Twelve

DAYLIGHT HAD BROKEN somewhere in the east and an uninspired gloom lit her bedroom. The clouds outside her window matched her dreary attitude. The clock on the nightstand informed her it was later in the morning than she thought. Melanie would never forget the horrible dream. The trip to the hardware store pinged on her radar, but she had lost all enthusiasm for jumping back on the projects in the workshop. In the midst of her breakdown, she’d forgotten to eat. Her stomach rebelled against the neglect by clenching and grumbling audibly. Every edible food in existence suddenly sounded like a life raft to humanity.

Savory smells of egg, herbs, and cheese made her mouth drool and she swallowed. Could a person be so hungry that they could conjure imaginary smells? Melanie threw back the covers and sniffed the air. Sounds could be heard coming from the kitchen. She froze and listened again. Someone was in her house. And they were cooking.

The idea that Braden had returned with food flittered briefly through her head, but she immediately realized how creepy that would actually be. He can’t let himself in to cook breakfast. Did she lock her door? Did Tweeny learn how to operate the stove? Where is Tweeny?! That sent her down the hall in a flurry of panic and overreacting.

“What in the world are you doing?” she asked.

“Visiting with my sister. Duh. What’s it look like?” Emmeline stood at the stove. Something that smelled like ham or bacon sizzled in the frying pan.

“Where are my nephews?” Melanie wandered closer, her heart rate returning to sanity mode. She noticed the grocery bags on the counter and the oven thermostat set to three-hundred-seventy-five degrees.

“They’re at home with their dad. Carson owes me a few days off from the kids after his last golfing trip.”

Melanie ran a quick calculation in her head. “You would have had to leave at five in the morning to be here by now.”

“I left at four. I had to stop for gas and hit the grocery store. By the way, I recommend shopping at the twenty-four-hour super store in the off hours. There’s no one around. It’s so quiet and peaceful.”

“You didn’t have to come.” Melanie peeked in the nearest bag and saw some grapes and a cantaloupe. “Is all this because of my message? And how did you get in?”

“I used my key. Grandma and Grandpa gave everyone in the family a key, remember?” Emmeline switched off the stove, set the frying pan on the backburner, and turned to her sister. “That’s a lie. I was going to use my key, but I forgot it because I was half-asleep. I didn’t realize that I didn’t have the key until I got here. But I know you, and I guessed correctly that the patio door would be unlocked. It was. You were sound asleep so I started cooking breakfast.”

Melanie glanced at the sliding glass door. It was true. She rarely locked it. Braden could have let himself in as well. Was she disappointed he wasn’t here? An honest answer required more introspection and she definitely didn’t need more of that mental torture.

“You should lock your doors. You’re here all alone, Mel. If Sienna were here with you, that’s even more reason to keep your doors locked at night and during the day.” Emmeline shook her head. Her lips pressed together with worry.

“I know. You’re right. I keep the front door locked all the time. I forget about the side door and I feel safe here. Have you seen my dog?” Melanie asked, looking around the living room.

“No, but this note was on the slider.” Emmeline passed Melanie a square piece of paper.

It read: Tweeny’s at my house.—Braden.

Melanie stared at the words until her eyes started to dry out. Tweeny had officially adopted her ex-boyfriend. Wonderful. As if on cue, there was a scratching sound on the dog door followed by a bark. Melanie vaguely remembered sliding the divider over the dog door before showering. However, she didn’t remember seeing Tweeny. Oh no, she thought. She’d locked Tweeny outside. Tweeny could have been eaten. When did Braden leave the note? In the middle of the night? While she was in the shop? She owed him for keeping Tweeny safe—again. Melanie made another check mark beneath the imaginary column labeled “terrible pet owner.” She hurried to the door, stood to the side so she wasn’t visible to the house next door, just in case Braden happened to be looking this way, and let Tweeny inside.

The dog sauntered across the threshold, lifted her nose to the scents wafting from the kitchen, and went straight to Emmeline. Melanie’s sister bent down and let Tweeny sniff her hand before giving her a rub.

“Do I want to know why your dog is pink?”

“No,” she said flatly. Melanie retrieved the bag of dog food from the pantry and poured some into Tweeny’s dish. She could at least feed the poor dog after forgetting about her. Tweeny crunched food pellets as Melanie returned to the stove. “How about some hot tea?” Melanie yawned as she filled the kettle with water and placed it on a burner.

“That sounds good.”

The timer dinged and they both reached for the hot pads lying on the counter by the oven.

Melanie let her sister have them since she didn’t have anything to do with what was baking in the oven. “What did you make?”

Emmeline answered the unspoken part of the question before answering Melanie’s actual question. “Don’t worry. It’s healthy. No gluten, refined sugar, or hydrogenated anything.”

“I didn’t say anything about the ingredients.” Melanie crossed her arms.

