by Susan Stoker
June was out back hanging clothes on the line with one arm, clothes she’d obviously washed in the sink with one arm too, because her mother told her the washer was broken.
These women just didn’t understand they were hurt and needed to slow down to give their bodies a chance to heal. Her job here would be reminding them of that and making sure they complied, even if they got mad at her like her mother was right now.
“You’re clairvoyant, why don’t you tell me?” Melanie replied with a shrug as she adjusted the pillow under her mother’s leg on the coffee table. Merry scowled as Melanie stood back up, and laughter tickled Mel’s insides. “You want me to turn on your soaps for you? It’s lunchtime so they should be on, right?”
The smile Melanie had worn since they left Brock’s ranch was nobody’s business but her own. When he dropped her off before he took Brady home he’d kissed her again. A quick one, but just as sizzling as the one at his ranch. Brady hadn’t commented, but she saw him staring at her through the window when she got out.
“No—I don’t want to watch those stupid shows,” Merry replied with a pout, as she tried to shove her fingers under the upper edge of the cast at her thigh. “Just get me a doggone coat hanger will you? I think fire ants have built a bed inside this cast.”
“No coat hanger, or you’ll end up breaking your skin and you’ll really have problems then,” Melanie replied calmly, and her mother shot her a look. “You’re the one who decided to climb on that roof and break your leg—now deal with it!”
She spun on her heel and the growl that followed her out of the living room was music to her ears. Maybe next time her mother would think twice before climbing onto that roof.
Aunt June was standing at the counter trying to make one-handed sandwiches when she walked into the kitchen. Melanie grabbed her good arm, and June gasped as she pulled her away and removed the butter knife from her hand.
“I’m going to tell you like I told mother—you need to sit yourself down on that sofa and rest. That’s the only way you’re going to heal. I will bring you lunch, then y’all need to watch your soap operas or something.”
“I don’t need to be taken care of and the last thing I need to do is lay around. I have too much to do around here.” June lifted her chin. “Besides, if you fall off the horse—or house—you have to get right back to it or you’ll never get better!”
“Well, since you two obviously don’t need a medical professional to tell you what’s best for your medical issues, I guess I’ll just pack my suitcase and head right back to Texas,” Melanie threatened, crossing her arms over her chest.
“You can’t leave yet,” June said with a frown. “You haven’t finished what you came here to do. George came to me again, and I read the cards this morning. I had two towers, side by side, one up and one down. That means he’s right and someone is in danger. It also means that someone is going to have an epiphany of some kind. I think that person is you.”
Melanie’s smile faded at her aunt’s cryptic words. This mumbo jumbo was getting way out of hand…these two were taking their parlor games entirely too seriously. Maybe they did need to go see a therapist.
“I told you the only reason I’m here is to make sure you two are okay, and as soon as I’m convinced you are safe and healthy, I’m going back to my job in Texas. And I’m depending on you to convince Mother to keep herself safe from here on out.”
“You know as well as I do I can’t convince Merry of anything, so I go with her when I can to make sure she doesn’t kill herself. That’s all I can do.” June snatched the butter knife from her hand and turned back to the counter to shove it into the mayo jar. “If you want to make sure she’s safe and out of trouble, you’ll just have to stick around to make sure we don’t do something foolish to get ourselves killed.” She slathered the slice of bread with mayo, then turned back to point the knife at Melanie. “You didn’t lose anything in Texas, but you lost a lot by leaving here and not coming back, didn’t you?”
Melanie dragged her eyes out the window in the back door and they watered from the brightness that poured into the room there. “I didn’t lose anything here either, Aunt June. My life here wasn’t pleasant—the people here didn’t like me. California was good to me, and Texas has been too. I’m accepted there, respected even,” she informed.
But was she? Melanie knew the nurses, doctors and staff at the hospital in Texas talked about her behind her back worse than the people in this town ever had. But they sure knew where to find her if they needed help with a diagnosis or treatment.
