No response.
“Fine! I’m leaving.” Melody turned, grabbed her small suitcase and sashayed her way down the hall.
“Please leave my room!” Livvy said to Creed.
He sighed and stepped into the hall and headed for the stairs when he heard the bedroom door slam shut behind him. Taking the stairs, he practically knocked the screen door off the hinges on his way through it. He knew this would happen. Melody was a human tornado who swept in, wreaked havoc, then left a mess for others to clean up. That had always been her deal.
On the porch, he leaned his elbows on the rail and looked out into the distance. Creed had never been a sentimental man but having a daughter had helped him connect with the compassionate and understanding parts within himself.
Lowering his gaze, he watched a bird grab a worm and take off in flight.
He had his own worms to carry.
He’d listened to Mindy’s voice messages when he got home from Kosovo. Stubborn and prideful, he’d erased them. He’d been angry, but mostly he’d been hurt. And now, all those emotions were tenfold. Jane was in Cooper’s Hawk. He wanted to see her, but what would he say? Would she want to see him? Would she be willing to have a conversation with him?
Emotion bubbled up inside of his throat and he couldn’t push it down.
So many lives were affected by the secret.
He had to take accountability for his own actions though.
Hearing the screen door screech, he looked over his shoulder to see Melody stepping out, opening a water bottle. When she saw him, she blew a tendril of hair off her face. “That child is out of control.”
“She’s not out of control. She’s a teen.”
“Whatever. It’s just like you to excuse her behavior.”
“Do you blame her for acting out?”
“Don’t start with me, Creed. Let’s not rehash that same argument we had the first time I left.”
He narrowed his gaze, pushed off the rail and faced her. “No worries. We were at an entirely different time then.”
“Why are you still looking at me like that?” She puffed out her bottom lip.
“I think you understand why without me saying the words.”
“Come on, you should be thanking me. Mindy would never have told you the truth.”
“Maybe. Maybe not, but you always did enjoy stirring up trouble, didn’t you?”
“This has as much to do with me as it does you. I don’t want Livvy to be hurt.”
“Really? You say that as you leave her sitting in her room licking her wounds,” he growled.
“Oh there it is. The perfect Creed. Let me guess, you want a medal because you stuck around. We both know if you’d stayed on the rodeo circuit you would have just as easily left Livvy with me. Why is it when men leave for a career, they’re respected and admired but when a woman follows her career we’re made to look like monsters?”
“No one has ever made you out to be a monster, Mel. But you have a teen daughter who is going through something. She needs a mother. At least a part time mother. I’ve never asked you to give up your career.”
“Well, it looks like Mindy will be filling that void soon enough.” She set the water bottle down on the rail.
“Don’t pretend innocence. You did what you came to do. How’d you find out Mindy was here?” he prodded.
She lowered her eyes a mere second then looked back up, her blank expression back into place. “Livvy told me you and Mindy were seeing each other.”
“So you didn’t come for Livvy, did you? When we were on the phone and I asked about the letter you guessed Mindy was back.” He chuckled coldly. “That’s just wonderful.”
“Nonsense. I came for our daughter. I just needed to see it with my own eyes.” Something flickered in her expression. Something close to human kindness. “I think Mindy would make a good mother.”
Creed lifted a brow. “Huh? Sorry, I’m lost. Did you just compliment Mindy?”
“Don’t push it. You heard what I said. I’ll never be the mother that Livvy needs and she certainly needs someone to keep her occupied.”
So her intentions weren’t entirely altruistic. “Livvy isn’t a dog, Mel. She’s a teen who has feelings.”
“Of course. Anyway, I called a car to take me to the airport and it should be here soon.”
“You already knew you wouldn’t be sticking around until this afternoon?”
“Oh please! Stop being so judgy.”
“You’d think I would have learned my lesson about you,” he growled. “You’re right, Livvy needs much more than you can offer.”
“Whatever. At least I can admit it.” She shrugged and lost some of the sneer. Reaching into her purse she took out an envelope. “This is a little late, but I think it’s time you read it.”
He saw his name written across the front. Taking the envelope, he shook his head.
“You know what that is?”
“Why, Mel?”
She gave a small shrug. “You were mine, Creed Hawke, and I wanted to keep my cowboy.”
“But how could you be so evil to keep my daughter from me?”
“I’m a lot of things, but I wouldn’t have been that cruel. If it makes any difference, I didn’t read the letter. I had been watching Mindy when she came back to town and I saw her put the letter in the truck. When she left, I took it. I wanted to read what she’d written, but I didn’t. I followed her to the ice rink, and I was going to give the letter back to her, but I was angry.”
He stared down at his name. The envelope was sealed. He heard tires on rock
