up and down.
When he brought her mouth back to his, she needed no more encouragement as she made love to him, wishing and hoping in her heart of hearts that this wouldn’t be their last time. But somewhere inside her cloudy mind, Melissa knew without a doubt that after what she’d just admitted, it would be.
Thirteen
“Father, where’s Marcus?”
Melissa walked back into the shop the next morning after noticing during her chores that the water trough was empty--the first time it had been empty since Marcus had accepted the job at Chuck’s General Store. Ever since she’d told him she did that chore on her own, he’d done it for her in the early hours of the morning. Now, as the sun peeked over the horizon, the trough was empty.
Her father busied himself by polishing the counter near the back, coughing into his hand and giving her a sigh but not an answer.
“Father?”
“Damn it.” He threw down the rag and startled her. “I didn’t want to do this to you, sweetheart.”
“Do what?” An unsettling dread crept into her heart.
“Marcus is gone, honey. He isn’t coming back.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“He told me yesterday afternoon that he’d be leaving in the morning. He simply wanted to move on to bigger and better things, I guess. He didn’t want me to tell you until he was long gone.”
Melissa stood there in disbelief, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “He’s leaving?”
Chuck Bloom nodded sadly. “He might still be getting ready to leave at the livery stable. I’m not exactly sure when he’ll be heading out.”
“So he… he knew last night he was leaving? Last night when we… he knew. That son of a bitch!”
Turning on her heel, Melissa ripped open the front door and raced down the boardwalk toward the stable. Marcus McCaide wanted to leave her, and without even a word of explanation or goodbye? The man was going to get a good tongue-lashing before she was through with him!
Upon entering the building, she spied him strapping on his saddlebags with Pete already saddled, bridled, and ready to go.
“You’re just going to leave without even saying goodbye to me?” Melissa’s harsh voice echoed through the stables.
Marcus hesitated a moment but didn’t bother turning around to face her. “It’s for the best.”
“For whom? You?”
“For both of us, Lissa.”
“Marcus McCaide, I never knew you were such a coward.”
Turning around slowly, he pinned her with an icy stare. “I am not a coward.”
“Could have fooled me,” she spat, folding her arms on her chest, ready to do battle.
“I didn’t want to see you this morning, Lissa. I didn’t want to be in your presence. Every time I am, I’m consumed with this overpowering need to take you into my arms and…”
“And what, Marcus?” she challenged.
“It can’t be allowed to happen again. What’s gone on between us shouldn’t have happened at all. You were wrong to come to me the other night, but what’s done is done. If I stay here, sugar, it’s going to continue. The only way I can stop it is to leave.”
Melissa narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t call me that.”
“What?”
“Sugar.”
Marcus beat his hat a few times on his leg before putting it on his head. “Fine. I’ve got to go.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” He turned and mounted his horse in one easy move.
Melissa panicked and walked briskly over to the stallion. “Wait.”
“Lissa, we can’t--”
“Don’t be so obtuse, Marcus,” she interrupted. “I just wanted to say goodbye to Pete.”
He stayed silent as she stood in front of his horse, scratching his nose and hugging his black head.
“You stay safe, you hear me, boy?” she whispered, too afraid to look up at the man on Pete’s back. The moment she did, her tears would fall. “I’m going to miss you, Pete.” She smiled when he sniffed the pockets of her skirt. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any carrots today.”
Giving the horse a
When he brought her mouth back to his, she needed no more encouragement as she made love to him, wishing and hoping in her heart of hearts that this wouldn’t be their last time. But somewhere inside her cloudy mind, Melissa knew without a doubt that after what she’d just admitted, it would be.
Thirteen
“Father, where’s Marcus?”
Melissa walked back into the shop the next morning after noticing during her chores that the water trough was empty--the first time it had been empty since Marcus had accepted the job at Chuck’s General Store. Ever since she’d told him she did that chore on her own, he’d done it for her in the early hours of the morning. Now, as the sun peeked over the horizon, the trough was empty.
Her father busied himself by polishing the counter near the back, coughing into his hand and giving her a sigh but not an answer.
“Father?”
“Damn it.” He threw down the rag and startled her. “I didn’t want to do this to you, sweetheart.”
“Do what?” An unsettling dread crept into her heart.
“Marcus is gone, honey. He isn’t coming back.”
“Gone? What do you mean gone?”
“He told me yesterday afternoon that he’d be leaving in the morning. He simply wanted to move on to bigger and better things, I guess. He didn’t want me to tell you until he was long gone.”
Melissa stood there in disbelief, her eyes stinging with unshed tears. “He’s leaving?”
Chuck Bloom nodded sadly. “He might still be getting ready to leave at the livery stable. I’m not exactly sure when he’ll be heading out.”
“So he… he knew last night he was leaving? Last night when we… he knew. That son of a bitch!”
Turning on her heel, Melissa ripped open the front door and raced down the boardwalk toward the stable. Marcus McCaide wanted to leave her, and without even a word of explanation or goodbye? The man was going to get a good tongue-lashing before she was through with him!
Upon entering the building, she spied him strapping on his saddlebags with Pete already saddled, bridled, and ready to go.
“You’re just going to leave without even saying goodbye to me?” Melissa’s harsh voice echoed through the stables.
Marcus hesitated a moment but didn’t bother turning around to face her. “It’s for the best.”
“For whom? You?”
“For both of us, Lissa.”
“Marcus McCaide, I never knew you were such a coward.”
Turning around slowly, he pinned her with an icy stare. “I am not a coward.”
“Could have fooled me,” she spat, folding her arms on her chest, ready to do battle.
“I didn’t want to see you this morning, Lissa. I didn’t want to be in your presence. Every time I am, I’m consumed with this overpowering need to take you into my arms and…”
“And what, Marcus?” she challenged.
“It can’t be allowed to happen again. What’s gone on between us shouldn’t have happened at all. You were wrong to come to me the other night, but what’s done is done. If I stay here, sugar, it’s going to continue. The only way I can stop it is to leave.”
Melissa narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t call me that.”
“What?”
“Sugar.”
Marcus beat his hat a few times on his leg before putting it on his head. “Fine. I’ve got to go.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.” He turned and mounted his horse in one easy move.
Melissa panicked and walked briskly over to the stallion. “Wait.”
“Lissa, we can’t--”
“Don’t be so obtuse, Marcus,” she interrupted. “I just wanted to say goodbye to Pete.”
He stayed silent as she stood in front of his horse, scratching his nose and hugging his black head.
“You stay safe, you hear me, boy?” she whispered, too afraid to look up at the man on Pete’s back. The moment she did, her tears would fall. “I’m going to miss you, Pete.” She smiled when he sniffed the pockets of her skirt. “I’m sorry, I don’t have any carrots today.”
Giving the horse a
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