Her Cowboy Prince, page 8
part #1 of Once Upon A Western Series
“I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you.”
“I don’t think a quick trip into town is exactly an inconvenience. But if it makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel pressured to accept.”
“It’s not that. I just…” She paused, then shivered as the breeze shifted. “On second thought, a ride would be nice. Thank you.”
He smiled. “You better get used to a little bit of chilly weather if you’re going to survive winter in Montana.”
She stood, pulling her purse onto her shoulder. “That obvious, huh?”
“I’ve seen it before, lots of times.”
“Did any of those people freeze solid?”
“Not that I’m aware of.” As he headed toward his truck, she fell into step beside him.
“So why did a Southern gal move to Montana?”
“Just ready for a change, and it’d be hard to find a place more beautiful.”
“That’s true. I feel fortunate to have grown up here.”
“I can’t imagine what that was like, living on this ranch your entire life. It’s like something out of a western.”
“You like westerns?” That surprised him for some reason, though he couldn’t say what he thought she might like instead.
“I used to watch them with my dad when I was growing up.”
He heard a familiar sadness in her voice. “He’s gone now?”
“Yes, both my parents.”
“Any siblings?” he asked as he opened the passenger door of his truck for her.
She slipped into the seat. “Nope, only child.”
“There were times I wish I’d been an only child.”
She smiled. “I heard the same from friends with siblings, but you’re lucky.”
This time he saw the sadness in her expression, loneliness. The reason she’d suggested an old-fashioned Christmas for people who’d be alone for the holiday made total sense now. She was alone in the world, in a new place where it could at times be hard to fit in. People in Logan Springs were used to the people who’d grown up in the area and tourists passing through. It wasn’t often that the permanent population went up.
As he made his way around the truck then climbed into the driver’s seat, he thought how nice it would be for the Christmas events to be a success not just for the Peak View’s finances but also for the woman who was putting so much effort into them. Again, something tickled his brain, telling him that there was more to Melody Shaw than her housekeeping uniform would indicate.
“So, where to?” he asked as he slid his key into the ignition.
She indicated that she lived in the small apartment complex in town. As he drove away from the resort, Colleen’s assertion that Melody was interested in him replayed in his head. Was he a complete fool for even entertaining the idea of asking her out on a date? The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel uncomfortable. And he sure didn’t want her to abandon working on the Christmas plans because of it.
“So what do you think of Logan Springs so far?”
“It’s nice,” she said. “Everyone’s been friendly.”
“It pays to be in a town that caters to tourists.”
“True, but they seem genuine. I think that Lottie, this lady who runs Second Time Around, was a Southerner in a previous life.”
“Oh, I know Lottie. But then it’s hard to not know most of the people in a town this size.”
“I suppose so.” She sounded as if she didn’t have a lot of experience in that area.
“Not used to small towns?”
“Not really. But at least there’s no rush-hour traffic here like there is in Little Rock.”
Her being from Arkansas explained the accent. But it wasn’t the type of stereotypical Southern accent so often shown in movies. Something about her sounded polished, which just served to make him more curious about her.
“No, but there are traffic jams in the park during the summer due to wildlife sightings.”
As they passed his stargazing spot, Melody pointed out the window. “I stopped here again the other night. It really is a great place to check out the stars. You forget how impressive the sky can be when you’re surrounded by artificial light all the time.”
“Yeah. One of the reasons I don’t think I could ever live in a city. Plus, too noisy.”
He glanced over in time to see her nod. “When I first moved here, I actually had a hard time sleeping because it was so quiet.”
He turned onto the highway and headed toward Logan Springs. “I guess every place has its pros and cons.”
“True.”
“Have you had the opportunity to do much exploring since you’ve been here?”
“I drove through the park one day, a few short walks along the river. I may have fallen in love with the little bakery in town. I swear they must put something addictive in everything they make.”
He laughed. “Yeah, it’s called sugar.”
“Well, it’s evil.”
“I’ll be sure to tell my cousin that.”
She glanced over at him, confusion on her face.
“My cousin Dinah owns it. Her sister, Lena, owns the Big Sky Café.”
“How many cousins do you have?”
“Four.”
“All local? And do they own all of downtown?” There was a hint of humor in her last question, for which he was glad. He knew that it could look as if his family did own all of Logan Springs to those looking for a reason to dislike the McQueens, but Melody, thank goodness, didn’t seem to be among them.
“Yes and no. Brandon runs a river outfitter, but Matt is a park ranger in Yellowstone.”
“How’d he swing getting posted so close to home?”
“He didn’t initially. He worked three other places before he got back here.”
The drive to Logan Springs was too short. This was the first time he’d felt as if Melody had relaxed around him, and he was already turning into the parking lot for her complex. Instead of just stopping long enough for her to get out, he pulled into an empty space and put the truck in park. He wasn’t even looking at her and he’d swear he could feel the tension make a reappearance. Maybe this was a mistake, the biggest he’d ever made. And yet…
“Well, thanks for the ride,” she said as she reached for the door handle.
