Tangled Hearts (Passion in Paradise) by Sarah O'Rourke Page B

rockets.”
    “Don’t diminish what
you do.  You host frickin’ events , girl.  You’re an up and comer, and
I’m lucky to have you on my team.”  Melody grimaced as she glanced down at her
watch.  She’d already been at Harmony’s house two hours, and her friend’s kid would
be home from school any minute.  “I’ve monopolized your afternoon, chick.  I’m
so sorry.”
    “I’m not,” Harmony
snorted.  “It was nice to catch up and get some girl gabbing in between
business talk.  I can’t do that with most of my other clients.”
    Melody laughed as she
stood from her chair.  “Well, I’m gonna scoot on out of here.  I’ve got a
contractor coming in tomorrow to look at how much it will cost me to renovate
the back office of the store and the builder is coming to show me the first
shelving units and get my approval to continue.   It’s gonna be a busy day.”
    “Well, call me later. 
We’ll get together to finalize your guest list and get some more gossip time
in.  We’ve still got about two months to tweak this day and make it perfect for
you.  Plus, hopefully, you’ll have more information on your Mystery Man next
time we chat,” Harmony said longingly. 
    “He’s not my anything,
Harm, but that sounds good,” she said as her friend followed her to the front
door of Harmony’s house.  “Thanks again.  For everything,” she added
meaningfully, giving the taller woman a hug. 
    “Call me anytime you
need to talk, Mel.  I mean it,” Harmony said as Melody stepped out into the
sunny, but chilly December afternoon.
    “I will,” Melody
assured her before hurrying to her parked car.  Climbing inside and tossing her
purse into the passenger seat, she started the engine, gave Harmony one last
wave, and pulled out onto the road, wincing at the rougher ride the vehicle
offered on its spare tire.  She knew she needed to have it repaired ASAP, but
she was exhausted.  She wanted a sandwich and a nap, in that order.  Then,
maybe she’d drive over to the 24-hour garage out by the interstate.  Surely
they could get her fixed up, right?
    Mindlessly navigating
the country road, Melody made great time as she drove through exceptionally
light traffic toward her grandmother’s home – well, her home now, she supposed.
Turning onto her residential street in just under fifteen minutes, she smiled
as she saw the stately two story house at the end of the street.  “Home sweet
home,” she murmured, frowning as she passed a familiar black truck parked a
short distance down from her house.  Braking in the middle of the road, she
turned to look over her shoulder.
    “It can’t be,” she said
out loud, staring at the shiny F150.  Of course, coincidence was not a word
that appeared in her vocabulary often.  Reaching for the cell phone she’d
dropped in the center console when she started the car, she thumbed through the
contacts until she reached Harmony McKinnon’s name and pushed send.
    “Hello?” Harmony’s soft
voice greeted her with a tinkling laugh.  “I didn’t expect you to call so soon,
Mel.  Did you forget something here, hon?” she asked curiously.
    “Uhmmm, no,” Melody
returned as she pulled her car into her driveway and stared through the opened
curtains of her living room’s picture window to see a familiar giant sitting on
her couch eating potato chips by the handful.  And was that a Great Dane
happily chewing on one of her shoes beside him?  Please Lord, let this be a
dream, she prayed silently, tightly closing her eyes for a full ten seconds
before reopening them and finding the huge animal looking out the window at
her.   She then moved her stunned gaze to where her asshole of an ex-fiancé sat
as he watched her from the confines of his luxurious red Porsche, which was ever-so-conspicuously
parked in front of her closest neighbor’s driveway.  Silently, she asked
herself how this had become her life?  Two stalkers in one day?   That
had to be some