She needed someone to talk her off the cliff before she leaped and ruined her only shot at a happy ending. Clay’s girlfriend was Tabitha’s last chance at saving what she had reclaimed with Wyatt. If that wasn’t shit luck, she didn’t know what was.

It took Melody less than twenty minutes to get there after Terry called her. She walked into Terry’s house still wearing her waitress uniform from Hal’s. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a bun, and her black-framed glasses reflected bright green eyes that were swimming with concern as she sat down next to Tabitha on Terry’s couch.

“Hal said you might need a woman to talk to,” Melody started, her voice soft in a way that made her name very apt.

Tabitha leaned back against the couch and looked up at the ceiling. She needed to give Rocky a girlfriend in this book. She blinked at the fan, deciding to name her Harmony, something soft and sweet that matched this woman’s gentle nature that was impossible to ignore.

“Can I use you in a book?” Tabitha finally asked rather than talk about anything more pressing.

“Clay told me you write those Heroes of Sapphire County books.” Melody reached over and squeezed her arm. “I think that’s exciting.”

“Do you?” Tabitha asked in a dull voice.

“Yeah, ain’t they been on the New York Times list forever?”

“I guess,” Tabitha said indifferently.

“That’s a big accomplishment. I can’t even imagine doing something like that. You touched the whole world with your stories.”

The admiration was so pure in Melody’s voice, Tabitha believed it in a way she rarely did. “I’m so happy Clay found someone like you. He deserves that.” She turned to Melody and gave her a smile despite the tears. “He was my friend for a long time. My first friend. Did he tell you that?”

“He said you grew up together.”

“He hates me.” Tabitha let out a sob, finally acknowledging for the first time how much Clay’s cold shoulder had hurt since she returned. “I’ve only seen him that one time we ran into y’all at Hal’s, and another time when I met Wyatt at the Cellar, but he ain’t said more than two words to me. I know he’s angry.”

“Clay’s complicated,” Melody said softly. “He’s very loyal, and you know Wyatt was heartbroken when you left, but I’m certain he doesn’t hate you.”

“I wish I could tell him I didn’t take those drugs on purpose,” Tabitha whispered miserably as she wiped at her cheeks. “I mean, I was the dumb fool who took the drink from my brother, but I would’ve never just given up like he thinks I did. I’m not his mother. I’m not my mother either. I’m stronger than them.”

“Of course you are.” Melody reached down and squeezed her hand. “Why did you leave, Tabitha?”

“Um.” She took a shuddering breath as she second-guessed telling her, but in the end she needed to talk to someone who could possibly help. “Something happened. Something terrible. I couldn’t tell Wyatt. I couldn’t tell Clay either. I told Terry and Hal ’cause I needed someone to pick me up from the hospital and help me gather my things from my house. There was no way I could go back there. I can barely walk into it now, and it happened thirteen years ago.”

“What happened in the house?”

Tabitha turned to Melody, looking at her with tears streaming down her face. She couldn’t answer her, she just hope she understood.

“Oh, honey.” Melody reached out and hugged her. When she spoke again, her voice was choked with emotion. “I’m so sorry.”

“Me too,” Tabitha whispered, still shaking with the strength it was taking to keep herself from completely falling apart. “I didn’t want to leave him. I loved him so much. I still do. I never wanted to hurt him. Never.”

“And Wyatt doesn’t know?”

“No.” Tabitha hugged Melody back, which was odd considering she barely knew this woman. “But I ran into the guy who did it at the hardware store, and it’s all just falling apart. I don’t know how to hide it from Wyatt anymore. Why can’t I fight this?”

“This is so normal,” Melody assured her as she pulled back and looked at Tabitha. Tears shone in her eyes, and she took off her glasses to brush them away. “When Clay and I had to go to the trial for my ex-husband a few months ago, I was a mess the entire time. Even though I had Clay with me, and Justin was sitting there in handcuffs, I was still a nervous wreck. I can’t even imagine dealing with that without Clay knowing what happened. You have to tell Wyatt. You have to give him a chance to help you. It’s not fair to him if he doesn’t know what he’s dealing with.”

“Did Clay ever tell you about some of the things that happened when we were younger?” Tabitha asked curiously. “Did he ever mention how he and Wyatt became friends?”

“He said they got into a fight.”

“Did he say why?”

