A Reason to Love (4 page)

Liam’s eyebrows shot up, but she didn’t know which name had surprised him. He didn’t explain and she didn’t ask. When someone across the room hollered his name, Liam gave the burgers one more pointed look and walked away.

Spence ate another fry and then picked up his burger with both hands and took a huge bite. Melanie cut her own hamburger in half before trying it. She’d been expecting it to be barely edible, but it was one of the best burgers she’d had in ages. “This is delicious!”

Spence merely grunted but kept eating, alternating bites with sips of his drink. Obviously he’d believed Liam when he said eating something was the price of getting more to drink. At the rate Spence was downing the beer, she doubted the food would do much to slow down his determined efforts to get drunk.

Maybe if she knew him better it would have been possible to talk him into taking it easy. But somewhere along the way, the boy she’d known had morphed into the angry man sitting across from her. Earlier in the cemetery, there had been a few recognizable flashes of the old Spence. Something in the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

But there was a hardness about him now that hadn’t been there before. Yeah, he’d acted out as a teen, especially after he lost both his parents, yet he’d never been known for getting into fights. But back at the wedding, the sense of barely controlled violence simmering just below the surface had been all too clear.

When he finished off the last of his fries, he lurched up out of the booth and started toward the bar. After going only a few steps, he turned back. “You ready for another one?”

One of them needed a clear head. “I’d prefer coffee with cream and sugar.”

He was already on his way. She watched as he tossed his empty basket on the bar. Liam looked past Spence toward Melanie. She wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted to know, but she nodded anyway. As soon as she did, he popped the top on two more beers and set them on the bar. Spence pulled out his wallet and dropped a credit card on the counter before snagging the two beers and heading back to their booth. Maybe they didn’t serve coffee here.

Spence set both beers on his side of the table. “Your bartender friend said he was brewing a fresh pot. He’ll bring your coffee when it’s done.”

Liam wasn’t her friend, but she wasn’t going to argue the point. “Thanks.”

“Why aren’t you leaving, Mel? I don’t need a babysitter. And besides, won’t Callie be hurt if you don’t show up at the reception?”

“I doubt that she’ll even notice.” Although that same thought had crossed her mind more than once. Glancing at her watch, she decided it was too late now anyway. If she did show up at the reception now, she’d have to explain where she’d been and why. It was that last part that she had no easy answer for, so she stayed right where she was.

Besides, right now Callie and her new husband were surrounded by friends and family.

In contrast, Spence was painfully alone. Even if he preferred it that way, she wasn’t in the mood for a big party, either. She’d rather sit here in this dingy bar with an angry Spence than hang out with her friends, the odd girl out.

“Believe me, she’ll notice, Mel. You’re one of her best friends, or at least you used to be.” Spence was like a dog with an old bone.

“The same could be said about you.” She stopped and looked at their surroundings. “And yet here we are.”

Her coffee arrived. Liam set it down in front of her along with a carafe in case she wanted more. He walked away without a word.

Spence winced as if her words had hurt him.

“Sorry, Spence. I know all of this has to be hard for you. Them, too.”

“Fuck that and fuck them.” His fist came down on the table hard enough to cause her coffee to splash over the rim of her cup.

Okay, so maybe they’d both be better off if she just kept her mouth shut. Spence lapsed into a sullen silence as he made steady inroads into his beer. When he started on the last bottle, Melanie went up to the bar and ordered two more. Liam didn’t say a word, but there was a wealth of opinion in the look he gave her.

“After these, I’ll try to get him out of here,” she said.

Liam looked past her and laughed. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

If he said anything else, it was drowned out by a sudden blast of music. She headed back to their booth; it was empty. After setting down the beers, she turned around to look for Spence, only to find him standing right behind her. He took her hand in his and towed her over to the opposite side of the bar where a couple of spotlights were focused on a small open area.

She tried to drag her heels, but she was no match for her determined companion. “Spence, what are you doing?”

“I want to dance.”

His grip on her hand was gentle but firm. Even so, she suspected if she really wanted to break free, he’d let her. She couldn’t find it in her to even try, which scared her enough to at least make a token protest. “I don’t think this is a good idea, Spence.”

