A Reason to Love (11 page)

Shit, Spence hadn’t meant to ask that out loud, but he knew exactly which explosion Nick meant. So he wasn’t the only one whose life had gone to hell that day. He wanted to ask more questions, but he couldn’t find the words.

Nick and Leif picked up the first door and carried it up onto the porch. God, it hurt to see Leif hobble up the steps, always leading with his right leg and dragging the left one up more slowly.

As soon as they had the door stowed, they came back for the second one. Spence started to pick up one end, but Leif shouldered him aside. “We’ll take care of it. You’ve done enough.”

Enough what? It was tempting to argue, but Nick caught his eye and shook his head. Fine, if Sarge thought it was that important, Spence would concede the point, at least for now. He pretended to look through the stack of papers on the clipboard, gripping the damn thing so hard his hand ached. One signature was all he needed, and then he could leave.

Callie had taken her own sweet time coming across the yard. Maybe she was hoping he’d be back in the truck and on his way before she got there. More likely, she thought if she moved too fast he’d bolt whether they were done unloading the doors or not.

“So you’re working for Melanie now.”

Spence forced himself to look his friend in the face but couldn’t stop himself from taking a step back to put more room between them. He hated the quick flash of hurt that crossed Callie’s expressive face. “A little. Nothing permanent. She was shorthanded today.”

“Where are you staying?”

How much did he want her to know? But then, why keep it a secret?

“I’m renting the old housekeeper’s cottage on the back of the Wolfe House property.”

Callie tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes as she studied him. “I didn’t realize that you and Melanie were such good friends.”

The question might have sounded innocuous, but there was a note in Callie’s voice he didn’t much like. Why would she care if he and Melanie hooked up? “Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. You just never mentioned keeping in touch with her.”

Nick moved up beside Callie with Leif not far behind. At least Mooch decided to stand beside Spence. If the dog had chosen to take their side, it might have been more than he could take right now.

“I didn’t,” Spence said.

“Didn’t what? Keep in touch with her or bother telling me you had?”

Seriously, with everything that had happened, this was what had Callie spoiling for a fight? He’d hoped their phone conversation had eased some of the tension between them. “Look, I need to go. I’ve still got a long evening’s work ahead of me.”

Nick stepped between him and the truck while Leif moved to block any avenue of retreat. Son of a bitch, he didn’t want to do this right now. Actually, ever.

“Nick, not now. I’m on the job and don’t have time for this.”

His friend gestured at the now empty flatbed. “Looks like you’re pretty much done making deliveries.”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, if you don’t have time now, Corporal, when will you?”

“Time for what, Nick?”

The former sergeant breathed in slowly, his nostrils flaring wide. “Callie, do me a favor and go inside. Take Leif with you.”

She was already shaking her head. “But we need to talk things out. I want—”

“Please, Cal, let’s not gang up on him. I’m guessing he’s feeling cornered right now, which pretty much guarantees Wheels won’t be reasonable.” Nick spared her a quick glance, his fierce expression softening just for her.

Spence wanted to punch him, partly out of jealousy and partly because Nick could read him so well. Maybe he would let a fist fly once Callie was out of the line of fire. He watched as Leif put his arm around her shoulders and tugged her toward the porch. She hesitated before climbing the steps to disappear into the house. Leif mirrored her action, but after aiming a hard look in their direction, he went inside and closed the door.

Meanwhile, Nick studied Spence as if he found him to be an interesting specimen. He could look all he wanted. “I’m assuming you didn’t run them off just to stare at me.”

To his surprise, his old friend actually laughed. “God, Wheels, no wonder I used to have to thunk you on that hard head of yours once in a while just to get your attention.”

Then he leaned against the side of the truck, clearly in no hurry to get to the point. Spence didn’t buy it for a minute. Sarge might look relaxed, but he was perfectly capable of going on the attack with no warning.

“Okay, I was talking about you making time to talk to us. Time to explain what the hell happened to you. Why you’re acting like you hate us.” Nick straightened up, his eyebrows riding low over a rock-hard gaze. “I made some calls and got the basic facts, but that’s not the same as hearing it from you. I’m guessing whatever happened was fucking damn ugly. I’m sorry about that, but keep in mind that it wasn’t any picnic for me and Leif, either. He damn near lost his leg, and it’s taken multiple surgeries and a helluva lot of therapy to having him walking even that well. I hate that for him, and there’s not a day that goes by that I didn’t wish it had been me and not him.”

