Need You Now (Love in Unknown) - By Taylor M. Lunsford Page 0,74

been there before. Right now, he was at her side, ready to defend her no matter what. Still, Olivia managed to land a glancing blow.

Caine’s words came out hard, his knuckles white on his fork. “Luckily, I came to my senses before any real wedding planning could happen. Mel understands better than anyone what it means to be a part of a town like Unknown. She’s happy living here rather than in Houston or Austin.”

“Being part of the town isn't the only requirement you should have for a wife," Portia purred. "Remember, you won't be mayor of Unknown forever. There's state Senate, Congress, maybe even the White House."

“You make a very good point,” Joe said, not looking up from his plate. “We expect you to do more with your life than just be a part of this backwater town, Caine.”

Mel watched a look of complete, bleak frustration cross the face of the man beside her before he shut it down. She hated that look. She'd only ever seen it a few times, but it always emerged after a phone call from his parents. Damn them. Why did they never think his choices were good enough? It was becoming more and more obvious that his relationship with Portia must have been a nightmare if she bought into the Maddox party line.

“That's what y'all want for me, Dad. I don't know how many times we have to go over this, but I'm staying right where I am. I like my job. I like being mayor and I enjoy being a part of this town. It's the town our family built and I'm damn proud of it."

“Right, sure. I get it," Joe said. His smile turned into a leer as he raked his eyes over Mel. She fought the bit of bile that rose in her throat. Hearing someone was a sleaze and actually being a victim of his behavior were two very different things. Thank God Gage and Caine took after their grandfather instead of their father. "If I had a girl like this waiting for me, I might want to stay in this town, too."

Gage scowled at his father, shutting down any further comments. Olivia and Portia continued to make pointed remarks here and there, but the rest of the meal was silent except for the silverware on their plates. Mel had always known that Caine’s parents were awful, but James Maddox had to be rolling in his grave at how horrid his son and his wife were. Before Joe and Olivia, the Maddox men and their wives had ben respected and beloved members of the community. What the hell had happened to turn Joe into this? To induce him to marry someone like her? That question remained one of the great mysteries of Unknown.

As they walked out of Fortune Hill, Caine’s hand wrapped around hers, Mel’s admiration of Caine grew. Despite his parents, he was a good man. He loved his home, his town. She knew that if he lost all of his family's money tomorrow, it wouldn't matter to him as long as he still had Unknown. His parents didn't understand that legacy. They thought their roots were planted in the upper crust of society. But their boys knew the truth. Their roots belonged in the ground of the town where they’d worked so hard all of their lives.

#

Mel rested her forehead against the cool glass of the Martin’s window. Over the course of her career, she’d worked forty-eight hour shifts and studied for three days straight. None of that compared to the exhaustion she felt after spending three hours with Olivia Maddox.

“Do you always feel like you’ve run a marathon after your family dinners?” she asked. “Every bone in my body feels like I was hit by a mack truck.”

Caine’s wry chuckle eased a little of the ache that permeated her body. “You build up a tolerance over time. Although I’m a bit worn out myself. The Wicked Witch was in fine form tonight. Didn’t help that she brought her flying monkey along to join in the fun.”

She didn’t reply, just squeezed his hand and closed her eyes. Not long after, he pulled to a stop in front of the bakery. As usual, he helped her out of the car and walked her to her door. At the top of the stairs, he framed her hips with his hands and pulled her close. He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers.

“Beautiful Melody. Would you—“ He paused dramatically.