by Kayla Perrin
“Why do you seem so surprised?” Aaron asked her.
“I don’t know.” She offered him a small smile, and there was that look of wonder again. Was she surprised that he cared about her?
“I’ve known your family since I was a little boy. Of course I want to help. I don’t want to see any of you hurt.”
“I got the tickets you sent for the boys,” Melissa said. “The package arrived just before I got the news. The kids will be thrilled.” She exhaled a shaky breath, her expression twisting. “I’m so scared about my father.”
“Hey,” Aaron said, placing a finger beneath her chin and angling her face upward. “Have faith. The best team of cardiac surgeons is working on him. He’s going to pull through.”
And then Melissa laid her head against his chest, and he gently held it there. He wished more than anything that he could take this pain and fear away from her.
The best he could do was be by her side to help her through this. And that’s exactly where he would be.
* * *
An hour later, one of the surgeons came out to the waiting room. Melissa, her sister and her mother gripped hands, waiting to hear the news.
“He pulled through the surgery,” the doctor said, smiling. “We had to stop the internal bleeding from the accident, then do a coronary bypass to improve blood supply to his heart. He’s very lucky.”
“Can we see him?” Melissa’s mother asked.
“Not yet. He’s in recovery. But we’ll let you know the moment you can visit.”
The news was a relief, but Melissa knew that her mother wouldn’t feel better until she was able to see her husband. Melissa felt the same way. She needed to see her father to truly believe that he was okay.
The neighbors had started arriving before the doctor had come out to speak to them, bringing cards and flowers and food. Even though there was a cafeteria in the hospital, the food kept coming. Casseroles, sandwiches, meat loaves and even some desserts. As one of the older residents of the town said, “You need real food, not that horrible stuff they serve in this place. When my Gerald was here for his operation, he complained every day that the food was going to kill him before the cancer.”
Melissa was amazed—and touched. She hadn’t lived in Sheridan Falls for years and had forgotten how the residents would rally around someone in trouble. She’d remembered the nosy ones, the busybodies, but she had forgotten the good hearts of the people in this small-town community.
They had brought enough food for a house party—and promised more. They wanted to ease the burden on Melissa’s family so that they could concentrate all their energy on her father.
“This is so much food,” Melissa’s mother commented, looking around at the trays occupying the tables in the waiting room. “And I can’t even eat much more than a bite. Not until I get to see your father.”
Aaron had remained at the hospital with the family, a source of comfort for Melissa as well as her mother and sister. He seemed to realize that Melissa didn’t want to talk. The stress of her father’s situation had her silent and introspective, and he was respecting that.
Melissa looked around at the waiting room, filled to capacity with people. Some were eating the sandwiches and brownies, and they were chatting and laughing. It was all so surreal, as if they were here for a social call.
“I think I need to get out of here,” she mumbled.
“Why don’t we take some of this food to your parents’ house?” Aaron suggested.
Melissa looked up at him. He glanced around the room, then back at her, and she realized that he’d heard her comment.
“Um, yeah,” she said. “That’s a good idea.”
“We’ll just grab what we can.”
Melissa took two trays of fruit and sandwiches in her arms. “Mom, we’re going to take some of this food home. I’ll be back soon.”
A short while later, they were in Aaron’s car and en route to Melissa’s parents’ home. They were silent during the drive, but Melissa noticed that Aaron would occasionally glance at her. He was allowing her silence, though, and she appreciated that.
Twenty minutes later, the food was packed into the fridge and Melissa and Aaron were back in his car. When he didn’t start the engine, Melissa looked at him.
“What are you doing?”
“Why do you keep running from me?” Aaron asked.
“I’m not running.”
“Like hell you’re not,” Aaron said. “You’ve barely looked at me since I got to the hospital. I know it’s a tough day, but it’s more than that. I’ve reached out to you, and you’ve ignored me. I’d like to know why.”
“You really think this is the time?”
“I don’t like this...tension. I like you.”
“You like a lot of women,” Melissa found herself saying, not even thinking the words through before they fell from her lips.
Aaron made a face. “So that’s the problem. You think I’m a player?”
“You owe me nothing, no explanation.”
“Then you shouldn’t be upset with me,” Aaron said. “Yet you’ve been hot and cold.”
Melissa’s face flushed, thinking of how hot they’d been between the sheets. “This is...awkward. Honestly, I’m not really good at one-night stands.”
“Well, it was two nights,” Aaron said with a small shrug. “You think that was my interest in you? A casual fling?”
“I’m thinking that maybe you...you have a fear of commitment. You end things when you get too close.”
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. “Fear of commitment? I got married, remember?”
Melissa didn’t need any reminding. She pressed on. “What happened with Chantelle...maybe you fear getting close to people. So you end things before you lose them.”
“You’re psychoanalyzing me now?” Aaron asked, one of his eyebrows shooting up. “Because from where I sit, you’re the one who seems afraid to get close to me.”
“How can I get close to you if you won’t let me in? What happened with Chantelle could explain a lot. Why you’ve had so many women.”
