by Kayla Perrin
And maybe for him it wasn’t. The little she’d read about him in the tabloids indicated that fidelity was something he wasn’t interested in. Maybe Ella had finally gotten smart and put her foot down.
Aaron narrowed his eyes as he regarded her. “Do you really think I’d be dancing with you like this if I were married?”
Melissa hesitated. She wanted to say no, but how could she? Celebrities were a different breed, and their behavior often left a lot to be desired.
“Don’t celebrities live by their own code?” she countered.
“So that’s a yes? Even with my parents here?”
“You’re a grown man. They certainly can’t stop you from doing what you like.”
Aaron narrowed his eyes as he regarded her. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but she could see his disappointment.
“I wouldn’t bring dishonor to my parents, Melissa. I thought you would know that.”
I know nothing about you was what she wanted to say. But when she saw Arlene whizzing toward her behind Aaron, her body sagged with relief. Thank God. She needed an excuse to escape Aaron and this uncomfortable conversation.
But as her sister neared her, Melissa’s relief turned to concern. “Arlene, what’s wrong?” she asked, seeing the stress on her sister’s face.
“I need a ride.”
“What is it?” Melissa asked.
“Aaron, I’m really sorry to interrupt you guys,” Arlene said.
“No problem,” Aaron told her.
Arlene took Melissa by the hand and led her away, throwing an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Aaron. “I’m sorry, Mel.”
Melissa waved at her concern. “No, don’t be sorry.” In fact, she could thank her sister. Her interruption was perfect timing. “What’s wrong?”
“I came here with Maxine, and I don’t want to disturb her. She’s having fun.” She blew out a harried breath. “I need to leave.”
“Why?”
“Raven is pitching a fit and I’ve got to go deal with her. The babysitter says she won’t settle until she sees me. Who knew four-year-olds could wield such power?”
Melissa’s worry abated. She’d feared something worse was going on. “She’ll probably calm down in a little bit.”
“She’s been acting out since Craig and I split,” Arlene explained. “She’s having quite the tantrum, apparently. I’d really better go now. If we’re going out later and I can get her down, I can have the babysitter stay with her for the night. I know this is inconvenient, but do you mind giving me a ride?”
Melissa threw a glance over her shoulder at Aaron, saw that he was still looking at her. He probably wanted to pick up the conversation where they’d left off.
No, thank you.
Melissa faced her sister and gave her a reassuring smile. “No problem at all. Let’s go.”
“Thanks, sis. You can always come back.”
“Naw, I’m good. Plus, I’ll see the girls later tonight.”
“Let me say goodbye to Tasha and Ryan and Cyrus and Cynthia,” Arlene said.
Together they found Tasha and Ryan, then the Burkes and said their goodbyes.
“It was so lovely to see you again,” Cynthia said, holding both of Melissa’s hands. “It’s nice to have you back in town.”
“It’s good to be back,” Melissa said. She couldn’t help wondering if there was something to Cynthia’s smile and warmth. Had she jumped to conclusions seeing her and Aaron together?
“Okay, let’s get out of here,” Arlene said.
Melissa fell into step beside Arlene. Only once they were on the deck and away from the guests did Melissa ask, “Did you hear that Aaron and Ella divorced?”
Arlene’s eyes grew wide. “They did?”
Melissa had asked the question in part to gauge her sister’s response. Though she doubted Arlene would know and say nothing. Arlene genuinely hadn’t heard. Aaron had managed to pull off the impossible—keep a secret in this town.
“He told me when we were dancing,” Melissa explained.
“Oh my goodness! I knew they were separated, but Ella always told anyone who would listen that they were working on their marriage. Obviously, none of my friends heard or someone would have told me.” Arlene paused. “Can I share the news?”
Melissa shot her sister a sideways glance. “You just can’t wait to start making calls, can you?”
Arlene couldn’t help smiling. “Well, this is big news.”
“Aaron said they’ve finally started letting people know, just now, so it’s not a secret.”
