes in the moonlight. “It was you.”
As if in answer, he twisted the arm with the bracelet behind her back, watching her expression darken with desire as he pinned her against his chest. “Do you like it?” he asked, not sure if he meant the bracelet or the crush of her body into his.
It didn’t matter.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
He ran his other hand up her side and she giggled, reminding him she’d been drinking. What if she regretted this in the morning? He took a step back, pleased to see the small pout on her full mouth, and he ran his thumb along her lower lip. “Goodnight, Melanie.”
“Goodnight.”
He watched as she climbed the steps, and waved to him before slipping inside.
The sound of a car revving its engine made him turn around, where a Jeep parked next door pulled out into the road and stopped in front of Rafael.
The driver wasn’t visible in the darkness, but Rafael could sense the threat coming from the figure behind the wheel. The Jeep revved its engine again, and Rafael took a step toward the vehicle, which took off down the street.
* * *
Melanie walked into her house in a fog.
Her mother rounded the corner from the kitchen. “What are you doing home so late?”
“Why are you still awake?”
Her mother reached into the pocket of her bathrobe and took out a small golden box with a red ribbon. “I wanted to see what you had to say about this. Looks like you’ve been hiding something from me. Maybe something with facial hair and a deep voice.”
