by Cathryn Fox
“I told you I had plans for tonight already.”
He looked at her carefully as she pulled her door shut. “Overnight plans?”
“No, just plans.” Because she didn’t want to talk about it, she rubbed her stomach and changed the subject. “I’m starved. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a gigantic moose burger, but maybe tonight I’ll splurge.” He pulled onto the road and when he looked back at her she said, “Although if you keep driving me everywhere, I might want to think about getting a salad.”
“No way. No girl of mine is going to live off salads.” She was about to tell him she was not his girl when he tossed her a wicked grin. “And ice cream for dessert. I’ve also been craving a chocolate swirl.”
“You can’t get ice cream in Montreal?”
“Not the way they make it at the Big Scoop.”
“They do make the best. But I hear they have the best smoked meat sandwiches in Montreal. Are they as good as they say?”
“Oh yeah,” he said. “Do you like smoked meat?”
“To be honest, I’ve never had it, but I watch the Food Network when I have time and I saw it on one of those road shows.”
He nodded. “You should have a smoked meat sandwich,” he said matter-of-factly.
“Okay. If I ever make it to Montreal, I’ll have one.”
She pressed back into her seat, enjoying the easy conversation as he drove them down the hill and into the town center. He parked a block away from Grizzly’s and met her on the sidewalk when she jumped out.
The streets were fairly quiet for a Monday, a few tourists browsing the shops as she walked with Ryeland to Grizzly’s, which, come the weekend, was the town’s hottest club. Fully aware of how he kept rubbing up against her as they moved down the sidewalk and the way his hand kept brushing hers, Mel worked to keep her legs moving. When they reached Grizzly’s, Ryeland pulled the heavy front door open for her and waved her in.
“Thanks,” she said, and stepped past him into the dimly lit bar. Like the streets, the bar was quiet as well, so they walked past the dance floor and grabbed a booth in the corner.
The hostess, Holly, brought them menus but Ryeland didn’t even open his. “We already know what we’re having.” He rubbed his hands together and said, “Two moose burgers and two pints of whatever’s on draft.”
“Soda for me,” Mel piped in.
A surprised look came over Ryeland’s face. “Oh, sorry. I should have asked.” He looked at Holly. “Make that two sodas.” After Holly left he looked around. “I missed this place.”
Mel groaned. “That’s because you don’t live here year round.”
His eyes moved over her face for a moment, like he was remembering something. “So I take it you plan to leave, then. You did mention your place being temporary.”
He remembered that?
“Eventually,” she said, not wanting to talk about herself too much.
“Where would you go?”
She shrugged. “Toronto. To a big city where no one knows me.” Fearing she already said too much and wanting to get the conversation off her, she asked, “Do you like living in Montreal?”
“It’s a great city.”
“Is that where you’re going to go to law school?” At the mention of law school, he rubbed the back of his neck. Mel frowned and folded her hand on the table in front of her. “Was it something I said?”
Ryeland reached out and closed one hand over hers. “I don’t know. I just…my father is pushing me to go to law school.”
Okay, that took her by surprise. Holly brought their drinks, and Mel freed her hand. Once they were alone again, she asked, “Is that what the fight with your folks was about?”
“Yeah.”
She poked her straw into the lemon wedge hooked to the side of the glass. “What do you want to do?”
“I want to go to medical school.”
Surprised once again, she said, “Why would he be upset about that? Doesn’t every parent want his or her kid to grow up to be a doctor?”
“Everyone but mine, evidently. He wants me to join his firm. He’s a total hard ass about it too.”
She nodded. “He’s your father. He cares about you. That’s actually nice, Ryeland.”
“If he really cared, he’d back off and let me do what I want. But he’s been guiding me down this path since I was a kid. I can see it for Ashley and Evan, they seem cut out for it, but it’s not for me.”
“I guess you’re the black sheep of the family,” she stated as he reached for her hand again. His thumb brushed over the inside of her wrist and heat traveled all the way to her toes.
“What about your folks, Melody?”
The way he said her name, so softly, so intimately, made her forget she hated her full name. In fact, she kind of liked the way he said it.
“What do they want for you?” he asked, pulling her thoughts back.
“It’s just my mom and me. Dad isn’t in the picture anymore. He hasn’t been for a long time.”
Fortunately, Holly came with their food and Mel didn’t have to explain that her dad wasn’t in the picture because he was in prison. Ryeland let go of her hand as she stared at the gigantic burger and plate of fries in front of her, her stomach grumbling as the delicious smells reached her nose.
“I’m never going to finish this,” she said as she tried to pick it up.
Ryeland bit into his, and juice dripped down his arm. He chewed and swallowed and went for another bite. “Damn, that’s good,” he said as he dove back in for more.
“You really have been craving them.” Mel laughed as she watched him, seeing another side to the rich boy who, from the surface looked like he had the perfect life. It actually made her feel a little less embarrassed by hers. Only a little, though.
She took a bite of her burger and her tomato slipped out the back and fell to her plate. She picked it up and tossed it into her mouth all the while watching Ryeland. Honest to God, he looked like a kid on Christmas morning.
