His Temporary Wife (The Brides of Sunflower Falls #2)

Chapter 4

four

The morning of the annual fundraiser for the volunteer fire department, Melody woke to a queasy stomach. She had made dinner for Tony last night, and was sure she’d cooked everything properly. After the brief wave of nausea subsided, she climbed out of bed.

Button was whimpering in her cage, so Melody got her outside as quickly as possible. After ensuring that Button did her business and didn’t start snacking on what she could reach in Mr. Higgins’s yard through the fence, she headed back in to make her morning coffee.

Tony had left a bit after midnight as usual, but had told her he’d probably see her today. Despite the promise, she could tell something was up with him. They’d been married for nearly a month, and she’d seen him less than she had before they’d said “I do.”

The only times she really spent time with him were when they were discussing the build for his new house or when he came over at night. And when he was over at night, they usually spent more time making out or having sex rather than engaging in deep discussion. Any time she brought up the possibility of doing something outside of work or intimate time together, he said he had to work on some things with Zach.

Since she still wasn’t sure what she wanted to do about the marriage, she couldn’t exactly be mad that he was fine with not being seen with her in public beyond the fact they seemed to have become part of the same friend group. But she also was questioning how she ended up married to a man she was realizing she didn’t know well outside the bedroom.

Yeah, he probably should be given a gold medal for his bedroom skills, but being good in bed didn’t qualify someone for gold medal marriage material.

The only answer she could come up with that made any kind of sense was that he made her feel like a million bucks whenever they were together. He always listened to her when they did talk, whether she’d had a not great day at work with a supplier sending the wrong custom flooring order or when things had gone great with securing another contract.

She felt so seen when she was with him. In ways she didn’t with anyone else. Even Ana. He paid attention to the shows she liked, the food she enjoyed, the music that made her dance. And then brought little gifts or found things they could watch together that brought her joy. But when they were separated, doubts crept in.

Someone like Tony who radiated pleasure and fun couldn’t possibly want to spend the rest of his life with her. Melody was a realist. She could, and did, dream big with Eric, but she was the one who was always looking for the details that needed to be taken care of for those dreams to actually happen .

Relying on someone else for any portion of her happiness made her itchy.

But when they were together? Him holding her as they talked about the possible future, his breath blowing against her ear. Tony telling her about the places he’d been to in Hollywood, and one day taking her there one day to show them all to her. He got her excited about the possibilities of what life together could be like. Going back to Hollywood to visit where he’d spent his life there. Building something together here in Sunflower Falls.

She felt so safe and hopeful when he held her in his arms.

But whenever she tried to dig into the details of his past, he’d either divert her attention to something else or would gloss over anything that might give a richer depth to his story that it might as well have been a generic tale from anyone spending any time in Hollywood.

All he said was that he’d had a good childhood with parents that loved him.

He wouldn’t even name any celebrities who he’d crossed paths with. She knew from Greer, her and Eric’s media agent and Libby’s business partner, that running into celebrities in Hollywood was like encountering a caffeine junkie in Starbucks.

The signal on her coffee maker pulled her out of the funk she was spiraling into. Pouring the coffee into her favorite mug, she inhaled a deep breath of her favorite smell. And wrinkled her nose.

Something was off.

She took a tentative sip and spit it back out into the sink. The coffee tasted like a mouthful of quarters. Grabbing the bag, she checked the expiration date. There were months left, and she always put the bag back into the freezer after she was done with it in the morning.

Another sip confirmed there was something off. She poured the coffee into the sink and mourned it as she watched it swirl into the drain.

She’d just pick something up later at the Sunflower Diner.

The fundraiser didn’t start until noon, so she had a few hours to get showered and then work on interior designs proposals for Tony’s house on the lake. He still hadn’t told her what he intended to do with it beyond being some kind of investment property. If she decided to keep him, she figured he’d just move into her house. Somehow.

Three hours later, when her alarm went off, she pulled herself out of the deep dive she’d fallen into on forecasted trends for paint and upholstery in the coming year. Button had come into her office and fallen asleep on the bed Melody had set up for her on one side of the desk. Grinning at her puppy, lying spread eagle on her back with a penguin-shaped squeaker toy hanging out of her mouth, Melody grabbed her phone and took a quick photo. Then sent it to the group text with Libby and Ana.

Neither of them responded, so Melody assumed both were busy with something. She deliberately stopped the thought of what or who Libby might be busy with there. There were things siblings absolutely did not need to know about each other.

Instead, she called her mom.

“Sunflower Motel, how can I help you?”

“Hi, Mom. Okay if I still bring Button over?” Hearing Melody say her name, even in sleep, had Button stirring.

“Absolutely. Everyone scheduled to check out already has, and we only have a couple reservations starting today, so it’s a fairly quiet day.”

