by Dawes, Casey
She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Why shouldn’t they like you now? You operate your own business. They’d probably see you as a prized racehorse.” She silently cursed as he dropped his gaze to the floor. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to sound so crass and wrong.”
He coughed behind a balled-up fist. “No big deal, darlin’, but I still doubt they’d approve. After all, Bennett caught us defiling a bushel of hay. I doubt any father would easily forget that sort of thing.” Max walked to her dresser and glanced at the pictures that cluttered the top. He picked up a frame that encased a snapshot of Melody as she kissed Lightning on the nose. “Will you do as your parents want? Will you take this idiot Harvey back after he cheated on you?”
“Never. I don’t love him. He didn’t even bother to apologize after I caught him. He claimed that I was cold, aloof, and that my insecurities drove him away. Maybe he was right. It’s hard for me to open up and trust men.”
He flinched and turned away from her.
“Anyway,” Melody stepped up beside him and smiled at snapshot. “He means nothing to me. I don’t have a reason to listen to a word he says.”
“You listened to me the other day?”
“Because I once loved you.” She couldn’t say that she still did. She didn’t even know if she did. Since their long-awaited talk at his ranch a few days ago, her cold heart leapt and even melted whenever she thought about him, but did that mean love? Could she trust him again?
Melody pressed her hand against his chest and felt his heart hammer a strong, fast beat beneath her palm. Then she gripped the lapels of his blue button-down shirt and licked her lips. “Let’s get out of here for a while. I don’t want someone to come looking for me and catch you in here, unless you still want to talk with Dad tonight?”
Max rested his forehead on hers. “No, but I could use some fresh air.”
Her heart matched the fast rhythm of his. He kissed her lightly on her forehead before he straightened and stared down at her. Air shuddered through her lungs. She felt both lost and found as though his jade-green eyes had burrowed deep into her soul. His hair fell across his eyes and the fine lines around the corners of his mouth smoothed out as he smiled. She brushed his hair back and then traced his lips with her fingers. She wanted to kiss him full on the mouth.
Control, Mel. Where’s your control? She snapped out of the trance that his eyes caused and pushed away from him. She refused to even glance at her four-poster bed as she stomped to her cluttered desk across the small room. She scribbled out a note for her parents on a Post-It pad and then glanced at Max over her shoulder. His eyebrow rose as he read the yellow pad but he didn’t say anything. Perhaps Max was right to mock her for living with her parents. At the age of twenty-eight, it felt childish to leave a note and then sneak out of the house.
At least she didn’t ask for permission, which she believed her parents would deny her.
Melody left the note on the bed and then grabbed a denim jacket from her closet. Max chivalrously helped her into it before they climbed out the window. Flowers squished beneath their feet but she didn’t care. They crept across the front yard and down the driveway. Cool air wrapped around her like an adventurous cloak. Dark clouds shielded the moon and stars, the wind rustled through the trees and an owl hooted in the near distance. They didn’t once look back at the house or nearby buildings. Melody and Max soon reached his truck, jumped inside the cab and then burst into laughter.
He started the engine and then grasped her hand. “Thank you for giving me a chance. I swear I won’t let you down this time.”
Hope flared in her heart. “Just drive, cowboy. It’s gonna be a long night.”
Chapter Five
“This place hasn’t changed a bit!” Max exclaimed as they walked through the front door of Cob’s Bar and Grill, the local hangout in Willow Creek.
“Why change perfection, hmmm?” Melody grasped his hand and pulled him through the crowded restaurant.
A Johnny Cash tribute band played on a small stage and over a dozen people shook and shimmied on the hardwood dance floor. Patrons chatted and ate at the tables that circled around the dance area while several good ole’ boys drank at the long bar stretched along the right-hand wall. A bouncer manned the entrance while two bartenders slung alcohol and a few waitresses took orders or rushed out food and drinks.
