Their Mountain Reunion (The Second Chance Club Book 1)

by Patricia Johns

  “Because it’s the middle of the night and I was a woman traveling alone,” Melanie replied.

  “Oh...right. I hadn’t thought of the safety thing,” Tilly said. “I’m sorry I made you drive all the way out here. Simon and I made up...”

  “When he found out I was on my way, no doubt,” Melanie said. “Come on. I’ve driven all the way out here. Is the hotel restaurant open this time of night?”

  “Yeah, they cater to truckers,” Tilly said.

  “Let’s go talk and get something to eat,” Melanie said.

  That was a smart move—make no demands. He’d bet that Tilly would side with Simon in a heartbeat, especially if she’d already made up with him.

  “I don’t know,” Tilly said, glancing over her shoulder. For permission? Simon was in the room, apparently.

  “Tell you what,” Logan said, stepping forward. “You ladies go talk, and I’ll have a chat with Simon.”

  “I don’t think he’d like that—” Tilly began.

  “I’m a nice guy,” Logan said. “It’ll be fine. But we have driven an awfully long way. A conversation isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

  “I could eat a burger,” Melanie said. “What about you?”

  Tilly smiled faintly. “That sounds good.”

  Simon appeared behind her in the doorway. He glared at them, but Tilly walked toward the restaurant with Melanie and Logan breathed a sigh of relief. If Melanie was going to talk any sense into that girl, it would have to be away from Simon.

  “I’m not talking to you,” Simon said, turning to close the door, but Logan stepped forward and planted his palm against the wood.

  “What did you think was going to happen here?” Logan asked. “You ran off with the pregnant daughter of a very wealthy man. Did you think her family would just ignore that?”

  “Who are you?” Simon demanded.

  “A friend of Melanie’s. Now, you can talk with me right now, or I can call the cops. Her father is arriving tomorrow. You aren’t getting away with this for long.”

  At the mention of her father, Simon sighed and let go of the door. “Fine. Whatever. But if you try and hit me or anything—”

  “Do I look like some hired thug?” Logan chuckled. “I’m Mel’s friend. That’s it. And I have a kid a bit older than you, so I might have more insight than you think.”

  Simon didn’t answer, and when Logan stepped into the hotel room, he saw clothes scattered about, some food packaging on the floor. Was he used to someone else cleaning up after him?

  “So what’s your best-case scenario here?” Logan asked, tossing a backpack off the seat of a chair and easing into it.

  “What?” Simon squinted at him.

  “All of this—taking off with her. What are you hoping to accomplish here?” Logan asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m the father of that baby—”

  “Yeah, which means absolutely nothing until that baby is born,” Logan replied. “And even then, you won’t have any more rights to Tilly than you do now.”

  “I’m not forcing her to do anything!” Simon said. “She wanted to leave. I picked her up. Sort of like what’s happening here. She called you, and you came.”

  “I heard about the way you talk to her,” Logan said.

  “So? What did you even hear?”

  “Complaining about her gaining weight—”

  “Melanie?” Simon asked, his lips turning up in a sneer. “She misunderstood. I don’t know what your problem is.”

  “So what did you mean by it?” Logan asked.

  “I don’t know. I don’t even remember what I said.”

  This was going to be a pointless conversation, Logan could already tell. The kid would just deny, deny, deny and then go home to his rich parents and tell them how awful that man had been to him. And Logan had no desire to have a pack of lawyers on his back.

  “So you’re going to be a father,” Logan said.

  Simon blinked. “I guess. I mean, she’s pregnant, so...”

  “How are you going to support her?” Logan asked.

  “I don’t know. We have money,” Simon replied. “We don’t exactly worry about that kind of thing the way people on your level do.”

  “I mean, long term,” Logan pressed, ignoring the rudeness. “I assume you’re planning on going to college after you graduate high school, right? I mean, your dad might insist upon that. By the time you graduate with a degree, you’ll be twenty-two, and the baby will be about four. You’ll have to be thinking about schools then, too.”

