A Reason to Love Page 12

  “You’ll buy more than that, but I’ll think about it.” He forced himself to look at the house again. “You guys are doing good work.”

  “Yeah, we’ve got to talk about that, too.”

  Something else Spence didn’t want to deal with but knew he’d have to sometime soon. He opened the truck door and looked around for Mooch. “Well, dog, are you coming with me or staying here? It’s your choice.”

  Mooch slowly stood up and walked over to Nick. He licked his outreached hand and then hopped up into the truck. Spence tried not to show how relieved he was. Right now he needed the dog’s undemanding company.

  Nick knocked on the window and waited for Spence to roll it down. “I’m assuming Callie knows the place you’re staying. We’ll drop by Mooch’s stuff this evening while you’re gone, if that’s okay.”

  Spence wanted to refuse the offer, considering he didn’t know how long Mooch was going to stay with him or even how long he himself would be sticking around Snowberry Creek. On the other hand, maybe Nick needed to do something for Spence. “That would be nice. Just leave it on the front porch.”

  He risked one last look back toward the house on his way out of the driveway. Callie and Leif had come back outside. He waved. It was the least he could do.

  Chapter 12

  Melanie hesitated before walking into Something’s Brewing. It was far from the first time that she’d met Callie there for some quality girl time. However, there’d been something different in the way Callie sounded when she called to extend the invitation. Melanie had a good idea what was at the root of the hint of tension in her friend’s voice.

  Or rather, who was behind it: Spence.

  Callie no doubt had questions about how Melanie had come to offer Spence not only a place to live but also a job working for her family’s company. The real question was how Callie felt about all of that. In a perfect world, she ought to be happy Spence had found a place to stay and something to do with his time.

  Unfortunately, this wasn’t a perfect world. Chances were that Callie was unhappy about the situation. Melanie reminded herself there was only one way to find out. Trying to look calmer than she felt, Melanie opened the door and walked inside.

  Bridey was behind the counter. As soon as she spotted Melanie, she offered her a smile that was more of a wince and nodded toward the back of the shop. Sure enough, Callie was sitting at the far table, facing away from the door. Rather than heading straight for her, Melanie stopped at the counter to place her order.

  “I’ll have a tall black iced tea and one of those double chocolate brownies. No, make it two.” She lowered her voice. “What kind of mood is she in?”

  Bridey set the tea on the counter and used tongs to pick out the brownies. When she added a third to the plate, Melanie started to protest. Bridey waved her off and even refused her money. “My treat. You’re going to need all the chocolate you can get.”

  She’d been afraid of that. “Is it too late for me to make a fast escape?”

  Bridey’s smile was sympathetic. “Yeah, it is. Even if Callie is pretending not to have noticed, I’m sure she knows you came in. Go talk to her. You’ll both feel better if you do. Let me know if you need me to referee.”

  Melanie hoped that wouldn’t be necessary, but Bridey was right. To run and hide wouldn’t help anything. She and Callie had known each other for too long, and their friendship was important to her. That didn’t mean the next few minutes would be easy to get through.

  The shop wasn’t large, but a growing sense of dread made the small expanse of shiny tile seem more like the Grand Canyon. By the time she reached the table and sat down, her hands were shaking hard enough to rattle the small plate of brownies. “Sorry I’m late. I got tied up with a call from one of our suppliers.”

  She took the seat next to Callie that faced the wall and away from the rest of the room. They were the only two customers in the shop right now, but that could change any second. She’d rather have the small amount of privacy the position offered.

  Callie eyed the three brownies, and her mouth twitched just a little. She was familiar with Melanie’s rules about eating chocolate and no doubt thought stress was the driving force behind her ordering extra.

  “Okay, so I asked for two. It was Bridey who decided I needed three. I’m hoping the extra one was for you.”

  When she started to move it to the empty plate in front of Callie, her friend blocked access with her hand. “No way. I’ve already had two cupcakes. Any more sugar and I’ll be bouncing off the walls.”

  Melanie put it back on her plate. If all else failed, she’d wrap it up and take it back home with her. She’d seen Spence out walking with his dog late last night, but they hadn’t spoken since the morning he’d left her the voice mail about needing a ride two days ago. She shouldn’t need an excuse to seek him out, but she wanted one anyway. It would make it seem less like she was stalking him.

  She sipped her tea and waited for Callie to call this meeting to order. When the silence continued beyond the time it took her to enjoy the first nibble of her brownie, she took charge.

  “Look, we both know why we’re here today. You’re worried about Spence, so ask your questions, Callie. I’ll answer what I can.”

  Her friend had been staring into her cup of coffee as if it held the answers to the universe. Callie’s eyes came up to glare at her with anger and hurt. “Why is he with you?”

  Melanie flinched at the cold chill Callie had packed into that one question. Where did she think he should be staying? Did Callie really think Spence would’ve been comfortable moving in with her and Nick? Then there was the fact that in addition to Leif living there, so was Spence’s cousin. Unless things had changed, the two of them were hardly on speaking terms. If Spence didn’t know his cousin had moved back into the house, she didn’t want to be around when he found out. It had taken the police to throw Austin and his father out of Spence’s house the first time.

