“Please, leave that. If you’re going to get on the road tonight, go ahead and get your things from your room. I’ll handle the dishes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll help,” Ana added. She didn’t waste any time and started clearing the table as Melodie went to get Thomas’s bag and handed it to Kevin. Nicole kissed Thomas goodbye and promised to visit again soon. Melodie put on her winter jacket and followed Kevin and Thomas outside.
“She seems genuine about wanting to be part of his life,” Kevin conceded as he secured Thomas into his car seat.
“Yeah, I know, but it’s weird, don’t you think? I mean, why now?”
Kevin closed the door and shrugged. “Maybe it took her that long to get the guts to face you again,” he suggested before he walked around the SUV and opened the driver’s door. “Merry Christmas, Mel.”
“Merry Christmas,” she almost whispered as she considered his theory. It made sense. Perhaps Nicole’s shame was what had kept her away from Thomas for the first eighteen months of his life. She liked that idea. It was comforting. It made her more human than the selfish monster she’d imagined until now.
She watched the SUV leave the parking lot, and before she could go back inside, Nicole came out the door, dragging her suitcase behind her. She stopped to face Melodie. “Thank you for your hospitality. And Merry Christmas,” she said awkwardly, making a move as if to hug her before she stopped herself.
“Merry Christmas,” Melodie repeated with a hesitant smile. Nicole walked to her car and put her suitcase in the trunk, but Melodie couldn’t let her drive away yet. “Nicole?”
“Yes?” She turned, a hopeful smile on her face.
“Do you still have that recipe for homemade playdough you used to make?”
Nicole’s smile widened and she nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes, of course. Would you like to have it?”
“Yeah, I would if you don’t mind.”
“I’ll email it to you as soon as I get back home.”
“Thank you.”
“No. Thank you.”
“Drive safely.”
Nicole nodded again, got into her car and drove away.
Chapter Thirty-Six
When she went back inside, her father was in the lobby, putting on his jacket. “Are you leaving too?”
“Yes, I tried to help with the dishes but Ana shooed me away. I’m a little tired, baby. This was a weird dinner for me.”
“Oh, I know, Dad. Thank you so much for being there for me.” She hugged him to show her gratitude.
“You know I can’t say no to you. And I’m not the only one,” he added as he jerked his chin toward the kitchen.
“She’s been pretty awesome. I’ll be the first to admit that.” She couldn’t help the grin on her face as she thought of Ana’s generous presence by her side through the past few days.
“How are you doing? I bet you’re glad Nicole is gone, huh?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Her visit really messed with my mind, but she’s good with Thomas, so I’m a little torn to say the least.”
The wrinkles on the sides of his eyes deepened and she knew he was smiling before his lips twitch through his beard. “And you’re torn about Ana too, aren’t you?” She closed her eyes and clicked her tongue. She didn’t know how to answer that question. Torn didn’t seem strong enough of a word to describe how she felt about Ana right now. “You don’t have to answer,” her father continued. “I can see it. I understand she hurt you, but you know, sometimes the only people we punish by holding on to grudges are ourselves. Think about that, okay?”
“Yeah, I haven’t been thinking about much else for the past few days, to tell you the truth.”
He kissed her forehead and sighed. “Sometimes I think you’ve had to forgive my mistakes so many times you’ve used up all of your mercy on me, and I wonder if I was worth it. I’ve let you down over and over again. I’ve hurt you over and over again. Yet I’ve never lost your love or your trust. Why is that, baby? Why aren’t you angry with me like you are with your mother or with Ana?”
“I’ve wondered about that lately and you know what? I think in the end I could never stay mad at you because I always knew where to find you. You were always there, at least physically. If you weren’t home, you were at the bar. I couldn’t depend on you for anything, but you were here in your own way. Nicole and Ana, they left me, Dad. I didn’t know where to find them anymore.” She started crying and her father held her until she stopped, swaying gently from left to right.
“I don’t think this one is going anywhere now,” he whispered. “Don’t keep punishing yourself uselessly.” He kissed the top of her head and added with a wink, “Go on now, and don’t let her do all those dishes alone.”
He left and she joined Ana in the kitchen, observing her from the doorway. She was standing at the sink, washing pots and pans. She’d taken off her sweater and the sleeves of her light green shirt were rolled up to her elbows. Melodie smiled. She believed her father. Chances were Ana wouldn’t be leaving again. She might not be able to trust it completely yet but she believed it. She didn’t have the strength to keep that grudge alive any longer on the off chance she did leave again. She’d had enough. It made no sense for her to put any more energy on trying to keep up this animosity she didn’t really feel anymore. For what? Out of pride? Out of fear? She was done punishing herself. She may not be ready to forgive her mother yet, and she would have to keep working on it during each of her future visits, but that’s where she would put her energy from now on. She grabbed a dish towel to dry the pots and pans Ana had placed on a rack by the sink.
“So is everyone gone now?”
“Mhm,” she confirmed.
“And how do you feel?”
“Hopeful is the best word to describe it, I think.”
“That’s good.” She paused before she added, “I’ll be out of here tomorrow. I got the keys to the condo earlier today, so I’ll go clean up in the morning.”
