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Melody's throat tightened. From what she had seen already, that was certainly true.
"He's a good guy, much too good in my opinion. If I were him, I'd have torn Miranda a new one years ago," Tara continued.
Melody grunted with laughter and scoffed, "He's been nothing but a storm cloud since he moved in yesterday. The only words we've had have been angry ones."
Tara looked surprised. "That doesn't sound like Jake."
Melody shrugged and tried her best to look nonchalant. "It makes no difference to me."
"You should give him a chance," Tara insisted with a deep sigh. "He has been under a lot of stress after a year-long divorce process. I'm sure once things are settled, you'll see a different side to him."
Melody was unnerved by the sense of excitement she felt at Tara's words. Maybe if she just gave it a little time, she and Jake could get back to a better place. But as soon as she had thought of it, she forced the thought away. Her lack of job and her troubled finances were far more important right now.
When she saw the hopeful look on Tara's face, she sighed, "I'll think about it."
"Good," Tara said, smiling brightly. "Because it sounds to me like the both of you could use a fresh start."
Not for the first time, Melody was glad she hadn't admitted that the guy from the Silver Moon and her new next-door neighbor were one in the same.
She dreaded to think what Tara might try to encourage her into if she had.
"He's just a neighbor," Melody pointed out. Tara laughed at that, a laugh that made Melody's insides tingle.
"There are about ten or so Silverdale females who would kill to live next door to the newly-single Jake Silverdale," Tara said. She looked out of the window again before she added, "He's one of the good ones."
Melody quivered. She knew all too well how good Jake Silverdale could be. Yet, she had learned long ago not to let men get too close.
Chapter 5 - Jake
"Where's Mommy?"
It was a question Jake had heard a million times before, and it was beginning to get on his last nerve. It wasn't Sally's fault. It was her damn mother's.
And so, Jake forced a smile and said, "I don't know, little wolf. I'll just step out onto the porch and see if she's on her way."
"Can I have some more milk before you do?" Sally asked. Ordinarily, Jake might have said no, worried that she might have bladder issues on her way back home, but with no sign of Miranda and no longer bothered about making life easier for the mother of his child, he nodded and poured another glass.
"I'll be right back," he promised, kissing his daughter's forehead before he headed out of the house.
He didn't bother to look down the street. He already knew there was no car coming. And so, he grabbed his phone out of his jeans pocket and dialed Miranda's number. There was no answer and so he tried again. And again. He tried several times before finally giving up and leaving a voice message.
"Miranda, where the fuck are you?" he demanded into the phone. "Sally has been waiting for you for over half an hour. This isn't on. I'm going to be late for work. If you don't get your act together, I'll be taking this to court."
He has finally had enough. His anger had gotten the better of him, and he could feel his wolf scratching just beneath the surface.
"Hurry the fuck up!" he yelled into the phone before hanging up.
It was only once he had done so that he turned and caught sight of Melody over the fence.
Damn it,he thought, realizing she must have overheard everything he just said from her vantage point where she had been tending her front garden.
As though she sensed him watching her, she got to her feet and turned to look at him. He knew he should look away quickly or risk having his head chewed off, but he couldn't help himself. Her brown gaze was warm and inviting, and he thought he saw a little concern.
In her hand, she held several dead flowers she had cut from her flowerbed, but she seemed uninterested in them as she asked, "Is everything alright?"
Jake gritted his teeth against the urge to remind her it was none of her business. His hackles always rose whenever she showed concern, and he had no idea why.
He shrugged and said, "It's nothing I can't handle."
