Melt (Steel Brothers Saga 4)

I toweled off and lay down on a chaise longue, stretching. Lucy lay down beside me. I closed my eyes. What a day.

“Hey, Joe,” Talon said. “I want to go over to the Walker ranch and look around after school.”

“What for?”

“Just want to find out what happened to Luke. It’s not sitting right with me. He doesn’t seem like the type who would run away.”

“Of course he would run away,” I said. “Those bullies are always giving him a hard time. Why would he want to stay here?”

Talon shook his head. “Like I said, it just doesn’t sit right with me. Sure, it’s harder with the bullies, but…he’s not the type to run. He takes it, you know?”

“You’d best go home. You’ll get your ass whooped if you don’t get your chores done.”

“I’ll get them done when I get home. I just want to figure this out.”

“You don’t even like the kid that much.”

“I like him fine. And I hate what the bullies do to him.”

“Best leave things alone,” I said, shaking my head. “He’ll make his way home soon enough.”

“I want you to come with me, Joe.”

I shook my head. “Heck, I’ve got major work to do this afternoon at home. And homework. I can’t do it.”

“I’m going anyway.”

“Suit yourself.”

Our youngest brother, Ryan, tugged on Talon’s hand. “I’ll go with you, Tal.”

My eyes shot open. It wasn’t the first time I’d nodded off and relived that day. It wasn’t a dream. It was a flashback to the day Talon had been taken. Th

e day all our lives had changed.

If only I had gone with him…

“I was surprised to get your call,” Melanie said.

I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. I squirmed in the leather recliner. What to say? I wanted to see you again, so I made an appointment for therapy I don’t want? Nope, that wouldn’t do.

Again, silence.

“So why did you call? What would you like to talk about?”

Her hair was down today, falling in a silky cascade against a green satin blouse that matched her eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t know.”

She smiled. “Okay. Why don’t you tell me about yourself? What’s a normal day like for you, Jonah?”

I wasn’t sure how talking about a normal day would help me, but she was the doctor. “I keep pretty busy. I’m in charge of the beef ranch. You probably know that Talon runs the orchards and Ryan the winery.”

She nodded. “Actually, Talon and I have talked relatively little about his work. But yes, I did know that he handled the orchard. He brought me some of his luscious peaches. They were delicious.”

Luscious peaches. I shot my gaze to her chest without meaning to. She wasn’t huge like Jade, but damn, just the size of those large peaches from our orchard…and most likely just as succulent. What might Melanie taste like? A juicy peach? Maybe not. Maybe something completely unique. Yes, unique.

“I guess when he came in, you knew exactly what to talk about.”