Between Two Sisters (contemporary western romance novella)

by Shayna Ryan

  “This is hard for me, you know, Billy. I’ve known you a good bit of your life, before you moved away, and you’re a good kid. My two girls are all broken up right now because of you, and Cass has some hard feelings towards her sister about it. I can’t say I blame her. I blame you.”

  Billy’s cheeks colored with shame. He had always respected Mr. Haffner, and now he had gone and caused so much trouble within his family.

  “But you’re young, and young men make mistakes. We all do. Cass will get over it, in time. And don’t think I haven’t noticed how you and Melanie feel for each other; it was obvious, even when you were teenagers. I can’t say this whole mess surprises me, Billy, but I’m very disappointed in you, and Melanie.”

  His words cut Billy to the core. Mr. Haffner had been like a second father to him growing up, and the words stung as if his own departed father was saying them.

  “I’m sorry,” he offered. And he was. He was sorry for all the hurt he had caused everyone, and sorry for the disruption his return had brought into their lives. He wished he had never come back to the Haffner ranch, never met Cass, and never slept with Melanie. They all would have been better off if he had stayed away, and just let his dreams of Melanie burn bright in his heart instead.

  “What’s done is done,” Mr. Haffner sighed as he pushed his chair back to leave. “I think you and Melanie have a chance to go on to live a good life together, and I can’t deny that the Missus and I are excited about our first grandbaby, even in these circumstances. But you leave Cass be now.” There was heat in his eyes as his tone turned to steel. “If I hear of you dragging her around in all of this again, things will change between us. You got me?”

  Billy nodded solemnly. He couldn’t fault the man for his harsh words. If Cass were his daughter, he’d probably do the same. He was just trying to protect her.

  Mr. Haffner paused in the doorway to tell him one last thing. “You’re still welcome here, Billy, both on my ranch and in my home. But if I were you, I wouldn’t come to the house for a good, long while. Cass needs her space from you right now, and you’d be a fool to ignore that.” He stepped out and closed the door behind him without waiting for a reply.

  After he left, Billy sat down at the table again and laid his face against the cool, hard surface as he stared, unseeing, at the wall. In his mind, he kept replaying the exact moment when Cass realized the ring was for her sister, and not her. As long as he lived, he knew he’d never forget the look of shock and pain on her face when the truth hit her. The fact that he had caused her so much pain left a black mark on his soul.

  He lost track of time, but eventually, he heard light footsteps climbing his front steps, and then a timid knock at the door. He knew it was Melanie; Cass wouldn’t be so quiet, should she come looking for him right now.

  “I told Marty,” she announced as she stepped into the cabin. “Everybody knows now.”

  “So it’s done, then.”

  Melanie nodded. “Yes. It’s bad, but it could be worse, and at least it’s out in the open now.”

  “How’s Cass?” He couldn’t help himself; he had to know how she was.

  “Honestly? A mess. She won’t even talk to me right now. My mom’s with her. She’s taking it hard, but you know Cass- she’ll be okay in a few days.”

  Billy nodded to show he agreed, but inside he wasn’t so sure. Cass may have been a strong, resilient woman, but even a woman like that could be broken. She had said yes, when she thought the ring was for her. She felt strongly enough about Billy to agree to be his wife, and he doubted anyone recovered from losing someone they cared for in that manner so quickly. Cass had a long, hard road ahead of her. They all did.

  “So now what?”

  “Now my dad needs to keep you and Marty working on different things each day, away from each other!”

  “Do you think he’ll be a problem?” Billy knew he would be, if the situation were reversed.

  “I don’t think so. He’s mad as hell, and had a lot of unpleasant things to say about the both of us, but if you stay out of his way I don’t think you’ll have any trouble. I suspect he’ll leave the ranch soon.”

  “Should we still leave, if Marty goes?” He wanted to leave the Haffner ranch regardless of Marty’s choice, but he couldn’t make that decision unilaterally.

  “Yes, I think it would be best. Even if he goes, Cass will still be here.”

