Roping Melanie by Melissa Ellen

10

Nash

If I ever had second thoughts about settling in Texas, those doubts had all been wiped away at the news I had a daughter living here. More than ever I knew this was where I belonged. Something about this place had called to me. Now I knew exactly what that was.

The only problem was I didn’t know what happened next.

After hours of sitting in my motel room, I grabbed my keys and headed for my truck. I couldn’t stand to sit in there any longer. I felt restless. I needed some fresh air. I’d spent the better half of the morning talking myself out of going back to Melanie’s. I had questions. Lots of them, but first I needed to calm myself down. Try to work through the anger and resentment I was feeling toward her. We’d get nowhere fast if I went into the conversation with a hot temper. My phone rang as I drove aimlessly around town.

I ignored it. The ringing died off and then immediately started up again. I sighed, connecting the call through my truck’s Bluetooth, knowing there was only one way to stop it from ringing again. I’d barely gotten a hello out before my mom was peppering me with questions.

“Why aren’t you answering? Is everything okay? Did something else happen?”

“I’m fine, Mom. I promise. I just needed some time to think and figure things out.”

This was the third time she’d called since last night when I’d given her and my dad the news they had another granddaughter. She was probably already on her way to Billingsley, because I hadn’t picked up my phone the first few times.

“Did you decide if you were going to ask for a paternity test?”

“If she says Avery’s mine, I believe her.” Why I believed her, I wasn’t sure. Despite Melanie’s years of keeping this from me, I had no doubt Avery was mine. She was a spitting image of my sister around that age.

Mom was quiet on the other end. She was holding back whatever was on her mind.

“You think I’m making a mistake,” I said, breaking the silence and taking a guess.

“No. I’d been more surprised if you’d said you were going to ask her.”

“She looks just like Meg,” I explained. I didn’t need any more convincing. Part of me wondered how it was possible. We’d used condoms every time. Then I remembered. There’d been one time in the shower. I hadn’t pulled out quite fast enough.

“I can’t wait to see for myself.”

“Yeah, about that. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Mel and I have lots to discuss first.”

“When will you be doing that?”

“Soon. I guess. I’d like to talk to her today or tomorrow before I leave town if she’s willing.”

“Well, she better be willing,” Mom spouted off.

Despite not knowing a thing about her, Mom’s feelings toward Melanie weren’t of the warm and fuzzy variety to say the least. She had been just as upset when she learned the news she had a granddaughter in the world who she’d never met. I wasn’t the only one who lost years and moments of Avery’s life we’d never get back.

“Mom,” I warned, even if I appreciated having her in my corner. The fact was, no matter what happened from here, Melanie was my daughter’s mother. It was in Avery’s best interest that we all got along.

“I know. I know. I just—” Her words were cut off, and I could hear her choke back a sob. “I’m sorry,” she finally said.

“It’s okay. I get it. And I promise to let you know once I speak to Melanie.”

“Okay. I love you. If you need anything, I’m here.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you too.”

As soon as I’d hung up, my phone was ringing again. I rubbed a hand down my face as I answered, wondering if they’d been sitting side by side. “Mom told you already.”

“Of course she did. We don’t call her momma bear for nothing. What I’m wondering is, why the hell you didn’t?” Meg reprimanded.

“I’m still trying to wrap my mind around things,” I defended as I took a left at an intersection in a neighborhood.

There was a pause. Her tone softened. “You want me to come down there?”

Hell, it’d be nice having Meg here to help me navigate this and keep me from doing or saying the wrong thing to Melanie. It was a long haul from Wyoming to Texas, though. And she had a kid and a husband of her own to care for. Even if I didn’t like the man much, he was her family all the same.

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“What if I told you I already booked a flight?”

“Meg, you shouldn’t have done that.”

“You need me. Whether you want to admit it or not.”

“I’m leaving tomorrow to travel north for the rodeo in Nampa.”

“I know. Which is why I booked the flight from Idaho to Texas. I figured I’d head to Nampa to be with you there, and then we can head to Texas together. I’ll have to bring Sam along, since Alec is still working long hours.”

“What about school?”

“She only has a few days left. She’ll be done before we leave.”

It was as if a weight had lifted, knowing Meg would be by my side in a few days. “You’re pretty awesome, you know that?”

“Of course. It’s why I’m your favorite person in the world.”

I chuckled. “You might have someone challenging you for the position now.”

“Well, I’d understand if it’s your daughter—whoa. That feels weird to say. You have a daughter.”

“And you have a niece. Who is your twin by the way.”

“Makes sense, considering you are my twin,” she teased, then immediately gasped. “Oh, crud. I’ve gotta go pick up Sam from Sunday school. But I promise to call you later. And if you need anything—”

“I know. Go. We’ll talk soon.” I came to a stop sign at another intersection. Staring through it, I focused on the small tattered bungalow three houses down. I’d driven to Melanie’s place without even meaning to.

“Love you,” Meg said, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“Love you too,” I replied.

As I hung up, I drove through the stop sign and pulled to the curb. I shifted my truck into park then tapped my thumbs against the steering wheel, trying to expel some of the nervous energy building inside me as I debated what to do next. Figuring I wasn’t getting anywhere on my own, I picked up my phone and typed out a text.

