Drive Me Crazy (24 page)

“
What do you mean Bobbie Ann’s daughter?”

“
Melanie ain’t mine, not by blood anyway.” Louis swayed to one side. “But I made a promise to look after her. So I did.”

All this time, people, including Carter, had thought Louis was a no good, shifty loser that couldn’t commit to a radio station. “Does she know?”

“’
Course she does. I don’t keep secrets from her.”

Well, she sure as hell had kept it from him. Although it really wasn’t anyone’s business, including his. Especially his. But he wanted it to be. He wanted every little thing about her to be his business. Rain dripped from the roof onto his nose. “Sir, I know you don’t like my kind, but I’d like to have a conversation with you. A serious one about your daughter. One that involves me making a promise to you about taking care of her, like a man should.”

“
A man who respects her should,” he added, just in case Louis got the wrong idea.

Louis narrowed his eyes at Carter, reminding him so much of Melanie in that moment that he wasn’t sure she wasn’t Louis daughter by blood.

Finally a smile broke over his face and he clapped Carter on the back. “Come on in, son. Let’s get you dry and have a drink.”

“
This mean you’re going to tell me where Melanie is?”

“
That all depends on you, son, that all depends on you.”

The door shut behind Carter.

Chapter Nineteen

It had been almost three weeks since Melanie had last spoken to Carter, but as she entered the town limits of Holland Springs, a fresh wound on her heart exposed itself.

Years would need to pass before she’d be able to get over him. Maybe more if he didn’t stop trying to re-friend her on facebook or sending her private messages that she refused to read. And if he invited her play Scrabble with Friends one more dang time, she was going to choke him with some real life Scrabble pieces. Only that would require her actually seeing him and then she’d be right back where she started.

Her cell phone rang, the tune identifying her best friend as the caller.

“
Remind me why I agreed to work on Valentine’s Day?” Melanie made a left onto Pine Drive. Jack’s restaurant stood on the right, the parking lot already full.

“
Because you’re a glutton for punishment,” Zoe said, her voice teasing though the cell phone.

“
Apparently.” Melanie pulled her car into her usual parking spot at the back of the restaurant and cut the engine. “You and Gabriel going out tonight?”

“
Nope.”

Uh-oh. “Did y’all break up again?”

“
No.” Zoe laughed, but it sounded a little strained. “I thought I’d be available in case my best friend needed me after she got off of work.”

Thankful for her friend, Melanie closed her eyes and said a little prayer. “I’ll bring the dessert. There should be tons of leftovers. Last year, the pastry chef screwed up the order and we ran out. This year, Jack had her make twice as much.”

“
Yum-my. See you later.”

Melanie opened the car door. “Bye.” She grabbed her purse and dropped her phone inside of it, then started for the restaurant.

Jack met her at the back door, his large frame taking up most of it. “Change of plans.”

Shrugging out of her coat, she threw it over her shoulder and secured her ponytail more tightly. “You don’t need me?”

“
I wish,” he said, his brown eyes teasing. His bark was always worse than his actual bite. “Anyway, some big shot has rented out the entire back section and—”

“
You want me to take care of him?” She brushed past Jack and headed inside. Kneeling down by the flatware station, she shoved her coat and purse under it. Then she grabbed her apron, looped the straps around and tied it in the front. “No problem.”

“
Slow up.” Jack’s booming voice made her freeze in place. “The guy’s already in there, but his woman is running a little late, as usual.”

Why wouldn’t they have ridden together? “I’ll go get his drink order first.”

“
No.”

“
Okay, what’s going on, Jack?”

“
Get rid of the apron and go fix your hair and makeup.”

Melanie bristled. “How about I just go home?”

Jack held out his hand. “Apron, please. Then do the rest.” As she untied and handed him her apron, he said, “You’ll thank me later.”

“
Doubtful,” she muttered, heading to the bathroom. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her make-up and standard issued ponytail. She looked exactly like a waitress, because that’s exactly what she was tonight. “Forget it, I’m going in.”

She walked into the dining room, only instead of the usual noise, it was eerily quiet. Every table was full and every eye was on here. “Oh-kay,” she muttered. Unsure of what to do, she smiled and searched the room, trying to find a familiar face to share with her what was going on. But all she found were a familiar pair of sexy green eyes.

Her heart bungeed to her toes, then almost jumped out of her mouth.

Carter Ambrose, in all his racing glory, made his way to her, skirting around tables and chairs. He held a bouquet of roses in one hand and a small, blue box in the other. He stopped only a few feet away from her.

Finally she found her voice. “You’re the big shot?”

“
If that’s what you want to call me,” he said with a heart-stopping grin. “Anyway, I came down here to ask you something, Melanie.”

She heard a wolf-whistle from the crowd and found Carter’s youngest brother, Heath, ready to let another one loose. Only his mother smacked on the back of the head before he could make good on it, then gave Melanie an encouraging smile.

Melanie’s eyes widened. Leah Ambrose had never smiled like that at her, not once.

A flash of lime green caught her attention. In a corner booth sat her best friend with a big smile on her face. Louis sat beside her, a big glass of iced water on the table in front of him. He looked like he was going to cry.