“So you’re telling me that you’re the type to listen to rumor and speculation. And now you’ve come up with some analysis to explain my bad behavior? Without even knowing if it’s true?”
Melissa sighed softly. She didn’t want to be doing this. She didn’t want to entertain any conversation about Aaron and his past, especially right now.
“Not that I want to discuss this now, but I saw that interview Ella did on television about your marriage troubles. She said you were incapable of being faithful. Why would she say that?”
“Because Ella is Ella,” Aaron said simply. Then he sighed softly. “But why did you sleep with me if that was your concern?”
Melissa said nothing. She didn’t have an answer.
“This isn’t the time to talk,” Aaron said, “but I would like to talk. Whenever things settle down on your end. I’ll be here.”
Melissa nodded. “All right.”
Aaron started to drive. “The tabloids said a lot of things about me, none of which were true. I want you to keep that in mind.”
“Okay,” Melissa said. She wanted to ask him why it mattered so much, but she didn’t. Because she was afraid of the answer.
Players lied. That’s what they did best. If she let herself believe the sweet things he might say, she would end up devastated. Especially if deep in his heart, he didn’t believe that he deserved love. Aaron might never be able to give her what she needed.
Three minutes into the drive back to the hospital, Melissa’s phone started to ring. She dug her cell out of her purse and saw her sister’s face on her screen.
“Hello?” Melissa said.
“How far away are you?” Arlene asked.
“Not too far.”
“Great,” Arlene said, and
Melissa could hear a smile in her voice. “Dad’s awake.”
Melissa ended the call and beamed at Aaron. “Hurry. My dad’s awake.”
Chapter 24
The next few days were busy and happy, with a steady stream of visitors making sure the Conwells knew they were loved. Melissa’s father would survive, and for that she was extremely grateful. Her father, doing much better than anticipated, was discharged from the hospital and allowed to go home.
Aaron had been around, as had many other Sheridan Falls neighbors, but Melissa had avoided having any serious conversation with him. It was too much to handle with everything else that was going on.
A couple of days after her father was home and settled, Melissa headed back to New Jersey. She needed to get back to work and deal with some issues before she could return to Sheridan Falls.
She was in her office two days after returning to Newark when she saw her sister’s number and face flashing on her cell phone. She answered right away. “Hello?”
“I don’t know what Aaron did, but Craig is singing a different tune. I spoke to my lawyer, who spoke to his lawyer, who said that the police also spoke to Craig. He’s apologized, and he’s backing off. In fact, the judge is imposing a few months of lost visitation rights altogether.”
“You’re serious?” Melissa asked.
“Yes. I don’t know what happened, but I’m so relieved. I did tell Craig that I won’t keep him from seeing Raven. We had a family talk, and he apologized to Raven and told her that he was sorry for scaring her. Because she really was terrified. I don’t know, Mel, but I’m cautiously optimistic. For the time being, at least, it does seem as though Craig has done an about-face.”
“Wow.” Melissa was shocked. Pleasantly so. “Well, I’m happy. I’m cautiously optimistic as well.”
“My lawyer did tell me that it was made clear to Craig that if he messed up, acted like an idiot or threatened me in any way, there would be dire consequences for him in court. I’m not really sure what was going on with him, but he seems to have gotten the point.”
Wonders never ceased. Melissa was curious as to how Craig had been so easily persuaded to do the right thing after the way he’d behaved at the hospital.
“I’m so happy for you, sis. How’s Dad?”
“He’s good. But he’s asking for you. When will you be back?”
“In a couple of days.”
“Good. It’s been nice having you here.”
“It’s been nice seeing you guys more regularly, too, even if the situation right now is not ideal.”
“At least Dad’s pulling through.”
“Definitely,” Melissa agreed.
* * *
Learning that Craig had done a 180 in terms of his behavior, Melissa wanted to talk to Aaron. He’d promised to deal with the situation, and it appeared he had. She wanted to know the details.
So she sent him a text and asked if he could meet her when she got to Sheridan Falls the next evening. He agreed.
That night, Melissa got into town a little earlier than she’d planned, so she went inside the café to wait for him.
As she strolled toward the counter to place an order, she locked eyes with the attractive woman sitting at a booth.
Ella.
Melissa stopped midstride, wondering if she should turn and flee. The last thing she wanted was to have this meeting here with Aaron while Ella was present. Not having seen her high school nemesis in years, she wasn’t keen on being under the same roof as her.
So she went up to the counter and ordered a coffee, then took a seat on the opposite side of the café near the window so she could watch for Aaron’s arrival.
Two minutes later, she sensed the person coming up to her table before she saw her. “Melissa,” came the soft voice.
Her heart beginning to pound, Melissa turned her head. And there was Ella, standing beside her table.
“Ella,” Melissa said with difficulty. “Hello.”
“I heard what happened to your father,” she said. “I’m glad to hear he’s okay.”
“Thank you.”
Without asking, Ella pulled out the chair opposite Melissa’s and took a seat. Melissa looked at her curiously.
“I hear you’ve been seeing Aaron.”