Melody snagged a vacated table seconds after a busboy cleaned it off. She huffed in triumph, shrugged out of her jacket and then draped it over the back of her chair.
“Perhaps we should have gone to Livingston?” Max cocked his head at a group of loud, rambunctious men at the bar. “Three of those men just checked you out and I’m not in the mood to fight a drunken louse like I did the last time we were here.”
“Well, just watch your temper this time. If some guy pinches my butt, don’t slug him.”
A frown spread across his face. “Of course I’ll slug him. Besides, that idiot from before didn’t just pinch you. He grabbed you, said some crude words that I won’t repeat and then he laughed when you slapped him. If that happens again, you bet your sweet hinny that I’ll knock his lights out.”
She laughed. “Let’s try and behave tonight, okay?”
A tall, redheaded waitress with enough makeup on to look like war paint stopped at their table. She handed each of them a menu and then grabbed a receipt pad and pen from her mid-waist apron. “Hey, Mel. Long time no see. Who’s your cute friend?” She stared at Max, not Melody as she spoke, and batted her heavily-fringed eyelashes.
Melody forced a tight smile. “Hi, Randa. This is, umm… a friend from out of town.”
“Actually, I’m her ex-boyfriend who won’t take no for an answer.” He flashed a charming grin at Randa. “Soon enough, I’ll be her current and last boyfriend. The name’s Max.”
Randa’s ruby-red lips curved clear up her face. “Really?” She turned to Melody and waggled her eyebrows. “You’ve held out on me, dearie. Why didn’t you tell anyone about your new stud here? He’s… Wait. Max?” She turned back to the man in question. “Do you have a funny French-sounding last name, something about water or fountains?” She gasped before he could answer. “Oh God, I know who you are.”
Melody clutched her menu with both hands so she wouldn’t slap the woman. “I’ll take a Long Island Iced Tea and Jack’s Combo Special with all the toppings.” Her appetite had returned with a vengeance even though the waitress rubbed her nerves raw.
Randa scribbled it down on the pad. “You know, Max, word travels fast in this little town and people don’t forget juicy gossip, no matter how many years fly by. If you’re gonna break her heart again, you might as well leave now.”
Melody’s face flushed with heat. She liked Randa, she really did, but the woman rivaled Angus in the gossip department.
Max scooted his chair closer to Randa and then crooked his finger at her. She leaned down and her breasts nearly spilled out of her low, V-neck blouse. To Max’s credit, he didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he amped his voice so Randa, plus the occupants at a nearby table, could hear him. “No broken hearts this time. Tell everyone you know that Max Fortaine will take this woman as his wife, sooner or later.” He pointed at Melody as though she couldn’t guess whom he meant. “She’s as stubborn as an ox, but I don’t care. I love her.”
Randa’s mouth widened in an O and then she smiled at Melody. “Congratulations!” She hugged her as though Melody had just flashed a rock the size of the Hope Diamond on her finger. “What would you like to eat and drink, Max? I can’t wait to tell Anna, Jack and everyone else the good news.”
“Randa, no. He’s just kidding. He hit his head this morning and—”
“Surprise me with a beer, whatever kind you think is best, and I’ll take the same plate that Mel ordered. A Combo Special, right?” He looked to Randa as though for confir
mation and she abruptly nodded.
“Comin’ right up.” Randa giggled, grabbed their menus and then pivoted on her heel. She headed right to the bar.
“I should kick you where the sun doesn’t shine.” Melody clutched her hands in her lap. “You lied to her and she’ll spread that malarkey all over town.”
“Fibbed,” he clarified. “But I am serious. I want everything that I said to her.”
Melody closed her eyes as a dozen thoughts whipped through her mind. Air entered and exited her lungs with a sharp sting and she felt edgy all over. Cool air churned from overhead vents but the body heat from the crowd nearly suffocated her. The band played loud and fast with a raunchier Cash song. She breathed deep to regain some semblance of control and then opened her eyes just as a young woman approached their table.