“Thanks. I need to stop at the diner and pick up a cup of coffee. There’s something wrong with the batch I’ve got.”

“Wrong, how?”

“It tasted like metal.” Button came over and began chewing on the squeaker, so Melody missed what her mom said, but she thought it was something about ladies. “What was that?”

“Never mind. It’s probably nothing. I’ll see you when you get here.”

“See you soon.” Melody hung up the call and stuffed her phone into her back pocket. And then got into a ten-minute tug of war with Button. By the time she’d worn Button out again, Melody had to rush around to get ready.

She was rushing when she picked up her takeout order of coffee at the diner, intent on getting over to the motel, so she forgot to ask if Ana was working this morning.

Back in her truck, she poured the coffee from the takeout cup into her insulated one so she could save it for later, then headed over to the motel. Her mom wasn’t at the reception desk when she walked in.

“Mom?”

No answer, so she went over to the door that led to her mom’s private quarters. She and Eric had grown up in a small house not far from Melody’s current home. Things had been tight, even when their dad was around. She knew Uncle Stef had helped out where he could. But ten years ago, after both Eric and Melody had moved out, her mom had taken the job as manager of the motel which came with on-site lodging.

Some out-of-town business had bought it with Zach’s mom acting as the local real estate agent, and everyone thought they’d demolish the old motel in favor of something not right for Sunflower Falls. But whoever bought it had decided to renovate instead of tearing it down. The renovation had been Melody’s mom’s first job after taking over as the general manager. That move had led to the revitalization of the downtown area.

Everyone was grateful, but to this day, no one knew who was behind the business.

Melody knocked, and she heard a muffled noise. A minute later, her mom answered the door, smoothing back her hair. “Melody. You’re here.”

Frowning, Melody nodded. “Should I get Button’s stuff from the car?” Button was sniffing around the door, trying to get inside. She knew Grandma Keller’s apartment well, and treats were always waiting inside for her.

“That would be great. Give me a moment, and I’ll be out to help you.”

“No problem. If you can take Button?” Melody held out Button’s leash.

“Oh. Yes. Sure.” Her mom took the handle and scooted Button back so she could close the door behind her.

“Everything okay?”

“Yes. Everything’s fine. Go get her stuff so you can head over to the fundraiser.”

Not sure why her mom was acting so squirrelly, Melody shrugged it off and went for Button’s travel crate and bag of supplies.

When she came back inside, Mayzie, Libby’s dog and Button’s mom, was in the office area, fending off Button’s puppy playfulness.

Melody paused in the doorway. “Where did she come from?”

“My apartment. Where else do you think she was? ”

Recognizing that calling her mom out for weird behavior would do her no good, Melody just shrugged and handed over the bag where she kept the puppy sitting supplies. “I’m not sure when I’ll be back. Since Mayzie’s here, I’m assuming Eric and Libby are already there?”

“Yes. Eric got a call to help with some last-minute setup, so they dropped Mayzie off an hour ago.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for them. Thanks again. I’ll call you when I’m headed back.”

Her mom bent down and picked Button up from where she was play growling at Mayzie. “Enjoy yourself. You’ve been working a lot, and I’m sure you could use a little break. Have you noticed anything else besides the coffee tasting off?”

She shook her head. “No. I must have gotten a bad batch. Just didn’t notice it until this morning.”

Her mom hummed. “Are you planning on meeting anyone there?”

“Where?”

“The fundraiser. Where else would I be asking about today?”

There was something about her mom’s questions that had Melody’s mental stud finder pinging. She couldn’t see what was behind the questions, but something was there. “Only Libby and Eric. Maybe Ana if she’s not at one of her jobs today.”

“What about Zach? Or that friend of his? Tony?”

The little hairs on the back of Melody’s neck stood on end. Did her mom suspect something? “Nope. Not planning on seeing either of them today.” That didn’t mean she didn’t hope to run into Tony, but they hadn’t made specific plans on where and when to meet up.

“Anyone else special? ”

Now Melody narrowed her eyes. Her mom was most definitely on a fishing expedition. She was acting like she had back when she was trying to find out if Melody planned to go to her senior prom. “No one special either. What’s with all the questions?”

Her mom shook her head. “Nothing. You go have fun. Parking is going to be rough as it is. I don’t want you to have to drive all the way back here to park.”

Melody reached out and petted Button’s head. “Thanks again for watching her.” She kissed her mom’s cheek. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

To clear the weirdness of her mom’s questions from her head, she blasted her favorite radio station on the drive over to Geraghty’s, the dive bar where the fundraiser was being held. Parking was indeed rough, and she ended up having to turn around and drive back a half mile past it before finding a spot on the side of the road.

