“Melanie deserved better from you, son. She’s part of our family and you ought not have let her leave like that,” he added.

Carter felt the dressing-down clear to his toes. It was rare that his dad had an opinion about anyone’s relationship. But what could Carter say? He couldn’t defend himself from the truth.

Lawton moved past Carter, patting him on the back. “Let’s go watch some football.”

Now for that, Carter had the perfect response. “Yes, sir.”

***

“All packed up?” Louis asked as Melanie zipped her suitcase.

Taking a deep breath, she looked around the room, then smiled at her dad. Things weren’t completely resolved between them, but Louis was Louis. What else could she do, besides finally move out. “Yep.”

Her dad didn’t move from the doorway. “It’s going to be awfully quiet without you here.”

“You’ll be fine, daddy.” Smiling became downright hard to do. “I bet Mrs. Gregory comes over this afternoon with a lemon pie.”

“God save me,” he muttered, then moved to her bed and picked up the suitcase that had belonged to her mother. “This all you’re taking?” He motioned to the bed and her large duffle bag.

“Nothing else belongs to me.” Not the dresser, the bed or the nightstand. The mattress had been new, twenty year ago, but her aunt had a bedroom for her. She sighed. All she was doing was trading one rented room for another, but at least Aunt Bethany wouldn’t kick her out.

Louis thrust out his hand. “This is what I owe you. I shouldn’t have taken it, stolen it, really, from you.”

Only her daddy would walk around with almost five thousand dollars in hundreds in his pocket. “I can’t,” she said, closing his fingers over the roll of cash. “You might need it.” Besides, her dream of owning the house on Persimmon Lane had been completely destroyed, with her daddy’s actions and Carter moving away. She didn’t want the memories of taking him there, of baring that part of her soul to him.

Moving to Palm Beach would give her the fresh start she needed. Plus, she’d made an appointment with one of the course advisors at local community college. Something that she was equal parts nervous and excited about doing.

“Thanks, sugar.” He tucked the money into his side pocket just as her cell phone rang. A quick glance told her that it was Carter—again. She frowned and chucked the thing into her purse. “Not easy to leave the one you love.”

“Easier than finding out they don’t love you,” she said. “Sorry things didn’t work out with Raylene.”

Her dad chuckled. “You’re a terrible liar, Melanie Ann.” He walked with her to the living room. “It was for the best though.”

“I know you don’t want to hear it, but think about finding a nice, single woman, like LeeAnne Parks.” She opened the door and followed her dad outside. “Less drama.”

“I’ll think on it.” But she knew he wouldn’t it. He’d keep doing what he always did: Gambling and chasing married women. Popping open the trunk of her car, he placed her suitcase inside and closed it.

She hugged her dad one last time, threw her duffle bag in the backseat and got in the car. The last thing she saw in her watery vision was Louis staring after her, his body all dejected. No way she could leave him looking like that.

Slamming on the breaks, Melanie rolled down the window. “I’ll be okay,” she shouted, and he gave her a thumbs up and a smile. “I’ll be okay,” she said again to her reflection in the rear view. “I’ll be okay.”

Only she wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince more: Her dad or herself.

***

Melanie blinked at the acceptance letter from Coast Community College. She’d gotten in and would be able to take Introduction to Photography as soon as the second part of the spring semester started.

“Well?” Zoe said, sitting on Melanie’s bed. “Are we celebrating or drowning our sorrows tonight?”

Biting her lip, Melanie glanced up at Zoe. “Guess.”

“Celebrating,” he best friend said in a voice filled with such confidence that it made Melanie thank God she’d ended up in Holland Springs as a little girl.

Letting out a whoop, Melanie jumped on the bed. “Ding, ding, ding. And for your correct answer, you get a night out with me! Complete with dinner and a movie. I was thinking the newest Ian Romanov flick.” She fanned herself. “That man is so verra, verra hot.”

Zoe shrugged. “He’s okay, I guess, if you like that sort of thing.”

