Moments In Time: The Complete Novella Collection (21 page)

Melisa smiled. “I’ll go nuts if I don’t
occupy myself. I love helping out.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” He was silent for a
long moment. When he spoke again his voice was cautious. “I think
the reason you feel you might go nuts is because you’re cooped up
inside the house all day, except one day a week when you go to your
meetings. Four weeks is a long time not to get out.”

“I’m not ready.” She wasn’t quite ready for
a lot of things—a relationship, a new life, to be surrounded by
people who used to know her, to be bombarded with questions she
didn’t want to answer. Most of all she wasn’t ready for people to
pity her.

“You’ll never be ready. You just have to
dive in. You’re strong, Mel. You can do it. Remember how you fell
and sprained your ankle at cheerleading practice? You picked
yourself up and continued. I don’t know how you did it through all
that pain, but you pushed through it. Life is like that. People
fall all the time and they pick themselves up and continue.”

Melisa’s mouth dropped open. He had seen her
sprain her ankle? He’d noticed? The main reason she’d joined the
cheerleading squad was to catch his attention. She had no idea
she’d succeeded, since their moment together had come months later.
She thought he’d been there to watch, Lorna, his girlfriend of the
month, in action. “I guess you’re right.”

“Why don’t you start tonight? Let me take
you out for dinner.”

“How about next week?” How long was she
planning to stay with him, exactly? How long would he be fine with
her sleeping in his bedroom while he took the single bed in the
guestroom?

Heat nodded. “Great. But before then, you
need a connection to the outside world. Lucy wants to come and
visit you tomorrow. She’s been bugging me about it since you moved
in here. Are you up to it?”

Lucy Dane would be the wrong person for
Melisa to see when she wanted to stay away from people who knew
her. Lucy enjoyed a nice piece of gossip and didn’t mind passing it
along. It was no surprise she wanted to see Melisa, even if they’d
never really been friends. She probably wanted to be the first to
know about what Melisa had been up to in the last five years,
before anyone else did.

But if Lucy wanted to come to her brother’s
house, what right did Melisa have to stop her?

“Yes, I’d love to see her,” Melisa lied and
turned to crack the eggs.

“Holy shit! Look at you. You’re as juicy as
ever. Melisa, it’s great to see you.” Lucy gave Melisa a brief,
awkward hug.

“You also haven’t changed a bit.” Melisa
patted Lucy on the back and then pulled away. Lucy had the same
bedroom eyes as her brother, and still wore her blond hair in a
pixie cut, showing off her long neck and high cheekbones. Melisa
had never seen her with long hair.

Lucy cupped Melisa’s face between her long,
graceful hands, studying her face. “But your eyes are still sad.
After the shit you’ve been through, that’s no surprise, I
guess.”

Melisa blinked but didn’t take the bait. Her
life was no one’s business, so she simply smiled and opened the
door wider. “Come in.”

Lucy was clearly comfortable in her
brother’s home, as she headed straight for the kitchen and switched
on the kettle. “Heat told me about the fire. Must have been
scary... especially after Scott...”

“It was,” Melisa said quickly. “What have
you been up to?”

“Not much. Still working at the Enchanted
Spar, still looking for Mr. Right. So many frogs running
around.”

Melisa smiled. As she recalled, men buzzed
around Lucy like bees around honey. She’d dated one after the
other, never allowing them to stay long enough to get into her
heart. From the look of things, she had changed. “You’ll find
someone. It takes time.”

As Melisa spread freshly baked chocolate
chip cookies on a platter, Lucy poured their tea. They didn’t
exchange any more words until they were sitting in the living
room.

“These are delicious.” Lucy bit into a
cookie and licked her lips. “You still got it. I can’t believe you
sold Mel’s Delights. Place hasn’t been the same without you.”

Melisa’s throat constricted. Those were the
first cookies she’d baked since Scott died. Before then, baking had
been her life. Mel’s Delights had been her dream.

“Sorry, Heat warned me not to talk about
your past. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It just hurts, you know.” Melisa
reached for a cookie. They were delicious, but as an expert baker,
she could tell she’d forgotten the pinch of salt. Lucy was
right—she still had it. But what good would that do her now? She
couldn’t turn back the clock.

