Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Melody

After the call from the police, I showed up at my mother’s place, well, my place now …. And Bill Meyers, a cop in town, waited for me.

“What’s going on?” I looked around feeling worried, nothing seemed out of place, aside from a lamp that had been knocked over.

Bill cleared his throat, seeming nervous. “The next-door neighbor called when she claimed to see someone snooping around here. Can you see anything they took?”

My adrenaline raced. “No.” I searched but could only see boxes scattered here and there that I still needed to go through.

Bill put a hand on my shoulder. A hand that felt … possessive. “Melody, would you be more comfortable staying with people right now, since you’ve been broken into?”

I shrugged away from him, unsure if he was talking about himself. “Uh, no. I’m fine. If there’s no damage, I’ll go.”

I walked toward the door and waited.

He followed me.

I waited for him to walk out, then locked it up.

Bill was still there.

“Do you need to file something about this?” I asked, walking past him.

Again, he reached for my shoulder. “Melody, let’s talk.”

The guy was really irritating me now because I’d fallen into a sort of friendship with him since starting ‘grief’ group a few weeks ago, but now he just kept hitting on me. “I have to go, Bill.”

I’d gone home and had weird dreams. Dreams about Charles, about Bill; both on the beach, both trying to chase me. Bill in a crazy swimming suit.

I shook my head the next morning and put my running shoes on. Even though I’d run last night, I needed more. Running was my solace. Plus, I was unsettled that my mother’s place—well, my place—had been broken into. It felt silly to spend a bunch of money I didn’t have on cameras, especially because I wasn’t currently living there.

After a quick forty-five-minute run, I returned home and got ready for church. I didn’t open the store on Sundays. I’d always gone to church, and it felt right. Since I’d come back to Jewel Cove, I went to the nondenominational Christian church I’d always gone to with my mother. It wasn’t far, just down Second Street next to the town park.

As I walked into the church and looked for Gretchen and her family, I was surprised to see Charles there. Then I felt stupid. Of course he would come to church with his grandmother, who sat in the front row. I’d gone to sleep thinking about the man, about the way he’d wanted to talk to me the night before, and hadn’t considered I could run into him here.

As I found Gretchen and sat, I noticed that he was looking in my direction. I didn’t meet his eyes. My heart raced, and I was reminded of the dream I’d had about him last night. We’d been out by the lighthouse on Old Mill Road, young and frolicking in the beach water. He had taken me into his arms and promised me everything.

Gretchen elbowed my side, and I jumped a little. She leaned over, her gaze moving between me and Charles. “What’s going on?”

I felt myself blush and whispered, “Nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing.”

I glanced over, but right when I met his eyes, he picked up a hymnbook and started singing. I did the same.

Gretchen whispered in my ear while everyone was singing. “Why is he looking at you?”

I sighed. “I saw him at the beach last night. He asked if we were still friends.”

Gretchen’s eyes widened, and she mouthed, What?

I would’ve laughed, because she was acting like a teenager.

“What did you say?”

I sighed and leaned back. “I said … that friends keep in touch.”

The song ended, and Pastor Lee said, “Since it’s December, I think it would be best for us to focus our attention on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave His life for all of us. He beckons us to come to Him. He tells us that He will comfort us and He will be there for us. My question for you today is, are you asking for comfort?”

I was only half listening, still thinking about Charles and how he’d asked if we were friends. Why had I gone on and on about what friends do? I should’ve just said no.

Gretchen elbowed me again. I turned to look at her, and she nodded her head toward Charles. I glanced at him, and he was still looking at me. Our gazes held, and he lifted a hand.

I gave him what was probably a weird look and averted my eyes.

Gretchen leaned over and whispered, “Why don’t you wave at him?”

I glared at her. “Shh.”

For the next twenty-five minutes, the pastor continued his sermon. I focused on not looking toward Charles.

After the closing song and prayer, I got up quickly and said a fast goodbye to Gretchen, as well as her husband Kent, her teenage son Max, and her teenage daughter Ruby.

