Unexpected Admirer (8 page)

Melissa was sure embarrassment wouldn’t kill her, but at that moment, it felt as though it were choking the life out of her.

She forced a smile to her face. “Mrs. Zucker, it is a pleasure to meet you. I grew up in Aspen Creek with my late husband and Mr. Scott here.” She figured if the woman understood that they’d known each other since they were children, her outburst wouldn’t seem so crazy. “My own son attends the middle school. So I assure you, sans my bad morning, Aspen Creek boasts the finest schools.”

The woman, with an equally forced smile, nodded.

William excused them and stepped through the door with Melissa into the main office.

“I assume you have more to say to me,” he growled, keeping his voice quiet.

“I’m sorry. Please let Mrs. Zucker know I’m not crazy and that I apologize to her as well.”

He nodded and walked back to his office. He gave her one more displeased look before he shut the door between them.

Who would have thought that having known the principal since he was ten was not a comfort when, even in her thirties, it still scared the hell out of her when his eyes became focused and his jaw jutted out.

Melissa took a drive the long way around town before she crossed Rose Bridge. She passed her street and headed up the mountain.

The road grew narrow and the trees thicker as she climbed higher. The town below her looked calm through the aspen groves.

Ahead of her she could see the gate which would welcome her to her grandfather’s land. It was a short, twenty minute drive from town, yet as she looked through the trees she could still see the small town nestled in the valley below her.

High above her grandfather’s land, she could see the glimmer from the front gate of the Rose estate. Why did it seem so strange to her that Jesse Charles had visited the town when she herself had been friends with the great-granddaughter of the late Lilly Rose.

Melissa smiled as she drove through the open gate toward her grandfather’s house.

Lilly Rose had been a golden screen icon. She’d been in love with one man, an older man, and married to some Hollywood director. Yet her roots were there, right where Melissa’s were, in Aspen Creek.

She parked her car in front of the house. It was dark and deserted, which was something she didn’t like. Her grandfather had been moved to a nursing home. Her grandmother had passed away years before. Now the old ranch was for sale, and she wished she could buy it and live there with her mother and Jonah. But on her mother’s fixed income and her teacher’s salary, they struggled just to pay the taxes on the land.

The weather vane on the roof of the barn glimmered when the sun hit it just right. There was a time when she’d sit on the porch and watch it spin in the wind.

Melissa stepped out of her car just as she heard a car drive up the dirt road from the gate. It was no surprise when William’s car was headed toward her.

He was quick to jump out of his car and head right for her, but his anger seemed to defuse the closer he got.

“She wasn’t sold on the sanity of my staff.”

Melissa nodded, unsure if he was serious or joking with her. “I’m so sorry…”

“What has gotten into you?” He stepped closer. “I’ve never seen you so hot and cold.” His words carried on the cold air.

“I’m just a bit out of sorts.”

“And this Jesse Charles crap is making it worse.”

She turned toward the house and started up the front step when he reached for her arm and turned her around.

“I’m sorry. You deserve to have someone give you attention like that. I just don’t think it should be him.”

“And you had someone more deserving in mind?”

William stepped up onto the same rickety step and looked down at her. He touched her face with his soft leather gloved hand. “I know it’s the wrong time to tell you that I’ve had feelings for you since we were fifteen.”

“I wouldn’t believe you anyway.”

He laughed. “I wasn’t very nice for a few years.”

“You could say that again.” She turned and took the next step, but he again reached for her, this time taking hold of her hand.

“Listen, I know this Jesse Charles thing is something you need to feel out, but he’s going to hurt you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I can feel it.” He let out a deep breath into the cold. “I’ll be here. I’ll always be here.”

“I never doubted that.”

William shook his head. “I mean, God forbid, if he breaks your heart, I want to be the one to pick up the pieces. I’d be a good father to Jonah, and I’d do everything to be a decent husband to you.”

Melissa dropped her shoulders. He’d accused her of having had something get into her, and perhaps she was the crazy one, but was William Scott actually standing before her professing his love to her?

