Wolf Mountain Peak Complete Series, page 39
part #1 of Wolf Mountain Peak Series
“I can’t do that,” Melissa claimed, shyly shaking her head, as she dropped her gaze from him.
“Now’s not the time to be coy,” Julia raised her tone of voice, wrapping her fingers around her friend’s wrist, as she leaned closer. “Shy gets you nothing in this life. Go. Good hunting. Let me know how it went. I’m going to the bar.”
“Ok, here goes nothing,” Melissa thought to herself, sucking in a deep breath, as she once again started towards the house. By then, Joe had already put his guitar down on a chair, and had shoved his hands into his pockets. His attitude somewhat puzzled her. There he was, standing just a few feet behind the property gate, and he wouldn’t even move towards it. He merely stared at her, with a blank expression on his face, as she closed the distance between them.
“Um, hi,” she raised her hand to wave at him, halting a few inches away from the gate. “I heard you guys playing. You were pretty amazing.”
“Thanks,” he murmured, tipping his head down.
“My name’s Melissa Bradford,” she introduced herself, her voice coming out hesitant, as she felt her heart pounding against her chest.
“Joe Stanton,” he used a blunt tone, as his face hardened even further. “Now, turn around and walk away.”
“What?” Melissa shrieked, unable to believe her ears.
“I’m not interested in making new friends…” Joe declared, taking a short step closer to her, “…especially not in a hick town like this. Don’t make me ask twice.”
“Or what?” She would love to say these words to Joe’s face. His rudeness had made her blood boil in her veins. The beast within couldn’t wait to shed her human skin, and teach him some manners. Still, Melissa would do no such thing. Joe had proved to her that he was nothing close to the man who might prove himself worthy to be of interest to her. If he couldn’t address a lady properly, he wasn’t even worthy of her rage. Why should she risk exposing her true nature? Why should she attack him, knowing that two witnesses could storm outside at any second? No. Exploding on him was not an option. With hardly any thought, Melissa turned on her heel, regretting her decision to ignore Julia’s advice.
“So much for the grieving widower: go back to New York, you loser. Don’t ever come back to this ‘hick town.’ You’d better not go anywhere near the forest, either. I won’t be as forgiving as I was tonight.”
Chapter Four
Three, thin beams of sunlight peered into Joe’s bedroom through the window, disrupting his deep sleep. He wasn’t going to complain to his sister Emily for her choice of curtains. After all, he desired to get up early that Saturday morning. The pleasures of the outdoors could be enjoyed much more, while the sun was still low on the horizon. Shandaken’s natural beauty was the main reason why he had visited it in the first place. Putting in long hours at work might have exhausted him, but practicing law was not what had compelled him to abandon the Big Apple for the weekend. In actual fact, the memorial service had overwhelmed him. Certainly, he didn’t need a ceremony to recall his happy moments with his beloved Laura. Those memories had been lingering in his mind, ever since he lost her. Nevertheless, being around her family and her pupils, listening to them praise her, saying what a great teacher she had been to them, and how much they missed her, was enough to shatter his heart over and over again. Every time one of those young children opened their mouth, he could barely hold back the tears. Leaving New York City was the only way for him to get away from everything that haunted him. It was the only chance for him to find redemption.
Without wasting any time, Joe made himself a cup of coffee, grabbed his backpack, and drove away from his sister’s house in his black Escalade. His destination wasn’t far. Emily had told him so much about Acheron River that he had to see for himself what the fuss was all about. And, if it was anywhere near as beautiful as she had described it, it would be an ideal place for him to carry out his plan. At times like these, Joe could find peace in writing down his thoughts. Putting his emotions, worries and fears on paper helped to relieve him from all the agony that had been gnawing away at his soul.
Before he could even get out of his SUV, Joe realized that his sister had not been lying to him. Hundreds of yards away from the river, the shade of the towering trees on both sides of the road covered his vehicle easily enough. And, when he ventured into the wild, he caught himself in awe and amazement at the sheer beauty of his surroundings. There was an intoxicating scent in the air; a mix of pine, cedar and maple. The river itself was flowing freely, glittering in the sunlight that was peeking through the trees. A gentle breeze completed this puzzle of unparalleled beauty, bringing a smile of contentment to his face.
