Fixer-Upper (Spinning Hills Romance 3) (4 page)

At least now, he had the
unintentional
part of the label going for him.

One thing was clear. If Johnny was ever going to get the chance to know Melinda better without hurting or upsetting two of his best friends, he’d have to wait, and he’d have to stop dating in the meantime. Waiting would be difficult, but not dating wouldn’t be a problem. It no longer filled the empty spaces or stopped the spread of loneliness. It only worsened both.

Probably it was the result of feeling as if his life was on hold until he finished his studies and began doing what he longed to do. For now, Johnny had little options but to wait for his professional life to start, and for Melinda to come home.

If Melinda fell in love with Don Quixote or some other
imbécil
during that year, then so be it. It would mean this feeling he had about the two of them was one-sided. How many times had someone told him they had a feeling about something or someone and then they turned out to be wrong? Too many to count. And look at what happened with Snow White yesterday.

“So,” Ruby said. “Who are you craving?”

“The girl from yesterday?” Sherry waggled both eyebrows at him.

Johnny blinked at her and half-nodded. “Yes. Her. But she doesn’t know it. Things are complicated right now. I can’t rush it.” In that split second, it seemed like the best answer. It was honest, and if he ever got the chance to date Melinda and together they explained how they’d met, Rosa would see he’d been thoughtful and serious about his granddaughter for a while.

Three jaws dropped. The three women stared at him, at first disbelieving, then stunned, and finally elated. Johnny shrank back. What had he gotten himself into? He got up and dug out his wallet. “Anyway, thanks for the coffee, the pie, and the inquest, but I’ve gotta get moving. Sam and I are meeting Dan at a Reds game in Cincy.”

That got their attention, as he knew it would. But he felt instantly guilty. He’d just trained their missiles on Dan. Rosa squinted her eyes and bunched up her fists. She tossed her head and raised her voice, suddenly looking and sounding like an older version of an angry Sofía Vergara. “You mean to say Dan will drive all the way up to Cincinnati to watch a mere
baseball game
, but he won’t drive one tiny extra hour to see
us
? We haven’t seen him in over four years!”

“It’s impromptu. Sam hinted he has some things to discuss with both of us.”

Sherry, who’d clenched her jaw and gone rigid upon learning that Dan would be so close, visibly loosened up. “Dan doesn’t know Sam and Heather have decided to separate?” she asked, looking for all intents like an angel again. But Johnny knew she was merely fishing for information.

Johnny was now itching to leave. It was all too easy to stick your foot in it with these three.

That night, Marty started teasing him about the mystery girl. Word had already gotten around. Behind him, the new wood-fired pizza oven sparked like a hellish pit. After Rosa’s threats, he’d never look at it the same way again. And he was there often enough.

It was going to be a long year.

 

“M
om’s throwing a welcome home party for Melinda tonight. Wanna come?”

Johnny glanced up at Marty, who was wiping down the bar. The time had finally come. His insides began buzzing. He’d examined his feelings over and over during the past year, and no matter how many times he’d tried to convince himself that the anticipation over someone he’d barely spent an hour with was stupid, something inside him wouldn’t concede. Something inside him just
knew
. But why did Marty have to bring up the moment of truth . . . in front of the wood-fired pizza oven?

“Marty, do you have an extra sack of all-purpose flour you can give us? We’re almost out and we want to make extra goodies for Melinda’s party.” Rosa’s voice came up behind him. Johnny turned to say hello and was greeted by Rosa’s gesturing hands, along with their bloodred nails, too close to his face. She reminded him of Wolverine, but with a manicure. At least the rhinestones were gone.

A little over a year had passed since the fateful masquerade party. Melinda had been home for three days. He remembered thinking a lot could happen in a year. Well, that had been the understatement of his life.

Dan had come back home to help Sam with the family business, confronted his demons, and gotten thoroughly whipped into husband material in the process. His wedding was in three weeks. Sam had finalized his divorce, bought thirty-four houses, almost bankrupted his business, and fallen for his first love all over again. Most recently, Johnny’s band had broken up because two members had moved away.

And somehow, during the last year, Johnny had managed to have everyone rooting for him and the mystery girl. Except the whole thing had taken on a life of its own and had gotten completely out of control. Everyone’s expectations about Johnny and the mystery girl were now way too high. Everyone knew he hadn’t been on a date in a year. He’d been working hard at rehabilitating houses, completing his coursework and practice hours, and trying to pay off his debts and save for a house.

But Rosa and Marty were both there, Marty had brought up Melinda, and he’d be seeing her again tonight. If ever the proverbial stars had aligned themselves in his favor, it was now.

Johnny took in a deep breath and let it out. “You know the mystery girl I’ve been talking about for the past year?”

Rosa and Marty both froze, but while Marty looked eager to hear more, Rosa’s eyes had narrowed ever so slightly. “The girl you were out on that date with in Columbus? The one you said you were craving, but the timing was off? The one you’ve been leading us on and on and on about?” she asked, both her words and memory a little too detailed for Johnny’s taste.