  She kept her answer simple. “He needed a place to stay. The cottage was available.”

  Callie was busy shredding a napkin, watching intently as the tiny pieces floated down onto her empty plate. When she reached for a second one, Melanie took another bite of her brownie and waited for Callie to continue.

  “You skipped my wedding reception to go with him.” She looked up briefly before turning her attention back to her new hobby. “I understand why, but I’d like to hear what happened from you.”

  “I told all of this to Leif.”

  Callie nodded. “You know men. He laid out the barebones facts, but that was all. Spence is . . . was my best friend, Melanie.”

  Then as if realizing how that sounded, she added, “Guy friend, anyway. I’m worried about him.”

  Melanie had to wonder how Spence would feel about her sharing confidences about him, especially with Callie. If he wanted her to know what was going on in his life, wouldn’t he have told her himself?

  But she and Callie were friends, and her friend was hurting. Hoping she was doing the right thing, Melanie repeated much of what she’d already told Leif and then added a few more details.

  “He’s renting the cottage until he decides what he’s going to do long-term. Meanwhile, he’s helping out at the millworks on a special project servicing all the machines. When Spence worked for my father back in high school, he used to help maintain the equipment in the factory.”

  Without waiting for Callie to respond, Melanie continued. “He’s made a few deliveries because I’m down a driver. Other than that, I don’t know what Spence’s plans are. He hasn’t said.”

  That much was the absolute truth. It wasn’t as if he’d gone out of his way to confide in her.

  Callie shoved the remains of the napkins to the center of the table. “I knew about him driving for your company because he delivered the doors we’d ordered for the house. Talk about awkward. T
here he was, bringing us the doors for his house, paid for with his money, and us living there instead of him.”

  Suddenly, that brownie wasn’t settling very well. “I’m, sorry, Cal. If I’d known your order was on that truck, I would never have asked him to deliver it. He should’ve said something.”

  Darn the man, anyway! She was sure the foreman in charge of shipping had gone over the list with Spence before sending him out. Granted the foreman wouldn’t have known that particular delivery might cause problems, but Spence sure as heck did. What had he been thinking?

  On the other hand, maybe it did make perfect sense. “I’m guessing that on some level, he used it as an excuse to approach you, Nick, and Leif. You know, without having to call ahead or anything.”

  Now she was the one ripping up a napkin. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did it go?”

  Callie rolled her eyes. “Not well, but it could’ve been worse, I guess. Nick and Leif were unloading the doors when I came back from my folks’. I suspect Spence felt a bit cornered by all of us being there. He had that deer-in-the-headlights look going on.”

  Her mouth settled into a sad smile. “It helped that Mooch was with him. We’re still not sure how the dog found Spence. All we knew was that he disappeared, and we couldn’t find him anywhere. We feared for the worst until Spence called to tell us that the dog had shown up on his doorstep. God, that was a huge relief.”

  “I’ve seen him out walking the dog a couple of times.”

  Callie nodded. “From what Nick and Leif have told me, Spence and Mooch were inseparable in Afghanistan. On the one hand, I’m grateful Spence isn’t alone right now. On the other, I’m frustrated with him for not sitting down and talking to Leif and Nick. He’s already apologized to me, but that’s not enough. It almost destroyed them to think that Spence had been killed. Doesn’t the jerk realize that?”

  Yeah, Melanie would guess he did, but it was Callie’s other statement that stuck out. Spence wasn’t alone, and not just because Mooch had moved in with him. She’d been there for him, too, even if he didn’t seem to remember that right now.

  Her friend was still talking, but Melanie hadn’t been listening.

  “. . . and soon. Tell him that, will you?”

  “I’m sorry, Callie. I didn’t catch the first part of that. Tell Spence what?”

  “That he needs to tell us what really happened to him over there, and what he wants to do about the house. We’re still working on the place, but we’re not sure we should be. It’s the not knowing that’s driving us all crazy. If he wants it back, that’s fine. It’s his, after all.”

  She took a sip of her coffee before adding, “Nick deserves that much from him. We both do.”

  Melanie had never thought of Callie as selfish, but this was too much. “What about what Spence deserves? God knows what all he went through. Try seeing it through his eyes. When he comes home, you’re marrying his friend and living in his house. Heck, you even had his dog. Granted there are good reasons for all of that. None of this is your fault, Callie, but you and Nick need to cut Spence some slack. I’m sure he’s doing the best he can under the circumstances.”

  And she’d just revealed more than she meant to. “Look, I’ll pass along your message to Spence if I see him. I’ve got to get back to work.”

  She lurched to her feet with her eyes welling up with tears, making it hard for her to gather up her empty cup and plate. As soon as she managed to pick them up, the shreds of napkins went fluttering to the floor like so many flakes of snow.

  “Shit, shit, shit!”

  Callie gasped, most likely because Melanie rarely cursed and absolutely never did so in public. That much of her mother’s teachings had taken hold at an early age. Right now she wanted to shout the worst words she could think of at the top of her lungs, but it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

  She stood absolutely still for a count of five to regain control. When that didn’t do the job, she counted to ten. Feeling only a tiny bit better, she knelt down to start scooping up the bits of napkin.