He gave her one last tug right into his waiting arms. “Too bad. I do.”

Before she could even sputter a response, he gave her a quick twirl, and the battle was lost.

E
arlier in the church parking lot, Spence would’ve sworn his conscience was dead, lost that day in the streets of Afghanistan when his whole life went off the rails. But like him, it had somehow survived, battered and bruised perhaps, but definitely alive. He knew that for a fact because right now the damn thing was shoving its way through the pleasant fog of beer to point out that he shouldn’t be forcing Melanie to dance with him.

In his own defense, he hadn’t asked her to follow him to this hole-in-the-wall bar, not to mention he’d repeatedly told her to leave as soon as she found him. Obviously Melanie was still there because she wanted to be. God knows why, but it was her choice, her problem.

His conscience wasn’t buying it.
Yeah, and you’re being a complete asshole. She’s still there because little Melanie Wolfe has grown up to be some kind of misguided do-gooder out to save the world. Or, in this case, one Spencer Lang.

Okay, fine. He’d paid for two songs, which were almost over. They’d finish this dance, he’d thank Melanie for her concern, and then he would send her on her way. If necessary, he’d shove her out the fucking door. He gave Melanie another twirl as the final strains of the song faded away.

Unfortunately, someone else must have fed quarters into the antique jukebox, because the opening strains of a slow song about lost loves and roads not taken filled the room. Three notes in and all of Spence’s good intentions shattered. He’d already dropped Melanie’s hand when the previous song ended. Now all he could do was stare down at her. She studied him for what felt like an eternity even if it was only a few seconds.

He wasn’t sure which one of them moved first, but between one second and the next she was back in his arms and slowly swaying to the music. Melanie was a bit shorter than Callie, making her about five-seven, and so more than half a foot shorter than his six-three. The heels she wore made up enough of that difference to put her head right at his shoulder, the soft silk of her hair against his cheek.

He breathed in her scent, an intoxicating mix of warm skin combined with a hint of perfume. He knew he should be shot for the thoughts he was having, because this was Melanie Wolfe, not some random woman he’d picked up in a bar. He shifted so there was a little more room between them, praying the song would end before he did something stupid like kiss her.

She might forgive him for it; he wouldn’t.

For the moment, all he could do was enjoy the sweet hell of simple human contact as the music cocooned them with bluesy guitar notes and sad lyrics. The song suited his mood perfectly, but he’d be glad when it was over.

When it ended, Melanie walked away, heading right toward their booth in the back corner. He followed after her, promising himself he’d make her leave now. It was getting late, and he had some serious drinking left to do. He didn’t need or want those big, worried eyes of hers watching every time he lifted a bottle to his mouth.

He’d earned the right to get drunk on his first night in town; he’d paid for the privilege with both blood and pain. Nothing and no one was going to stop him. Before Melanie could sit down, Spence blocked her way. “It’s getting late. You should go home.”

Despite his best efforts to sound like Sarge making it clear to a new recruit that his orders were not to be questioned, Melanie stood her ground. “I told you earlier, Spence, I don’t take well to being bossed around. This is a public place, and I can stay here as long as I want to.”

Okay, she was starting to piss him off. “But I don’t want you here.”

She flinched as if his words hurt her, but she stood her ground. “Tough. I’m staying. Deal with it.”

“Is there a problem?”

They both jumped. That the bartender could sneak up on them like that showed just how rusty Spence’s survival skills had gotten. “No problem. I just asked her to leave.”

“And I said no,” Melanie said as she used the distraction to sneak past him to reclaim her side of the booth. Once she was seated, she poured herself another cup of coffee, clearly settling in for the duration.

Fine. He’d tried. “I’ll have two more beers.”

Liam nodded. “If either one of you wants something else to eat, now’s the time. My short-order cook leaves at midnight.”

“I’d love another order of fries,” she said.

Spence mumbled, “Nothing for me.”

He couldn’t help but notice the bright smile Melanie had given Liam along with her order. If she liked that guy so much, why was she sitting with him instead of parking her backside up at the bar? Rather than ask, he finished off his last beer even though it had gone warm and flat. He didn’t care. It would hold him until the fresh ones arrived.

