by Dawn McClure
Cindy, her readers tucked nicely into her Karen haircut, raised her eyebrows. “Well I hope so. Isn’t that the morning you two got engaged?”
Cindy knew damn well that Mel meant John. “John. I kissed John.”
“And here I thought you were a good Christian.”
Mel closed her eyes and shook her head. “How many times have I told you? Christians don’t think they’re sinless. They make mistakes just like—”
“I was joking, Mel. Do you need one of my happy pills?”
“Probably.” She fiddled with the top of her mocha, and the urge to suddenly spill everything overwhelmed her. “I think I fell back in love with him, Cindy. Is that even possible? I was home for less than a week. Not to mention, when I accepted Liam’s proposal, my family didn’t exactly seem over the moon.”
“Probably because they’d never heard of him.”
“I’d meant to tell them. The right time had never popped up.” There’d been plenty of times she could have mentioned Liam. She just hadn’t. Cindy knew it. Mel knew it.
“And to answer your question, I know it’s possible. You know why? Because you never quit loving him.” Cindy stood. “Listen, I have to be in a meeting in five minutes, so here’s the deal.” She tossed a piece of paper on the desk. Mel picked it up. “These aren’t qualities you’re looking for in a man. They’re not qualities Liam lacks.”
Mel looked down at the paper. Chivalry. Great Father. Hard Worker. Selfless. Integrity. He loves you, dumbass.
“I added those last few qualities myself, just from what you’ve told me about him. Those are qualities you already fell in love with in John.”
Mel half laughed at the last bit. Leave it to Cindy to write something like that.
Cindy continued as she headed toward the door of Mel’s office. “You don’t have high standards, Mel.” Cindy turned, her hand on the sleek, stainless-steel handle of the door. “You have John standards.”
Mel was dumbstruck. She didn’t know what to say.
Cindy didn’t stop there. Looking around the office, she shrugged. “It’s just an office with a crappy view. I bet you can trade it for an even crappier view. You know. Hay bales and shit like that. Same job, different state.”
Mel felt them coming. The tears. She looked at the scrap of paper in front of her again. She couldn’t see words on the paper anymore. They looked like they were swimming. She heard the soft click of her door as Cindy left her office. Mel sniffed and pulled herself together. The walls of her office were made of glass. She couldn’t fall apart sitting here at her desk. She’d watched other women—countless women—at BDI lose their shit over a man. And now she was lining up behind them?
The hell she was. She knew what she had to do.
She sniffed one last time. Picked up her cell. Liam answered on her third attempt at calling him. “Sweetheart, I’m in the middle of showing a house.”
She ignored his condescending tone. “Where do you see yourself in five years?” She was literally wearing his ring, so the answer should be easy.
“Melanie, I’ll call you back—”
“Please, just answer. Where do you see yourself in five years?”
She heard him excuse himself from the potential buyers, his deep voice telling them that he had to take this important phone call. If he only knew. This was probably the most important phone call he’d received to date.
He hit on his goals as though he recited them nightly. “I’m going to be made a senior partner by the age of thirty. I’ll have a house in Hidden Hills. Timeshare in the Bahamas. Once settled, I’d like to have a boy.” He paused. “Why are you asking me this now?”
Wow, he only wanted a boy? Why not a girl? She ignored that little annoyance—because she’d told him that she couldn’t wait to have a little girl—and calmly explained why she’d asked him this question. “You left me out. You didn’t say that you’d be married to me.”
“That goes without saying. Need I remind you that you are wearing my ring?”
His parents—namely his dad—had wanted Liam to wed an affluent, attractive woman by the age of thirty. That age was approaching fast. And if Liam wanted that stake in the family business, he had to do what his father asked of him. His brothers were already married. Liam needed to check wife off the list. “Am I just filling a role for you? Because I’m afraid that’s what I’ll be doing by marrying you.” She closed her eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, Liam. I do love you. I just don’t know if we have that kind of love that should take us down the aisle to the altar. You’re a great guy but—"
“Mel, I have to go.” He snapped, interrupting her. “You’re talking nonsense and I’m busy working.”
They were both always busy working, especially him. Which brought to mind another question. “Would you ever coach our kids’ football team?”
There was a pause on the other end. “Why would I do that? Don’t schools have coaches? I have never played football. I played Lacrosse.”
She slipped her ring off. She didn’t need this phone conversation to tell her what she already knew. She wasn’t asking him questions to think about his answers. She already knew what she was going to do. “Liam, I can’t do this. I don’t think we’re meant to get married. We want different things out of life. Like I said, I don’t want you to think—”
He cut her off. “Did you take my ring off?”
His question surprised her. She looked down at the ring in her palm. In a quiet voice, she said, “I did.”
