by Emily Duvall
“You let me fight for him.” Melanie pounded her fist on the table. The strain of her breathing and the dizziness in her head overcame her. “You allowed me to defend him.”
“Nobody else could know, not your aunts, your father, even the pastor. I sheltered you from having to face other people eager to judge you and treat you like an outcast. To know what Mark almost did is an awful weight to carry. I’ve had to live with this.”
Mouth agape, Melanie got up from her chair. “Luke’s been right. About everything. I—I have to get out of this house.”
“Where are you going?” Leslie stood up and tried to get in Melanie’s way.
Melanie sidestepped her mother and warned, “Don’t follow me.”
Straight to her bedroom she went. The small room boxed her in as she grappled with the revelations of the morning. The room confined her and she felt claustrophobic. She changed out of her pajamas with her mind speeding faster than she could keep up and she re-opened the suitcase she hadn’t yet put away and began loading clothes inside.
Jessie opened the door and stood in Melanie’s room with tears streaking down her face. “Listen to what I have to say.”
“No.” Melanie continued packing and zipped her bag. “You could have stopped me from going to Maui.” She lifted the bag off the floor. “Get out of my way.” Melanie pushed by Jessie and nicked her shoulders.
Three feet down the hallway, a disturbing thought entered her mind and she turned back around. “Where are the tourmalines?”
“I don’t know, really,” she said like a child.
“You’re lying.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jessie flattened against the wall. “I honestly don’t have a clue.”
“Mark stole them, didn’t he? What did he do with them?”
“I don’t know.”
Melanie dropped her purse and rushed over to Jessie’s room. Jessie stepped back and missed Melanie’s body by an inch. Melanie plowed into the room. She opened drawers. She tossed out clothes. Jessie yelled at her to stop, but Melanie didn’t hear. She moved to the desk and rattled out the drawers. Nothing but papers and pens and flash drives.
“Stop it!” Jessie shouted.
“I’ll search this entire house if I must.” Melanie kept digging and rooting through Jessie’s belongings. She looked under the bed, in the nightstand, in the closet. The clothes fell off the hangers into colorful piles on the floor. “You’re willing to lose me as a sister over one more lie. Where do the lies start? Where do they end? I resent the way you and Mom handled everything. Don’t you think I’d struggled to ignore the evidence against Mark? Don’t you think I felt the doubts? That I heard the conflicting pieces of Mark’s story versus Luke’s? Thanks to the two of you feeding me bad information and false hope, I kept those opinions to myself.” Melanie stumbled backwards out of the closet, tripped on a shoe box and landed on her rear with her heart in her throat. She breathed heavy. She fought back tears.
Leslie stood in the doorway. “No more, Melanie.”
She looked up to her mother. “Do you know about the bag of tourmalines?”
“I don’t know anything about them.” Leslie shook her head and glanced at Jessie. “Do you know?”
Jessie closed her eyes and pursed her lips. “I promised Mark I’d keep them safe.” The lie crumbled at her feet and tears rolled fast down her eyes and over her cheeks. “Mark broke into Luke’s apartment and he stole them. He asked me to pick them up from his apartment and I did. I got there before the cops arrived and I took them home. He asked me to keep them for safe-keeping, for a financial boost if he should go to prison. He didn’t know if he could trust you, given your involvement with Luke. He asked me. He’d never asked anything of me and I wanted to do this one thing for him.”
A suitcase on the top shelf in the closet tumbled down. Melanie flinched. It missed her by inches. “They don’t belong to you.”
“Jessie, give them up,” her mother said. “Enough is enough.”
Jessie’s indigent expression reached her eyes. She took a long breath, stepped over the suitcase, and into the closet. She reached up to a boring beige shoebox and pulled it down. She sat down next to Melanie and took off the lid. A mesh of tissue paper covered the navy velvety bag she pulled out.
“I only looked at these on the night Mark gave them to me. I’ve never touched them since.” She undid the string on the bag. “Hold out your hands.”