“It’s not surprising,” Arlene said. “The stories of his cheating were rampant. I guess despite what Ella said, she finally had enough.”
“I guess so.”
Melissa led the way across the driveway and out to the street where her car was parked. Aaron clearly had a way with women. Not only was he gorgeous, he was charming. And successful. With his level of success came a certain amount of confidence. Of arrogance. Of expectation.
It was why he’d so easily put his arms around her and pulled her close on the dance floor, as if he expected that his mere presence would drive her crazy. She didn’t want to know how many women he’d seduced with that easy smile and just the right touch.
Still, her body couldn’t quite shake the hint of excitement his touch elicited.
Good grief, she was pathetic.
She pulled her keys from her purse and unlocked the door, then tried to shake off the memory of Aaron’s arms around her waist. A memory that brought her back to twelve years ago. Twelve years ago on the lake, under a moonlit sky, tenderly kissing the young man she’d thought she would love forever.
Losing her virginity to him.
That was ancient history, a very long time ago.
Melissa would do well to remember that.
Chapter 7
“I’m getting married!” Tasha exclaimed to everyone on the street as the bridal party exited their third bar.
There was some hooting and cheering from passersby, and Tasha threw up her hands and gyrated her body. She’d had at least three or four shots and was clearly feeling no pain.
It was just after midnight, and the bridal party was making the rounds in Buffalo’s downtown core. Arlene had begged off, deciding to stay home with her daughter, who had been fussing a little too much and wouldn’t settle. Melissa had also tried to politely decline the evening’s festivities, claiming that her long drive from New Jersey had left her tired, but Bonnie had insisted that Melissa attend.
“Tasha wants you there. She needs you,” the maid of honor had stressed. “This night is about all of us bonding as much as it is about Tasha’s last big night as a single woman. If everyone starts bailing, how’s she supposed to feel?”
Melissa had gotten the point and agreed to go out. She didn’t have a child to use as an excuse, after all, and figured that at least tonight she could truly unwind and relax.
Unlike during the welcome party, where she hadn’t been able to fully enjoy herself with Aaron around.
The five of them walked into bar number four, Tasha leading the way. Heads turned, just as they had when they’d strutted into the first few bars and when they’d walked down the street. All it took was a glance to realize that their group was out for a bachelorette party. Tasha was decked out in a plastic crown and veil, the word bride written in sparkling silver glitter on the crown. Strings of cheap plastic beads, Mardi Gras style, hung around her neck.
Wilma, Tasha’s aunt, walked right up to the bar and found a space between two people sitting on bar stools. No one could accuse her of being shy or lacking self-confidence. Despite being in her early fifties, she had as much energy and spunk as the thirtysomethings. She’d already had to fight off male admirers—which really seemed to please her.
Melissa and the re
st of the bridal party gathered close behind Wilma. “Ah, a bachelorette party,” the attractive bartender said, his eyes volleying from Wilma to the rest of them.
“Yes,” Wilma said. “My niece is getting married.”
“Niece?” The man’s jaw nearly hit the bar. “You mean she’s not your sister?”
Wilma blushed. Melissa got the feeling that if she weren’t happily married, she would leave a string of broken hearts in her wake. She probably had in her youth.
“You’re too kind,” Wilma said. The man sitting on the bar stool to Wilma’s left got up and walked away, and Wilma quickly took his seat. “We’d love a round of shooters. Flaming sambuca.”
Melissa opened her mouth to protest, but then stopped when the rest of the bridal party began to hoot and holler in agreement. They were having fun, and she wasn’t about to be the party pooper. Especially since they’d taken a limo to Buffalo for their night on the town, meaning they could all drink and not worry about driving. Wilma’s idea.
Besides, she was enjoying the camaraderie that she never got much of these days. As the program director at the Turning Tides group home in Newark, her days and nights were often filled with emergencies, bad behavior, court dates and dealing with one crisis after another. But it had been a long time since she’d gone out, let her hair down and had some fun.
