Vibrant Heart: Book 1 in the Great Plains Romance Series (4 page)

Melanie bit her lip to keep from laughing too hard.

“What about Jake?” Rose said.

“What about him?” Evelyn said.

“Maybe he’s got some single friends and can hook an auntie up,” Rose said.

Lily waved Jake over to join them. He kissed each aunt on the cheek, and they in turn batted their eyes at him.

“So where are all the single men, Jake?” Lily asked. “We’re looking for the real action.”

Jake affected a sheepish expression as he smiled at his great-aunts. “I invited some friends, but they were all afraid they wouldn’t be man enough for you.”

Rose and Daisy laughed, but Lily harrumphed loudly.

“You’re no help,” Lily said. “Especially now that you’re all googly-eyed over this one.” She pointed at Melanie, who tried to laugh and brush the comment off.

“Be nice, Lily,” Daisy said. “Don’t embarrass the young lovers.”

“Oh, we’re not—”

Before Melanie could finish, her father interrupted them to inform Evelyn that they were running low on ice.

“Shoot, I was afraid of that. The rainy day meant even the farmers showed up today, and they are a celebratory bunch.” She looked at Melanie and shrugged, then turned to Jake. “Sweetie, will you make a run into town for more supplies? Oh, and Melanie, can you go with and get some more drinks? Last time I asked Jake to get sodas, he came back with four cases of generic cream soda.” She stuck her tongue out in disgust.

Melanie opened her mouth to argue, then thought better of it. Driving into town would give her the perfect opportunity to talk to Jake. She didn’t want him to think that he could go around kissing her whenever he felt like it. And if he was driving, he wouldn’t be able to sneak up on her again and do something unexpected, no matter how good it felt.

Chapter Eight

The walk to his truck was cloaked in a strained silence punctuated by their footsteps in the gravel. Finally Jake couldn’t stand it anymore.

“So, what do you think of these crazy kids getting married?” He flashed Melanie a goofy smile, hoping that his attempt at humor wasn’t failing as badly as he thought it was.

To his surprise, she smiled back. “Kids these days, right? You try and tell them not to rush into anything, they’ve got their whole lives ahead of them, but do they listen? Of course not.”

They glanced at each other before laughing. Jake hurried the last few steps to open the door for Melanie, bowing low in mock servitude as she slid into the truck.

“You’re not leaving, are you, Mel?”

Jake scowled at Raymond, who was hurrying down the lane after them.

Melanie shook her head. “Ice run. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

Jake slammed the door, gave Raymond a withering glare, and headed for the driver’s side. Sliding in behind the wheel, he said, “He’s married.” He started the truck. “And soon to be a father.”

Melanie didn’t look at him, instead rolling down the window and waving at Raymond as they drove away.

They traveled down the country roads for several miles in tense silence, passing fields full of corn and soybeans. The earlier storm had moved on, leaving behind vibrant green corn stalks contrasted with the grayish-green of the soybeans and the yellow-greens of the mighty cottonwoods crowding around invisible creeks. The smell of the rich dirt in the fields wove through the truck. Melanie stuck her arm out the window, letting the wind caress her hand as they drove.

Jake interrupted the silence. “You can do better than Raymond Turner.”

Melanie rolled her eyes, her light-hearted laugh sounding more like choking. “You don’t know anything about him, the demons he’s overcome.”

Raymond’s demons were public knowledge, especially at the local hotel bar, where everyone could watch his escapades with the women who passed through town. Unfortunately, not enough women stayed overnight in Bender on a regular basis, which left Raymond to hit on the wait staff. Jake frowned, completely at a loss as to why Melanie would tolerate Raymond’s antics. She clearly wasn’t afraid to give someone a piece of her mind, and he’d seen how she’d reacted when introduced to Raymond’s wife. Was Melanie one of Raymond’s extramarital pastimes? The idea didn’t sit well with him. He just couldn’t picture Melanie agreeing to be the other woman for anyone. He recalled their kiss, how passionate she’d been. Had that all been a show for Raymond?