“William, stop.” She took another step and then turned to him. “I can’t even believe you’re saying all of this. One, I don’t know why you’re saying it at all. Two, why now? Why wait until someone else is interested.”

“Because I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“Of you getting hurt.”

Melissa turned again and walked toward the door. William followed and the porch creaked under him. “Watch that board. It’s loose.”

He looked down. “On the first warm day I’ll come fix it.”

“I’m sure it’ll be sold by then.” Her voice dropped as she pushed open the door. “That’ll be a very sad day.”

Melissa stepped inside, and William closed the door behind him. “You know, I have enough saved that we could secure the house and the land.”

“Why would you do that for us?”

“Melissa…”

“Don’t say anymore.” She held up a hand to him. “I’m still processing everything else you’ve said.”

“I didn’t say it to upset you.”

She felt it brewing inside of her, the heat of anger. “Well, it did upset me. You don’t seem to think I’m worthy of having Jesse Charles, or anyone else, be interested in me. Well, why not? I have a lot to offer. Why couldn’t some sexy, young man want me? I mean, well, he could.”

“All I’m saying is…”

“All you’re saying is that now that someone has shown intent, you’re the boss over my whole life. Well, that’s not the case. Thank you for stepping up when Martin died, but no one asked you to. Jonah and I would be fine without you.”

She wasn’t sure it was what she’d meant, but she’d said it and it had hurt him nearly as bad to hear it as it had hurt her to say it.

He tucked his hands into the pockets of his coat. “I understand. I didn’t mean any harm.” He turned to the door and then back to Melissa. “I’ll wait and drive down behind you, if you’d like. The pass is slick.”

“I’ve been driving it for years, William. I will be fine.”

He nodded slowly and left.

Melissa stood in the dusty living room among the covered furniture and watched as William drove away in his car. Her heart ached for him. What had he been thinking? Why did his opinion bother her so badly?

Her cell phone rang in her pocket. She pulled it out and answered it sharply, “Hello.”

“Hello, beautiful.” Jesse’s voice was soft on the other end. “I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time. I was heading out to the bus and thought I’d try to catch you before you were sitting down to dinner.”

Melissa let the tension in her shoulders roll away. “I was just checking on my grandpa’s house before I headed home.”

“The house on the hill?”

She smiled at the memory of the night she told him that. “Yes.”

“You know, I was watching TV last night after I hung up with you, and an old Lilly Rose movie was on. I was thinking about her house by your grandpa’s.”

“She was a real beauty.”

He laughed softly. “Are you sure you’re not related to her? I think you look a lot alike. You have that natural glamour beauty to you too.”

She couldn’t help but let words like that affect her. He delivered them so flawlessly. But what if William was right? What if Jesse Charles just wanted something from her?

“Melissa, are you still there?”

“Yes,” she said, realizing she’d been standing in the quiet house dwelling on things that weren’t real. “And thank you. I guess it’s been a long time since someone has complimented me like that. I forgot how to react.” She moved about the lower portion of the house making sure everything was in order.

“Listen, I have to go, but the reason I called was I’ll be flying into Grand Junction much earlier than I’d first planned. I know we discussed dinner on Sunday, but you wouldn’t be up for breakfast and lunch too, would you?”

She laughed as she started her climb of the stairs, which creaked under her feet. “I have to be in church Sunday morning. But you’re welcome to come.”

“Church? Wow, it’s been a long time since…”

“If you’re uncomfortable…”

“What I was going to say was it’s just been a long time since I’ve been in a church. I think some praise is in order. What time?”

She had to clear her head as she opened the door to her grandparents’ bedroom and gazed over the old furniture her grandfather had built and her grandmother had stained. “Ten.”

“I’ll be there in plenty of time.”

There was a peace in making plans with him even though she was sure that Sunday would be the last day she’d ever see him. “I’ll see you then.”

“Can I call you tomorrow?”