A long line had formed at the parking lot entrance that was open as the gate area, and Melody found herself standing behind Mrs. Smith. The owner of Secrets and Whimsies, a shop a few doors down from her own business’s storefront, was carrying a cardboard box with her purse hooked onto her arm. Her snow white hair was styled into an elegant helmet that wouldn’t dare wilt in the humidity that was lingering even in late September.

Mrs. Smith turned around. “Hello, Melody dear. I’ve got something at my booth for you, so be sure to stop by.”

Rubbing her hands together, Melody grinned. “Excellent. Want to give me a clue?”

Mrs. Smith grinned back at her. “You do know how I love a good secret. You’ll find out when you come over.”

They moved closer to the front of the line, and Melody saw Andy Kavanaugh, one of her classmates from grade school through high school, manning the ticket table. “Come on, Mrs. S. You keep secrets closer than the CIA.”

She sniffed as if offended. “I would hope so.” She was silent for a moment as she shifted the box and began rooting around in her purse. “When I was setting up the booth this morning, that nice Tony Caputo was helping out with Zach Troy.”

Melody pursed her lips and hummed. Mrs. S must not have heard it as she kept her focus on her purse. Tony hadn’t mentioned that he was going to be here, let alone helping with Zach. A searing in her gut reminded her of the time the popular kids in high school had made a point to talk about a party they were going to in front of her and then turn and say she wasn’t invited. She took a deep breath as she realized her emotions were way out of proportion for the situation.

Maybe she should have downed the coffee from the diner immediately. Or maybe she was coming down with something. Either way, she’d spend some money for the fundraiser and then head back home. No one needed her cranky ass around at what was supposed to be a fun event. “Oh, really?”

“Yes. So nice. And so nicely muscled. You should consider going out with him. Get some fresh blood here in Sunflower Falls.”

Shocked, Melody looked down at the older woman. “Are you trying to matchmake, Mrs. S?” Or did the woman know something no one else in Sunflower Falls, not even her own mother, knew? Mrs. S herself had moved to Sunflower Falls only recently, so the fresh blood comment was kind of funny.

“There it is.” Mrs. S held up an old-fashioned leather wallet. There were gorgeous embroidered flowers still visible in the patinated leather.

They’d reached Andy. “I’ve got you, Mrs. S.”

“Hello, ladies.” He took the twenty Melody held out for the entrance fee and began making change. “Melody, I already told Eric, but Alex is going to be in town next week. We’re going to try to get everyone together for a night out.”

“Great. Keep me updated.” Back in high school, she’d had a crush on Alex Kavanaugh, Andy’s older brother, but as he’d been a senior with Zach when she’d been a freshman, he’d never taken any notice of her. Plus, he’d been playing some sport all the time before getting drafted to a farm team for one of the pro hockey teams a month before graduation around the same time Zach had left for the Marines. He’d stopped back in town every few years and they would periodically end up in the same place at the same time because Sunflower Falls was that small, but nothing had ever happened.

And now there was Tony. Who, now that she thought about it, had a vague resemblance to Alex.

Something she would think about later as she still needed to decide what to do with him. For now, she followed Mrs. S over to her booth, set up on the far side of Geraghty’s parking lot.

After getting herself settled, Mrs. S pulled out a small, wooden box from a tub underneath one of her display tables. It was gorgeous. The top of the box was an intricate design of a woman holding a pomegranate and reclining on the bank of a river made of marquetry. She’d have to ask Uncle Stef what the woods were.

“Where did you find it?”

“At an estate sale in Montreal.”

Melody stroked the cover. It was as smooth as it must have been on the day the craftsman finished it. There were no dips indicating any missing pieces. “It’s gorgeous. How much?”

At that moment, a shiver took over her body, and the hairs on the back of her neck rose. Heated breath licked across her skin. Without even turning around, she knew who was behind her.

“One hundred dollars.”

Caught up in the moment, she didn’t get a chance to begin the haggling process she had been looking forward to engaging in with Mrs. S.

“She’ll take it.”

She was about to turn on him when he crowded up against her back, and a hundred dollar bill filled her vision as he handed it over to Mrs. S. Lips brushed the top of her hair, and were gone in a moment.

Mrs. S grinned and shoved the bill into her till before Melody could say anything. By the time she spun around to confront Tony for stepping in where he shouldn’t have, he had almost disappeared into the crowd that had formed in Geraghty’s parking lot.

She turned back to Mrs. S. “Can you hold on to this for me? I’ll be back for it.”

“Absolutely, my dear. He’s such a nice boy. Be sure to hold on to him.”

Biting her tongue as it wasn’t Mrs. S who was the source of her ire, Melody tracked after Tony. Ire that, again, was way out of proportion for what happened. When she finished chewing out Tony for interfering with her play time with Mrs. S, she definitely was leaving after dropping some bills into the tip jar at the bar and the donation bucket at the exit. She’d only wound her way through about half the crowd when she spotted him heading into the bar itself.

