Mendoza's Return

“We have a history, and it’s not going to be easy.”

“Especially since the attraction is still there.” Might as well put that on the table, Rafe thought.

Melina hesitated then nodded. “Being attracted isn’t the issue. It’s what we do about it.”

He knew what he’d like to do about it. For the first time since they’d met, they had their own homes, which offered privacy, a place where they could spend a whole night together, where they wouldn’t have to check out by 10:00 a.m. They could shower together in the morning, linger over breakfast wearing only robes, easily disposed of.

The silence escalated between them. He wondered if her thoughts were headed down the same path as his.

Dear Reader,

Reunion stories pose a particular challenge for a writer. Readers sometimes ask, “If their relationship didn’t work the first time around, why should I expect it to work the second time?”

It’s a good and valid question. I happen to like reunion stories for a couple of reasons: because the couple’s past gives them an emotional footing for the present, and because “second chances” is a theme I love. Combine those reasons with the fact so many of our books feature heroes and heroines in their twenties and thirties, and it’s the perfect storm for me. We change so much in our twenties that it’s not surprising we’d be open to a second chance at love with someone from our past.

It isn’t easy, of course. Nothing worthwhile is, as the saying goes. But I think a complicated past can make for a richer, deeper and truer relationship.

Mendoza’s Return is a reunion story. Melina and Rafe are plunked smack in the middle of their own perfect storm to weather some rough seas in search of smooth sailing. I hope you enjoy their voyage.

Susan Crosby

SUSAN CROSBY believes in the value of setting goals, but also in the magic of making wishes, which often do come true—as long as she works hard enough. Along life’s journey she’s done a lot of the usual things—married, had children, attended college a little later than the average co-ed and earned a BA in English. Then she dived off the deep end into a full-time writing career, a wish come true. Susan enjoys writing about people who take a chance on love, sometimes against all odds. She loves warm, strong heroes and good-hearted, self-reliant heroines, and she will always believe in happily ever after. More can be learned about her at www.susancrosby.com.

Mendoza’s

Return

Susan Crosby

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For the Broderick family—

Sean, Kelly, Chase, Cameron and Jorie—

everyday heroes. You’re an inspiration.

Chapter One

Melina Lawrence looked over her shoulder and winked at her sister Angie, the most effervescent bride Melina had ever seen.

“Don’t trip!” Angie mouthed just as the wedding planner signaled to maid of honor Melina to begin her walk down the aisle.

Melina smiled, both at her sister’s teasing caution and the beauty of the moment. The church was full. Happy faces greeted her with each step. Then about halfway down the aisle she spotted someone who didn’t belong in the crowd—Raphael Mendoza. Rafe Mendoza. Rafe, the love of her life—in high school, anyway, and a little beyond. Homecoming king to her homecoming queen. They were voted most likely to wed….

But they hadn’t.

He came sharply into focus, the guests around him blurring into a muted montage of color. Why was he here? He lived in Michigan, fifteen hundred miles from Red Rock, Texas, where he was born and raised. Where they’d gone to high school together.

Don’t trip. The muscles of Melina’s cheeks ached as she tried to maintain her smile. All of her senses overloaded so fast it was dizzying. He gave her the slightest of nods as she moved past him, her pulse pounding in her ears so loudly she couldn’t hear the music.

Don’t trip. Her legs kept moving but felt numb.

When she could see clearly again, she noticed the expressions on the faces of old friends—sympathy, but also people’s blatant curiosity of a gossip-worthy event.

Angie must have invited him to the wedding but hadn’t bothered to tell Melina he was coming. Then again, her sister still believed in fairy tales and happy endings. She’d never given up on Rafe and Melina finding their way back to each other. Angie had adored Rafe as the big brother she’d never had. Adored him so much, she’d gone into an extended and dramatic period of mourning for him ten years ago, after Melina and Rafe broke up when Angie was only twelve….

