by Amy Reece
“I can help too. I’m home all day and totally available.”
“Thanks, Mel. That’s really sweet. I will probably take you up on it.” He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed unenthusiastically, still looking exhausted.
“I don’t suppose there’s any way I could convince you to lie down for a while this afternoon? Maybe while I’m making dinner?” She wasn’t sure how he’d take her suggestion.
She was relieved when he laughed softly. “Yeah. That might be a good idea. Anna pushed me harder than usual today. I’m scheduled to get this cast off Friday, so she wants me to be ready, which translates to ‘let’s torture Finn especially hard.’ I’m sorry to be so lame. We can reschedule if you want.”
“I don’t mind at all. I don’t need to be entertained, Finn. So, this Friday, huh? No more wheelchair?”
“God, yes! Finally! I need to see if Cara can take me. At least this all happened in the summer when she’s on break from teaching.”
“Why don’t I take you?” She nibbled a carrot nonchalantly while she waited for him to answer. She didn’t know why she was so eager to torture herself by spending more time with him, but helping people came second nature to her. She could rationalize away her infatuation when it coincided with a chance to help.
He met her gaze with a half-smile. “You sure you want to volunteer? It will probably be a fairly long visit.”
She shrugged. “I don’t mind. I can take my laptop and get some work done. I really want to help, Finn.”
“Okay. Thanks. I really appreciate it. I can’t believe we just met for the first time a few days ago. I feel like I’ve known you a lot longer.”
“Maybe it’s because you read my book. It’s kind of like seeing deep into my soul, in a way.”
He smiled at her fully now. “That could be it. There’s nothing like reading a sexy scene written by someone you know. Makes a guy wonder.”
She could feel the heat rising in her face. “That’s not what I meant.”
He laughed. “I know. You’re fun to tease.” He finished his sandwich and carried both their plates to the sink. “I’m going to try to put in at least an hour of work before my nap. God, I sound like a four-year-old.”
“Well, if you’re good, I might fix some graham crackers and milk for you.”
“I was right. You’re definitely a smart ass.”
They worked in companionable silence for a couple hours before he yawned and excused himself to go to his bedroom for a short nap. Melanie knew how much the admission of weakness must cost him; it was obvious he was used to being strong and healthy. This recuperation had to be getting on his nerves. She silently promised herself she’d do whatever she could to keep his spirits up.
With that in mind, she put the chicken on to boil and rifled through his cabinets to see what she could come up with for a special dessert. She found nearly all the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies and a quick trip to her house for real butter and pecans—she much preferred them to walnuts—made it possible. She found his kitchen reasonably well stocked and organized, although much of the equipment seemed to be hand-me-downs, probably from his mother. She managed quite well and soon had a cookie sheet loaded in the oven while the chicken cooled on the counter. She fetched her laptop and opened Pandora so she could have some soft music while she worked.
An hour later, with the last of the cookies cooling on newspaper and the casserole tucked in the oven to bake, she peeked in on Finn. He’d been asleep longer than she expected and she had to check. He was on his back—the huge cast probably made any other position impossible—and Fluff was curled beside him on the bed. They made an adorable picture that completely melted her heart. I could so easily fall in love with him. But love was something she’d managed to avoid for years and she had good reason to still keep her guard up. Didn’t she? The reasons, once so clear, seemed to be fading swiftly from her grasp.
***
Finn
He dreamed he was eating chocolate chip cookies. He slowly came fully awake, the delicious aroma still with him, taking him straight back to his childhood. The small dog stretched and yawned beside him.
“Make yourself at home,” he muttered as he hopped into the bathroom and then flopped into the hateful wheelchair, out of breath. He scooped the little dog into his lap and followed his nose to the kitchen, where a glorious sight met his eyes: Mel bending over to pull a large casserole dish from the oven. He fully enjoyed the curve of her backside and the glimpse of her creamy thighs where her dress rode up. He’d be willing to bet they were as silky smooth as he’d dreamed—dreams which were occurring with uncomfortable regularity. Seeing this domestic side of her unleashed a sudden lust in him and he realized it was a good thing he was confined to his chair, otherwise he knew he wouldn’t have been able to resist stepping behind her and pulling her into his arms. Dinner would most likely be stone cold by the time he was through. What am I thinking? What happened to holding off on starting any new relationships until you’re at least fully mobile? Tatiana shredded your heart, you dumbass! But he knew exactly what happened—Mel. She was so different from any of the women he’d dated before; she’d sneaked in under his radar and now he didn’t want to hold off. And when he really thought about it, he realized the only thing Tatiana had truly shredded was his pride. How in the world did I ever convince myself I was in love with her? Maybe he did need to slow down. But she straightened at that moment and caught sight of him. Her smile chased any silly thoughts of slowing down clear out of his mind.
“Evening, Sleepyhead. You must have been really exhausted.” She set the dish on the stove. “Are you feeling better?”
“You know, I’m not sure. One of those cookies would probably make me feel pretty good, though.” He raised his eyebrows and gestured toward where they were cooling.
“Oh, really? One of these?” She plucked one off the counter and held it out to him, just out of his reach. “What do you say?”
