by Steena Marie
Was Wade okay? He had to be. He was a tough guy. The only times Parker mentioned any letters from Wade was when something serious happened—like when he’d been in a knife fight or when he turned down possible parole.
Her husband was in an out-of-state prison for falling asleep at the wheel and killing a little girl—a girl the same age as their daughter. His mistake had cost them so much but she hadn’t made things any better. She’d let people think her husband had left her, and in a way, she supposed, he had. But somehow it seemed better than letting people think he was a murderer. What kind of woman—mother and wife—did that make her?
Her heart jumped to her throat. Oh God, let him be okay. Please, let him be okay.
The first few months when Wade had been sentenced had been a living nightmare. She didn’t remember much of the first half year but she knew she kept her focus on her daughter throughout the day but then at night, she’d crumble, cry herself to sleep and then wake up mere hours later in a panic, worrying about Wade.
Everyone had assumed she struggled because he’d left her, and they all tried to get her to take time off, offered to help her with the printing and even with Abby, but Melissa refused to wallow. She needed to stay strong, plus she needed the money. She was now a single mother and couldn’t afford to take any time off, especially considering she was self-employed.
Any time anyone offered any words about Wade and how they understood, she would stop them. Nobody understood. How could they? She hated that she’d let the rumor start, but it was a lot easier at the time than having to explain how Wade couldn’t live with the guilt of killing a little girl his own daughter’s age and so instead of fighting for them, for their life, he went to prison without a word.
She’d always said Wade was her hero, her knight in shining armor.
Careful of fairy-tales, her mom used to say. There’s no happy endings in the real world.
No truer words had ever been said.
By the time she made it to the cash register, her basket of food had grown from the pasta she should have let Nikki have, to include a Greek salad, a bag of potato chips, a tub of brownie chunk ice cream, and several bars of milk chocolate coconut. So much for eating healthy.
“Any more of those left?”
Greta Wilson was at the cash register and packed the pasta in a brown bag.
“Last one, Greta.” Melissa smiled at the older woman and forced thoughts of her husband out of her mind.
“Ever since you placed that article in the paper, I’m running out before the dinner crowd is over.” Greta shook her head. Her light purplish gray curls swayed with the movement. She reached for the glasses that hung down around her neck and propped them on the edge of her nose. “Time for me to start making more, I guess.”
“I knew it would work.” Melissa watched as a faint blush bloomed on the woman’s face. Greta had hemmed and hawed for weeks about letting Melissa write an article about her meals but finally gave in when Melissa promised her that they’d see an increase in business.
Come on, home-cooked food you didn’t slave over? A sure win anytime.
“I was thinking we could start adding weekly menus in the paper?”
“We could.” Melissa thought it through. “That’s actually a great idea, and I think I have the perfect spot for it too. Or we could stick it in with all the flyers?”
Greta shook her head. “Easier to get lost with the flyers, isn’t it? Besides, if we do weekly, I’m sure you could give me a deal, right?”
It took every ounce of strength for Melissa to not roll her eyes. A deal? On top of what she’d already be giving her? How was she to make any money then?
She could almost hear her father’s voice in her ear: take care of the people who will in turn take care of you.
“Oh, I’m sure we can work something out.” Melissa winked. “Why don’t you come by the office and we’ll take a look at the layout and whatnot.” The topic of menus gave her an idea.
“Greta, would you happen to have any extra pumpkin recipes I could use for the festival this year?” She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Norma wants to create a recipe book and I know everyone would love anything you could add.”
Greta winked at her. “Norma already asked. I’ve got a file folder to hand in whenever you’re ready for it.”
Melissa smiled. “Awesome. How about I stop by and pick it up tomorrow? Around lunch time?”
“That will work. Or…I can come by before lunch, bring you something to eat and we can discuss the menus at the same time? I’ll figure out the next two weeks’ worth of menus tonight. And your total is twelve dollars even.”
Melissa glanced down at the two paper bags and then at the cash register.
“Are you sure you got everything? That seems pretty cheap.” The pasta itself was ten dollars.
Greta leaned close. “The pasta is on the house. And I slipped an extra chocolate bar in there for Abby, too.”
Melissa reached for the older woman’s hand. “You’re too good to us, Greta. Thank you.”
Greta waved her hand in the air, as if to shoo her away, but Melissa caught the faint glean of tears in her eyes.
“Well, someone needs to help take care of you, don’t they? I see that little girl of yours handing out those flyers. You’ve done good in raising her all by yourself. Wade would be proud.”
This time it was Melissa’s turn to blush. “She’s a good kid.” And before things got too awkward, Melissa grabbed her bags and blew a kiss to Greta before she left.
Abby was a good kid. Melissa was proud of her, proud of the young woman she was becoming and hoped that not having a father around wasn’t a huge hindrance. Thank God for Parker. At least there was a male influence, someone she trusted and loved in her life. And Wade would be proud. He would.
Which brought back her run-in with Nikki. She loved Parker; he was part of her family and even though Abby missed seeing him…the right thing for her to do would be to call him and give him an out, suggest another night or something.
She went to reach for her phone at the same time it rang.
