eyes she’d witnessed on the women from Sheridan Falls. It had been hard for Melissa to stomach.
And then Aaron had married Ella in some big event in Sheridan Falls, and Melissa had stopped paying attention to what Aaron did with his life. She’d spent too much time over the years thinking about him as it was, and if he could marry the one person who’d made her life hell in high school, he didn’t deserve a second thought.
“Enough of this nonsense,” she said to herself. Vowing to forget about Aaron, she turned up the music on the radio and bopped her head to an upbeat tune. Her eyes ventured to the lake as she crossed the city limits into Sheridan Falls. That was the lake on which she’d spent her last summer of high school as a counselor.
The summer she had fallen in love with Aaron Burke.
“Oh, for goodness’ sake,” she all but yelled. “Stop thinking about Aaron! He’s ancient history.”
Suddenly, it hit her what the real issue was. She didn’t want to see him with Ella, who she knew would rub in the fact that she had snagged a Burke brother. Having to stomach Ella gloating over her coveted prize would be more than Melissa could bear. In high school, Ella had lived to steal other women’s men, as though it were a competitive sport. If only Aaron had ended up with anyone but her. Ella, who’d never suffered from self-esteem issues to begin with, must have an ego as large as the state of Texas now.
Dealing with Ella’s gloating would be bearable if Melissa were heading home with a hot man on her arm. But sadly, she was single. Her relationships over the years had all died before any real promise of a happily-ever-after. Her most recent relationship had started off with hope, in part because of the fact that Christopher worked in the social work field, as did she. But hope had faded as quickly as the initial spark, and the relationship had ended without so much as a fizzle.
“You don’t need to return home with a man,” Melissa said. “All you have to do is ignore Aaron. Pretend like he doesn’t exist.”
Because he didn’t. He hadn’t existed in her life for over a decade, and that wasn’t about to change just because of the wedding.
A slow smile spread on Melissa’s lips as she pulled into the driveway of her parents’ home, the house in which she had been born and raised. Gone were all thoughts of Aaron as she saw her mother sitting on the porch swing. As Melissa exited her navy Chevrolet Malibu, her mother got to her feet, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“Melissa!” her mother exclaimed. “Ooh, come here, child.”
Melissa quickly closed the car door and rushed up the porch steps. Her mother’s arms were already spread wide, and Melissa threw herself into her embrace. Her mom hugged her long and hard against her large bosom. Instantly, Melissa felt a sense of comfort, the same way she always had as a little girl when her mother had wrapped her in her arms.
The weekend was going to be okay. Why had she been worrying herself silly?
“My baby.” Her mother broke the hug, leaned backward to check her out and took both of Melissa’s hands in hers. “Looks like you could use some good home cooking. You’re getting a little thin.”
Her mother had grown up in the South, and practically everything she made had a stick of butter or lard in it. It was a diet Melissa tried to steer clear of, for the most part. “I’ve been working out.”
“I’ll get some meat back on your bones,” her mother promised. Then she said, “It has been way too long since you’ve been home. It’s like you’ve forgotten your father and me now that you’re living in the big city.”
“You know I could never forget about you and Dad,” Melissa said. She squeezed her mother’s hands affectionately, then released them. “I meant to come back after Christmas, but I’ve been so busy with work.”
“Some days I wonder about that job of yours.”
“I love it,” Melissa said quickly, walking into the house. “Even the crazy hours and the emergencies.” Being the program coordinator at a group home in Newark was deeply rewarding. Melissa made an impact in the lives of troubled youth, helping the kids get back on track.
“I know your job is important. But I don’t like that you have to devote so much time to it. All work and no play, you’ll never find a nice man.”
Melissa offered her mother a small smile, though what she wanted to do was roll her eyes. Her mother would never be fully happy until Melissa had been married off.
Though her mom should know by now that marriage didn’t mean happiness. Her sister, Arlene, had just endured a nasty divorce. Her parents had viewed Craig as the son they’d never had, only to be devastated when he’d turned his back on not only Arlene, but also on them. He’d cheated with his secretary, then had the nerve to be unapologetic about his actions. The ensuing scandal had caused much embarrassment for Arlene and the family.
“Where’s Dad?”
“He’s lying down,” her mother said, and now she was the one to roll her eyes. “The crazy fool tired himself out retiling the basement bathroom. I told him to hire someone, but no, he swore he could do it himself. I think he threw his back out, but he’ll never admit it.”
Oh, yes. Melissa was home, all right. Her parents always bickered, sometimes from sunup until sundown, but despite their small disagreements, their deep love was never in doubt.
“I’m about ready to tell him that if he doesn’t call in a professional, I’m leaving him. This time I mean it.”
Melissa chortled. “Mom, you know you’re not going anywhere. You always threaten to leave, but you never will. And you know why? Because you and Dad would be lost without each other.”
Melissa crossed through the living room en route to her parents’ bedroom. She found her father lying in bed, his eyes closed, but when he heard her, he opened them and immediately smiled.
“Melissa,” he said warmly, starting to sit up.
Melissa hurried over to him. “No, Dad. Don’t get up. Mom said you threw your back out.”
Her father made a face and waved a dismissive hand. “I’m fine. Ripping out tile is hard work. I just needed a little nap, is all.”
“You didn’t pull your back out?”
“Of course not,” he scoffed, his tone saying the idea was ridiculous. But he winced after speaking the words.
Melissa leaned down and hugged her father, then sat on the edge of the bed. “It’s good to see you, Dad.”
“It’s always good to see my favorite daughter.”
“And what do you say to Arlene?” Melissa asked, raising an eyebrow in a feigned gesture of seriousness.
“That she’s my favorite, too. A father is allowed to have two favorites.”
“Only two?” Melissa asked.
“Two favorite children. And numerous