  Simon didn’t answer, but some of the attitude drained from his expression.

  “If you’re planning on getting married, then you’ll have to be thinking ahead. Her dad is pretty protective of her, I hear. And marrying a girl doesn’t cut her away from her family. You’ll have to think about her relationship with your in-laws starting now. Because all of this—they’re going to remember it.”

  “Her dad isn’t even in the country,” Simon replied.

  “And while he was gone, you hounded her about gaining pregnancy weight,” Logan said.

  “I didn’t do that!”

  “But you care, right?” Logan met Simon’s gaze. “You don’t want her getting fat, right?”

  “She doesn’t have to,” Simon said peevishly.

  Yeah, that’s what Logan thought, and he had to quash the urge to smack the kid. He wasn’t anywhere near ready to be a father and husband, or even a boyfriend.

  “So what’s your plan?” Logan asked again. “Are you getting married?”

  “I don’t know. Not yet. She might get an abortion.”

  “Hmm.” He wasn’t sure if that was coming from Simon or Tilly. “So...you’d prefer that?”

  “Yeah, I’d prefer that! I’m seventeen! I’m not ready for all that responsibility. I’m taking a gap year to travel when I graduate and—”

  “Not if you’ve got a baby, you aren’t,” Logan said with a short laugh. “What, you’re going to reappear after a year and think everything is going to be fine? Look, I’m going to be straight with you, because I don’t know you or your family. Right now, this has all been really intense and probably pretty scary. But the next time Tilly calls someone for help, it might not be us, it might be the cops.”

  “I didn’t hit her or anything!” Simon said, his voice rising.

  “You’re treating her badly,” Logan said. “You’re being mean. You’re trying to control her, and you’re taking out your anger on her. That kind of behavior is generally described as abuse. Now, you’re growing up in the age of the internet, so it shouldn’t surprise you to know that ten or fifteen years from now, Tilly could be online telling the story of the father of her child—how mean he was, the things he said when he was angry, how he made her feel. And that’s going to reflect on you. Professionally, personally...and you’re going to look back on this and wish you’d behaved better.”

  Simon didn’t answer, but his gaze flickered toward the window.

  “You can’t cut her off from her family, and I think you know that. I don’t think you even want to do that. And whatever little joyride you thought you were going to have while her dad was out of the country has gotten severely out of hand.”

  “Yeah...” Simon breathed.

  “And whether Tilly has this baby or not, you’re going to have to look her father in the face. You made a baby, and you’re going to have to answer for your behavior. Don’t make this worse than it already is.”

  “I don’t know what to do,” Simon said, his voice catching.

  “First of all, you can encourage Tilly to come home with us,” Logan said. “Then you can have a serious conversation with your parents about the future and how you’re all going to handle this.”

  “My dad is going to be furious,” Simon said.

  “Maybe so.
But you can face that,” Logan replied. “I think your father being angry is a lot less intimidating than her father being angry. Especially if she loses that baby because of the stress you put her through. Then it wouldn’t be a choice anymore, it would be your fault. People don’t forgive that kind of thing very easily.”

  “And what else?” Simon asked, the attitude completely gone now. His gaze was pinned on Logan.

  “You’re going to have to change the way you treat women—all of them,” Logan said. “You know about the Me Too movement, I’m sure. Women don’t take that kind of garbage anymore, Simon. They get mad, and when you get enough of them supporting each other, they get even.”

  If Simon wasn’t careful, he’d have a whole tribe of women coming after him for his bad behavior, and he’d have no one to blame but himself. Simon licked his lips. Was he imagining the same thing?

  “You’re not too old to change your ways, kid,” Logan went on. “But until you have, I suggest you keep a respectful distance from Tilly.”

  Simon nodded. “Yeah... Maybe she should go back with you, then. I didn’t mean to upset her like that. I was just... I don’t know. It’s pretty intense right now.”