Out with it.
“I never said she was my date. I said it was the girl from the day before in Columbus.”

Rosa pursed her lips. Marty stopped wiping, still eager. Johnny plunged ahead. He’d worded everything carefully in his head and practiced it a few times, making sure he didn’t betray Melinda’s “little Vegas.”

“I was on a date that night but it didn’t work out. The girl left with someone else, and I was fine with it. But before I left, I met the girl I told you guys about. We were at a masquerade party.” He locked eyes with Rosa then. Her nails began to drum. It looked like she was holding her breath. But she didn’t say a word, only looked steadily back at him. “We were both wearing masks and we talked for a long while about important things. I felt a real connection with her, more so than with anyone else I’ve ever met. We were interrupted before I could find out her name, but I found an invitation on the floor next to her.” All true, but nothing about the elevator or the mind-blowing kiss, and still giving her a chance to back out and say it wasn’t her.

“It’s Melinda,” Rosa blurted to Marty.

Johnny closed his eyes, as if bracing for something, except he didn’t know what. The incessant
tippity-tap
of Rosa’s nails stopped and Johnny opened his eyes. She didn’t seem angry, only somewhat agitated.

“Melinda?” The confusion in Marty’s contorted face and his suddenly high-pitched voice would seem comical in any other situation.

“Yes,” Rosa said, her eyes still not leaving Johnny’s. It was disconcerting. “He came into the café the next day, talking about how he’d ‘caught a glimpse of her,’ but I think he was only trying to find out if it was the girl he met. And I confirmed what she was wearing, didn’t I? I’ve had my suspicions. Why else wouldn’t you tell anyone the girl’s name? I’ve been watching you.”

Man, the woman was sly. “And you’ve been impressed with how well I’ve behaved,” Johnny said with a grin.

“
Ay ay ay
. And there’s the grin that worries us all.” Rosa blew out a breath.

“Melinda?” Marty repeated, still stuck.

“Go on,” Rosa said to Johnny. Her voice was now measured, as if she were weighing things in her head and willing to hear him out. “Explain yourself. What do you want from us?”

Marty was now studying him with an expression Johnny had never seen on him before. For the first time in memory, he couldn’t read his best friend. Johnny resisted the urge to gulp. That would show fear, and he would not cower. He was doing everything right.

Except for the damn grin. Johnny got rid of it and continued. “This whole mystery girl thing has gotten out of control. Everyone’s rooting for us, but the truth is, anything could happen there. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I think we can sense the potential for it. And I don’t even know if Melinda would say yes to a date, or if she felt the connection, too. But if Melinda agrees to a date, I can promise you that that’ll I’ll treat her right and that I’ll be as serious and thoughtful with her as I’ve been about this from the get-go.”

Rosa looked past him. “Melinda,” Marty said again. What was up with him? “Are you sure?”

Johnny stifled a sigh. “Yes! Melinda!”

Rosa’s eyes flickered from the window to Johnny, with a look that was affectionate and troubled all at once. She cleared her throat. “I know what I said a year ago, but the truth is, I know and trust you more than any other fool out there, and it’s obvious you care about everyone involved. You have my blessing to try, if that’s what you’re after, but I have to be honest . . . I don’t see the two of you together. You say you never saw her face. Maybe there was a mistake? Let me talk to her tonight before you arrive. I’ll ask her if she met someone at that masquerade a year ago and if she felt a connection, too, like you say. If she did, I’ll let you know. It might save you some trouble.”

Marty fixed Johnny with a resigned look before shrugging. “The last few guys she’s dated sounded like total douche bags. I’d be a fool to get in your way after seeing what else is out there. And it wouldn’t be the first time a friend dates one of my sisters. Brian and Marissa have been serious for a while.” He shrugged. “But I know you, Johnny. If she agrees to go out with you and it doesn’t work out,
make a clean break of it
. Don’t soften the blow. That’s what gets you in trouble. One of the things, anyway.”

Johnny frowned. Marty was rarely, if ever, insightful. His words were something to keep in mind and consider. He cleared his brow. For now, he’d revel in the fact that things had gone so well.

“And you’d better watch out, Mom will be over the friggin’ moon. You know how she gets,” Marty added, before exchanging a loaded look with Rosa.

He then went to fetch a sack of flour for his grandmother, and Johnny carried it across two streets to the café. Before they entered, Rosa put a hand on Johnny’s arm, stopping him. The day was bright and sunny, the sack heavy, and he was breaking into a sweat. “You know I never stick my nose in other people’s business—”

Johnny couldn’t help it, he barked out a loud and expressive, “Ha!”

She glowered and continued without missing a beat. “But I think it’s time you tell me what happened between you and Marissa. You used to be friends, and then you weren’t, and neither of you would tell me why. Marissa has always doted on Melinda, and if she has something against you . . .”

Pain filled Johnny’s chest the way it always did when he thought about that long-ago day. The effects had changed him, deep inside, in places no one could get to. It was what had made him decide to become a school psychologist.

