Something Borrowed

Chapter 38

"Amelia," Brent said as they reached the couple, pulling himself loose from Melissa's hold and extending his hand. "Would you like to take a walk now? Like you promised?"

"She didn't promise you anything, Brent," Josh growled beneath his breath. Rebecca stopped her digging to frown up at him and he smiled at her. Appeased, she returned to her hole.

"Don't be difficult now, Joshua," Melissa's father said, crossing his arms over his barrel chest. "He just wants to talk to her."

Josh opened his mouth to argue, but Amelia chimed in, slipping off the edge of the wagon. "It's okay," she said, giving the other men her back and placing small hands on her husband's shoulders. She dropped a kiss on the hard line of his mouth and patted his cheek. "We won't go far and we won't be long."

He sighed but relaxed and Amelia brushed by Brent's still-extended hand. With boyish excitement gleaming in his eye, he spun and hurried after her. Which left Josh, still sitting on the end of the wagon. Rebecca, happily playing in the dirt by his feet. Their father, glaring at his eldest like his gaze had the power to smote a man right off the face of the earth. Melissa, shifting on her feet, wondering how best to address the awful tension.

Before she could even try, her father took a step forward, relaxing his arms and jamming one pointed finger at Josh's chest. "You need to cut out the attitude, boy," he snarled in a low hiss, and Melissa could see the fight in her brother's face. It was just a shame that his expression was the only place his frustration would ever show. God forbid he lash out and defend himself...

"Let's not do this now," Josh said, his gaze dropping to Rebecca who had stalled once more and was staring up at the two men with wide eyes. "You okay Reb, honey?"

She nodded, but Melissa could see as well as Josh could that Rebecca's presence wasn't going to be a suitable deterrent. Reading the plea in his eyes when they met hers, she hurried forward and bent, scooping Reb off the ground without a spare thought for the dirt stain the child would likely leave on her coat.

"Let's go see if we can find a good climbing tree," she said to the little girl, trying to sound excited. On the far side of the footprint, Brent stood with Amelia. They faced each other, Brent's hands gesturing imploringly, Amelia's arms crossed over her chest. Every time he stepped forward, she stepped back. Not daring to go any closer, lest Rebecca hear something she shouldn't, Melissa took the little girl into the stand of trees to the west of the Brent's new property.

Rebecca, happy and loved, reminded Melissa of how she'd been when she was little. She ran from tree to tree while Melissa trailed behind, pointing at gnarled branches until she finally selected one that was suitably close to the ground. She hefted the little girl up to the branch, which was barely at neck level, and hovered beside her while she dangled from the limb, laughing with glee.

One eye still trained on Rebecca, she watched over the child's head as her father spoke sternly, his face splotchy red. Josh sat motionless, hands gripping the edge of the wagon. As she watched, her father gestured behind him with a hand to where Amelia and Brent stood talking. Without warning, Josh shoved to his feet, and their father stumbled back as he threw one enraged hand in the same direction and spoke, leaning close. Oh, how Melissa longed to be closer so she could hear what he was saying. Josh never spoke back to the old man.

"Aunt Mel, I want up," Rebecca demanded, kicking her legs in a vain struggle to get her feet up to the branch. Melissa lifted the girl two hands beneath her back so she could loop her feet around the limb, and she hung like a monkey, her head dangling back. She laughed uproariously. "Aunt Mel, look!"

"I see, sweetie," she said distractedly, watching by the argument. The two were clearly engaged in some sort of verbal swordplay. Her father gestured repeatedly at Amelia and Brent, and occasionally stabbed a finger over Josh's shoulder in Melissa's direction. Josh shook his head, letting it droop for a second on his neck before he tossed his own hand in Melissa and Reb's direction. The old man rolled his eyes. Josh crossed his arms over his chest. Their father dragged a hand over his face, and Josh tossed his arms out to his sides and let them fall.