“Okay, let’s stick to safe topics. How’s
your arm?” Lucy glanced at Melisa’s arm.

Melisa glanced at her right arm. She kept
the scar hidden by wearing long-armed clothing. “Healed faster than
I expected.”

“That’s great.” Lucy ate another cookie and
sipped her tea. “I’m sure you’ll be back on your feet before you
know it.”

“Thank you.” Melisa smiled.

The rest of the time they did stick to safe
topics, like the weather and their time in high school. Then Lucy
filled her in on who’d left town and who was new, who married or
divorced whom, or who cheated on whom.

“You know what you said about it being a
matter of time before I find Mr. Right? Well, many people end up
with Mr. Second Best. Like you.”

Melisa frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You married Scott even if you were meant
for Heat.”

Melisa shook her head vehemently. How did
Lucy even know there had been something between her and Heat? She
didn’t want to breathe life into this conversation, so she’d have
to kill it before it even started. “Scott was the love of my life.
I married the man of my dreams.”

“We both know that’s not true.” Lucy winked
and brushed cookie crumbs from her lap.

***

“I can’t believe she said that,” Melisa
complained to Carlene when she called from Greece.

“Could there be some truth to it? Sometimes
people on the outside see things clearer.”

The memory of panting underneath Heat, his
kisses, his breath on her face, disturbed the butterflies in her
stomach and they fluttered like crazy. “I was happy, very happy
with Scott.”

“I’m sure you were, Melisa. But maybe it’s
time to look into the connection you also had with Heat. You did
tell me about the massive crush you had on him. Are you sure it was
only a crush?”

“I can’t think about that right now. I
already have a lot on my mind.”

“Try to keep an open mind. You deserve to be
happy. Scott is gone and Heat seems to care about you. A new start
is what you need.”

“Of course he does. We were always friends,
after all. There isn’t much to it.”

“By the way, you won’t be returning to
Oasis, right? It’s just that last time, you were talking about
moving out of Heat’s place.”

“I will be moving out, hopefully as soon as
possible, but no, I’ll not return to Oasis. I’ll find another place
to stay. I need to get the hell out of here soon, though, before
Heat gets the wrong idea. I’m not ready for something serious with
him, or anyone else right now.” Especially not him. Too many things
would stand in the way.

“Why don’t you stay at our house while we’re
gone? I could ask Nick’s mother to give you the keys.”

Melisa heard Carlene whispering on the other
end.

“What about Nick? What if he minds?”

“I asked him. He doesn’t. So, go and have
fun.”

“Wow, I’ll be living in a mansion?”

“You deserve to be spoiled. I can also
transfer some money to your account if you like to help you get on
your feet.”

“No,” Melisa said quickly. “You’ve done
enough for me. I’ll find a way to earn my own money. I promise,
before you return, I’ll be out of your house. Thank Nick for me and
take care of our little baby.”

Melisa packed her small suitcase and placed
it at the front door next to the umbrella stand. Then she sat on
the couch drinking orange juice and waiting for Heat to come home.
Carlene had offered her the accommodation two days ago, and due to
Heat’s long night shifts, she hadn’t had the chance to tell him
yet. He had been so kind to her, she didn’t want him to come home
to a goodbye note.

He entered the apartment before 7:00 a.m.,
his hair damp as usual and his face tense with exhaustion.

“Hard shift?”

“No fire, but I had lots of paperwork to
take care of. I hate sitting at a desk.” Heat dropped his keys at
the mantle and rolled his neck.

Melisa gaped at him. His strong neck muscles
stretched and contracted. Without warning, she remembered the way
she had trailed kisses down his throat so many years ago. She
blinked. Why was she thinking of the past? It was as if someone
else held a remote control and switched that part of her mind on,
so she had to relive those moments whether she wanted to or
not.

Heat turned his head and their eyes locked.
Silence descended between them.

Then he broke it. “How was your day? By the
way, did you and Lucy have a nice time the other day?”

“Hmmm... yeah. It was nice seeing her again.
Lots to talk about.”

“I hope she didn’t upset you.” He narrowed
his eyes.