Nash: We should talk.

This time, she didn’t make me wait long before she responded.

Mel: Agreed. When?

Nash: Now?

Mel: Meet me at Ida’s Coffee Shop in a few?

It seemed silly, considering I was currently parked in front of her home.

Nash: I’m already outside your house.

The curtains at the front window, moved to the side. I watched as she peered out, looking for me. They fell back in place and my phone notified me with a new text.

Mel: Give me a few minutes, and I’ll be outside.

Making good on her promise, she was out the door in less than two minutes. Her long brown hair was in a ponytail. She wore cut-off jean shorts, a purple tank top, and a pair of flip-flops. Her face was bare of any makeup and her eyes a bit puffy. She was still as gorgeous as all get out. She was a natural beauty. It was one of the things that had first drawn me to her that night in Vegas.

She opened the passenger door of my truck, effortlessly climbing right in, despite the height of it. The door closed shut, and she turned to look at me with a timid smile. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

A heavy silence fell between us. We both faced the windshield, staring straight ahead.

“I want to meet her,” I finally said, breaking the stifling quiet before it suffocated us both. I turned my head to look at Melanie. “I want to meet my daughter.”

“Okay. When?” She stared back at me.

“I leave town on Monday afternoon, so was hoping later today.”

“She has school tomorrow. And today’s . . . not good. I need to talk to her first. Prepare her.”

“Does she even know I exist?”

She nodded slowly. “She’s asked about you a few times, now that she’s a little older. I showed her some pictures I found of you on the internet. It’s why she recognized you in the store.”

“So unknowingly, I came off as an uncaring jerk by saying I didn’t know who she was. Her own dad.” I turned my head away from her to face the windshield again, my hands gripping the steering wheel. My knuckles whitened as I fought to control my anger.

“I’m sorry, Nash. I can’t say it enough. But if it makes you feel any better, she was too distracted by her ice cream sundae to give it much thought.”

It didn’t. I wasn’t sure anything would make me feel better about being absent from my daughter’s life for six years. Even if it hadn’t been by choice. “Why does she think I haven’t been around?”

“I told her you travel a lot for your job.” She released a heavy exhale and stared out the passenger window for a minute as if debating something. “She’s at the park with my dad right now. As soon as they get back, I plan to tell her the truth. Maybe this evening you can come by. It can’t be too late, since she does have school in the morning.”

“Okay. How about I bring dinner?”

“That works.”

“What does she like?”

She smiled softly. “Pizza. Cheese, no sauce. Thin and crispy crust.”

“I have a lot to learn,” I remarked.

She nibbled on the inside corner of her mouth. “Whatever you want to know, just ask.”

“I’m worried she’s gonna hate me.” The words slipped from my mouth.

Mel’s eyes met mine, raw and real. They held a vulnerability I hadn’t expected. “And I’m scared she’s gonna love you and hate me for what I’ve done,” she admitted, dropping her gaze to her lap as she played with one of the frays of her cut-off shorts. It made me want to reach for her. Take her hand and pull her into my arms.

“I get it, you know,” I said.

Her eyes widened a bit as she looked up at me.

“I get why you didn’t tell me. Why you ran off. Doesn’t mean, I think it was right,” I clarified. “But I understand.”

“I wish I could take it back. If I could rewrite history and have a do-over, I would.”

“All of it?” I asked. The thought she’d want to erase the night we spent together burned a little.

“No. Not all of it.” Her eyes locked with mine. “She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Nash. I’d never give that up. I just wish I’d given you a chance to be a part of it. I know I may be partial, but our little girl is awesome. She’s so free-spirited. So curious. Nothing like me,” she said with a chuckle.

I grinned. “I don’t know. I kind of remember you that way.”

“That was an exception,” she insisted, her cheeks turning a light pink.

“Maybe it shouldn’t be.”

The air in the cab charged and thickened. How was it I was still so damn drawn to her? After everything I’d learned, I shouldn’t feel the way I did. I shouldn’t feel the spark in the air between us. I forced down a swallow as the tip of her tongue swiped over her bottom lip, before she tucked both her lips between her teeth.

She felt it too. I could see it in her eyes and in the way her chest heaved with her quickened breaths.

“I should get back inside,” she said, her words were weak as if she wasn’t convinced she should. As if she was hoping I’d ask her to stay. “She’ll be back any minute now.”

“Maybe I should go in with you,” I offered, not quite ready to leave her either. “Maybe it would be easier to tell her together.”

Mel shook her head, tucking her hair behind her ear as she broke our eye contact. “I appreciate it. But this is my mess to clean up. I’ll text you a time.”

“Okay.”

She pulled on the door handle, pushing the door open before starting to climb out.

“Melanie?” I called, needing to know one more thing.

She looked over her shoulder at me. “Yeah?”

“What’s your last name?”

She smiled. “Madison.”

She had no idea what she did to me. With that single smile, she turned me on and wrecked my world.

I grinned back. “See you soon, Melanie Madison.”