It was the look on her mother’s face—full of understanding and maybe even a little annoyance—that drew Melina back into the moment. She managed genuine smiles for her mother and Gramps, seated next to her, then noted the panic in her about-to-be brother-in-law’s eyes. She smiled consolingly at the very sweet Tommy Buchanan, then took her position alongside seven bridesmaids. The guests rose for the bride’s shining moment, Angie’s gaze locked with Tommy’s all the way down the aisle.

The music faded out, then the family’s longtime minister asked, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?”

Jefferson Lawrence eyed his daughter, seeming to ponder the question, until she whispered loudly, “Daddy!”

He chuckled but dutifully said, “Her mother and I.” He lifted Angie’s veil a bit, kissed her, then presented her to Tommy and took a seat next to his teary-eyed wife of thirty-two years.

Melina went through the motions. She passed the groom’s ring to the minister without fumbling, then handed back Angie’s white-tulip bouquet after the celebratory kiss, during which Tommy bent her over to much laughter and applause. Then Melina slipped her hand into the crook of the best man’s arm and followed the newly weds up the aisle, leading a parade of bridesmaids decked out in lemon-colored chiffon gowns escorted by ushers trying not to trip over the voluminous dresses.

Because everyone was standing, Rafe was blocked from Melina’s view until she was a few feet away. For years, she’d anticipated running into him again. He wasn’t supposed to look this good, this sexy. This tempting.

And he’d come alone.

And everyone there knew their history, used to have bets on how it would turn out. Now what would happen? Melina feared she’d be back in the spotlight again, with Rafe an unwilling focus as well.

The guests departed for the reception at the nearby Blue Sage Inn, then a lot of picture-taking ensued before white limos carried the bridal party to the reception. The festivities were well under way with music, appetizers and an open bar.

Because the early March day had crept into the low eighties, many guests had wandered into the courtyard from the main room, but Melina spotted Rafe instantly. He was crouched down, talking to Gramps, who looked so different without his usual Stetson and Wranglers, wearing a tux instead, his horse long ago replaced by a cane, and for today, a motorized wheelchair.

“You’re awfully jumpy,” Angie said to Melina as the wedding party sat down at the head table. “Aren’t you having a good time?”

Melina kept her tone neutral, not an easy task when all around her people were looking from Melina to Rafe and back again. “You invited Rafe.”

Her sister’s lips compressed. “It’s my wedding. I get to invite who I want.”

“I hadn’t realized you were still friends.”

“We’ve stayed in touch.” She clinked her water glass to Tommy’s, kissed him then looked at Melina again. “Now that he’s moved home, I thought he’d like a chance to reconnect with old friends.”

Shock jolted Melina. “Moved home? To Red Rock?” Her breath felt trapped in her throat.

“A few weeks ago. He bought the old Dillon house, but his office is in San Antonio.” She smiled. “He looks good, doesn’t he?”

Yes, he looks good. He was a man now, not a boy, and it showed in every inch of him, from his stylish hair to his sharper facial features to his powerful body, fitted into a perfectly tailored dark gray suit.

“He’s aged really well, don’t you think?” Angie asked.

“Aged?” Melina replied, stunned. “We were born the same year, you know. Twenty-nine isn’t exactly over the hill.”

Their younger sister, Stephanie, leaned past Melina and said, “It is when you’re a single woman.” She elbowed Melina. “I know you’re famous for your patience, Mellie, but sometimes it’s better just to grab hold, you know, not keep waiting for the perfect man. And I do have to agree with Ang. I mean, just look at Rafe. He’s like a dark prince stepped out of a grown-up fairy tale.”

“That’s quite a label, Steph,” Melina said, although agreeing about his physical perfection. His perfect height. His thick, black hair, those deep, brown, smoldering eyes that could coax out all her secrets …

“But he’s a lawyer, not a prince, and life isn’t a fairy tale. Except for Angie’s,” she added, lifting her glass, putting on a smile, not wanting to take away even the tiniest bit of her pleasure. “To your happily-ever-after beginning.”

