Missing Melissa

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Jack glowered at him. "What are you doing here?"

  "Here as in the restaurant? I heard the food was good."

  "No, on the ranch. Why are you here? We're completely sold out," Wade added.

  "Yes, it was tough to get a room, but your lovely receptionist called me a few days ago when you had a cancellation. Excellent customer service, I might add."

  "You're staying on the ranch?" Wade asked. His expression of disgust mirrored what Jack was feeling.

  "Yes, in one of your nicest cabins. Your best one, I was told. The Copper Cottage."

  Wade looked even more furious by this news. "How long are you staying?"

  Cooper smiled. "I haven't quite decided. My visit is open-ended for the time being."

  Wade opened his mouth to say something then changed his mind. Jack guessed he wanted to throw Cooper out but couldn't legally do so just because he didn’t want him there. It was frustrating.

  "Listen, if you came for Melissa, she doesn't want you here," Jack said firmly. "She and I are married and I work for the local police department." He paused and then added, "I know all about you. I've seen the restraining order, which is fully in force here. She's moved on—you should, too."

  "I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm just enjoying a nice vacation in a beautiful area." Cooper polished off the last sip of his beer and threw some money down on his tab. "Well, it's been great chatting with you both, but I'm done for the evening. If you could excuse me?" He slid off his stool and both Wade and Jack stepped back to let him pass. Jack kept an eye on him to make sure he headed straight for the door and didn't go near Melissa. He didn't. He strode off confidently and was gone moments later.

  "What do you make of that?" Wade asked.

  "I don't like it one bit, especially that he's staying here."

  "I know. Believe me, I'd love nothing better than to throw him out, but my hands are tied."

  "Until he does something." Jack said what they were both thinking.

  "Unfortunately, yes."

  Melissa could sense the worry and fear from everyone at the table. They stayed quiet until Jaclyn spoke. "Jack and Wade won't let anything happen. He'll give up soon and head back to Boston, where he belongs. Then you can get on with your life." She seemed so sure of it. Melissa hoped fervently that she was right.

  She wondered what Jack and Wade were saying to Cooper. The body language of all three men was so tense. When Cooper got up and started walking away from the bar, she held her breath until she was sure he wasn't coming her way.

  When they returned to the table, Melissa tried to thank them both but Wade didn't let her get a word out before he was apologizing.

  "I'm so sorry about that, Melissa. I didn't realize that he was staying at the ranch. We're completely booked solid so it never crossed my mind that it was a possibility."

  "Jack asked me to check a few days ago and he wasn't staying here then." Bernie looked upset for her.

  "He was smart enough to ask to go on a waiting list," Wade said. "And he probably said he'd take anything. The Copper Cottage is our biggest unit, and our most expensive."

  "He's staying there? That's just wrong," Lily said. Melissa knew from hearing the others talk that it was a beautiful cottage, far too big for one person and too nice for him.

  "He still has a restraining order, though, so he can't contact you or come too close to you. He won't be able to go into your store, if you're there," Wade assured her.

  "Technically, that is true. But people break those orders all the time." Jack looked at her and she saw the concern and anger in his eyes, the worry for her, and was touched. "Not trying to scare you, just a reminder to be aware of your surroundings at all times. I don't think he's going to leave until he talks to you. That's my gut impression. He didn't even bat an eyelash when I told him we were married. He must have already heard the news somehow."

  "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to call it a night," Jaclyn said as Barbi set down the bill for the table. She set the gift card on it that they'd won the previous week and before anyone could put money down, Wade grabbed the check and gave the gift card back to Jaclyn. "Save this for the next time you all come in. It's on the house tonight." He looked at Melissa. "It's the least I can do. I can't apologize enough for allowing him to stay here. We could have stopped it, if we'd known he was trying. It should have occurred to me that he might."

  "This is not your fault, at all," Melissa assured him. They all thanked him and everyone left together. Melissa was quiet on the ride home. She was feeling shaken from seeing Cooper again. It had been so long and she'd really hoped that she'd never see him again. Seeing him next to Jack really highlighted their differences. Jack was so big and rock solid. She was almost a full foot shorter than Jack but he never seemed too tall to her, she just felt safe and protected when she was around him. Not to mention how attractive he was.

  Cooper was a good-looking man too, she had to admit that. She'd been attracted to him too, at first. He dressed well and there was never a hair out of place. He had a confidence about him that at first had been appealing, before she realized it was more cockiness than anything else. And he was a bully. She didn't see that at first, but she gradually became aware of how he spoke to those under him, even people he perceived as inferior such as waiters and waitresses. Not at first, of course. His manners were impeccable when they first started dating and he enjoyed fine dining.

  But once he felt more comfortable and more sure of her, he let his guard slip and his true self emerge, and Melissa hadn't liked what she'd seen—his impatience with people who were doing their job as best they could, managing things that were out of their control. It wasn't the waiter's fault if the food took too long or was over- or under-cooked. But Cooper punished them for it.