  Billy was tempted to give her the ring then. Not because it was the appropriate time but just because he couldn’t stand seeing her so unhappy like this. He resisted the impulse and kept the ring in his pocket instead. From what he gathered, Melanie didn’t know about it yet. He’d save that surprise for a better day.

  “I’m worried about you,” he admitted to her. “All of this stress can’t be good for you, or the baby. You look exhausted!”

  “I am. But I can’t go home; Cass is way too upset. Seeing me will only make it worse.”

  Billy bit his lip as he thought. “So stay here tonight,” he offered.

  Melanie thought it over. “For real?” She seemed surprised by his offer.

  “Yes, of course.” He rose from the table and pulled back the covers on his bed. “Come on, climb on in.”

  “Where will you sleep, then?”

  “I’ll sleep on the floor.” He felt ridiculous saying it, but he was trying to be a gentleman about it.

  “Don’t be silly. I mean, I’m carrying your child. There’s no need for you to sleep on the floor!”

  “Okay. I guess you’re right.”

  “Get used to it,” Melanie teased as she kicked off her boots and socks. She walked over to the bed, slid off her jeans, and hopped in with only her shirt and panties on. Billy did his best not to gawk at her, but then he realized that was ridiculous too. He and Cass were no longer together, and he was going to marry Melanie. Besides, he’d seen her in a lot less before.

  She slid into bed and looked at him expectantly. “Aren’t you coming?”

  “Sure. I just need a minute to get ready.” He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. Back in the main living area, he stripped down to his boxers, aware of Melanie’s eyes on him as he undressed. Once he was ready, he slid into bed next to her.

  It felt awkward, at first, having Melanie in his bed when they were both sober. Both of them were on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. She was the first to break the ice by turning on her side and pushing closer to him, so she could drape her arm across his mid-section. He hesitantly laid his hands on her arm as regret coursed through him. This was not the Haffner sister he wanted in his bed after all, but he had sealed his own fate with one reckless night. He would just have to get used to it, if he wanted to make it work between them for the baby’s sake.

  He could tell by Melanie’s breathing that she fell asleep quickly, but he lay awake for a long time, stroking her auburn hair and thinking about her golden haired sister. He almost had a good thing, but he had ruined it all, and now he had to face the consequences. As he listened to Melanie’s quiet breathing, he tried to convince himself that perhaps the consequences weren’t all that bad. Sure, he’d lost Cass, but he’d gained the woman that drew him back to the ranch in the first place. Maybe it was meant to be. Maybe this surprise pregnancy was a blessing in disguise in more ways than one. As hard as he tried to convince himself, he had a hard time believing it.

  The sound of glass shattering awoke him some time later. He didn’t know when he had finally fallen asleep, but he cast off his sleepiness immediately and climbed out of bed to investigate the source of the noise.

  Melanie opened her eyes and looked at him blearily.

  “It’s okay, Mel. Go back to sleep.” By the time he had slid on his jeans, she was back in dreamland.

  He hastily threw on his boots. If there was broken glass around somewhere, he didn’t want to step in it with his bare feet. Before opening the front door, he checked the front window and wasn’t surprised to see it was still intact. The noise had defin
itely come from outside the cabin.

  Slowly he opened the cabin door and peaked outside. It was a clear night, and the moon gave off enough light to see things decently. Nothing and no one stirred. Perplexed, Billy made his way over to his truck to check on it.

  The back window of his truck was shattered, and inside the vehicle he found the brick responsible for the damage. He cursed under his breath. He had insurance on the truck, so the only thing the repair would cost him was his time, but he was furious that someone had vandalized his truck. It had been Marty or Cass for sure, though he would be hard pressed to pinpoint which one was most likely responsible. Both had good reason to hate him.

