A Creed in Stone Creek Part 27

Steven glanced to one side, spotted the probable owner of the Bonneville over by the cooler, evidently shopping for beer. The guy was young-maybe under the legal drinking age-and n.o.body he recognized, but that didn't mean much. After all, Steven was new in Stone Creek; there were still a lot of people he didn't know, small as the place was.

He said h.e.l.lo to Martine, who smiled at him as she returned the greeting, and ran his debit card through the machine to make advance payment for whatever a full tank of gas wound up costing.

"Well," Martine responded, "welcome to Stone Creek. It's nice to see somebody moving into this town instead of out. Seems like there was a ma.s.s exodus after the mill closed down."

"Thanks for the welcome," he said. He knew she'd read his name off the credit card, but he offered it up just the same, since that was the polite thing to do.

"You got a wife, Mr. Creed?" she asked.

Steven wasn't exactly pressed for time, so he lingered longer than he might have done otherwise. "No, ma'am," he said. "It's just me and my son, Matt."

Martine tilted her head to one side and studied him, a mischievous light dancing in her clear-as-creek-water eyes. It crossed Steven's mind that she might know all about his rendezvous with Melissa, that being typical of a small town like Stone Creek.

"We can always use another eligible bachelor," she said finally. "Not that you'll be on the market long, a good-lookin' cowboy like you."

The remark made Steven feel uncharacteristically shy. "Thanks," he said, for the second time, feeling his earlobes burn a little. Now, he fled.

"I've got a daughter!" Martine called after him. "Her name is Jessica Lynn and she's going to be a full-fledged dental a.s.sistant in another six weeks!"

Steven pretended not to hear the pitch, but he couldn't help chuckling as he took the nozzle off the fuel pump and stuck it into the tank's opening.

He'd been so busy trying to figure out Melissa O'Ballivan, it hadn't even occurred to him that he might be the subject of some matchmaking. How many other mamas, besides Jessica Lynn's, were eyeing him through the matrimonial crosshairs, right at that very moment?

Since the tank was nearly empty, it took a while to fill it. Steven washed the winds.h.i.+eld, checked the tire pressure and wiped a few bugs off the grillwork.

When the gas pump shut down, he went back inside to sign the credit slip and get his receipt.

Martine had acquired some more customers by then, and she was too busy at the register, ringing up jugs of milk, lottery tickets and cigarettes to try to sell him on Jessica Lynn again.

Thinking ahead to that evening's dance at the Grange Hall, which would probably be attended by just about everybody in Stone Creek and maybe Indian Rock, too, he couldn't help wondering just what he might be letting himself in for.

He grinned to himself as he drove away.

Maybe he'd attract enough attention to make Melissa a little jealous.

Wouldn't that that be something? be something?

MELISSA STOOD IN FRONT of the mirror on her closet door, scowling at herself. Now that zero hour was approaching, she didn't like the aqua dress half as much as she had before. of the mirror on her closet door, scowling at herself. Now that zero hour was approaching, she didn't like the aqua dress half as much as she had before.

She sucked in her stomach. "There they are," she said, pointing at her reflected backside. "The two pounds I gained eating your your food." food."

Ashley, sitting on the bed and holding Katie on her lap, smiled and shook her head. "Please. You could gain ten more more pounds and still fit into every pair of jeans you own." pounds and still fit into every pair of jeans you own."

"As if I'm going to let that that happen," Melissa said, with a little sniff. happen," Melissa said, with a little sniff.

Ashley laughed softly. Her eyes shone with contentment and good humor. Once upon a time, she'd been pretty tense herself, but since Jack's arrival in her life, and then Katie's, she'd mellowed considerably.

Which was sometimes annoying.

"Are you planning on spending the night with him?" Ashley asked.

Melissa turned and made a big deal of cupping her hands loosely over Katie's little pink ears. "What a thing to say in front of a child, child," she said.

Ashley rolled her twinkly blue eyes. "Katie is two, two," she reminded her sister. "And anyway, you're just trying to stall."