He loved when she was in a teasing mood. “I say you are a goddess divine and I am your most humble slave.”
She laughed delightedly and gave him the cookie. “I was just looking for ‘please,’ but I’ll take goddess divine, since I don’t get it every day.”
He groaned in appreciation as he bit into the crispy, buttery confection. It was chock full of silky dark chocolate and toasted pecans. “This is amazing, Mel. I’m in heaven. You are a goddess divine. Marry me. Right now.” He wasn’t quite sure how that last bit had slipped out and quickly shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth to forestall any more verbal stupidity.
Luckily, she took it as the joke he’d originally intended and simply laughed. “We should probably get to know each other a bit more first. You’ll be a lot less enthralled when I get so wrapped up in my writing I forget to eat and don’t sleep for two days. It’s not a pretty sight.” She handed him another cookie. “That’s all until after dinner.”
“Yes, ma’am.” She was so cute when she was sassy. “Will that dinner be soon by any chance? I’m starving.”
“It’s nearly ready. I just need to toss the salad.”
She refused to let him help set the table, but handed him two cold beers to open for them. He loved the creamy, cheesy chicken spaghetti—he ate three helpings to prove it—as well as the salad and garlic bread. She insisted on stacking their dishes in the dishwasher and he swore to himself he would have her over as soon as he was mobile and she would do nothing but sit and eat. He felt like such a bum, sitting around while everyone waited on him. He insisted on escorting her home again, feeling like it was the absolute least he could do. She tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to be dissuaded.
He waited beside her, in front of her porch, while she fished deep in her tote bag for her house keys.
“If I even locked it this time,” she muttered.
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“Oh, I’m just being ridiculous. It’s nothing.” She shrugged and laughed lightly.
But he detected a strain to the laugh he didn’t care for. He reached out and clasped her hand before she could gain the steps. “Mel. Tell me.”
She stared at their joined hands for a moment. “It’s just that I thought I locked my kitchen door last night and it was unlocked this morning.” She shivered noticeably.
All his cop instincts suddenly went on full alert. “What else? Tell me everything.” He listened, growing progressively grim, as she detailed the feeling of being watched as she walked home from his house, the dishes that had mysteriously migrated into the dishwasher, and the unlocked door. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath. “Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.” He was already reaching for his phone. “Chris? You busy? Yeah, I need you to swing by real quick. Thanks.”
“Finn? What are you doing?”
“We’ll wait at my house.” He tugged lightly on her hand. “My partner is on her way. She’ll do a check of your house—”
“No! That’s ridiculous, Finn!” She tried to tug her hand free. “I can’t believe you called someone! How embarrassing!”
He held firmly and forced her to look at him. “It’s not, Mel. Trust me. Let’s go back to my house and wait for Chris. I just need to know you’re safe.”
She bit her lip and shrugged. “I’m sure I’m imagining everything. I shouldn’t have told you.”
“Yes, you absolutely should have. I don’t like the sound of this. It won’t take Chris long to check your house. I wish I could do it myself, but I can’t right now. Now stop whining and let’s go.” He tried a stern look.
She looked at him for a long moment before rolling her eyes. “Fine. You’re kinda bossy, you know that?”
He chuckled and ushered her to walk in front of his chair. “When it comes to the safety of—” He’d been about to say ‘those I love,’ but caught himself and finished with, “my friends and family, I can indeed be super-bossy. Get used to it.”
Once back inside his house, she busied herself making tea while he waited for his partner to arrive. When her car pulled up outside, he met her on the front sidewalk and handed her the keys he’d gotten from Mel. “Thanks for coming over, Chris.” He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. “It’s probably a waste of time, but I didn’t like the sound of what she was telling me. She’s not the kind to create unnecessary drama.”
“No problem. I’ll take a look around and be back.” She grabbed the keys and headed to Mel’s house. Finn waited for her on his porch.
She was back within five minutes. “Looks okay, but her locks are a joke. On the off chance there is someone messing with her, you should get her to install something more secure. A child with a bobby pin wouldn’t be challenged by hers.”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure she gets some better ones, even if I have to do it myself. You want to come in for a beer?”
“Sure. I’m dying to meet this girl who has you so wrapped around the axle.”
“I am literally begging you to not say anything, Chris. She’s…I don’t know—skittish is the best word for it.”
She smirked as she reached out to mess his hair up. “Don’t worry. I won’t scare her away. After all, she managed to get you to shave for the first time in weeks.”
“Shut up.” He could hear her laughing as she entered the house ahead of him. He followed her into the kitchen, where Mel was sitting at the table with a mug of tea. She appeared surprised as she gazed at Chris. “Mel, this is my partner, Chris.”
“Hi, Mel. It’s nice to meet you.” Chris shook her hand and took a seat. “Your house is secure and both doors were locked when I got there. I would get better locks installed, however. Yours are way too flimsy.”
“Oh. Okay. I had no idea.” Mel frowned into her tea. “I’m sure I’m imagining everything. I hate that you had to come over and check.”
“It was no problem. Thanks, Finn.” She took a long pull of the beer he handed her.