“Don’t lose it.” His command startled her, but he kept talking. “Mel, we’ll talk about this tonight. I’ll take you out to your favorite restaurant. But right now, you’re being irrational. But please, that diamond in the middle of the arrangement was my grandmothers. I can’t lose it. My aunt Teresa would kill me.”
He cared more about losing the ring than he did her. That was all she needed to hear. “It’ll be in the top drawer of my desk.” He started to say something, but she ended the call, tired of being talked over.
Suddenly, she felt she needed to leave. Needed to be out of the building. Catch a plane. Fight for John. She’d left for California again, and she hadn’t fought for what she truly wanted.
She grabbed her purse and her mocha and headed out of her office. She power walked toward Cindy’s office. When she passed the meeting room, she realized Cindy was in that meeting she’d mentioned. Cindy saw her through the glass. Mel smiled at her and wiggled her to-go cup, and she knew Cindy would understand what was happening. Mel mouthed thank you and made the motion that she was going to call her later.
Cindy smiled. That was all Mel needed. Mel darted down the hallway. When Mel got to the elevator, two women were coming out. Renee from human resources, and a new hire Mel didn’t know.
“I wonder if he’s from Texas or something,” Renee said to the new girl, smiling a mile wide.
“He looks like the Brawny man. He’s even wearing a plaid shirt and big brown boots.”
“Who’s the Brawny man?” Renee asked.
Mel frowned when she heard the women talking as they walked by her. She stepped into the elevator, thinking their mention of the Brawny man had to be a coincidence. John in California. She almost laughed out loud. That’d be a cold day in hell.
The elevator hit several stops before it hit the main lobby. Several people came in and out, bringing with them the smell of expensive cologne and perfumes, causing Mel to feel nauseated.
Or was that just because she was finally figuring out her life?
The second the elevator dinged, announcing her arrival at the main lobby, and the doors opened, Mel shot out of it, excusing herself when she bumped into a large man carrying a present. A large man wearing flannel. And boots.
The Brawny Man.
He’d shaved his beard. He looked so much more like the John she’d dated in high school.
“I don’t have enough money to retire, and I don’t like suits or glass or…” he glanced around the lobby. “Or all of this.” He turned back
to her. “But I love you. And I swear he can’t love you more than I do. If this is where you want to live, I’ll join you here and find a job. I was hoping you’d think to give me another chance.”
He held out the small box with a sprig of mistletoe taped to the top. She opened the box and John took the top for her. There was a framed picture of all of her family—and his. Their family. Her mom, her brothers, Tim’s wife and kids, Mike and his wife, and super intelligent Sarah. Sarah was holding a sign. “I told you Uncle John liked you.”
And John was in the picture holding two fluffy Golden Retriever puppies with red bows around their necks. He’d remembered what she’d said she’d wanted. The tears that had started in her office began fresh.
“I’d have come for you sooner, but I helped Ben and his mother find a place. I helped her get her job back at the bank. I realized I can’t take the place of Ben’s dad because at some point Jessica is going to find the person she’s supposed to be with. Ben isn’t a stray animal. I can’t keep him. Our relationship is more like a sponsorship, like that Big Brother, Big Sister stuff, and I take him to the movies or to a game every now and again. Maybe you could join us?”
John was a saint. A beautiful, wonderful man that ached to provide stability and a sense of home to those he loved. Yes, these were qualities she looked for in a man. John’s qualities.
She knew where she’d be in five years. It was simple. So very simple.
In five years…she’d be married to John.
Dawn McClure writes contemporary, small town romance set in South Dakota. Having lived in Illinois, California, Italy, North Carolina, Florida, Colorado and Michigan, Dawn can safely say her favorite place to live has been South Dakota. The weather is wild and so is the land. The people are great—and they're a little wild too. The town she currently lives in is home to a scant three hundred people, which was what prompted her to write small town romance. Having made the move back in 2009, small town living took some getting used to, but there’s just something about a quiet country evening you can’t get anywhere else.
Also by Dawn McClure
First book in the Dakota Cowboy Series. To read the first chapter, head on over to my website.
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Val’s Chili Recipe
2 1/2 Pounds Ground Beef
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1 Can Mexican Chopped Tomatoes
1 Can Regular Chopped Tomatoes
1 Jar Salsa (with beans and corn)
Salt/Pepper to your liking
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder (Or more, to your liking)
2 Cans of Dark Red Kidney Beans
Optional:
Sour Cream
Crackers
Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Green Onion
Jalapenos
Directions:
Brown ground beef with onions. Add all other ingredients except the red kidney beans—but add the juice of the kidney beans. Put the cans of kidney beans aside. Cook for ten minutes on medium heat, stirring often.
Add kidney beans.
Cook another ten minutes, stirring often.
Enjoy.