By the time Liam delivered his drinks and Melanie’s fries, Spence’s nerves were stretched to the breaking point. He jerked his head in Liam’s direction to show his appreciation. “Thanks. Put it all on my tab.”

“Will do.”

After he left, Spence watched Melanie pouring a puddle of ketchup next to the heaping pile of fries. He snagged one for himself and washed it down with a big swig of beer. The combination tasted good to him, so he did it again. Melanie didn’t complain about him pilfering her snack, probably glad that he was tempering the effects of the alcohol with food.

“Don’t you have someplace better to be?”

She shrugged. “Obviously not.”

Okay, that cracked him up or maybe it was the beer laughing. He took another long drink and set the empty bottle to the side. After a few more swallows, the haze was back, softening the edges of everything that had happened. Tomorrow, he’d probably hate himself for how he’d acted at the church, and he figured a world-class hangover would be suitable punishment.

At least Liam kept the beer coming. He’d stop by every so often with two more bottles and to take the empties away. On the last trip, he grinned at Melanie. Spence looked over to see what the man found so entertaining. Her head was nodding, as if she couldn’t keep her eyes open another minute. This despite having finished off the entire carafe of coffee by herself.

Liam walked away, his shoulders shaking as if he were laughing. Clearly he found the pair of them amusing for some reason. Right now Spence was too drunk to care.

As a rule, he’d never been much of a drinker, mostly because his bastard of an uncle had been a mean drunk. Spence was adopted, so they hadn’t crawled out of the same gene pool. Even so, he had seen up close and personal what a lifetime of hard drinking did to a man. He had more respect for himself than that, or at least he used to. By now he’d lost count of how many beers he’d had.

Too many by anyone’s count.

He’d also lost track of time. How long ago had Melanie fallen asleep? She looked pretty damn uncomfortable wedged there in the corner with her back against the wall, her legs up on the bench, and her head angled against the back of the seat. What should he do about that? He blinked several times to clear his mind. It didn’t work, but he had to do something.

“Hey, Melanie.”

No response. He tried again, louder this time. “Melanie! Wake up. It’s time for you to hit the road.”

She shifted, but her eyes remained closed. He reached across the table to shake her. “Mel, wake up. You need to go home.”

Damn it, he meant it this time. She couldn’t risk being seen like this. She was stone-cold sober, but anyone who saw her would think she was passed-out drunk. That was his goal in life right now, not hers. When he shook her again, she batted at him with her hand but still didn’t wake up. Had she always been this stubborn? He caught her flailing hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “Wake up before Liam throws your sleeping ass out into the Dumpster.”

•   •   •

Melanie wanted to burrow deeper under the covers and ignore the guy telling her to wake up, especially because his voice sounded an awful lot like Spence Lang’s. That couldn’t be, though. Everyone knew Spence was dead. She hated knowing that, and if she woke up right now, even the dream Spence would disappear. She reached for the blankets and found none.

Reality slowly filtered in. She wasn’t in bed; she was in a bar. And the voice she heard wasn’t coming from a phantom Spence, but the real thing. Her eyes finally fluttered open. Still thickheaded and confused, she sat up taller and looked around.

Spence settled back into the corner of his side of the booth. His eyes looked as bleary as hers felt. He saluted her with a half-empty beer bottle. “Yeah, you’re really here.”

Dropping her feet back down on the floor, she smiled back at him. “So are you.”

That simple truth improved both her cognition and her mood considerably. Meanwhile, Liam must have been watching, because he appeared with a pot of coffee in his hand. He filled her cup and shoved it in front of her. “It’s almost closing time. Drink that before you go.”

Melanie wrapped her hands around the mug and stared down at the hot liquid as she soaked up its warmth. After a few seconds, she finally doctored it with cream and sugar and took a sip.

She shuddered. “God, that’s strong. It tastes like pure caffeine.”

Not that it kept her from chugging it down. The taste improved only slightly after she toned it down with two more packets of sugar and another one of those little plastic tubs of half-and-half. As soon as she finished it off, she picked up her purse. It was way past time to head home.

“Okay, Spence, finish that last one so we can go.”

