Chapter 14

Daniel held Melinda's hand as they waved goodbye to Bree and their mother. Dinner had been delicious, and despite the initial shock of Bree's appearance, everyone had seemed happy to have her there, with Mark and their grandmother being the exceptions. Even their father's business associates thought it was nice that Mark had found a girl who was so “down to earth.”

“I can’t believe she didn’t tell them,” Melinda muttered under her breath as they left the restaurant. “That was the whole point, wasn’t it? She was supposed to show up in her bathrobe and declare the engagement over. After we ate up all the incredible food, of course.”

“Do you think she is having second thoughts?” Daniel asked. Maybe the lavish lifestyle that Bree would enjoy was too enticing.

Melinda gaped. “No way. Didn’t you watch them tonight? They hate each other.” She shook her head. “Whenever there was a lull in the conversation, I would nudge her, and she’d look like she was going to speak, but then she’d get the look of a scared squirrel and stay quiet.”

Melinda stopped mid-step when Mark rushed past them. It appeared he was chasing after Bree and her mother as they were stepping onto the elevator. Daniel stopped with Melinda, watching with both curiosity and concern.

Mark managed to make it to the elevator right before the door shut and he stuck his hand out to stop it from closing. "If it's all right with your mother, I'd like to walk you back to your room, Bree. It will be my last chance before we become husband and wife." He flashed a smile at Mrs. Garrett.

"Oh goodness, don't let me get in the way," she gushed. "I remember the day I married Bree's father—" She stopped talking abruptly and placed her hand on her chest, like she was reliving a fond memory.

"Oh, you really don't need to do that," Bree said, pulling her bathrobe tighter.

Mark took a step forward. "I know. But I want to."

Melinda dropped Daniel's hand and rushed forward. "She said you don't need to."

Mark spun toward Melinda, then threw a look at Daniel that said, Women, right? It was almost like Mark wanted him to back him up.

"It seems Bree still isn't feeling well and would like to head up alone," Daniel said, joining Melinda at the elevator.

Bree mouthed thank you behind Mark's back, while Mrs. Garrett looked between the two, seeming confused and unsure how to interpret the interaction.

"Mom, do you mind making sure Bree gets tucked into bed? We want to make sure she is healthy for the big day tomorrow," Melinda prompted.

"Um…yes. Of course. That would be the wisest course of action," Mrs. Garrett said. She smiled apologetically at Mark. "You understand, I'm sure."

A scowl flitted across Mark's face, but he quickly turned it into his award-winning smile. "I only want what’s best for my lovely bride-to-be."

"The next time you see her, she'll be walking down the aisle toward your future together," Mrs. Garrett said with a sigh, like she wished it was her wedding day. She shook herself from her thoughts and gave a little wave, and the elevator door finally closed.

Mark turned on Daniel. "What did you do that for? We men have to watch out for each other."

"Don't put me in the same category as yourself," Daniel said. "I'm nothing like you. I actually care about my fiancée." The way the words flowed off his tongue seemed so natural…and honest. He was getting used to referring to Melinda as his fiancée, and he liked it. He didn't know when that had happened—when it had morphed from a lie to truth—but he realized now that he hoped he never had to stop saying it. He did care about Melinda. But more than that–he loved her.

Daniel stepped next to Melinda and took her hand. She squeezed it and looked up at Daniel, her eyes conveying what she didn't have to say—she felt the same way about him.

Mark took a threatening step toward Daniel. "If you breathe a word of what I told you in the restaurant the other night, I promise you that I will make your life miserable. I have the resources to do it."

"I'm sure you do," Daniel said, his voice calm. He wasn't the least bit scared of Mark's threats, especially with Melinda by his side.

Mark scowled, then spun on his heel and stalked off.

"You were brilliant," Melinda said, wrapping her arms around Daniel's waist.

"You weren't so bad yourself," he said, pulling her in tight. She rested her head on his chest as they stood in the empty hallway, enjoying each other's presence.

Melinda pulled back, and they walked down the hall and through the doors that led to the pool. They hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps when she stopped. "It’s a full moon tonight,” she said, looking up.

Daniel followed her gaze to the bright moon above them. Clouds drifted in its light and he found himself wanting to find a place to stare at it all night, with Melinda in his arms. “It’s beautiful,” he said.

"How do you feel about a little adventure before we head back up?” Melinda seemed way too excited and Daniel hoped she didn't have a secret obsession with werewolves or something equally crazy.

"That does sound nice," he said. Even if she ended up having a weird obsession, he wasn't ready to head back to his room just yet. The weekend was almost at a close, and he found himself wanting to spend every moment of it with Melinda.