After dinner, the official toasts were made and the cake cut, then the dancing began. Rafe still hadn’t left. He danced several times, but never twice with the same woman, and he never approached Melina. She partnered with the best man, Tommy’s twin brother, Jay, then with several ushers, and eventually her father, who was having a great time in the role of father of the bride. It was the kind of arena in which the boisterous cattle broker shined.

“You fixin’ to say hello to your former fiancé?” her father asked as they danced, his disapproving tone apparent.

Melina stopped short of rolling her eyes. He never pulled punches. “I wasn’t planning on it, but I won’t be rude, either.”

“Best you don’t go opening up those wounds, girl.”

“I don’t intend to.”

“Then maybe you should stop giving him the eye, so he doesn’t think otherwise.”

She wasn’t aware she’d been giving him the eye. In fact, she’d been trying not to, since everyone in the room seemed to be holding their breath for something to happen between them, some kind of contact. Any kind of contact. Almost everyone knew what their plans had been. They’d wanted to buy the old Crockett building on south Main, open their law practice downstairs and create an apartment upstairs, at least until the second baby came—with two more to follow. The building was still there, but the plans had gone up in smoke years ago. It had finally stopped hurting to drive past it.

“A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since we broke up, Dad,” she said, putting the past in its place.

“Since he broke up. I remember how long the tears lasted.”

She remembered, too, almost as if it were yesterday. Total heartbreak was hard to forget. “I was nineteen. I can handle things better now.” Or could she? She’d only imagined coming face-to-face with him before. The truth was entirely different. He still made her heart pound—which could also be all the pent-up anger she’d held for years.

“You haven’t been serious about a boy since Rafe.”

“I’ve had my share of fun, Dad, believe me.” She had, too, but she’d kept her relationships light and short-term on purpose. She didn’t ever want to grieve over a man like that again. Her pride had taken an enormous beating. Once was enough. People should learn from their mistakes. And she’d definitely learned. “Who needs serious, anyway, Dad?”

“That’s my girl. The only thing I take seriously is your mother, and that’s worked just fine for me.” He whirled her around. Always the best dancer on the floor, he guided her through a series of steps practiced and memorized through the years. Her mood lightened. She stopped wondering what Rafe was thinking and why he was hanging around at a wedding reception, which didn’t seem like something he would do, given a choice.

Then suddenly he was gone, having disappeared during The Chicken Dance. Smart man, she thought. If she could’ve slipped out, she would have, too, especially since she wore a dress that required holding it off the floor so that she wouldn’t trip and yet still somehow flap her arms. She was pleased and relieved that Rafe wasn’t watching. Knowing he’d gone left her free to be silly instead of sophisticated like him, big-time attorney that he was.

She tried to picture him acting like a chicken in his power suit and tie and his pristine white shirt, an image she couldn’t conjure up. She wondered if his hair ever looked less than perfect.

A long, long time ago, things like that had mattered little to him.

And a long, long time ago, she had mattered a lot.

Rafe leaned against a tree, hiding out with a few other guests who’d made a quick exodus upon realizing what song was starting up. He and the others grinned conspiratorially at their narrow escape but otherwise waited in silence, not wanting to call attention to themselves and be dragged back in.

From where he stood, Rafe could see the entire room in all its festive glory. The bridesmaids were especially easy to spot. If their gowns had been white, they would’ve resembled melting marshmallows, like Angie.

She seemed so young. Last year at his mother’s funeral she’d looked somber, her clothes dark and sedate, as expected for the occasion. Now she looked like a starlet at a Hollywood premiere, all bright and sparkly. She was twenty-two years old and married.

Rafe’s glance slid to Melina as she danced, stumbling a little, the best man catching her before she fell. If all had gone according to Rafe and Melina’s plan, they also would’ve been married right after college graduation. They would have traveled a little before starting law school. Down the road they’d planned to open their own practice—together. Later, when the time was right, they would’ve started a family. It was all mapped out.

