This was exactly the opening Annie had been waiting for, exactly what she wanted to hear from Mellie. “What if I were to tell you that you could make everything right with Preston? A way for everything to go back to the way it was before, only better?”
Mellie’s head jerked upright, her eyes wide and hopeful. “Is he willing to come back to me?”
“He is.”
“Then why isn’t he here?”
Drawing in a deep, steadying breath, Annie told her. “He said if you loved him, then you had to be willing to go to him.”
Annie watched as the color drained from Mellie’s face.
“He can’t be serious.”
“He said that’s the only way he’ll believe you truly love him.”
“He couldn’t ask for something easy, now could he?” Mellie rubbed her hands up and down her thighs several times. “He knows better than anyone that I can’t leave this house.”
“But you can leave, Mellie,” she reminded her gently.
“Easy for you to say.”
“Yes, it is easy. The bigger question is: Will you do it to show him you truly love him?”
“You know I do. But I can’t leave the house. Stop telling me I can, because I don’t want to hear it.”
“Okay, I’ll rephrase it. You won’t leave this house.”
“You’re right, I won’t,” she agreed, adamantly shaking her head.
“Even for Preston?”
Mellie pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. “I want to, but I don’t know that I can. Not for anyone. I tried once, and I made it all the way to the door, opened it, looked outside, and nearly passed out. I was sweating, and my chest felt like I was having a heart attack. I was hyperventilating.”
“Those are classic symptoms of a panic attack.”
Mellie exhaled, and her shoulders deflated. “I figured as much. Five years is a long time.”
“Yes, it is. I tried my hardest to get Preston to listen to reason,” Annie told her. “He wouldn’t budge, Mellie. He said this was what you had to do to prove to him you cared. He wouldn’t back down. Keaton was there…”
“Keaton,” Mellie repeated. “He went with you to talk to Preston?”
“No,” she explained. “He was at the shelter when I showed up.”
“He talked to you?”
Annie nodded. After months of avoiding her and having nothing to say to her, seeing Keaton again had been an emotional jolt that left her reeling.
“I asked Keaton for his help,” Annie clarified.
“And he agreed?”
“He did. He’s bringing Preston by this afternoon.”
“Here?” Hope elevated her voice. “Today?”
“Yes, and soon.” Even now, Annie didn’t know how Keaton would manage it, but he’d agreed to find a way.
“What’s going to happen?” Mellie asked, sitting on the edge of her chair, her eyes wide and expectant.
Annie waited, hoping her hesitation would help Mellie take in the seriousness of her response. “One of two things. Either you walk out that door and go to him or—”
“Or Preston will leave and never return,” Mellie finished for her.
“That’s pretty much it.”
Mellie looked at her watch. “When will he arrive?”
No sooner had the words left her mouth when Annie heard a truck door closing, followed by a second door. The sound reverberated into the house.
“I think they’re here now,” Annie said.
Mellie reached across the table and gripped Annie’s forearm in a punishing hold. Annie was certain to get bruises and gritted her teeth to hide the ache.
“I’m not ready,” Mellie cried. “You should have told me earlier and I could have mentally prepared. I can’t, Annie. I can’t do this.”
Annie breathed deeply, hoping her calm attitude would rub off on Mellie. “Then it’s over for you and Preston.”
“This is grossly unfair. I already told you I can’t do this. It could kill me if I left the house.”
“You’re much too young to have a heart attack. I didn’t give you much notice because I didn’t want you to have time to think about it.”
“In other words, you sprung it on me at the last minute on purpose.”
Annie sighed and nodded. “I’ve had all weekend to think it over. I believed the longer you had to dwell on it, the bigger this would grow in your mind.”
“I can’t,” she reiterated. “Not for anything…even…even Preston.”
“What’s the worst that can happen to you?” Annie asked. “I can promise that you won’t die.”
“I…could faint, which would be humiliating.” She covered her face at the thought.
“Yes, it probably would be embarrassing. Put that up against never seeing Preston again. You can faint, or you could have the love of a good man.”
Mellie’s mouth tightened into a flat, tense line. “If I don’t leave the house, he’ll eventually change his mind…and we can go back to the way things were.” She looked to Annie for confirmation.
“Maybe,” Annie agreed, although from what he’d said Friday night that didn’t seem likely. “But what if he doesn’t? Do you really want to take that chance?”
Mellie looked pale enough to pass out already, and she hadn’t even risen from the table. Annie really didn’t think her friend could make it to the door, let alone walk out to meet Preston.
The door off the kitchen opened, and Keaton walked inside. Even knowing he would be coming with Preston, Annie was unprepared for the impact of seeing him again. For one elongated moment they simply stared at each other.
He broke eye contact first.
“Preston’s outside,” Keaton announced.
Annie nodded. “I didn’t mention any of this to Mellie until a few minutes ago,” she told him.
He frowned disapprovingly.
“She’s going to need a few minutes,” Annie added.
