Part 34 (2/2)

Kim smiled, and reached up for Matt with both arms. ”The parade's almost over,” she said, as the boy went to her, readily. ”Let's head over to the fairgrounds and get a jump on the line for the Ferris wheel.”

Matt nodded eagerly.

”And you,” Kim said to Steven, holding the child comfortably in those strong, ranch-woman's arms of hers, ”can probably find something constructive to do while your dad and I spend a little time with our grandson.”

Davis chuckled again, and slapped Steven on the back.

And then all three of them walked away and left him standing there, looking like a d.a.m.n fool who hadn't figured out that the parade had already pa.s.sed him by.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN.

STEVEN FELT LIKE A STALKER, but he trailed Melissa to the supermarket parking lot at the other end of town, where the parade was already breaking apart into colorful segments, like some snake undergoing a mysterious rite of renewal. but he trailed Melissa to the supermarket parking lot at the other end of town, where the parade was already breaking apart into colorful segments, like some snake undergoing a mysterious rite of renewal.

There was a lot of hugging and hand-shaking, and then more hugging. The kids from the marching band stripped right there in the open, shedding uniform coats and creased pants to reveal the shorts and T-s.h.i.+rts underneath. Then they tossed the discards, including their hats with the spiffy gold insignia above the brim, into the backseats of various minivans and SUVs. They were off to the carnival, traveling in noisy packs, thinning the crowd as they went.

Steven tried to stay out of sight, but, as luck would have it, Brad O'Ballivan, there with a few ranch hands and several large horse trailers, spotted him and called out. Which made Melissa turn her head toward him and then away again. Quickly.

Feeling like an idiot, Steven managed a grin he hoped looked easy and unconcerned, and walked over to where Brad was standing.

”Need some help loading these horses?” he asked.

”Sure,” Brad replied. His gaze, while not unfriendly, seemed a little more intent than usual.

Steven busied himself with work he could do without thinking, removing saddles, replacing bridles with halters, leading weary critters up hoof-scarred ramps and into trailers that smelled pleasantly of hay and horse, securing them there, so they could make the trip home in safety.

All the time, he thought about Melissa, though he didn't dare look in her direction. Stupid, he decided, since she was the whole reason he'd followed the parade to this parking lot in the first place. But there it was.

By the time the last of the animals were loaded and the doors on the trailers shut and bolted, she'd vanished. Brad approached and said thanks, and the two men shook hands.

”Looking for Melissa?” Brad asked, after a few moments of awkward silence.

”Was it that obvious?” Steven countered, discouraged.

Brad grinned. ”Oh, yeah,” he said. ”It was that obvious.” Then he sobered again. ”This is the part where I ask you if your intentions are honorable, as far as my sister is concerned.”

”And if they are?”

”I'll be real pleased,” Brad answered affably. Then he leaned in slightly and commenced to using John Wayne's voice in place of his own. ”On the other hand, Pilgrim, if it turns out that you're just looking for a good time, I'll have to personally feed you your own ears, one at a time. And after that, I'll hurt you.”

Steven laughed. He reckoned if he'd had a sister, he'd have felt much the same way. ”Fair enough,” he said.

”Melissa caught a ride back to the other end of town, where she left her car before the parade,” Brad went on, back to being himself again, though his imitation of the Duke had been more than pa.s.sable. ”She's worn out-plans on going straight home, as I understand it, and heating canned soup for supper.”

After a short hesitation, Steven nodded, said thanks, and turned to walk back to the center of town. He'd left his own rig parked beside his office, and he hurried toward it now, cutting between buildings instead of taking a more direct route, which would have led him past the courthouse. He still felt the pull of habit, even though he knew she hadn't gone back to work.

He didn't know what he'd say to Melissa once he caught up to her, but as he reached his truck, got inside and started up the engine, he felt a peculiar sense of urgency, as if there was no time to waste.

That, of course, was crazy. Brad had told him what Melissa meant to do-collect her car from the parking lot behind the high school and then go home. She probably was was exhausted, after all the rigmarole of making sure the Fourth of July parade came off with no notable hitches, and the wiser course would almost certainly be to leave her alone. exhausted, after all the rigmarole of making sure the Fourth of July parade came off with no notable hitches, and the wiser course would almost certainly be to leave her alone.

Steven couldn't do that, for whatever reason. Something compelled him to find her and say-what? What, exactly, was there to say?

d.a.m.ned if he knew, but he had to see her, without Matt and his parents around. When he looked into her eyes, the words would come to him-or not.

He pulled out onto Main Street, now dappled with horse manure the clowns with brooms had missed, multicolored bits of confetti and the remains of the wrapped pieces of hard candy the mayor had tossed from his perch in the convertible, and was gratified to see Melissa one intersection over, at the wheel of her roadster.

She'd put the top down, since the weather was good, and even from that distance, Steven could see the last spangles of daylight catching in her hair.

There wasn't another vehicle in sight, in either direction, and the effect was eerie, almost postapocalyptic. He'd missed the green light, since he wasn't paying attention, and watched with some surprise as Melissa turned right, instead of left, which would have taken her in the direction of home.

She cruised past Steven, and he pulled out behind her.

Sure, she'd see him, but he was tired of skulking around like some character in a bad spy movie. He'd defended a stalker or two in his time, but he'd never expected to be one. He did have a little more insight into the nature of obsession than most people, which he wryly supposed was a plus.

When she signaled her intention to turn in at the Stop & Shop, Steven got that spooky feeling again, as if he ought to stay close by, keep her in sight.

Melissa stopped at the gas pump, got out of the roadster to swipe her credit card and fill up.

Steven drove right past her, to a parking s.p.a.ce in front of the store, which looked deserted, like the rest of town, feeling ridiculously self-conscious again.

She looked up, smiled vaguely and went back to fiddling with the nozzle on the pump hose. Her brow creased into a frown as she clicked away at the starter lever, getting no response.

Steven sighed, turned, and forced himself to walk casually toward her.

”Hi,” he said.

”h.e.l.lo,” she responded. She didn't sound unfriendly, just distracted, as though she knew they were acquainted, but she couldn't quite place him.

Oh, yeah, he imagined her saying, as realization hit, tapping her forehead with the heel of one palm, he imagined her saying, as realization hit, tapping her forehead with the heel of one palm, that guy I went to bed with. that guy I went to bed with.

”Where's Matt?” she asked. There was a certain distance in her tone, and they might as well have been facing each other from opposite sides of an electric fence-with razor wire strung along the top.

”He's over at the carnival, with my parents,” Steven answered, in a perfectly normal tone of voice, which was amazing because on the inside, he felt as though he'd swallowed a hive full of bees, all taking flight, all buzzing.

”Oh,” Melissa said, averting her eyes.

Something had to give. Break through the barrier, get them talking like adults instead of feuding teenagers. ”Melissa-”

”What?”

”I-we need to talk.”

One of her perfect eyebrows rose slightly. ”About-?”

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