A Reason to Love (25 page)

After verifying Mooch was all right, Melanie straightened up and pointed a finger right at Spence’s face. “If you want to do this now, fine by me. You had no right to go behind my back like that. I won’t be one of your special projects, Spencer Lang!”

The last vestige of his smile vanished in an instant. “What the hell are you talking about, Mel? I don’t have projects, special or otherwise.”

“The heck you don’t!”

Holding up one finger, she started counting off all the examples she could think of. “Mooch was a project. Bringing him home was your idea even if it was Nick and Leif who made it happen. You couldn’t stand the thought of that dog going back to starving in the streets.”

He started to protest, but she held up her other hand. “No, don’t interrupt. I didn’t say that what you did was anything but good, but this is my tirade. You can have your own when I get done.”

When his mouth snapped shut, she held up a second finger. “You volunteered to help Will get all of the machines tuned up and running right again. Yeah, that helped me and the people that use them every day, but the fact is that you did it for Will. It doesn’t take a genius to know he’s having trouble keeping up, so you helped out your old friend.”

The rest of the fingers on that hand popped up while she pointed toward the woods that separated the Reddings’ yard from the one next door. “I don’t doubt that you really have issues with your family home, but the truth is you gave up the house next door to make sure Callie got her chance at that bed-and-breakfast she’s been telling everyone about. Not to mention that signing the house over to her and Nick served more than one purpose. Once Leif and Nick finish doing all the work on that old beauty, their fledgling remodeling business will have some serious street creds that will attract more work for them in the area.”

She paused to take a quick breath and then launched back into her lecture. “So that left me, the last person in this town that you give a damn about. You couldn’t let yourself get on that Harley and ride out of Snowberry Creek until you knew you’d made sure I’d never forget you or what you did for Wolfe Millworks. Well, I won’t have it, Spence. It’s not up to you whether my family’s company succeeds or fails.”

He looked totally bewildered. “But I’ve got the money, Mel, and you need it.”

“Yes, I do need money, but I don’t need yours!”

Okay, that probably wasn’t the best way to put that, because suddenly she had a totally irate man lunging up out of the swing to stare down at her with eyes the color of jade. “So that’s the bottom line, isn’t it? If some stuffy banker offers you a handout, you’ll take it. God forbid that money come from a friend!”

He leaned in close, crowding her, until she retreated a step. “Or is it because the Wolfe family is too good to take money from a Lang?”

She so wanted to smack him, but her mother had raised her better than that. “Don’t you dare accuse me of being a snob!”

He crossed his arms over his chest, clearly not ready to listen to her. Well, she was made of sterner stuff than he suspected. “Yes, my folks had issues with image. I’ll grant you that much. But just so you know, earlier this week my mother advised me to decide whether or not you were worth fighting for. If so, she told me to go after you, no holds barred.”

That got his attention. “She really said that?”

Melanie took back that step she’d given up and then another until she was standing so close that she had to tip her head back to look up at him. “Yes, she did. And if you don’t believe me, you can ask her yourself. She’s next door at the barbecue. She and my aunt drove up this afternoon to help out. She even brought a casserole, so cut the woman some slack.”

After giving him a few seconds to come to terms with that little bombshell, she continued. “So I’ve spent the past two days thinking about everything in my life. I learned a lot, some of which I’m not all that proud of, but some that I am. I’ve spent years resisting being a real part of my family. I now know that it was the pressure from all sides to fit the Wolfe family image that I hated, but my heritage is still important to me. I also know my family has done a lot of good things for this town, and I’d love to continue that tradition. The bottom line is that I figured out what matters to me and what doesn’t.”

He was starting to look a bit panicky again, but she wasn’t about to stop now. There was no telling how long he’d stick around after tonight.

“My family home isn’t important to me, but it is to my mother. If I can save it for her, I will. On the other hand, she told me to sell it if that’s what it took to save the company, if that’s what will make me happy in the long run.”

This next part was not her proudest moment. “I also finally figured out that on some level I’m still trying to prove to my father that I was a worthy heir even if I’m a woman. The stupid thing is that I’m not sure I could have convinced him of that even if he’d lived to see me take over the helm. He was what he was, but I loved him. I still do.”