“Perfect; it’s just perfect.” Joe said to himself, strolling along the shore, as he headed towards the nearest pine tree. Pulling his backpack from his shoulder, Joe sat down on a large rock underneath it. He unzipped it in haste, throwing a few, hungry glances around him, as a strong gust of wind blew through his hair, picking up a few dry leaves from the ground. Joe pulled his small, blue notepad out of the backpack and a pen. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, he pried the notepad open.
“My dearest Laura,
It’s August the 5th, a year and a day since the accident that took you from me. You’ll be glad to know that most of your pupils showed up at the memorial service yesterday. Honestly, I liked seeing them again. In all fairness though, it tore out my heart. They wouldn’t stop saying how much they missed you. All that sadness on their tiny little faces devastated me.
That is why I decided to visit my sister in Shandaken. She moved here, about four weeks ago. I needed some space; some peace of mind. I’m currently by the Acheron River. I’m still stunned at its beauty. There’s greenery, everywhere I look. If I lie still, I might hear my own breath; that’s how peaceful it is. All I can hear is the ripple of the river, and the occasional bird chirping. It makes me wish I had visited it with you.
Last night, Emily invited her friend Jill over. She’s a very good violinist. We played music for hours. We also played the song I dedicated to you, when you left this world. “Dust in the wind.” For some reason, I didn’t cry, even though I can’t fight back the tears when I strum it on my guitar alone. I don’t know why that happened. Maybe I was too tired from the drive. Shandaken is 2.5 hours away from New York. Perhaps I cried too much at the service. Maybe I’ve shed so many tears this past year that I just ran out. Right after we finished playing ‘Dust in the wind’, some tall blonde showed up. I’m not going to hide it from you. I liked her a lot. That blue in her eyes reminded me of yours. Her name is Melissa. She had some nice comments about our music. I could tell she wanted to get friendly. But, this is where I lost it. I was rude to her, and sent her away. Why? Because: you’re still alive in my heart. Part of me thinks this is all just a bad joke, and that, someday, you’re going to walk through my door, smile at me, hold me and kiss me, like you used to. I miss you, baby. Every day without you feels like torture. I see you in my dreams every night. In the morning, I wake up to a nightmare;, the nightmare that my life has become without you.”
At that point, a strange noise forced him to put his pen down on his knee. A mere glance at the opposite shore tightened the back of his neck. A massive, light-gray wolf was staring right into his eyes, raising her upper lip in a petrifying grimace, as its snarls sent slivers of fear slicing through him. Joe’s blood froze in his veins. The notebook slipped from his grasp, as the beast crouched down. But then, a yip filled the air, drawing the lupine’s attention. Another white wolf was close by, not more than twenty feet to the right of the gray. The gray wolf barked at Joe once, and then turned around. A wave of relief washed over him, as she began pacing towards the white wolf. Joe rose from his seat, unwilling to leave them out of his sight. The two of them started off towards the trees, and disappeared into the underbrush, leaving a terrified Joe gasping for breath.
Understanding that he could no longer stay there, he bent down and picked up his pen and notepad. The beasts were still too close for comfort. He had been lucky once; he would not risk another encounter with them. So, Joe shoved his things back into his backpack, eager to get back to the safety of his car. A sense of disappointment struck him as he laid his eyes on the tree above him. He had only been there a few minutes, and now, he had to flee. As much as he loved that place, though, he valued his life much more. With a heavy heart, he left the tree behind him, hoping that next time his writing would not be so violently interrupted.
All the same, just as he reached his car, Joe’s fear came back with a vengeance. Two, separate splashes in quick succession compelled him to stop. Whirling his head around, he spotted two, feminine figures in the water, only a few yards away from his spot. Almost immediately, the two women burst out into sweet, hearty laughter.
“Damn it.” He let out a fearful huff, tossing his backpack down on the ground, as he spun around. Rolling his fingers into fists, he exploded forward, and started to hurtle towards them, desperate to warn them about the impending danger. Every muscle in his body was flexing, and his heart was pounding like a drum as he closed the distance that separated him from them. To his surprise, the two girls ignored his heavy footfalls. One of them dove into the water, while the other preferred to gaze at the shore to her right. Joe looked furtively around him, slowing down, as the stranger emerged. The emptiness set his heart at ease; yet, as he settled his gaze down on the girl, he realized that his troubles were far from over. He recognized her long, blonde hair at once. Her sky-blue eyes and her full lips were familiar to him. It was Melissa Bradford, with a stiff look on her face, and a nasty glare that stripped away his desire to speak.