He took a step toward Spence. “But that was nothing compared to living with the knowledge I got you killed. Now you’re back, but it’s like I’m talking to a total stranger wearing your face.”

As tempting as it was to lash out, Spence couldn’t bring himself to even make a fist. “That’s how I feel, Nick. Maybe it’s better for you to go on pretending the man you knew did die that day.”

Nick’s shock was painfully clear. “God, Wheels, don’t even say that!”

Spence looked around the yard, trying to focus on something other than the mix of anger, guilt, and hurt feelings standing right there in front of him. Right now it felt as if he were back in that cell with the walls closing in on him. He wanted to scream, but if he gave in to the impulse he feared he might never stop.

“I’ve got to get out of here, Nick. Tell Callie I’m sorry. I don’t mean to keep hurting her. I’ve already told her that the problem is with me, not her.”

Nick didn’t move. “I’m not going to let you get in that fucking truck until you agree to sit down with me and hash this all out. Name the time and place, and I’ll be there. Leif, too.”

As it turned out, Spence wasn’t into taking orders anymore, especially from Nick. “No. Now get out of my way.”

He didn’t wait to see what Nick would do. He shoved his friend out of the way and reached for the door handle. Before he got a good grip on it, his friend charged right back. They grabbed onto each other and took the discussion to the ground, each one trying to get in the first good punch.

Spence could hear shouting coming from somewhere. Maybe it was him and Nick, but then Mooch’s barking drowned it out. The dog danced around them, pitching a fit. Still struggling to pin Nick, Spence growled, “Mooch, get back.”

But Mooch wasn’t having it. Instead of retreating, he went on the attack, nipping first at Spence and then at Nick. He didn’t draw blood, but it was close. The sharp pain broke through the red haze of anger.

Spence released his hold on Nick and rolled to the side, covering his face with his forearm. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Nick planted his fist right on Spence’s face, but he didn’t.

They lay side by side, both breathing hard. Nick let loose with a colorful string of words, ending with “Well, I’m going to catch holy hell from Callie for this.”

Spence dropped his arm down onto the ground and looked over at Nick. “Why? I started it.”

“Yeah, like that’s going to make a difference.”

Nick sat up, wincing a bit as he did. Spence followed suit, mentally taking inventory of a few aches and pains. As much as he hated to admit it, Nick was right. They both needed to clear the air, but he wasn’t ready. On the other hand, maybe he’d gotten a step closer to when he would be.

Mooch plopped down on the grass and kept a wary eye on both of them. Spence reached out to pet him, but the dog snapped at him again. Okay, so he owed more than one apology right now.

“I promise we’ll talk, but don’t corner me on this, Nick.” He forced himself to look his friend in the eye. “I’m pretty twisted up inside right now. It should be pretty obvious that I can’t be rational on the subject yet.”

Nick crossed his legs and rested his elbows on his knees. He supported his head with the palms of his hands on his forehead. “I wish I could say it gets easier, but some days—”

“Yeah, I get that. Tell Callie I promise not to be such a total asshole, but I really do have to get going.”

He didn’t really owe Nick any explanations, but he offered one anyway so that he’d know Spence wasn’t just blowing him off. “I’m doing some maintenance work on the machines at Melanie’s factory in the evenings after the day crew leaves.”

Nick looked up. “Sounds like the perfect gig for you. You always did like getting greasy and playing with engines. Do you plan to take a job there permanently?”

Spence poked and prodded that idea. “Too soon to tell. Right now I’m just helping out.”

He braced himself for another bout of pain and stood up. “Damn it, Sarge, did you have to knee me in the ribs?”

Nick was rubbing his jaw where Spence had clipped him. “It seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Spence didn’t want to laugh, but he did. He held out his hand and pulled his friend up to his feet. It wasn’t the same as a handshake, but it was close.

“Call when you want to talk, Spence. If you don’t want to come here, maybe we can meet at that bar you went to the other night and share a few beers. I’ll even buy the first round.”

“You’ll buy more than that, but I’ll think about it.” He forced himself to look at the house again. “You guys are doing good work.”

“Yeah, we’ve got to talk about that, too.”