Her colleagues respected her because they needed her, but if she were being honest, they didn’t like her. Not one of them asked her to go out for drinks at that podunk bar in town where they all hung out after work.
She’d gone a couple of times on her own, but they still gave her wide berth, didn’t include her in their circle. Melanie’s mode of operation when she went into that job was to be the best damned doctor they had and she’d achieved her goal…at the expense of becoming a social pariah.
When she got too bored or lonely, she drove to Houston for the weekend to find herself some momentary relief. But that’s all it was—none of those guys knew where she lived, who she really was, or had her phone number.
Why in the hell couldn’t her aunt just leave well enough alone? Leave her alone and let her help them? Melanie had been in the best mood ever when she got back to the house, and now it was ruined. “Aunt June, please let me finish those sandwiches and I’ll bring them to you in the living room with some iced tea.”
The butter knife clattered in the almost empty jar, and June wiped her hands on her apron then huffed a breath. “Alright, missy, but don’t blame me if your mother is on the roof again when you get back. I’m going upstairs to get her charts and incense, but that won’t keep her entertained very long. Tonight is bingo night, and I sure as hell hope she doesn’t remember.”
“What time do you go?” Melanie asked, moving to the counter to pick up thick slices of ham from the saucer and lay them over the slices of bread. She added cheddar cheese slices, then closed them up and distributed them onto paper plates. Grabbing the chip bag, she shook a portion of potato chips beside each sandwich, then set it down to open the cabinet and pull down two glasses.
“It doesn’t start until seven, but Merry likes to get there early to get a seat up front and cackle with all the hens she meets there every Thursday night.” June turned toward the doorway and waved her hand. “But I sit in the back, because their jabber makes my ears bleed.”
Her mother was as loony as a toon, and even she had a circle of friends. Right then, Mel realized how empty her life really was. Even if her mother didn’t have friends, at least she had Aunt June who was about her best friend in the world. Melanie had no one. Maybe she had lost more than she thought by leaving Sunny Glen.
Stop it, Melanie Ann Fox—you are not even going to consider moving back here!
Melanie filled the glasses with ice and tea, then grabbed a big tray from the lower cabinet and laid out the sandwich plates and drinks. Her mother was staring off into space when she walked into the living room and set the tray down on the coffee table.
“I’m bored” Merry announced with a frown. “You took my damned wheelchair from me, so turn on my soaps.”
“Ask nicely and I might,” Melanie replied, standing up to put her hands on her hips. She’d dealt with plenty of ornery patients, and right now her mother was being the orneriest.
“I got your moon phase charts, books and notes,” June said as she walked back into the room with her arms loaded down.
Melanie walked over to take the stack from her. “Aunt June you don’t need to be lifting things!” she reprimanded. “First, the laundry basket, now this—enough!”
“Stop telling me what to do child, because that will not work with me…” June let her take the stack of books, papers and notebooks, but put her hands on her hips. “Any more than it ever worked with you.”
>
Melanie set the books on the floor beside her mother then huffed a breath as she stood back up to assume a similar pose as her aunt. “You two are going to give me gray hair before I go home,” she said with a laugh.
June strolled over to her with a smile, and Melanie’s brow pinched when she stopped, studied Melanie’s hair for a moment then reached up. A sharp pain shot through her scalp and she yelped.
June held one of her hairs, a shiny silver one, up to her face like a prize. “It looks like that other place is what’s giving you gray hair, darlin’. Being home isn’t what’s doing that for you.”
“I have to go out for a while. Will you two promise to stay out of trouble if I promise to figure out how to get you to bingo tonight?” Melanie cringed as she remembered how difficult it was to get her mother and her leg into the backseat of her car to drive home from the hospital, but if this pact kept them settled and safe until she got back it was worth it.
