Drive Me Crazy (8 page)

“
I’ll give you half an hour to eat, then get your sweet ass out of there,” he said.

“
But it’ll take longer than that to help clear the dishes and wash them,” she protested. She always helped, it was practically second nature.

“
Not my problem.”

“
What am I supposed to say: ‘Excuse me, I need to go have sex with your son?’”

“
Probably not the wisest thing to admit.” He shrugged. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

A trickle of doubt seeped into her. He could have told her to tell his family that they were dating or something like that, but maybe after being engaged for so long he didn’t want a real relationship. Maybe he wanted something more casual. “So I guess our relationship is a secret.” Tell me I’m wrong, she silently pleaded.

Something hard glinted in his eyes.

“
Seeing how I work for you and all. Plus people would talk and you know how people like to see things that aren’t really there,” she added in a rush.

He grunted, whether to agree with her or not, she wouldn’t know, because his phone rang. “See you later. We’ll talk more about this
secret relationship
,” he said, then answered his cell. “Jake, you son of a bitch. How’s she running?”

Shoulders drooping, she opened the door.

“
Hold on a minute. Melanie?”

Joy rushed through her and she turned to face him. “Yes?”

“
Don’t forget to drop off those two packages at the post office for me. I left them by the front door.” He directed his attention back to the phone. “Have you checked the rear axel?”

“
No problem,” she mumbled, feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. She snagged the packages and took a deep breath as the sharp January air hit her.

After unlocking her car and placing the packages in the back seat, she got inside and started up the engine. She gripped the steering wheel and let her head fall against it. Reconciling herself with this new-to-her side of Carter wouldn’t be easy. There would be no turning back from it either. Things would never be the same between them.

Oh God, she was being way too dramatic. Just because she’d never had had a friends-with-benefits type of relationship didn’t mean she couldn’t do that with Carter.

Plenty of her other girlfriends did it. Heck, even uptight Kelsey Griggs had her booty call on speed dial. Still.

Lifting her head, she eased her death grip on the steering wheel and put the car in drive. In no time at all she’d dropped off the packages, arrived at the Ambroses’ house and now sat at their huge dinner table.

As usual Leah had cooked a Sunday after church meal and it was only Wednesday evening. Something that Melanie would never complain about. Ever. Unlike on Sunday afternoons when the entire family ate together, only Carter’s parents sat at the formal dining room table, along with Zoe and—Melanie inwardly made a face—April.

“
Sorry,” Zoe whispered. “I thought she’d be gone by now.”

Melanie glanced April’s way and smiled. Well, bared her teeth at the woman. “Maybe she’s waiting on a summons from the governor.”

Zoe and Melanie broke out in giggles. Leah frowned at them, then cast a sympathetic glance April’s way. “I know you’re used to better company, sugar.”

“
Oh no, ma’am. I think it keeps me grounded to know what those less fortunate than us have to go through. Like eating at a family friend’s house, so she doesn’t go hungry,” April said, returning Melanie’s smile with a smirk. “It’s why I support my father’s initiative—”

“
None of that kind of talk at the table,” Lawton Ambrose said. “I have enough trouble digesting as it is.”

Leah shook her head at her husband and tapped him on the arm. “Don’t mind him, April.”

“
When are you headed home, April?” Zoe asked and Melanie could’ve kissed her best friend. “I’m sure you have a lot to do, with your dad in campaign mode.”

“
Zoe Martha, where are your manners?” Leah scolded. “April is welcome to stay here as long as she likes.”

April looked down at her plate, the perfect picture of demure southern belle. “I’m not sure Carter would like that.”

Leah reached across the table, patting the younger woman’s hand in reassurance. “He doesn’t mind one bit. I spoke to him today about it and he’s so very sorry that he couldn’t come tonight. But you know how he likes to tinker on car engines.”

April shook her head, caramel color hair sliding forward. “That’s nice of you to say, but I think he has other things on his mind.”

“
Just give him time to get whatever has gotten into him out of his system. Let him hit rock bottom with the trash so he can realize what a treasure he has in you,” Leah said as she reached for her glass of water and took a sip.

Melanie’s mouth fell open, then she snapped it shut.

“
Momma,” Zoe gasped. “That was an ugly thing to say.”

“
Oh, you know present company is excluded,” Leah said, then smiled. As if sugar wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

Biting the inside of her cheek, Melanie struggled to stay quiet. She stabbed at the green bean casserole on her plate a few times, before spearing piece of chicken.

“
Carter did mention something about one of the local girls. That she was head over heels for him, but he made it clear that he wasn’t interested in a long term thing.” April raised her head and shrugged. “Maybe she gave him something I didn’t, seeing as how I’m saving myself for marriage.”

Melanie choked, earning a swift pounding on the back from Zoe and a would-you-mind look from Leah. “Wrong pipe,” she rasped before taking a drink of sweet tea.

“
Too bad Evangeline had cheerleading practice tonight,” her best friend whispered. “I can only imagine what she would have to say.”