Something else Spence didn’t want to deal with but knew he’d have to sometime soon. He opened the truck door and looked around for Mooch. “Well, dog, are you coming with me or staying here? It’s your choice.”

Mooch slowly stood up and walked over to Nick. He licked his outreached hand and then hopped up into the truck. Spence tried not to show how relieved he was. Right now he needed the dog’s undemanding company.

Nick knocked on the window and waited for Spence to roll it down. “I’m assuming Callie knows the place you’re staying. We’ll drop by Mooch’s stuff this evening while you’re gone, if that’s okay.”

Spence wanted to refuse the offer, considering he didn’t know how long Mooch was going to stay with him or even how long he himself would be sticking around Snowberry Creek. On the other hand, maybe Nick needed to do something for Spence. “That would be nice. Just leave it on the front porch.”

He risked one last look back toward the house on his way out of the driveway. Callie and Leif had come back outside. He waved. It was the least he could do.

M
elanie hesitated before walking into Something’s Brewing. It was far from the first time that she’d met Callie there for some quality girl time. However, there’d been something different in the way Callie sounded when she called to extend the invitation. Melanie had a good idea what was at the root of the hint of tension in her friend’s voice.

Or rather, who was behind it: Spence.

Callie no doubt had questions about how Melanie had come to offer Spence not only a place to live but also a job working for her family’s company. The real question was how Callie felt about all of that. In a perfect world, she ought to be happy Spence had found a place to stay and something to do with his time.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a perfect world. Chances were that Callie was unhappy about the situation. Melanie reminded herself there was only one way to find out. Trying to look calmer than she felt, Melanie opened the door and walked inside.

Bridey was behind the counter. As soon as she spotted Melanie, she offered her a smile that was more of a wince and nodded toward the back of the shop. Sure enough, Callie was sitting at the far table, facing away from the door. Rather than heading straight for her, Melanie stopped at the counter to place her order.

“I’ll have a tall black iced tea and one of those double chocolate brownies. No, make it two.” She lowered her voice. “What kind of mood is she in?”

Bridey set the tea on the counter and used tongs to pick out the brownies. When she added a third to the plate, Melanie started to protest. Bridey waved her off and even refused her money. “My treat. You’re going to need all the chocolate you can get.”

She’d been afraid of that. “Is it too late for me to make a fast escape?”

Bridey’s smile was sympathetic. “Yeah, it is. Even if Callie is pretending not to have noticed, I’m sure she knows you came in. Go talk to her. You’ll both feel better if you do. Let me know if you need me to referee.”

Melanie hoped that wouldn’t be necessary, but Bridey was right. To run and hide wouldn’t help anything. She and Callie had known each other for too long, and their friendship was important to her. That didn’t mean the next few minutes would be easy to get through.

The shop wasn’t large, but a growing sense of dread made the small expanse of shiny tile seem more like the Grand Canyon. By the time she reached the table and sat down, her hands were shaking hard enough to rattle the small plate of brownies. “Sorry I’m late. I got tied up with a call from one of our suppliers.”

She took the seat next to Callie that faced the wall and away from the rest of the room. They were the only two customers in the shop right now, but that could change any second. She’d rather have the small amount of privacy the position offered.

Callie eyed the three brownies, and her mouth twitched just a little. She was familiar with Melanie’s rules about eating chocolate and no doubt thought stress was the driving force behind her ordering extra.

“Okay, so I asked for two. It was Bridey who decided I needed three. I’m hoping the extra one was for you.”

When she started to move it to the empty plate in front of Callie, her friend blocked access with her hand. “No way. I’ve already had two cupcakes. Any more sugar and I’ll be bouncing off the walls.”

Melanie put it back on her plate. If all else failed, she’d wrap it up and take it back home with her. She’d seen Spence out walking with his dog late last night, but they hadn’t spoken since the morning he’d left her the voice mail about needing a ride two days ago. She shouldn’t need an excuse to seek him out, but she wanted one anyway. It would make it seem less like she was stalking him.

She sipped her tea and waited for Callie to call this meeting to order. When the silence continued beyond the time it took her to enjoy the first nibble of her brownie, she took charge.

“Look, we both know why we’re here today. You’re worried about Spence, so ask your questions, Callie. I’ll answer what I can.”

Her friend had been staring into her cup of coffee as if it held the answers to the universe. Callie’s eyes came up to glare at her with anger and hurt. “Why is he with you?”