“Well, well, well…” irony dripped off her tongue, as she clenched her jaw… “if it ain’t “rudeness” personified. What the hell are you doing here? Why are you running? Is someone chasing you?”
“I…” Joe gasped, his chest heaving, as he bent double. “I saw two, huge wolves, not far from here.”
“And what, you thought we needed help?” Melissa spoke in a flat voice, narrowing her eyes at him. “You’d actually help out two girls from, how did you put it last night?” She asked, tapping her index finger on her jaw. “Oh, yeah; a hick town. By the way, don’t worry about the wolves. They passed us by, a couple of minutes ago. They don’t prey on healthy individuals.”
“Ok, I deserve that.” He admitted with a quick nod, bending back up. “I’m really sorry about last night. I was a jerk.”
“That’s a major understatement, mister,” Melissa protested. “I praised you, and all you did was turn around and insult me.”
“I can explain all that,” Joe assured, his voice lowering, as he pursed his lips. “Just not here. Not while you’re this mad at me. How about a drink tonight at the ‘Red Maple’? Say, 9pm?”
“That explanation had better be good,” she murmured, her face becoming less stiff, as a small smile formed on her face. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“So long,” Joe responded and tipped his head down in a polite gesture, somewhat relieved that Melissa had accepted to go out with him. Feeling grateful that she had given him a second chance, he hoped that his narrative would clarify to her why he had been so terrible to her the night before. If anything, the young blonde seemed like a decent woman who deserved to be treated with respect. Joe strolled out of the site that had mesmerized him that day, wondering if he could give her more than that.
Chapter Five
Melissa and Julia could not stop laughing. Much after they had left Acheron River, the two friends recalled the stunt that Melissa had pulled on Joe, and the terror on his face. Much to her pleasure, the poor man looked like he had seen a ghost. Her plan had worked like a charm. It might have sounded cruel, but for her, it was just punishment for his behavior. Melissa’s initial thought was to give him a nasty scar to remember her wolf by. Still, this would invite a lot of unwanted attention. Joe was a lawyer; he could easily go to the press, and bring all kinds of trouble to Shandaken and Paxton alike. A simple sighting of a wolf her size could not be proved, unlike the awful scar that her bite would leave him.
The sunset found Melissa feverishly preparing for her date with Joe. She was stressed; perhaps more stressed than she should have been. Indeed, the 24-year old felt like a school girl getting ready for the prom. After rummaging through her closet for more than an hour, she chose to wear a violet mini dress that brought out her eyes. She looked at herself in the mirror, and struck a pose, firmly believing that her outfit and her curvaceous figure would entice him. As soon as that notion crossed her mind however, Melissa frowned at herself. Why? Because: she was on the verge of making a big mistake. At last, she would go out with a man entirely different than anybody else she had dated so far, and yet, she was about to treat him like a regular guy. Yes, the prospect of seducing him sounded very intriguing, but, if she wanted him to take her seriously, she had to put that thought aside. Melissa had had enough hollow relationships. Now, she was searching for something more meaningful, and she was not going to get it by throwing herself at Joe.
A few minutes before nine o’clock, she was parking Ray’s truck outside the “Red Maple”, her pulse rising, as she eagerly anticipated the moment of seeing him again. As she stepped onto the pavement that led to the entrance though, a male voice rose above the noise of the bar.
“Over here!” Joe cried, standing at the gate of his house, as he waved his hand in the air. A spark of curiosity kindled within Melissa. He was the one to suggest the bar. Why wasn’t he waiting for her in there? Why would he choose the privacy of his home? She couldn’t know. He didn’t give her much time to speculate, either. Joe had a tight, white shirt on, along with a pair of faded jeans. She couldn’t see his shoulders, the part of his torso that had tantalized her imagination the night before, but she was more than happy to scan his body from bottom to top, as she sauntered towards him. Now she was especially glad she had decided to wear an outfit that better fit her as a person: a pair of softly worn faded jeans; her most comfortable black leather calf-high boots underneath; and a newly favorite royal blue, short-sleeved, silk button up shirt.
“Good evening.” Joe welcomed her with a polite smile, as he pushed the gate open.
