Melody took a deep breath of chocolate chips. “I bet your house smells delicious.”
“Hank thinks so. I had to finally swat his hand so he wouldn’t eat himself into an early grave. You know his little belly’s already about to pop.” She chuckled and started walking toward the festivities.
Melody could see the dunking booth midway down the field, and Applegate was pushing the red-dot trigger and watching the seat give way. It looked like he had everything under control. After all, how much preparation did it take to drop someone into a tank of water?
“You look pale. Are you feeling all right?”
“I’m fine, just rushing to get here is all.”
They’d reached Esther Mae’s booth. She set her crate down and plopped her fist on her purple pedal pushers. “I don’t believe it for a minute. You are staying holed up out there at that old house way too much. I told Norma Sue and Adela just yesterday that I didn’t like it one bit. A girl like you needs to be out playing some—mixing it up with a cute cowboy. You need dinner and a movie, slow walks by the creek. Hand-holding.” She arched a brow. “That’s how you find a man. Not hiding out in a house all by yourself, lost off in time, like you’re doing. The future doesn’t happen when you’re living in the past.”
Melody thumbed the plastic bag of cookies. “I’m fine, Esther Mae.”
The redhead harrumphed. “Research is all well and good, but the past is the past. You’re a young woman, and you need to be living life now. When’s the last time you went out?”
“I’ve been out,” she confessed, then realized she couldn’t say anything.
“Not out as in a date.”
It wasn’t a question but a statement. Melody gave a small smile. She knew if she’d been out on a date the matchmakers would know it. “No. But, I’ve been having a good time.” At least she’d tried to have a good time. “I’d better go help Applegate.”
“Don’t you let him put you up on that seat,” she warned.
“You know what, Esther Mae, I might want to get on that seat.”
“Oh, really?”
Melody glanced down the way. “Maybe.”
Esther Mae laid a hand on her arm. “You know, Melody, we’re family here in Mule Hollow. You bein’ a quiet one like you are, well, me and the girls, we worry that you have things on your shoulders that weigh you down. You know you can talk to us. We’re not just here to have a good time.” She waved a hand when someone shouted out her name. “I mean, we’re a little one-track when it comes to marrying off all our cowboys. But there is more to us than that.”
Melody really didn’t know what to say. This wasn’t like Esther Mae. If anyone was going to offer a heartfelt back pat of encouragement it was Adela.
Esther Mae blushed. “I know what you’re thinking. But, hon, there’s always more to all of us than meets the eye. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and trust folks with your heart.”
Melody felt dazed. “Thank you. I do have things on my mind. But—” She really wanted to open up, but she pulled back. This wasn’t the place to spill her guts about issues so close to her heart. Especially since she’d already learned that sometimes doing that brought on more headaches than relief. Her thoughts filled with Seth. “I better go help App before he gets Stanley in that booth.”
Esther Mae chuckled. “Now that, I’d pay to see.”
Melody felt better as she strode through the crowd. The smells that only happen with a festival assaulted her senses and her stomach growled with the mixture of roasting peanuts, warming cotton candy sugar, grilling hot dogs. As she walked, more scents wafted her way and people called her name. She waved shyly, and her heart warmed despite all the turmoil that still waited to ambush her. Just being here among friends helped ease her emotions—maybe not for the long haul but there was comfort here. This was her town. And the people were good. She was glad she’d come.
Chapter Seventeen
Seth drove up to the festival and took the last space across the street from Sam’s. He didn’t want to be here. He’d hardly slept, and his heart was heavy. God hadn’t helped him come up with any easier answers. Like a coward, he’d let her walk away yesterday when he’d had something important to tell her.
He headed through the growing throng. He’d told App he’d help do whatever they needed him to do. Probably set up tables or something. “Hey, Stanley,” he said as he passed the cotton candy booth. “How’d you get hooked up with that job?”
Stanley held up a stick of cotton candy that looked like it had tangled with a tree shredder. “I told them I’d do whatever it was they needed me to do. I should have known them was dangerous words.”
“Same thing I told them.” Seth hoped he wasn’t going to be put in as sticky a situation as Stanley.
“You should go see Lacy. She’s got the list.”
“Thanks, but I think App has a job lined up for me.”
Stanley hooted. “Oh, yeah, I got sugar on the brain. You’re the other helper.”
Seth suddenly had a revelation. He hadn’t volunteered to be App’s helper. He knew what that meant and he was smarter—at least he’d thought he was smarter than to get rooked into being the dunkee of the dunking machine! “Oh, no,” he said. “I’m not getting in that bucket.”
Stanley lifted a brow as he twirled a new paper cone around in the candy machine. “If you don’t do it, then App’s probably going to convince Melody to climb in thar.”
“He wouldn’t do that—would he?”
“App’s got two choices. He can get a purdy girl up on that seat and have cowboys lined up to chuck balls and flirt with her. Or he can git a cowboy up thar and git purdy girls ta chunk balls at him and flirt. You know how App likes to get them quarters to pile up so he kin say he brought in the most money.”
