Elusive Echoes (30 page)

The band's rhythmic beat began to fade into
a dull thump in the distance. Sounds of clinking glasses and
animated conversation echoed as her surroundings became an amalgam
of disharmonic chaos. Sean studied her, concern etched into his
features. His mouth moved but she couldn't hear his voice. Colors
spun. Rainbow swirls shot out from the overhead lights, trailed in
front of her eyes, then receded into nothing, consumed by black
holes in her vision. She felt herself pitching forward, became
vaguely aware of Sean's hands on her arms.

Chapter Seventeen

As Mel collapsed into his arms, Sean felt
his heart pause. He lifted her and strode down the hallway to the
office, where he laid her on the old leather settee. She was
already stirring and he blew out a breath of relief as fear eased
the squeeze on his heart.

"Sean?" Ricky stood in the doorway.

Without turning around Sean took charge.
"Have Bertie stand behind the bar. Mel never got to close out the
register and there's a lot of cash in the till."

Mel rubbed her forehead and tried to sit up
but Sean pushed her back down.

"Easy there. Don't try to sit up too
fast."

"What happened?" Her voice sounded thick.
Her eyes seemed to be focusing, though. She tried to sit up again
and this time he helped her.

"You passed out." Sean kept a steadying hand
on Mel's shoulder.

"That's ridiculous. I don't faint."

Sean barked a laugh. "Yeah, apparently you
do." He helped her swing her legs to the floor. "Do you remember
anything?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Everything
got really blurry. Then I saw you but you looked really far away,
and I woke up here."

"I'm calling Doc Trent."

"That's not necessary. I'm just tired."

"Your other option is the hospital in
Jackson. I'll drive you there myself."

"Oh, jeez, no!" She touched him on the arm,
speaking slowly and with force. "I'm just really tired. I'll be
fine in the morning."

Sean was unconvinced. "You're pale and
shaky." He touched her forehead flinching at the feel of cool damp
skin. "And clammy."

"I haven't eaten. That's all." She smiled.
"Just get me something from the kitchen and I'll take my break now
to eat."

He laughed, though the last thing he felt
was mirth. "Oh, no. You're finished for the night."

Mel's sigh sounded like one of
long-suffering, and Sean could tell he'd irritated her. "Please
don't tell me what to do."

He took in Mel's pallor with a growing sense
of unease. She was exhausted and her eyes held a hint of trouble.
Something was clearly bothering her. "What did Northrop say to
you?"

Mel wrinkled her nose. "Who?"

"The guy you were talking to before you
passed out."

"Oh, him." She shook her head and made a
dismissive gesture with her hand. "Nothing really. He asked if this
was all the night life around here."

Sean snorted. That didn't surprise him in
the least. Charlie pushed open the door and came in with a plate.
"Sorry, honey, we don't have much light food here. Got a club
sandwich, light on the tomatoes just the way you like it."

"Thanks, Charlie. I'll be out as soon as I
eat this."

Sean caught Charlie's look of concern and
nodded. "I'll be right back," he said to Mel.

In the hallway, the noise from the bar was
overpowering so Sean slipped into the kitchen. Pulling out his cell
phone, he punched in Sandy's number.

****

The sandwich helped fill the emptiness in
Mel's stomach. It did nothing to ease the hitch in her soul brought
on by the lie she'd just told Sean. Somehow she had to find a way
to make things right, to protect Sean and his family and also find
out what Denny knew about her little girl. She had to tell Sean the
truth about Denny. What was she thinking, lying to him? Her brother
wasn't going to play fair. Whatever scam he was pulling, it
involved Sean, and that wasn't acceptable.

When she heard the band playing the last
call song, she frowned and checked her watch. They were still two
hours away from closing. She stood quickly and moved toward the
door, yanking it open to find a wall of muscle on the other side.
Sean.

"What's going on?" she demanded, speaking
more sharply than he deserved.

"You're closing two hours early tonight." He
was solidly in her way and apparently not intending to step aside.
His hands clamped on her arms when she tried to slip by. She wasn't
going anywhere.