“I knew it was coming.” Emmeline pulled a glass casserole dish out of the oven. “We’re having artichoke, portabella, and mozzarella frittata. There’s veggie bacon in the pan, and I brought fresh fruit and some other healthy goodies. We’re going to eat and you’re going to tell me everything about Braden’s return and Sienna’s overreacting.”

“Oh Em. That’s— You’re... I’m—” Melanie gave up trying to form a coherent response. The sudden rise of emotion, or lack of sleep, or need of calories wouldn’t let her speak.

Emmeline tested the frittata by inserting a knife tip into the center and inspecting the blade. The knife end came out clean. “Looks perfect,” she said. “As for you, did you fall asleep with wet hair? Is your hair the reason you were hiding beside the sliding door?”

Melanie reached up and discovered one side of her hair was standing straight up while the other half of her hair was plastered down flat. “Oh joy. I look like mangled road kill on top of feeling like it. That’s not why I was hiding beside the door, but now I’m doubly glad I did.”

“But you were hiding from your neighbor,” she said.

“Yeah. Maybe. It’s complicated.” Melanie fumbled. She really needed to eat.

A knock on the front door interrupted Emmeline’s next comment.

Braden! Melanie thought. Her sister’s casual comment about her hair sent her moving with lightning speed toward her bedroom. Her thick hair had enough body to make it appealing when under control, but left on its own without management and “Houston, we have a problem.” “Will you answer the door?” she hissed before disappearing down the hall.

“Calm down. It’s not him,” Emmeline said.

Melanie paused and blinked. “How do you know?” she whispered.

Emmeline was already reaching for the doorknob. “Because it’s Treasure.” She swung the door open and Treasure stood on the porch holding a tray of to-go coffee cups and a bakery box.

“Good morning! Wow, Treasure Vogle! It’s been too long. Come in.” Emmeline moved out of Treasure’s way then glanced back at Melanie. “I called her last night when I couldn’t get a hold of you. We made a plan.”

Melanie forced the tension creeping down her spine to relax and loosen. She still wanted to wet down her hair and attack it with a hairbrush, but she wanted to know about her sister and friend’s scheming more.

“Double shot lattes, anyone? Don’t worry, Mel, I have a chai tea with coconut milk for you.” Treasure placed the beverages and pastries on the island countertop and sat on a stool.

“Is this pow-wow starting to resemble an intervention?” Dread and discomfort warmed Melanie’s cheeks.

“Is that what we’re doing this morning? I thought I was invited over to hear the juicy bits about your neighbor.” Treasure reached for the largest of the coffee cups.

The heat in Melanie’s face increased to somewhere in the range of boiling. She turned to the cabinets and retrieved plates and forks for the three of them. The kettle whistled and she removed the pot. Since Treasure brought hot drinks, she dismissed her notion of steeping herbal tea. Not even remotely ready to start dishing out what they wanted hear, she said, “Let’s eat first.”

“Look at her face,” Emmeline said to Treasure. “This is so going to be worth the four-hour drive at the crack of dawn.”

Treasure sipped coffee and looked at her friend with an inquiring eye. Melanie rolled her own eyes before tipping her head forward, causing her hair to cover up most of her flaming complexion.

Steam rose from the frittata as melted mozzarella swirled around their forks. The coffee and spices in the chai were like heavenly incense.

Treasure asked, “Is this turkey bacon?”

“Nope. Guess again.” A devious smile spread across Emmeline’s lips.

“It’s vegetable based,” Melanie said, giving another clue.

“Vegetable? Like soy beans or something?” Treasure asked.

“Maybe. I’m not sure what’s in it actually. It’s something Melanie would eat,” Emmeline said.

“I like it. It has to be better for you than pork fat,” Melanie said.

Treasure bit off the end. “Fake bacon? Uh...” Treasure paused. “You’re feeding me facon!” Treasure cracked up and began laughing. She traded the piece of facon for her coffee cup. “Tweeny, come here.”

The dog obliged Treasure by trotting over, her dyed pink behind wiggling with anticipation. “Why is your dog’s ass fuchsia?”

“Mel’s not currently taking questions about the dog. But she is going to come clean about Braden as soon as she’s done stuffing her face,” Emmeline said.

Treasure held out a piece of the facon and Tweeny snatched it from her fingers. Tweeny backed up a step, lowered her muzzle, and dropped the veggie bacon on the floor. She lifted her gaze back to Treasure, then down at the fake breakfast meat, then back to Treasure. Tweeny backed further away from the bacon and turned accusing, baleful eyes to Melanie, as if she wanted an explanation and wanted it now. She yipped, lowered her nose to the facon, and gave it a final sniff. Apparently, the dog who ate cardboard and deer droppings would not lower her standards to suffer through a slice of reconstituted bacon flavored veggie protein. The three of them observed the dog’s refusal and Treasure broke into another fit of giggles.

“Your dog won’t even eat it,” she said.

“It’s not that bad,” Melanie said.