“Okay,” she said, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.
Ana glanced at her, perplexed. “That was our deal, right? I stayed to offer you support while Nicole was here, but you still want me to move out, right?”
“I guess, yes. I mean, you can’t stay in a hotel for the rest of your life.”
“Well, no, I can’t. But that’s not the reason why I’m leaving. You asked me to leave, remember?”
“Yes.”
“Then why do you sound so sad? You’re confusing the hell out of me right now.”
“I’m sad because I’ll miss you. But I don’t think it’d be wise to start living together so soon.”
Ana dropped the large pot she was scrubbing and soapy water splattered all over the front of her shirt. She turned to face Melodie. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about us. I think it will be good for you to have your own place, at least for a while. I can see you at the condo, and you can see me at the duplex, like people do.”
“What people?”
She grinned and chuckled before she answered. It wasn’t every day she saw her confident scientist this disoriented, and she had fun with it. “People as in couples, silly.”
“Couples? Melodie, are you saying you want us to date? Are you saying you’re ready to forgive me?”
Her voice was shaking, hopeful but frightened at the same time. Melodie moved closer and plunged her hands into her thick, messy hair. She’d been dying to do this since Ana had come back into her life. “Yes,” she finally answered. “But I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for me,” she added before she pulled Ana to her and pressed their lips together.
Over the months Ana had been gone Melodie had slowly convinced herself her lips had never been as soft as she remembered them. Her kisses had never been as sensual and arousing as she remembered either. It only took one taste of her mouth to realize she’d been wrong not to trust her memor
y. Ana’s kisses were perfect. So were her hands, strong and firm against her butt as she lifted her onto the countertop. She wrapped her legs around Ana’s waist and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth. She broke the kiss to catch her breath and leaned her head backward to offer her neck and her chest, left exposed by a plunging V-neck sweater. She expected Ana to accept her invitation to explore the nude flesh with her lips but instead Ana asked, “Are you sure about this?”
She looked at Ana then, examined her expression. Her pupils were dilated, her breathing was ragged, her mouth open. She undeniably wanted her. Although she was politely asking permission, her body was warning her that this was her last chance to turn back. All Melodie had to do was say yes to unleash a desire that wouldn’t be bottled up anymore. So she did. Without a word. She took off her sweater and pulled Ana closer with her legs first, crushing her against her sex before she pulled her face to her breasts, giving her the most intimate parts of her in a yes that couldn’t be misinterpreted.
Ana took everything she offered with greedy hands and a ravenous mouth. Her eagerness was almost painful at times, but Melodie still wanted more. They’d shared only one night before and they’d spent a year wanting it back. They were making love with all of that pent-up energy now. It couldn’t be gentle, thoughtful, or controlled in any way. It was raw, untamed, and desperate. Ana moved her bra out of her way to take a nipple into her mouth. She sucked it hard as she unbuttoned her pants and slid a hand into abundant wetness. She knew it wouldn’t take much for her to come. Every nerve in her was turned on and ready to explode, yet she didn’t want to come alone. She needed to pleasure Ana.
“Get on the floor,” she commanded as she pushed herself off the counter. Ana obeyed and they both stripped out of their pants and panties before Melodie lay on top of her, her face hovering above Ana’s sex as Melodie’s hovered above Ana’s mouth, breathing her in before she plunged her mouth and her tongue into her folds, devouring her clumsily as Ana did the same to her. They didn’t need languorous precision now. Within a few minutes she reached what resembled release more than climax, closely followed by Ana.
She turned around and kissed Ana’s mouth before she lay on top of her, her face on her heaving chest. Their breathing synchronized and slowed together, until Ana was finally able to speak. “I don’t think this is how dating works,” she said with a low chuckle.
Melodie laughed before she replied, “Too bad. I was thinking we could take this to your room, but we probably shouldn’t.”
“No, we probably shouldn’t. On the other hand, I’ve always wondered how loud that bed could squeak.”
They laughed together and waited until they fully caught their breath before they stood, gathered their clothes, and moved upstairs to room number one, where they made love with less urgency, more tenderness, but with as much longing as they had in the kitchen.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ana had feared the condo would be the saddest place where she’d ever lived. She’d thought she would come to its modern design and furniture to live alone and lonely, isolated from Melodie, Thomas, Miller, Jerome, all of those she’d come to think as family. Instead, Melodie had come with her this morning, armed with a mop, a bucket, and plenty of cleaning supplies. They’d scrubbed the one-bedroom apartment from top to bottom, and then they’d tried its large glass and ceramic shower together before they’d thoroughly tested the king-size bed. She didn’t doubt she’d be happy in this condo now, as she sipped on coffee, sitting at the small dining table with Melodie and enjoying the view outside the oversized patio door that led to the balcony. She wasn’t sure what had pushed Melodie over the edge, what had made her decide to give her another chance, but she was certain she wouldn’t mess it up this time.
“This balcony will be the place to be this summer,” Melodie said with enthusiasm. “It’s large enough for a table and a couple of chairs. Maybe even a hammock.”
“That sounds lovely,” she agreed as she entwined their fingers on the tabletop.