Abruptly, she discovered she was too tired
to fight the decision that had already been made. She stopped
struggling and sagged against him. "Just tell me why."

"Sandy's orders." Sean walked her backwards
into the office. "I told her what happened with LeeAnn—the girl's
fired by the way—and she likes the idea of hiring Bertie if she
still wants the job. But the crowd is already thinning down and
it's not going to kill anyone to close two hours early."

Mel sighed. "I don't like it
but I am tired."
Beyond
tired
.

"Then you're going to like this next part
even less." He kissed her, hard and quick. "We're going back to the
ranch tonight."

"But I don't—"

He kissed her again, this time softer,
lingering. "I don't want to leave you alone but I have to get up
early."

That would also put her out there, where her
brother was apparently about to start something. Whatever it was,
she could only hope to put a stop to it. So she shrugged and nodded
her head. This was her opportunity to tell him about Denny. Mel
drew a steadying breath. "Sean, I have—"

The door opened and Ricky walked in with the
register drawer. "Band's packing it in. Mel, do you want this in
the safe tonight?"

No, she didn't. Realizing her opportunity
had slid on past for the moment, she motioned to the desk. "I'll
bring it with us. I just need to get the bank bag. Thanks,
Ricky."

Sean left with Ricky and Mel decided that
she could wait until they were in the car. She slipped out of the
office to find that Bertie, Ricky, and Sean had almost finished the
nightly cleanup. Charlie had secured the kitchen. Their coordinated
efforts rivaled those of an emergency team performing a disaster
drill.

Mel slipped outside and stole up the stairs
to her apartment, intent on grabbing some personal things. A few
minutes later, she exited, bag in hand, and made certain to lock
the door behind her, though she was well aware that no lock would
keep Denny out. Clouds hid the stars and Mel was certain she
smelled an early snowstorm on the air.

Sean lounged at the base of the steps. He
pushed off when she reached him and draped an arm over her
shoulders, steering her toward his truck. "Ricky and Charlie are
making sure Bertie gets home."

Mel felt like royalty as Sean settled her in
the passenger seat. She chewed on the need to talk to Sean as he
drove through Orson's Folly, past all the shops closed up tight,
beneath the town's single, flashing yellow traffic light. They
finally hit the highway and Mel turned to regard Sean. He flicked a
glance in her direction before returning his eyes to the road.
Mel's heart swelled so full of love, her resolve to talk to him
nearly crumbled like an old stone wall. She didn't want to break
the mood, but . . .

"Sean—"

His cell beeped once. Sliding it from his
shirt pocket, he pulled to the side of the road and answered. After
speaking a couple of sentences Sean said goodbye and hung up.
"Ricky got Charlie home okay but decided not to spend the night so
he's right behind us."

Mel sighed. "That's good. They've gotten
close since Ricky started at Valentine's. I think she misses her
kids and needs people to mother. It was nice of him to see her
home."

"Ricky's a good kid."

"You love him."

In the light of the dashboard, Mel saw
Sean's lips curve into a gentle smile. "Yeah, I do. But he doesn't
like people saying that to him just yet."

"He'll get there. No one can resist your
family."

A comfortable silence fell. Now would be a
good time to say something. But she didn't. It was going to change
everything and just for a few moments more, she wanted things to
seem normal.

"How are you feeling now?" Sean asked after
a few miles.

"Less tired and not hungry." She smiled over
at him. "Thinking I wish we'd stayed at my place so we could . . .
you know . . . cuddle and talk."

Sean chuckled. "We can still . . . you know
. . . cuddle and talk. Just in my room instead of yours."

Mel felt the heat flood her face. "Um, I . .
. don't think so. Not in your dad's house. I wouldn't want him to
get the wrong idea."

Sean chuckled.

Mel's face flamed. Right, like Sean's family
didn't already have ideas about them anyway.

"I can bunk in with Ricky tonight if that
makes you feel better," suggested Sean.

Mel felt instantly lonely. "You know, it
really doesn't. I don't want to sleep alone ever again."

