Fool's Gold (6 page)

Angry and embarrassed, Mel rushed from the porch and into her car. She drove as quickly as she could to get home, and sat panting in her parking space, attempting to control her breathing. She looked down at the reddened nail impressions on her arm. Chloe hadn’t broken the skin, but ugly marks were already forming.

She grabbed her purse and realised her hands were shaking. She sat there a moment, regaining her composure.

Chloe was partially right.
I probably did look at Addie the wrong way.
No spouse would appreciate that, male or female. Addie was involved with someone, and Mel had no business worming herself into their relationship. She was ashamed she’d even thought about it.

She’d stay away from Addie. Not because Chloe threatened her, she’d dealt with bigger bullies in high school when people found out she was gay. Defending herself wasn’t the problem. Doing the right thing was more important.

Glancing down at her arm, Mel shook her head.
Yep, there’ll be bruising
. She touched one hand to her heart.
Here, too
.

Addie glanced around the inn, which looked in worse disrepair than ever. She’d gotten the bright idea she could refinish the scarred wood furniture herself. She’d helped her father do it one time, and didn’t recall it being so difficult. After moving the damaged pieces into the dining and front rooms, Addie had gone to the local hardware store and bought a bunch of supplies. She’d paid for them with her already overburdened credit card, and held her breath that the transaction would process.

Part way through the sanding of the first headboard, a lovely walnut piece with the words ‘fuck you’ carved across the front, Addie had made a discovery. The knife marks were deep. A simple refinishing wouldn’t do the job. She had to find a way to get rid of the writing, fill it in with putty or something, before she could go on. But the putty idea didn’t seem to be working.

She flopped onto the battered sofa and sighed. They’d been in Cattle Valley a week. She hadn’t seen Mel since Saturday, when the woman had brought cinnamon rolls. It surprised Addie a bit. For some reason, she’d thought Mel was interested in a friendship.

The people of the town also continued to surprise her. Wherever she went, they seemed to know she was the new owner of the inn and about what had happened. Everyone offered sympathies and support if there was anything Addie needed. Deep inside, she felt like she needed a lot of things. Help from well-meaning strangers just wasn’t on the list.

Addie picked up her gloves and stood, going back to work.
Some help from Chloe would
be nice.
The woman spent her days tanning and doing her nails, reading tabloid magazines and watching the small TV Addie had brought from Colorado. She’d made a big show in front of Mel that
she
would be the one to support Addie. Yet she hadn’t offered to help once.

“I’m bored.” Chloe leaned up against the door she’d just entered. “What are you doing?”

The voice startled Addie, and she jumped. She glanced down. Bending over the headboard with bulky yellow rubber gloves on, a turpentine odour in the air, she assumed it was pretty obvious she was stripping furniture. “I’m having tea with the queen,” she retorted sourly.

“Whatever.” Chloe shrugged. “I was going to see if you wanted to fool around. My favourite thing to do when I’m bored is eat pussy.”

That’s the last thing I want right now
. Chloe’s sex drive was high, and they made love every night. But even the thought of that talented tongue working over her didn’t appeal at that moment. She was frustrated, and nothing seemed to be going right. “I’m busy.” She brushed hair from her forehead with the back of her arm.

“You’re always busy. You’re no fun anymore.” Chloe stomped around the room, digging through stacks of magazines. “Damn! I’ve read all these!”

Addie sighed. She looked down at the headboard, which still shouted ‘fuck you’. She wasn’t making much progress. Unfortunately, she’d bitten off more than she could chew with this job. “Let’s get out of here,” she decided.

“And go where?” Chloe looked suspicious.

“I saw a bar on Main Street. Brewster’s, I think it was. We could get something to eat and have a few drinks.”

“Really?” The blonde’s eyes lit up.

Addie tossed her hands in the air. It had been a horrible day, topping off a lousy week.

She didn’t want to think about money or insurance or crappy furniture any more that night.

“Really.” She nodded. “I need a shower.” When she saw Chloe’s eyes sparkle again, she raised a hand. “Alone. It’ll go faster that way. Why don’t you go find something nice to wear?”

“It’ll have to be something of yours. I didn’t bring that much.”

