As she tromped along, Mel tried to view the land as Ryne might, from a photographer’s point of view. Light and shadows, angles and background, unusual subject matter. It was amazing that, when she actually looked, there were a lot of things to see in the forest. Kneeling, she peered at some moss growing on the side of a tree. Up close it was actually rather interesting; tiny little fronds of bright green clinging to the rough grey bark; and the bark itself was so textured and varying in shades. She ran her hand over the moss and then the trunk, marvelling at the contrasting feel of each. With an eye out for minute details, she continued exploring the edge of the forest near the cabin, pausing every few feet to examine some new wonder that she’d never noticed before.
By the time she was finished, an hour had passed and Mel was full of enthusiasm for nature photography. In fact, she was itching to try some herself and wondered how much an inexpensive digital camera would set her back. She’d have to ask Ryne when she saw him next. A frown passed over her at the thought of the man. The way he kept blowing hot then cold—make that somewhat friendly then rudely sarcastic—made him difficult to deal with. Half the time she actually liked him, but the rest of the time, she just wanted to give him a good swift kick. Well, she’d ask him about the camera before she kicked him.
Her stomach chose that moment to rumble and she realized that, aside from some toast and several cups of coffee, she hadn’t eaten yet that day. The thought of cooking wasn’t overly appealing, so she decided to head to town and see what Al was cooking at Ruth’s. She hurried back to the cabin, grabbed her purse and keys, and drove to town to placate her grumbling stomach.
*****
Parking the car outside the diner, Mel suddenly hesitated, her hand on the key. Lucy would be inside, working. Damn! How could she have forgotten her new friend? Double damn! Mel closed her eyes as guilt washed over her; she’d had sex with Lucy’s man this morning and broken one of her own basic rules: no poaching. What kind of a person was she, to let something like that completely slip her mind? She almost hit the steering wheel in frustration, but caught herself at the last moment, not wanting a repeat of the ‘stuck horn’ incident. Instead, she curled her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain was a welcome penance for her misdeeds.
Through the window, she could see Lucy serving the various tables. The woman was laughing at something one of the customers said, while skillfully balancing a heavy tray of food in one hand and pouring coffee with the other. Lucy really was something. Once you got past the slightly ungrammatical speech, layers of makeup, bleached blonde hair, and too tight tops, there was a warm, generous person underneath. A person who willingly offered friendship to a newcomer...and Mel had betrayed her.
Ryne and Lucy were... Well, Mel wasn’t quite sure exactly what they were, but they were something. And now she felt awful. Ryne was Lucy’s property, despite what the woman might say otherwise. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want Ryne? Lucy had seen him first and so it should have been hands off. Mind you, Ryne laid his hands on Mel first, but she didn’t do much protesting. Mel’s stomach clenched. Why hadn’t she thought of this sooner? And what should she do about it now? If she told Lucy, the woman would be hurt, yet if she didn’t tell her, someone else might.
Would Ryne say something to the waitress next time he saw her? No, he didn’t seem like the kiss and tell type. But what about Daniel and Bryan? They both knew something had gone on this morning, if their knowing grins were any indication. Mel flushed remembering how Bryan had looked at her and winked. Still, they probably wouldn’t mention the matter to Lucy, either.
Okay. So the only way Lucy would find out, would be if Mel told her and she certainly wouldn’t do that, would she? But if she didn’t, it was lying by omission and Mel didn’t like to lie to her friends. Yet the truth might hurt more than the lie. Minutes passed while Mel wavered back and forth. Finally, she huffed in exasperation at herself, got out of the car and went inside, deciding to gently broach the subject of having lunch with Ryne yesterday and gauge Lucy’s reaction. If there was any spark of jealousy then...well...she wasn’t sure what she’d do, but at least she’d have a better sense of Lucy’s feelings.
Entering the diner, Mel slid onto her usual chair, picked up the menu, and studied it, all the while watching for Lucy out of the corner of her eye. It was busy in the diner, no one apparently wanting to cook on Sunday night. Good, Mel thought. Lucy would have less time to spend chatting. Stiffening her spine, Mel made a selection and waited, with only a minor sense of impending doom, for the waitress to arrive.