  Logan looked at Simon—young, spoiled, privileged. And somehow he’d gotten the message that he could treat women any way he chose. Would tonight make any difference in this young man?

  Maybe it was a blessing to raise a son with less privilege—with a good woman by his side. Graham had learned to respect women. Logan might not have been a perfect husband, but he’d respected his wife, and Graham had seen that. How were the women treated in Simon’s house? Was it anything like how it had been for Melanie?

  “You can choose who you want to be,” Logan said quietly. Simon didn’t answer, and Logan stood up and headed for the door, pausing with his hand on the knob. “I know it can be confusing. It seems like you have to act a certain way to get the other guys’ respect. But the stories they tell aren’t true. They say they order their women about, but they don’t. It’s an act. Don’t buy into it. And don’t worry about everyone else. The trick is to behave in a way that you can be proud of when you look back on it when you’re my age. The years pass faster than you think.”

  The night air whisked past his face as he stepped outside and the summer breeze carried the scent of trees and grass—fragrant with hope, in spite of it all.

  The trick was to figure out when you were being a jerk soon enough, and figure out why...because that regret would cling.

  Logan had never been as bad as Simon, but he’d been selfish. He’d put his own feelings ahead of Melanie’s when he left her behind. He’d been more worried about his own heartbreak than hers. And then he’d managed to make his own wife miserable with his thoughtlessness. He hadn’t meant to be that guy...

  He headed toward the restaurant, his steps slow and tired. The young people thought they could mess up and make up all their lives...but really they had a small window, and they’d just keep repeating it and regretting it if they weren’t careful.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  MELANIE TOOK A jaw-cracking bite of her cheeseburger. There had been a time when she denied herself some of these simple pleasures. She’d always been so focused on staying slim for Adam, on looking great in those evening gowns she wore to different charity events. She had people to impress back then, and postdivorce, she realized she no longer cared.

  “So what happened?” Melanie asked past her bite of food.

  Tilly swirled a fry in ketchup and popped it into her mouth. “He was just being such a jerk. He was blaming getting pregnant on me, saying it was my responsibility to make sure this didn’t happen, and...”

  “He’s mean to you, Tilly,” Melanie said softly. “Love isn’t like that.”

  Tilly picked up her burger and took a bite, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. “That’s what guys are like most of the time. If you want one, you’ve got to put up with something.”

  “Something?”

  “Either they’re mean, or they cheat, or they only want you because your family is rich, or...something.”

  Melanie looked at Tilly thoughtfully. “Not all of them.”

  “Enough of them.”

  “Then why put up with any of it?” Melanie asked. “Isn’t it better to be alone than to be treated like that?”

  “I don’t want to be alone.” Tears welled in Tilly’s eyes.

  “And you never will be,” Melanie said quietly. “You’ve got family—that’s what they’re for!”

  “What about you?” Tilly asked.

  “You have me, too. Who came out to get you?”

  “No, I mean, you’re alone. Your parents live far away, and you’re just sitting out in some lake house—”

  Was this what Tilly thought of her—some pathetic woman alone in a vacation house? It wasn’t like she was some Miss Havisham living in the rotting remains of her wedding... Was that how she came across to Tilly now?

  “Tilly, I’m okay with being alone,” Melanie said gently. “And I have good friends. I’m willing to face life alone rather than be cheated on. I don’t mean to speak badly of your dad, but I couldn’t go on like that.”

  “I know.” Tilly sighed.

  “Do you think you’ll be treated like I was?” Melanie asked. “When you get married, I mean. Do you think it’s inevitable that your husband will cheat?”

  Tilly was silent for a couple of beats, then she said, “My dad’s one of the good ones.”

  Melanie reached out and put a hand on Tilly’s arm. “He is one of the good fathers, but don’t confuse a husband and a dad. Your father would walk through fire for you, and you can trust him always. But that doesn’t mean he was good at being a husband, okay? I know that’s hard to hear. But you don’t have to be treated like I was.”