Melanie’s palms came together. She held her breath. “Okay.”
Jessie poured them out. A cascade of Paraiba Tourmalines the color of paradise poured into Melanie’s hands. The color alone transfixed Melanie and dulled everything else around her. The sunlight played off the electric blues. They flickered with each small movement of her hands. A soft grin rode up Melanie’s lips. They were here, in her hands, and they humbled her beyond words. Luke had been right. These couldn’t be anything other than unforgettable.
Melanie put them back in the bag and closed the drawstring. She stood up and walked around her sister only to meet her mother’s teary eyes and red face in the hallway. “I’m not coming back for a long time.”
“I know,” Leslie cried.
Melanie squeezed the bag full of gemstones. They would remain with her until they could be returned to their rightful owner. “I have to get my suitcase.” She walked out of the room, grabbed her bags, picked up her purse, and walked out of the house.
The front door closed behind Melanie and she didn’t look back. She called a cab and waited close to an hour to be picked up and taken to the airport. While she waited, she did so without one thought of going inside. They couldn’t change her mind. They couldn’t apologize their way out of this. The blue-and-white cab pulled up to the curb and Melanie swore she heard the front door open a little. She wouldn’t ever know.
The familiar smell of cleaning detergent hit Melanie’s senses upon entering the airport. The sound of her footsteps squeaked all the way to the ticket counter where she bought a ticket back to Maui. Nerves washed through her at the possibility of Luke turning her away, but she needed to see him and tell him in person all that her mother and Jessie had been keeping from her. If he told her to get lost, she’d get lost. She’d take the next flight to anywhere and start a new life, without her family, without him, and one day she might come home to collect the rest of her belongings. No family is better than a lying, betraying one.
The short check-out lines made getting through security a breeze. Whenever she wasn’t in a hurry to get some place, she found herself with more time than she knew what do with. It’s not like she could buy a book or read a magazine, not with the conversations she replayed in her mind.
She took a seat on one of the connected chair benches and took out her phone. She toyed with the idea of calling Luke. The possibility of him not picking up and not calling her back felt too big a risk to take. She put her phone down, only to have the screen light up with an incoming call. The sight of the phone number twisted Melanie’s stomach around. She glanced around at the chairs, empty except for a businessman typing fast and eroding away the keyboard on his laptop. Indecision plagued Melanie and her hand rested on the phone. She took a deep breath and answered with all the warmth of a drill sergeant, “Hello, Mark.”
“Hi, Mel,” he answered.
She said nothing.
“I feel bad about how we left our last call. I want to see if we’re okay. Are you…are you busy?”
“I’m busy.”
“Can you talk?”
“Can you live with yourself?”
“Excuse me?”
Melanie crowed. “You heard me. Tell me how you can live with yourself for dragging me through your crime. You exploited my loyalty. You took advantage of me. I’ve been fighting for you for way too long. I’m done.”
“I don’t know what line Luke’s feeding you. I know how convincing he can be. Don’t fall for his persuasive tactics.”
“You assaulted the
man I fell in love with. You were going to wipe him from this earth.” Melanie caught the businessman staring at her and he quickly lowered his head and went back to typing. “I won’t help you anymore. I’ll write to the parole board myself and beg them not to let you free and if you do get out, don’t call me. Don’t ever talk to me again.” She ended the call with a shaky finger. “You’re on your own,” she said to no one.
The crew member standing behind the airline counter picked up the phone and announced boarding would begin in a few minutes. Melanie got in line and boarded the plane. The seat she occupied by the window captured the colorless buildings and aged palm trees surrounding the airport. Smaller planes sat off to the side on the runway and she closed the shade on her window and closed her eyes. Whatever the future held, she would face it with her eyes wide open.
Chapter 27
The weather on the morning of the wedding became a bride’s worst nightmare. Lightning struck outside and the lights flickered above. The weatherman promised a clear afternoon and evening, despite the current choppy conditions.
“I can’t remember if rain is a good or bad omen for the wedding,” Brent said and pointed at the barrel of thunder rolling through the gray sky.