“We’ve been over this before, you’re allowed to look at other men while dating one. Lust is a perfectly healthy emotion.” Melanie dropped to her knees and stared at her best friend. At Zoe wouldn’t meet her gaze and she sighed. “You’re right…it’s highly illogical to lust after men that don’t exist in our universe. I mean it’s not like we’d ever meet Ian Romanov and he’d fall madly in love with us.”

Zoe remained silent, her dark eyes downcast as she traced a pattern on the comforter. “A guy like him fall in love with m—us?” She snorted softly. “Different woman each week.”

Rolling on her back, Melanie stared up at the ceiling. “Please, I’m a certified catch and so are you. Even if you’re already caught.”

“Men are stupid, and so are we for loving them,” Zoe said sharply, completely unlike her usual bubbly and go-with-the-flow self. Joining her on the bed, Zoe grasped Melanie’s hand and they stayed like that for a long time, just lying on their backs and staring at the ceiling while saying nothing.

“You’re not talking about Gabriel, are you?” Melanie asked softly. It dawned on her how much she didn’t know about Zoe’s time in California.

Zoe sniffed. “No.”

“Someone you met in Los Angeles?”

They turned to face each other at the same time, Zoe’s eyes were filled with tears. She nodded, her lower lip trembling. Melanie sighed and tucked a thick lock of hair behind her best friend’s ear. Zoe had been listening to her mope for weeks now, years really, about Carter, and not once had she heard her best friend complain about men in return. Well, nothing beyond, the typical stuff that women usually griped about. But this, this felt more than the usual complaints.

“Did you go fall in love with some no-good wanna be actor, honey?”Melanie asked.

Zoe gave a little shrug. “Maybe.” There was so much meaning behind that maybe. So much her best friend was and wasn’t saying, and it broke Melanie’s heart.

“Need to talk to about it?”

Another shake of the head and Zoe squeezed her hand tight. “I’m fine. It’s fine. I’ll be okay.”

I’ll be okay. The words echoed in her ears. Exactly what she had told her Louis and herself as she left Holland Springs. Melanie closed her eyes, then opened them. “I hope that sorry son of a bitch’s dick drops off and he never becomes famous. That he has to be a waiter forever, serving really snotty people that leave really shitty tips.”

“Oh My God, Mel.” Zoe snorted, then sniffed and giggled. “You have the foulest mouth sometimes, and I love you for it.”

Melanie grinned. “How about we stay in?”

“And watch Persuading My Lady. Ian Romanov’s character dies in it. I brought it with me, just in case.”

“I thought that movie was your favorite because of the dancing and all the nice manners,” Melanie asked, cocking her head to one side. “The costumes, and the bowing and curtsying to Lord and Lady Pompous Pants.”

An unholy light gleamed in Zoe’s eyes. “All that and the rake gets his, so…”

“Well, I’m all for the rake getting his.” Melanie hopped off the bed and fished the DVD out of her bag. She cracked open the case and popped in the movie, turning on the television. “Plus, the rake is very easy on the eyes and the love scenes—“Melanie fanned herself with the empty case, then flung it on her dresser. “Oooh, la, la, Ian Romanov. Bet his co-star was one happy girl.”

“I heard he’s horrible in bed and has halitosis,” Zoe said primly.

Melanie gave her a blank look. “Hali-what?”

“Bad breath—I thought you moonlighted as a dental assistant while I was gone. And he’s a horrible kisser, or so the gossip goes.”

One of the many things she loved about her best friend, Zoe never dumbed things down for her-unless she asked. She just assumed Melanie knew what she was talking about. “Dental office assistant. Anyway, I think the gossip you heard is wrong.” The actor appeared on screen and they both sighed in appreciation. “Just look at him!”

Zoe muttered something, and Melanie tore her eyes away from the screen. “Sorry, got all distracted by the mancandy.”

