Melvina was feeling it now. Her back ached and her feet throbbed. She wrapped a rubber band around the thick stack of checks with her own chicken scratch scrawled across the green and white paper. Pam, a morning waitress, called in early to report that her sister’s water broke, and she was rushing her sibling to the hospital. The fill-in waitress, Barb, couldn’t make it in, so that put Melvina in the waitress seat. Pop came up to help and the busboy took over delivering water and silverware setups during the rush.
She was glad she didn’t have to depend on waitressing to make a living. It was a young person’s job and usually a thankless one at that. It was a relief that most of the locals knew her and there were few complaints as long as the food was hot and they had enough sweet tea to keep them cool.
All she wanted to do now was go home and soak her feet in Humphrey’s baby pool. She would water the garden when the sun set and take a quick nap before figuring out what she would feed them. She usually fed Humphrey whatever she ate, sticking to meat protein and fresh vegetables. It was better for him than just plain dog food, and he was in decent enough shape for his years.
She punched the time clock and rolled up her dirty apron, sticking it in her work tote. Waving to Pop, she opened the back door, sliding her keys from the magnetic holder in her purse.
A sleek black coupe pulled up along the back exit as it started to rain. Melvina bumped her hip against the back door to close it, and she started to make haste for the catering truck Pop had lent her when she took her Shelby in for repairs. The coupe’s window slid down and she recognized Riley.
“Wanna hop in? It’s pouring just over the hill and I guarantee it’s coming this way.” He flipped the locks and pushed the passenger side door open.
Melvina glanced up at the darkening sky. “All the more reason for me to hustle home. Thanks anyway,” she waved.
“Melvina, wait! I want to show you the garden. The one we use for the restaurant. It’s here in Magnolia. One of the reasons I’m out here so much.”
That got her attention. A man who gardens couldn’t be all that bad. Maybe his reputation had been overblown. Not to mention, she felt compelled to explain that going to Braised last night was a surprise to her. She didn’t want Riley to think she was stalking him. The sprinkling turned into hard rain and she didn’t have time to dicker. She took the invitation and got into the car.
Suddenly self-conscious as the smell of leather and new car washed over her senses, she apologized. “I’m sorry. I know I smell like fries right now, but I’ve been waiting tables all day.” She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at the stained sleeve of her shirt.
“It’s okay. I just left Braised, where I was smoking fifty pounds of brisket for later tonight and I probably smell like our secret whiskey barbecue sauce.” He winked at her, then added, “Besides, barbecue and fries go great together, don’t you think?”
Melvina smiled. She couldn’t argue with that, but she wished she’d had a chance to shower before bumping into him.
The small farm off the narrow, curvy road was about a ten-minute drive from town. The lush greenery reminded her that spring was turning to summer, and the heat of the day was only mildly cooled by the brief rainstorm. As they got out of the car, a gentle breeze blew their way just before the humidity rolled up in a wave off the pavement.
Melvina gazed around her, spying a modest house with a white picket fence sitting on what looked like a hundred acres of land.
“Wow, this looks like my granddaddy’s place. We used to spend the summers with him and grandma, chasing garden snakes and catching fireflies.” Melvina looked across the green fields with cattle roaming in the distance. Two donkeys were close by the fence and she wandered over to pet them when they stuck their heads between the wooden rails. “Cute, what are their names?”
“Shrek and Donkey,” Riley replied, deadpan.
Melvina turned with a smile. “Really?”
“My nephews named them. They’ll be home soon. They’re probably swimming at my mom’s place. When school’s out, they can be a handful for my sister, Lexi. This is her place. It used to belong to my grandparents, but my parents didn’t want to work the land, so my sister bought it from them for a song, and now she’s nice enough to let her big brother use a chunk for Braised.”
Riley gestured for Melvina to follow him. They walked through a stand of trees that shaded one side of the house. Riley flipped the latch on the picket fence, and they stepped into an oasis of fresh rosemary, chives, and pots filled with mint, basil and thyme. A bay leaf tree was surrounded with white stones, and dill weed overflowed a box in the window above. Flower baskets with an array of pansies and impatiens dotted the herb garden courtyard, and big tomatoes hung from vines lined along the fence. It was a gardener’s dream. Every herb she could think of grew in abundance, and the added flowers made it a beautiful spot for anyone to enjoy.
“Oh my.” It was all she could say as she picked a sprig of rosemary and rubbed it between her fingers, then rubbed her hands over her arms. She loved the scent and hoped it would cover up the smell of the diner that lingered in her pores. “It’s beautiful. I have a small garden of my own, and I bring herbs to Pop’s on occasion, but it’s nothing like this. I think I’m jealous.” She turned in a circle, then closed her eyes, breathing in deep.