Seth glanced through the crowd. Down the way he could see App talking to Melody. She looked pretty in a yellow T-shirt and jeans. He wondered if she had any idea what App’s plans were. “He is a devious little man.”
Stanley chuckled. “Don’t I know it. But it is fer a good cause. Every dime we raise goes to either the women’s shelter or the fire department fer new equipment. Both of them’s worthy causes, don’t ya thank?”
Seth knew they were but spending all day getting dropped in a vat of cold water wasn’t what he’d signed up for…on the other hand he wasn’t about to let Melody take the fall, so to speak.
“You gonna do it?”
Seth pushed his hat back. “I’m not one to stand back and watch a lady get messed around.”
Stanley reached out and walloped him on the shoulder. “Then what are ya waitin’ on? Git over thar. With a good-lookin’ fella like you and a beautiful girl like Melody workin’ together on that booth, I bet the lines are gonna be longer than anywhar else in the whole festival.”
Seth headed across the field. He was nervous about how he’d be greeted by Melody. He also wondered if she’d slept at all. Her dark hair shined in the sunlight, looking like a sheet of black silk when she moved her head to look up at App. The closer he got, the clearer it was that she looked pale. The strain was evident.
“Morning, App, Melody,” he said, tipping his hat and searching her eyes for some sign that she was better. That her heart wasn’t totally trampled down by the pain her brother had caused her. He hated seeing her hurting and holding her while she’d wept had broken his heart.
“Mornin’, Seth. I wasn’t so sure you’d show.”
“Well, I just found out from Stanley what you have planned for me so maybe I should have gone back home.”
Melody’s eyes lit just a touch, and she bit her bottom lip.
App rubbed his thin chin and looked pleased with himself. “I figured if I had this breath of sunshine standin’ here beside me, I’d have more leverage to get you up on that seat and I was right.”
Seth smiled at the shocked expression on Melody’s face.
“You ever been used as bait before?” He liked seeing the co
lor flood back into her skin. Even if it was only temporary.
“Why would he use me as bait?”
She really didn’t get it. That blew him away.
“I’m gonna go git me a cup of coffee. Y’all hold the fort down.” App winked at Seth then strode into the growing crowd.
“So,” he said, turning back to Melody. “How are you?”
“I’m making it.”
“I hate that I upset you so badly yesterday.”
She picked up a couple of balls out of the basket then dropped them back. “Apology accepted,” she said, holding out her hand. “Truce?”
Seth’s heart ached. He stared at her hand and wanted to take it more than almost anything—but he couldn’t. “I didn’t apologize.”
Her posture went rigid, her chin lifted. “Then what did you mean?”
“Maybe now isn’t the time to discuss this.”
Her eyes flashed.
“Look,” he said, very aware that the festival was about to start. “What you said has been bothering me. I should have said something yesterday, but you were just so upset that I couldn’t do it.”
“And that is?”
He cleared his throat and felt dread like he’d never felt before. But he knew no matter what he lost he had to be honest with Melody. “You said that you’d given up hope that God was going to help Ty.” He had to force himself to go on. “You’re right. I haven’t walked in your shoes, but that may be exactly the way God wanted it when he crossed our paths. I can look at what you do from an objective point of view.”
Her eyes narrowed. “And what would you see?”
“That you and your parents have done as God asks us all to do. You’ve given your heart and soul to helping Ty find his way. But now it’s time to let him go.”
“You said the same thing yesterday. You’re right that this isn’t the place to have this conversation.”
“Melody. You have asked God for His help. Begged Him. Right?” He could tell she wanted to ignore him, but she didn’t.
“Too many times to count anymore.”
“And that’s my point. You keep asking and praying for God to help your brother. But your brother hasn’t done the asking. He hasn’t even accepted that he’s in the wrong. And if you keep doing what you’re doing, he never will. Like you said, this will always be your life—dictated by Ty and his bad choices. You have to let him go and let him sink if that’s what he wants to do. Even if it means he ends up on the street. You have to love him enough to let him go. And you have to trust God enough that you completely hand Ty over to Him and let Ty’s life evolve.”
“You don’t—”
“Stop saying that,” he snapped. He did know, he was living it right now and she didn’t have a clue. “Your parents should have never left that burden on you. They should have put a stop to this a long time ago. Your brother is a jerk and needs to fall on his face—and you have to let him. Don’t you get that? I’m telling you this because I care—” He ripped his hat off and rammed his hand through his hair. He’d lost it good, and this was the end.
“Seth!”
He glanced around and saw Susan weaving her way toward him. He looked back at Melody and wished they could be somewhere alone for this conversation. This hadn’t been the time or the place for him to lose his temper. But it was done. Tearing his gaze away from the anger flaring in Melody’s he looked back at Susan. “Hi.”
“How are you today?” she said flipping her blond hair away from her face and smiling up at him. “You didn’t tell me you were going to be here today. What a nice surprise.”
“Um, yeah, looks like I’m going to be the target.” He looked over at Melody, hating that he hadn’t finished. “Have you ever met Melody Chandler?”
Susan held out her hand. “Hello, Susan Worth. I’m the vet around these parts. I come over from Ranger when Seth and the others need me. Isn’t he a sweetie?”