“Hey,” Melissa said, returning the smile. “I thought we were going to the bar.”
“I was just there,” he responded, showing her the way, towards the left, to a small table in his yard. “It’s good, but it’s a little too loud for my taste. Have a seat.”
The corners of her lips curled into a smile as she spotted a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table. That small detail was an indication of what a gentleman he was. Melissa seated herself beside him, looking up into the starry sky, as Joe picked up the bottle.
“Again, I’m really sorry for my behavior last night,” Joe uttered, his tone calm and steady, as he poured wine into her glass. “I was upset about something else, and I took it out on you.”
“I’d like to know what that was,” Melissa confessed, lifting her glass, as he filled his own glass up.
“To second chances,” he proposed as a toast, tapping her glass with his. “I’m a lawyer in New York, Ms. Bradford. This is my sister, Emily’s, house. I came here for the weekend. My life is very complicated. I need to deal with all kinds of craziness every day; twenty-four, seven. Interacting with clients can be very frustrating.”
“Try again,” she urged, her brows twitching into a disapproving straight line above her thin nose, as she tried to disregard the fact that he had called her by her last name.
“What, you don’t believe me?” Joe squinted down at her, surprise written all over his face.
“I know about you, Joe,” Melissa assumed a firm tone, intensifying her stare. “I know about your wife. My friends and I were in the cemetery yesterday. It was hard to miss it, really. I saw you cry. You must have loved her very much. So…” she paused, easing her glass back down on the table. “Why don’t you tell me what really had you all worked up last night? Be honest with me this time.”
“Ok,” he said on an exhale, leaning his back against his seat, as he averted his gaze from her. “It’s that song I played with my sister and her friend. The one you liked so much. I dedicated it to Laura when I lost her. I was reading the lyrics, remembering our wedding day, when you showed up. It was the best day of my life. She was glowing with love. We danced to ‘Please forgive me’, our song. I’ll never forget that.”
Undoubtedly, Joe’s short story moved her. He was the sensitive man she believed him to be. Yet, it also made it crystal-clear to her that he was still someone else’s. He was still clinging to the past, to a life long gone. As he completed his last, few sentences, Melissa’s motive to spend any more time with him vanished into thin air. Rising from her seat, she cast a glance full of pity down at him, as a bitter smile formed on her face.
“Why did you even ask me out?” She whispered, lightly shrugging her shoulders. “You’re not over her.”
“I’m sorry.” Joe sighed, slowly getting up as well. “I…”
“Stop,” Melissa commanded, thrusting her hand up to his lips. “You don’t have to apologize. I can understand. Care for a friendly piece of advice?”
A simple nod served as his answer, as she dropped her arm.
“Stop living backwards,” she instructed in a voice that could only be called a whisper, her heart sinking at the realization that she would have to give up on him that very night. “Goodnight, Joe Stanton.”
At that, Melissa turned her back on him, unwilling to gaze upon the eyes of the man she knew could never be hers. Joe embodied an untouchable dream, a fantasy that could not come true. With a heavy heart, she dragged her feet across the yard, her eyes on the black gate to the right, as she recalled Kate’s words:
“That man is in pieces.”
How right she was… Joe was a wreck, and probably a wreck beyond salvation. Melissa was desperate to drive back home. She could hardly wait to share her story with her friends. As usual, they would lend a sympathetic ear, and try to ease the pain that had been festering in her soul. As she reached down to grab the gate’s latch, she felt pressure on her hips. In a split second, Joe spun her around to face him. A gasp of shock left her lips, as he held her close. Tilting his head down, he plucked at her lips teasingly once, before covering her mouth in a hot, passionate kiss. The most amazing thing happened as she curled her arms around his neck. Melissa could smell him. A wave of his scent filled her nostrils. A sweet, cherry fragrance engulfed her, as his clean-shaven jaw brushed over her chin. Melissa would not even bother asking herself as to why this was happening. She was living in the moment, enjoying the one and only kiss she would ever get from him. Her mind could not be troubled with any theories. She was touching him. She was feeling his soft, warm lips. His kiss was as sweet as his scent, shattering her disappointment, sweeping her off her feet, as he held her tightly in his arms. Joe splayed his fingers over her hips, loosening his grip, as he slowly opened his eyes.
