could he possibly raise a child when all he could see was that little girl’s empty eyes?
Pulling his knees up to his chest, Marcus wept. He’d lost it all, his brother, his badge, his self-respect, and now Lissa. He’d lost Lissa, and she thought he didn’t want her, just like all the others she’d fallen for.
“Son of a bitch!”
He threw a rock across the sand. He’d known he would end up breaking Lissa’s heart one day. What he hadn’t counted on was breaking his own as well.
Fourteen
The weeks following Marcus’s departure were agony for Melissa. Not a single customer who came into the shop failed to mention where they thought he’d gone, and every reminder of him stabbed right through her wounded heart. Even Shirley had taken pity on her and told her to sleep in on a few occasions.
She looked terrible and felt even worse, with dark circles under her eyes from fitful sleeping. Her tears came easily now, coming when she least expected them. She was exhausted, hurt, and angry.
How dare Marcus leave because he thought it was best! He hadn’t even asked for her opinion. Didn’t she have a say in their relationship as well? It only left one reason why: he didn’t want her. Despite his tender words to her when she’d been in his arms, he hadn’t meant them, and that hurt most of all.
But she shouldn’t be surprised. He’d warned her he’d break her heart, after all. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it, and his leaving had simply proven that Marcus was a man of his word.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hate him for what he’d done. They wouldn’t have been able to continue their affair the way they had been, not without a ring on her finger. But her arms ached to hold him, and she yearned to breathe him in. Her body missed his hot mouth and strong embrace. Whenever she felt her nipples pebble at the thought of him, she groaned and tears escaped her at the knowledge that she’d never have him again in her life.
And that was the hardest part to take. How could she expect to continue living day to day when the man she loved more than life itself had turned his back on her? It didn’t take long before Melissa slipped into self-loathing, hating herself for who she was. Working quietly in the back of the shop, she watched her sister flirting shamelessly with the men of the Gulch on a daily basis, and Melissa would have to busy herself or risk weeping right then and there.
“Lissa, are you all right?” her father asked one day as she stared at the counter, her face pale.
The room was spinning, and she couldn’t stop it as she felt lightheaded. The oppressive heat in the general store suddenly weighed down on her, and she gasped for air. Tiny black spots clouded her vision as she tried to bat them away with her hands.
“Father?” she cried right before she crumpled to the floor.
~ * ~
“Lissa?”
In a rush, her hearing returned, sounding like a thousand galloping horses pounding in her ears.
“Lissa?”
The voice was familiar. Melissa opened her eyes and squinted up into the concerned face of Dr. Newcomb.
“Timothy?”
“Thank goodness you are all right!” He beamed at her, making his mustache bristle.
“What happened?”
“You fainted, dear girl,” he said, helping her sit up.
Looking around, she could see she was on a couch in his office.
“I told your father to wait outside.”
“Am I all right?”
“Well, that’s why you’re here, child. I need to ask you a few… delicate questions. Will that be all right?”
Nodding, Melissa clutched her head, still feeling a bit lightheaded.
“Have you been tired a lot, Lissa?”
“Yes. I… I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Do you get lightheaded often?”
“Not until recently.”
“Are you nauseated most days?”
Closing her eyes, Melissa put her hand on her brow and licked her lips. “Yes, and I can’t eat sometimes, even when I’m so hungry. The sight of food and sometimes even the smell
Pulling his knees up to his chest, Marcus wept. He’d lost it all, his brother, his badge, his self-respect, and now Lissa. He’d lost Lissa, and she thought he didn’t want her, just like all the others she’d fallen for.
“Son of a bitch!”
He threw a rock across the sand. He’d known he would end up breaking Lissa’s heart one day. What he hadn’t counted on was breaking his own as well.
Fourteen
The weeks following Marcus’s departure were agony for Melissa. Not a single customer who came into the shop failed to mention where they thought he’d gone, and every reminder of him stabbed right through her wounded heart. Even Shirley had taken pity on her and told her to sleep in on a few occasions.
She looked terrible and felt even worse, with dark circles under her eyes from fitful sleeping. Her tears came easily now, coming when she least expected them. She was exhausted, hurt, and angry.
How dare Marcus leave because he thought it was best! He hadn’t even asked for her opinion. Didn’t she have a say in their relationship as well? It only left one reason why: he didn’t want her. Despite his tender words to her when she’d been in his arms, he hadn’t meant them, and that hurt most of all.
But she shouldn’t be surprised. He’d warned her he’d break her heart, after all. She just hadn’t wanted to believe it, and his leaving had simply proven that Marcus was a man of his word.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t hate him for what he’d done. They wouldn’t have been able to continue their affair the way they had been, not without a ring on her finger. But her arms ached to hold him, and she yearned to breathe him in. Her body missed his hot mouth and strong embrace. Whenever she felt her nipples pebble at the thought of him, she groaned and tears escaped her at the knowledge that she’d never have him again in her life.
And that was the hardest part to take. How could she expect to continue living day to day when the man she loved more than life itself had turned his back on her? It didn’t take long before Melissa slipped into self-loathing, hating herself for who she was. Working quietly in the back of the shop, she watched her sister flirting shamelessly with the men of the Gulch on a daily basis, and Melissa would have to busy herself or risk weeping right then and there.
“Lissa, are you all right?” her father asked one day as she stared at the counter, her face pale.
The room was spinning, and she couldn’t stop it as she felt lightheaded. The oppressive heat in the general store suddenly weighed down on her, and she gasped for air. Tiny black spots clouded her vision as she tried to bat them away with her hands.
“Father?” she cried right before she crumpled to the floor.
~ * ~
“Lissa?”
In a rush, her hearing returned, sounding like a thousand galloping horses pounding in her ears.
“Lissa?”
The voice was familiar. Melissa opened her eyes and squinted up into the concerned face of Dr. Newcomb.
“Timothy?”
“Thank goodness you are all right!” He beamed at her, making his mustache bristle.
“What happened?”
“You fainted, dear girl,” he said, helping her sit up.
Looking around, she could see she was on a couch in his office.
“I told your father to wait outside.”
“Am I all right?”
“Well, that’s why you’re here, child. I need to ask you a few… delicate questions. Will that be all right?”
Nodding, Melissa clutched her head, still feeling a bit lightheaded.
“Have you been tired a lot, Lissa?”
“Yes. I… I haven’t been sleeping well.”
“Do you get lightheaded often?”
“Not until recently.”
“Are you nauseated most days?”
Closing her eyes, Melissa put her hand on her brow and licked her lips. “Yes, and I can’t eat sometimes, even when I’m so hungry. The sight of food and sometimes even the smell
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