That threw him, and he couldn’t meet Melody’s accusing glare. The last thing she was thinking was that he was sweet.
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed,” she gritted out through clenched teeth.
“Oh, he is. He just likes to hide it behind that control-freak exterior,” Susan said.
“Now that I noticed,” Melody said, sarcastically.
Susan locked arms with his and squeezed. “So, how about you climbing up on that seat and letting me have a go at you?”
“Yes, Seth. Let’s get this party started.”
Seth looked from woman to woman. Fine. He wasn’t sure what Susan was doing but he knew exactly what Melody was doing. The woman was so mad at him she’d pay people to come throw baseballs at his head if she could.
Melody watched Seth take his boots off then climb up into the dunking booth.
“Isn’t he the cutest thing?” Susan said, then called out, “Now, don’t fall in before I get loaded up here.”
Seth grunted.
Melody hoped she dunked him on the first throw. And she hoped people kept dunking him all day long. Last night she’d been mad at God and Ty and everything in general. At this moment, she was furious with only Seth. The man had the gall to stand there and tell her if she’d have just let Ty go years ago then none of this would have happened. How dare he! How. Dare. He.
The minute Seth started climbing into the booth people stopped to watch. Several cowboys whooped it up.
“Hey, after me you fellas are gonna get in here.”
Melody gave Susan the go-ahead. “He’s all yours. Fire away.”
Susan flirted with him, tossing the ball into the air and then she fired one in. It missed. Melody gritted her teeth, crossed her arms and watched as she threw four more balls. Seth bantered back and forth with Susan and several of the other women who moved close to the cage where they could get a close look at him. Three women actually asked him out during Susan’s horrible display of athletic ability. Melody decided she was going to have to hit the red trigger button with her fist if Susan didn’t get it on the next throw…goodness, the woman might be beautiful, full of life and apparently very available, but she couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn.
And then finally the softball hit the target, and Seth dropped into the water like a rock. It was a beautiful sight.
Two hours after he’d crawled into the dunking booth, Seth sloshed toward Melody instead of climbing back in. He’d watched as she’d enthusiastically recruited one woman after the other to step up and drop him in the tank. He knew she was upset with him. As a matter of fact, she was so mad at him, he was amazed to see that she’d come out of her shell in order to talk to everyone who passed by the basket of baseballs. Consequently she had a line of constant competitors. She hadn’t spoken directly to him once since the balls had started flying. She cut her eyes at him many times. And he’d been glad to let her carry on to a point. But now, waterlogged and irritable, he decided it was time to stop the madness.
“I’m done,” he said, picking up his boots and socks. He hadn’t brought a change of clothes. He didn’t even have a towel, and he was going to walk to his truck dripping wet. He wouldn’t hear the end of this for ages from all his cowboy friends. He didn’t wait for her to say anything as he walked off.
“Hey there, Seth,” Norma Sue said as he passed her. “You’ve been a real trouper up there.”
“Glad to do it,” he grumbled and kept on going. He was going to go home, change clothes and head back out to the cave. He needed some time alone.
“I brought you a towel,” Melody said, startling him as she jogged up beside him and held out a fluffy white towel.
“Where’d that come from?” He didn’t slow down or take the towel.
“The ladies had them under the table for anyone who needed them.”
Water dripped from his hair and his jeans weighed twenty pounds by themselves. “Thanks, but no thanks. I’ll get my own towel when I get home. Don’t you have someone else to drown back there?”
“Norma Sue took over.”
Set
h shot her a glare. She was having to stretch to keep up with him. He was being a jerk, but he wasn’t really in the mood to fix it.
“Look,” she said. “I’m mad, all right.”
“Join the crowd.”
She stopped walking and he heard her grunt. His truck was within sight, and he didn’t slow down.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked, jogging to stand in front of him.
He stopped walking and looked up at the sky, asking for help. “If you haven’t noticed, I care about you. When you care about someone, you want to protect them. I’m trying, but you won’t let me. Why are you mad at me when you should be mad at your brother? He’s the one ruining your life.”
She didn’t have a clue. She was staring at him like he was speaking a different language. He hung his head and tried to come to terms with the fact that Melody wasn’t going to be a part of his life. How had he let himself get in so deep so fast?
“Have you ever stopped and thought that your brother’s issues and your issues are separate issues? He needs to come to grips with his problems. That’s painfully obvious. But, Melody, from where I sit, you’re hiding issues of your own behind his. You’re a Christian and yet you have no faith. Have you ever stopped to think that God might be waiting for you to get out of the way and trust on blind faith and have peace in your heart that He is in control?”
The defiance in her eyes ebbed, giving him hope that maybe she was at least listening. “You can’t fix your brother. And I can’t fix your problem no matter how much I want to…and it angers me. But truth is truth.” He wanted to hold her, to kiss her. He wanted to tell her that hard as it was to believe, he’d fallen for her in the three short weeks they’d gotten to know each other. But he wouldn’t. What use would it be? If she couldn’t come to terms with her brother…there was no way he could ever let that lowlife dictate his life.
“I have to go.” He strode to his truck and never looked back as he drove away.
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