“A scientist once told me I should learn to appreciate the sea from a distance. This is probably what she had in mind.” She winked and Ana chuckled. She’d missed this free, playful side of Melodie.
“It’s definitely one of them. That scientist sounds pretty smart.”
“She is. But she’s also gorgeous,” she added as she walked around the table and sat on her lap to tousle her curls. “She has this amazing hair I can’t stay away from and beautiful green eyes that remind me of the sea.”
“But you don’t have to admire them from a distance.”
“Thank god, because she also has soft lips I can’t resist kissing,” she replied before she brushed her lips against Ana’s. She deepened the kiss enough to awaken every fiber in Ana’s body, and then stopped, leaving her wanting so much more. “I love you,” she whispered against her quivering mouth.
The words sharpened her arousal even further and she practically begged Melodie, “Let me take you back to bed.” She complemented her proposal with a series of soft kisses on Melodie’s neck, aware of their effect. She felt the vibration of her moan on her lips as it passed through her throat, and she thought her plea would be granted until Melodie’s sensual tremors were replaced with contradicting words.
“Absolutely. We’ll go back to bed, but not right now. I want to show you something first.” She planted one last chaste kiss on Ana’s lips and jumped up from her lap.
“Are you kidding me?” Ana protested, unable to hide her disappointment.
“Nope. Come on, get dressed. The faster we get there, the sooner we’ll be back in your gigantic bed.” She didn’t wait for Ana’s answer before she ran to the bedroom.
“We have to go out in this cold?” She griped dramatically, unwilling to give up the comfort of her condo and Melodie’s company. She dragged her feet to the bedroom where Melodie was already buttoning up her jeans.
“Yes. And we might even need snowshoes. Do you have any? We’ll have to stop by the duplex to get mine, and if you don’t have any, we can borrow my father’s.”
“I have snowshoes, but I wasn’t planning on using them today,” she objected. “Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. And quit complaining. I promise you’ll love it. Now get moving.” She playfully slapped Ana’s behind before she put on her sweater. Resigned and growing more curious, Ana got dressed. There was no point arguing anyway. She’d follow Melodie anywhere.
Melodie struggled to keep up with Ana as they walked toward the edge of the cliff. As she suspected, they needed snowshoes to walk in the deep virgin snow that covered the entire property. Even the marks she’d left during her last visit had disappeared under fresh snow and walking without snowshoes would have been more than laborious this time around. Ana suddenly stopped, and from the way she gasped, Melodie knew they’d reached their destination. They took in the view that left Ana speechless, her mouth wide open. The frozen sea was at their feet, at the bottom of the hill, behind the church and colorful houses that could only enhance the view from this angle. White mixed with grey and blue, and she couldn’t be sure where the sea ended and the sky began. The glacial wind was brutal, but Melodie smiled nonetheless. “What do you think?”
“It’s breathtaking. Is this what I think it is?”
“Yes. We’re on the future site of the White Sheep Inn,” she declared with pride.
Ana turned to her, excitement evident in her wide green eyes. “This is the land Yvonne bought up the hill years ago? All of this?” she asked as she made a sweeping movement with her arm.
“Yes, all of it,” she replied with a chuckle.
“This is way more land than needed for the inn, though. Do you know what she had in mind?”
Melodie looked down at the white snow, so pure it sparkled with blue light. She wished she’d had more time to discuss the details of her grandmother’s plans, but all she could do now was extrapolate the little she did know. “She had quite a vision. I’m pretty sure she ha
d it all figured out, but unfortunately, I don’t know everything she had in mind, no. She wanted to build flower gardens with pathways leading to benches and picnic tables where guests could appreciate the view and sunsets. She also talked about a large gazebo. She even mentioned doing weddings.”
“Wow, I can’t believe it. These are all wonderful ideas.”
“She wanted to offer guests of the White Sheep Inn new ways to enjoy the sea. It was as if she’d read your article before you ever wrote it.”
“The vision she had for this place is certainly in line with the ideas I wrote about in my article, but I have nothing to do with it. Your grandmother understood more about rising sea levels than we will ever know. Every time we talked about it when we walked together, I had the feeling she knew exactly what I was going to say before I said it. She knew what needed to be done, and obviously she was getting ready to do it.”
“Yeah, well, she might have had time to do it before she passed away if I hadn’t been holding her back with my stubbornness.” She sighed with frustration and blinked several times to chase away her tears. She felt Ana’s arms close around her and leaned her forehead against her shoulder, feeling protected from the cold as much as comforted from the regrets she hadn’t openly disclosed until now.
“There’s no point beating yourself up about that now,” she whispered. “But you know what you have to do, right?”
She nodded against Ana’s shoulder. She knew exactly what she had to do. She’d held her grandmother back, but the only way to make up for it was to bring her vision to life now. “I do. But I’m going to need your help to do it right. To make sure everything we do is best for the environment. To find as much financial help as we can. To make this place perfect. I want the White Sheep Inn to set an example for everyone else.”
“That sounds exciting,” she said with a light in her eyes, smiling with anticipation.
“So you’ll help me?”
“Of course,” she exclaimed before she hugged her. “We’ll do this together for Yvonne.”
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