“Can I ask you something?”
She paused and looked over at him. “Sure.”
“You’re under no obligation to say yes. It won’t affect your job at all. But I was wondering if you’d like to go out sometime.”
For a few seconds that seemed to stretch like taffy, she didn’t say anything, didn’t move. He was pretty sure she didn’t even blink. But then she lowered her gaze.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He sighed. “Because we work together.”
“Yeah. I like to keep my life simple, and that runs the risk of complications.”
She wasn’t wrong, but he felt more disappointed than he’d anticipated. But he was a man of his word and he’d never been one to press, not asking a woman out more than once. He wanted nothing to do with anyone playing hard to get, and he didn’t get the impression that’s what Melody was doing anyway. Even though he hadn’t known her long, she didn’t seem the type to play games. Not like some women he’d known and thankfully no longer had in his life.
“Okay. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”
“It’s Saturday. I’m off on the weekends.”
“Oh, yeah. I lose track of the days sometimes. Monday, then.”
She nodded but hesitated for a moment before opening the door. “Thanks again for the ride.”
“Anytime. Have a good night.”
Not wanting her to think he was scary in any way, he left before he could even see which apartment was hers. All the way home he cursed himself for listening to Colleen. He could deal with rejection. He just hoped he hadn’t torpedoed Melody’s involvement with the Christmas plans while he was busy getting rejected.
*
Melody’s blood was still humming when she shut her door behind her. Justin McQueen had asked her out, and there’d been a sizeable part of her that had wanted to say yes. What woman wouldn’t? He was handsome, nice, successful. What wasn’t to like?
She leaned her head back against the door and closed her eyes. If only she didn’t have to live a lie, she would have said yes in a hot second. But then, if she didn’t have to live the lie chances were she would have never met him.
Was work going to be super awkward now? She hoped not because she’d been enjoying going to work more in the past few days than she had in the previous six months. And it honestly wasn’t just because she got to see Justin. Though it was a job that had to be done and she did it to the best of her ability, janitorial work was killing part of her. The part that needed more of a challenge, some excitement, some creativity and the ability to help people. Since the moment she’d agreed to help Justin with the Christmas planning, that part of her had come alive again and she didn’t want to lose it.
She’d just play it cool, act as if he’d never asked her out. Taking a deep breath, she pulled out her phone and texted Marty that she’d gotten a ride home. Then she tossed the phone on the kitchen counter and grabbed a soda from the fridge. No need to worry about the caffeine because there was no chance she was going to sleep anytime soon, not with Justin’s words still banging around in her head.
She picked up the remote but hesitated, not wanting to risk seeing Angelica on TV again. Pacing the entirety of her apartment took about half a minute. After chugging a couple more swigs of her soda, she tried working on her latest refurbishing project—a chest of drawers she wanted to use to store her increasing collection of rehabbing supplies. But even that couldn’t hold her attention. Finally giving up distracting herself, she took a nice, long shower and went to bed. And proceeded to stare at the ceiling while imagining all the things that might have happened if she’d given Justin a different answer.
*
Though she’d been convinced she’d never fall asleep, Melody did at some point. She distinctly remembered seeing three a.m. come and go, but her fatigue must have finally pulled her under. Consequently, she now had less time than she’d planned to go in search of a present for Lynn’s daughter and make it to the birthday party. She considered calling to say she couldn’t attend, but she’d already bailed on one potential relationship. Fostering a friendship with Lynn seemed way less dangerous than indulging in anything more than a working relationship with Justin.
She shoved away the memory of him asking her out and headed downtown. Thankfully, Marty didn’t have to work today and her car was her own again. If she knew her neighbor at all, he’d stayed up late and was going to sleep half the day away.
Having not ever met Lynn’s daughter, she hadn’t a clue what the girl liked. She was crossing her fingers that something affordable would jump out at her. After browsing through a couple of the shops on Main Street, the ones targeting tourists, she inevitably found herself on her favorite street in town. Alpine Street was filled with antique shops, junk stores and places like Lottie’s that fell somewhere in between.
“There’s my favorite customer,” Lottie called out the moment Melody walked in, causing the little bell above the door to jingle. “Got that chest of drawers done already?”
Melody shook her head as she approached the counter. “No, I’m in need of a birthday present for a seven-year-old girl and I’m afraid I’m clueless.”
“Well, you know what I always say.”
“That you’ve got something for everyone.”
Lottie motioned toward the vast array of items filling the shop, literally to the ceiling in some spots. “Take a gander. If you decide you still need help, holler.”
Melody couldn’t help but smile. Hearing Lottie’s accent made her happy and homesick at the same time. Though the homesickness wasn’t quite as acute as it’d been the first time she’d wandered in and met the other woman.
