Mostly Love Read online

  “Who’s making a thing?” Carynne tilted her head to side-eye her friend. “All I did was ask. And it’s not like I’m telling you to go find him, throw yourself into his arms and propose. You just seemed genuinely interested, and it sounded like you had a good conversation with him. That’s all. Besides, you’re the one making a thing.”

  Melody narrowed her eyes. “I’m not making anything.”

  “Sounds like a thing to me.”

  “Nope. No thing.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Melody gave an exhausted laugh. “Go away. Go run your coffee shop.”

  Carynne shot up a middle finger before hopping off of the counter. “Yeah, yeah. I’m going, cranky woman. But just promise me one thing?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Don’t let the past, yours or anybody else’s, ruin things for you. If there were sparks between you and this guy, just consider pursuing something with him. It could really turn out great. I just don’t want you to miss out on happiness.” Carynne paused to let her words sink in. “Promise me you’ll think about that?”

  Why on earth did people keep saying things like that to her this week? Melody threw an arm around Carynne. “I will. Thanks for looking out for me.”

  “You’re very welcome.” Carynne blew a sigh. “Okay, I’m leaving. Shop’s probably on fire by now.” She gave Mel a quick pat on the arm before moving to the door. “Drinks later? I’ve got an unopened bottle of Merlot at the house.”

  “Magic words.”

  Chapter 4

  Mel was up by six the next morning and on the basketball court inside within a half-hour. Spring Branch’s only park was two blocks from the high school, five blocks from her mother’s house, and seven from the little cottage she now called home. Back when she was a teenager, this was her daily routine. Up early, ball until class, and practice after school four days a week. Basketball had always been her first love, and it was one of the only good things she could remember about her father. She thought of him briefly as she sat to tighten the laces of her shoes. She was barely two feet tall when he taught her to play. She looked up at the court, scarred from years of use, remembering being in this place with him when it still looked new. She realized just then that she couldn’t really remember his face. Pictures of him were long gone, and for damn good reason.

  As a kid, all she’d ever wanted to do was be near him. It was just a happy coincidence that she ended up loving the game as much as he did. But even after he left, ball remained. She wasn’t sure whether she played because of him or in spite of him.

  She stood, shook out her hands to rid herself of the thought of him and stretched before taking off into a jog. Suicides first. She bent to touch the first line before turning back to do knee ups back to the baseline. She inhaled slow and deep though her nose and blew long and steady from her mouth. She focused on the echo of her feet as they pounded the concrete in the quiet of the early morning. She sped now, rushing to the free throw line, touched it, and turned back. Her heart rate began to quicken but her breathing remained easy. Bethany used to say Mel ran as easily as other people walked. She grinned at the thought. She gave it three court-lengths before she jogged over to pick up her ball. Moving just ahead of half court, she took a shot.

  Swish.

  She let her mind wander as she retrieved the ball and moved in for a lay-up. Made it. She’d head home, shower and change before going to the shop to start on inventory check-in. Then she’d meet with the job superintendent about front signage. A full day, she thought as she set up from just behind the three-point line.

  Swish.

  She really should have hired someone for this location by now. She’d narrowed the applications down to four candidates. Maybe she could call one or two in for interviews today. She couldn’t imagine finding time to speak to more than that given the to-do list, but she’d sure as hell try. She’d need two key-holders, in addition to herself, and a few part-time employees. Emailing them to set up interviews seemed doable. She should probably do that before setting up for inventory.

  Swish.

  She was busy, but she liked it. This was what she’d always wanted. A successful business. Hell, two stores would officially make her operation a franchise. She was proud. And so what if she didn’t have time for relationships? If any reason was a good reason not to go hunting that guy down, that was it. That, on top of the fact that he seemed to be having a pretty good time with that leggy, highly probable trollop that showed up at the bar. Not that she had anything against the trollop. She didn’t even know her.

  Swish.

  Her focus should be on the shop. Completely and totally. Well then… she thought as she dropped back to half-court… that settled it. She wouldn’t think about that guy, whoever he was, no matter how much she wanted to, no matter how much she thought about the easily sensual way he licked his lips before he smiled, no matter how much she wanted to reach out to him that night and grab a bicep. Nope, that was it. She’d never, ever…

  “You’re good.”

  Melody whipped her head around to identify the person that had materialized behind her. She didn’t have to, of course. She recognized the voice that had echoed through her daydreams since Walker’s.

  Him.

  He picked up the ball that had bounced over to him after he surprised her. As he was ambling toward her slowly, she took the opportunity to take in his appearance. He looked almost like a shadow as the morning sun rose. His grey t-shirt hung nicely, just tight enough to accentuate his shoulders and chest. His eyes were bright, like he’d been up for a while already, and his expression was warm. Even as he came to stand in front of her, as casual as could be in navy basketball shorts and a tee, he looked really… crisp. Clean. She thought about how she fantastic she must look, sweaty and exhausted, with her hair tied up and her ages-old shoes tied too tight on her feet. She moved to self-consciously pat down the hair escaping her ponytail but thought better of it. Confidence, she thought. Plus, it didn’t matter whether or not he found her attractive. She didn’t have time for a man right now. Right?