Emmeline nibbled her piece and set it back down on the plate. “It really is.”

The three of them laughed, and the remaining facon went untouched. After a second helping of frittata, Melanie felt almost human again. That is until her sister and Treasure’s expectant eyes landed on her with a thud.

“Out with it,” Treasure said. “You don’t know what I had to go through to convince your sister to wait until this morning. When I answered the phone, I thought she was going to tell me you’d been in an accident or something. She was almost inconsolable and ready to rush over here last night. I convinced her you needed some time to process whatever happened before we invaded. Now we’ve invaded Melanie country and you’re going to spill the beans.”

Melanie swallowed. She picked up her cup of chai tea, took a drink, decided the stall tactic wasn’t going to last any longer. She told them almost everything. Some of the more intimate details weren’t for sharing.

“I’m impressed you let him navigate the holy waters of your Mount Melanie on the second date,” Treasure said.

“Were they dates? They weren’t supposed to be. I made it clear that we could be friends and that’s it...for now. I’m so confused. I really blew it. He must think I’m easy. That I’ll sleep with anyone who grills me a steak.”

“Sounds like he grilled your steak just right. Sizzling hot and so tender it melts in your mouth,” Treasure said.

“I don’t care for that analogy,” Melanie said flatly and held back a laugh. Treasure’s candid way of describing sex helped lighten her melancholy cloud, but she still felt terrible about what she allowed to happen between her and Braden.

Treasure laughed. “Come on. You have to enjoy the good parts of life, and men, when you can. At least you now know he’s like the best fuck you’ve ever had. That’s pure gold. Men like him don’t come around often.”

Emmeline snorted a laugh at Treasure’s blunt way of stating her opinions. “Sounds like he didn’t have any problem coming to your beck and call. Again and again.”

“Emm! Great. Now both of you are harassing me. This isn’t what I need right now.” Melanie placed her elbow on the table and rested her chin against her palm. Her head suddenly felt ten times too heavy.

“Yes, it is,” they answered in unison then laughed some more.

“Okay. Sorry.” Emmeline apologized for making fun of her sister’s emotional distress. “Mixed feelings are totally understandable. What happened between you two is heartbreaking. His brother stole his ID and his grandfather died. I remember you telling me how you couldn’t get a hold of him and your letters went unanswered and you assumed he broke up with you. But now to find out he never wanted to let you go... It’s so incredibly heartbreaking.”

“It is,” Treasure agreed. “If he were some random guy you met in a bar and told you a story like that, I would say embrace the orgasms like a gift from the universe then blow him off. Of course, you know I mean blow him, then send him on his way. Since he’s Braden—your first and only besides Dylan—you can’t ignore this. I don’t know what I would do if I were you.”

Melanie sighed and rolled her eyes heavenward seeking an answer.

“Maybe the two of you should start again. You’re single and he’s apparently unattached. The chemistry is obviously copacetic,” Emme said.

“I told him I’m taking the summer to find myself. Then I told him that I didn’t want a serious relationship. After declaring myself, I more or less jumped his bones.” Melanie grimaced. Good gracious, what had she done?

“And he said he didn’t know what he was doing right now because of some mysterious work situation,” Treasure rehashed. “My spidey sense would be tingling if it were anyone else, but it’s Braden. He’s the exception to the rule.”

“So, you would still trust him even though you haven’t seen him since high school?” Melanie asked.

Treasure nodded. “I knew he was a good guy from the first time I met him. He’s a lot like you in that way. Inherent goodness doesn’t change inside someone.”

“Finding yourself is a bit cliché sounding, but I know what you meant. And meeting your personal goals this summer is important,” Emmeline said.

“I’m a living breathing chick-lit disaster.” Melanie pushed her plate aside and placed her forehead on the table.

“And if he still wants you after that, then you know he’ll never stray,” Treasure said.

“Ha ha,” Melanie mumbled. “I’m a terrible, horrible, selfish idiot.”

“No, you’re not. You’re just getting started is all. Sometimes we have to live and learn,” Emmeline said.

“He gave me multiple orgasms then spilled his guts to me and I said, thanks for the date. Talk to you later.”

The three of them paused to digest that tidbit of information. Melanie kept her head down but turned to the side to see her sister’s face.

“That’s a little unfortunate, but you can make it up to him,” she said with optimism.

Melanie rolled her head the other way. Treasure’s look of pity turned her face back to the table.

“You’re friends. Friends accept each other’s faults and move on,” Treasure said. “No one’s perfect.”

“Fix your hair, put on a cute top, and go talk to him. He’s ten seconds out your back door.”

Treasure and Emmeline’s reassurances helped. Melanie raised her head. She had to find Braden.

“I’m not sure you’re ready for back door action,” Treasure added with all the cheesy insinuations she could muster.

Melanie and Emmeline groaned simultaneously at Treasure’s bad pun.

“And don’t bring him the facon,” Emmeline said.