The bartender stood at five-feet-five with brown eyes and golden-brown hair that she always wore in a ponytail when at work. Though they hadn’t known each other for long, Melody considered the newest Willow Creek resident one of her best friends.
“Special delivery,” Anna called out as she placed two drinks on the table. “Randa told me the good news.”
Melody swished her hand in the air to downplay the issue. “You know how that gal is, all gossip with little facts.” She glanced around the restaurant. “It looks like you’re short staffed for a Friday night.”
“One girl called in sick and the newbie locked herself in the restroom after a panic attack. Bossman Jack said that he’ll use the master key if she doesn’t come out within the hour.” Her gaze flicked to Max. “You must be the heartbreaker, the fiancé and the man behind the criteria all rolled into one. With any luck, you can get Melody to throw that list out the window.”
Melody straightened in her chair as Max’s brow rose. “Max, meet Anna Sheets. She moved here about six months ago from Spokane.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He offered his hand and she accepted it. “What criteria?”
“Oh, you know, her crazy list of ideals that no man could ever meet,” Anna answered as though she expected that he already knew. Her mouth dropped open when he frowned. She turned back to Melody and blushed red. “Oh snap, Mel. I’m sorry. Randa said that you two acted all lovey-dovey a few minutes ago so I thought you’d told him. Ah, just smack me.”
“Tempted to,” Melody replied as she tapped her fingers on the hard tabletop. Anna apologized once more and then hurried back to the bar. Melody scowled at Max. “You’re right. We should’ve gone to Livingston. This place is like Cheers. Everybody knows your name and everything about you.”
“Come on, tell me what she’s talking about.”
Melody grumbled but then explained. If she didn’t, he’d likely ask around and probably hear more fiction than fact.
Max tunneled his hands through his hair. His enthusiasm seemed to fade. “I’m sorry that I hurt you so much.” He clasped her hand from across the table.
She shrugged. “What’s done is done. I should have handled your rejection like an adult instead of an immature kid. That stupid list hardened me in a way I never wanted, but it was the only thing I found that masked the pain.” She pulled from his grasp and then sipped her drink. “You can’t just rush back into my life and sweep me away with stolen kisses and a promise for more. I need substance, and proof that you won’t just up and leave again.”
“I’ve spent thousands of dollars to shape up a dilapidated ranch. I plan to spend even more. If that’s not proof of substance and permanency then I don’t know what is.” Max leaned back in his chair and drummed his hands on his flat stomach. “I’ll talk with your father tomorrow and I’d like you to be there. I expect that you’ll take the brunt of your anger out on me if I tell you now. I deserve it, no doubt about that, but so does Bennett.”
“How much did Dad pay you leave?” Melody sighed as all color drained from his face. “I may be blonde but I’m not a ditz like a lot of people in this town think. You said that you came into money soon after you left and that you owed my father a debt. I assume that he paid you a substantial amount of money to leave Willow Creek.”
He leaned forward and then coughed behind his hand. “Ten grand. I plan to pay him back every cent.”
She licked her lips as further realization dawned. “He gave you the truck, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, and I assume that he staged a breaking and entering in the garage to trick you.”
A deep breath shuddered through her lungs. “I’m not mad at you. Not really. That money brought you one step closer to your dream while I would’ve bogged you down. You always wanted your own land, a place to call home. Now you have it.”
“That dream also included a special lady.” He grabbed his bottle but he didn’t take a drink. “You know the truth now, the full truth. Is it as bad as you thought?”
“I don’t know what I expected but it’s not that bad anyway. It actually makes a lot of sense.” She wiped at the tears that beaded under her lashes. “I believe that we’re still compatible, even after all that’s happened and the years between us. As long as you are honest and faithful to me, two of the few necessities on my list of ridiculous wants, then I can forgive you for anything. It’s time we start over.” Her heart thumped like a drum as the meaning of those words washed through her. She always kept a promise, no matter what.