Jake shook his head. He didn’t like where his thoughts were taking him. He didn’t know what kind of relationship she had with Raymond and didn’t care. He was just looking for a good time. If that good time happened to be with one of Raymond’s playthings, well, that could be an added bonus. He didn’t think Raymond would be all that appreciative of someone, especially Jake, showing one of his women a better time. The thought caused a satisfied grin that Jake couldn’t hide.

As they pulled into town, he slowed the truck but continued past the store.

“Aren’t we going to stop?”

He shrugged, but said nothing else. She went back to looking out the window.

She pointed to the new building on the corner of the town’s main street. “Is that the new hotel?”

“Yup.”

“Nicer than I expected.”

“What’s the matter? You think everything in a small town has to be run down?”

“No, of course not.” Melanie frowned. “It’s just, it’s changed since I left. This hotel wasn’t here before, so when I made reservations, well, honestly, I expected a drive-up motel. That would be more befitting of a town with only a few thousand people. That place looks...”

“Modern?”

She nodded. “Modern and inviting. Almost like an upscale spa.”

Jake glanced at her. “It’s amazing what a little investment can do for a small town.”

“I guess so.”

“Plus the taxes the city gets from the hotel have enabled them to update the old, pothole-filled road here with a wider two-lane road, complete with stately street lamps reminiscent of a bygone era.”

“I’m surprised they get much business, though. Bender isn’t exactly a center of tourism.”

Jake nodded. It was a comment he’d heard hundreds of time. “Yes, but tourists aren’t the only people who use hotels. Bender’s at the crossroads for two major highways, and the nearest hotels along either of those highways are an hour away. For anyone driving through—”

“It’s like an oasis!” She chuckled. “Smart investors.”

He noted the ease in her voice as she took in the familiar sights. She swiveled around, looking for the places she knew. Her curiosity was mesmerizing for him. She touched his arm to draw attention to her childhood friend’s home and the corner where she helped plant daisies as a city beautification project. She clapped in excitement at the tall white flowers welcoming her home. He nodded to each of her comments, but he couldn’t take his eyes from her excited expression. The intensity of her anger had driven him mad with desire, but the sincerity in her animated movements now stirred something much deeper than his passion, something he had never experienced before.

He headed toward the business district—all two blocks of it—and pulled up alongside the curb at the end of the street. He turned off the truck, pointing to a large brick building with giant tinted windows. “The hotel investors also contributed to the new library.”

“Seriously?”

“You like it?” The building looked like it had stepped out of the pages of a fancy architecture magazine.

“It’s beautiful. When I lived here, the library was a tiny one-room building that was barely bigger than my bedroom.”

Jake put his arm along the back of the seat and ducked his head to look out the passenger-side window, wishing she hadn’t mentioned her bedroom. “Yeah, the owners of the new hotel offered some matching funds, and the townspeople really rose to the challenge. It was just supposed to be updates to the old building—a new roof, an air-conditioning system, some new computers—but they raised the money for this.”

“I just can’t imagine.” Melanie’s voice trailed off for a moment. “Is it open? Can we go inside?”

He chuckled at her excitement. “Sorry. Not many people visit it on Saturday afternoons.”

“No, of course not. Although they always had to kick me out at closing time.” She giggled and leaned back against the window. “I used to drive my parents crazy just so they would want me out of the house. On more than one occasion my mom was all too happy to drive me into town and drop me off.”

“You led quite the rebellious life. Although that explains why you got the writing bug.”

Melanie shrugged. “I suppose.”

“Strange.”

Melanie raised an eyebrow in a silent question.

Jake smiled. “Most authors are all too eager to point to reading as the spark that set them on their lifelong path.”

“For me it was more about escapism.” She leaned against the door, closing her eyes as the sun washed over her face. “Reading told me what the big wide world out there was like, and all I wanted was to be out in it, away from here. But of course, if I hadn’t been so quick to run to the library all the time, I might have seen how much trouble my parents were in.”

“Was it all you thought it would be?”

She opened her eyes halfway and looked at Jake, who was now looking out the driver’s side window. “What do you mean?”

“The big wide world.”