She blinked back the burn of tears. “But regardless of the reason, I’m not ready to let Wolfe Millworks go out of business or even pass into other hands. It’s my family heritage, and I’ll fight tooth and nail to keep those doors open. However, I can’t do it alone, and I need to be honest with the people who work for me. I plan to call a meeting with everyone to let them know where we are on things. It’s their livelihood, and they deserve the truth. I also want them to know that if we do go down in flames, it won’t be for lack of trying on my part. Having said that, Spence, there’s one thing I need to have in my life or none of the rest means anything.”

It was time to move in for the kill. She placed her palms on his chest. Good, his heart was pounding as hard as hers was. That gave her the courage she needed to lay the rest of her cards on the table. “That one thing is you, Spence. If you leave, I leave. If you can’t find peace here in Snowberry Creek, then we’ll keep moving until we find the right place.”

His mouth dropped open in obvious shock. “But why, Melanie? You can’t walk away from everything you’ve fought for, especially not for me.” His voice was rough and deep with pain.

“I can and I will. If necessary, I can hire a manager to take over. Like my mother said, some things are worth fighting for, and for me, you’re at the top of the list. I love you, Spence, and I think you have strong feelings for me, too. I’m not asking you to commit to anything other than to give us a chance.”

He seemed to be at a total loss about how to respond, his expression confused and worried. “Melanie, I . . .”

When he hesitated, she forced herself to step back and give him some space. She’d needed a couple of days away from him to get her own head straight. He deserved some time to filter through everything she’d just dumped in his lap.

“I’m going to the party next door. If you don’t show up in half an hour, I’ll bring you something to eat.” She hesitated and then added, “Or if you’d rather, I’ll have Nick or Leif deliver it. Your choice.”

When he didn’t immediately respond, she had her answer. “Okay, then. I’ll get going.”

Before walking away, she picked up the package she’d brought with her. “This was supposed to be part of the celebration at the barbecue, but I think you need it now.”

Then she kissed his cheek and walked away.

S
pence started to follow her but stopped himself before he could go more than two steps. He’d already hurt her enough for one evening. The flash of pain in her pretty eyes when he didn’t ask her to be the one to bring him dinner had made him physically ill.

He stood frozen in midstep, moving neither forward nor backward. And if that wasn’t a perfect metaphor for his life right now. Mooch brushed against him, whining as he went past. When the dog circled back a second time, the nudge was harder, enough so that Spence snapped out of the freeze-frame moment to sit back down on the swing. Happier, the dog jumped up on the swing and curled up beside him.

Stroking his buddy’s head, Spence stared at the package Melanie had left with him. The wrapping paper, which was printed in the same camouflage as his ACUs, made him smile. Whatever was inside measured about fifteen inches square and maybe an inch high, although one edge was slightly thicker. He reached over to pick it up.

“Well, dog, staring at it won’t tell me what’s inside.”

He’d always been a ripper when it came to opening presents. Not this time, though. He went slowly as if it mattered whether or not the paper got torn. Yeah, it was a delay tactic, but he didn’t care. When he finally peeled away the last bit of tape and saw what was inside, his pulse kicked up into high gear again. It was a scrapbook. He knew that much because it said so right on the front.

No way he wanted to see what was inside. Running his fingers in circles over the pebbly surface of the faux-leather cover, he finally gathered up the courage to open it and look at the first page. Inside the cover was a note in a familiar handwriting.

Spence: I started putting this together for you the day you left on your last deployment. I think it’s only right that Melanie finished it for you since you came back to us. I hope our combined efforts serve as a reminder of how many people love you and that you’re an important part of our lives.

Callie and Melanie

One by one, he turned the pages, studying the pictures and savoring the memories they stirred up. Even the few that hurt so much he could hardly breathe. Not all of the men he’d served with had returned home, and some that did come back faced a life that wouldn’t ever be the same. And selfish bastard that he was, he hadn’t even thought about reaching out to them since he’d been home.

The next page had him smiling. He remembered that basketball game. The winning shot had been his, costing that squad of marines a pretty penny. That had been shortly before Mooch came into their lives. He tilted the book so that Mooch could see it.

“Hey, buddy, here’s the first picture of you we ever took.”