But he and Marissa were adults now, and it was time they talked about the past. She had gone off to college in Florida, where she had relatives, and she’d been working as a teacher an hour away in Springfield this past year. He’d seen her and Brian around town a few times, from a distance. He’d played football with Brian and the old gang a few times, but he and Marissa stayed away from each other. It had become a habit.

Rosa reached out to squeeze his hand, and her voice softened considerably. “I’m sorry, hon. I didn’t mean to bring up any pain.”

Johnny looked into Rosa’s eyes and was met with unguarded wisdom and understanding. Rosa was outspoken, opinionated, and nosy. At that moment, however, he knew she’d respect his need for privacy.

He shifted the sack and breathed a sigh that felt older than his years. “A mutual friend got hurt and Marissa blames me.” It was all he could say.

Later that evening, Johnny strolled up the footpath he’d walked thousands of times before.

It was the first time he’d actually felt nervous about it.

His life was changing. It wasn’t a feeling; it was a fact. In just two days he’d start his internship with one of Dayton’s most challenging middle schools, and in a few moments, he’d see Melinda again. Every detail about the night of the masquerade party had been playing out in his mind during the last five hours. He hadn’t allowed himself to dwell on it too much during the past year because he didn’t want to build up the possibilities in his head. Keeping his mind occupied hadn’t been a problem.

But right now, as he stood outside the door, it came rushing back. The guileless words and sentiments, the familiarity of her scent and her voice, the strength of that strange, underlying connection, the glimpse of deep, dark, sparkling, soulful eyes . . . a shiver crept up his spine as he knocked on the door.

The door swung open. Marty’s mom, Michelle Medina, received him with a big hug, a huge smile, and a knowing look. Marty’s dad, Roberto, greeted him with a half hug and the same knowing look. Rosa came right up to him and whispered excitedly, “I talked to her. It’s her.” He stepped farther into the house.

It was standing room only. People who’d gone to school with him, before him, and after him were milling about. He knew many of them, but there were a lot of girls there who’d gone to school years after him, and he barely remembered them. Probably Melinda’s old friends.

Nearly everyone was watching him with secret smiles, bright eyes, and a conspiratorial air.

So they all knew. Looking back at the easily excitable Michelle Medina, he could guess why. She was known to burst out with enthusiasm whenever she had new plans, ideas, or, in this case, news. She looked like she was about to burst right now.

People began parting and making way for him. He knew Melinda was probably at the end of the human pathway. The feeling that things had gotten way out of hand crawled its way from his stomach to his throat. He caught his brothers’ gleaming eyes. The pent-up laughter oozing from their pores confirmed it.

Only Marty wasn’t there. Probably still serving drinks. How he wished he was at Huffy’s, too. Why had he decided to talk to Melinda for the first time in a year at a party in her honor?

Finally, Melinda came into view. His breath caught in his lungs. She was four years his junior and they hadn’t paid each other much attention growing up, but pretty little Melinda had grown into a total knockout. Johnny did a double-blink. Melinda caught it and smiled.

She was tall and leggy with a swimsuit model’s body. Thick lashes framed sparkling eyes, and perfectly formed dark blond waves framed a tanned, gorgeous face.

He caught it all, but he could hardly process it because almost everyone was looking back and forth between him and Melinda. He swept a quick, pointed look across the room. A few people caught it, chuckled, and went back to what they were doing before he’d walked in. Melinda stepped forward on a laugh, grabbed his hand, and led him outside to a bench at the edge of the patio, where no one could see them, and where, unfortunately, it was even hotter than it was inside.

It had rained and the humidity was high. The scent of her strong floral perfume enveloped him. He looked into her eyes. They sparkled back at him, like hard amber in bright lights. Something wasn’t right.

Melinda’s hand crept up his thigh as she leaned in to whisper, “So you’re the guy I made out with that night? I’d forgotten all about you until Abuela brought it up. Thanks for keeping it PG for her.”

He was missing something here. “Uh, right. I think. Who—who did you go as?” he asked, stumbling over his words and knowing he sounded like an idiot.

“Little Bo Peep,” she whispered into his ear, confirming what he already knew.
It wasn’t her.
Her hand continued its climb up his thigh. He inched away and felt as if his entire being had slumped out of his body.

“What’s wrong? You weren’t this shy on that stairwell.” She bit his ear and Johnny shot up.

How could he have made such a colossal mistake?

Laughter and chatter from inside the house floated out to them. The look on Mrs. Medina’s face came back to him. Panicked, he paced. Why had Melinda’s invitation been in the elevator? “Um, who were you with that night?” he turned to her and asked.

She studied him for a moment and her expression closed up. “With you on the stairwell, remember?”

Johnny shook his head. Now wasn’t the time to figure out where he’d gone wrong. Right now, he had to deal with everyone’s very obvious and very false expectations. Nobody would ever take him seriously again. His mind raced as Marty’s voice echoed, like a voice-over just before a confusing scene.
Make a clean break. Don’t soften the blow.
Melinda looked bored now, and he wondered,
What blow? It wasn’t me, and she’d already forgotten about the guy she really kissed.