Unintended Love: A contemporary romantic novella by Harley O'Riley

this tall drink of water for an hour, and then we’ll have our interview. I’m sure that will work out best. It’s lunch time. I’m starved, Alex is hungry, and you must be too.”
    She grabbed Melanie’s arm and propelled the three of them down the street. The diner was only a few storefronts down, and soon Cary was pointing out a booth in the corner.
    When they were seated, Cary turned to Alex.
    “We’ll continue our discussion later. I want to see it again before I make my final decision, but we’re practically there darling.” Then she turned to Melanie.
    “He’s so yummy, Mel. I know I’d love to spend three days alone in the wilderness with him fiancé or no. But, I’m single. How is your fiancé anyway?”
    Cary grabbed Melanie’s ring finger.
    “Where’s the ring?”
    Melanie glanced at Alex, who was leaning forward and looking at her with interest.
    “He wasn’t...we broke it off,” she answered looking at the finger that hadn’t held a ring for almost a year.
    She watched Cary glance at Alex as if to judge his reaction. He seemed amused then he caught Melanie’s eye and winked. Before she could stop herself, she winked back.
    Cary dropped the subject and spent the rest of lunch talking about herself in such a way that neither Alex nor Melanie were required to say much. A few times their eyes met and each time she smiled.
    Although he hadn’t ever been far from her thoughts over the past weeks, the reality of him there in front of her was intoxicating. She’d often asked herself why she was having so much trouble putting him out of her mind, and now it seemed obvious. His smile was so warm, and his dark brown eyes reflected a soul that she felt sure was kind and wise.
    The enormity of what she’d run away from hit her hard while she was sitting there.
    “Why, Mel, what is it?” Cary asked solicitously. “You suddenly look so sad. Are you all right?”
    She glanced up and was drawn to the concern in not Cary’s, but Alex’s eyes. But the look he was giving her felt like pity, so she took a deep breath and sat up straight.
    “I’m fine. A little tired is all. I’ve been putting in late nights with the literacy project trying to get it off the ground.”
    “Well, I’ll bet with the exposure I give you, you’ll get lots of interest and maybe some donations.”
    “I hope so. Even with the grant money I believe I’ll get, I’ll need more to be able to open the camp by next summer. That’s my goal.”
    “Well, just keep believing. That’s my motto anyway.”
    Melanie felt a sudden affection for Cary. Even though she was often pushy, and a bit self-involved, she seemed to have a good heart. Maybe that’s what Alex saw in her, besides her obvious attractions, that is.
    Still, Melanie wasn’t sure anymore that they were together that way because Alex was treating her more like a business associate than anything else, and although Cary kept touching him in almost intimate ways, he didn’t seem to be responding. Of course, on the other hand, that could be out of consideration for her feelings.
    Melanie sighed, meeting Alex’s eyes again before looking away. Her feelings for Alex hadn’t changed one bit in almost two months. And having him right there in the flesh was making it perfectly clear that she had never before felt this way for any man, not even Sam.
    Or maybe Sam, but that magical time when they were in high school, falling in love, seemed like a lifetime ago now.
    In this life, Alex was the one who made her heart beat fast. It was Alex who had brought her joy, and it was the lack of him in her life that made her feel despair.
    She looked at her watch then slid out of her chair after taking a five dollar bill out of her purse and laying it on the table to cover her coffee.
    “I’ll meet you at the station. I have to run a quick errand,” she said.
    “It was really good to see you, Melanie,” said Alex. He gave her a meaningful look, but Melanie didn’t know how to