“Hey Abs. What’s up?”
“We have no sugar.”
“And we need sugar because…”
Her daughter groaned. “To make brownies, hellooo.”
“Don’t we have a mix or something in the cupboard?” The last time she headed into the city, she stockpiled a whole bunch of ready-made mixes because they were on sale.
“I want to make homemade ones, Mom.”
Melissa scrunched up her nose. “I just left the store, Abby. I really don’t want to go back in. Mrs. Wilson was there and I…I kinda made her cry.”
“Great.” The exasperation in her daughter’s voice was quite evident. “Fine, I’ll use the mix. Just hurry up. Uncle Parker will be here soon.”
On her way home, Melissa contemplated calling Parker to cancel officially and give him a way out of the situation he’d obviously created, but by the time she pulled up into her driveway and went to dial his number, she stopped herself. Parker told her they needed to talk about Wade, and in all honesty, news about her husband was more important than sharing pizza with Nikki. She knew Parker would agree with her. He’d be there.
For the umpteenth time, Melissa caught Abby eyeing the clock and letting out a long sigh.
“Are you sure he’s coming? Check your phone again. Maybe he left a message.”
Melissa already held the phone in her hand and was dialing Parker’s number.
“How about I just call him.” She held the phone up to her ear and caught her daughter watching her intently. “And he’s not late,” she added.
The dinger on the oven went off, giving Abby something to focus on rather than her phone call. The brownies smelled amazing and with the way Melissa’s stomach was all knotted up, she could use the chocolate.
“Hey, what’s up?” Parker answered the phone.
There was a happiness to his voice and it was nice to hear.
“Just checking in. How much longer do you think you’ll be?” When he didn’t answer, she added, “I just need to stick dinner in the oven to heat up, so no rush.”
“Mel…”
Maybe it was the way he said her name or the fact that he hesitated…but that’s when she knew.
He chose Nikki over her.
“I thought you said we needed to talk? That you,” she glanced over at Abby and lowered her voice, “got a letter we needed to talk about.”
He sighed.
“I know, I know. But I forgot…well, not really forgot but just…”
If he were here, standing before her, she would have probably laughed at him. He forgot, it was obvious, but who did he forget about? Her or Nikki?
“Nikki, right?”
Abby raised her head and took a step towards her. She opened her mouth to say something but Melissa quickly shook her head, earning her a frown from her daughter.
“I’m sorry, Mel.”
“I’m not the one to be apologizing to.”
“I know. And we do need to talk. Can I stop by now?”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “What? We’re good enough for you to drop in on but not to stay for dinner? If you come, you’re eating with us. I didn’t just fight over the last pasta dish at the store for nothing, you know.” She attempted to keep her tone light while at the same time making her point.
“But I can’t—”
Melissa quickly cut him off.
“You can and will if you do.”
She knew it was a low blow, considering he’d already made his choice, but he could have manned up. And the letter must be important; otherwise, he wouldn’t have mentioned it.
This was her husband they were dealing with.
“What did the letter say, Parker?” If he wasn’t going to come and talk to her in person, he could over the phone.
“No. I’d rather tell you in person.”
Oh God. Melissa’s stomach dropped and she gripped the edge of her seat for strength.
“Is he…” Her voice faltered. “He’s not…” She couldn’t say the words. Not because her daughter was in the room with her but because saying it out loud would make it real and it couldn’t be. Wade couldn’t be dead; she would know it. Know in her heart, in her soul. He couldn’t be.
Her hands were cold and a numbing sensation swept through her body.
“Mom? Mom, are you okay?” Abby ran across the room and knelt down in front of her. Melissa reached out and grabbed her hand.
“Dead?” Parker’s voice calmed her racing heart. “Oh no, no Melissa. He’s not. He’s okay, trust me, he’s okay.”
If Parker were here, right now, in front of her, she would hit him. Hard on his chest with her fist and then cry with relief. Instead, she leaned forward and hugged her daughter. Tears pricked her eyes as she fought hard not to cry.
“I’m okay, Abby, I’m okay,” she whispered into Abby’s ear.
“Is she there? Oh, I’m so sorry, Mel.”
Melissa took a few deep breaths, filling her center before she stood up and headed into the kitchen.
“Enjoy your evening with Nikki.” She popped the pasta dish into the oven to heat up. “Drop by later tonight if it’s still early enough, okay? Whatever you have to tell me can wait till then.”
Right now, all she wanted to do was have a nice dinner with her daughter and then eat the pan of brownies. That’s all she wanted to think about. Not Wade being dead. Not Parker choosing Nikki over his family. Not the fear of one day having to tell Abby the truth about her dad. Nothing. Just pasta and brownies.
“Better yet, just drop by tomorrow, okay? And bring breakfast.”
“Are you sure?” Parker asked.
“No. But enjoy your pizza.”
“Okay. Hey, how do you know we’re having pizza?”
Melissa bit her lip. Should she tell Parker how she basically grabbed the pasta dish from Nikki or just play dumb? Would Nikki tell on her?
“’Cause I’m a single mom with a kid and it’s a Friday night. That’s what we normally always have.” It was a good save—enough of one that Parker didn’t even comment.