  “Thanks.” Melody finally responded. “I played in college.” She decided to keep it casual as she took the ball from him and sank another shot from where they stood. “You play?”

  “I coach, mostly. But yeah, I played in college myself. Duke.”

  Mel narrowed her eyes, trying to match his face with any of the photos or reels she’d seen. “Devin Parker. Point Guard.”

  A corner of his mouth tugged up as he gave a small nod. “That’s me. I coach now at Spring Branch High. Been there three years.”

  “Oh, so you’re the one responsible for that impressive streak they’ve been on.” She matched her playful tone with a smirk.

  “The kids are responsible. I’m just the guy with the whistle.”

  She felt her heart tighten a bit in her chest, and then dismissed the feeling as quickly as it had come. “Well, you must be doing a great job just the same.” She couldn’t resist any longer, so she reached to pat him on his arm. Firm. Firmer than she’d imagined.

  “Thanks.” He moved to the bench near the edge of the court and dropped his duffel bag, sitting next to it. “You said you went to college in Houston, right? Where’d you go?”

  He remembered. “I went to Rice. Played forward.” She wiped her brow and moved to the bench for her water bottle. She took a gulp before continuing. “I miss ball a lot, so I come out in the morning sometimes and shoot.” She had no idea why she divulged that information, but she felt oddly comfortable talking to him. Maybe she was tired. The sun wasn’t even out yet.

  “I know what you mean. I couldn’t stand the thought of not having ball in my life after college. Coaching sort of seemed like the most natural thing to do.” He pulled a basketball of his own from his duffel bag. “You wrapping up, or do you care for some one-on-one?”

  Melody kn
ew it was best to pack it up now. Her day was full, and besides, the thought of guarding this guy had all of her feeling warm in long-forgotten places. “I would, but I really should go. I’ve got some stuff to handle for the shop.”

  “Oh yeah? I was hoping you’d have a few more minutes. I understand if you want to save yourself a loss, though.”

  She balked a bit as she narrowed her eyes to slits. “Reverse psychology. Cute. But that won’t get a rise out of me, since I wouldn’t be the one getting beat, Parker.”

  “Yeah?” He stood. “So, show me.” The mischief in his eyes was almost as maddening as the grin that quirked to his face. That rise he was attempting? It was working.

  Melody rolled her eyes, dropped her water bottle on the bench, and tightened her hair tie as she stepped to him. “You know what? I’ve got a few minutes.”

  * * *

  Devin stepped into his condo and slammed the door behind him. Dropping against it, he placed his bag on the floor and ran a hand over his face. He’d fucked this up.

  The game against Melody was hell. He hadn’t played that hard in weeks, and she was fierce. Plus, he wasn’t used to sexual tension in athletic competition. It was a special kind of torture. He’d won, but not by much, and when they’d picked up the bags and headed to their cars, she’d stopped before unlocking her door.

  “Good game. If I wasn’t already so tired I’d have kicked your ass.”

  He chuckled. “I know it. I’m gonna be sore for a week.”

  She smiled, and it was the most exquisite thing he’d ever seen. Standing there, sweaty, with a duffel and a hoodie thrown over her shoulder, her curly black hair disobeying the ponytail she’d put it in, she was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever laid eyes on. So, naturally, he froze.

  Melody had shifted on her feet, obviously waiting for something. They stood there for a moment. He was trying to find a way to ask her something, anything. Should he say he’d see her out here again sometime? Was that too casual? Should he ask for a date? Wait, should he ask if she was really dating that James guy? But he must have done too much thinking because before he knew it, her smile had faded. She’d thrown him a quick ‘well, see you’ before ducking into her Jeep and disappearing around the corner.

  He walked to the kitchen and flung open the fridge for a bottle of water. He gulped it down in three swallows before spotting the cell phone he’d left on the counter. Picking it up, he dialed it before he knew what he was doing.

  “Hey, Dev.” Toni answered in the same out-of-breath fashion that she’d come to use since she’d become a mom. In the background, he could hear Kyle babbling in baby-speak.

  “Hey. Quick question.” He had no idea what his question was, but he’d called her for something. “I saw that woman again. The one I was telling you about.”

  “Oh yeah? Did you go by her shop or something?”

  “No… I actually kind of ran into her again this morning.”

  Toni paused on the other end of the phone and Devin could hear her telling Kyle that towels weren’t for eating. “Twice in a week? That’s one hell of a coincidence, bro.”

  “I know. Listen, I think she gave me an opening and I fucked it up.” He could almost hear her roll her eyes, so he threw out a response. “And don’t roll your eyes at me.”

  “It’s crazy how you and mom do that.” She sighed. “Well, I don’t think you’d be talking to me about it if you weren’t interested, and if you’re interested, you need to show her.”

  Devin pinned the phone between his ear and shoulder to open a bag of chips on the counter. “How? Help me out here.”

  “Jesus. Who are you, Pryce? I know you’re usually the prey in these types of situations, Dev, but use your head. Don’t overthink it. Just do or say whatever feels natural. Next time you see her, just let her know how you feel.”

