Unexpected Admirer (21 page)

She undressed and slid on her favorite pajamas. It was then she wondered if her luggage would ever arrive from California. Tyson had said they’d send it, but then again, why should she have ever trusted anything he’d said.

Melissa picked up her brush and pulled it through her hair. She walked toward the bed, but the picture of her and Martin caught her eye.

“Oh, Martin, I miss you. How could things have become so complicated?”

If only that one moment in time hadn’t happened. Nothing would be different. Perhaps she’d have more children. Jesse Charles would have been someone in passing, regardless of whether he’d called her on stage. And William Scott would still be her friend.

“Too late now.”

She took the picture and laid it down so that her own eyes were not watching her—judging her.

Chapter Eighteen

The ground had a fresh covering of snow, and it sparkled up at Melissa as she looked out her bedroom window on her wedding day.

She looked in the mirror. Her eyes had dark circles under them from not sleeping well.

How was she supposed to sleep? Never in her life had she been so nervous. In only three hours she would marry her dearest friend, but her heart ached.

She drew a hot bath and added soothing oils. It was a day to rejoice that someone loved her. It was Christmas Eve, what a joyous day. Happiness would fill her heart. She just had to let it in.

Melissa styled her hair and put on her makeup. Then she slipped into the pale dress she had chosen to marry William in.

She blew out a long breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. The time had come to move on.

The doorbell rang, and she knew there was no backing out. In an hour she’d be Mrs. Scott—if only it brought the same thrill to her heart as the thought of being Mrs. Charles.

Melissa took her necklace from her jewelry box and carried it out to the other room where William and her mother stood, dressed and ready for the wedding.

Jonah lay on the floor in his pajamas, watching TV.

Melissa greeted William with a gentle kiss and then handed him the necklace. “Can you help me with this?”

“My pleasure,” he said as he clasped the necklace and kissed the back of her neck.

“Thank you.” She smiled and turned to Jonah. “Jonah, why aren’t you ready?”

“I’m not going.”

“Sweetheart, we have an appointment. Go put your clothes on and let’s go.”

He stayed on the floor, his eyes glued to the TV.

Melissa walked toward him. “Jonah, this isn’t the time to be stubborn. I’m getting married in an hour.”

Finally he stood and faced her. “You’re marrying him.” He pointed to William. “But someone else asked you to marry him.”

“Jonah, this is done. Get ready.”

“No. Not until you admit you loved him.”

Melissa gritted her teeth as the heat rose in her cheeks. “I did love him. He lied to me.”

“He did not. You never gave him the chance to tell you his side.”

William walked toward them, but Melissa shrugged off his approach.

“You have more paint in your hair.”

“Who cares.”

“I care. Go get ready.”

The program he’d been watching flashed a picture of Jesse’s face. It caught her attention.

“Jonah, turn that off.”

“No.” He turned up the volume.

“I said…” but the report had her stopping her demands. She shouldn’t watch it. It was an entertainment show—there was nothing news worthy there. But now the volume was nearly deafening.

“So, where has Jesse Charles gone? Those planning the New Year’s Eve concert in L.A. are asking the same thing,” the woman on the TV announced.

Melissa moved closer, and Jonah reached for her hand.

“After yesterday’s news that Noelle Camillo admitted to fraudulently naming Jesse Charles as the father of her child, the pop star has disappeared. Sources close to the singer say he has taken on some new scenery and might be hiding somewhere in the Colorado mountains.”

Melissa covered her mouth with her hand. It had been a lie. The woman had lied. Jesse had been telling her the truth. She looked down at Jonah who smiled up at her as if he’d always believed in Jesse’s innocence.

But it was when she looked at William, everything changed.

His eyes softened, and he took her face in his hands.

“I would have loved to have been your husband.”

The first tear rolled down her cheek.

William brushed it away. “I know I can never make you as happy as he does. Go.”

Melissa got into her new car and drove. She didn’t have to think about where she was going. She knew right where Jesse Charles had fled to.

The snow on the roads made it nearly impossible to get up the mountain fast enough. It wasn’t until she’d slid toward the guard rail that she knew she was going much too fast.

But she had to get to him. She had to know the truth.

When she turned the corner and drove through the open gate of her grandfather’s ranch, there was the familiar pickup truck Jesse had bought to keep in Aspen Creek.

Damn, even her mother could keep a straight face.
Some young man picked it up.

But as she turned off the engine and hurried up the stairs, anger began to take over the bliss that fueled her body. Why hadn’t he just shown up and told her it was a lie? Why call her so she could ignore him? Why—why not come after her?

She reached for the door, narrowly missing the hole in the porch, and pushed her way inside.

A fire crackled in the fireplace. Two mugs sat on the old chest that was used for a coffee table, and the smell of cider filled the air.

“You know, that’s trespassing,” the familiar voice said, and Melissa turned to see Jesse standing in the doorway to the kitchen. He looked rugged and that made him even sexier than he’d been when he was wrapped around her—skin on skin.

“You can’t be here.”

“Oh, yes I can.” His voice was low, and it sent a shiver down her spine.

“You can’t live here.”

“I have papers that say otherwise. Your mother signed them.”

The tears were welling in her eyes. “You were the buyer?”

He took a step toward her. “From the very first call I made after I saw this place.”

“I’ll give you your money back.”

“Nope.” He walked closer.

“Are you wearing cowboy boots?” She hiccupped through her tears.

“Like ‘em? These ones are for taking the ladies dancing. I have a trusty pair of work boots, too. And a nice Carhartt coat to keep me warm.”

She looked up at him as he neared. His mouth was cocked into that grin which had won her over in the beginning. “You’re going to go dancing?”

