Cattle Valley: Fool's Gold Part 6

Recoiling in shock, Mel stood. "I never meant to imply-"

"Ignore her." Addie got to her feet, waving a hand. "Thanks so much for the cinnamon rolls, and everything you did yesterday. We really appreciate it."

"Sure." Mel gazed at her one more time. There was something so sweet and vulnerable about Addie, she just wanted to wrap her arms around her and hang on.

A phone rang from somewhere in the front room, and Addie moved towards it. "I'll get it."

"I'll see you out," Chloe told Mel.

"All right." She walked past the reception desk where Addie carried on a conversation.

The woman waved at her and smiled then turned to the wall to continue speaking.

Mel stepped onto the front porch and didn't plan to pause, but Chloe grabbed her arm.

"I think you can help us best by staying away, b.i.t.c.h." Chloe squeezed her nails into Mel's bicep.

She tried to yank free, but the grip was tight. "Did I do something to you?" Mel looked at Chloe. "Say something wrong that I don't know about? Because if I did, I'm sorry."

"You know what you did. I see you making eyes at Addie like you'd be all over her in a second if I wasn't here. Well Addie is mine. We came here together, and we're going to be together. I'd appreciate it if you'd just stay the f.u.c.k away."

Mel's eyes widened in shock, but she tried to control her emotions. "I was only being neighbourly."

"Yeah, well we don't need neighbours like you. Take the hint, or I might have to give you a more permanent one." She dug her nails into Mel's arm and held tight before shoving her away.

Angry and embarra.s.sed, Mel rushed from the porch and into her car. She drove as quickly as she could to get home, and sat panting in her parking s.p.a.ce, attempting to control her breathing. She looked down at the reddened nail impressions on her arm. Chloe hadn't broken the skin, but ugly marks were already forming.

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She grabbed her purse and realised her hands were shaking. She sat there a moment, regaining her composure.

Chloe was partially right. I probably did look at Addie the wrong way. No spouse would appreciate that, male or female. Addie was involved with someone, and Mel had no business worming herself into their relationship. She was ashamed she'd even thought about it.

She'd stay away from Addie. Not because Chloe threatened her, she'd dealt with bigger bullies in high school when people found out she was gay. Defending herself wasn't the problem. Doing the right thing was more important.

Glancing down at her arm, Mel shook her head. Yep, there'll be bruising. She touched one hand to her heart. Here, too.

40.

Chapter Five.

Addie glanced around the inn, which looked in worse disrepair than ever. She'd gotten the bright idea she could refinish the scarred wood furniture herself. She'd helped her father do it one time, and didn't recall it being so difficult. After moving the damaged pieces into the dining and front rooms, Addie had gone to the local hardware store and bought a bunch of supplies. She'd paid for them with her already overburdened credit card, and held her breath that the transaction would process.

Part way through the sanding of the first headboard, a lovely walnut piece with the words 'f.u.c.k you' carved across the front, Addie had made a discovery. The knife marks were deep. A simple refinishing wouldn't do the job. She had to find a way to get rid of the writing, fill it in with putty or something, before she could go on. But the putty idea didn't seem to be working.

She flopped onto the battered sofa and sighed. They'd been in Cattle Valley a week. She hadn't seen Mel since Sat.u.r.day, when the woman had brought cinnamon rolls. It surprised Addie a bit. For some reason, she'd thought Mel was interested in a friendship.

The people of the town also continued to surprise her. Wherever she went, they seemed to know she was the new owner of the inn and about what had happened. Everyone offered sympathies and support if there was anything Addie needed. Deep inside, she felt like she needed a lot of things. Help from well-meaning strangers just wasn't on the list.

Addie picked up her gloves and stood, going back to work. Some help from Chloe would be nice. The woman spent her days tanning and doing her nails, reading tabloid magazines and watching the small TV Addie had brought from Colorado. She'd made a big show in front of Mel that she would be the one to support Addie. Yet she hadn't offered to help once.

"I'm bored." Chloe leaned up against the door she'd just entered. "What are you doing?"

The voice startled Addie, and she jumped. She glanced down. Bending over the headboard with bulky yellow rubber gloves on, a turpentine odour in the air, she a.s.sumed it *

41.

was pretty obvious she was stripping furniture. "I'm having tea with the queen," she retorted sourly.

"Whatever." Chloe shrugged. "I was going to see if you wanted to fool around. My favourite thing to do when I'm bored is eat p.u.s.s.y."

That's the last thing I want right now. Chloe's s.e.x drive was high, and they made love every night. But even the thought of that talented tongue working over her didn't appeal at that moment. She was frustrated, and nothing seemed to be going right. "I'm busy." She brushed hair from her forehead with the back of her arm.

"You're always busy. You're no fun anymore." Chloe stomped around the room, digging through stacks of magazines. "d.a.m.n! I've read all these!"

Addie sighed. She looked down at the headboard, which still shouted 'f.u.c.k you'. She wasn't making much progress. Unfortunately, she'd bitten off more than she could chew with this job. "Let's get out of here," she decided.

"And go where?" Chloe looked suspicious.

"I saw a bar on Main Street. Brewster's, I think it was. We could get something to eat and have a few drinks."