“Five flaming sambuca shots coming right up,” the bartender said. “By the way, I like your shirts.”
Tasha beamed. “Thank you.” She had wanted everyone to wear T-shirts that announced their role in the wedding. They were lavender, one of the wedding colors, and bride, maid of honor and bridesmaid were printed in a white cursive font on the corresponding shirts. There was no mistaking that they were celebrating an upcoming wedding. They all had feather boas slung around their necks, adding to the look.
Bonnie leaned in close to Wilma and said, “We can’t spend too much time in here.”
Wilma glanced at her watch. “We’ve got a bit of time.”
“What’s going on?” Melissa asked, picking up on the air of secrecy. Bonnie and Wilma had been sharing quiet conversation for the last half hour or so.
Wilma raised her eyebrows and smirked as she looked at Melissa. “Just a little surprise for Tasha.”
Melissa regarded her with suspicion. “What kind of surprise?”
Wilma raised a finger to her lips and indicated for Melissa to be quiet.
Oh, goodness. Were male strippers a part of tonight’s plans? Melissa had not signed up for that! The last thing she needed was someone snapping a photo of her in some sort of compromising position and putting it on social media. Sure, no one would likely know who she was, since all of her social media accounts were set to private, but still. She’d never liked the idea of half-naked men dancing in front of her. What was the point?
Tasha sidled up next to her. “Shocking news about Aaron. I can’t believe he got divorced and no one knew.”
Aaron’s divorce had been the topic of conversation during their drive to Buffalo. The news had spread like wildfire.
“You think you two will hook up?” Tasha asked.
Melissa’s eyes bulged. “What?”
Two more people vacated seats at the bar, and Tasha hoisted herself up onto the stool beside Wilma’s. “I saw you and Aaron earlier. You both looked pretty cozy, like you were having a good time. At the time I wondered what he was thinking, but now that I know he’s a free man...”
Melissa’s face flamed. Then she chuckled uncomfortably. “Um, I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
“The two of you on the dance floor, getting up close and personal.” Tasha wiggled her eyebrows.
“What are you talking about? We were certainly not getting up close and personal.”
“You looked real comfortable to me,” Tasha insisted.
“Comfortable is the last thing I was feeling,” Melissa stressed.
“You could have fooled me,” Wilma chimed in.
Melissa’s head jerked toward her. “What?”
“See,” Tasha said, “I wasn’t the only one who noticed.”
Wilma reached beyond Melissa to high-five Tasha.
“You two are killing me,” Melissa said. “A woman can’t talk to a guy in our small town without it being scandalous?”
No one responded to her, because at that moment the bartender placed five shooter glasses on the bar in front of them and said, “Five flaming sambucas for the most attractive bridal party I’ve seen in ages.”
His eyes held Wilma’s for a long while before passing over the rest of them. Oh, he was a charmer.
And his charm was working. Wilma took a number of bills from her wallet—far more than were necessary. She was going to leave him a big tip.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Wilma asked.
“Peter,” he answered, then skillfully filled the glasses, which were set directly beside each other so that their rims were touching, with one long pour. Tasha watched wide-eyed, as though this was the most fascinating thing she’d ever seen. And when Peter then used a lighter to set each drink aflame, Tasha cheered and clapped, followed by the rest of the bridal party.
Except for Melissa. Though she was having fun, Tasha’s comment had her feeling a little...flustered. She hadn’t looked cozy with Aaron, had she? How could she? She’d been the complete opposite of cozy.
“Come on,” Bonnie said, pushing a drink in the direction of each woman. “Drink up, ladies.”
This night was taking Melissa back to her college days, though she’d never been a wild partier even then.
Tasha lifted her drink and held it high. “To Melissa getting reacquainted with Aaron,” she said in a singsong voice. “Who, I must say, is sexier than he’s ever been.”
