Roping Melanie by Melissa Ellen

12

Nash

As I gripped the door handle to my truck, a long, slow whistle echoed across the motel parking lot.

“Looking sharp, Mr. Evans. Hot date?” Dolores hollered.

I turned to face her. She was headed toward me with a few freshly folded white towels piled high in her arms.

“Something like that?” I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

“Who’s the lucky lady?” she asked, stopping a few feet away.

I chuckled. “The cutest girl in town of course. My daughter.”

Meg was right. It did feel weird saying that. It was also a combination of the most amazing and scariest feeling in the world.

“Well, she’s one lucky girl.”

“Thank you. Though I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one.”

She gave me a knowing smile. “I won’t hold you up. Wouldn’t want to keep the darling waiting. Enjoy your night,” Dolores said with a wink then continued past me to room seven. She knocked on the door as I climbed in my truck. I started the engine as she handed off the towels to the guest inside. Once she’d finished, she turned and gave me a wave goodbye. I returned the wave, then put the truck in reverse and headed to Melanie and Avery’s.

For the third time in twenty-four hours I parked outside Melanie’s home. This time, with every step to the door my heart rate picked up its pace. Even when faced with some of the meanest bulls in the world I’d never felt this nervous. Clenching my clammy palm into a tight fist, I opened the screen door and rapped a few times on the wooden one then quickly snatched the hat from my head and smoothed out my hair.

Seconds later, Melanie opened the door, her eyes taking me in for a moment before her brows knitted together. “You forgot the pizza.”

“I—I did.” I cursed under my breath and rubbed my hand over my mouth. I was so damn nervous I’d completely forgotten. “I’ll go get it now,” I said as I turned to leave. “I’ll be right—”

“Nash.” Melanie latched onto my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. When I faced her again, she was fighting back a smile. She glanced over her shoulder into the house before stepping onto the porch with me. The screen door shut behind her. “Just take a deep breath,” she said in a calm soothing voice as she gave my wrist a light squeeze.

I did as she instructed, inhaling deeply and letting it out in a whoosh. She smiled wider, and I grinned back at her. How she managed to wash all the nerves away in seconds, I’d never know.

“Now,” she said while taking a step back, her hand falling away from me. “Come in. Your daughter is excited to meet you.”

I rubbed at the back of my neck. “What about dinner?”

“I’ll order it and have it delivered.” She shrugged nonchalant.

I nodded in agreement.

“Are you ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” I replied.

Melanie led the way inside. I gazed around, expecting to see Avery waiting on the couch. But she was nowhere in sight.

“Avery,” Melanie called out.

“One second,” a tiny voice hollered back from down the narrow hallway that I assumed led to the bedrooms.

Melanie chuckled and looked over at me. “She’s changed her clothes at least ten times, trying to pick the perfect outfit to greet you in.”

“If I had packed that many clothes in my duffel bag, I probably would have too,” I admitted. I’d been a wreck up until a few moments ago when Melanie put me at ease with her soft words and gentle touch.

At my comment, Melanie’s eyes fell over me. And damn how I wished I knew exactly what she was thinking as they did. I had a good guess if the flush in her cheeks was any indication. When she met my gaze again, I gave her a knowing smirk.

“Do you want me to hang up your hat?” she asked, trying to hide her blatant perusal.

I nodded and passed it off to her. She hung it on a hook near the door with her purse.

A few seconds later a little girl appeared in my peripheral. I turned, taking her in as she waltzed slowly down the hallway as if she was the flower girl in a wedding march. She was decked out in a puffy, pink dress and purple glittered dress-up heels. Sam had a similar pair. The only thing Avery was missing was the basket of flower pedals. With a big grin on my face, I glanced over at Melanie who was biting down on a giggle. Melanie went to Avery’s side once she finally made it to the end of the hallway, stopping a few feet from me. Avery’s beautiful green eyes stared up at me.

I squatted, putting us at eye level. “You must be Avery.”

She nodded and held out her hand. “And you must be my daddy.”

I took her warm, small hand in mine and it was in that exact moment, she wrapped me around her tiny finger. I suddenly understood Scott Taylor’s weakness for his daughter. She called me her daddy. And hell if that didn’t feel crazier and more amazing than winning the world championship.

“I am. And I’m so excited to finally meet you.”

“Do you want to play with me?”

Melanie laughed, this time not able to hold back. “Well, that didn’t take long,” she said, kissing Avery on top of her head. “I’ll leave you two to it while I order the pizza.” She brushed her fingers through the ends of our daughter’s blond hair. “You gonna be okay while I do?”

Avery nodded eagerly, and I stood upright.

“Okay. I’ll just be in the kitchen,” Melanie said as she walked away before disappearing from view.

“What should we play?” Avery asked.

“Why don’t you choose and get us set up,” I told Avery as I pulled out my wallet to retrieve a fifty-dollar bill. “I need to give your mom something really quick. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. She turned and sprinted down the hall this time, a drastic opposite from earlier.

I made my way to the kitchen, finding Melanie at the counter with pizza coupons sprawled out in front of her and a cell phone in her hand.

“What kind of pizza do you like?” she asked, looking up at me.