Shaking his head, Keaton said, “Don’t know that she has a lot of time. It was hard enough getting Preston here as it was.”
Mellie looked up, paler than ever. “Preston’s really here?”
“Outside. Waiting.” The look he exchanged with Annie said it’d taken every bit of persuasiveness he possessed to make this happen.
Annie left her seat and placed her arm around Mellie. “Tell him to be patient.”
“That won’t work,” Keaton mumbled. “He didn’t want to come as it was, and I don’t think he’s going to be willing to stick around for long.”
Mellie scooted back her chair. “Tell him to give me a chance,” she snapped. “This isn’t easy for me.”
“He wants proof. Do you love him, Mellie?”
“I do.”
“Then you’re going to need to show him you’re sincere.”
“Okay, fine, then that’s what I’ll do. Just make sure one of you is close enough to catch me if I faint.”
Keaton and Annie exchanged looks. “I’ll do it,” he volunteered. “You’re likely to go down with her.”
It was one small sign that he cared. That was enough for Annie to live on for the time being.
Mellie stood, and almost right away her knees went out from under her. She cried out, fell back in her chair, and then buried her face in her hands.
“I can’t do it,” she cried. “I can’t.”
CHAPTER 35
“I’m sorry,” Mellie whispered brokenly. “So sorry.” Her eyes filled with tears and devastation.
“I’ll tell Preston,” Keaton said, leaving the kitchen.
“I was the one who instigated this,” Annie said, following him out the door, stopping it from closing. “I should be the one to tell him.”
Preston was pacing the area in front of the steps, and when he
saw Keaton and Annie both leave at the same time, he stopped walking and looked at them expectantly. “Well?” he demanded. “Is she coming or not?”
Annie and Keaton exchanged glances. His look told Annie that if she wanted to be the one to relay the news, then she should do it.
With her arm wrapped around the column at the top step, Annie faced him, struggling to find the words to explain. “She loves you, Preston. She’d give anything to take back all the unkind things she said. She didn’t mean any of it.”
Hope left his eyes and his face went hard. “Just answer the question. Is she coming or not?”
Annie swallowed tightly and descended the stairs. “Not.”
“That’s what I thought.” He turned and started to walk toward the truck.
Keaton stopped him. “Listen for a minute, would you? Let Annie explain what happened.”
“When did you become an advocate for Annie?” Preston demanded. “You snapped my head off every time I mentioned her name, and now suddenly you want me to listen to her? Not going to do it.”
“Please, Preston,” Annie pleaded, holding her hands out to him, palms up. “You should know Mellie was determined to come to you, but her legs went out from under her. She was paralyzed with fear. More than anything, she wanted to do as you asked, but she can’t.”
“Sorry to hear that.” He glared at Keaton. “I’m leaving. You coming with me or not?”
“I didn’t tell Mellie what you were asking of her until just this afternoon,” Annie cried, wanting to stop him. “She hasn’t had a chance to build up her courage,” she tried again, feeling nearly desperate.
Preston froze.
“Why do you have to be so stubborn, Preston? Why isn’t it enough for Mellie to admit she loves you?” she demanded, hoping he could explain why his ego and pride demanded a pound of flesh.
“What is it with you? Love isn’t enough for you? What is it you want? Blood?” Although she was shouting at Preston, she was talking to Keaton at the same time.
“I’m leaving, with or without you, Keaton,” Preston reiterated, ignoring her outburst.
“Wait. Please wait.” A small voice came from the house.
All three of them turned to the open door upon hearing Mellie’s fragile request. Framed in the opening was Mellie, pale as a ghost, holding on to both sides in a determined effort to remain upright. She swayed once, as if she was close to collapsing.
Preston stood transfixed, not quite able to believe what he was seeing. For that matter, neither could Annie. She stared in disbelief: Mellie had done it. She had pushed herself from the table and managed to walk all the way to the open door. Now all that she needed to do was take that next step out of the house and onto the porch.
“You said I had to prove that I love you.” She spoke directly to Preston, her trembling voice barely above a whisper.
Preston wasn’t budging. “It’s a start.”
“How far do I need to go?” she asked, holding on to the doorframe with both hands.
Standing at the bottom of the stairs now, Preston looked at Mellie, encouraging her with a broad smile. “Depends on how important I am to you, Mellie,” he answered, his voice softening.
“Important enough to risk a heart attack,” Mellie flared back, her voice gaining strength. Color was gradually returning to her cheeks.
“You haven’t left the house yet,” he informed her, as if she hadn’t figured that out.
“I know,” she shot right back. “Is the porch good enough?”
He cocked his head, considering this a question of great importance. “The deal was you had to come to me.”
“Down the stairs?” she cried. He might as well have asked her to swim across the Pacific Ocean all the way to Hawaii.
“Six steps. If you love me, Mellie, you can walk down six steps.”
“If you loved me, Preston, you wouldn’t ask that of me.”
“Who said I loved you?” he asked.
“You did,” she reminded him.