The dog lifted his head long enough to check it out, and his tail thumped on the seat. Maybe he understood what he was looking at; maybe not. It didn’t matter. Spence turned the next page.

Shit! Callie had included pictures from her wedding. Sarge looked so damn happy looking down at his beautiful bride. Spence’s conscience stirred to life. “I made an ass of myself that night.”

They might have forgiven him, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t apologize again. There were pictures of Leif with a pretty brunette. Considering the besotted look on his face, she had to be Zoe. He seemed to remember her from high school. Maybe a couple of years ahead of him, not that it mattered. She and Leif looked good together.

The list went on. There were pictures of Mama R. and her husband sitting on this same swing. Melanie had taken pictures of several people at the millworks, most prominently Will standing in front of the last machine he and Spence had serviced. Bridey and Seth smiled up from the next page. The photo had been taken in her shop with both of them holding up a cup of coffee as if toasting him.

Right now his eyes were too blurry to make out the captions under each picture, but he’d read them later. Besides, none of them really needed explanations. He smiled at the picture of the cottage and winced at the close-up of the pink poodle shower curtain. Yeah, there was a memory that did not deserve to be preserved.

And finally, there were pictures of Melanie and him. They’d been taken at a distance, most likely by Callie. She was sneaky that way. There was one taken from closer up, and that was the one that nearly stopped his heart. Melanie was smiling up at him, but it was the expression on his own face that left him stunned. It was the exact same one Nick wore in the picture from the wedding and Leif had shared with his Zoe.

Everything inside his head shifted and spun. All those broken pieces he’d been living with for months on end suddenly snapped back together in one cohesive whole. He loved Melanie, he loved his friends, and he loved Snowberry Creek. It was just that simple.

He closed the book and carefully tucked it under his arm. “Come on, Mooch. We have someplace to be.”

•   •   •

Melanie had loaded up a plate for Spence, but no one would take it to him. Unless either Nick or Leif manned up in the next ten seconds, they were both going to be wearing it.

“Come on, guys. You know he’s hungry. You don’t have to stay. Just set it down and walk away.”

She hated the sympathy in Callie’s eyes, who shook her head and held up her hands as she backed away when Melanie tried to hold the plate out to her. “Maybe he is, Mel, but it’s not us he wants to see even if he’s too stubborn to admit it. You hit him with a lot all at once, but he’s a big boy. He can take it.”

“But he—”

Leif’s deep voice cut her off. “Sorry to interrupt, but you might want to see who’s headed this way.”

The crowd parted to let her see. “Spence.”

He’d just cleared the woods. His steps stuttered briefly when he saw everyone staring at him. But then his shoulders snapped back and he continued his determined march straight toward them. Toward her. Mooch paced at his side, his head raised high, his ears pricked forward, as if this moment in time carried enormous significance for them both.

Spence didn’t slow until he reached the edge of the crowd. His eyes sought out Callie. When he spotted her standing next to Nick, he held up the scrapbook. “Thank you for this. Can you hang on to it for me for a few minutes?”

It was Nick who took the book. “Sure thing.”

Melanie ached for Spence. Others might not see how close to the red zone he was running right now, but she did. But until he gave her some kind of signal, she had to stay right where she was.

He cleared his throat twice before he spoke again. “I want to thank all of you for coming tonight, and I apologize for being so late to the party.”

There were several murmurs of “No problem” and “That’s all right.”

He ignored the comments as he ran his hands over his buzz-cut hair, maybe trying to gather his thoughts. His jade green eyes scanned the crowd, stopping to study each person in turn. “I’m not one for long speeches, but I’m going to try. Mama R., you and Mr. R. gave me a sanctuary when I needed it most. Will, you taught me so much, and not all of it had to do with grease and gears.”

The old man laughed. “You were a quick learner, boy. Best I ever trained.”

Spence flushed, but it was clear the compliment was appreciated. He continued on around the circle. “Gage, thanks for not giving me a ticket on my first day back. Bridey, I love your shop, and how you make everyone feel welcome. Seth, I hope you deserve her.”

The artist hugged Bridey close. “M-me, too.”