Melissa uncovered Katie's ears, sighed. "I don't know," she said.

More twinkling. Happiness looked wonderful on Ashley, just as it did on Olivia and Meg. "You don't know if you're stalling?" she teased.

"I don't know if I'm going to-" Melissa glanced down at Katie, who was holding Ashley's long, golden braid in both hands and gazing at it in wonder, and lowered her voice, "sleep with him."

"What's the holdup?" Ashley asked.

Melissa plunked her hands on her hips and mimicked, "'What's the holdup?' Easy for you you to ask, Ashley O'Ballivan McKenzie, when you have the whole rest of your to ask, Ashley O'Ballivan McKenzie, when you have the whole rest of your life life laid out like a path between two rose gardens!" laid out like a path between two rose gardens!"

"Stalling," Ashley repeated, singing the word.

Katie giggled and sang her own version.

Melissa stumbled over her answer. "It's just-well-we hadn't known each other very long when-"

"Maybe," Ashley reasoned, "it's a matter of knowing each other well well enough, instead of enough, instead of long long enough." enough."

Melissa arched an eyebrow, her hands still resting on her hips. Which felt slightly wider under her knuckles, though that was probably an illusion brought on by concern over consumption of her sister's incomparable lasagna. "Whose side are you on, anyway?" she asked.

"There are sides? sides?" Ashley countered, raising her own eyebrows. "Who knew?"

Melissa let out a big breath and sat down beside her sister on the bed. "I'm trying to be sensible, here," she said.

"Love isn't sensible," Ashley informed her.

"Who said anything about love?" Melissa countered. "This is a case of l.u.s.t. If I were in love love with Steven Creed, don't you think I would have noticed?" with Steven Creed, don't you think I would have noticed?"

"Not necessarily," Ashley chimed. "For such a smart woman, you can be pretty obtuse when it comes to men."

"Obtuse?" She took a slow, deliberate breath, in a bid for patience. "Just because you're married now, Ash, you're suddenly an expert on men?" She took a slow, deliberate breath, in a bid for patience. "Just because you're married now, Ash, you're suddenly an expert on men?"

"I'm an expert on one particular man, one particular man," Ashley responded, a little smugly. "That's all I need to be."

Melissa studied her twin in silence for a long moment. Then her shoulders slumped slightly. "Don't you ever get scared?" she asked, very softly.

Ashley took her hand, squeezed lightly. A slight furrow appeared in her forehead. "Scared?"

"Caring so much," Melissa murmured. "It's, well-it's dangerous. dangerous."

Ashley's entire countenance softened, along with her face. "Oh, honey," she said. "Is this about the breakup with Dan? That's why you think it's dangerous to care too much? I know you were hurt, but honestly, what are the odds of something like that happening twice in one person's lifetime?"

Melissa sighed again. "Have you checked the divorce statistics lately?" she asked. Her stab at humor fell flat.

"Statistics are statistics," Ashley said. "And people are people. Every couple is different, Mel. It's all about finding someone who wants the same things out of life and has similar values, and then both partners trying like h.e.l.l to make it work. There aren't any guarantees, obviously-not for any of us."

"So you never get scared. Never worry that something could happen to Jack or, G.o.d forbid, Katie or the baby?"

"Of course I worry sometimes," Ashley replied. "I'm only human, and I have some of the same abandonment issues as you do, because of Mom leaving and Dad dying so young. But I try never to dwell on all the things that could go wrong. Melissa, so many things go right, right, every single day, for everybody, but n.o.body notices that." every single day, for everybody, but n.o.body notices that."

Melissa leaned closer and let the side of her head rest against the side of Ashley's. "You're amazing," she said.

"Yes," Ashley replied, with comical primness, "I am, rather, aren't I?"

They were quiet for a while, content just to be side by side.

Then, perhaps because she'd missed Ashley so much while she was away visiting Jack's family, Melissa asked a question she might have kept back, saved for another time.

"Ash, did you ever feel as though your own life didn't fit you anymore?"