"Really?" The blonde's eyes lit up.

Addie tossed her hands in the air. It had been a horrible day, topping off a lousy week.

She didn't want to think about money or insurance or c.r.a.ppy furniture any more that night.

"Really." She nodded. "I need a shower." When she saw Chloe's eyes sparkle again, she raised a hand. "Alone. It'll go faster that way. Why don't you go find something nice to wear?"

"It'll have to be something of yours. I didn't bring that much."

"I know." Addie peeled off her gloves and tossed them aside. Everything else could wait. It'd all be there for her the next day. She started for the bathroom, only to stop. "s.h.i.t! I forgot, my car's in the garage, getting a new m.u.f.fler." The sheriff had given her looks every time he saw her in town, so she'd finally taken it to the mechanic he'd recommended-the only mechanic in town, probably.

"We can walk." Chloe offered. "I've walked to town before, it's not far."

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"Okay, sure." Addie nodded. Walking sounded like a fine idea. She intended to have a drink or ten, and figured the ever-present sheriff would probably have something to say about that if she tried to drive afterwards. "Walking it is." She headed for the shower.

Brewster's Bar and Grill was crowded for a small town, even if it was a Friday night.

There were no tables, so Addie and Chloe drank at the bar, munching nachos and running a tab on Addie's one and only credit card. If it didn't get denied, she'd be shocked. The big black guy at the garage had a surprise coming, too, when he tried to bill her. She didn't know how many of these small charges it would allow, but Addie felt sure the car repair would be too much.

What can I do? She'd stick to her story about having a cheque coming in, and hopefully some money would turn up somewhere. She'd originally thought the inn would be her source of income. She'd had no idea it would be uninhabitable when she showed up. And the insurance everyone kept saying would bail her out-she didn't even want to think about it. She was so naive when it came to business.

"I'll have another vanilla vodka and cola," she told the bartender, shaking her ice at him as he walked past.

He stopped and smiled at her. "You driving tonight?"

"No, I am not. We walked here, and we'll walk home."

A man with long, black hair and a full beard put his arm on the bar behind her, touching Addie's back. "I could give you a lift."

She'd noticed him when he sat on the barstool next to Chloe, and the two had struck up a conversation. Addie tried to focus and decide if she recognised him. She'd met so many people in the past week, it had been one handsome male face after another. This guy looked stragglier than the others had, and definitely not familiar. "We can walk, it's no problem.

We're not ready to go, yet." She picked up her fresh drink and sipped.

He leaned in, running a finger over her forearm. "When you are ready, just say the word."

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Addie had lost count of the number of drinks she'd ordered and was feeling no pain.

She looked the man in the eye. "You do realise we're gay, don't you? We don't do guys."

"Aw, that's not very much fun. I have a woman with me. See Gina over there?" He pointed down a couple of barstools, where a redhead with a hippie hairstyle and a flowered dress sat. "Your friend tells me a little group action might not be out of the question." He ran his hand up Addie's back.

His touch disgusted her. "My friend couldn't be more wrong." Addie pulled away. She grabbed Chloe's shoulder and whispered harshly, "What are you doing? We are not taking these people home with us."

"Chill out." Chloe moved from her grasp. "We were just talking. Come 'ere, Del." She nodded to the man.

With a disparaging glance at Addie, he returned to his spot between Chloe and the redhead.

Addie breathed in and out for a moment, composing herself. Perhaps she'd had enough to drink. Chloe certainly had, if she'd actually considered what Del offered. Before she'd decided if they should leave, Chloe turned back to her.

"Listen," she announced breathily. "Del and Rita are headed to San Francisco. They've been telling me about this street thing that's coming up, called the 'How Weird Street Faire'. I guess it's on Howard Street, isn't that funny? Anyway, there'll be music, food and vendors, all that jazz. Del says people wear costumes, and there's dancing in the streets from morning to night. Doesn't that sound cool?"

"I don't know." Addie shrugged with irritation. "California is like a thousand miles from here. Do you realise how long of a trip that would be? You griped about the drive from Colorado Springs."

Chloe made a stern face. "I know I b.i.t.c.hed. Honestly, if I'd known what was waiting for me, I never would have come. This town sucks. There's no night life, and the people are nosy as h.e.l.l."

"Friendly," Addie corrected. "Neighbourly."

"Who needs neighbours? I want to have fun! I'm going to the street faire, Ad. You can come with me or not, but I'm going."

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Addie blinked in disbelief. "You're just going to take off? Pick up and leave with strangers?"

Chloe shrugged. "I've done it before."

The statement hit Addie like a ton of bricks. At that moment, she didn't care if Chloe stayed or went. "Have fun." She shook her head.

The woman looked uncertain. "You sure you don't want to come with us?"

"I'm positive. You go, and have a great time. Have a great life. It was nice knowing you." Anger rose in Addie's voice.

"We're leaving pretty soon. I need to get my stuff."

Addie glanced from Chloe to Del and Rita, who stood with artificial smiles next to her.

She had no intention of getting in a car with those people, and wasn't sure she could walk home at that point.

Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out her keys, prying one of several to the inn off the ring. "Here." She pressed the key into Chloe's hand. "Just take your stuff, okay, Chloe?