Spence made his way to Callie. After shaking hands with Nick, he took her in his arms. “Callie, I can’t imagine what would have become of me without you in my life. You’re the sister I never had.”

That last remark eased the tension pumping in Melanie’s veins, but only a little. He’d yet to even look at her.

When he stepped back from Callie, he turned to Nick and Leif. “And you two are my brothers. I lived for months believing you were both dead. No, I barely existed for those months because I couldn’t imagine a world without you in it. The idea almost killed me. I may not have handled my return to town very well, but I hope you know nothing has ever made me happier than finding out that you were both alive and well. The truth is we’ve walked through hell and lived to tell about it.”

Melanie wasn’t the only one who had tears streaming down her face when the three soldiers exchanged a three-way hug, their big shoulders shaking with emotion. When they finally broke apart, none of them had dry eyes.

Spence was running out of people. When he moved to stand in front of her mother, Melanie held her breath. “Ma’am, I earned the reputation I had in high school, but I’m not that guy anymore. I hope the two of us can start over and get to know each other as the people we are now.”

Sandra held out her hand and shook his. “I would like that, Spencer, but a lot depends on what you have to say to my daughter.”

Spence nodded. “Fair enough. So, if you’ll excuse us, everyone, I would like to borrow Melanie for a few minutes.”

She’d never seen people scatter so quickly as Spence walked toward her. He took her hand in his and led her the short distance to the gazebo. Inside, he headed straight for the back wall where his friends had carved their tribute to him. He traced the words with his fingertip.

“My first reaction to this was anger mixed with relief that someone actually cared that I was gone,” he said.

She spoke for the first time. “A lot of us cared, Spence.”

“I know that now, even if I was too fucked up when I got home to realize that.”

He sat down on the nearest bench and tugged her down beside him. “I would never have made it this far without you, Mel. From that first night you’ve been my anchor, the only thing that made sense to me. Thanks to you, even my nightmares are all but gone.”

Leaning his head back, he stared up at the ceiling. “You were right. I wanted to fix things for other people because I couldn’t figure out how to fix me.”

“You’re not broken, Spence. You’ve just needed some time to adjust to this new part of your life.”

He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “That explosion in the street that day shattered me, Mel, and I wasn’t exaggerating when I said thinking my friends had died almost killed me. I wanted to die with them.”

God, she hurt so much for all three of them. “I know, but all three of you are so strong. You’ve each moved past the pain of that day. That’s a good thing.”

He studied their entwined hands. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but she loved the simple connection between them. After a few seconds, he gave her hand a soft squeeze. “I’ve been putting the pieces back together for a while now. They don’t all fit the way they used to, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But I want you to know the things you said earlier and that scrapbook finished the process. I know what I want my life to look like now.”

“Care to share that vision?”

His mouth curved up in a slow smile. “I see me here in Snowberry Creek, living in a small cottage with a beautiful woman and one scruffy dog. She and I both work at the same place, you know, as partners in the family business, using my money and her brains. She is up on the second level, taking care of the big picture while I work down on the floor, maintaining the equipment. That way, together we keep the whole company running smoothly.”

“And does this woman have a name?”

For the first time, he looked straight at her. “Right now it’s Melanie Marie Wolfe. I’m hoping she won’t mind changing her last name to Lang one of these days.”

Suddenly, the pieces of her own life were coming together in a beautiful landscape. “I would guess it would all depend on who had asked her to do such a thing. He’d have to be pretty special to her. In fact, she’d have to love him a lot.”

A pair of strong arms lifted her onto his lap. Spence whispered near her ear, “You told me you loved me earlier, Melanie. Fool that I was, I let you walk away without answering you, and for that I apologize.”

“And if you had it to do over, what would you have said?”

“That I love you and have loved you from the night you fainted in my arms at the cemetery.” He brushed his lips across hers. “Marry me, Melanie, and I promise you’ll never regret it.”

“Will you still take me on night rides on the Harley?”

“Anytime.”

“Then, yes, Spence, I’ll marry you.”

A huge whoop went up outside of the gazebo. So much for the privacy they’d asked for. Spence muttered a curse, but then he grinned and shook his head. “Life in a small town.”

She laughed and kissed her warrior lover one more time. “And we wouldn’t have it any other way.”