Chapter 17

17

“Don’t let her leave, son.”That was my father’s advice after I explained the situation.

My mom had taken Melissa into the kitchen, insisting we take food for our ‘trip’ as she called it.

“Dad—”

“Don’t argue with me about this. You get her there and you don’t let her come back here.”

And he wondered where I got my stubborn streak from.

“I was going to tell you thank you.”

I watched the sly smile form and immediately regretted expressing my gratitude.

“In that case, go on.”

Smug bastard.

“Nothing else to say,” I told him.

“Sure there is. You can start with, you were right, and we can go from there.”

Only for Melissa would I put myself through this torture. It wouldn’t just be this one time my father would rub it in that he was right. He’d use this for years.

“You were right, Dad. I fucked up and needed my head pulled from my ass.”

“Damn right, I was right. Remember that the next time you want to argue with me while I’m lying on my deathbed.”

I hoped like hell my dad didn’t joke about that in front of my mother or he’d find himself back in the hospital with a concussion.

“Too soon?” he asked.

“Yeah, Dad, too soon. Actually, there will never be a time when I will want to joke about losing you.”

My father wasn’t stingy with affection, but neither was he overly so. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when his features lost their humor. And sadness crept in when he said, “It was good to see you, Son, even though the reason was shit. Miss you when you’re gone.”

“Miss you, too, Dad.”

“Now I guess since you won’t be avoiding Blackhawk, we’ll be seeing more of you.”

The guilt hit like it always did, reminding me I was a shitty son.

“I’ll be back.”

“Just not too soon. Get our girl settled out there first.”

I glanced at the kitchen door before I looked back at my dad.

“She’s gonna fight this.”

“Yep.”

“What if I can’t convince her to stay?”

My dad waved off my concern.

“Garrett, that woman in there, she loves you beyond measure. She’s also got you beat in the stubborn department. She will be your greatest lesson in patience. You won her once.”

“Yeah, but I lost her.”

“No you didn’t. You don’t lose that kind of love, son. Now you better go rescue your girl and get on the road.”

Damn, he was right about the last and I hoped he was right about the first.

We were already fifteen minutes behind schedule with my mother’s insistence to procure snacks so we didn’t have to stop. Which really meant she wanted a few minutes alone with Mellie.

“Sandwiches, chips, and water,” my mother announced coming into the living room holding a grocery bag.

Melissa came in behind her, also with a bag.

I opened my mouth to ask how many sandwiches she made when Mellie shook her head.

“Thanks, Mom.”

“We’ll take care of your rental,” she went on.

“Mom.”

“You got everything from your room? Oh, it doesn’t matter I can—”

“Come here, Mom.”

“No. If I do I’ll cry and I don’t want to cry.”

“So does that mean you’re not going to hug me goodbye?”

Her eyes registered surprise but that quickly faded when she took the three steps needed to walk into my arms. I pushed aside the pang of guilt and let the feel of my mom squeezing me penetrate. Something I’d denied myself for far too long. Something I’d convinced myself I was unworthy of.

“Love you, Mom. See you, soon, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Come over here, girly, and say goodbye,” Dad told Melissa.

She hugged him. “When I get home, I’ll—”

“Girly, you’re going home. When you come back to visit,” he corrected.

“Not you, too,” she griped.

“We don’t have time for a twenty-minute argument,” I reminded her.

Melissa’s eyes skidded to me. They narrowed. Then they went back to my father.

“That means your input is not welcome.” My mother needlessly translated the look.

I pulled her back into a one-armed hug and divested her of the bag. The damn thing weighed a ton.

“I love you, Dave Davis but you’re a pain in my ass,” Melissa said.

“Back at you, Mellie Kate. Now get. And keep my son in line.”

“Like that’s possible,” she muttered.

“Hate I can’t get up and walk you out,” my dad muttered. “It’s just plain rude to sit on the couch while family’s leaving.”

“You’ve got the nurse—”

“Mellie.”

“Girly.”

My father and I spoke at the same time. But it was my mother who had the final say.

“Go on, I’ve made you late enough. Call us when you stop for them.”

More goodbyes were exchanged and by the time we were on the road we were not fifteen minutes behind schedule, we were twenty-five.

