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“Melody,” Brynlee greeted. “It’s so nice to see you again.” She pulled Melody in for a hug as Harper reached for Eli’s hand. Melody hesitated, surprised by Bryn’s embrace, but soon returned it. That was just how Brynlee was. Once she brought you into the fold, she treated you like family, and you could never escape a hug. Melody would eventually get used to it. Brynlee had a way of wearing you down. I would know.
“Gavin,” Melody said with a tight smile.
“Ms.—” I began, wanting to keep a professional boundary, but realized I never got her last name.
“Barrett,” she finished for me, wincing as she said the name.
“Ms. Barrett,” I began, “or is it Mrs.?” I assumed she was single but thought maybe I should clarify, especially considering her reaction to giving her last name and the fact that I never heard from her again. I didn’t want any surprises if her husband showed up one day. Her face fell, and pain flashed in her eyes. I immediately felt like an asshole for bringing it up, especially since Brynlee was right there.
“No, you had it right the first time,” she gritted out, clearly uncomfortable.
“Hey, what are you doing for Labor Day?” Brynlee cut in, most likely trying to ease the tension. It had grown thick around us, a palpable weight that slithered around our necks and settled on our shoulders. “My husband and I are having a get together. You and Eli should come.”
Melody turned her attention to Brynlee. “Eli will be with his dad for the holiday.”
“You can still come if you’d like. Macon got a new smoker and is dying to show off his meat,” Bryn said with a mischievous grin. Her attempt at breaking the tension worked. Melody snickered, and I barked out a laugh. I could see Macon saying something like that just to be ornery.
“If my grandparents don’t need me at the inn, I’ll try to stop by.”
“Great! Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll send you our address?” Bryn looked down to dig in her purse, and Melody’s gaze flicked to mine. A look of guilt darkened her normally vibrant eyes. Had she wanted to call me, to see me again? Had her other responsibilities kept her from trying to contact me?
“Here we go,” Bryn said, pulling her phone from the oversized bag slung over her shoulder. “I’m ready.”
Melody rattled off her phone number to Bryn while I studiously tried to ignore it. It was none of my business. If she wanted me to know her number, she would’ve given it to me that day. But she didn’t. She’d taken mine with no intention of ever calling me. Now she was making friends with my cousin’s wife. I hoped she didn’t come to the party at their house. It would be way too awkward. I just wanted to relax and have a beer with my cousins. I wouldn’t be able to do that when all I could think about was the way she tasted or the feel of her soft skin beneath my hands.
Shaking away those thoughts, I cleared my throat and excused myself. I needed to get away from Melody Barrett. Hooking up with her was no longer an option. As the mom of one of my students, she was now off limits. I wouldn’t touch her again. No matter how badly I wanted to.
Chapter 8
Melody
I nearly tripped over my own feet when I saw Gavin standing there, dress slacks perfectly creased, the sleeves of his button-down rolled up to his elbows. I didn’t know what it was about those rolled-up sleeves, but it got me going every time, especially when those forearms were muscular and tan. Holy smokes he cleaned up good. Really good. I rather enjoyed him in his worn and frayed denim with his plain t-shirt and boots, but now he looked serious, formidable even. He commanded respect and plenty of attention. I wasn’t the only one who noticed how good he looked either. Nearly every woman who passed by did a double take when they saw him. I couldn’t blame them. He was a real life thirst trap.
“We should have lunch sometime this week,” Brynlee said as we walked toward the kids’ classroom.
“I’d like that,” I replied, and I meant it. Since moving to Willow Brook Falls, I hadn’t really made any new friends. Between spending time with Elijah and working on the inn, I stayed busy all summer. Now that nearly all the updates were finished and things were beginning to slow down, I needed to try to acclimate to my new life here, and that meant socializing. Other than Gavin, Brynlee was the first person I’d connected with since moving to town. I could see us becoming good friends. She was sweet and welcoming, and our kids were the same age. Although, she seemed close to Gavin, and I wondered how they knew each other.
“You seem to know Mr. Phillips pretty well,” I said casually, hoping not to sound like I was interested in him.
“He is my husband’s cousin. They’re pretty close, and he and I hit it off immediately. We’ve become good friends since he moved here a few months ago,” she said as we entered Eli and Harper’s classroom. After a teary goodbye and lots of hugs, we left our babies to their first day of kindergarten. We turned at the door to look back at them one last time, and they were already laughing and having a great time together.
“They’re gonna be best friends,” Brynlee announced with a soft smile.
“I think you’re right.”
“I have to go to work, but I’ll call you later.”
I bid Brynlee farewell and headed back to the inn to help my grandma prepare the day’s meals for the guests.
Gavin was nowhere in sight when I picked Elijah up at the end of the day. I couldn't decide if I was relieved or disappointed. Maybe a little of both. Part of me wanted to run and hide when I saw him, embarrassed that I’d slept with a stranger who turned out to be my son’s assistant principal. The other part wanted to explain why I hadn’t called him. Things were complicated. I’d just moved to town and was trying to co-parent with my ex who lived two and a half hours away. My grandma's health was declining, and I was taking on more responsibility at the inn than I anticipated. I’d wanted a no strings attached roll in the hay. I wasn’t looking for another complication. Although now that I knew who Gavin was, I realized that was exactly what I’d gotten.
Maybe I’d go to that party at Brynlee’s after all and try to clear the air. I hadn’t planned on going since I was afraid it would be too awkward, but avoiding him wouldn’t help either. Considering the tension I felt rolling off him this morning, we needed to talk. I wasn’t able to shake the look on his face when I gave Brynlee my number. He’d averted his gaze and even with the thick, dark beard covering his jaw, I could still tell he was clenching it. The question was, had I hurt him or just his ego by not calling?
“Mommy,” Elijah called, and I looked up to see him running to me.
“Hey, buddy.” I leaned down and opened my arms. He immediately melted into my embrace, and I kissed the top of his head.
“Macon!” Harper came barreling out behind him and practically tackled a tall, dark haired man. I’d heard that name before, and if I remembered correctly, he was Brynlee's husband. It struck me then that Harper had called him by name, so I guessed he wasn’t her biological father.