“I said I’m going to pop some popcorn.” As Zoe left Melanie’s room, she couldn’t help but think her friend was lying, because she could have sworn her friend had said, “He kisses like a dream come true.”

Melanie turned her attention back to the movie, studying the man on screen. “No way,” she whispered. Zoe would never keep a secret about something like that. Like him. If her best friend had fallen in love, with someone who wasn’t Gabriel, she wouldn’t have settled on coming back here and getting engaged.

Right?

Because if a woman like Zoe, someone who was educated, smart and from a good family, couldn’t have what she really wanted, then there was no hope for a woman like Melanie.

She plopped down on the bed and scowled at the sexy grin lighting up her television. Zoe was right. “Men are stupid,” Melanie said. And sometimes, so were the women who loved them.

God, she missed Carter. But it was for the best that she didn’t answer his calls or texts. He had his plans that didn’t include her. And it was way past time for her to have plans that didn’t include her dad or any man. She had to start living for herself and her dreams.

All she had to do was fight the loneliness and heartache that seemed to nip at her dreams.

Chapter Eighteen

“Man, you’re in a foul mood,” Beau said after Carter had stripped yet another bolt and had taken it out on him. “Miss Melanie cut you off for good or something?”

Carter clenched his jaw and threw the wrench into his tool box instead of his employee’s face. “Want to try that again?”

“Anything else I can do, Mr. Ambrose?” Beau wiped his hands with a rag.

Yeah, Beau could tell Melanie to come by here and pick up her last paycheck. She’d probably listen to that poor, sweet, misunderstood boy. Then Carter could get some face time with her. “It’s almost time to knock off for the day. You clean up and I’ll get your paycheck.”

“Sweet!”

“Must be nice to be so damn excited about the weekend.”

Beau gave him a pitying look.“Guess once a guy hits twenty-one, it’s all downhill from there, huh?”

“Nah, it’s way before then,” Carter said, keeping a straight face as Beau’s drained of color. “More like eighteen.”

“But I’m turning eighteen this summer.”

“I know,” Carter said with a smile. He strode to his office. Little touches of Melanie were everywhere. She’d hung a string of hearts along the outer-edge of her desk. A vase of roses sat by the coffee maker. He couldn’t step two feet without smelling her. Sitting down in his chair, he pressed his fingers to his temples, then printed out Beau’s check.

Damn, he missed her. Pulling out his phone, he hesitated over the keyboard.

Found a new game. Wanna kick my ass?

Two minutes and no answer later, he yanked open a desk drawer and chunked his phone inside. Apparently, she didn’t miss him.

He grabbed Beau’s check off the printer and signed it.

A black truck pulled up to his garage and he stood, moving to the window, the check still in his hand. He frowned. What was he doing here? The moving truck wasn’t scheduled to pick up Chase’s Mustang until next week.

Chase Montgomery got out of his truck and strode toward the garage, a look of determination on his face. Before Carter could turn, Beau had gotten in Chase’s face and shoved the guy.

“Oh shit,” Carter muttered before shoving the check in his pocket and racing outside. “Beau!”

“What are you? Some kind of stalker?” Beau sneered. “Like I told you before: I don’t want your fucking money or your daddy’s.”

“You might not want it, but you’re going to need it,” Chase said, standing firmly in place, but he made no move to stop Beau or retaliate. “It belongs to you.” To everyone who didn’t know him, Chase looked cool and collected, but to those who had raced against him—that measured tone meant one thing: He was pissed as hell and holding on to his temper by a thread.

“Give it to charity.”

Chase cocked an eyebrow. “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“Fuck you, Montgomery.” Beau charged, fists raised. Carter grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, ripping it, then somehow managed to get his arms around the kid.

“Cut it out,” Carter growled in Beau’s ear.

Beau struggled against him, panting. “No.”

“You want to go to jail for assault?” Carter said, keeping one eye on Chase. The man had crossed his arms in front of his chest and for all the world looked bored. Bored. “And you—want to tell me why this kid wants to pound you into the ground?”