We were pulling out of my parents’ development when I asked, “Do you want to drive through Dinks?”

“Your mother just packed enough food for a week.”

From the weight of that bag, Mellie wasn’t exaggerating.

“Baby, do you want a Dinks milkshake before we leave?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Thought so.

I made the turn and was half a block down before Mellie softly said, “I’m gonna miss your parents.”

My hands tightened on the wheel and my chest swelled.

I had no delusions that was her surrender, but it was good enough for now.

* * *

We werefive hours into our trip and this was Melissa’s fourth call to her parents.

This time, her father answered, and from this side of the conversation, I could hear it wasn’t going well.

“No, Dad, I’m not pouting.” There was a long pause then, “Fine, I’ll tell him.” A shorter pause then, “No, I’m not telling him right now.” A moment later she huffed like she was doing exactly what her dad had accused her of. She looked at me and said, “My dad says he wants you to take the phone and not let me call them every hour. Oh, and he also says the hotel we stay at better not be a drive-in motel.”

I really wished I wasn’t driving so I could’ve witnessed the look on her face when she’d delivered that message. Unfortunately, I was. It was also unfortunate that when I busted out laughing, I missed her smile.

“Yes, hilarious. Talk to you soon.”

* * *

“How far away is their hotel?”Mellie asked and tossed her bag onto the bed.

We’d driven eight hours before the kids had enough and Cash called to tell me they were stopping for the night.

“Five miles.”

“And we can’t stay in the same hotel?”

Instead of explaining to her why we needed to stay separated I asked, “Do you trust me?”

There was no hesitation before, “Yes.”

“Then trust me, Mellie. I know you’re worried. But I wouldn’t keep you from them or them from you for no reason. The Feds haven’t located Ran. Neither Cash nor I spotted a tail. But we’re being cautious.”

“That’s the thing. Not that Cash isn’t good at his job. But I trust you.”

Fuck, that felt good. No, it felt fucking great.

It also sucked that I now had to explain why we needed to stay separated.

“When Cash picked up your parents and the kids, they didn’t just run out the front door for everyone to see. Cash pulled into the garage, shut the door, they packed the rental, and when they left, they did it as carefully as they could to conceal that your parents and the kids were in there with him. There’s still a chance someone saw; that’s why he’s watching for a tail. But we didn’t hide. We went to my parents, we got a milkshake, then we hit the interstate. If someone’s being followed it would likely be us. Me taking you to them right now is dangerous.”

“Oh my God. Do you think—”

“Stop.”

Those beautiful hazel eyes sparked. I knew she was gearing up for an argument I was too tired to have. Especially because I knew she was still pissed at me for this morning.

“I’m fuckin’ beat. I know you’re scared, and me asking you to blindly trust me about this is a big ask, but I’m asking.”

“Okay.”

This was a trick, right?

“Okay?”

“After this morning, I owe you one. So, okay, you’re tired and I won’t argue.”

This felt like a trap, but I still asked, “This morning?”

“I thought about it on the drive.”

More like she was silently stewing with intermingled dirty looks between calls to her dad before he told her to stop calling—which was one more thing Jeremy did that shocked me.

“I was freaked out and scared. And this last week has been crazy. I might’ve overreacted, a little. But it was uncool you made decisions while I was asleep. The outcome would’ve been the same. Cash would’ve gone over to get them, and I would’ve left with you, but I wouldn’t have been left out of the decision-making. Then I said something nasty and I’m sorry.”

I was not stupid enough to ask her if she had a fever or some such shit. But there she was, my Mellie. The Mellie she was before I’d fucked her over and left. There was no doubt the woman had a temper but most of the time she was laidback.

“You’re right, I should’ve woken you up.”

Since the old Melissa was back, she nodded her acceptance and moved on. “Do you want the bathroom first?”

“You go ahead.”

She grabbed her bag and went to the bathroom.

I went to the bed, pulled down the comforter, stripped out of my clothes, and lay down. I only meant to rest until she was done.

I woke up the next morning the same way I’d woken up the night before. Mellie’s head on my stomach, her hair in my face, with a phone ringing.

“Not again,” she grumbled.

I smiled, thinking minus the phone, I was damn fucking happy.