When she opened them, Riley was in front of her, holding a small bouquet of flowering basil. “Anything you want, you can have.”
Melvina gulped. “Nice offer, thanks.” She could feel her cheeks heating and cursed her fair skin. He was probably laughing at her country innocence. She admitted she hadn’t traveled much outside of Texas and her inexperience with men left her blushing a lot.
Riley seemed to sense her insecurity. “I mean it. If you want some herbs to take home or maybe some cuttings to start your own plants, you’re welcome to them.” He reached for a gardener’s box made of wood with a pair of shears and a small shovel and handed the items to her. “I’ve been wanting to show you this place since we talked that day at Bubbles. You mentioned you liked to garden. I didn’t mention the place then because I was already planning to surprise you, but I haven’t been able to catch up with you before last night.”
Her eyes skittered away at the intensity of his gaze. “Yeah, I’ve been busy. I hadn’t planned on going anywhere last night, but then Manny caught me after work and twisted my arm. He didn’t tell me where we were going until—” she looked down at the corrugated brick that made a path through the maze of herbs and flowers.
“Manny, oh yeah, the chief.” Riley’s smile stiffened. “No worries. I’ve been busy too, but I did drop by the café a few times to talk to you. I even tried to flag you down outside the Blossoms office. Celia asked me to do this charity thing for the mentoring program they want to start.”
Melvina started walking through the garden, picking at jasmine and making a few small cuts from other plants. “Yeah, I had stopped by to drop off some papers. I noticed you guys were—busy, so I just left them with the secretary. Celia and I haven’t had much contact since the ball.” Her mind flicked from the shock to the emptiness she’d felt over seeing Riley and Celia’s embrace to the vision of Celia drenched from the fountains. “I mean, I did paint the lady with chocolate.”
The memory gave her a momentary giggle she couldn’t suppress. Her giggle grew into laughter as Riley’s own chuckle chimed in. When Melvina snorted, they both engaged in peals of squawking that had her leaning against a fence post. As she leaned forward, tears filling her eyes from the infectious laughter, the post gave way along with the panel of fencing it was attached to. Melvina landed flat on her butt in a pile of something she didn’t want to name. The smell rolled up in the heat as her hand squished into the soft, oozing surface.
“Ew! What is this?” She held her hand up for inspection.
“Oh, no! Oh my God, Melvina, let me help you up.” He rushed toward her but stared at the offending hand for a moment before lifting her up by her armpits. He chuckled a bit, but then tried to press his lips firmly together as he steadied her.
“It’s manure. Yuck!” she groaned.
They both burst into laughter again and Riley accidentally stepped on the wooden planks of the broken pickets, tripping past her and landing on his knees in the same mess.
She gasped as he’d tumbled over but wasn’t able to catch him in time because of her own sorry state.
Melvina was lucky to have only one jeans pocket and her right hand splattered with the thick brown muck, but Riley had fallen a little farther, was up to his elbows on both sides, and firmly planted on both knees. She yelped, then giggled, and took his hand with her soiled one, laughing so hard she thought she would pee her pants. Riley gave her a tug and she landed next to him, though luckily not in the manure he seemed glued to.
“Yuck is right. I’ll have to thank Lexi for all the tender care she’s provided my garden and let her know she ruined any chance of me impressing a lady or snagging a kiss.” He shook his head as the laughter ceased and they both caught their breath.
Melvina was momentarily silenced. Did he just say he wanted to kiss her? She shook off her surprise and covered it with a joke. “Oh, I’m impressed all right. I can now attest to the fact that Braised uses all, one-hundred percent organic fertilizer.” She pushed herself up, wiping her hands on the grass as she did so.
“You’re not upset?”
“I was raised around livestock, Riley. We may stink to high heaven, but it won’t kill us. However, now I think I could really use that shower. French fries, barbecue, or whatever—nothing in the world pairs with cow manure. There’s no way we can get back in your pretty car after this romp through the garden.”
She tried unsuccessfully to peek around to see the damage to her derriere as Riley found the garden hose. “We can start with this. I don’t have a key to Lexi’s place, but I can call my mom, and someone will drive over and let us in.”
They made their preliminary cleanup and waited out front on the wooden porch swing. A baby blue minivan rolled up the drive, and as quick as it rolled to a stop, three young boys popped out of the doors and bee-lined it to the porch. All came to a screeching halt as they approached Riley.
“Ew! Gross!” They all chimed in as they sized up the state of the duo’s soiled clothes. “You got poop on you, Uncle Riley.”