Her mother perked up and smiled, but June groaned. “I promise!” Merry said quickly, then elbowed June, who hadn’t responded. “Promise, June or we won’t get out of this prison,” she growled. June shot Mel a glare, mumbled a promise then picked up the remote control and flipped on the television.
Mel walked out of the room with excitement building as she headed for the front door and blessed freedom. Her hand gripped the door knob, but she stopped when her mother yelled,
“Tell that handsome sheriff we said hello!” Both women cackled like the hens that June mentioned a few minutes ago, and Melanie’s face heated.
How in the hell did they know where she was going?
She opened the door, walked out onto the porch and quickly figured out it wasn’t by providence when she saw the handsome sheriff’s SUV in the driveway. Brock got out and walked toward her, and the expression on his face said he wasn’t happy.
Chapter Nine
‡
“What’s wrong?” she asked, moving down the steps to meet him.
“Let’s just say thank the Good Lord I didn’t marry that woman,” he grated through clenched teeth, his eyes sparking angrily in the shadow of the brim of his hat.
“What woman?” Melanie asked, shaking her head.
“Lucy Morris,” he replied, making her name sound like a curse. “She just dropped me off at the station and didn’t leave until she laid down the law to me about me seeing you and about you treating Brady. I told her I’d show her the law, because I’d see her in court.” He huffed a breath, and his lips pinched. “But she knows as well as I do, I don’t have the money for it.”
“How did she know we were together today?” she asked.
“Brady liked you, so he decided to tell her all about you and our trip to the ranch. He also said I must like you a lot too because I kissed you when I dropped you off earlier. Needless to say that didn’t go over well.”
Melanie imagined it didn’t and a secret little immature thrill raced through her that Lucy Morris was evidently jealous of her. Is that glass slipper pinching on the other foot Miss Prom Queen?
“What did she say?” Melanie asked.
“She said if I continued to see you, I can’t see my son. She doesn’t want you around him.” Brock grabbed her shoulders, and his eyes turned glassy. “I’d threaten to cut off support to counter her, but that would only hurt Brady since she doesn’t work. She knows I love that kid, and is using him to manipulate me, but she’s going to learn that isn’t going to work.” He groaned, as his hands fell away. “And none of this is your problem. I’m sorry for dragging you into this drama.”
“Take a deep breath, Brock,” Melanie said, reaching out to put her hand on his arm. “You didn’t drag me into anything. After seeing how sick Brady looked yesterday, hearing what you said to Lucy, I knew I needed to help you figure out what’s wrong with him. That’s why I was at Dr. Carter’s office today. I was looking for Brady’s file, not mine.”
His eyes flew to hers. “You lied to me?” he asked, his voice an octave higher.
“I shouldn’t have been looking at anyone’s records in there but my own—it was unethical, because you didn’t give me permission.” Her little foray through his medical file had been too, but she wasn’t going to mention that. “I didn’t find the file until after you asked me to help you, but I’m sorry I lied.”
“It’s fine,” he said with a huffed breath before he pulled her to him for a quick hug. “I’m just so damned glad you decided to help me, because up until now I’ve been alone with my worry and watching my son get worse by the day.”
Alone. Brock was evidently as alone here as she was in Texas.
She wondered where his parents were, because she was sure if they were still in town he would’ve mentioned them, or gone to them for help.
“Brady is a good kid, and I’m glad to help him…and you,” Melanie said, feeling her cheeks heat. “I just don’t want to cause problems between you and Lucy, so maybe you should find someone else to help you. If you can’t see Brad—”
“There’s nothing to come between where Lucy and I are concerned. I despise her and I don’t care what she says,” Brock growled, his eyes fierce.
Hearing that freed something inside of her and a strange exhilaration filled her. “I know you’re busy at the sheriff’s office and ranch, but I can—”
“I called the mayor and told him I’m taking the two weeks I’m owed in vacation time effective today. I can’t think of a better way to spend it than with you, trying to figure out what’s going on with Brady…something his mother doesn’t seem all that concerned about.”
