Page 40 of Texas Scandal

“The body was found on my property,” Tiernan said after finishing a bite. “That couldn’t possibly be your fault. You’ve been dragged into this as much as I have. Neither of us is to blame for the events unfolding.”

“Tell the sheriff that,” she quipped.

“He’s a jerk and clearly not qualified to lead an investigation,” Tiernan said.

Melody finished another bite. “No argument there.”

The rest of the meal was spent in companionable silence. When the plates were cleared and cleaned, Melody poured two glasses of water. She held one up for Tiernan, who took the offering. He downed the contents in a matter of seconds.

“I think I’m going to grab a shower before I reach out to my clients,” he said. The image of him naked wasn’t something she needed stuck in her thoughts.

She glanced around, realizing she would be alone in the room. He must have picked up on her hesitation because he grabbed her by the hand and then linked their fingers as he walked them into the primary bedroom.

The room was a good size. A king bed was anchored against one wall. The headboard looked hand carved from oak. It was beautiful. There was a dresser along with a pair of coordinating nightstands. Blinds covered the windows—windows she was certain looked onto the backyard and now burned-down workshop. Her heart still hurt that he’d lost everything he’d worked so hard for. She did realize insurance would cover the cost to rebuild. But what about all that lost revenue from clients?

“I’ll leave the door cracked in case you need to shout for me,” he said as he walked her over to his bed. The mattress was set high, so she practically had to climb to sit on it. “What can I get you to make you more comfortable?”

“Honestly, I’m good,” she said. “Okay if I lean back and rest my eyes?”

“Go for it,” he said before disappearing into the adjacent bathroom. As promised, he left the door cracked enough to keep her pulse from racing. She didn’t realize how much she’d come to depend on having another living being in the room until now. Having Loki around was nice. Maybe when this ordeal was over, she would get a pet. Cats were supposed to be low maintenance. Melody also needed to get a job once she got past this case. Shewouldget beyond this. Right? The thought of being sent to prison was enough to send an icy chill racing down her spine. Not to mention being locked up for a crime she didn’t commit. Her thoughts shifted to Bebe. No mother should have to endure losing a child, least of all one so young. It was unimaginable. Melody shook her head at the carnage her father had left behind. How did she ever love the man?

Innocence, she thought. She’d been someone who believed in family and loved her father blindly. Melody issued a sharp sigh. The worst part was not wanting to hate her father. There were times when she wished she could go back to her young and naive self. The one who believed the world was made up of rainbows and butterflies.

Then again, maybe going into a situation with eyes wide open was a good thing. Plus, she would never allow anyone close enough to hurt her again. Her own family had proved those closest had the power to cut the deepest.

Melody propped up a couple of pillows on the massive bed. This had to be bigger than a king. Custom order? Tiernan was a big guy, tall with lean muscles—muscles she didn’t want to think about while she was lying on top of his bed and breathing in his spicy scent from the pillows.

It would be so easy to lean in to her attraction to him. And then what? She was facing possible jail time for a crime she didn’t commit. Could she use a friend right now? The answer was a hard yes. She was still racking her brain trying to figure out who could have robbed her mother, stolen the locket and then placed it on her doorstep. What about the blood? Her skin crawled just thinking about it belonging to a half-brother she never got the chance to meet.

Her mother’s call from earlier was eating away at Melody, too. Her mother might not know the situation Melody was in, but the woman didn’t ask questions. She never once asked if Melody was all right or if she needed anything. Her mother called to have someone to complain to or fish for pity, sometimes both. And, plus, why was Melody just now being told about the break-in?

Melody’s head hurt thinking about all this. And so did her heart.

Chapter Sixteen

Tiernan showered, dried off and threw on boxers, and then stepped into his room to find Melody asleep on his bed. His chest tightened at the sleeping image of her. Long russet locks splayed on his pillow. She was curled on her side, half sitting up. This whole scenario looked a little too right.

He moved into the kitchen to retrieve his laptop. Since she didn’t want to be alone, he returned to the bedroom and set the device on the chair next to the bed.

Gingerly, he wrangled the covers out from underneath her. She repositioned until she was lying down flat and he could pull the covers up around her before returning to the chair. He needed to send out a dozen emails explaining the situation.

The work only took half an hour. Tiredness was starting to kick in as he finished up the last message. Before turning off his laptop, he checked the vet camera. Loki was sleeping in a kennel, looking happy as a lark. Tiernan could get a few hours of shut-eye now, knowing Loki was fine and would be coming home tomorrow.

For a split second, he debated his next actions. Melody had been clear that she didn’t want to be alone. He wasn’t sure she intended to sleep in the same bed. Since he couldn’t ask her, he took the chair instead, cutting the lights down on the dimmer switch. His room could be pitch-black if he turned everything off, which could scare Melody when she woke up. He could sleep under pretty much any conditions after growing up on a ranch during calving season.

Leaning back, chin to chest, he nodded off inside of two minutes.

“Hey.” A familiar voice, Melody’s voice, stirred him from sleep.

He blinked a couple of times to find Melody standing next to the chair. Her hand rested on his before tugging at him to stand up. He did, bringing his other hand up to wipe the sleep from his eyes.

“Don’t wake up,” she said before adding, “Come to bed with me where you’ll be more comfortable.”

Tiernan wasn’t one to argue with a beautiful and intelligent woman asking him to go to bed. Besides, he could barely think through the tired fog. So, he did exactly as she asked, throwing the sheets and comforter up and climbing into bed after her. Certain body parts woke up when she curled her lean arms and legs around him.

She smelled like the air after a spring rain. Breathing in her scent wasn’t helping him fall back asleep. It didn’t take long for her steady, even breathing to indicate she’d drifted off. He didn’t dare move since she didn’t get much in the way of sleep last night. Her hair tickled his chest as she shifted, burrowing deeper into the crook of his arm.

This was as close to heaven as Tiernan figured he’d ever get.

---