The women all lifted their drinks and downed them, but Melissa didn’t. She stared at each of the women in turn, her stomach filling with dread. “What are you guys talking about?”
“We all noticed it,” Wilma said. “You and Aaron getting close...the way he was looking at you.”
“How was he looking at me?” Melissa regretted asking the question the moment the words left her lips.
“Um, as though he’d like to get naked with you!” Bonnie answered and started chuckling. “I’ve never even met the man before today and I could see the lust in his eyes.”
Melissa wished her sister were here to defend her. She would tell them all that they’d been imagining things.
“Quick, drink your shooter,” Maxine told her.
Melissa threw her head back and drank. Warmth immediately spread across her face. But whether the heat was from the alcohol or her embarrassment, she couldn’t be sure.
God, leave it to people in small towns to jump to conclusions. This was ridiculous.
“I haven’t seen Aaron in nearly twelve years,” Melissa said. “We danced. We talked. Is that what it takes to get people excited in Sheridan Falls?”
“Are you seeing anyone?” Bonnie asked. “Tasha tells me that you and Aaron dated the summer before college.”
Melissa tried to suppress her frown. She didn’t even know Bonnie, Tasha’s best friend who lived in California with her. How had Tasha managed to fill her in on her life?
“I always thought they’d make it work,” Tasha said, and her expression became wistful.
Melissa wondered when this evening had become about her. Wasn’t it supposed to be about Tasha?
“You aren’t seeing anyone, right?” Tasha asked, her eyes lighting up with hope.
“Not right now I’m not,” she answered. “But what does that matt—”
“That’s a start,” Bonnie said. “You’re single, and now so is Aaron. So there’s nothing to stop you from reconnecting.”
Why any of this was of interest to Bonnie, Melissa didn’t know.
“I just
want her to find love,” Tasha said, and Melissa suspected it was the alcohol talking. “I want everyone to find love.”
“Who’s talking about love?” Wilma asked. “If I were fifteen years younger and single, I know what I’d be doing. Heck, if I were just single...it’s a good thing I’m happy with George.”
“Now that’s what I’m talking about,” Tasha said. She high-fived Wilma, then Bonnie.
Melissa frowned. What was this? Some sort of conspiracy?
“You all are crazy. Actually, you all are drunk,” Melissa corrected herself. “I see a guy again after twelve years and you think that I’m going to what—get married?”
“Get naked,” Wilma clarified, and chuckled.
Melissa felt hot again, and was desperate to change the subject. She turned to Maxine, Tasha’s older sister, and the one who didn’t seem quite as boisterous about her and Aaron.
“What about you, Maxine? Have you been dating since your divorce?”
“I kinda chased Carlton for a while,” she said, speaking of Aaron’s older brother, the oldest of the four Burke boys. “But I just made a fool of myself. I don’t know about that guy—he seems to have eyes for no woman.”
“You don’t think he’s gay?” Bonnie asked.
Melissa doubted it. News like that would have definitely gone through Sheridan Falls like wildfire.
“No,” Maxine said. “I just think he’s...moody. He seems to focus all his attention on running the inn. Plus, since his wife left and went back down to Arkansas, he’s kinda been a recluse.”
Melissa couldn’t help thinking that this felt a lot like old times. Girls talking about the Burke brothers. Which one they liked. Which one they hoped to be fortunate enough to date.
It was pathetic.
She had been one of those pathetic girls, but her interest in Aaron had never been about landing a Burke brother. Yes, the Burkes had been the most talked-about bachelors in town back in the day, and apparently they still were. They came from a great family, were successful in their own right, and their sexy looks only added to their appeal.
Melissa’s connection with Aaron had been forged from a mutual bond of friendship that grew over that summer twelve years ago when they’d worked together. In fact, at the start of the summer she had vowed to never date Aaron, or any other Burke brother, for that matter. But something about him had gotten to her, and he had touched her heart. His compassion for the kids they were counseling, his easy humor. And like a typical girl, she’d fallen. Hard.