Melanie flinched at the cold chill Callie had packed into that one question. Where did she think he should be staying? Did Callie really think Spence would’ve been comfortable moving in with her and Nick? Then there was the fact that in addition to Leif living there, so was Spence’s cousin. Unless things had changed, the two of them were hardly on speaking terms. If Spence didn’t know his cousin had moved back into the house, she didn’t want to be around when he found out. It had taken the police to throw Austin and his father out of Spence’s house the first time.

She kept her answer simple. “He needed a place to stay. The cottage was available.”

Callie was busy shredding a napkin, watching intently as the tiny pieces floated down onto her empty plate. When she reached for a second one, Melanie took another bite of her brownie and waited for Callie to continue.

“You skipped my wedding reception to go with him.” She looked up briefly before turning her attention back to her new hobby. “I understand why, but I’d like to hear what happened from you.”

“I told all of this to Leif.”

Callie nodded. “You know men. He laid out the barebones facts, but that was all. Spence is . . . was my best friend, Melanie.”

Then as if realizing how that sounded, she added, “Guy friend, anyway. I’m worried about him.”

Melanie had to wonder how Spence would feel about her sharing confidences about him, especially with Callie. If he wanted her to know what was going on in his life, wouldn’t he have told her himself?

But she and Callie were friends, and her friend was hurting. Hoping she was doing the right thing, Melanie repeated much of what she’d already told Leif and then added a few more details.

“He’s renting the cottage until he decides what he’s going to do long-term. Meanwhile, he’s helping out at the millworks on a special project servicing all the machines. When Spence worked for my father back in high school, he used to help maintain the equipment in the factory.”

Without waiting for Callie to respond, Melanie continued. “He’s made a few deliveries because I’m down a driver. Other than that, I don’t know what Spence’s plans are. He hasn’t said.”

That much was the absolute truth. It wasn’t as if he’d gone out of his way to confide in her.

Callie shoved the remains of the napkins to the center of the table. “I knew about him driving for your company because he delivered the doors we’d ordered for the house. Talk about awkward. There he was, bringing us the doors for his house, paid for with his money, and us living there instead of him.”

Suddenly, that brownie wasn’t settling very well. “I’m, sorry, Cal. If I’d known your order was on that truck, I would never have asked him to deliver it. He should’ve said something.”

Darn the man, anyway! She was sure the foreman in charge of shipping had gone over the list with Spence before sending him out. Granted the foreman wouldn’t have known that particular delivery might cause problems, but Spence sure as heck did. What had he been thinking?

On the other hand, maybe it did make perfect sense. “I’m guessing that on some level, he used it as an excuse to approach you, Nick, and Leif. You know, without having to call ahead or anything.”

Now she was the one ripping up a napkin. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, how did it go?”

Callie rolled her eyes. “Not well, but it could’ve been worse, I guess. Nick and Leif were unloading the doors when I came back from my folks’. I suspect Spence felt a bit cornered by all of us being there. He had that deer-in-the-headlights look going on.”

Her mouth settled into a sad smile. “It helped that Mooch was with him. We’re still not sure how the dog found Spence. All we knew was that he disappeared, and we couldn’t find him anywhere. We feared for the worst until Spence called to tell us that the dog had shown up on his doorstep. God, that was a huge relief.”

“I’ve seen him out walking the dog a couple of times.”

Callie nodded. “From what Nick and Leif have told me, Spence and Mooch were inseparable in Afghanistan. On the one hand, I’m grateful Spence isn’t alone right now. On the other, I’m frustrated with him for not sitting down and talking to Leif and Nick. He’s already apologized to me, but that’s not enough. It almost destroyed them to think that Spence had been killed. Doesn’t the jerk realize that?”

Yeah, Melanie would guess he did, but it was Callie’s other statement that stuck out. Spence wasn’t alone, and not just because Mooch had moved in with him. She’d been there for him, too, even if he didn’t seem to remember that right now.

Her friend was still talking, but Melanie hadn’t been listening.

“. . . and soon. Tell him that, will you?”

“I’m sorry, Callie. I didn’t catch the first part of that. Tell Spence what?”