Unable to help herself, because yeah, she wanted to know more about him, she asked, “So a doctor, huh?”
He wiped his mouth. “Yup.”
“Why a doctor?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I was a sick kid.”
Her head jerked back. “You were?”
“Childhood leukemia.” He took a drink from his glass, then finished off his burger. He looked like he was a million miles away as he chewed. Then he said, “I remember the doctors and volunteers. They were all so amazing. I guess I just want to make a difference in a kid’s life.”
“Then it makes sense.”
“What does?”
“Why your father wants you to work in his firm. You were sick and he probably wants to keep you close because it scared him. He’s scared of losing you.”
Ryeland went quiet for a moment and she could see the sadness on his face. “Maybe you’re right.” He picked up his soda and leaned back in his seat. “I don’t want to hurt him or let him down.”
“I know.” Jeez, what she’d do to have a parent who cared so much. “I think he has your best interests at heart. But you have to do what’s best for you, Ryeland. You know that, right?”
The door to Grizzly’s opened and a warm breeze brushed over them. She turned to see Trevor sauntering in. She shifted in her seat as he plunked himself at the bar and gestured to Trent for a beer.
Mel took one last bite of her burger, leaving over half of it on her plate and said, “We should go.”
Ryeland went deathly still, those pewter eyes staring at her with such intensity Mel was sure he could see into the depths of her soul. “I’m not going to let him hurt you, Mel.” His voice was hard, raw, and so dangerously calm, she actually believed him, but even still, she didn’t want to be there any longer.
“I’d like to go.”
“Okay.” He pulled out his wallet, and she reached for her money. “I got this,” he said. She was about to protest when he said, “You can get
the ice cream.”
“You can’t expect me to eat ice cream after that.”
“Different compartment, sunshine.”
They slipped from the booth, and Mel could feel Trevor’s eyes on them as they walked out the front door. She worked to fight down her unease as Ryeland bumped against her and gave her a nudge with his elbow.
“Mel?”
“Yeah?”
“Where are you going tonight?”
“I have this thing to do.”
“Can I drive you?”
“No.” When she caught the dejected look on his face, her stomach turned over. “You don’t have to drive me everywhere.”
He nudged her again, his touch sending sparks rocketing though her. “But I want to.”
“I’m only going into Copperville. I can take the bus.”
“What’s in Copperville?”
She planted on hand on her hip. “Do you really need to know?”
He grinned. “I kinda do.”
“Fine. I’m taking a course at the community center. It’s no big deal.”
“What kind of course?”
Intrigue danced in his eyes as she angled her head to see him. She looked at him long and hard and guessed he wasn’t about to give up. “You won’t laugh?”
“Why would I laugh? I told you what I wanted to do and you didn’t laugh.”
“Becoming a doctor isn’t anything to laugh at.”
He stopped, turned to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Dark eyes latched onto hers and he said, “Neither is becoming a writer.”
She looked down, feeling slightly self-conscious. She wasn’t embarrassed about wanting to become a writer, but Ryeland obviously read from the stack on her desk, and she just wasn’t ready to share her stories with anyone.
“Hey, don’t.” He lifted her chin. “You don’t ever have to be embarrassed with me, okay? I think it’s great that you want to be a writer.”
“You do?” she croaked out.
“Yeah. And let me guess. You write romance."
“What makes you say that?” she asked, not about to give it away so easily.
“You love Nicholas Sparks, so I assumed.”
She shook her head, shocked at how he was able to take in and process everything he’d learned about her. “Yeah, that’s me, the hopeless romantic.” As she looked at him, really looked at him, it made her wonder what it was about him that had her sharing so much.
“I don’t know why I’m telling you this. I don’t even know you.”
“It’s because I’m adorable.”
“I’m not sure that’s the word I’d use.”
He smiled. “Come on. Let’s get ice cream and go do something fun before I drive you to Copperville.”
“I actually don’t have time. Class starts soon and I need to get going.” She nodded toward the bus stop. “And I really should take the bus.”
He nodded, but she could tell from the look on his face he had every intention of driving her. Good God, the guy was trouble, of that she had no doubt. He threw her off balance and made her feel so out of control. She swore a long time ago that she’d never let anyone have that kind of power over her again. Which made her wonder why she was letting him into her life. But she already knew the answer to that. Ryeland Montgomery was nice, easy to be with, and so damn adorable.
Chapter Eight
Darkness had fallen over the town as Ryeland leaned against the front of his Wrangler and watched a handful of students exit the community college. When he caught sight of Melody walking with some guy down the sidewalk, his territorial instincts kicked in. “Oh hell no,” he muttered as he pushed off the hood and came up behind her.
“Hey,” he said, taking her backpack from her and tossing it over his shoulder.
Mel spun around, eyes wide, hand pressed to her chest. “Ryeland,” she gasped. “You scared the life out of me.”
He shifted the pack on his back and dipped his head, his hair falling into his eyes. “Sorry about that.”
She frowned and looked around. “What are you doing here?”