  “How I feel, got it.” He didn’t have it. How was he supposed to use his head and not overthink it at the same time? He shoved a handful of spicy chips in his mouth. “Thanks, Tone. I’m gonna hit the shower. Kiss Kyle for me.”

  “Anytime. Bye, Dev.”

  Devin moved to the bathroom to turn on the shower. So, he thought before stepping in, all he had to do was show her that he was interested. How the exact hell was he supposed to do that?

  Chapter 5

  With less than two weeks to grand opening, Mel’s calm was steadily ebbing. Signage and outside décor were finally finished, but there were still two part time slots to fill and at least three full days’ worth of inventory to do. She was spending the better part of every day in the shop, not hiding from her social life (or lack thereof) like Carynne had suggested she was doing, but actually being genuinely busy. The more her store came together, the more excited she became, and the more work the shop required. Besides, it wasn’t as though she’d been asked to any social engagements recently.

  Leana, Mel’s new full-time hire, was checking in accessories upstairs, so Mel stayed downstairs to supervise the shelf and rack installation. She cleaned the windows inside and out, unpacked some boxes, and straightened the area near the register, stopping to grab a few of the light bulbs she would need for the trendy back-lit shelves she paid a fortune for. Absentmindedly wondering where Carynne was – she said she’d be over to help after her shift – she dropped two bulbs at each installed shelf and moved to retrieve the ladder from its place against the wall when she heard the front double doors chime.

  “Thank God, C. You’re late, I’ve been cleaning in here forever, and I’m starv…” She turned to face the store’s entrance and discovered that the person standing there was most decidedly not Carynne. He gave a smile, and Mel felt her chest tighten a bit. A moment hung between them, punctuated by the sounds of construction echoing in the room.

  “Hey.” Devin moved closer to her, away from the door, and dropped his hands into his pockets as he took in the room around him. Mel couldn’t decide whether to be charmed or irritated by this drop-in, by his ease. He always looked so relaxed, so exactly where he wanted to be, all the time. Finally approaching her, he spoke again. “Nice place.”

  Mel decided on irritated as her current reaction to his presence. She quirked an eyebrow up. “What are you doing here?”

  He offered another smile, bigger this time. Mel felt her knees weaken and locked them out as a physical and mental rebuttal to his charm. “I wanted to see you.”

  She pursed her lips. “Can’t imagine why.”

  He shifted, dipping his head to look into her eyes. “Well, there was something I wanted to talk to you about at the court last week, and I never got the chance.”

  “Is that right?”

  “It is.”

  After a beat, Mel realized that it was suddenly very quiet. She turned to find that the contractors had gone, leaving her alone with Devin. Just outside the broad front window, they sat at the curb, eating sandwiches from a cooler, drinking, and smoking cigarettes. She returned her gaze to him. “So, what is it? I’m a little busy here.” Not waiting for his response, she moved to a wall to drag the ladder the workers were using to the shelf nearest the front window. She climbed it, stopping three rungs from the top. She picked up one of the small light bulbs she had placed on the shelf, fiddling with it unnecessarily.

  Devin took a moment to appreciate his view from the floor. The jeans she wore fit tight in all the right places, and he got a peek of her lower back every time she reached for a new rung as she climbed the ladder. He felt something stir inside him and shifted again to repress it. Down to business, he thought. He moved close to her again, stopping near the foot of the ladder. “That guy you were on a date with the night we met. Is he still in the picture?”

  Mel remained silent a moment, reaching to the back of the shelf and taking her time to screw in a bulb as if it required all her concentration. When she finished, she glanced down at him and shrugged indifferently. “May
be. Why?”

  Still peering up at her, he broke into a grin. She wasn’t going to make this easy. That was fine. “Because I was wondering if we could go out sometime. Maybe go back to Walker’s, hang out there together on purpose.”

  Seeing him again, seeing that charismatic, clever smile, had her toying with the idea before remembering how put-off she felt at the court. She must have stood there for a lifetime waiting for him to say something, anything, before she’d given up and gotten in the car. She’d gone home to stare in the mirror and admonish herself for going outside in a faded, decade-old tank top, and then she’d switched her morning workout schedule so she wouldn’t have to run into him again. And now here he was, in her store, an entire week later, asking to go to a bar with her.

  “Thanks, but no thanks. I think I gave you an opening, and you didn’t take it. Besides, I’m sure you’ve got your hands full with whoever that was you met that night.”

  “Actually, I don’t. I’m not really into her. Haven’t seen her since the night I met you.”

  She turned to look down at him, taking in the features of his face. There was an attraction, she thought, and she could acknowledge that, but she’d already decided he wasn’t worth her time. And that decision, however quickly made, was final. She began her descent from the top of the ladder. “Well, be that as it may, I don’t think w….”

  She missed a rung, second from the bottom, and lost her footing, gravity pulling her backwards before she could regain her balance. She prepared herself for the inevitability of the hard tile floor but was surprised when she fell backwards into what felt like a man-shaped wall. Devin had moved directly behind her, catching her by the waist and pulling her in to steady her. She was now physically closer to him than she’d ever been, their bodies paralleled against each other, his front to her back.