She headed off into the heart of the store, trying to put herself in the mind of a seven-year-old girl. What did kids even like now? She hadn’t been around many in recent years other than the occasional interaction with an employee’s child or during company-sponsored events. She hadn’t even really given much thought to children of her own. Work had always seemed uppermost in her mind, and there’d never been a romantic relationship serious enough to cause her to consider long-term commitment and starting a family.
As she meandered, she spotted the occasional antique toy but was aware enough that Jessie likely wouldn’t be a fan. The appreciation for older things came with age. Seven years old wasn’t that age.
But then she spotted a small wooden box about the size of a lunch box. Someone had painted it a pale pink and added “My treasures” on the top in a flowing black script. What little girl didn’t have treasures she wanted to save? Melody smiled as she remembered some of her own, things that would only have meaning to her. A pretty, smooth rock she’d found in the creek when her family had visited the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, one of those little valentine cards from a boy she’d liked in third grade, a shamrock necklace she’d won during a school carnival that ended up turning her neck nearly as green as a real clover.
“Whose birthday is it?” Lottie asked as she came near to add a small lamp to a nearby table.
“The daughter of a co-worker.”
“It’s good you’re making friends, settling in.”
Melody stared at Lottie, wondering what had made her make such a comment.
“Don’t look so surprised,” Lottie said. “Nobody comes into my store as often as you do who has a boatload of friends to hang out with.”
“I happen to like your store.”
“And I’m glad you do, but you forget that I was once the newbie transplant in town, too. I know how hard it is to wedge oneself into a place where everyone knows everyone and they all grew up together. Most of them anyway.”
“Why did you move here?”
“Let’s just say I was ready for a big change that was far away from South Carolina. I came out here to work in the park one summer and never left. Had some pretty lean years, but I was determined to make it work.”
It sounded as if Lottie had been running from something as well. Seemed the West was still the place people went when they wanted to start over.
“Want me to wrap that for you?” Lottie asked, suddenly changing topic and nodding toward the pink box.
“Please.” Melody followed as Lottie made her way back toward the front counter. As she passed a table full of boxes of jewelry, she noticed a necklace with—no lie—a little green four-leaf clover. It was so startling to see after she’d just remembered her shamrock necklace that it almost seemed like a sign. She didn’t typically believe in such things, but she grabbed it nonetheless.
“Well, that didn’t last long,” Lottie said when Melody placed the necklace on the counter. “Just got that at an estate sale yesterday.”
“It’s not really my style, but it sort of called to me.”
“And who among us couldn’t use a bit of luck?”
Melody smiled, thinking that it was going to take a lot more than any luck afforded by a necklace for her to have any hope of reclaiming her life. No, she needed to stop thinking like that. It would just lead to more heartbreak if Angelica never slipped up and gave the feds a reason to arrest her, some evidence that she was working with members of her crime family.
Even if that happened, it might not be enough for Melody to be safe to emerge from hiding from the Stenovia family—which had long arms, lots of eyes and a penchant for disappearing people even if no one could ever prove it. Angelica’s downfall might never happen, so she had to get on with the business of living her new life. And if a little clover necklace made her feel a tad more ready to do that, it was money well spent.
Chapter Seven
Melody expected to see little girls in princess dresses bouncing around Lynn’s house, hopped up from too much sugar. What greeted her was an array of superheroines in costume.
“What, you didn’t expect Supergirl to greet you at the door?” Lynn asked as she walked up behind the cape-wearing child.
“I was expecting tiaras and princess dresses.”
When the little blonde Supergirl made a face of disgust at the very idea, Melody couldn’t help but laugh.
“Jessie, this is my friend from work, Melody.”
Jessie smiled, waved and said, “Hello,” before running off to join a miniature Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Scarlet Witch and a few others Melody didn’t recognize.
“I should have told you,” Lynn said. “Jessie is more comic books and less princesses in towers.”
“And I see the crowd is giving equal time to both DC and Marvel.”
“Well, you’re already ahead of me because I don’t know which is which.”
Melody caught herself before she let slip that she’d had a lot of years of training by watching the DragonCon parade weave its way through downtown Atlanta, right past the Redmond Pharmaceuticals headquarters.
“I like a good movie where the women kick butt, too.”
“Amen to that,” Lynn said as she ushered Melody inside the small, modest house. “I could use some super powers about right now.”
“Is something wrong?”
Lynn waved away the question. “You didn’t come here to hear me whine and moan.”
“I believe I came here to help you stay sane and eat cake.”
“True.” She motioned for Melody to follow her into the kitchen. “Though if we sneak any of this cake before the birthday girl, I might be disowned by my daughter.”
“Then I guess you have time to tell me what’s bothering you.”
Lynn sighed. “This calls for an adult beverage.”
Melody took a seat on a barstool as Lynn poured them both a glass of pinot grigio.
Lynn sat on another stool and glanced toward the living room before saying, “It’s Jessie’s father. Not only did he claim he forgot her birthday, but he also has conveniently forgotten his child support payments for the past three months.”