“No, she was lovely.” But she had planted a
seed inside Melisa’s head that was starting to germinate. The idea
that Heat could be her Mr. Right.

“She’s just so blunt and always says
whatever pops into her mind with no filter.”

“Really, don’t worry about it. She was great
company. I made breakfast. Want some?”

His eyes lit up. “I can never say no to your
food. You living here might be bad for me, after all.”

Melisa bit her lip. “Come and eat.” Cooking
for him was the only way she could thank him.

Heat rubbed his hands together and followed
her to the kitchen. “You spoil me.”

Melisa didn’t respond as she served him eggs
benedict, baguettes she’d baked at midnight, coffee, a glass of
orange juice, and slices of watermelon. Before leaving for work
every day, Heat left money on the kitchen counter for her to spend
on whatever she liked. Much as Melisa wanted to reject it, she
didn’t have money of her own, and she needed to buy things like
toiletries. She often spent just a little of the money on herself
and the rest on ingredients, so she could cook for him. It helped
to tell herself she was spending the money on him.

A grin split Heat’s face as he regarded the
food on the kitchen table. “Careful. I might never let you
leave.”

Melisa poured herself a cup of coffee and
pulled out a stool for herself.

“You’re not having breakfast?” Heat sliced a
chunk of fresh baguette in half and smeared it with butter.

“No.” She paused. “There’s something I have
to tell you.” If only he had seen her packed suitcase at the
door.

Heat took a bite of his bread and raised an
eyebrow.

“It’s time for me to leave.”

Heat stopped chewing. “Why would you want to
do that? I told you I don’t mind you staying here.”

“I know. I’m so grateful for everything
you’ve done for me. I can’t allow you to do more.”

Heat’s face fell. “Please tell me you’re not
going back to Oasis.”

“No, I’m not. I promised you I won’t go back
there.”

“Good. So where are you going?”

“My friend Carlene and her husband offered
me their place while they’re away on honeymoon. I’ll stay there
until I get a place of my own.”

Heat nodded and continued eating. His
shoulders had visibly slumped. “I offered you my place. You can
stay as long as you like.”

“Heat, I can’t let you keep sleeping on the
tiny bed in your guestroom.”

“I can sleep on worse.”

Melisa drained her glass of juice and stood.
“You need your space and… I need mine.”

Heat stood, squeezed her shoulder, and
looked into her face, making her feel warm inside. “I enjoy having
you here.”

That was the problem, wasn’t it? His place
was starting to feel like home.

“I’m fine now. I don’t need looking after
anymore.”

Heat tucked a strand of her hair behind her
ear and she shivered. “I didn’t say you did.” His voice was low
now, caressing every inch of her. “What if I told you I want you to
stay out of pure selfishness?”

Melisa tipped her head back and gazed up at
him. Before she could say anything, he kissed her, and fireworks
went off in her head.

Every part of her screamed this was wrong.
This man had broken her heart once, treated her callously. But her
body pulsated, didn’t seem to care. He slipped his tongue into her
mouth and caressed hers. Against her strong will, she parted her
lips and let him in fully. A shiver rippled through her. Who was
she kidding? She never could resist him. When her knees buckled and
she gripped the edge of the table, she came back to her senses. The
chances that Heat could hurt her again were high. She needed to
protect her heart.

She placed both hands on his chest and
pushed him gently away. “Heat, this is the reason I can’t stay. You
and I can only be friends. Thank you for everything, but I have to
go.” And with those words, she walked out of his house, out of the
danger zone.

Melisa unraveled the towel and left it where
it fell at her feet. She dipped a toe into the water and sighed.
She climbed into the large, luxury oval bathtub, sank her whole
body into the cloud of bubbles, and leaned back, closing her eyes
as the warm water melted away the tension. She’d never been inside
a tub this large before. Opening her eyes again, she studied her
right arm and frowned at the scar that began at the crook of her
elbow and ended at her wrist. Fate had kicked her out of Oasis and
back into her old life. Although the security Oasis provided was
comforting, she had to admit there were some things she’d missed: a
warm bubble bath, her privacy, sleeping in a room alone. In
silence, with no one cursing under their breath, or crying or
snoring loudly in the middle of the night.