  Tilly didn’t speak, and she turned her gaze toward her own reflection in the window.

  “If my leaving did anything positive at all, let it be to show you that a woman doesn’t have to put up with that,” Melanie said quietly. “Never. And you can find a good guy who’s an excellent father and a devoted husband. You can. You just might kiss a few frogs in the process.”

  “It sounds very nice,” Tilly said coldly.

  “The thing is, if you accept bad behavior from men, it’s all you’ll get,” Melanie said. “If you want a better life than that, you have to find people who are kind to you.”

  “Simon’s the father of my baby.” A tear trickled down her cheek.

  “I know.” Melanie’s eyes misted in sympathy. “That isn’t going to go away, even if you take a step back so you can think.”

  “He’ll dump me,” Tilly said.

  “Sweetie, you aren’t going to want to hear this, but good riddance,” Melanie said. “He’s mean to you, and you don’t deserve any of it. He’s narrow-minded, rude, self-centered and frankly, bad for you. Are you happy right now?”

  “What?”

  “In this moment...for the last long while,” Melanie said. “Are you happy? Have you been happy with him?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “It would be a good thing to figure out,” Melanie said. “I’m not trying to break you up. I just want to make sure you can stand up for yourself, okay? Your dad is coming tomorrow night to pick you up, and you two can sit down and decide how you want this to go. But you need to choose what your life will look like, Tilly. Not Simon. You.”

  “I’m so tired,” Tilly whispered.

  Melanie understood. When she’d found out about Adam’s cheating, she’d come to sit in a little diner much like this one. And she’d eaten a piece of cake and had a milkshake to boot, wiping her tears on a napkin as she ate. She’d felt so exhausted, so drained from all the trying and the hard work that hadn’t mattered a bit. All she’d wanted to do was curl up in a cocoon and stay that way, but life seldom allowed that kind
of luxury. There were no Miss Havishams outside of literature.

  “I know, sweetie,” Melanie said. “If you come back with me, you can get some rest, and then talk to Simon when you’re ready. At least talk to your father face-to-face before you make any big decisions, okay?”

  Tilly nodded. “Okay.”

  “So you’ll come back with me?” Melanie asked.

  “Yeah. But I need to talk to Simon first.”

  They finished eating and Melanie paid the check. When they headed back outside, Logan was standing in front of the SUV, leaning against the bumper. He straightened when he saw them come out. Tilly headed back to the hotel room and Logan cast her an inquiring look.

  “She needs to talk to him,” Melanie said, and she pulled out her keys. “Do you want to drive on the way back?”

  “Are we leaving her?”

  “I’m honestly not sure,” Melanie said. “She said she’d come with us, but she might change her mind. She isn’t going to break up with him because I told her to.”

  They got back into the SUV, and Melanie leaned her head back, closing her eyes for a moment.

  “How did it go with Simon?” she asked, her eyes still shut.

  “About the same,” Logan said quietly. “I gave him some really good reasons to smarten up, but I’m not sure how much of a difference that will make.”

  When Melanie opened her eyes, she found Logan looking at her, his eyes filled with regret.

  “I’m sorry, Mel,” he said. “For everything I did back when I was young and stupid. I was thinking about myself, not about you. I thought it would be easier on me if I didn’t have to see how I broke your heart.”

  “You were a jerk,” she said.

  “No argument,” he replied.

  “But you aren’t anymore.”

  “Caroline might have disagreed with that.”

  She paused. “What reasons did you give Simon to change?”

  “Namely, that he didn’t want to be my age looking back on the way he’d acted as a kid and have regrets,” Logan said.

  “Did he care about that?”

  “No,” Logan replied. “I think he was more worried about the Me Too movement, to be honest. With his family’s money, who knows? He might want to run for congress or something.”