She grabbed my hand. “Are you coming for dinner today?”

This had become a tradition for us, and I actually looked forward to going over for Sunday dinner. She still had her parents and some siblings living in the area. If I didn’t agree, she would surely hound me. “Yes, thanks.”

I rushed toward the door to the building. Hopefully I could get out of here before anyone else engaged me in conversation, especially Charles. I doubted he would come after me, though; he had his grandmother to look after.

Yet as I was heading down the stairs, I heard, “Melody?”

Thinking of last night and how he’d chased me down, I paused and stepped out of the group of people that were exiting and onto the grass. He was coming down the stairs, and he gave me a huge smile. Wow. I loved that smile.

“Hey. I just wanted to catch up with you.”

“Why?”

The side of his lip tugged up. “Because I heard that’s what friends do—they say hi to each other and catch up.”

He had me there. “Okay, hi.”

He hesitated and then let out a light laugh. “Would you like to go get coffee? I hear that’s also what friends do.”

I shook my head, my thoughts racing. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for him. “Coffee is a morning thing.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”

I sighed. “What about your grandmother?”

“Oh, she comes with her home health care worker, Hazel, all the time. I told them I had plans afterward.”

My heart raced. He assumed I would be part of his plans? “Uh, I have stuff to do.”

“Melody, wait,” someone called out. We turned to see Pastor Lee walking toward us.

I waved awkwardly. “Hey, Pastor Lee. Good sermon.”

“Thank you.” Pastor Lee turned to Charles. “Charles King. So glad you are in town.”

Charles shook his hand. “It’s good to be home for a bit.”

The pastor looked back and forth between us. “Are you both coming to the date for charity on Tuesday night?”

This took me completely off guard. “Um, I’m not sure.”

The pastor looked concerned. “Charles, as you know, the church can’t compete with the kind of fundraiser your family does, but this charity event is how the church earns our portion of the money we want to donate to your family’s cancer wing at the hospital.”

“Oh.” Charles looked surprised. “Well, that’s kind of you, pastor.”

The pastor put on a big grin. “Charles, we were hoping you would be in it.”

Charles shook his head. “Um, no.”

I couldn’t help it; I laughed.

Charles gave me a surprised look, which made me laugh harder.

Pastor Lee turned to Charles. “Listen, we could really use your name recognition.”

“Yes,” I sang out, half surprised that I was acting this way, but it was really nice to tease Charles. “They need the King name.”

Charles stared at me like I’d sold him out. I had to cover my smile.

Pastor Lee put his hands into the air expectantly. “What do you say, Charles? Will you be one of the dates that can be won?”

Charles hesitated, then grinned at me. “I will if you can talk Melody into being one of the dates, too.”

Shock coursed through me. “What? Wait. No, no, no.” How had this turned so upside down?

Pastor Lee let out a light laugh. “What do you say, Melody?”

He probably wasn’t aware of the drama between Charles and me all those years ago. Of course he wasn’t. How could he be? He’d only become the pastor in Jewel Cove five years ago.

“I don’t think so.” I turned to walk away. I needed a getaway car.

“Melody, please,” Pastor Lee said. “It’s a cancer wing, after all. I would think that would be something near and dear to your heart.”

That was a low blow. I paused, then sucked in a long breath, thinking of the struggle I’d had with my mother and her cancer from the time I was fifteen.

“We should leave Melody alone.” Charles looked down, as if he knew the pastor’s statement had been harsh.

“Pastor Lee!” someone called out.

Pastor Lee looked puzzled. “I’m sorry if I upset you, Melody, but I need people. I’m going to put the two of you down, and if you change your mind, that’s fine.” He turned and greeted the person calling to him.

I was frozen to the ground. What had just happened?

Charles reached out and placed a hand on my wrist. “Melody, you don’t have to do it.”

My mind caught up to the problem at hand. “Oh, I’m not doing it.” I turned and began walking toward the street.