Melody shrugged and gave her an embarrassed smiled. “He said Wyatt said something dumb.”

“He did.” Tabitha sighed. “He started that fight ’cause he saw me hugging Clay, and I swear to God, Melody, Clay and me weren’t ever anything more than friends.”

“You’re afraid he’ll do something dumb if he finds out?” Melody asked in concern.

Tabitha nodded and wiped at her cheeks. “Yes, I am.”

“He’s sheriff now. He would never break the law.”

“I wish we could tell Clay,” Tabitha whispered. “Because I think he would disagree with you. There’s a side of Wyatt that’s darker than people realize. He can cross the line with the right motivation. I’ve seen him do it.”

“Well, if you can’t talk to him, you can surely talk to me.” Melody was surprisingly understanding. “Hal called someone in to cover my shift. Clay ain’t expecting me home until nine. If Terry don’t mind, we can just sit here and talk until you’re feeling up to going back to Wyatt.”

“I can make dinner,” Terry offered from his spot leaning against the archway into the kitchen. “If y’all want?”

“Sounds nice.” Melody nodded and then reached over and squeezed Tabitha’s hand again. “We’ll figure out a plan. You ain’t alone. I promise.”

Tabitha nodded as she whispered, “Thank you.”

* * *

Melody pulled the keys out of the ignition of her new SUV. Clay had bought it for her birthday. It cost way too much money, but she would never hurt his feelings by complaining, and it was a fine vehicle. Certainly much nicer than the truck they’d traded in that was probably buried in a junkyard somewhere.

They’d put up Christmas lights last week, and Melody smiled as she looked at them twinkling in the night. Something about holidays left her cheery. Things were always a little happier once the air got crisp and the decorations went up. She’d met Clay last Thanksgiving, which just solidified her belief that November was her friend.

Which was why she hated being as brokenhearted as she was.

She walked up to the driveway, feeling her heart hurt for both Wyatt and Tabitha. She was supposed to leave other people’s problems behind at the end of the day, but she just couldn’t find a way to recover from the wrongness of what happened to them. It hit way too close to home, and it was made so much worse because no one save a handful of people know why Tabitha left. To think of everyone villainizing her was so incredibly unfair Melody could hardly breathe past the injustice of it.

She took a deep breath before she walked into the house and tried to remind herself it wasn’t Clay’s fault. He didn’t know what happened. If he did, his feelings about Tabitha would be much different. Melody was certain of it.

“Hey.” Clay met her at the door and leaned down to give her a kiss. “How was work?”

“I left early.” Melody put her keys on the table by the door. “I had a crisis call. Hal let me off.”

“That’s nice of him.” Clay frowned. “What was the crisis?”

“It was, uh”—Melody pulled off her coat and walked to the bedroom—“it was a rape.”

“Hell.” Clay sounded concerned. “Did y’all call Wyatt?”

“No, it happened a long time ago. She was just dealing with some post-traumatic stress. Sorta like me at Justin’s trial.”

“Is she okay now?”

“I think so.” Melody tossed her jacket on the made bed. “She went home to her husband. She just needed help moving past the nerves. He doesn’t know.” She choked up at the last part and turned away from Clay to hide the tears that were threatening. “I’m gonna take a shower.”

“I’ll get in with ya.”

Melody shook her head. “No, I need to be alone for a few minutes.”

“Mel”—Clay grabbed her arm and pulled her to him—“are you okay?”

“It was just a really sad story.” Melody hugged Clay despite her turbulent emotions about what he’d done. “It’s so unfair.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t be going on these calls if they’re gonna upset you like this.” Clay rubbed her back. “You got your own set of issues to deal.”

“I’m fine.” She patted his bare chest and then pulled away. “I’m gonna take a shower and pull myself together. Didja eat?”

“I threw some leftovers in the microwave. Did you?”

“Yeah.” Melody started working on the buttons to her top as she walked to the bathroom. “I’m good.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to get in?”

Melody shook her head. “Let me gather my thoughts.”

Clay studied her with a scowl. It wasn’t like her to push him away like that, but she needed a little more time. A part of her was angry at Clay for hurting Tabitha worse by ignoring her since she had gotten back. Before tonight, Melody hadn’t pushed the issue with him, because like everyone else, she’d assumed Tabitha was just a rich, successful author who had left Wyatt in the dust.