“It’s a start,” Melanie said. It felt good to have something else to focus on, someone else’s heartbreak. She was tired of her own. Besides, soon she was going to have to enroll in some classes and restart her life in earnest, and she was avoiding it. The only real interior decor she’d done had been for her and Adam—was she even any good? Did she want to find out? Back when she’d willingly abandoned her job to be the stay-at-home mom for Adam’s kids, she’d felt like a hero, but now it just felt stupid. She’d given up everything for Adam—her career, her ability to financially provide for herself... She wasn’t making that mistake again.
As if on cue, Melanie heard the rumble of a car engine, and she looked out the kitchen window. A little red sports car pulled up and parked haphazardly behind her own car. The engine turned off, the door opened, and Melanie’s heart stuttered.
“Tilly?” Melanie said aloud, and Logan came around the side of the counter and looked out the window beside her.
Tilly got out of the car, her sun-bleached hair pulled back in a messy bun, her makeup consisting of a bit of lip gloss. She’d grown up over the last few months. The last time Melanie had seen her stepdaughter was when Melanie came by the house to pick up some paperwork. It had been an awkward few minutes for Melanie while Tilly had virtually ignored her. Dad left that envelope for you. I’ve got stuff to do, so... That had stung, and she’d had to hide her emotions. But now, Tilly seemed older, more sure of herself. Tilly placed her sunglasses on her head and walked around to the back of her car where she popped the trunk. What was she doing here? She knew that Melanie had gotten the lake house in the divorce. In fact, Tilly had been rather vocal that she thought it was unfair, since it had been such an integral part of their childhood. Melanie, it seemed, had already been emotionally sliced out.
Tilly resented her stepmother. She hated this place, but she’d hated Melanie getting anything from their father more.
Melanie went to the door and pulled it open, watching as Tilly lifted out first one bag and then another. Then she struggled with a third—a large suitcase.
“Your stepdaughter?” Logan said from across the kitchen.
“That’s her,” she said grimly. Her heart sped up. She wasn’t the one who was supposed to be intimidated, but this girl had a way of making Melanie feel small. She’d honed it over the last few years. There was something about Tilly’s complete and unwavering belief in herself and her father.
“I’ll let you two catch up, then,” Logan said.
Melanie shot him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “It looks like she needs you.”
Did she? Melanie felt a knot forming in her stomach. Tilly had been the toughest to raise, and the angriest during the divorce. The girl was beautiful and statuesque. She was confident, smart and, with the help of her father’s money, she would go places. So why had she come here?
“I’ll let you know what I find out in the newspaper office.” Logan slipped past Melanie just as Tilly attempted to gather up her bags. She put one over her shoulder, and tried to stack the other on top of her suitcase, pulled the handle up. But the driveway was gravel, and those little airport wheels weren’t going to go far.
“You want a hand with that?” Logan asked, raising his voice.
“Yeah. Okay.” Tilly put down all of the bags, stepped back and pulled out her phone. Logan deposited the cardboard box onto the hood of his truck, then came back and picked up her bags, hoisting them easily enough. He carried them to the front door and put them down on the step. He shot Melanie a roguish smile.
“Have fun with her,” he said softly.
“Thanks.” Apparently, Tilly was planning to stay for a bit.
Logan turned and gave Tilly a nod, which Tilly didn’t seem to see since she was typing on her phone. He carried on past her.
“Tilly?” Melanie said, raising her voice.
“One sec.”
Melanie stood there, waiting while Tilly walked ever so slowly up toward the house. Finally, she tucked the phone away and looked up.
“Hi,” Melanie said.
Logan’s truck rumbled to life and started backing out of the drive. Part of Melanie wished he’d stay. Being alone with Tilly was more than intimidating right now, but Tilly wasn’t Logan’s problem. She wasn’t supposed to be Melanie’s anymore, either.
“I’m going to be here for a few weeks,” Tilly said.
“You do realize that this is my house,” Melanie said. “Right?”
“This is the family lake house.” Tilly didn’t look up. “I grew up here.”
Seven summers constituted a rather large part of a girl’s childhood, but it was still a stretch.
“This is my home now,” Melanie said.
“Dad always said he’d give it to me, you know,” Tilly said.
Were they really going to stand here and argue about the legality of the divorce agreement? Melanie tried to calm the rising anger. Tilly had a way about her—archly demanding that reality bend toward her wishes.
“Tilly, call your father,” Melanie said with a sigh. Let Adam argue with his daughter.
“Dad said you wouldn’t mind.”
Did he now? Tilly picked up the two smaller bags and carried them past Melanie into the house. She put them down in the living room, then came back to muscle the large suitcase inside.
Melanie shut the door and looked across the room at her stepdaughter. Tilly wore a mask of indifference—the same one she’d been using the past several years. Logan’s and Harry’s defensive shells were as thin as bubbles compared to this girl. But she was here—and she wouldn’t have come for nothing.
“Why are you here, Tilly?” Melanie asked.
“I needed somewhere to go,” she retorted. “So, who’s that guy? Your boyfriend?”
“Not that it’s your business, but he’s a friend of mine.” Her