  He decided the mess could wait until morning and headed back to bed. By the dim light of the side table lamp, he admired Melanie. She slept soundly, with her mouth open slightly and her waves of auburn hair spread out beside her. She was lovely, even in her sleep. Billy leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead as the love he felt for her bubbled to the surface. They had made a mess of things, that was for sure, but she was still the woman he had dreamed of since he was young. He tried to remember to be grateful she’d even agree to try to build a life together. She could have refused him, but she didn’t. Things could have been worse.

  In the morning, he awoke to an empty bed. Melanie had slipped out to return home at some point, and he hadn’t even heard her. He’d give her a call later, if she didn’t call him first.

  He downed a cup of coffee and went outside to tend to his shattered truck window. As he was sweeping up the shattered glass inside of his truck, Ramiro stopped by.

  “I heard, man. I told you, that blonde one, she’s trouble!”

  Billy set down the brush and dustpan and looked him square in the eye. “I don’t know what you heard, and I don’t care, but let me make one thing clear: this mess I’m in is no one’s fault but my own. Cass had nothing to do with it, and it wasn’t Melanie’s fault, either. It was my fault, my doing. I don’t ever want to hear you, or anyone else, blaming Cass.”

  Ramiro gasped. “You knocked up Melanie? Yeah, that’s a heap of trouble you made for yourself there.”

  Billy silently berated himself. He had stupidly assumed the rumors spreading around the ranch were the accurate story, but that was not so. He had just accidentally set the record straight, and now everyone would know it was Melanie, and not Cass, he had impregnated. With a sigh, he realized it didn’t matter anyway. The truth about that would be obvious soon enough.

  -12-

  Over the next few days, Melanie moved into his place, bit by bit. Living with Cass was unbearable at this point, and they agreed it would be better for her to get out of the house, away from her. Billy just hoped that Cass didn’t end up at the cabin, looking for either of them. It seemed unlikely.

  Mr. Haffner wisely assigned him and Marty jobs around the ranch that would keep them well out of each other’s way. Billy never so much as passed him in his travels, or Cass. They were all just trying to keep away from each other, and so far it was working. Word reached him that Marty had put in his formal notice and he would be gone in a few weeks, so soon he would no longer be an issue. No more vandalism occurred, and he had the back window of his truck repaired on Tuesday after the work day was finished.

  On Wednesday afternoon he received word that there was a job for him back at his former place of employment. The pay was a bit less than he was earning at the Haffner ranch, but lodging was included, and it was a start. The only problem was the position wouldn’t open up for a month.

  He broke the news to Melanie over dinner, and it was hard to read her reaction. She pretended to be pleased about the news, but he suspected that her heart wasn’t in it.

  “Do you want to stay?” he asked her gently. “I don’t have to accept the offer, you know.”

  She sat silently for a minute, then shook her head. “I want to go. We need a fresh start, away from this place. But you have to understand- it’s a little bit scary for me. This is my home. It always has been.”

  “That’s why we can stay, if you want to.”

  “I don’t think it’d be fair to Cass,” she explained simply.

  Things between them were going well, for the most part. It was taking some time, but Melanie slowly began to feel like less of a houseguest and more of a partner of sorts. They were both still adjusting to the idea that this was real, and they were a couple now.

  Billy still had the engagement ring, but he didn’t feel as though the time was right to formally propose yet. He wanted to wait until they felt more like a couple, and less like roommates. They slept curled up together, and they had even briefly kissed here and there, but the fire and spark of before were dampened for now. The whole situation was still too new, and their wounds were still too fresh. There was too much upheaval in their lives at the moment, and romance had taken a back seat for the time being.

  Everything was fine when they went to bed on Thursday night, but Melanie woke him up in the wee hours of the morning.

  “Billy,” she gasped as she shook him awake, “Wake up! Something’s wrong!”

  He sat up quickly and let his eyes adjust to the light in the room. Melanie had turned it on already, and one look at her face confirmed that something was terribly wrong. Her eyes were wide and terrified, and her complexion was ashen. Billy felt his mouth go dry.

  She threw aside the sheets to reveal a huge pool of blood on her side of the bed.