He reached for the beer. “Yeah, I should walk you out to your car. Not safe for a woman. There’s a bunch of drunks around.”

She didn’t point out that he was one of those himself. After he downed the beer, he set it down with a loud clink and carefully lined it up with a neat double row of others just like it.

He cocked his head to the side to admire his work. “There, neat and tidy like a squad of soldiers reporting for duty.”

As he studied them, his smile looked a bit loopy. “I’ll be back, guys. Just gotta see the lady out.”

Melanie didn’t bother to correct him. Once she got him outside, she wasn’t about to let him head back into the bar. For one thing, he’d had enough to drink. Spence might have good reasons for consuming that much alcohol, but he would suffer tomorrow for it. Besides, the bar was about to close.

When he stood up, though, he reeled from side to side as if the whole world had done a back spin, and he stumbled slightly as if the floor rippled beneath his feet. Flailing his arms for balance, he staggered across the aisle to bump up hard against the empty booth on the other side of the aisle.

Spence narrowed his eyes and glared at everyone in the bar. “Whoa! What the hell just happened?”

Using the exaggerated care of the thoroughly drunk, he managed to stand upright again. At least he was smart enough to hang on to the back of the booth for support. “Did someone push me?”

When no one immediately confessed, he pushed off in the direction of the bar and muttered, “Sneaky bastards.”

It happened again, but this time Melanie grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders while she put hers around his waist. After two steps, the two of them settled into a steady rhythm.

Yeah, that was better. Definite progress being made here. Their friendly neighborhood bartender stood waiting for them at the bar. She kept one arm around Spence and used her free hand to dig in her purse for her wallet. “How much do we owe you?”

Liam waved her off and held out a receipt. “Your soldier gave me his credit card number, so I put everything on his tab. Figured he should foot the bill.”

Spence immediately nodded like a bobbleheaded doll and looked proud of his own generosity. “Right. My treat.”

Liam followed as they shuffled toward the door. “How is he getting home?”

Spence reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. Dangling them in the air, he announced to one and all, “I’ve got my Harley outside. It’s a real beauty, too. I’ll ride it home.”

Then he frowned. “Hey, come to think of it, I don’t have a home anymore. I gave it to Callie when I died.”

Melanie wasn’t sure what to say to that. Where had he been planning on spending the night if he couldn’t stay in his own house? Meanwhile, Liam made a quick grab for Spence’s keys and then backed out of reach after shoving them in his own pocket. Spence made a futile attempt to steal them back.

The other man stood his ground. “Sorry, Corporal, but you’re not driving anywhere tonight. The cops would have my license if I let someone in your condition out on the roads.”

Spence looked insulted. “Hey, I’m not . . . What’s the word I’m thinking of?”

He addressed that last part to Melanie, but it was Liam who answered. “Impaired, but that is exactly what you are, my friend. Now, let me help you out to the lady’s car. I’ll make sure your bike is safe. You can pick it up here tomorrow.”

Spence was clearly prepared to stand there and argue, but he was looking worse by the second. If they didn’t get him poured into her car soon, they’d most likely have to scrape him up off the floor. She did her best to move him off dead center toward the door. Finally, he cooperated enough to get him moving.

Liam opened the door for her and then helped her guide Spence’s faltering steps outside. “I’m parked over there.”

Outside, the parking lot was bright from the full moon high overhead. How long had they been in there, anyway? Hours upon hours, judging by the nearly empty parking lot. When she got Spence to the car, she propped him against the quarter panel until she had the door unlocked and open.

“Get in, Spence, and buckle up.”

He grumbled a bit, but he did as she said. While he got settled, she crossed over to where Liam stood by Spence’s bike. He was busy pulling stuff out of the saddlebags. He held out a leather shaving kit and a few articles of clothing.

“Here, this should be enough to do him until tomorrow. Tell him I’ll have his motorcycle locked up in the garage out back. No harm will come to it.”

She accepted the stack of Spence’s things. “Thanks for everything, Liam.”

He looked past her toward the car, his eyebrows drawn down low and his mouth set in a hard frown. “Something has been niggling at me all night. It’s like his name is familiar, but I know I’ve never met him before tonight.”