“I just stopped in to grab a sandwich,” he explained. “I didn’t see your car out front.”
Yeah, her silver Beemer had stood out in this tiny town of minivans and pickup trucks. Haven was a far cry from Atlanta.
Melanie swallowed. She’d sold her car recently to help her best friend, Olivia Daniels, with her goal of renovating the small-town airport. Besides, ridding herself of the last shred of material things from her ex and assisting such a good cause all in the same whack had been so rewarding, so freeing.
If Neville Prescott knew where his precious BMW SUV had gone, he’d somehow spin things to the media that he was helping those less fortunate. Egotistical jerk of a politician.
Not that she’d ever wanted anything he’d given her, but when Melanie had left, she’d taken the only car she had. She’d been owed that much, to say the least.
Since selling her car she’d used the little in her savings and bought a gently used two-door sporty model. By gently used, she meant the seat didn’t move and she had to shove a pillow behind her back to reach the pedals, but it ran and got her from point A to point B. Oh, the horn might sound like a cat whose tail got run over, but other than that the car was in tip-top shape. Plus, she’d purchased a nice bike for exercise and roaming around the quaint town, so it was still a win.
Considering her childhood and teen years, having a less-than-impressive vehicle actually felt right at home. But her marriage and her childhood were not areas she wanted to explore now—or ever, really.
“Oh, I’m driving something else now.”
That’s right. The black heap in the lot, with a rusty bumper and a shorted out horn, was all hers.
Tanner propped his hands on his hips and scanned both directions of the aisle before zeroing back in on her. “You’ve dodged me for weeks.”
She’d rather talk about the sad excuse for a car than get into why she’d avoided him. In her defense, he’d not been around much, either. “I’ve been busy.”
Not a total lie. She’d been working on all of the permits and discussing renovations for the airport Olivia was revamping with the help of her fiancé, Jax Morgan. Her law degree was coming in handy in ways she never would’ve guessed a few years ago.
To turn a small-town airport into a grand, high-concept business that would draw high-dollar clients took time and patience and a hell of a lot of paperwork and funds.
Celebrities were rolling through like clockwork to film in and around Haven, Georgia. Savannah, only a short twenty-minute ride away, had definitely become a hot spot for filmmakers. Melanie planned on making sure her friends were legally covered and protected in their endeavor. She wanted this next chapter in Olivia’s life to be successful and a tribute to her late father and former owner of the airport.
“Too busy to talk to me after you slept with me and left the second your clothes were straightened out?”
That would be because their clothes never fully came off. They’d been too hot, too hurried to worry about getting completely naked.
Heat flooded her, as well as a nice dose of guilt. “Keep your voice down,” she whispered through gritted teeth. The last thing she needed was people in the Quicky Mart to hear the fairly new girl in town was getting it on with the hottest bachelor officer. Well, she had gotten it on, they weren’t doing anything now.
Except the memories that kept replaying in her mind like a silent movie.
Tanner took a half step forward and tipped his head down as he lowered his voice. “I know we didn’t agree on anything beyond that night. Hell, we didn’t even talk much. But, considering our circle of friends, I didn’t take you for the type that would brush me aside.”
She hadn’t, not exactly. She’d been completely out of her element when they’d torn each other’s clothes off in a frenzy. Melanie had gotten swept up in the moment, in the man. She’d gone into the one-night stand with her eyes wide open, teetering on the edge of fear and exhilaration all rolled into one giant ball of emotion.
Then afterward, she’d had no words. How could she know what to say or do when she’d experienced something she’d never done before? The instant retreat had been the coward’s way out, and she’d prided herself on becoming stronger than the woman she used to be. But she just couldn’t face him. Not until she knew where her head was where he was concerned, because Tanner Roark made her feel things she shouldn’t, things she’d never felt before.
After her failed marriage . . .
No. Just no. She didn’t trust her judgment—especially now. Besides, the one-night stand and the changed dynamics of their friendship weren’t of the utmost importance at this point.
“I’ve just been busy,” she repeated. “Livie is planning a cookout and bonfire soon, though. Friday, I believe. I’ll see you there?”
Tanner’s brows drew in. “Is everything okay, Mel? You seem, I don’t know, jittery.”
Jittery? More like scared out of her mind and no clue what to do next. Her life was one giant roller coaster, and she’d really like to slow down and hop off the emotional ride.
“I’m fine,” she lied with a smile.
He eyed her once again. Tanner wasn’t stupid and he wasn’t buying her quick brush-off. Today of all days was not the time to get into this discussion. Delivering baby-daddy news in the middle of a gas station/convenience store was teetering too close to the lifestyle she’d tried to escape when she’d married Neville. She’d thought he was the way out of her impoverished life. She’d thought he would take her down the path to make something of herself and maybe make her parents proud.
She’d wanted their approval; she’d wanted to be proud of herself, too. None of that happened. Hindsight only proved she would’ve been better off in that trailer park working her ass off, with her scholarships to get through school, and then moving on to a law firm like she’d first planned. Thankfully, she’d been smart in school, had graduated early, had pushed through college before marrying. After that, though, her life had fallen apart.
Melanie had quickly discovered she was going to have to be her own ticket out of hell.