“I hear there’s a wedding.” He took another step until he was right in front of her. He touched the neckline of her dress. “This your wedding dress?”

“Yes.”

“You look beautiful.”

Her lip quivered as the first round of tears rolled down her cheeks. “You’re not the father of her baby?”

“I told you. I didn’t know her. She and Tyson worked that out. The baby is his.”

“Oh,” she said as she sucked in a breath. “I thought Tyson was married.”

“He is—was. He’s infamous for his publicity stunts.”

She nodded, trying to understand the people in a life that wasn’t meant for her.

“So, where is your husband?”

“My what—oh, I didn’t get married.”

“Too bad.” He lifted his hand to her hair and brushed it from her face. “You make a beautiful bride.”

“Jesse…” His name was only a whisper as he leaned his face to hers and took her mouth with his own.

His lips took possession of hers, his tongue explored, and the heat rose in her core. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her in closer. This was a kiss. The way her head swam, the rapid beat of her heart, the mindless whisper of
I love you
in her ear.

“I missed you,” she panted as he broke the kiss and held her close.

“You never should have left. I turned to tell the world I was marrying you and that woman walked out on stage.”

“I didn’t know.” She wept against his chest. “I didn’t know.”

“We’re here now. Together.”

She looked up at him, and he brushed away the few stray tears that had rolled down her cheek.

Then his eyes darkened with seriousness. “William.”

“He sent me to you.”

He gathered her up in his arms again. “I owe him one.”

They both did.

“I need to call Jonah,” she said as her mind finally cleared from the kiss he’d planted on her.

“He knows. C’mon, let me show you something.”

Jesse took her by the hand and led her up the steps. As they turned the corner, the bedroom door to her grandparent’s room was closed. However, the door to the room at the end of the hall was open. She moved past him. Something had caught her eye.

When she turned on the light, the room was filled with items that had been in Jonah’s bedroom. The posters that had hung on his wall were now on the walls in this room. The green—the same green which had been in his hair and on his clothes—was painted on the walls.

“Jonah was here.” Anger rose in her voice. “Why was my son here?”

“Because your mother brought him.”

She looked back into the room. “I don’t understand.”

“Call it extreme wishful thinking on all of our parts. He painted the room the color he wanted it.” Jesse moved next to her and slid his arm around her waist. “If, in the end, I couldn’t convince you that I was telling the truth, or if I’d missed out and you’d married William, the house would have been yours.”

She turned to him. “You would have done that for me?”

“It was the least I could do for you.” He gathered her hands in his. “You don’t understand. You gave me so much, even in our short amount of time. I’ve never wanted to be with someone so much. I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love you. When you left, I was broken.”

“So was I.”

Jesse combed his fingers through her hair. “So, you’re not going to marry William?”

She smiled as she shook her head. “No. I love him very much, but only as the dearest friend I have.”

“I can accept that.” He kissed her fingers. “I have something else I want to show you.”

He led her to the bedroom that had been her grandparents’. He opened the door and let her walk in.

The entire room had been remodeled, but the original bed and dresser, which her grandfather had made, still stood in the room.

There were drapes on the windows, a new duvet on the bed, and tiny pillows with roses.

“Oh, this is beautiful,” she said, taking in the sight of it including a vase of roses on the nightstand.

“Bryce had a lot of fun with this room.”

Melissa turned to face him. “Bryce. He was here? He was in town?”

Jesse laughed. “Yes. You almost caught him. I told him not to go into town, but he couldn’t do without his special coffee.”

She sighed. “He had on your cologne.”

“He’s kind of a thief.”

She turned and looked at the room again. She couldn’t have designed it better herself. It was amazing.

“Take a look at the pillows.”

Melissa walked toward the bed and gasped when she saw the ring tied to the small pillow on the bed. “My ring. You got it back.”

“Sorta chancy that it would make it, wasn’t it?”

“That was kinda my point.” She narrowed her gaze. “Sorry.”

“I would have thrown it in the ocean if I couldn’t get you back.”

Jesse untied the ring from the pillow, took her hand, and held the ring at the edge of her finger. “Melissa, will you still marry me? And live in this little town with me? And share this amazing house with me and Jonah?”

The tears were back, but they were happy now. The joy of the moment coursed through her. She couldn’t answer. All she could do was nod as he slid the ring back on her finger and then pulled her in and embraced her.

“You’ve made me very happy. It was worth giving it all up.”

She stepped back. “You gave it all up?”

“Well, Bryce has a nice, new house, and I have a song writing gig.”

“Well, as long as you’re happy.”

“Almost.” He took her by the hand and led her to the last bedroom. He pushed open the door, and she stepped inside.

“A nursery?”

Jesse stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “This is the last part. The woman of my dreams. The home of my dreams. A son. The only thing missing is…”

“A daughter?”

“Only if she were just like you.”

“You’d have your hands full.” She turned to him. “Maybe a son to play baseball with.”

“Now there is a fine idea.”

“I’m sorry I left.”

“I would never lie to you. You and Jonah are my world. I didn’t know so much was missing from my life until you happened into it.”

“It was quite unexpected.”

He pulled her in tighter. “Secret admirers are nice, but unexpected admirers are even better.”

“You know…” She took his hand and started pulling him toward the bedroom. “I have a funny feeling my mother and
our son
are on their way up here.”

Jesse smiled wide. “You might be right.”

“So that only gives us a few moments to get to work on your next task. Filling that nursery.”

“If you insist.”

“I absolutely insist.”

Join me again in

Aspen Creek

in

September 2013

for the next book in the Aspen Creek Series

On Thin Ice

Meet the Author