Oh, he was cute. “Yes, I think I’d like that.”

“I know I would.”

They said their goodbyes, and Melissa tucked her phone back into her pocket as she closed the door to the bedroom. For a moment she stood there thinking about Jesse and how his voice and words had soothed her nerves after William had stirred her up.

This was what happened to women and famous musicians. They were good with words and the delivery was part of the charm. Was she falling for Jesse Charles’s flattery? Or was there really some merit to how he felt about her?

She looked down at her finger where her wedding ring still remained on her finger.

No matter what happened, there were two men who seemed to be interested in her, for whatever reason. The only thing that was clear—it was time to move on.

Melissa walked back through the house and out the front door, missing the rotting board by the door.

She drove down the road to the entrance, got out of her car, and secured the gate. As she began her decent back toward town, the static on the radio gave way to the music.

Any other time she’d have turned off the radio, but this time it was Jesse’s voice she heard and he was singing
Admirer
—only this time it was as if he were singing to her.

As she rounded the base of the mountain, she noticed that the palms of her hands were hot and her heart beat was quickened.

Dear Lord, this was more than admiration for a man she’d only met. This wasn’t even a crush, like so many of the girls had on him.

In only a few meetings and phone calls, she was having feelings for a younger man whom the whole world was watching. If she wasn’t careful she’d fall in love with him, but was that what she wanted?

She drove down her street and looked at all the houses that lined it. Houses filled with families.

Could Jesse Charles offer her that? William Scott could.

She pulled into her driveway and put the car in park.

She was falling in love with Jesse, but in reality, it was William who could give her the stability that Jonah needed.

She covered her face with her hands and sat there. By the end of Sunday she would know. She’d know Jesse’s intentions. She’d better understand her options and how she felt about them.

There was no denying she’d rather have her husband back. But Jesse Charles had been removing him from her mind. Was that a blessing or a curse?

Deep down inside, she sure would like to find out.

Chapter Seven

It hadn’t gone unnoticed that William hadn’t talked to Melissa almost all week. There had been a few work related necessities, but that was it.

Before Jesse Charles, she’d have been devastated, but as she wiped down the kitchen at nearly eleven o’clock on Saturday night, she knew it was a good thing. She was nervous enough knowing Jesse was going to be there in a few hours. How bad would she have been if William had more time to make her crazy?

But it was getting late, and she needed to get to bed and stop worrying about either one of them.

She turned off the kitchen light just as her cell phone buzzed in her pocket.

It was a text from Jesse.

Will be there sooner than thought. Taking off now. Will be in town about 1am. Is that ok?

Was that okay? Dear Lord, she’d been nervous enough, but now he was going to come by at one in the morning? This was crazy, absolutely absurd. What was she doing? It wasn’t worth what everyone in town would say—or think. No, it wasn’t okay. He needed to wait. Oh, heck, he needed not to come.

But as she placed her thumbs on the keyboard of her iPhone she typed
Yes. I can’t wait.
And, without thinking, she knew that was the truth.

Who cared what the world thought. Jesse Charles liked her and wanted to be with her—enough so that he was buying trucks and flying private planes to get to her.

A fluttering in her stomach had her sitting down at the kitchen table. It was real, wasn’t it? A man once voted the sexiest man of the year was on his way, in the middle of the night, to spend a few extra hours with her.

She swallowed hard and then dashed off down the hall to her room to get ready.

The realization that she wasn’t even going to get any sleep hit her about the time she began to freshen up her makeup and fix her hair. It was going on midnight. What was she doing?

But she didn’t stop. She changed her clothes, spritzed on some perfume, and headed back to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee.

When she finally sat down on the couch with a mug of coffee in hand, she looked around. She’d been cleaning for a week. There was nothing left to do. Besides, he’d been to her house before, unexpectedly, so really she needn’t worry about it.

As twelve-thirty approached and her coffee grew cold, she felt the heaviness of her eyelids. A moment of sleep wouldn’t hurt anything.