“That he needs to tell us what really happened to him over there, and what he wants to do about the house. We’re still working on the place, but we’re not sure we should be. It’s the not knowing that’s driving us all crazy. If he wants it back, that’s fine. It’s his, after all.”

She took a sip of her coffee before adding, “Nick deserves that much from him. We both do.”

Melanie had never thought of Callie as selfish, but this was too much. “What about what Spence deserves? God knows what all he went through. Try seeing it through his eyes. When he comes home, you’re marrying his friend and living in his house. Heck, you even had his dog. Granted there are good reasons for all of that. None of this is your fault, Callie, but you and Nick need to cut Spence some slack. I’m sure he’s doing the best he can under the circumstances.”

And she’d just revealed more than she meant to. “Look, I’ll pass along your message to Spence if I see him. I’ve got to get back to work.”

She lurched to her feet with her eyes welling up with tears, making it hard for her to gather up her empty cup and plate. As soon as she managed to pick them up, the shreds of napkins went fluttering to the floor like so many flakes of snow.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

Callie gasped, most likely because Melanie rarely cursed and absolutely never did so in public. That much of her mother’s teachings had taken hold at an early age. Right now she wanted to shout the worst words she could think of at the top of her lungs, but it wouldn’t accomplish anything.

She stood absolutely still for a count of five to regain control. When that didn’t do the job, she counted to ten. Feeling only a tiny bit better, she knelt down to start scooping up the bits of napkin.

Bridey appeared at the edge of her peripheral vision with a broom and dustpan. “That’s okay, Melanie. I’ll take care of it.”

Another five-count allowed her to stand up. “Sorry about the mess.”

“That’s okay. It happens.”

Her friend meant well, but she was wrong. Members of the Wolfe family never made public spectacles of themselves. It wasn’t done. Granted, shouting a curse word in a small coffee shop wasn’t exactly the end of the world.

But that one crack in her control scared her. Since her father’s death, she’d been working so hard to hold everything together for the sake of her mother and the people who depended on the millworks for their living. She couldn’t afford to fall apart. Not now. Not ever.

Bridey was still talking. “How about I wrap up your brownies to go and fix you another iced tea?”

Melanie drew a slow, deep breath and forced a smile. It felt brittle, but it was the best she could do. “Thanks, Bridey. That’s really nice of you.”

She was well aware that Callie was watching her every move. “Like I said, I’ll pass along your message, but I’m Spence’s landlady, not his keeper.”

Rather than wait for a response, she followed Bridey over to the counter and waited for her drink. Proud of the facade she’d managed to piece back together, she thanked her friend again when Bridey held out the small bag and the tea.

“These are delicious, Bridey. And you were right, this is definitely a three-brownie day.”

Once she was out on the sidewalk, Melanie automatically turned to the right and kept walking. Rather than return to the office, she headed home. On the way, she called her secretary and lied, saying she had an appointment and wouldn’t be back.

She’d left her car at work, but she could pick it up later if she needed it. For now, the walk home would help her burn off the last vestiges of agitation. Tomorrow would be soon enough to go back to being the stoic representative of the Wolfe family who took care of everyone else.

She’d even call Callie to apologize for . . . well, in truth, she wasn’t quite sure if she actually regretted anything. Of course she should have been more tactful with Callie, but she’d meant every word she’d said.

Also, she should at least thank Bridey again for the treats and the tea. The three of them had been friends for years, and this wasn’t the first time they’d hit a rough patch. Somehow they’d find a way to get through it all with their friendships intact. At least she hoped so.

For now, though, she had her own plans for the afternoon. Once she was behind the safety of locked doors, she’d indulge herself with a bubble bath, a bottle of wine, and those decadent brownies. Her plans made, she turned onto her street and cut across the lawn to the front porch.

After unlocking the door, Melanie stepped inside and kicked off her shoes. It took every bit of strength she had to take even one step farther into the oppressive silence that filled the house. God, she missed her cozy apartment in Spokane. Right now, even the tiny cottage with the poodle shower curtain where Spence was living would be preferable to this dinosaur of a house. Maybe it used to be filled with life, but right now it just felt dead.

Padding in her stocking feet to the kitchen, she picked out a bottle of wine from the fridge. As she headed back to the staircase, her mother’s voice whispered in her ear that she also needed a glass. After all, a real lady would never guzzle wine right from the bottle, not even in the privacy of her own bathtub. Well, too bad.