“I know.” Addie peeled off her gloves and tossed them aside. Everything else could wait. It’d all be there for her the next day. She started for the bathroom, only to stop. “Shit! I forgot, my car’s in the garage, getting a new muffler.” The sheriff had given her looks every time he saw her in town, so she’d finally taken it to the mechanic he’d recommended—the only mechanic in town, probably.

“We can walk.” Chloe offered. “I’ve walked to town before, it’s not far.”

“Okay, sure.” Addie nodded. Walking sounded like a fine idea. She intended to have a drink or ten, and figured the ever-present sheriff would probably have something to say about that if she tried to drive afterwards. “Walking it is.” She headed for the shower.

Brewster’s Bar and Grill was crowded for a small town, even if it was a Friday night.

There were no tables, so Addie and Chloe drank at the bar, munching nachos and running a tab on Addie’s one and only credit card. If it didn’t get denied, she’d be shocked. The big black guy at the garage had a surprise coming, too, when he tried to bill her. She didn’t know how many of these small charges it would allow, but Addie felt sure the car repair would be too much.

What can I do?
She’d stick to her story about having a cheque coming in, and hopefully some money would turn up somewhere. She’d originally thought the inn would be her source of income. She’d had no idea it would be uninhabitable when she showed up. And the insurance everyone kept saying would bail her out—she didn’t even want to think about it. She was so naïve when it came to business.

“I’ll have another vanilla vodka and cola,” she told the bartender, shaking her ice at him as he walked past.

He stopped and smiled at her. “You driving tonight?”

“No, I am not. We walked here, and we’ll walk home.”

A man with long, black hair and a full beard put his arm on the bar behind her, touching Addie’s back. “I could give you a lift.”

She’d noticed him when he sat on the barstool next to Chloe, and the two had struck up a conversation. Addie tried to focus and decide if she recognised him. She’d met so many people in the past week, it had been one handsome male face after another. This guy looked stragglier than the others had, and definitely not familiar. “We can walk, it’s no problem.

We’re not ready to go, yet.” She picked up her fresh drink and sipped.

He leaned in, running a finger over her forearm. “When you are ready, just say the word.”

Addie had lost count of the number of drinks she’d ordered and was feeling no pain.

She looked the man in the eye. “You do realise we’re gay, don’t you? We don’t do guys.”

“Aw, that’s not very much fun. I have a woman with me. See Gina over there?” He pointed down a couple of barstools, where a redhead with a hippie hairstyle and a flowered dress sat. “Your friend tells me a little group action might not be out of the question.” He ran his hand up Addie’s back.

His touch disgusted her. “My friend couldn’t be more wrong.” Addie pulled away. She grabbed Chloe’s shoulder and whispered harshly, “What are you doing? We are
not
taking these people home with us.”

“Chill out.” Chloe moved from her grasp. “We were just talking. Come ’ere, Del.” She nodded to the man.

With a disparaging glance at Addie, he returned to his spot between Chloe and the redhead.

Addie breathed in and out for a moment, composing herself. Perhaps she’d had enough to drink. Chloe certainly had, if she’d actually considered what Del offered. Before she’d decided if they should leave, Chloe turned back to her.

“Listen,” she announced breathily. “Del and Rita are headed to San Francisco. They’ve been telling me about this street thing that’s coming up, called the ‘How Weird Street Faire’. I guess it’s on Howard Street, isn’t that funny? Anyway, there’ll be music, food and vendors, all that jazz. Del says people wear costumes, and there’s dancing in the streets from morning to night. Doesn’t that sound cool?”

“I don’t know.” Addie shrugged with irritation. “California is like a thousand miles from here. Do you realise how long of a trip that would be? You griped about the drive from Colorado Springs.”

Chloe made a stern face. “I know I bitched. Honestly, if I’d known what was waiting for me, I never would have come. This town sucks. There’s no night life, and the people are nosy as hell.”

“Friendly,” Addie corrected. “Neighbourly.”

“Who needs neighbours? I want to have fun! I’m going to the street faire, Ad. You can come with me or not, but I’m going.”

Addie blinked in disbelief. “You’re just going to take off? Pick up and leave with strangers?”

Chloe shrugged. “I’ve done it before.”

