Melody felt like her brain was swimming. She leaned around the corner, looking to where Jules was waving, seeing an older woman walk in wearing a Hal’s Diner uniform.
Melody glanced at the ticket once more, feeling guilty when she considered how much it had cost. “Look, I appreciate this, but I need this job.”
Jules shrugged, looking collected and unruffled. “It’ll be here when you get back.”
Melody put a hand to her forehead, the tension headache pulsing stronger than ever. She was a little too overwhelmed with life to be dealing with Jules Conner. “I’m not good for him,” she whispered, hoping to put the urgency in her voice. “Really, if you care about him, you won’t push this.”
“Do you care for him?” Jules countered. “Is his health and safety important to you?”
“Of course,” Melody said a little too quickly. She wanted to retract it, knowing her passion wasn’t helping her cause, but she couldn’t help it. “Yes, of course, his health and happiness mean everything to me, that’s why—”
“Then you’ll come.” Jules shrugged. “’Cause if you don’t, he’s gonna get the living shit beat out of him by a cocky city boy named Romeo Wellings. Have you ever watched an MMA fight? Do you understand how hard-core they are?”
“I’d never heard of it until Clay,” Melody said with a wince, realizing how very little she knew about this sport Clay was so passionate about. “It’s like boxing, ain’t it?”
“Boxing’s dangerous.” Jules gave Melody a look that said she thought it was common knowledge. “So’s MMA, and because of you, neither his head nor his heart are in this fight. If he goes into the octagon without your pretty self sitting there cheering for him, he’s gonna get hurt, Melody; he’s gonna get hurt real bad. Now are ya coming or not?”
Melody looked at the printed ticket in her hands and then thought of the big television Hal had set up in the dining room for the fight tonight. Why did she think she could run around and work while Clay was fighting with some city boy who saw Clay as the only thing standing between him and glory?
“I’m coming,” Melody said breathlessly. She’d already stood by the wayside while one city boy beat the passion and joy out of her life, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let it happen again. She was mad at herself for even considering it. “Let’s go.”
“We’ll run by your house and grab a few things. I got a spare bag in the car.” Jules grabbed Melody’s hand, dragging her across the restaurant and behind the counter. “Get your things. We gotta move like hell’s breathing at our necks.”
Melody didn’t need to be told twice. She ran into the back to grab her jacket and purse. When she came back to the front counter, she handed her purse to Jules and then pulled her jacket on. “What ’bout my truck? I gotta follow you.”
“Gimme your key. I’ll get it back to your place,” Hal said, coming out of the kitchen. “We got it, Mel, just go. Make sure our boy brings home another belt.”
Melody felt dazed. Hal was standing there, Mary behind him, and the new waitress was also watching, having obviously filled them in on why she was there in the first place. Then Melody turned to look around at the restaurant, seeing all eyes on her. It was one of the most bizarre moments of her life.
“Keys,” Jules snapped, dragging her back to reality as she held out Melody’s purse, opening it for her. “Hurry, hurry.”
Melody grabbed her keys and worked at undoing the key to the truck with shaking fingers. When she struggled with it, Jules huffed and grabbed the key chain, doing a far more effective job with removing it. “When’s the last time you had some sleep? You look like you’re about to drop where you stand.”
“Been a while.” Melody winced, knowing she must look a mess.
“You can sleep on the plane.” Jules pulled the key free and tossed it on the counter. Then she shouldered Melody’s purse and reached out, grabbing her hand. “We just gotta make it there first.”
Melody was still dazed, the cheers rising up from the patrons sounding distant as Jules opened the front door, letting in a blast of cold air. She turned, seeing everyone standing up and clapping, the excitement palpable. It hit her then how important this fight was to this town, how important Clay was to them. He made Garnet interesting, and when he won, the whole town won with him.
It wasn’t until she was out in the cold, the cheers from Hal’s patrons a low hum, that she said, “Jeez, this town really does need a movie theater. I can’t believe that many people know ’bout us.”