“Are you going to give me the necklace or do I have to call my lawyer?” Damon joked and reached at the garnet dangling from the white gold chain.
Karen Adams had worked fast and got the necklace to meet Luke’s exact criteria. Damon had wanted a ring, but Luke thought a necklace showed off the stone much better. “When are you going to give this to Felicity?” Luke said, handing over the final product.
“After the ceremony, while we’re on our honeymoon. We leave tomorrow morning for Portugal.” Damon whistled. “I still think this should have been a ring.”
The reluctance Luke felt in handing it over stemmed from somewhere inside of him. A glimpse of the future he’d wanted with Melanie. The necklace should have been hers. A stone like this deserved to sit on her graceful neck, not in some showcase window in his house or on another woman’s body. He tried not to think about all that. She was gone. Luke let go of the necklace. “I don’t want this.”
Kendra came over to him at the moment Damon made an excuse and left them. She motioned to the tables leaning against the wall. “Has Damon thought of an alternate plan if the rain doesn’t clear?”
“We’ll have to have the ceremony inside and set up for the reception after. The interior of this house will be fitting for Felicity and up to her standards. I don’t want the weather to ruin her day, even if my brother is going to ruin her life.”
Kendra’s mouth opened slowly and she shook her head. “How will he ruin her life?”
“You know how my brother acts. Damon has trouble making it past a mirror some mornings.” Luke scratched his chin and angled his face. He decided to confide in Kendra. “The other night I caught Damon and Melanie sneaking out of the house.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
“Never mind. I think we should talk about finding a replacement speech therapist for Vivian. I already have an appointment set up with her pediatrician late next week.”
“They weren’t sneaking out.”
Luke’s gaze riveted on Kendra. “I’m talking about Vivian.”
“I don’t think…I mean…you’re the one Melanie wants. She’s in love with you. Don’t you know? Can’t you tell?”
“I don’t want to hear Melanie’s name mentioned again. Now, about Vivian—”
“I don’t think you should be so quick to hold that against her. Maybe she needed to talk to Damon. They might have had business.”
“Kendra. Don’t make excuses for her or my brother. The only reason I haven’t thrown him out is because of Felicity.” Luke shifted on his feet. The persistence in her eyes drew out an impatient sigh in him. “What?”
The commotion outside the front caused them both to turn their heads. “That should be the setup crew.” The doorbell rang and Kendra didn’t move. “I talked to Stevie, is Vivian okay?”
“She’ll be fine. I’m going to be taking a more active role in her care. Stevie’s not going to be her nanny any more. She’s family, so she’ll help out, but the lines haven’t been clear on what gets communicated back to me. The situation is too close for her to be objective with me.” The doorbell rang a second time. “Focus on the wedding, nothing else.”
Luke left Kendra at the bottom of the stairs and went up to his office. Tomorrow he’d brief Kendra on his plans to leave immediately and return to Belvedere. The summer vacation would end early. Without Melanie, without Stevie capable as a nanny, and Brent heading off to his temporary work for Chadwick’s, Luke didn’t see much incentive to stick around. Luke slid his hand up the banister and knocked twice at the end. Home is where he needed to be. The place he’d continue to run the company, raise his daughter, and keep his life settled and managed, the way he’d always done.
He entered the office and turned on his lights. Kendra’s discussion of Melanie riled up Luke all over again. The thought of her disloyalty roared through his mind and he sat down, opened his laptop, and began sifting through his work, when Brent knocked on his open door.
“Hey,” Brent said. “You’re not in the mood for the pre-wedding festivities?”
“No,” Luke quipped.
Brent walked in the room and took a seat. “I overheard Damon flirting with the wedding coordinator. A shame Felicity will have to put up with him. She’s actually a decent human.”
Luke’s gaze shot up to Brent. “I’m not in the business of getting involved in Damon’s personal disaster. I only care about if he does his job for us. He’s old enough to deal with the consequences of his decisions, and trust me when I say that I would not want to deal with Felicity on the day she finds out about his interest in other women.”