“Yes, sir. We got into some trouble out back in the garden. Boys, this is Melvina. Melvina these are my nephews, Larry, Curly and Mo,” he teased.
“Nuh-uh!” They all complained in unison. The two taller boys looked to be seven or eight, but the youngest one was only four or five. He lifted his arms for his uncle to hug.
Riley reached down and picked him up, holding him high so he wouldn’t soil the boy’s clothes. “Now I see who loves me most.” He chuckled as he nuzzled the child, blowing strawberries on his neck. The others teased their youngest brother, “Ew, he stinks and now you will too.”
Riley responded by lunging out and grabbing them all. Pulling them onto the grass, he tussled with them just past the hedges.
A pretty blonde walked up, shaking her head at the scene. “You’re gonna bathe them all for getting that mess on them, Riley James Nash.” She stepped forward and held out her hand to Melvina, “Hi I’m Alexa, Riley’s little sis, but you can call me Lexi. Everybody else does.”
Melvina looked at her hand, then waved awkwardly. “I’m Melvina. I was just here admiring your garden. Trust me. You don’t want to shake my hand.” Both women laughed.
“I guess you’re right. Let me get the door open so you can get cleaned up. I’ve got a pair of sweats you can borrow, so don’t worry about a thing.”
Melvina liked Riley’s sister already. She had a warm smile and sincere eyes. She laughed heartily with her brother but didn’t give him a hard time about the inconvenience of cutting her day short. She showed Melvina to one of the bedrooms, which also had a bath. The room was surprisingly neat, and all but a few toys were put away. A set of twin beds with matching Disney car comforters and a shelf of model cars complemented the boys’ décor.
“Sorry, it’s only a three-bedroom house, and the younger boys have to share this room. I would love to have a guest room, but most everyone spends the holidays with Mom and Dad so it’s not like it would ever get used anyway—except for now.” Lexi grabbed a sailboat and a plastic fish from the bathtub, then pulled a couple of towels from the closet. “I’ll go grab my shampoo and conditioner. All I have is baby shampoo in here. Damien, my littlest, always gets it in his eyes, so I don’t keep anything stronger in this room.” Melvina nodded as Lexi rushed off.
One look at herself in the half wall mirror made her gasp. “Lord have mercy,” she said aloud.
And to think he wanted to kiss me. He must be crazy.
Lexi returned with a fresh box of rose-scented soap, warm-up pants, a fresh T-shirt and designer shampoo. “This should be all you need, but if you want anything else at all, don’t hesitate to ask.” She paused, smiling brightly as her eyes roved over Melvina. “My brother has never shared his garden with anyone besides me. You must be special.”
Melvina didn’t know what to say to Riley’s smiling sister. She nodded, thanking her for the clothes as Lexi politely shut the door.
It was nearing five o’clock as she found her way back into the empty living room at the front of the house. She stood awkwardly, wondering what to do next. The clinking of pots and pans from what must be the kitchen drew her around the corner into a brightly painted yellow breakfast room. Riley was on the other side of the counter, pulling baking sheets from under the kitchen stove. He looked up, suddenly noticing her. “Would it be okay if we stayed for dinner? I feel kind of bad to shower and run.” He smiled broadly as Damien entered the kitchen yelling, “Yay!”
Melvina liked seeing him with his nephews. He was such a good uncle to them. “Only if you’ll let me help.”
Riley nodded, motioning to the oven. “Sure, preheat it to three-seventy-five and I’ll get the food out of the fridge.” He turned to Damien. “Let’s see what your momma’s hiding behind the milk, butter and leftover pizza.” He tickled Damien until the child giggled and squealed for mercy. Riley turned his attention to the fridge and rummaged around for ingredients. Gus and Bert traipsed in, took their seats on the bar stools, and plopped their chins on their hands, watching Riley and Melvina with interest.
“Whatcha doin’, Uncle Riley?”
“I’m gonna make dinner so your momma doesn’t have to worry about feeding you rug rats.”
Damien again yelled, “Yay!”
Gus, the oldest, rubbed his forehead in an expression beyond his years. “I don’t know, Uncle Riley. You aren’t gonna make any of the funny stuff you made last week for breakfast, are you?”
Riley chuckled. “What’s wrong Gus? You didn’t like my mushroom frittata?”
“There wasn’t any fruit in your fruit-tada, Uncle Riley.” The middle child, Bert, scrunched up his face in a frown. “It was just eggs, green stuff and mushrooms. I hate mushrooms.”