  Bridey appeared at the edge of her peripheral vision with a broom and dustpan. “That’s okay, Melanie. I’ll take care of it.”

  Another five-count allowed her to stand up. “Sorry about the mess.”

  “That’s okay. It happens.”

  Her friend meant well, but she was wrong. Members of the Wolfe family never made public spectacles of themselves. It wasn’t done. Granted, shouting a curse word in a small coffee shop wasn’t exactly the end of the world.

  But that one crack in her control scared her. Since her father’s death, she’d been working so hard to hold everything together for the sake of her mother and the people who depended on the millworks for their living. She couldn’t afford to fall apart. Not now. Not ever.

  Bridey was still talking. “How about I wrap up your brownies to go and fix you another iced tea?”

  Melanie drew a slow, deep breath and forced a smile. It felt brittle, but it was the best she could do. “Thanks, Bridey. That’s really nice of you.”

  She was well aware that Callie was watching her every move. “Like I said, I’ll pass along your message, but I’m Spence’s landlady, not his keeper.”

  Rather than wait for a response, she followed Bridey over to the counter and waited for her drink. Proud of the facade she’d managed to piece back together, she thanked her friend again when Bridey held out the small bag and the tea.

  “These are delicious, Bridey. And you were right, this is definitely a three-brownie day.”

  Once she was out on the sidewalk, Melanie automatically turned to the right and kept walking. Rather than return to the office, she headed home. On the way, she called her secretary and lied, saying she had an appointment and wouldn’t be back.

  She’d left her car at work, but she could pick it up later if she needed it. For now, the walk home would help her burn off the last vestiges of agitation. Tomorrow would be soon enough to go back to being the stoic representative of the Wolfe family who took care of everyone else.

  She’d even call Callie to apologize for . . . well, in truth, she wasn’t quite sure if she actually regretted anything. Of course she should have been more tactful with Callie, but she’d meant every word she’d said.

  Also, she should at least thank Bridey again for the treats and the tea. The three of them had been friends for years, and this wasn’t the first time they’d hit a rough patch. Somehow they’d find a way to get through it all with their friendships intact. At least she hoped so.

  For now, though, she had her own plans for the afternoon. Once she was behind the safety of locked doors, she’d indulge herself with a bubble bath, a bottle of wine, and those decadent brownies. Her plans made, she turned onto her street and cut across the lawn to the front porch.

  After unlocking the door, Melanie stepped inside and kicked off her shoes. It took every bit of strength she had to take even one step farther into the oppressive silence that filled the house. God, she missed her cozy apartment in Spokane. Right now, even the tiny cottage with the poodle shower curtain where Spence was living would be preferable to this dinosaur of a house. Maybe it used to be filled with life, but right now it just felt dead.

  Padding in her stocking feet to the kitchen, she picked out a bottle of wine from the fridge. As she headed back to the staircase, her mother’s voice whispered in her ear that she also needed a glass. After all, a real lady would never guzzle wine right from the bottle, not even in the privacy of her own bathtub. Well, too bad.

  Melanie held up the bottle and shouted, “All the rules and regulations are hereby suspended for this one afternoon.”

  She toasted the announcement with the first sip of the wine. The small rebellion did nothing to improve Melanie’s mood, but it did serve as a reminder of how close she was to losing it right then. As she trudged up the steps, she added one mor
e thing to the afternoon’s activities: a good cry.

  Chapter 13

  Mooch growled and stared at the front door. Someone was approaching the house. Spence had already put in a long day making deliveries and an even longer evening helping Will rebuild a lathe at the factory. The last thing he wanted was company, but the lights made it clear he was home.

  When the soft knock finally came, he yanked the door open, half expecting it to be that damn reporter again. Instead, it was Melanie standing there with her hand still raised as if she were about to knock again. He took a step back, unsure whether or not to invite her in. They hadn’t been face-to-face since the night they’d kissed, and he was fairly sure that was a deliberate choice on her part.

  And to tell the truth, he’d been relieved. That kiss had packed quite a punch, one that had been occupying his dreams ever since. He would have been tempted to go for a repeat performance, but she’d been acting skittish around him. He didn’t blame her. More than anyone else, she’d been witness to how unpredictable his behavior had been since he returned to Snowberry Creek.

  Rather than invite her in, he stepped out on the porch with her. “Hi, Mel, what’s up?”

  “I was just, uh, wondering how things went with you and Mr. Cosgrove tonight.”

  On the surface there was nothing wrong with what she’d asked, but his gut instinct was that she wasn’t really all that interested in how much better the lathe would be running tomorrow when the day crew showed up for work. He leaned against the porch railing and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “It went fine. Will and I figure on having the rest of the machines serviced and tuned up over the next three weeks. After that, we’ll set up a regular schedule to make sure they stay that way. Once everything is caught up, he should be able to handle most of the routine stuff on his own, but he’ll call me in for the big jobs if he needs help.”