Carter cleared his throat and she focused on him once more. “I had this big speech planned, but now that you’re here standing in front of me, I can’t think of a damn word,” he said, his cheeks heating a little. “So I’ll just come right out and say it: I love you, Melanie Anne Smith.”

Knees threatening to give out on her, she collapsed in the nearest chair. “You do?”

He kneeled in front of her, handing her the roses. “That’s not all.”

“
I don’t need anything more.” She really didn’t. The words she’d never thought she would hear from him were being said in front of everyone and then some. So this couldn’t be a dream or a joke. “I love you, too, Carter. Ever since you picked me to be on your team when the other kids wouldn’t.”

Leaning forward, he kissed her quickly, then handed her the blue box he’d been holding and she opened it. A slim band with a emerald-cut diamond winked at her. Breathing became hard to do, as did seeing when black dots danced in front of her eyes. “Good God, that’s huge.”

“
Now I know why you love her so much,” Jake shouted from the back and everyone burst out laughing.

Melanie’s cheeks heated and she pressed her palms against them. “Sorry,” she whispered.

“
Don’t be. I like your sassy mouth,” he whispered back, then raised his voice. “It seems like my entire life has been touched by you, and I just can’t see the next sixty years without having you by my side. I’m not Prince Charming and you don’t need rescuing. But I am yours and I’ve got a Mustang sitting out front that I’d love to drive off into the sunset with you in it. Marry me, Melanie, and make me the happiest man in the world.”

She blinked, clearing away the dancing dots and gazed into his eyes. “Yes, and I’ll go anywhere in the world with you.”

The entire dining room erupted into applause and cheers.

Carter tugged her to a standing position and slipped the ring on her finger. She kissed him, putting every ounce of love she had for him in that kiss. He returned her kisses, hands cupping her face. It was the sweetest kiss of her life.

“
Damn, but I love you, woman.”

“
Say it again,” she whispered.

“
Love you.” He kissed her again. “Love you, love you.” Then he swept her off of her feet and she grabbed his hat, putting it on her head. “This what you had in mind? I watched a dozen You Tube clips before I found a movie that even remotely resembled what you were talking about,” he said.

As he strode out of the restaurant, she kissed his cheek and said, “It’s perfect.”You’re perfect and best of all: You’re mine, Carter Ambrose.”

Setting her down by the car, he grinned at her and fiddled with the brim of his cap. “I have a couple more surprise for you, soon-to-be Mrs. Ambrose.” He opened the passenger side door. “Get in.”

“
I don’t think I can take any more surprises.”

“
Trust me, baby.”

He drove to the house on Persimmon Drive and her heart sunk at the sight of a Sold Sign in the yard. As they pulled into the driveway, she saw someone had hung a flag with a roses and hummingbirds from the front porch.

“
What’s going on?”

Carter cut the engine and helped her out of the car. Digging into one of his pockets, he pulled out a house key. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

Her jaw dropped. “You’re giving me my own house?”

“
Well, I was kind of hoping that you’d let me live here, too,” he said with a teasing smile, then he handed her the keys to the Mustang. “Couldn’t see myself letting Chase have his car back. So, it’s all yours. Figured it might be fun for you to drive back and forth to class on sunny days.”

Glancing from the keys to the car, then him, she shook her head. “But what about living in Charlotte?”

“
You want a house there, too? Done.”

She punched him in the shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

“
I decided to open two garages. One in Charlotte and here, in Holland Springs. Jake and I decided to forgo the investors and become business partners. Besides, what would Beau do without you defending him?”

She jumped into his arms, plastering kisses all over his face. “Best presents ever, well, besides this diamond ring. But I don’t have anything to give you.”

“
I’ll let you make up your oversight in bed.” Holding her by her thighs, he walked to the house. “Why don’t we go inside and take a look at the master bedroom… maybe let me drive you crazy for once.”

Laughing, she wrapped her arms around him, happiness winding through her. She was going to be Mrs. Carter Ambrose, her best friend’s sister-in-law and best of all, her happily ever after had come true. “How about we drive each other crazy?”

“
Sounds like a plan to me.” He pressed her against the door, dipping his head to claim her mouth in a searing kiss. Then he opened the door and carried her inside to begin what promised to be one crazy ride.

Epilogue

Two years later

Big brown eyes stared up at Carter, a toothless grin making his heart flip in his chest. The baby in his arms wiggled, then yawned and snuggled against him.

“
You are so wrapped around her finger,” Melanie said, gently caressing SmithAnn on the face.

“
I’m alright with that.” He kissed his baby girl before laying her down in her crib.

Pink was everywhere in his house: On the walls, the bedding and the baby’s clothes. It was even the color of the mini-Sprint Car he’d bought her a week after she’d been born. “Someday real soon,” he had said while “showing” her the present he’d gotten, “your daddy’s going to teach you how to beat the boys at their own game. Then I’ll have to buy three more shotguns to keep them all away.”

“
Guess I’ll get going.” But he lingered in his daughter’s room, not wanting to miss a thing his little princess did.

His little princess grunted and let out a burp.