Ashley squeezed Melissa's shoulders. "Before Jack, I did," she replied quietly. "I had everything I'd ever thought I wanted-you and Olivia and Brad, this house, my own business, all of it. But I finally had to face facts after Jack turned up again. Something was definitely missing, and that something was a man to love and be loved by." She paused, sighed happily, and kissed the top of Katie's head. "A man I could make babies with. Share dreams with. Even argue with."

Melissa sighed, too, but it wasn't out of contentment. She felt confused, as though she'd reached some kind of crossroads and didn't know which way to turn. "We're so different," she reflected, "despite being twins. You've always been old-fas.h.i.+oned, baking pies and wearing ap.r.o.ns with ruffles on them, seemingly glad to stay right here in Stone Creek until the end of your days, while I always wanted to take on the world, prove I could hold my own against the best of them."

Ashley smiled, but her eyes were serious, and full of tender concern. "Maybe we're not so different as you'd like to believe," she said. One corner of her mouth quirked mischievously, which meant there was a zinger coming, for sure. "You'll probably never be a decent cook," she went on, "but I think you'd really like like to have a home and a husband and some kids." to have a home and a husband and some kids."

"I have have a home," Melissa said, thinking of her tidy, mortgage-free cottage. a home," Melissa said, thinking of her tidy, mortgage-free cottage.

"You have a house, house," Ashley corrected her gently. "That isn't the same thing at all."

"Ashley O'Ballivan McKenzie," Melissa challenged good-naturedly, "are you saying a woman can't live happily ever after without a man in her bed and a gold band on her finger?"

"Of course not. Lots of women thrive on being single. Men, too. But that's them and this is you, Mel. Olivia and Meg and I have been worrying about you for a long time-since you and Dan called it quits, especially. You put on a good show, sister mine, but we-your nearest and dearest-are not so easily deceived."

"All right, so I get lonely sometimes," Melissa retorted. "Who doesn't?"

"I don't," Ashley said. "And I don't think Olivia and Meg do, either." She paused again, looking thoughtful. "In my opinion, you've gotten so used to being lonely that you think it's normal to feel that way." don't," Ashley said. "And I don't think Olivia and Meg do, either." She paused again, looking thoughtful. "In my opinion, you've gotten so used to being lonely that you think it's normal to feel that way."

Melissa huffed out a sigh, ready for the conversation to be over. Ashley's comments struck a little too close to the bone. "What would you suggest I do?" she asked, going against her own decision to change the subject. "Shall I just cut some poor, unsuspecting guy out of the herd, throw him down on the ground and hog-tie him?" She pretended to ponder the plan. "He'd have to be a pretty slow runner, of course."

Ashley gave a soft hoot of laughter at that. The woman twinkled all over, like a tree bedecked with fairy lights. Was it even legal legal to be that happy? to be that happy?

"Do you know what your problem is, Melissa?" Ashley challenged, with a note of smugness in her tone.

"A twin sister with a penchant for minding my business instead of her own?" Melissa teased.

Ashley stopped smiling then, and the fairy lights dimmed a little. "Your whole life is geared to wins and losses. No gray areas for you-and you really really don't like to lose. When your relations.h.i.+p with Dan went under, you saw it as a personal defeat. After that, you were scared to try again." don't like to lose. When your relations.h.i.+p with Dan went under, you saw it as a personal defeat. After that, you were scared to try again."

"Nonsense," Melissa said, but her tone was decidedly hesitant.

"I was always the old-fas.h.i.+oned type," Ashley maintained gently. "And you were always compet.i.tive. Because you weren't the one to put an end to the whole thing, instead of Dan, you counted it as a rejection."

Melissa's throat tightened, and she swallowed, but it didn't help. She didn't have the words to contradict Ashley, or the conviction, either.

On some level, the breakup with Dan had had left her with the idea that love worked for other people, but not for her. left her with the idea that love worked for other people, but not for her.

Still holding Katie, Ashley stood, bent to kiss the top of Melissa's head. "Just have a good time tonight," she advised.