They walked back inside and Melinda led Daniel down to the rental shop. The lights were turned off and a 'closed' sign hung in the window.

"Oh, darn," she said, her eyebrows scrunched together. "I wonder…"

The way she said it made Daniel nervous. "You wonder what?"

A mischievous smile lit up Melinda's features. "You don't mind if we borrow something that we technically aren't supposed to, do you?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow. He didn't like the sound of that. "You mean like…steal?"

"I wouldn't call it that," Melinda said. "It's just that we don't really have another option, considering that the office is closed, and we need one of their golf carts."

Daniel didn't want to seem like the stiff who didn't do anything adventurous or risky. But he'd been there and done that, and it had only led to trouble. “I’m sure they lock up the keys. Let's just come back in the morning."

Melinda laughed and pulled him toward the doors that would lead them toward the golf course. "You’re probably right, but let’s check it out for the fun of it. We would have the cart back before they knew it was gone. Besides, they’re here for the use of the guests."

"Yes, but only after they've signed liability waivers and have their information on file, just in case something were to happen to the cart."

Melinda waved him off. "You’re starting to sound like Bob. Besides, nothing is going to happen."

They walked out into the warm evening, the full moon lighting their way as they made their way toward a row of golf carts that were parked against the building. They were all plugged in and charging.

"We should come back when they have full batteries," Daniel said, keeping an eye out for any employees that might be in the vicinity.

If Melinda had heard him, she didn't acknowledge it. Instead, she leaned over each cart, checking the ignition. "One of these has to have had the key left in," she muttered. When she reached the second to last cart, she squealed in excitement and held up a key. "If they didn't want us borrowing one of their carts, why would they leave the key?"

"Because it was an accident," Daniel said. "None of the other carts had keys."

"Hey, none of that now. You're not allowed to ruin my fun," Melinda said, sticking her tongue out.

She looked so hopelessly adorable, Daniel couldn't help but laugh. "All right. But only for a few minutes. Then we need to leave it right where we found it."

"Yes, Father," Melinda said, then jumped in the driver's seat. Daniel reluctantly climbed in next to her. As she backed out, a loud beeping noise echoed around them.

"Can't you turn that thing off?" Daniel whispered.

"No," Melinda said. "They all do that. Maybe they have too many accidents with golfers getting run over or something."

"Or maybe too many golf carts are stolen by guests at night and this is their way of catching them," Daniel said, his anxiety rising. Whenever he thought of cops, or even hotel security, his pulse raced.

Melinda gave him a weird side glance. "We're borrowing a golf cart, not robbing a bank." She took the cart out of reverse and the beeping stopped. "Better?"

Daniel nodded, but his heart was still beating too fast. They drove along the path that cut through the golf course, the only light coming from the small headlights on the cart. As they drove, Daniel noticed a strange glowing in the distance. But the weird thing was, it seemed to be glowing from the ground up, rather than emanating from an object. "What's that up there?"

Melinda smiled. "You'll see. It's a surprise."

Daniel had had enough surprises for one day, but arguing with Melinda was futile, especially when she was the one driving. It wasn't natural for the ground to be giving off that much light, though. Once they left the resort grounds and were on the small path that cut through the dunes, he realized that he could see well enough that they didn't even need the headlights on the cart. It was like they had crossed from night to day in a matter of seconds. "What the heck?"

Pulling the cart to a stop, Melinda jumped out and led Daniel up a different dune than the one they had sledded down earlier. The memory of their kiss made his hands grow clammy and he hoped Melinda didn't notice how red he must be. He knew they had decided to keep this thing going…whatever it was…but it still made him nervous—like he was imagining everything. What if Melinda changed her mind once they were back in Amor and in the real world? Or what if her parents decided to sell the diner and Melinda packed a bag at her first chance?

Daniel hated how pessimistic he was being. It wasn't like him. But at the same time, he'd never cared for someone like he cared for Melinda. But everything was wrong. He was in a fake relationship with her, lying to her family, and yet, somehow, he thought it could turn into something real. If he stepped back and looked at the situation through someone else's eyes, he could see that they were doomed to fail. So, he decided he wouldn't step back, not until he was forced to.

Instead, he stepped forward and took Melinda's hand as they climbed the dune. She glanced back, her eyes dancing in the moonlight. Was it moonlight? He could see the moon. The sun had set. And yet, it was so bright out there.

"Do you like it?" Melinda asked. "It's my favorite time to come to the sand dunes. When I realized it would be a full moon tonight, I knew I had to bring you back here."