“Thanks, Mel. Say sorry to Abby for me, okay?”
Melissa looked at her daughter and saw the frown on her face.
“No way. I’ll leave that up to you for tomorrow. Oh, and Parker? Don’t you dare tell Nikki about any of this.”
Melissa didn’t even give him a chance to agree when she hung up the phone. She wasn’t sure where that last thought came from and wasn’t even sure why she mentioned it. Of course he wouldn’t say anything to Nikki. They weren’t that close—they couldn’t be. Besides, Parker would never betray her. Not like that. He’d talk to her first before he mentioned anything about Wade to his new girlfriend. She knew that deep down.
When she looked at Abby, Melissa expected theatrics but her daughter proved her wrong once again.
“Guess Uncle Parker isn’t getting any brownies tonight, is he?”
Melissa hugged her daughter to her side and kissed the top of her head. “Not even the crumbs.”
“His loss.” Abby flung her hair over her shoulder and then sat down at the table.
Totally his loss. But if that was the case, then why did Melissa feel as if they were losing out somehow too?
6
Nikki
Nikki’s plans for a romantic evening with Parker may have gone out the window, but Ryan was excited for the chance to throw the football around the yard with someone who didn’t constantly drop it. It’s not that she didn’t like football, but…well, she didn’t like football. She pulled the kitchen curtain to the side and watched for a moment while Parker easily caught Ryan’s toss and instead of throwing it back at him, pretended to charge the boy and score a touchdown. Ryan tackled Parker’s legs, and he fell to the ground in an exaggerated move.
She chuckled and let the curtain drop. It made her happy to see how much Ryan liked Parker. It made their relationship so much easier and Nikki had worried about it because she’d never before brought a man home to meet her son. But Parker was different than the few men she’d dated before they had moved back to Halfway. Very different. And Ryan was different now, too.
The boy had adapted better than she ever thought possible to life in a small town and the family that came with it. More than adjusting, Ryan thrived as he got to know his dad and stepmom. Not for the first time, a pang of guilt flashed in her chest when she thought about all the years they’d lost because she was too young and stupid to think things would work out.
But that was in the past and Nikki was done looking behind her. She was all about looking forward and to the future. Maybe even a future with Parker.
She laughed at herself. She was getting way too carried away. It was still new.
Not that new.
No, not that new. But still. They had a lot to discuss and there was no point rushing things. Except dinner. Her stomach growled to remind her that she’d skipped lunch again in favor of getting her projects finished.
Leaving the window, and the boys playing outside, Nikki checked on the pizza, put the oven to broil to finish it faster, and set the table. She made sure the beautiful bouquet of flowers Parker brought her from his family’s flower shop were displayed perfectly. It was such a treat to have someone bring her fresh flowers. Especially when she knew he went to the trouble to arrange them himself to include her favorite lilies and Gerber daisies. Every week he brought her a different bouquet, and they were always a little different, but some little detail in each one let Nikki know he was thinking of her.
The back door crashed open as Parker and Ryan bustled inside. “I’m starving, Mom. Is dinner—”
“You’re not starving. Children in Africa are starving.”
“Really, Mom?” He rolled his eyes and shook his head to let her know how ridiculous he thought she was. “Okay fine,” he tried again. “I’m really, really hungry. Is that better?”
“M
uch.” She tousled his hair. “Now go wash up.”
The second he was out of the room, Parker pulled her in close and wrapped his arms around her. The chill from the outside air clung to his clothes, and when he wrapped his arms around her, she inhaled the manly scent of him that never failed to make her stomach flip.
“You’re cold,” she protested, but not very hard.
“I should let you warm me up.” His grin was both playful and sexy at the same time but it was a good idea, so she stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his.
Parker’s hand cupped her cheek while his thumb stroked lazy circles on her skin. It was a slow, deep kiss and Nikki could have lost herself in it except for the fact that she knew Ryan would be back any second and the smell of—
“Is something burning?” Parker pulled back, smelling the pizza at the same time she had.
“Oh no.” She darted across the kitchen and flung open the oven door. A cloud of black smoke billowed out and she turned instinctively away. Nikki was just about to grab the potholder when Parker rushed forward, a dishtowel in hand, and yanked the now charred frozen pizza from the oven and tossed it on the stove top.
Tears pricked at the back of Nikki’s eyes. She’d ruined dinner again. It was becoming a very disturbing trend. But a frozen pizza? Surely she should be able to handle that.
“Don’t worry.” Parker reached for her hand. “It’s just a pizza.”
“It’s not—”
The screech of the smoke detector cut her off. Ryan walked into the room with his hands over his ears. “What’s that noise?” he yelled to be heard. “And that smell?” He pulled one hand from his ear to cover his nose, but then realizing how loud it still was, his hands fluttered, unsure of where they should go.
He looked so funny and with the smoke in the air, the alarm still shrieking overhead, and the burnt pizza smoldering on the stove top, there was nothing else to do. Parker and Nikki looked at each other and laughed. Nikki laughed so hard that the tears that had threatened only moments earlier rolled down her cheeks and she had to clutch her stomach in an effort to contain herself.