Holiday Promise (Hollyberry Harbor #2)

Chapter 10

TEN

While Blake remained uneasy about how his relationship with Melody had begun, he knew he couldn’t continue avoiding the problem. As terrified as he was about bringing it up, it had to be done.

He’d lost Alison to a stupid accident on the ice—one he couldn’t control. He refused to lose Melody because he didn’t speak candidly with her about something that bothered him. He’d been too closed off for long enough.

Blake left his office after a particularly long day of work. The house was quieter than usual. He didn’t hear Melody’s voice, nor Max’s for that matter. When entered the kitchen, the only person he found was Ms. Anthony.

She glanced up at him with a smile. “Can I make you something for lunch? Max and Melody already ate, but I’d be happy to?—”

“Where are they? I haven’t heard them recently?”

Ms. Anthony motioned toward the backyard. “Max is building a snowman. And I’m not sure where Melody is.”

Blake froze mid-way to the window. He turned toward her with confusion. “She’s not here?” his heart hammered as a million terrible scenarios filled his mind. Alison had gone to town by herself that day. When she wasn’t back by dinner, that had triggered the worst night of his life.

“I’m sorry, dear. She said that she needed to run an errand and she’d be back before supper?—”

Blake was already halfway to the door when he cut her off. “Can you keep an eye on Max? I’m going to look for her.”

“I’m sure she’s fine.”

“Me, too,” he murmured without conviction. “I just need to speak with her on an urgent matter.” He opened the door without a second backward glance. It wasn’t against the rules for Melody to take a break. She’d done it a hundred times throughout the year. When Ms. Anthony was available to watch Max for an hour or two, Melody took advantage of the opportunity.

But this time felt different. With the distance that had continued to grow between them, Blake couldn’t help but relate how he felt with what had happened a year ago.

He did his best to drive carefully, even though his hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly he started to lose feeling in his fingers. She had to be okay. It was like Ms. Anthony had said. Melody needed to run some errands. There was no reason for her to go ice skating by herself. They always went as a group. That was the rule.

When Blake reached town, he drove straight for the ice rink. If she wasn’t there, then he would turn around and go home. That’s what he kept telling himself. While the people who ran the ice skating at the lake did their due diligence every year, that didn’t mean there weren’t accidents. Thankfully, after last year’s incident, they’d increased their safety precautions. There were people positioned every twenty feet to keep an eye on those participating.

He parked his car and sat inside, his eyes darting around the immediate area. He didn’t have a perfect view of the lake from where he was, but he couldn’t get out. Not yet.

Flashbacks and memories accosted him every time he thought back to that evening. Alison had always been good at skating, but it didn’t matter how good she was when the ice was weak. The town had done its due diligence in making sure the boundaries were laid out right. But that didn’t mean people listened.

From what he’d heard, a child had lost her toy on the other side of the boundaries. Alison had offered to get it.

The rest was history.

He squeezed his eyes shut, recalling the call he received from the town sheriff. Alison hadn’t made it. She’d left their son without a mother.

Max needed Melody more than she knew. Blake could see it. He’d seen the way Max had survived the loss of his mother and it wouldn’t have happened without his nanny.

Blake shook off the chills he felt from reliving that memory. Melody was out there somewhere. She might not be at the lake, but either way, he didn’t think he’d be able to forgive himself if something happened to her.

So far, he hadn’t seen her. She hadn’t called or sent him a message. All around him, people were celebrating the holiday. Lights twinkled, songs played, people laughed as they wandered down the street.

He didn’t feel their joy. The season wasn’t as bright and cheery as it once used to be. It was still just as hard for him to deal with the pain and anguish of losing his wife.

No, that wasn’t entirely accurate. Alison had been gone for a full year. He’d loved her and he always would, but he knew his feelings for Melody only continued to grow.

Wasn’t that why he’d gotten upset when he’d noticed the way Thomas and Melody were with each other? He didn’t like the twisting knots in his stomach. He hated wondering if she was losing interest in him.

The fact that she’d taken off to have some time to herself only solidified his fears. Something was going on with her and she’d come out here to escape him. That was the only thing that made sense.

It didn’t change the fact that he was terrified of losing her, either.

Which was why he had to get out of his car and track her down.

Blake pushed the door open and stepped into the cold. His chest tightened, not allowing him to breathe correctly. All he could think about was finding her and making sure she was safe. She knew the rules. She knew that he forbade anyone in his household to go skating alone. If she was here, then she was going against the biggest rule he’d set out after losing Alison.

He walked around the perimeter of the lake, his gaze darting from one dark haired young woman to the next. The longer he looked without success, the more at ease he became. If she wasn’t skating, then she would be safe—at least that was what he told himself.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Blake turned his eyes to a familiar figure on the ice. He didn’t want to believe it. He wouldn’t have if he hadn’t seen her with his own eyes, and all he felt was a deep sense of vulnerability.

The last time he felt this helpless was a year ago, and he couldn’t say he liked it one bit. His concern shifted immediately into something sour. He pushed through a group of people until he got to the entrance of the ice. Rather than get a pair of skates, he stepped onto the ice and moved in her direction.

When her eyes met his, the air got colder. She stopped where she was a few yards away—likely realizing she got caught breaking one of his rules. Neither one of them moved. He would’ve given anything to know what she was thinking in that moment.

Melody was the first to break eye-contact. She shoved her hands in her coat pockets and skated toward the exit. “If I’d known you were going to show up?—”

“Then you wouldn’t have come?” Blake finished the sentence for her. “Or would you have invited me?”

She didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she pushed past him and exited the ice. “It’s not against our terms for me to take a few hours off.”

“Is that what this is? Just a break?” He followed her as she hobbled to the nearest bench to sit and remove her skates. “Because it seems to me that this is more than that.”

Melody shot a look in his direction. “I needed some time to think, that’s all.”

“About what?”

She didn’t answer him. His frustration mounted, and the floodgates were opened.

“You know the rules. You aren’t to go ice skating without someone else present.”

“That’s the rule for Max.”

He groaned, raking his hands through his hair. “No, it’s the rule for anyone under my roof. That means you.”

She scoffed. “I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions.”

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” His voice rose, but he didn’t care anymore. “You can’t put yourself in that kind of position. You have people who count on you. Max counts on you. What do you think would happen to him if you didn’t come home?”

Her eyes cut to his. At least he had her attention now. She could see where he was going with his way of thinking. Unfortunately, he could still see a sliver of defiance in her eyes. She didn’t like the fact that he’d set out these rules.

“It’s for your own good,” he snapped, causing her to jump. “If you’re going to be under my employ, you’re not to go against the guidelines I’ve set out.” Blake was breathing heavily now. He could feel the heat in his face and in his stomach. There was no missing the strange looks that others gave him as they passed.

None of that mattered, anyway.