“I’ve been doing some thinking. This deal you made for me, working for one of the biggest diamond and gemstone mine corporations, have you given any thought to selling Trace to them and getting back out there in the field as a contract miner? I know you miss the hunts.”
“I have Vivian and I cannot be away from her for weeks or months at a time.” The chair swiveled slightly under Luke.
Brent lifted his eyebrows, causing wrinkles to appear on his forehead from long days in the sun. “About Melanie—I think we should talk about her.”
Luke’s fist hit the desk. “No!” The storm raged outside and blew over potted plants on the deck. It matched the maddening thoughts related to topics involving Melanie. Luke rubbed his hands together, powerless to undo the image that would forever have changed his mind about the woman he’d loved. And he had loved her.
He still loved her.
“I’m going to go downstairs.” Brent interrupted Luke’s thoughts. “Have a beer with me when you come down.”
Luke stayed in his office for some time after Brent left. The isolation and down time didn’t improve his mood. He’d rather be down at Seal’s and changing some rock into a gemstone. The lab at his home in Belvedere served as his outlet when he needed to get away from his thoughts.
The storm blew over by the early afternoon and left a scene of bold colors in the aftermath. The green in the plants shone deep like green sapphires. The brown of the dirt looked like fresh chocolate, and the shade of blue in the ocean emulated the sky. Luke drank a beer on his balcony and watched the wedding preparation from a distance. The crew of men walked the chairs and tables over to the patio and another crew hammered the trellis together off to the side of the pool.
“Mr. Harrison,” Kendra said behind him.
Luke turned.
“Isn’t someone down there looking for you?” The anxiety in Kendra’s eyes worried him. She never showed her softer, personal side aside from being mad at someone. “What is it?” he said impatiently.
“I’m fully prepared to accept my resignation.”
Luke set down his beer and folded his arms over his chest. “What are you talking about?”
The sound of a saw cutting wood ripped through the air. “I’m pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” Luke’s gaze drifted to her belly.
“I’m going to have a baby.” She patted her belly. “I’m entering my second trimester. If I didn’t tell you now, you’d find out soon enough on your own.”
“I’m sure we can work out something with your job.” He rolled his head. “You don’t need to quit today. Six months is a long time to come to a solution.” He wouldn’t tell her the baby would compromise her roll, but he had other, more stationary and less-demanding positions she could work at and remain in his company. “I’ve been looking for someone to work with Damon and follow his paperwork with more care. I don’t want you to worry. There’ll be a job for you, okay?”
“I won’t work with or for Damon.” Her head fell to her hands. Her shoulders moved up with her sigh. “I can’t work for your brother.”
“I’ll find you something else then.” Luke took her shoulders and she lifted her head and sniffled. “I thought you didn’t cry. Are you going to tell me what’s got you upset, aside from the pregnancy?”
Her face turned white. “You should know you’re wrong about Melanie.”
Luke’s teeth grinded. “Enough about Melanie.”
“She didn’t try to seduce Damon.”
“I don’t care.” An impatient hand ran over Luke’s eye. His teeth set on edge.
“You should care. I sent her there to talk to Damon.”
“Why would you do such a thing?”
“Because Damon’s the father of my baby,” she blurted.
Luke’s eyes flared. “What?” The men hammering the trellis chose this moment to pound louder and with more force than at any other time. Luke couldn’t think straight. “Tell me all of it. Now.”
“Damon hasn’t given me the time of day since he arrived. He refused to see me and he won’t talk to me. I had some information about the tourmalines and I made a deal with Melanie that I’d tell her if she could get Damon to meet me on the beach. I had to meet with him away from the house so no one would see us.” She snorted and wiped away a tear. “Of course you happened to be awake and misconstrued the entire plot. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I couldn’t stand the thought of Melanie being punished for something she didn’t do. Your grudge isn’t something I would wish on anyone. She deserves more and you need to know the truth.”
