eye.
“I’m sorry,” was all she could manage to whisper. Her heart hurt, and tears stung her eyes, forcing her to blink against breaking down. “I’m sorry for being me.”
“Don’t ever be sorry for that,” Clay said with a vehemence that made Melody look up at him in surprise. He responded by reaching out to brush at the stray wisps of hair framing her face, tucking them behind her ears gently. “I think you’re wonderful exactly how you are. The rest ain’t that important, okay?”
A dark, cynical laugh slipped out of Melody. “Most men would say it’s pretty darn important. Justin used to force me if he went more than two or three days without.”
“Christ.” Clay sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes wide and horrified. “Mel—”
“You coming, darling?” Judy interrupted him as she leaned against the front door of the diner. “We’re done in here, and we’re beat.”
“Yeah,” Melody called out, her cheeks hot with embarrassment and wet from tears she hadn’t realized she’d lost the battle against. She wiped them hastily and reached down, squeezing Clay’s big hand in hers. “Thanks for the help.”
“Sure,” he said, squeezing her hand back.
It showed how amazing Clay was that he didn’t try to stop her and he didn’t expect more of an explanation. He let her turn away and run back into the diner, and there was a huge comfort in that. He just let Melody be herself , the good and the bad, and he appeared to like every side of her. If she weren’t about to break down from the pain walking away from him caused, she’d have to admit he would be very easy to fall in love with.
She dashed up the steps to the diner, forcing herself not to look back. If she did, she’d likely run back into Clay’s arms, all her issues be damned.
Melody jumped past the front door Judy held open, shivering from the cold because the first week of December brought a cold front chilly enough to freeze hell. She pushed her hands tighter into her pockets, thinking she needed to bite the bullet and pay for a good pair of gloves.
“You okay?” Judy asked, frowning at Melody in concern. “You look upset.”
“Oh no,” Melody lied. “Just tired.”
Judy gave her a dubious look but didn’t say anything as she locked the front door. When they left the dining room, they met Hal, who was doing a few last-minute cleanups in the kitchen. He seemed surprised to see Melody walking out back with them.
“You’re not gonna spend time with Powerhouse?” he asked.
Melody shook her head. She couldn’t speak even if she wanted to, because she was fighting tears again. She looked to her feet, seeing the black skid marks on her white sneakers, and knew she needed to take a cup of bleach to them.
“Come on,” Hal said, putting a big arm over her shoulder, ushering her out the back door. “What you need is a morning off.”
“Oh no,” Melody argued as the cold slapped her in the face once more. “I need the money.”
“You need a morning off,” Hal reiterated. “I’ll call Fran to fill in for the early shift. Sleep in. It’ll make all the difference in the world.”
Feeling a little too heartsick to argue, Melody just nodded as she walked with Hal, letting his big body offer her warmth. Maybe she did need a morning to herself, and sleeping in was too tempting to pass up. She’d get some extra rest and come in for the night shift feeling like a new woman.
“Okay.” Melody gave Hal a genuine smile when they stopped in front of her old truck. “So I’ll sleep in ’cause the boss told me to.”
“That’s right.” He squeezed her shoulder once more. “Now get in that truck and get home before you catch your death.”
Melody couldn’t argue with that, not when the cold was stinging her face and burning her ears. She needed to buy a hat to go with the gloves, and she focused on that thought rather than the
“I’m sorry,” was all she could manage to whisper. Her heart hurt, and tears stung her eyes, forcing her to blink against breaking down. “I’m sorry for being me.”
“Don’t ever be sorry for that,” Clay said with a vehemence that made Melody look up at him in surprise. He responded by reaching out to brush at the stray wisps of hair framing her face, tucking them behind her ears gently. “I think you’re wonderful exactly how you are. The rest ain’t that important, okay?”
A dark, cynical laugh slipped out of Melody. “Most men would say it’s pretty darn important. Justin used to force me if he went more than two or three days without.”
“Christ.” Clay sucked in a sharp breath, his eyes wide and horrified. “Mel—”
“You coming, darling?” Judy interrupted him as she leaned against the front door of the diner. “We’re done in here, and we’re beat.”
“Yeah,” Melody called out, her cheeks hot with embarrassment and wet from tears she hadn’t realized she’d lost the battle against. She wiped them hastily and reached down, squeezing Clay’s big hand in hers. “Thanks for the help.”
“Sure,” he said, squeezing her hand back.
It showed how amazing Clay was that he didn’t try to stop her and he didn’t expect more of an explanation. He let her turn away and run back into the diner, and there was a huge comfort in that. He just let Melody be herself , the good and the bad, and he appeared to like every side of her. If she weren’t about to break down from the pain walking away from him caused, she’d have to admit he would be very easy to fall in love with.
She dashed up the steps to the diner, forcing herself not to look back. If she did, she’d likely run back into Clay’s arms, all her issues be damned.
Melody jumped past the front door Judy held open, shivering from the cold because the first week of December brought a cold front chilly enough to freeze hell. She pushed her hands tighter into her pockets, thinking she needed to bite the bullet and pay for a good pair of gloves.
“You okay?” Judy asked, frowning at Melody in concern. “You look upset.”
“Oh no,” Melody lied. “Just tired.”
Judy gave her a dubious look but didn’t say anything as she locked the front door. When they left the dining room, they met Hal, who was doing a few last-minute cleanups in the kitchen. He seemed surprised to see Melody walking out back with them.
“You’re not gonna spend time with Powerhouse?” he asked.
Melody shook her head. She couldn’t speak even if she wanted to, because she was fighting tears again. She looked to her feet, seeing the black skid marks on her white sneakers, and knew she needed to take a cup of bleach to them.
“Come on,” Hal said, putting a big arm over her shoulder, ushering her out the back door. “What you need is a morning off.”
“Oh no,” Melody argued as the cold slapped her in the face once more. “I need the money.”
“You need a morning off,” Hal reiterated. “I’ll call Fran to fill in for the early shift. Sleep in. It’ll make all the difference in the world.”
Feeling a little too heartsick to argue, Melody just nodded as she walked with Hal, letting his big body offer her warmth. Maybe she did need a morning to herself, and sleeping in was too tempting to pass up. She’d get some extra rest and come in for the night shift feeling like a new woman.
“Okay.” Melody gave Hal a genuine smile when they stopped in front of her old truck. “So I’ll sleep in ’cause the boss told me to.”
“That’s right.” He squeezed her shoulder once more. “Now get in that truck and get home before you catch your death.”
Melody couldn’t argue with that, not when the cold was stinging her face and burning her ears. She needed to buy a hat to go with the gloves, and she focused on that thought rather than the
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