Max stood and walked around the table. He held out his hand. “Dance with me, darlin’.”
Not a question, she knew instinctively. That tone meant business and she placed her hand in his as though pushed by an invisible force. He led her to the polished dance floor, wove between other couples and didn’t stop until he reached the middle. Max drew her close and wrapped his arms around her. He pressed his palms against the small of her back and her skin felt scorched beneath her thin dress. Instinct told her to run, that what she felt was too good and that it wasn’t real, but she let his arms bind her to him as they swayed to the music.
She avoided his intense gaze and watched the band on stage. The lead singer wore black and sang with a deep, slow drawl just as the country music star once did. The song of lost love and redemption fit perfectly with her state of mind. She laid her head on Max’s chest, breathed in his strong, masculine scent and felt at peace. A few minutes passed until the melancholy song faded into an upbeat tempo. Max didn’t break contact to dance fast as the other dancers did. Instead, he tightened his hold around her as though he feared she might push away.
Melody lifted her head and brushed her fingers along his roughened jaw. She suspected that he hadn’t shaved in a few days and she liked the prickly feel of his hair. She stared deep into his eyes and pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss him just as a laughing couple bumped into them. The man and woman hastily apologized and then continued to dance.
“We should sit down,” she shouted over the loud music. Max nodded and they soon returned to their table. Melody laughed as she sat and nearly fell out of her chair. “Oh God, we didn’t even shake our butts like all those other dancers and yet I’m out of breath.” She clasped her hand over her chest as Max chuckled and reclaimed his chair across from hers.
Melody noticed Anna’s gaze across the restaurant as Randa delivered their food. Anna winked at her before she served beer to three newcomers at the bar. Melody recognized the ranch hands who worked on Bennett Ranch. One of them seemed to have noticed her because he smacked his friends’ arms and then all three of them stared in her direction. They nodded to her in acknowledgement and then turned back around on their stools. She assumed they’d tell her father about this but she didn’t care. She and Max would speak with him regardless.
She popped a fry in her mouth. “Tell me about your horses. Do you feed them a controlled mixture of hay, pellets and oats since the pastures aren’t up to par?”
“Of course. I provide everything the mares need except for an abundance of f
resh grass on a daily basis. They’re very healthy. Come by and check on them if you like.”
“I will.” She grabbed the ketchup bottle and squeezed a generous amount on her French fries. “You know, I don’t plan to move in with you just because I’ve agreed to try this again.” She spread out her arms to signify both of them. “I want to take this slow.”
“I understand, but Fortune’s Ranch is ready for you whenever you are.”
“And Lightning. Would you like to swap pedigrees and health records to match our Rockies together for next year’s mating season?”
“Sure, that sounds like a good business proposal.” He raised his bottle and she clanked it with her glass, and then he took a long swallow of his drink. “So, have you told your friends anything good about me, or just the bad?”
Melody grinned. “You’ll just have to find out. I’m sure they’ll like to meet you and drill you with twenty questions. Let’s try to avoid that nightmare for as long as possible.”
He laughed and then picked up his stacked hamburger.
The years seemed to melt away as they talked like old friends. She felt comfortable as though he’d never left. They finished their meals within the hour and played footsie under the table. She gasped as his foot trailed up her bare calf and she pulled her legs back, then she drained the last of her delicious drink just as someone shouted near the bar. One of her father’s employees had jumped from his stool and shouted into a cell phone. Shock morphed Wally’s face into deep lines but she couldn’t make out his words even though he shouted. The music from the stage carried across the large restaurant and drowned out the conversation.
“Something’s wrong.” Melody indicated the bar with her chin. Max peered over his shoulder. “Those men work for my dad and… Wait here a minute.” She pushed her chair back while Max pulled his wallet from his jeans. She assumed he tossed enough money on the table for the meals and tip as she forced her way through the crowd. Melody reached the men’s side just as Wally flipped his phone shut.
