And he wasn’t going to get it this time, either, was he?
CHAPTER SEVEN
HARRY WASN’T THE only one Melanie had recognized. She knew the nurse who’d been talking to him. That was Renata Spivovitch—one of the women from Angelina’s First Wives Circle. Renata recognized Melanie at the same time, fluttering her fingers in a wave as she wheeled the older man over to them.
“I know the nurse,” Melanie said.
“Oh, yeah?” Logan nodded and cleared his throat.
“Do you want me to stay with you while you talk to him, or...” She hesitated. “I’m happy to wait if you want a bit of privacy.”
Renata wheeled Harry up, and for a moment, father and son simply looked at each other.
“You’re getting gray,” Harry said at last.
“Yeah.” Logan raked his fingers through his hair. “It happens to the best of us.”
“If you want to take over for Renata here, and wheel me outside, it looks pretty warm out,” Harry said.
“It’s nice out, actually,” Logan agreed. He handed the wooden box to his father, who attempted to accept it with one hand. Logan laid it on Harry’s lap instead. “I’ll explain that in a minute.”
He looked over at Melanie.
“I did drag you all the way out here,” he said.
She shook her head, waving him on. “Go on. I’m fine.”
Logan gave Renata a nod, then wheeled his father toward the doors. Melanie stood back and smiled at Renata.
“How are you doing?” Renata asked. “You look good, by the way.”
“Thanks.” She’d put in some effort this morning, not that she was going to admit to that. “Is it okay if I just wait for him?”
“You know what, I was supposed to take my coffee break, anyway,” Renata said. “Do you want to chat for a few minutes?”
Melanie smiled. “That would be nice. How are the kids? You’ve got three, right?”
“They’re doing a day camp thing just outside of town,” Renata said. “They’re the camp’s problems right now.”
Melanie chuckled. “I’ve got my stepdaughter with me now. She’s seventeen.”
“Oh?” Renata’s eyebrows went up. “Come on—let’s head outside. There’s a bench I like, and you can see when your friend is done with his father.”
Melanie followed Renata outside into the fresh air, her gaze instinctively moving toward Logan where he was pushing his father slowly down the sidewalk. Logan bent closer, presumably to hear something his father said, then he stopped, angled the chair toward some trees and pushed the wheels into the grass.
Once at the bench, Melanie sat down next to the shorter woman and shot her a smile.
“This is a nice spot,” she agreed.
“So how is it going with your stepdaughter?” Renata asked. “I guess she didn’t side with her dad in the divorce if she’s here.”
“I thought she had,” Melanie admitted. “But she showed up on my doorstep, and—” She glanced over at Renata. Renata was a nurse, and she’d have a better idea of what Tilly needed right now. “Can I ask you something...professionally? As a nurse?”
“Of course,” Renata replied. “What’s going on?”
“It stays confidential, right?”
“Absolutely.”
“She’s pregnant. And she’s got nausea and vomiting, and I’ve never been pregnant. I have no advice. She won’t see a doctor yet, and—”
“Saltines,” Renata said.
“What?”
“Saltines. The crackers. They work. They absorb the extra stomach acid and it helps keep the nausea at bay.”
“Oh...” Melanie nodded. “Thank you.”
“She’ll need prenatal vitamins and a doctor’s checkup, too,” Renata added.
“Right. I’m going to pick those up for her today, and as for the doctor’s appointment, that might have to wait until she gets back to Denver.”
“You’re in over your head, huh?” Renata asked.
“Feels that way,” Melanie admitted. “She’s resented me for a few years now for not being her real mom.”
Renata was silent for a moment. “I was going to save this until our next Second Chance dinner, but Ivan wants to come back home.”
Melanie stared at her. “Didn’t he want to move the mistress into your house?”
“Yeah, and she broke up with him a few months back. I guess having him all to herself wasn’t the fun she thought it would be.” Renata sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms as she looked out over the lush lawn.
“Are you considering it?” Melanie asked.
“I’d be crazy to.” Her voice was low.
“But are you?” Melanie pressed.
Renata turned toward her with tears in her eyes. “The kids want their dad to come home. And they’re furious with me right now, because I’m the mean one standing between them and a united family. And Ivan—he’s using that. He’s buying them gifts, telling them he still loves me—”
“Can you trust him again?” Melanie asked helplessly.
“Never.” Renata shook her head. “Of course, I can’t. He had a mistress that he hid very successfully with a thousand little lies, and then when I found out, he refused to give her up. I’m supposed to trust that man again? He lies better than a politician!”
“Do the kids know what happened—what their father did?” Melanie asked.
“I tried to hide the details. We both did. But I’m sure they figured out some of it. Especially the older one. What about you—did the stepkids know what caused your divorce?”
“I told them,” she said. “But the youngest was sixteen, and the older two were already in college, so...”
“But he’s still their father, right?” Renata said. “And they’ll idolize him no matter what he does.”
“That’s the truth... So, what will you do?” Melanie asked.
“I don’t know.” Renata reached out and patted Melanie’s arm. “But just know that even when you’re the biological mother, kids can still choose their dad’s side.”
“Oh, Renata...” Melanie breathed. “I’m sorry.”
“Enough about me,” Renata said, forcing a smile. “What’s happening with him?”
Melanie looked over to where Logan stood next to the wheelchair, both men staring out toward the lake, not even looking at each other. Logan was tall, strong, his weight shifted to one foot. He’d always been a good-looking guy...
“Logan?” she asked.
“Logan,” Renata chuckled. “Didn’t we see him at