He offered one to Mel, but she shook her head and took another sip of her tea. He grabbed one for himself and joined the two women at the table. Chris was on her best behavior—thank God—and was engaging Mel in a bit of chitchat, obviously attempting to draw her out. He let them talk for the most part and simply enjoyed watching Mel’s face. She was so beautiful and he was kicking himself for living so close to her for nearly six months and not even meeting her. He knew he should slow down—he was on the rebound, after all—but fate, or whatever controlled his destiny—seemed to have other ideas. She had appeared in his life and he wanted her to stay there. He wasn’t going to rush anything, but he had every intention of getting to know his adorable, shy neighbor much better in the coming weeks.
Chapter Seven
Melanie
On Friday morning Melanie sat at her dining room table, struggling to finish a brochure design for a finicky client before she was scheduled to drive Finn to his appointment to have his cast removed. She wanted to be free for the rest of the afternoon so she could be totally focused on him. Not that she wasn’t totally focused on him every other moment of the day since they’d met. Can you blame me? Guys like him don’t drop into my lap every day! And he seems to like me for some reason. It had been so long since she’d enjoyed being with a guy and Finn was surely only interested in friendship, so all she had to do was keep her silly crush to herself. Her mother had drilled into her head from early on that an infatuation with a boy was strictly Melanie’s problem. It wasn’t the boy’s fault that she liked him and she should never make him uncomfortable by revealing her silly crush. Things like that stuck with a person even into adulthood.
The knock on the door made her jump; she was that deep in her work and daydreaming about Finn. She sighed and went to answer, hoping it would be quick.
“Hi! I’m Lena. I just moved in across the street.” The young woman on the porch was smiling widely, flashing white teeth in an extremely tan face. Her hair was bright blonde and surely not the color she was born with.
“Oh.” Melanie knew she sounded stupid, but she’d never been good with this sort of thing. “Um, hi. Welcome to the neighborhood.” She mentally chastised herself for her uncharitable thoughts and forced a friendly smile. “I’m Melanie.”
“Thanks. Listen, do you mind if I come in for just a minute? I’d love some coffee, if you have it. I can’t remember what box I packed my coffeemaker in.” Lena was already moving forward, not giving Melanie much chance to refuse.
“Uh, sure. Come on in.” Melanie stepped back to let the pushy woman in, although it was definitely not what she wanted to do.
“Thanks! So tell me all about yourself.” The woman followed her to the kitchen and took a seat at the table.
Make yourself at home. And I have no intention of telling you all about myself! “Well, I’ve lived here for about a year.” She reached for a mug and poured her new neighbor a cup. She didn’t know if it was still hot and didn’t really care. She reluctantly fetched the bottle of creamer from the fridge and set it, along with the sugar bowl, in front of Lena, somehow unable to completely forget about hospitality.
“Oh, thanks, sweetie! This may just save my life! I hate moving, don’t you? So what do you do? Are you married?”
Ugh! I do not want to chitchat with this woman! But Melanie knew what it was like to move somewhere new and not know anyone, so she swallowed her irritation, realizing it was mostly due to the interruption, not the woman herself. “I’m a graphic designer and I work from home. I’m not married. I lived here with my great aunt, but she died a few weeks ago.”
“Oh, that’s terrible! Well, you must have a boyfriend, as pretty as you are.” Lena took a sip of coffee, staring across the table at Melanie.
This is why I usually avoid conversations with people I don’t know. So intrusive! She chose to simply shrug—why was her love life any of this woman’s business, anyway?—and changed the subject. “So, what brings you to Albuquerque?”
“Oh, a messy divorce. You know how it is.” She took another sip
of coffee and then stood. “Well, those boxes are not going to unpack themselves. It’s so nice to meet you, Melanie. I just know we’re going to be great friends.” She left as abruptly as she had come, leaving Melanie rather dumbfounded.
“What the heck was that, Fluff?” The little dog sat up when he heard his name, but dropped his head back on his bed when it became obvious no treat was forthcoming. “You’re no help. Okay, I need to get this brochure done before noon. Now stop demanding my attention and let me work!” She smiled at the small dog curled up in his little bed. Fluff was probably the lowest maintenance dog in the history of dogdom and was pretty good company when she thought about it. At least he kept her from talking to herself. CJ had, as usual, left right after breakfast and was probably curled up on Finn’s couch.
She finished the brochure and sent it to the client, glad to have it done. She headed to her bedroom to change into something better looking than her yoga pants and t-shirt, but not as obvious as the dress she wore the other day. She chose a pair of black capris with a newish soft pink top that she felt good wearing. She couldn’t help wanting to look nice for Finn. She backed her aunt’s Lincoln Continental out of the garage and drove it the short distance to his house.
He was waiting for her on the front porch. “That is one heck of a luxury automobile,” he said with a chuckle. “I had no idea I would be going to the doctor in such style.”
“Well, it is a bit much, I guess. I’ll need to think about trading it in and getting something smaller. But for now it’s a lucky thing I still have it because I’m guessing your giant cast wouldn’t fit in a cute little car like the Mini Cooper I’ve got my eye on.”