Melissa’s heart stopped. “Excuse me?”
“It’s a small town. Word travels.”
For a moment, Melissa didn’t know what to say. Finally, she found her voice. “From what I understand, you and Aaron split over a year ago.”
“After he disrespected me in every way possible,” Ella said. “He was unfaithful, he mistreated me. He didn’t care about my happiness.”
Melissa glanced outside, uncomfortable. Then she looked at Ella and asked, “Why are you telling me this?”
“I know we weren’t close when we were young, but that doesn’t mean I want to see you get hurt. Aaron is very good at the chase. He’s very good at smooth talking women, and of course it helps that he’s gorgeous. Before you get too serious, you need to know that bedding women is a game for him.”
Melissa raised her cup to her lips and took a hurried sip, scorching her tongue. She lowered the mug. “I can take care of myself.”
“Can you?” Ella asked and gave her a pitying look. “I thought the same thing. I thought he loved me. But nothing I did was good enough. And the other women...oh, how you want to believe that Aaron will only have eyes for you, but you soon learn differently. The thing is, I always felt sympathy for him. I think I knew that all his womanizing was about his sister, Chantelle. He was always so racked with guilt over her death, it seems he did everything he could to sabotage the positive in his life. Including our relationship.”
Melissa swallowed with difficulty. The mention of Chantelle was like a kick in her gut. Suddenly, Melissa couldn’t discount Ella’s words. Because this was exactly what she had worried about where Aaron was concerned—that he would never let himself truly love because he could never forgive himself for the tragedy that had cost him his sister.
“I thought having a baby would save our marriage,” Ella went on.
Melissa’s eyes bulged. “You—you were pregnant?”
Ella sighed sadly. “I was. He wasn’t happy. The stress over knowing he didn’t want our child...” Her voice trailed off, and she closed her eyes pensively. Then she glanced outside and promptly got to her feet.
Melissa followed Ella’s line of sight to where Aaron was exiting his Mercedes.
“What happened to the baby?” Melissa asked.
“I think he knew he wasn’t loved. I lost him. Aaron—he’s great at making you believe the fairy tale. And then you’re left with a broken heart when he’s ready to move on.” Ella threw a quick glance outside, then hurriedly said, “Think about what I said. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
And with that, Ella spun around and quickly headed to the door. Melissa watched her leave, then looked in Aaron’s direction. He had just exited the vehicle, and the sight of him in jeans and a white dress shirt had her heart fluttering.
Would she ever be able to look at him and not have this reaction?
She doubted it.
Oh, how you want to believe that Aaron will only have eyes for you, but you soon learn differently.
Aaron saw Ella hurrying away, then looked toward the coffee shop with narrowed eyes. When he saw Melissa through the glass, his lips curled in a smile—and darn it, her reaction to him was instantaneous. Her skin felt flushed; she could imagine him kissing her, touching her...
But then Ella’s comments got into her head. She had voiced everything that Melissa feared.
The door chimes sang as Aaron entered the coffee shop and headed straight toward her. His smile grew. “Have you been here long?” he asked.
“Just about ten minutes,” she said. She got to her feet, a
nd he hugged her. “But that’s okay. I was early.”
“I see you already have a drink,” Aaron began, “but would you like something to eat? Maybe a muffin, or a sandwich?”
Melissa glanced in the direction of the menu on the wall behind the counter. “I’ll have the lemon pound cake. That’s always been my favorite thing on the menu here.”
“All right. Sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
He made his way to the counter, and Melissa watched him. He oozed an easy sexuality. It didn’t matter what he was wearing; he always looked as though he had stepped off the cover of a magazine.
Melissa noticed that other women in the café were also gazing in Aaron’s direction. It was hard not to look at him.
And of course it helps that he’s gorgeous...
Ella’s words sounded in her mind, and Melissa glanced away. She thought about how easily he’d seduced her and wondered how many other women he had gotten into his bed just as easily.
A few minutes later, Aaron was back. He placed a plastic cup filled with iced tea on the table, followed by two plates, each with a slice of lemon pound cake.
Melissa dragged one of the plates toward her. “Thank you.”
Aaron offered her a smile as he sat across from her. “My pleasure.”
Melissa broke off a piece of the lemon cake, stuffed it in her mouth and rolled her eyes heavenward. “Oh, this is good. How can something so simple taste so fabulous?”
“I know. It’s my favorite, too.” He paused. “I’m glad you called. I’ve been hoping we could finally talk.”
Melissa nodded. “Whatever you did to help my sister out, I wanted to say thanks. It sounds like Craig is really backing off, and that’s exactly what she needs. What we all need.”
“I’m glad I could help.”
Melissa looked at him, frowning slightly. “What did you do? I mean, how could you so effectively have Craig changing his tune? I don’t imagine you took him into a dark alley and beat some sense into him,” she said, her voice trailing off with a chuckle. Then she asked, mostly in jest, “Did you?”
“Nothing like that,” Aaron told her. “But let’s just say I was aware of some issues that Craig had. It gave me some leverage to give to Arlene’s lawyer.”