Their plan had been set into motion when they were fourteen. He had lived in Red Rock all his life, but the Lawrence family had come to town when Melina was a freshman. Rafe fell in love with her the first time he’d laid eyes on her. For him, that was it. He’d never strayed. The Mendoza men were known for their passion—about life, work and their women—and Melina had loved him hard and completely in return.

Rafe had never doubted that love. At least not until she’d made choices without talking to him. His passion hadn’t died, it had shifted—away from her, from them, and into his career instead.

It seemed like a lifetime ago. Was a lifetime ago. He’d followed the plan, finding more success than he’d dreamed possible, thanks to some lucky breaks, good timing and a few smart, risky choices. Melina had made a one-eighty turn in another career direction. He wondered if she had regrets about that, if she’d reacted emotionally instead of logically then couldn’t—or stubbornly, wouldn’t—go back.

The gimmicky dance ended. Rafe watched Melina fan herself, her cheeks flushed, her blond hair tumbling free around her shoulders, the swell of her breasts glistening. She was even more beautiful now as a woman than—

She headed straight toward him, across the room, then through the exit to the courtyard. The air had cooled, night settling in. She stopped, closed her eyes, breathed deeply. Rafe inched farther into the shadows, away from the soft glow of thousands of tiny decorative lights that turned the space into a kind of fairyland.

He didn’t know what to say to her. Words usually came easily to him, but he had no idea how to start a conversation with the woman he’d once loved, the one who’d hurt him more than he’d ever thought anyone could.

He’d intended to leave the reception before now, to get away from the possibility of making small talk with her. He didn’t know why he hadn’t taken off, especially since he knew only a handful of people beyond the Lawrence family, who didn’t seem to care much about talking to him, anyway.

He’d been debating going to see Melina ever since he moved back, had even checked out her Facebook page, knowing he needed answers after all these years so that he could find that “closure” that people talked about, needing it in order to move on with his life. Especially now that he intended to make Red Rock his home again.

Melina opened her eyes then, keying in on him as if she’d known all along he’d been watching her.

“I thought you’d left,” she said, hesitance in her voice and body language.

Was this it? His opportunity to get answers? “I wasn’t interested in flapping my wings,” he said, keeping the conversation going.

She half smiled. “I wasn’t so lucky.”

They stood about ten feet apart. “How are you, Melina?”

“I’m doing very well, thanks. And you?” Polite, cool words.

“No complaints.” He took a few steps toward her. “Thanks for the card you sent after my mom died. It meant a lot.”

Her expression changed in an instant to one of sympathy. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be at her funeral. I was on a cruise, my first vacation in years, and I didn’t hear about her passing until I got home and the funeral was over.”

“I know. I understood.”

“I admired her so much.” She reached out as if to touch him, then let her hand drop. “I felt so bad that I hadn’t stayed in touch. But I couldn’t, you know? I just couldn’t.”

He understood that, too. He wouldn’t have stayed in touch with Angie except that she hadn’t let him go. She’d written and called now and then, always hopeful there would be a reconciliation, but Rafe had cut off all other communication with the Lawrence family.

“Tommy seems like a good match for Angie,” he said, changing the subject, but also leading up to the issue—that he and Melina had been a good match once, too.

“I agree. She needs a Prince Charming like him. He’s big on romantic gestures. It was his choice to have the reception here instead of at the church. He wanted her to feel like a princess.”

“I was surprised to see how much this part of town has improved,” he said. “The only eyesore left is the old Crockett building. I’m surprised it hasn’t been razed by now.”

Melina went silent for a few seconds then eyed the reception hall. “I should get back.” Her entire mood changed, her expression, her posture, everything.

“You might want to wait a few more minutes,” he said, spotting a conga line forming.

She looked tempted but said, “I have responsibilities as maid of honor.”

Her comment took Rafe back in time—not in a good way. “And we all know how seriously you take your responsibilities.”

Her blue eyes turned icy. “And my commitments. I suffer no guilt from what I did, from the choice I made. My grandparents needed me. I acted honorably. Can you say the same?” She gathered her skirt with both hands and swept past him, leaving a trail of unfamiliar perfume and righteous indignation in her wake.