“A lot of good it did me,” he countered.
“Are you two going to stand there and argue?” Annie asked, growing impatient with them both. Knowing how difficult this was for her friend, she felt it was important that Mellie see this to the end. She’d never have guessed Preston could be this unreasonable and demanding. That was the attitude she expected from Mellie, not the soft-spoken Preston.
Mellie took one tiny step out of the house. She continued to hold on to the doorframe to keep her steady.
Preston grinned, looking almost boyish. “One small step for mankind…”
“Don’t get sarcastic with me, Preston Young.” She took another step, and then another, until she had no option but to let go of the doorframe.
Annie’s eyes grew wide with astonishment. After her talk with Mellie earlier, she didn’t think this was remotely possible. She glanced toward Preston and noticed the tightness had left his features, replaced by a smile, his eyes bright with happiness.
“The steps,” Mellie called out. “Are you seriously going to make me walk down these steps?”
“Preston,” Keaton whispered, even thinking that Preston was asking too much.
“You coming to me, Mellie?” Preston asked, his sole focus on her.
Her concentration was on her feet, willing them to move. Her steps were minuscule, and progress was slow, but it was progress. “If that’s what it takes to prove I love you.”
“You do, don’t you?”
Mellie grabbed hold of the column closest to the steps. “You have to know you’re the only person in the world I would leave this house for.”
Watching her friend, Annie covered her mouth with her fingertips, afraid of what might happen when Mellie started down the stairs. As it was, she looked unsteady on her feet. What if Mellie lost her balance? It seemed a good possibility that she just might.
Mellie started to lower her foot to the top step while still holding on to the porch column.
“Enough,” Preston cried, racing up the stairs and grabbing hold of Mellie around the waist. “You’ve gone far enough.” With both arms wrapped around her waist, he whirled her around and around before setting her back down on her feet. His hands cupped her face before he kissed her.
Tears welled in Annie’s eyes until the couple blurred in front of her.
She turned to Keaton, who looked as amazed as she did. “We did it, Keaton; we did it.” Overcome with emotion, she rushed to him and hugged him with both arms around his middle while pressing the side of her face against him. “I didn’t think she’d do it.”
“Love does funny things to people,” he said, sounding just as happy as she was. His arms came around her and he squeezed her back. He held her tightly, each of them savoring the moment. He released her, and Annie turned to view Mellie and Preston. The joy on their faces was as visible as if it were written in the clouds.
While Annie wiped the tears from her cheeks, Keaton’s arms went around her from behind. Leaning against him, she was grateful for his support, grateful that he’d agreed to help her. She’d promised she’d never ask anything of him again and she’d meant it. This could be the last time she’d see him, other than in passing, and she was taking full advantage of his lowered guard.
Preston and Mellie continued to kiss, unable to get enough of each other.
It was then that Annie felt Keaton’s lips on the top of her head in the same familiar way he’d once kissed her. Twisting around, she looked up at him, her eyes holding his for several time-altering seconds. Her heart pounded hard and loud enough to echo in her ears.
Annie longed to say something but feared if she did it would break the spell. That was the last thing she wanted. This was the closest she’d been to Keaton since that night almost three months ago.
She tried to read the look in his eyes
and all she saw was hesitation and remorse, as if he didn’t know how he’d allowed himself to hold her, that he’d regretted letting her get close to him again.
Just as she feared, he dropped his arms and stepped back as though her touch had burned him.
Annie placed her arms around herself in a protective way. Keaton looked away rather than meet her eyes.
Out of nowhere, Lennon barked. He was in the truck and had apparently been napping earlier.
Keaton walked over to let him out. Immediately the dog raced over to Annie. She squatted and petted his ears. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Keaton’s dog. Lennon couldn’t get enough of her and was licking her face.
“Lennon,” Keaton called, his voice firm and hard.
The dog glanced up at his master.
“Heel.”
Lennon paused.
“Heel,” Keaton repeated, louder this time.
Lennon reluctantly left her side and joined Keaton. His gait was slow and defiant, head down.
As Annie righted herself, she noticed that Mellie and Preston had gone back into the house.
Preston had driven his truck, which meant Keaton was stuck waiting for his friend, or he had to leave on foot and take Lennon with him. Given the option, Annie knew what his choice would be. He would do almost anything to avoid her company.
“Do you remember all the walks we once took along the beach?” she asked.
He nodded stiffly.
“We rarely spoke.”
“Your point?” he asked.
“I…I enjoyed those walks.”
He shrugged, not wanting to admit he had, too.
“Would you sit with me a bit?”
“Here?”
“On Mellie’s porch.”
From the looks of it, the swing hadn’t been used in years. It was time someone took the opportunity. On second thought, that might not be a good idea. The swing might not hold them, seeing how big Keaton was.
“Just on the steps,” she suggested.
He hesitated, as if tempted.
“No need to talk,” she added. He could wait for Preston there, and she would wait with him. It seemed a reasonable request, and she hoped Keaton would agree.