Riley pulled out a pack of bacon from the fridge along with a carton of eggs and butter. Setting the items on the counter he stepped into the pantry. “The green stuff was the best part! All right, all right,” he said, coming out with a glass canister of flour. “So, how about we have breakfast for dinner. Pancakes and bacon?” A unanimous cheer went up and all three boys dived off their barstools, attacking Riley’s sweat-pant-clad legs. “Okay, okay.” He tickled them into submission, then swatted each of them playfully on the rump, sending them out to look for a few ripe tomatoes.
Melvina smiled at the warm picture he made standing in his sister’s kitchen in too-tight pink warm-up pants and a white sleep T-shirt with hearts on the front. “Pink’s your color.” She tried to suppress the giggle unsuccessfully.
Riley did a combo wiggle and turn then plucked at his girly attire. “What? A man can’t get in touch with his feminine side?” he asked innocently.
“Those are mine, Riley James Nash, and they are my favorite. So once your clothes are clean and dry, I want them back.” Lexi’s smile revealed she was joking. She looked at Melvina. “Sorry my big brother dragged you through the fertilizer today. He isn’t known for his agility.”
Melvina laughed. “Actually, it was my own clumsiness that landed me in your fertilizer.” She avoided saying cow poop. “I leaned against the fence and broke it. Sorry about that.”
“You don’t need to be sorry. That’s Riley’s fault for not tending the repairs that need to be done in the garden. It was part of the deal about him using the land, huh, big brother?”
Riley whistled cheerfully as he laid strips of bacon in the pan, clearly pretending he hadn’t heard Lexi’s comment. “Melvina, you want a glass of wine?” he asked as he tossed out the empty plastic package. “Lexi’s going to open a nice bottle from my stash that I keep here. Red or white?” His gaze fell on both women.
“If it’s breakfast we’re eating, shouldn’t it be champagne? Or white sangria, maybe,” Melvina supplied.
Lexi winked. “Good call, Melvina.” She turned to her brother, “I like her, Riley. She’s got good taste.”
“Melvina is the best baker in all of Texas.”
“Even better.” Lexi nodded her approval.
Melvina took over the pancake batter while Riley peeled potatoes and fried them up using fresh sea salt and the oregano from his garden. The mingling aromas of sizzling bacon and home fries were heavenly, and she liked that Riley could cook the basics with flare. Breakfast was her favorite meal of the day. She wondered if it was his, too. At first, she was careful not to put too much oil into the pancake mixture. Her diet didn’t include Swedish pancakes, but then she tilted the Crisco bottle over the bowl and gave the batter a generous splash. The boys would love them. She found powdered sugar in the pantry and fresh strawberries in the fridge. There was even a tub of mascarpone that Melvina scooped into a crock to top their breakfast dessert. It was fun being in the kitchen with Riley, and she admired the way he kept the kitchen clean as he cooked, making zero work for his sister, who was helping the boys bathe while dinner was prepared.
As the boys returned sporting still-damp hair and colorful pajamas with various comic-book images, Riley set the table and Melvina poured Sprite in three plastic wine glasses, adding a maraschino cherry in each. For the grownups, she’d set out the mimosas that Riley had whipped up. Lexi joined them a few minutes later and they all sat down to dinner, clinking their glasses more than a few times throughout the meal.
The boys gleefully dug into the dollar-sized pancakes that Melvina had made. She’d shaped them to look like Mickey Mouse, using chocolate chips for eyes and nose and a healthy dose of strawberries and cream for the mouth.
Melvina attempted to eat sparingly, although it was almost impossible with Riley heaping the potatoes and bacon onto her plate.
Lexi chimed in for her. “Riley, quit filling her plate. She said she’s full. Stop being so pushy.” The sibling banter was obviously an ongoing thing between the two.
Riley looked at Melvina sheepishly. “Sorry, I just love feeding people. I hope you like it.”
Melvina smiled, “I love to eat. It’s no secret, but I’ve worked hard the past year to take off a bit of weight. I just don’t want to go back to the struggle.”
Lexi stood and started to clear the table, asking each of the boys to carry his own plate to the sink. Riley protested that he would do the dishes, but Lexi held her hand up. “It’s my kitchen, Riley. Now I appreciate you making dinner and entertaining the boys, but you’ve held this nice lady hostage long enough. Y’all go have fun and leave the cleaning to me. It gives me something to do after the boys go to sleep.”
There wasn’t any more discussion. Lexi disappeared with the plates and Riley rose from the table. “I’ll go check the dryer. I think we’re getting kicked out,” he teased.
It was dark when they drove home and Melvina was blissfully content. She hadn’t had a night like this in a while. Seeing Riley with his sister reminded her of her own family. Eli teased her relentlessly, but the love was apparent. She couldn’t help but wonder about Riley’s sister and where the boys’ father might be, but she didn’t ask. From her own experience and from her volunteer work with Maurice, she understood that not all good families came with perfect parents.