  She wondered, not for the first time, how she had ever ended up staying with him as long as she did. At first, she'd been glad for his attention. Melissa was always on the shy side, happy to spend time alone with her books, and at times feeling awkward and unsure of herself in social situations, especially when it came to men. She often froze up instead of flirting, so men found her aloof, even snobby, and moved on to women who were friendlier and who seemed more interested.

  Cooper must have seen her as a challenge of sorts. Or maybe he thought she'd be a pushover because she was so quiet. He mistakenly assumed that meant she was meek and that he'd be able to push her around. Though for a while, she did put up with it. Mostly because it took her by surprise and confused her. He'd blow hot and cold—sweet and considerate one moment, cold and distant the next and at first she thought she was at fault, that she must have done something wrong. And she still felt guilty, too, as if she'd let herself down by not getting out of the relationship sooner.

  "Stop it," Jack said, almost as if he was reading her thoughts.

  "What?"

  "Whatever you're thinking. You look deep in thought over there. None of this is your fault, you know."

  "How on earth did you know that?"

  Jack sighed. "I've seen this before, remember? It's so common for women to blame themselves. Think they did something to bring this on or blame themselves for not getting out of the situation sooner. You did the best you could, and you did leave. That's more than many are ever able to."

  "Thanks. I know that. I do. But it helps to be reminded."

  Jack reached his right hand behind her and rested it on her shoulder, giving her a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

  "I promise, I won't let anything happen to you. This will all be over soon enough."

  "I hope so. I really do."

  Chapter 9

  "I just got a text that the kitchen cabinets I ordered came in. Clark's brother, Bryan, is going to start later this afternoon and go all weekend."

  "Oh, that's exciting. Did he say how long it would take?" Melissa added some more coffee to her cup while she waited for her toast to finish cooking.

  "He's hoping to get most of it done in the
next two weeks."

  "What else are you doing?"

  "All new counter tops, and I'm adding a center island and converting from an electric to gas stove. Its easier to control temperature for cooking."

  "What is your color scheme?"

  "All white, with a blue-gray island and quartz counters that will look like Carrera marble. It looks good and is safer than marble. For me, anyway."

  "How's that?" Melissa loved the look and feel of marble.

  "My first choice was honed marble, but it's not practical, especially if I decide to sell. Real marble is too porous. Everything stains it." He grinned. "And I tend to spill a lot."

  "It sounds gorgeous. I can't wait to see it when it's finished."

  "You'll be the first person I show it to, then," he said. His phone buzzed and he glanced down at it. "That's Bryan again. He wants me to meet him at the house now to start bringing stuff in and give him a key. I have to run."

  "Have a good day."

  Jack was almost out the door when he turned back and said, "If he contacts you or bothers you in any way, please call me immediately."

  "I will."

  Melissa left soon after and had a busy and relatively uneventful day until she went to get her usual mid-afternoon coffee. The store was quiet, so she didn't rush and took her time strolling back and enjoying the new coffee flavor Sadie had introduced, toasted coconut. It made her think of sunny beaches and tropical vacations. She was lost in thought as she came around the corner and with dismay saw a familiar figure sitting on her favorite bench. Technically, he wasn't in violation of his restraining order because not only wasn't she in the shop, but the bench was far enough away from it even if she was. He waved as she walked past and went back into the shop.

  Anna looked up and seemed relieved that she was back. After she rang up the sole customer and sent him on his way, she turned to Melissa.

  "As soon as you left, he came into the store. He must have been watching." The thought of it made Melissa's skin crawl, to think he'd been stalking her.

  "Did he say anything? Ask about me?"

  "Yes and no. He didn't say much, except to comment on how nice the weather was. He wandered around the store, bought a copy of the Wall Street Journal and left just a few minutes before you returned. It was almost as if he knew how long you'd be gone. When he left, he asked me to give this to you." She handed Melissa a small envelope.

  Melissa realized she was a creature of habit and if he'd been paying attention he would have noticed that she went for coffee every day around this time. She took the envelope and slid out the note card with his familiar handwriting.

  "Will you meet me outside? Just for a few minutes. I really need to talk to you."

  "What does he want?" Anna asked.

  "He says he just wants to talk." Melissa debated whether or not to comply. She certainly was within her rights to simply ignore him. But she also knew that he wasn't likely to go away until he got what he came for, which at a minimum was to talk to her. She sighed. She knew Jack wouldn't approve, but she was going to do it.

  "I'm going to go talk to him."

  Anna nodded. "I'll keep an eye on you, and call for help if you need it."

  "Thank you. He knows he's being watched, so I think he'll be on his best behavior."

  "He'd better be." Anna sounded fierce and Melissa loved her for it.

  "I'll be right back." She took a deep breath and walked out the door and over to where Cooper was sitting.

  "Melissa, you look well." He stood and moved as if to give her a hug hello, but she immediately took a step back, making it clear that wasn't going to happen.

  "Shall we sit?" he suggested.

  Melissa waited until he sat and then she sat as far away as possible on the small, wooden bench.

  "Why are you here, Cooper? What do you want?"

  "Now, what kind of a welcome is that? I hoped you'd be happy to see me."

  Melissa's eyes narrowed. "I hoped to never see you again. Ever."

  He smiled, as if she was being silly and didn't mean it.