Of their own accord, the words had spilled
out more forcefully than she'd intended. Sean glanced over at
her.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Mel needed to talk. Now. But the words
didn't come. She knew she couldn't trust Denny. More than likely,
he would leave town without telling her anything at all about her
daughter. If he even knew anything. But if she crossed him, she
could be risking her child's life. When had she come to care so
much?

And then she had to consider
Denny's threat about the continued safety of Sean and his family,
especially his insinuation that something could happen to
Bethany.
What should I do?
Her breathing clutched as emotions seared an
agonizing trail from her heart outward.

She caught Sean's movement as he turned to
look at her and realized he was waiting for her answer. "I'm okay.
How about you?"

He redirected his attention to the road
ahead before he spoke. "You scared me tonight, Mel." Sean was
direct, and even though he tried to cover it by speaking lightly,
she heard the anxiety in his voice.

Unshed tears stung her eyes as her heart
broke. She could cheerfully send Denny to the devil for coming back
into her life and putting such an impossible dilemma in front of
her.

They turned onto the ranch driveway, and Mel
decided this was it. If Sean got mad and ended up bunking in with
Ricky, then at least he would know the truth. He wouldn't be
defenseless, and in the morning maybe they could figure things
out.

"Sean, I need to tell you something . .
."

****

As they got close to the house, the back of
Sean's neck prickled. The sudden feeling of uneasiness never failed
to leave him disconcerted, mainly because that particular sensation
was always associated with trouble of some kind.

The glow at the end of the drive wasn't
normal. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't coming from
Northrop's luxury accommodations.

Mel touched him on the arm. "Sean, the man
in the bar tonight. Dallas Northrop—"

"Stables are on fire!" The words exploded
out of Sean's mouth as he recognized the source of the light. He
punched the gas on the pickup.

Sean barely registered Mel's cry of
distress. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed for
emergency assistance, even though he knew in his heart it was
already far too late. He laid on the truck's horn to alert the
people in the main house.

"We have to get the horses!" Mel pushed open
the pickup door before the pickup came to a full stop.

Dimly, Sean recognized a pair of headlights
barreling along the drive behind them. Probably Ricky.

****

She'd left it too late. Mel's heart took up
residence in her throat, pounding so hard she was certain it would
explode. Denny had made his move, and so much for his promise that
no one would get hurt. Sean was about to race headlong into a
blazing inferno.

Light from the main house spilled from the
front doorway, and four people raced across the drive.

Denny's words about Sandy and Ryan's baby
echoed through Mel's brain. "Go back!" she screamed at Sandy. "Go
back in the house! Don't leave the baby alone."

"I'm the only one who can get Domingo out."
Sandy was nearly to the fiery stable. She hesitated for just a
moment and then began to run again.

Mel jumped into her path. "You have to go
back! You can't leave Bethany. My brother is here, and he might be
after her!"

Sandy skidded to a halt. "No!" Horror
blossomed across her face. She glanced back at the house, then cast
a tortured gaze at the stable, where horses were screaming in fear.
Everyone knew how much she loved Domingo, and Mel knew to abandon
him would be agony for her friend, but Sandy clearly had no choice.
She had to protect her child.

As Sandy turned to go back to the homestead,
Mel shouted after her. "Take Justin with you. He shouldn't be out
here—his heart."

Mel followed Joe and Ryan toward the stable
where Sean had disappeared. Glowing gold smoke swelled from the
doorway, breathing and billowing, like a genie just released from
the bottle. The roar of the fire didn't quite drown out the
piercing shrieks of the terrified horses. How many were in there?
Where were they? Where had Sean gone?

The wooden structure hissed and crackled as
it burned. Ominous groans issued from stressed timbers. Dark shapes
began to boil in the center of the brilliance, and shadows took on
the form of grotesque faces floating in the plumes. Mel's steps
faltered at the doorway. The smoke stung her eyes and she lost
track of where she was. Someone's hands yanked on her, hard,
pulling her back away from the door just as the doorway roared to
fiery life and flames exploded over her head.