“I’ll eat whatever,” I said, stopping next to her. The smell of her soft perfume wrapped around me. It was sweet and warm. Exactly the way I remembered her being that night in Vegas. “Here.” I extended the bill in my hand in Melanie’s direction.

She shook her head and shoved my hand away. “I don’t need your money, Nash.”

If I had nickel for every time someone in my family told me that . . .

“I didn’t say you did. But I did say I was buying dinner, so here.” I tried again to hand her the money.

She crossed her arms, refusing to take it. I sighed, laying it on top of the counter, leaving her no choice but to accept it. Then turned and walked away. I shook my head as I did with a slight smile. I had a feeling Melanie and Meg would get along just fine.

“Nash,” she called out, trying to stop me.

Ignoring her plea, I kept going and headed down the hallway in the direction Avery had ran off in. I found her in her bedroom, sitting on the floor. She’d ditched the glittery heels in favor of a pair of unicorn tennis shoes she was in the process of putting on.

I leaned against the door frame, crossing my arms as I gazed around the room. The walls were all white, but the room was far from bland. It was covered in shades of pinks and purples and unicorn paraphernalia in about every square inch. “I like your room,” I told her as she struggled to tie her right shoe lace. I watched, conflicted whether to let her do it on her own or offer to help.

She paused and looked around the space then said, “Thanks.” A few seconds later, she accomplished the task, ending my internal debate.

“So what do you want to play?” I asked as she sprung to her feet.

Without answering, she disappeared into her closet, tossing out clothes, shoes, and a few toys as she dug through it. A couple seconds later she reappeared with a small purple basketball covered in yellow and pink stars tucked under her right arm.

“Do you know how to play horse?”

It took me a minute to answer. I’d been too distracted with capturing and ingraining this moment of Avery in my mind. Frilly dress, tennis shoes, and pigtails. I may have just met her and been totally biased, but Melanie was right. Our daughter was awesome.

“It’s been awhile, but I’m willing to give it a shot.”

She grinned and grabbed my hand with her free one. “Come on!” she said excitedly as she dragged me out of her room and down the hall.

Melanie was on the phone as we raced through the kitchen and out the back door, her eyes following as we went and she placed our pizza order.

Avery didn’t release my hand until she’d made it to the edge of the concrete driveway. She immediately attempted to dribble the ball as she walked toward a small basketball goal mounted to a pole on the opposite side. The basket was lowered to where it sat just above my head.

The ball bounced off the tip of her shoe, sending it off course. She chased after it, and I waited. Once she’d scooped it back up and headed to me, I asked, “You want to go first?”

She nodded eagerly and lined herself up for her first shot. With both hands on the ball as it dangled between her legs, she lobbed it into the air, taking a granny shot. The ball hit the rim, bouncing off.

I darted to the side, catching it. “That was a good try.”

“That was just a practice shot,” she informed me. “We each get one practice shot.”

I fought against a smile. “Okay,” I agreed, bounce passing the ball back to her.

She repeated the whole exercise with the same outcome. I caught the ball again. “You want one more practice shot?”

She thought on it for a moment before nodding her head. I couldn’t contain my smile this time as I bounced the ball to her.

She lined up again, her face straining as she focused hard on the basketball goal. The ball sailed through the air, bounced against the backboard, and fell into the net.

She screamed with excitement, and I cheered her on with a high-five. “Nice job, Avery!”

“Thanks,” she said and ran to retrieve the ball. “It’s your turn,” she said as she passed it to me.

I prepared to take my shot in the same spot and manner as her. I lobbed the ball purposefully missing. She ran after the ball as it bounced across the pavement and rolled into the grass.

“You can have another practice shot if you want,” she said as she walked toward me with it in her hands.

“You sure?” I asked.

She nodded and gave me the ball.

This time, I actually tried to make it, only for it to be dejected by the peeling orange rim. She returned the ball to me, and I thanked her. “All right, so if I miss this one, then it’s an H for me, correct?” I asked, dribbling the ball a few times.

“Yep!” she said, bouncing around on her toes, the anticipation already killing her.

I nodded and turned toward the goal with the ball in my hands, dangling it between my knees. I gave it my best granny shot, only for it to bounce off the rim once again.

“That’s H!” Avery screamed, chasing after the ball that had flown off behind me.

I laughed and turned around, my eyes catching on Melanie sitting on the top step of the back porch with a soft smile. I wondered how long she’d been watching us. I hadn’t heard her come outside. I gave her a wink, and she gave me a small wave.

Avery pulled my attention away from Melanie as she charged back toward me with the basketball. “My turn!”

I smiled down at my daughter. “Okay. Let’s see what you’ve got,” I said, then glanced over my shoulder to look at Melanie one more time before forcing myself to focus on Avery, but she’d already slipped quietly back into the house. I assumed she was keeping her distance, giving us a chance to bond. As much as I appreciated it, a part of me hoped she’d join us.

The rest of the game went about the same way. Once I earned a R for my failed shot attempts, I stepped up my game a little. In the end, Avery won by one letter. After that, we both started taking shots for fun. A few I even lifted her onto my shoulders for her to do a slam dunk. Every time she giggled, my heart filled and swelled even more.