Clearing his throat, Lawton rose to his feet. “I’m taking my supper in the living room.”

Just as Lawton left, the phone rang and Leah excused herself from the table.

The dining room was silent but for the scrape of utensils. Not that Melanie expected April to talk to her, but she did expect April to at least make small talk with Zoe.

“
Have you been working out, Zoe? I swear you look
sooo
much skinnier than the last time I saw you,” April said and Melanie fought the urge to smack the woman. “It’s not healthy to carry all that extra weight, with your face and all.”

“
Not that you’re not pretty in your own way,” April added.

Stunned, Melanie could only gape at April.

“
I weigh exactly the same as I did eight months ago,” Zoe said, her nose lifting in the air. “And there’s not a dang thing wrong with my face.”

Melanie reached for Zoe’s hand, squeezing it tight. “I think you’re gorgeous, doll. And so does Gabriel.”

“
Who are you doing, I mean dating,
Melissa
?”

“
No one,” Melanie said through clenched teeth. “Thanks for asking.”

April leaned forward in her chair. “Already went through all the boys around here?”

“
And then some,” Melanie shot back, crossing her arms over her chest. “Now I’m making my way through all the men.”

“
Melanie Ann Smith,” Leah gasped, her hand on her heart. “You will not talk like that in front of Zoe. She’s a good girl.”

“
I am not,” Zoe snapped. “There are lots of things I’ve done that you know nothing about.” She grabbed her plate, stood up and left the room, calling over her shoulder, “I’m going over to Gabriel’s. Who knows what sorts of things we’ll be doing.”

Melanie almost gave her best friend a standing ovation. Instead she smiled and made a mental note to text Zoe later.

“
See what you’ve done,” Leah said, her eyes narrowing.

“
What I’ve done?” Melanie said, her nose scrunching on one side. “It’s that
thing
you’ve invited into your home that started all this.”

“
You will not insult—”

“
She’s right, Ms. Ambrose. It’s all my fault.” Fat tears rolled down April’s face. “I was only trying to help Zoe. She’s like a little sister to me and I can’t stand to see someone downplaying their looks.”

“
What a crock,” Melanie muttered, yanking her napkin out of her lap. “Thank you for dinner, but I need to go, too.”

“
Don’t forget to take some key lime pie with you, sugar,” Leah said. “I made it just for you.”

“
I will and thank you,” Melanie said, feeling as if her head wanted to spin like a top. The woman had insulted her at Carter’s garage and again at dinner, but had also taken the time to make (and remember) her favorite dessert?

“
Something else the matter, Mrs. Ambrose?” April asked as Melanie scraped her chair back and picked up her plate.

“
Just my brother, John. I know I shouldn’t talk, but you’re like a daughter to me and well, he and Raylene have been having problems,” Leah said. “He wants to take her a special trip but she always has other plans.”

Oh God. She did not need to hear this, because she had a sinking feeling that Raylene’s plans were Melanie’s dad.

Melanie practically ran out of the room and lobbed her plate on the kitchen counter. Opening a cabinet near the sink, she found some Tupperware and threw in a big slice of pie, then headed out the back door.

Melanie had never left the Ambrose house so quickly in her life, or ever been so happy to do so. Jumping in her car, she started it up and headed home. She had no desire to have dessert with Carter or anyone else for that matter. All she wanted was a bubble bath and a romance novel. Those two things never failed to put her in a better mood.

***

One bubble bath and half a romance novel later, Melanie was still in a foul mood. She tossed the book on the floor and grabbed the towel off the hook, wrapping it around her shivering body. Maybe it was time for some pie.

After drying off and putting on her robe, she walked to the kitchen and rummaged through the silverware drawer for a fork. She took the fat slice of pie out of the fridge and the plastic container, placing it on a paper plate, because there was no darn way she felt like doing dishes. A house without a dishwasher meant that everything had to be done by hand.

One slice of heaven later, she licked the fork clean and chunked it the sink. That she could get tomorrow when she cleaned up her mess from breakfast. As she headed to her bedroom, her phone buzzed and she scooped it up. “Carter,” she muttered.

Where are you? I’m getting worried.

Yeah, she bet he was. He was worried he wouldn’t be getting any tonight, and he was right.

I’m fine.

And?

Oh she knew what that meant. He wanted to know when she’d be coming over there, like some kind of desperate woman. Well here you go, she thought as she sent another text.

Thank you for asking.

This time, her phone rang. Sighing, she flopped down her bed and answered it. “Hello.”

“‘
Thank you for asking?’” Carter all but growled into the phone.

“
Oh, did I need to send you a note instead of a text?”

“
You need to get over here.”

Staring at the ceiling, she counted the glow-in-the-dark stars that had never fallen off. “No.”

“
No?” God, she so wish she could see his face right now, because he sounded shocked as hell. A thick sigh later, he said, “Tell me what to do to fix this.”

“
How about what not to do?” she asked slowly, then braced for his comeback. He had to have one. Although a very large part of her would die if he did.