“Oh.” She gave him a half smile and a shrug. “There is so much I love about the city—the energy and vitality of all those people coming together in one huge mass of intensity—just like I love the freedom of driving down country roads in the summer, the windows down and the wind running through my hair. But is anything ever as perfect as you expect it to be?”

He laughed. “No, not really.” He smiled as Melanie relaxed again, letting her eyes close. “Then again, some things are better than I could have ever imagined.” He slid across the seat to kiss her lightly on the lips. Before she could put up her hands to push him away, he returned to his place behind the wheel. “Wasn’t my imagination. You do taste like raspberry.” He started the truck and winked at her as he licked his lips.

Chapter Nine

They made the drive back to the house in silence, although for different reasons. Melanie was pretty sure that Jake was proud of himself for putting her back on edge. When he started humming as he drove, she became even more convinced of his gloating. Meanwhile, she was stewing at his ability to make her insides flutter with a quick peck on the lips.

She couldn’t really be surprised that the unexpected attention from Jake was causing her body to react in such powerful ways. It had been so long since her last date. She’d been saving herself for Raymond, convinced that once he saw how she had succeeded in Chicago, he would beg to be part of her life again. He’d been so worried that life in the big city would change her that he’d refused to risk it. But she hadn’t changed. She’d thrived—and waited patiently for the chance to step back into his life.

Yet now he had Anna and Melanie had no one.

She tried to remember when she’d last gone out with someone, but her thoughts were continually interrupted by the memory of Jake’s kiss in the barn. It really had been a delicious kiss, and if they had met in Chicago, she’d have been thrilled to see where it went with him. But she would not go through this again, a long-distance relationship with someone from the country, not after Raymond. And she certainly wasn’t going to move back and become a farm wife.

No, now she just needed to focus on surviving until she could return to Chicago, where she would go out with every guy she could until she found someone who could kiss just as well as—no, better than!—Jake. Maybe she’d sign up with one of those dating services. Finding someone in Chicago would allow her to make a complete and clean break with Nebraska.

As soon as Jake pulled the truck to a stop in front of her father’s garage, Melanie had her door open and was heading into the house.

“Oh heavens, sweetie,” Evelyn said when Melanie stepped into the kitchen. “You look as white as a sheet. Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m just a little tired.” Melanie ignored Jake as he walked in behind her. “It’s been a long day, and I think the traveling is catching up to me.”

Evelyn grasped her hand and patted it. “Of course, of course, sweetie. You go on upstairs and lie down for a bit. The party will still be here when you feel up to it.” She nudged Melanie toward the stairs.

Melanie didn’t need much encouragement. Putting the sounds of Evelyn and Jake preparing more refreshments for the guests behind her, she went straight to her old room, which was now a guest room, although the furniture was the same as when she lived there. She removed her dress and draped it over the desk chair, then climbed between the sheets, deeply inhaling the crisp, fresh smell. The familiar feel of her old bed was relaxing, and she closed her eyes.

Jake’s smiling face came to life behind her eyelids. Melanie groaned and rolled over, turning her back to the room’s door, as if that would somehow block out the thoughts of him. Instead, he started laughing at her, like he somehow knew that he was tormenting her in her thoughts. It was a deep chuckle, the kind that Melanie knew made his chest rumble. She remembered how it felt to rest her cheek on his chest, his arms closing around her protectively. She could almost smell the mix of his earthy cologne and light sweat from the afternoon’s humidity. She told herself to stop this line of thinking, that it wouldn’t help her relax. Then again, she’d been trying to block these thoughts all afternoon and it hadn’t done any good. Maybe letting her thoughts run wild would finally get it all out of her system and make it easier to at least be in the same room as Jake.

Jake had shown her that he could arouse her excitement in an instant, but he had also been playful at times. No doubt he would be intense in bed—passionate and skilled, yet his polite charm suggested he would be caring about his partner. If she had let the kiss continue, their tongues probing and twisting and dancing while their hands explored each other’s bodies—his muscular arms and chest, his abdomen tightening reflexively as she swirled her fingers across it in gentle circles, his hands moving down her back, pressing her tighter to him, her breaking their kiss to lean back and expose her neck while she moaned his name....