By the time she made it in, the bar was just as packed as outside. Tables were filled with families, and both pool tables were barely visible thanks to the tournament that was running. Libby and Eric were seated at the counter service bar.

Libby saw her and waved. Melody made her way over to them. “Have either of you seen Tony?”

“Caputo? Why?” Eric took a sip of beer.

“Nothing. I just need to talk with him. Have you seen him?”

Libby pointed over to the pool tables. “I thought I saw him head that way.”

“Thanks.” Not waiting for either of them to say anything more, she began tacking her way through the crowd. It wasn’t easy, and by the time she got near the pool tables, she saw him on the other side of the room, heading back to the kitchen area. “Damn it.”

The tables were tightly packed with people wanting to get their lunch on, plus part of the deal was that Harry, current owner of Geraghty’s, donated all profits from food and drink sales to the fire department so people came in intending to eat. Melody had to make her way back to the bar area before she could make her way over to the kitchen entrance. By the time she got back there, the only people in the kitchen were Harry’s two cooks for the day.

“Did Tony Caputo come through here?” He, Zach, and Eric hung out here often enough that she hoped the cooks would recognize him. The one at the fryer pointed to the back door. She hurried back there, but when she tried to push through, she was stopped in her tracks as the door refused to move .

She spotted rust on the hinges and a can of WD-40 sitting on a shelf next to them. She’d have to talk with Harry to see if he wanted the door updated. Hinges on an exit door shouldn’t be this rusted. She quickly sprayed the hinges, and, this time, the door opened with only a small amount of resistance and scraping of metal.

It sounded to her like an eagle screeching, but Tony must have been so involved in his conversation that he didn’t hear it. In fact, she stood on the steps leading down to the back lot area while he paced, phone held to his ear.

“I don’t care what you need me out there for. I’m staying here.”

Confused as it didn’t sound like he was talking with Zach, she stepped closer.

“Until I get this marriage sorted and registered under my real name, I’m not going to California.”

The words slammed into her worse than the sledgehammer Eric had once hit her with when they were teens as he hadn’t been paying attention to his backswing. Back then, she’d had to avoid wearing a bikini all summer because the bruising had taken months to fade. Now? There was a gaping hole in her chest where her heart had once resided. The hope that had been slowly growing there withered and died.

Before she could slip back through the bar and head the fuck out of town so she didn’t have to face him, her worst mistake turned around and spotted her.

He froze. Mouth open for what felt like forever before he grimaced. “I’ll call you back.” He tapped on his screen and shoved his phone into his back pocket.

Before he could say anything, she pointed at him. “No. I want a divorce.” Unable to think beyond that and needing to hide, she whirled around and opened the door. Thankfully, the WD-40 was still working, and she ran inside.

As she passed Libby and Eric she caught sight of their shocked faces, but ignored them. All she wanted was to get back to her den and take cover.

She craved the comfort of having Button love all over her, but she couldn’t face her mother. Her mom would immediately know something was wrong. To tell her that Melody hadn’t learned from her mistakes and married a liar herself? Never.

She was halfway down the road to her car when Libby finally caught up to her.

“Where are you going?”

“Home.”

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

Libby ran ahead and stopped in front of Melody. But as she tried to walk around Libby, Libby just matched her move for move. If it weren’t for the steady stream of cars, she would have run into the road just to get away.

It was when Libby bear hugged her that Melody finally stopped and dropped her head. “Can you please let me go wallow in peace?”

“Not until you tell me why you’re wallowing? What did Tony do?”

“Nope.”

“Melody. What the hell is going on? You’re never like this.”

Realizing she wouldn’t be able to shake Libby, she gave in. “Can we please just go back to my place? I can’t deal with this.”

“Fine, but I’m driving.”

“I can drive. ”

“But should you?”

Melody opened her mouth to push back, but all that came out was a choked cry. She’d already been feeling off and on edge all day, but discovering Tony had been lying to her the entire time they’d been together was too much. On the verge of breaking down, and not wanting to do it in public, she pulled her keys out of her pocket and tossed them at Libby.

They got back to her truck, and Melody climbed up into the passenger seat. She spotted the mug of coffee. If she was drinking, then Libby would hopefully be less inclined to interrogate her.

She grabbed the cup and took a deep swig. As soon as the coffee hit her stomach, it came right back up again. Only by the grace of the truck gods was she able to open her door in time to avoid messing up her interior.

When she was done, Libby was staring at her.

“What?”

“Even when I’ve seen you drunk off your ass, you’ve never thrown up.”

She turned around and began hunting for a clean one of the rags she kept in her truck for cleaning up after being on work sites. “I don’t throw up. Except on carnival rides.”

“Um-hmmm.”

Melody looked at Libby. “Why the humming?”

“You’re not pregnant, are you?”