He was at my side, falling into step with me. “Wait up. Why are you always running from me?”

“Because I’m busy,” I said, picking up my pace.

“Look, my grandmother thought you sold the store after your mother passed away. She said she didn’t realize you were back. What are you doing in Jewel Cove?”

I wanted to rip into him and tell him to go away, but I kept walking. “I’m running the store.”

“That’s all?” he asked, keeping up with me. “How are your husband and son?”

I crossed the street and dashed toward the alley that led to the back of my store, where I typed in the code. I wanted Charles to go away.

“Are you working today? I didn’t think you guys ever had the store open on Sundays.”

It was funny that he remembered that. Then again, why wouldn’t he? We had been inseparable growing up in the summers.

“Uh … I have some inventory to do.” I tried to open the door, but for some reason, the code wasn’t working. The key lock started blinking, signaling that I needed to wait one minute before trying again.

“I can help you with inventory. I used to when we were kids, remember?”

I turned to face him and accidentally breathed in his scent. Sandal wood, leather, fresh soap. No, I didn’t want to smell him.

“Melody, I really wouldn’t mind helping you.”

Frustrated, I snapped, “Charles, I’m divorced. It was finalized seven months ago.”

Maybe now he would stay away. I didn’t want to deal with him for however long he was home, although I knew it wouldn’t be that long. It had never been long, even all those years ago.

He pulled back a little and nodded. “Okay.”

“Obviously, you noticed I didn’t have a ring on the other day.” It had to be the reason he was trying to track me down.

“I did. I’m divorced as well. It’s been five years.”

For some stupid reason, I wanted to calculate how long he’d been married, because his wedding had been a long time after … everything. “Okay.” I didn’t know what else to say.

He glanced up at the building’s second floor. “Are you living here? In the apartment upstairs?”

It did sort of embarrass me, but I didn’t know why it should. When I’d known him all those years ago, I’d lived up here. “I am. For now. Mom has a house a couple streets over, but it just doesn’t feel right to be there.” I was annoyed that I was telling him so much. “I need to fix some things up.”

He frowned and then said, “Why don’t you come to dinner at Grandmother’s tonight? I know she would love to see you, and we can catch up.”

“No. I … No. I cannot. This …” I searched his face, and I could tell he was going to keep pushing this. “Charles, you’re only here for a short stay.”

He gripped the doorframe. “What has that got to do with anything?”

“It always had everything to do with everything.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

He touched my forearm. “Hey, we’ve always been friends. We established that.”

“I don’t even know you anymore.”

“Right. That’s why you should come for dinner, so we can get reacquainted.”

I shook my head. This was ridiculous, especially since I could feel this … chemistry between Charles and me. I pulled away from him. “No.”

“Why?”

Flabbergasted, I threw my hand into the air. “I go to Gretchen and Kent’s house every Sunday.”

He seemed to be assessing this information.

I sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on with you. Maybe it’s just old feelings from seeing me the other day. I can’t lie; I’ve had some crazy dreams, and?—”

“You have? About me?” His voice was hopeful.

I squeezed my eyes shut and almost cursed. Why had I told him that?

“Tell me.” I could hear his smile.

Nervousness pulsed through me. “Charles, I have to go.” I turned and put in the code. It worked this time, and the door opened. I stepped inside.

Charles stuck his foot in the doorjamb. “Just talk to me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Please let me shut the door.”

I wasn’t sure he would move out of the doorway, but he pulled back and nodded. “Fine. I will see you another time. As friends .”

I shut the door, leaned heavily on it, and put my hands over my face. I’d just told him that I had dreams about him. This was ridiculous. Insecurities pumped through me, yet I couldn’t help being a little thrilled that the man had followed me home from church.

I pulled away from the door and trudged upstairs as though I were a teenager. That man could be so annoying. Just like all those years ago. I smiled and sort of hated myself.

I would not be a “date” to sell at Pastor Lee’s event.

That. Would. Not. Happen.