As if reading her thoughts, Riley’s voice was soft when he spoke. “Their father was killed in Afghanistan. Damien hadn’t even been born yet. It devastated Lexi. They were high school sweethearts and had their lives and dreams all planned out. They were going to make a real ranch out of Grandma and Gramps’s place. Jack was a salt-of-the-earth sort of guy. He was golden to my sister and everyone in the family loved him.” He swallowed and his voice grew husky. “I wish I could figure out a way to help her move on, but for now, I stop by often to hang out with the boys. So do Ran and Raphe.”
Riley made the slow turn into the diner’s parking lot. Melvina needed to pick up the catering van so she could drive to work in the morning. “Sounds like it’s been rough for her and the boys.”
“The oldest can barely remember him. He probably won’t in a few more years…. But they spend a lot of time with my parents, and my brothers and I do our best to fill in for their dad.”
“That probably helps your sister out a lot. She’s lucky to have you all.” Melvina’s heart ached for the boys, but more for Lexi. Married to the love of her life, only to have him cruelly taken from her. Now she had to raise three boys without him. She attempted to lighten the mood. “Well that explains why you had to wear pink warm-ups.”
He turned to her as he pulled up by the catering van. “I like pink. You wait and see. Those will be mine one day when Lexi’s not looking.”
Melvina laughed at his ornery comment. Riley reached out and pushed a stray lock of her hair back behind her ear. He’d shifted closer to her and then leaned in without warning. His lips brushed hers. She didn’t move away, and as if sensing she wanted it but was too timid to engage, Riley put his hand behind her head, bringing her closer.
The kiss was deep, soft, and lingering. She felt too paralyzed to move even after his lips left hers. Riley’s heartbeat strong beneath the hand she’d placed on his chest to steady herself. He pulled back, and they gazed at each other for a moment. It was dark but his amber eyes glowed in the moonlight.
He grasped her again with passion. She moaned as his tongue swirled around hers and he sucked at her bottom lip. She could barely breathe from the excitement. It was a totally different kiss than the one she’d shared with Manny, and a different feeling flowed through her. Heart stopping. Breathtaking. She was caught up in the moment and didn’t want it to end.
His lips traveled to her neck as his arms slipped around her waist. His mouth grazed her collarbone, then back up to claim her lips once more.
After a few scorching moments, Melvina found her voice. “Riley, we should stop. I don’t want someone to walk out the back and see us.”
Riley pulled back, a slow smile spread across his face, “Are you ashamed to be seen with me?”
“Of course not, but Eli is working tonight, and no matter how old I am, I’ll never be comfortable with my brother catching me making out.” As if on cue, Eli opened the back door of the restaurant with a bag of trash and headed for the dumpster. Melvina ducked down a little in the passenger seat.
“Melvina, we aren’t kissing any more. You don’t have to hide,” he chuckled.
Melvina sat up sheepishly, “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. The windows are tinted anyway.”
Melvina frowned as Eli headed straight toward the car. He scrutinized the sedan with a furrowed brow, then walked to the front of the Infiniti. Recognizing Melvina, he waved.
Melvina waved at Eli and then motioned for him to go back inside. “Thanks for the lovely evening, Riley. I’d better get going. I should have known Eli would get suspicious. Your car is too nice to be parked in the back with the employees.”
Riley brushed a hand across her cheek. “There’s no reason to be embarrassed. We’re all adults here.”
Melvina nodded. She didn’t supply that Mona had probably told half of Magnolia about her date with Manny, and Eli would have surely heard by now. Here she was with another man, just one night after her dinner with Manny. If Mona got wind of it, the gossips would flare up from one end of town to the next.
“Can I see you again? I want to say tomorrow, but there’s that meeting to organize for the firemen’s—” Riley paused. “What do you call it, a beauty pageant?”
Melvina smiled, thinking about how the firemen would feel if they’d heard Riley’s question. “Calendar contest.” Her smile faded as she thought of the fire chief and the awkward situation she was putting herself in, but she did want to see Riley again. “I guess I’ll see you there. Celia has lit up my phone today, insisting I attend. It’s an official Blossoms meeting.”
“Great. I’ll see you there. Maybe afterward we can pick up where we left off.”
His eyes sparked with mischief and Melvina’s butterflies did a happy dance somewhere lower than her stomach.
She nodded as she exited the car. Melvina didn’t know how things would play out with Manny and Riley in the same room with her, but she couldn’t have that talk with herself right now.
Time to go home and take a cold shower!