This man trusted in her ability to heal his son, who he obviously loved with all his heart. His words conveyed he had every confidence she would figure this out. That was a heavy burden, but an awesome responsibility too and she was determined not to fail him. His kid’s life depended on her success. But they needed more information first and because Lucy was being such an uncooperative bitch, she would probably make it difficult to get that information.
“There’s really nothing more we can do until you can get those other medical records and lab reports,” she replied.
“That’s why I’m here. I want you to come back to the ranch with me to go through the bills so we can start calling those doctors. Maybe you can see from the bills what kinds of tests were done so I know what to ask for?”
“Just ask for his entire record, and it’s probably better if you do that part on your own so you don’t poke the bear…because they may call Lucy.” Melanie tossed her thumb over her shoulder. “And I’ve got to take care of my mother and au—”
“I need you to help me, Melanie…please,” Brock begged, his voice choked.
Having this man tell her he needed her was like when the child in the Willie Wonka movie was handed the golden ticket. She’d wanted to hear those words so badly for so long—and he’d just said them. No, they weren’t in the context she’d fantasized about at sixteen, but it was close enough.
He told her I must like you too, because I kissed you when I dropped you off. And God, she wanted more of those kisses.
“Do you like me?” she asked, stepping closer to put her hand on his chest.
“Of course I like you,” he replied, looking confused.
“Was Brady right? Is that what the kisses were about?” Melanie needed to hear him say they weren’t just about thanking her.
Brock’s eyes darkened and fell to her mouth as he put his hands on her hips to pull her closer. “Come to the ranch with me and I’ll show you what they were about,” he said, and one corner of his mouth ticked up. “Brady won’t be there to interrupt us.”
“Okay,” Melanie replied, her voice coming out as a squeak when it squeezed past her heart, which pounded in her throat. “I have to be back here by five, though. Mom and Aunt June have bingo tonight.” He smiled, that dimple popped, and her heart melted to her toes leaving a warm oozy feeling behind.
“I promise to have Cinderella home on time so the evil sorcer
esses don’t turn you into a pumpkin for making them miss bingo.” He punctuated his playful words by leaning in for a much-too-quick kiss before pushing her away.
Surprising her, Brock reached for her hand and tingles danced up her arm as he pulled her toward the SUV. He stopped to open the passenger door and waited for her to hop inside then shut it with a smile and a soft click, before skirting the front of the truck to get behind the wheel. Melanie glanced at the house as he backed out, and fought back a groan when she saw Aunt June at the living room window grinning from ear to ear.
As they drove through town, Melanie slumped down in the seat trying to make sure no one saw her with Brock. She knew how the information pipeline worked in this town, and if someone saw her with him, Lucy could know before they hit the city limits.
No matter what Brock said, she did not want to be the cause of him not being able to see his son. The way Brady’s health was deteriorating according to him, Brock needed to be able to keep an eye on him.
Once the roadway became lined by trees and turned into undulating hills, Melanie sat up and rolled down her window. A rush of cool, pine-scented air blew into the cab, and Melanie inhaled deeply. It came out in a rush that carried all the tension in her body with it.
“Don’t you love that smell? There’s nothing like it anywhere else on earth,” Brock said, not looking at her. “That’s why I moved back here when I washed out of football.”
Melanie turned in the seat to look at him. She knew that was professional football he was talking about, but couldn’t let him know that.
“In college? Why’d you wash out? Didn’t you finish your degree?” she asked, feeling guilt tug at her conscience.
“Yeah, I finished—pre-law degree,” he said glancing at her. “Instead of going to grad school, though, I was recruited by the Carolina Cougars and played one year of pro ball.” He looked back at the road, and shrugged, but Mel noticed his hands tighten on the wheel. “After I tore my ACL they didn’t have much use for me and I didn’t have the drive to go back to school, so I came here and bought the ranch.”