And then she and Katie left the room.

ONCE HE WAS THROUGH at the gas stationconvenience store, Steven drove around town for a while, marveling at his own sense of blithe aimlessness, and finally realized he was hungry. He headed for the only drive-through burger place in town, ordered a cheeseburger and a cola, and ate in the driver's seat, being careful not to spill anything on his clean s.h.i.+rt or his best jeans. He'd pressed them both, and he wanted to stay spiffy as long as he could. at the gas stationconvenience store, Steven drove around town for a while, marveling at his own sense of blithe aimlessness, and finally realized he was hungry. He headed for the only drive-through burger place in town, ordered a cheeseburger and a cola, and ate in the driver's seat, being careful not to spill anything on his clean s.h.i.+rt or his best jeans. He'd pressed them both, and he wanted to stay spiffy as long as he could.

Even when the burger was history, there was lots of time to go before he could reasonably knock on Melissa's front door.

He found a flower shop, after some searching, but it was closed. From there, he proceeded to the supermarket. He'd seen roses and various houseplants in the produce sections of grocery stores lots of times. He'd have preferred something a little fancier, a big bouquet with exotic blossoms and ribbon tied around the vase, but for tonight anyhow, he'd have to make do.

Inside the store, Steven chose between daisies, rosebuds just opening up, and what was probably some kind of lily. He considered buying several bunches and putting them together, but he wasn't sure which colors went with which. So he settled for a dozen yellow roses, stuck them, stems dripping, into their vase-shaped plastic bag, and headed for the checkout counter.

All the lines were long. Folks with shopping carts filled to overflowing, toddlers wailing with boredom or fatigue or some combination of the two. A few last-minute Louies-like himself-who'd stopped in for flowers.

Steven waited patiently. After all, a line was a line and he had plenty of time, anyway. He was caught off guard when another cart in front of his rammed into his from the side, lightly but still with a startling crash of metal.

Tessa Quinn, from over at the Sunflower Cafe, was standing there, grinning at him. "Oops," she said. "Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Hey," he greeted her, with an easy smile.

She took in the yellow roses. "Nice flowers."

Steven sighed. "Yeah," he said.

Tessa blew out a good-natured breath. "Not another man of few words," she lamented cheerfully. "We've already got a surplus of those in this town."

He chuckled. "Looking forward to the dance tonight?" he asked, having decided to make more of a social effort. Up on the ranch, outside Lonesome Bend, Kim was forever claiming that she'd trade the whole bunch of quiet Creed men for someone who spoke in complete sentences.

Tessa's smile dazzled. "Oh, yes," she said. "I thought Tom Parker would never never ask me out." ask me out."

The line moved, and Steven held back to let Tessa go ahead of him. "And I thought Melissa would never ask me, me," he joked. No matter how things turned out between them, he figured he'd never get tired of the memory of that woman swallowing her formidable pride, right there in the Sunflower Cafe, in front of half the town, to invite him to a dance.

Tessa laughed. "That was was a surprise," she said. "Tom must have tricked her into it." The expression on that well-known face was priceless as she realized how the remark must have sounded to Steven. She even blushed. "It's just that-well-the two of them have been buddies since they were little kids. After Dan Guthrie broke Melissa's heart into about a million pieces, people thought she and Tom might finally get together-" She fell silent again, looking miserable. a surprise," she said. "Tom must have tricked her into it." The expression on that well-known face was priceless as she realized how the remark must have sounded to Steven. She even blushed. "It's just that-well-the two of them have been buddies since they were little kids. After Dan Guthrie broke Melissa's heart into about a million pieces, people thought she and Tom might finally get together-" She fell silent again, looking miserable.

"But they didn't," Steven said, trying to help the poor woman off the hook.

Tessa shook her head. "No," she confirmed. "They didn't."

He might have asked her to tell him a little more about Melissa's broken heart if the time and place and circ.u.mstances had been different, but the clerk was waiting none too patiently to ring up Tessa's purchases and the line behind them stretched clear back to the freezer aisle.