  "So, what is this nonsense I hear about you being married? Is that true?"

  Melissa sat up tall. "Yes, it's true. Jack is a wonderful man. I'm lucky to have him in my life."

  "Jack. The police officer?"

  "Yes, that's him."

  "He seems a little uptight. He should relax more."

  "He's worried for me."

  Cooper frowned. "He has nothing to worry about. I love you, Melissa, and only want what's best for you. But what's best for you is to be with me. Come back to Boston with me. We can start over." He sounded a bit manic and Melissa wondered how she never noticed that before about him.

  "I'm not going anywhere. I'm already married. To Jack."

  Cooper scoffed. "Oh, please. I know a setup when I see it. Are you trying to convince me? You really love this guy? You haven't been married long. We can probably get an annulment."

  "I don't want an annulment. Jack and I are in love. I love him." He looked taken aback at her passionate response. Clearly, it was unexpected. It took Melissa by surprise. The words had come pouring out of her. Was that how she really felt?

  "I'm not giving up on you. How well do you even know this guy? You're just infatuated. I can see why. He probably has tons of women falling all over him. What makes you think he'll be faithful to you?" Without knowing it, he hit a nerve with that statement. Melissa knew about Jack's history with women. She stood up.

  "I don't have anything else to say to you, Cooper. Go home. You're not going to get what you came for. I need to go back to work."

  "Just think about what I said," he insisted. "We could still make this work. I know we can."

  "Goodbye, Cooper. Have a safe trip back to Boston."

  "I'm not leaving yet."

  "Well, you should." She turned her back on him and strode as fast as her feet would take her, back into the shop.

  "Are you okay?" Anna asked nervously.

  Melissa smiled. "I'm fine. I'm going to go out back and make a call. I'll just be a few minutes."

  "You talked to him? Sat down beside him? I would have advised you not to do that," Jack said as he ran a hand through his hair. He was sitting in his patrol car at a gas station. He'd just filled up and was going to ride out toward the ranch, and do his usual patrol by vehicle. He usually swung by the area at least once or twice during his shift.

  "I didn't want to, but I thought it was the only way to end this. He's persistent and I don't think he would have gone back to Boston without first talking to me and seeing if he could convince me to take him back."

  "I hope you made it crystal clear to him that's not an option."

  "Of course. I said it, repeatedly. But he has selective hearing. He wanted me to ditch you, get an annulment and go back to Boston with him."

  Jack felt his fists tighten.

  "I even told him I was madly in love with you," she said. He could tell she was trying to lighten the mood, but all he heard was, "I told him I'm in love with you."

  Could it be true? No doubt she just said it to convince Cooper, but maybe in time, she might say it for real. Jack could easily see himself saying it. But he didn't want to scare her by saying it too soon.

  "So he has no reason to stick around, then. Did he say he's leaving soon?"

  Melissa was quiet for a moment, and then sighed in frustration. "No, he said he's not giving up."

  "Oh, he did, did he? Well, we'll see about that?"

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Just my job. Maybe I'll offer him a police escort to the airport. Nothing would make me happier."

  "Be careful, Jack."

  "Always. I'll see you later at home."

  "Okay."

  Jack stepped on the gas and drove straight to the main office at the ranch. He parked and went inside to see Wade first. Bernie and Lily shared an office just outside of Wade's and they looked up when he appeared in the doorway.

  "Hi, Jack." Bernie loo
ked happy and a little confused to see him.

  "Is Wade available? I need to talk to him for a minute."

  Bernie leaned over and called out to Wade, "Jack's here. Can I send him in?"

  "Go on in," she said.

  Jack walked into Wade's office and shut the door behind him.

  "Have a seat," Wade offered. Jack continued to stand.

  "I won't be staying long enough. I'm going to have a chat with Cooper and wondered if you might want to join me. I thought that might be best."

  Wade stood up. "Sure thing. Fill me in as we walk."

  Both Lily and Bernie looked at the two of them curiously as they left the office. Jack figured there was plenty of time to bring them up to speed later. He told Wade about Melissa's conversation with Cooper and he agreed that the time had come to take a more proactive approach.

  When they reached the Copper Cottage, Jack saw that the front door was ajar, a good sign that he was in. They knocked and a moment later Cooper strolled to the door and looked surprised to see them. He didn't seem as inclined to be polite, however.

  "What is it?" he asked curtly.

  "We'd like a word," Jack said.

  "Come in, then." He opened the door and they followed him inside.

  "Melissa called me after she spoke with you. You do realize that you violated your restraining order?"

  "She came to me."

  "After you made contact with a note."

  "Technicalities. She's the one that would need to do the enforcing, I believe? And she seemed fine with it. She didn't have to talk to me."

  "No, she didn't. She did it so that you would listen to her, and go away."

  Cooper didn't say anything.

  "She's moved on. We're married and very much in love." Jack felt his voice break as his frustration and feelings for Melissa came through.

  Cooper frowned. "It's awfully sudden," he protested.

  "True love doesn't have a timetable. But when it's real, you know it. When both people feel it, you get married. Not when one person wants to force the other into feeling something that is long dead."