What the hell did that mean? How had he acted dishonorably? She’d dropped the ball, not him.

Rafe swiped a hand down his face. He should’ve trusted his instincts and stayed away. Or at the least left after congratulating the happy couple. This wasn’t the time or place for a serious dissection of a painful time in his and Melina’s past.

The desire to satisfy his curiosity about her had overruled his usual caution and common sense, dredging up memories that should’ve been buried long ago—for both of them. He’d thought his were expunged. He’d assumed hers were.

As a lawyer he should’ve known better than to assume anything. Ever.

Chapter Two

Sunday passed in a blur for Melina. First came a wedding breakfast with just the Lawrence and Buchanan families, then Melina and Jay, Tommy’s brother and the best man, drove the newlyweds to the San Antonio airport for their flight to Hawaii.

They all stood at the curb of the departure area, unloading luggage and saying goodbye.

“I saw you and Rafe talking,” Angie said into Melina’s ear as they hugged. “Are you going to see him again?”

“Red Rock is a small town.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Melina smiled, not giving her sister an answer—maybe because Melina didn’t know the answer herself.

“I told him about Elliot,” Angie said, her voice overly casual.

“Angie! Why would you do that? He’s our patient. You can’t—”

“I didn’t give Rafe specifics. He knows you’re an occupational therapist, and he gets the whole privacy thing. I didn’t tell him Elliot’s name or the names of any other pertinent people involved. I asked hypothetical questions because he’s a lawyer, and I thought he could help.”

Hope battled irritation at her sister for overstepping her position as Melina’s administrative assistant. “What did he say?”

“That it’s not his field of expertise.”

Melina felt her jaw drop. “That’s it? He had no opinion as a human being? As a former ballplayer? As a former little boy with big dreams?” Her voice rose with each question so that Tommy and his brother Jay turned and stared.

“I’m only telling you what happened, Melina. Geez, calm down. I didn’t ask him for his opinion or advice except as a lawyer. Don’t get mad at him. Again.”

She’d been over being mad at him—or so she thought until she’d seen him yesterday. Then a tidal wave of emotion had swamped her. She wasn’t drowning now, but she sure was being beaten up by the waves.

“Anyway, you didn’t let me finish. He said if you want to talk to him about it, you should call him.”

“When did this happen?”

“As he was telling me goodbye at the wedding. He said he’d been thinking about it.”

Could she get him involved? Melina wondered. Given their history, could she ask it of him?

“And don’t be mad at me, either, okay?” Angie said, grabbing Melina’s hands. “I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my honeymoon if I knew you were upset with me.” She batted her eyes playfully.

Melina laughed. “Right. Like that’s going to happen.”

She grinned. “I told Steph not to change one thing in the office while I’m gone. I’m the one who’s been working for you for four years, but I know our little sister. She’ll think she has a better way to organize things.”

“I won’t let her. I promise.”

“The plane will leave without us, Mrs. Buchanan,” Tommy said. “And I’m anxious to get lei’d, you know.” He winked and pretended to drop a lei around her neck, Angie’s laughter joining his to make music together. With a last hug goodbye for everyone, they ran into the terminal without a look back.

Tears stung Melina’s eyes as she watched them, madly in love and happy to show the world.

“How about we go somewhere for lunch?” Jay asked as they headed out the airport.

“No, thanks. I’m still full from breakfast.”

“How ‘bout we go to your place and have ourselves a little fun?”

Tommy’s twin was twenty-two years old. He’d been coming on to Melina since they’d first been paired up for wedding events. “No, thanks.”

He eyed her. “You know, I’ve been hearing for a long time how the best man hooks up with the maid of honor at these things. You’re real pretty, Melina. I think I’m okay looking myself. So, why not go for it? Your age doesn’t matter to me, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I’m honored, Jay, truly I am. But the answer’s the same.” Between his comments and Stephanie’s at the wedding, Melina felt ancient. “It’s sweet of you to ask, though.”