The statement hit Addie like a ton of bricks. At that moment, she didn’t care if Chloe stayed or went. “Have fun.” She shook her head.

The woman looked uncertain. “You sure you don’t want to come with us?”

“I’m positive. You go, and have a great time. Have a great life. It was nice knowing you.” Anger rose in Addie’s voice.

“We’re leaving pretty soon. I need to get my stuff.”

Addie glanced from Chloe to Del and Rita, who stood with artificial smiles next to her.

She had no intention of getting in a car with those people, and wasn’t sure she could walk home at that point.

Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out her keys, prying one of several to the inn off the ring. “Here.” She pressed the key into Chloe’s hand. “Just take
your
stuff, okay, Chloe?

Do me that one courtesy. I’ve been straight with you on this trip, and I’ve paid for everything without saying a word.” She leaned in so no one else could hear. “And we both know I don’t have a frigging dime. So don’t go back there and let your
‘friends’
clean me out. Show me that much respect, could you, please?”

Chloe snatched the key, an offended look on her face. “I would never do such a thing.

You know me better than that.” She placed a light kiss on Addie’s lips.

Addie pulled back and smiled sadly. “I’m not sure I know you at all, Chloe. Oh, and leave the key on the table.”

With another insulted roll of her eyes, Chloe swept from the bar, Del and Rita on her heels.

Addie thought she might be making a very big mistake by letting them go into her house alone. But going with them, in her condition, seemed like a bigger mistake. Now, she just wanted to forget. “One more, barkeep!” she hollered.

The man behind the bar gazed at her sceptically but provided the drink. Addie chugged it, and the liquid splashed her face, a convenient way to hide the tears that suddenly couldn’t be stopped.

The friendly bartender offered to call someone to drive her home, but Addie declined.

She had no money, not that Cattle Valley had cab service, anyway. He’d probably call Ryan Blackfeather, and she’d have to listen to a ‘big brother’ scolding for four blocks. She could do without that. Scribbling a tip on the bottom of her charge slip, Addie held her breath as the man processed it.

He handed her a receipt.
Whew
. She shoved the piece of paper into her purse.

“You sure about that ride? Cattle Valley is a quiet town, but as you could tell by some of our patrons tonight, we do get our share of strange ones.”

“I’ll be fine. Really.” Addie smiled at him. She’d always heard bartenders were easy to talk to. Some night, when the hurt wasn’t so fresh, she might have to come back and spill her guts to this guy. Clutching her purse, she got unsteadily to her feet. “Good night.”

“Night. Take care, now.”

Addie staggered into the cool evening air. It smelled fresh and good. She inhaled deeply and started walking.
This was a good decision
. It was nice to enjoy the quiet solitude of her new town—as long as she could stay on the sidewalk. She wobbled and straightened herself.

Two blocks from home, a small, blue car pulled over to the side of the road next to her.

The window went down, and a voice said, “Would you like a lift?”

Addie stooped over and gazed inside. “Melissa Danes! Well, what do you know! What are you doing out at this time of night?”

“I could ask you the same question. I’m out because Brewster from the bar called and told me you were walking home alone. He didn’t feel good about it, but said you wouldn’t accept a ride.”

“I’m fine.” Addie waved her hand. She was secretly thrilled that Mel had shown up, but had to remind herself the woman had been absent all week. She shouldn’t read too much into Mel’s appearance.

“Get in.” Mel nodded to the passenger side of her car.

A wave of dizziness swept over Addie, and she decided riding sounded like a fine idea.

She made her way around the car and slid inside. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Mel leaned over her, reaching for the seatbelt and fastening it across her chest. She paused to look into Addie’s eyes for a moment, then straightened up and drove.

“I am a little tired.” Addie let her head fall back against the headrest. “Been a long night. Long day. Ah, hell, long week!”

“I’m sure it has.” Mel pulled into the driveway of the inn and parked. She glanced up at the dark house. “Is, uh, Chloe in there, or would you like me to help you in?”

“Nope, Chloe is not in there.” Addie opened her door and fell halfway out before something caught her.

“Wait.” Mel dragged her back into the car and released the seat belt. “There you go. I’ll walk you in.”