  Billy sprang into action. He threw on his jeans and jacket without bothering to throw on a shirt and pulled the comforter off the bed. He wrapped Melanie up in it, and carefully gathered her up in his arms.

  “C’mon. Let’s get you to the emergency room.” She clung to him as he gently carried her out to the truck. He forced himself to remain calm, but the amount of blood she had lost was alarming. He knew it would be faster to race her to the hospital himself, instead of waiting for an ambulance to make it all the way out to the ranch.

  As he sped through the empty streets, he tried to keep her talking. It was both to make sure that she hadn’t passed out, but also to keep himself from breaking down. If he had a job to do, he could hold it together, but he feared that the minute someone else took over, he would fall apart.

  He made it to the hospital in about half of the time it should have taken, if he hadn’t sped the whole way. He pulled up in the ambulance bay and laid on his horn before jumping out and gingerly pulling Melanie out of the truck. Her skin was clammy and she was barely responsive. Blood had soaked through the comforter, onto her seat.

  Nurses rushed up to him with a gurney for her, and he held her hand as they rushed her into the emergency room. He stayed with her until they reached a private room, at which point one of the nurses pulled him aside to gather her personal information. Billy made sure to mention the pregnancy straight away.

  “Any issues with the pregnancy?” the nurse asked briskly.

  “Not that we know of. She just scheduled her first doctor’s appointment.”

  “Do you know her blood type?”

  “No, I’m afraid not. Tell me- has she…has she lost the baby?”

  The nurse sighed. “We won’t know for sure until the ultrasound is finished. She’s lost a lot of blood, and she may need a transfusion. Are you her husband?”

  Billy cleared his throat nervously. “No, I’m her boyfriend.”

  “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait in the waiting room, then. Family members only at this point. Does she have any family in the area?”

  He cursed under his breath when he realized he hadn’t even alerted the Haffners to her condition yet. “Her parents- I haven’t had a chance to call them yet.”

  “You go do that now,” the nurse instructed as she finished filling out some information in her chart. “I’ll come find you if we have any more questions for you.”

  “Will she be okay?” He could barely get the words out. He knew losing the baby was possible, but he had to know if Melanie would recover.


  “The doctor will answer all of your questions,” the nurse deflected woodenly.

  Defeated, Billy followed the signs through the emergency room back to the waiting area. There were only a few people waiting there, and he took a seat in the corner furthest away from everyone else.

  He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the Haffner residence. He dreaded making this phone call, but it had to be done. He felt remiss in not doing in sooner, but there simply hadn’t been time. Getting Melanie to the hospital had been his top priority.

  Mr. Haffner picked up on the third ring.

  “This better be important,” he grumbled.

  “Mr. Haffner, it’s Billy. It’s Melanie, Sir. She’s in the hospital.” Mr. Haffner was silent on the other end of the line as he explained what had transpired.

  “We’ll be there in half an hour.” The line went dead in his hands.

  It felt like an eternity, pacing the waiting room, waiting for news on Melanie, and waiting for the Haffners to arrive. Eventually an older doctor came out and called his name, gesturing for him to come away from the waiting area so they could discuss Melanie’s status.

  “I understand you’re the father?” the doctor first confirmed.

  Billy nodded, anxious to move on with the news about Melanie and the baby.

  “Melanie has suffered a miscarriage, and a rather severe one at that. The hemorrhaging has been substantial, but we’ve got the bleeding under control now. She just narrowly escaped needing a blood transfusion, and she’ll need to stay in the hospital for observation for the next few days. I’m so sorry about the baby.”

  Billy stared at him as the news registered. “The baby’s gone? She lost the baby?”

  The doctor nodded. “I’m sorry.”

  “But Melanie will be okay?”

  “Yes. She should be able to get pregnant again in the future, and many women who miscarry go on to have healthy pregnancies down the line. There’s no reason against you two trying for another pregnancy in the future. I’m afraid we don’t know what caused the miscarriage, or why it was so severe. Sometimes there just aren’t answers for these things.”