"How is it so bright out with the sun gone?" Daniel asked, amazed at how far he could see.

"Just like the sun reflects off the white sand, making it seem hotter outside than it really is, the light from the moon reflects off the sand as well."

Clouds passed in front of the moon, and Melinda and Daniel were momentarily thrust into darkness. But as soon as the clouds moved on, the light returned.

"Thank you," Daniel said. "For bringing me here." He sighed. "This whole week has been crazy and chaotic." When Melinda raised an eyebrow, he hurriedly said, "Don't get me wrong, I am so glad I came. But stepping out into someplace as peaceful as this, in the company of a beautiful woman—this is what I needed."

Melinda squeezed his hand, wrapped an arm around his waist, and gave him a teasing smile. "You're saying that meeting my grandmother wasn't the highlight of the day?"

Daniel groaned. "It's weird. As soon as she showed up, your mother transformed into a saint."

"When Grams is around, we have to join forces or we all fall victim to her tirades," Melinda said. She let go of Daniel and flopped down onto the sand, her dress spiraling around her. "Knowing that it was Grams who was behind putting me in charge of the diner as a life lesson—it makes sense. She has always had a hand in things. When I was younger, we didn't have as much money and I know Grams helped my folks out of a few tight spots. I think she's had a hold on them ever since."

Daniel sat down next to Melinda. "Why? Doesn't she have anything better to do with her time than torment her family?"

"I don't think she sees it like that," Melinda said. "I think she feels she knows what's best for everyone, and she's always had a need to be in control. Those two things combined have been deadly for my family. But no one has had the resolve to stand up to her." She lay down, her hands behind her head.

Daniel followed suit. "It's weird. I can just barely make out the stars. But I know they're out there. The moon's light just makes them too hard to see." He rolled onto his side so he was facing Melinda. "Sometimes life is like that. Before we came here, life was so busy, I didn't see you—not really. If I had, I would have stopped procrastinating and asked you out months ago. Maybe would have even kissed you."

"You're saying that you were helping out at the diner out of the goodness of your heart?" Melinda teased.

Daniel laughed. "Believe it or not, I did. You were my friend. But I can't deny that I found you attractive, and I saw a glimpse of how amazing you are. I just didn’t see the full picture. Besides, you were way too intimidating for me to ever think I stood a chance with the untouchable Melinda Garrett."

"And now?" she asked, rolling onto her side and edging closer.

"And now I wish we didn't have to go home," Daniel said, taking her hand. "I'm afraid that once we leave here, we'll forget what it was like without all the stress of work. What if we don't have time for each other anymore? What if you realize that all those other guys really are more exciting to be with?" He snapped his mouth shut, surprised by his honesty. He didn't like to put himself on the line like that. He held his breath as he awaited Melinda's response.

She stared at him, studying him. "I know I seem like I flit from guy to guy…and I do," she said. "But it's not because I like them." She sighed. "Do you know what it's like to not have any friends? I didn't have any girl friends in high school, and I always got along with the guys better anyway, so that's who I spent my time with. Everyone thought I was trying to steal their boyfriends, but I wasn't. I just hung out with anyone who would give me attention." She shrugged. "Not a lot has changed since high school—it rarely does in a small town like Amor."

"So…you go out with all those guys because you don't have any friends?" Daniel asked, disappointed that she didn't think of him as her friend, even though he had moved to Amor two years earlier. "What about me?"

Melinda smiled and used one finger to trace a line up Daniel's arm. "You're different—I like you. And I didn't want you to just become one of the line of guys that came in and out of my life. I was scared that if we ever went out, I'd lose you as my one and only friend."

Daniel's breath hitched at her soft touch. "You know, if you treated others the way you treat me, you'd probably have more friends."

Melinda nodded. "Yes, I know. And I’m going to work on that. But maybe all I've ever needed was you," she said softly. The way she looked at him— it was like he was the only thing that mattered.

"Do you mean that?" Daniel asked.

Melinda nodded. "You are the only one who can make me laugh, who eases my burden instead of contributing to it, and you are the kindest, most honest person I know." She nudged him playfully. "You walked into the diner two years ago, and you've been there every day since. At first, I wasn't sure if you were akin to a stray cat, but it wasn't me who was taking you in. You have been there when I needed someone most."

"I had no idea…" Daniel’s voice trailed off. To have someone who said they needed him—he had never had that before. But was she seeing who she wanted him to be, rather than who he actually was? If she knew the life he'd led before coming to Amor, would she still want him? Would she still trust him?

Melinda leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips, and all of Daniel's fears dissipated. Whatever doubts he had, they could wait for another day.