Instead of answering, Ryeland glared at the guy walking a little too close to her, with way too much interest in his eyes as he smiled down at her. He had a briefcase in his hand and because he looked like he had a good five years or so on Ryeland, he didn’t get the sense that he was a student. Ryeland straightened to his full height, standing eye to eye with the man.
“Oh, this is Professor Steele. He teaches my class,” Melody said.
“It’s Marcus,” he said offering his hand to Ryeland.
“Right.” Mel shook her head. “I can’t seem to get used to that. Marcus, this is my friend Ryeland.”
Ryeland stepped closer to her and nodded to Marcus, accepting his hand and giving it a good firm shake before letting it go. Then he turned his attention to Melody. “You ready?”
“I was just about to grab…” her words fell off as the bus sped past them, driving straight by the empty stop, “…the bus.”
“I can give you a lift home,” Marcus offered.
Ryeland took a step closer to Mel. “I’m driving her.”
Marcus looked from Melody to Ryeland, then back to Melody. “Okay, I’ll catch up with you later, Mel,” he said, then turned and drove off.
“What was that all about, Ryeland? He’s my teacher, and you looked like you wanted to kill him.”
“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“I’m his student. I need an A before he’ll submit my chapters to a publisher, and he said with a little private tutoring he could help me accomplish that?”
“Private tutoring, huh? Well, let me tell you what he’s trying to accomplish.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He likes you, Melody.”
“Well, I am his student,” she repeated, looking at him like he was dense or something. For a girl who claimed to have such a bad reputation, she was damned innocent about some things.
“Yes, and he doesn’t just want to tutor you on…” he paused and leaned in for emphasis. “…your writing.”
Her chin came up. “What are you trying to say? That he only offered to tutor me to…to…” Her words trailed off as realization set in.
Ryeland almost wished he’d kept his mouth shut when her shoulders fell, but hell, he’d rather she be pissed at him for pointing out the obvious than the alternative.
He looked at her and cocked his head. “You don’t read people well, do you?”
Her body suddenly tightened. “I…” She stopped talking, like she was remembering something from her past—probably that asshole Trevor. Or maybe she was thinking he was no better than him, and that if she was such a bad judge of character then she shouldn’t be hanging with him either.
“I’m sorry, Melody. I just…I get protective at times.” Especially when it came to her. “It’s in my nature.”
“You know I can take care of myself, right?”
He made a fist and nudged her chin playfully. “I know. My little fighter. Come on.” He leaned into her, giving her a little push. “Truce?”
“I shouldn’t let you off so easily.”
“But you will because I’m adorable.”
“I will because I missed my bus and you’re my only way home,” she countered.
He laughed. “Good, then let’s go, because we never did get that ice cream.”
He stepped close, his body brushing hers in an intimate way. She felt her body come alive and her breath sounded shallow when she said, “I’m not sure I’m up for ice cream.”
He scuffed his toe on the pavement. “But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that chocolate swirl all night.”
She shook her head and looked at him like he was a petulant child. “Fine, we’ll get ice cream but then I need to get to bed.” She cast him a glance as they walked across the street.
“What?” he asked.
“Why did you wait for me?”
&n
bsp; All teasing gone from his voice, he said, “I didn’t want you taking the bus back in the dark.”
“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time now, Ryeland.”
“I know, and that’s why I’m here.”
She went quiet and he stepped closer to her as they crossed the street. She opened her mouth like she wanted to say something, then closed it again. The trip back to Deerfield was made in silence, with Mel staring out the window, now and then biting her lip, lost in thought. Ryeland let her have the time to consider her teacher’s motives, grateful he’d been there for her. When they reached the ice cream shop, Melody glanced around as though surprised they were already there.
Melody unhooked her belt. “I must say, that was a lot quicker than the bus. I could get used to this.”
“Good.”
“Good? Why Good?”
He turned in his seat and leaned into her. “Because a girl like you should always have someone there for her.”
She looked down, like he’d hit a sore spot. “You make it sound like I’m someone special. I’m not.”
“Yeah you are,” he said, and needing to see her smile, he opened his door. “Let’s go get the biggest ice cream they have.”
“You really like food, don’t you,” she said, a small smile tugging at her mouth. God that mouth. He wanted to do right by her, but damn, he was just about ready to forget chivalry and kiss the living hell right out of her. “How do you stay so…”
She stopped talking, like she’d said too much, so he thought he’d help her out. “You mean ripped?” He sucked in a breath and rubbed his stomach. “Like a bad-ass cage fighter.”
“You have no filter, do you?”
“So you think I’m ripped?”
She laughed. “I think you’re something.”
He leaned closer and dipped his head, his mouth so close to hers. “Want to know what I’m thinking?”
“No.” She inched back and reached for her door. “Now, about that ice cream I owe you.”
“Right.”
They made their way to the ice cream shop and he pulled the heavy glass door open for her. He entered behind her and blinked against the bright lights as he took in all the teenagers hanging out. Melody crossed her arms, her shoulders tightening as she hurried to the counter, but Ryeland caught all the glares aimed her way—not to mention the whispers. She pulled a ten-dollar bill from her pocket, and while he wanted to pay, he knew he had to choose his battles carefully.