Page 51 of Texas Scandal

“Loki is special,” Dr. Paul said before adding, “There are no follow-up instructions. He doesn’t need any medication and can go on living his normal spoiled life.”

“Will do,” Tiernan said before walking over to his truck with Loki in tow. Tiernan opened the door and the Lab jumped right inside. Melody followed after taking the hand he’d offered, reclaiming the passenger seat. By the time she’d clicked on her seat belt, Tiernan had exchanged a handshake with Dr. Paul.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, he was struck at how suddenly Melody had shown up in his world. But then life was full of surprises. He needed to take note of that fact the next time storm clouds covered the sun and his world darkened.

She gave him the address to the family cabin, which he immediately plugged into the GPS. They had a little more than an hour to kill. Longer if they stopped off for food.

Traffic wasn’t bad. The burritos were even better. The cabin took ten extra minutes to reach after the stop at the largest gas station/convenience store in the state. They needed a Buc-ee’s in Cider Creek. The promise of clean bathrooms along with more fuel pumps, food options, and road snacks than anyone could imagine made pit stops here a destination. Then again, he hadn’t been home in so long there might already be one there and he wasn’t any the wiser. On the rare times he’d called his mother, she never mentioned anything had changed. Buc-ee’s would be a topic of conversation. Guilt slammed into him for the neglect he showed his family. Duncan Hayes was gone. As much as Tiernan didn’t wish anyone harm, he couldn’t muster a tear for his dear old grandfather, either.

The Cantor cabin was more like a lake house. It was an A-frame made from wood. There was a porch and a second-story balcony of almost equal size. The place was all windows and views.

“I thought you said this was a cabin in the woods,” he said to Melody as he parked.

Her forehead creased as she shot him a look. “I haven’t been here in so long. It seems smaller to me now.”

“I get that you didn’t want to use this place given its purchase history,” he said, but he’d also picked up on something else in her tone when she mentioned it before.

“There’s more to it,” she said. “How about I tell you later?”

“We don’t even have to talk about it if the subject makes you uncomfortable,” he said. There was no need unless she felt like telling him what the tone in her voice was about. He’d picked up on the subtle sadness.

“I want to talk,” she quickly countered. “Not with everyone. But I don’t mind telling you. I actually haven’t told anyone so much about my family and our relationship in such a long time.” She paused for a second. Long enough to bite down on her bottom lip—lips that were in the shape of Cupid’s bow and darn kissable. “Actually, I never discuss my family with anyone else. You’re the first person to hear my side of the story.”

He smiled at her before heading out of the truck. The fact she wanted to share her secrets with him caused more of that stirring in his chest that he’d been trying and succeeding in avoiding for many years up until now. He was clearly failing when it came to Melody. She was a rogue storm that blew into his life unexpectedly and without all the damage left behind. She was the good kind with lightning that cut across a velvet sky and thunder that caused the walls to rattle.

Then again, they would have to part ways at some point. The thought darn near gutted him. But what did he plan to do about it? Right now? Nothing.

Tiernan opened her door and then refocused on the cabin. The place was nice. There was a tire swing hanging from a large oak tree. He suspected there was a lake or some kind of water source nearby. He’d better keep an eye on Loki since he loved gunning straight for just such places, coming back drenched, muddy and happy as a lark. Or sprayed by a skunk. Tiernan never knew what he was going to get with his oversize pup but he could bank on trouble following.

“Watch out for tracks leading up to the house,” he said to Melody. At this point it was later in the afternoon. The sun was out today, warming his skin. There was a chill in the air like nobody’s business. His thoughts wandered to his own family and how they were doing. Seeing what Melody was going through with her family reminded him to be a better son. Other than Duncan, his family was loving. They were good people who cared about one another. Why was it so much easier to hate a jerk than to focus on the good people in his life?

“Okay,” Melody said, checking the ground as she walked toward the A-frame. She spun around. “Do you think we should hide the fact we’re here?”

“What did you have in mind?” he asked.

“Parking a little bit away from the house,” she clarified. “I mean, I doubt my brother would show up here but he might send someone. My mother could show up at some point. I don’t come here any longer and haven’t for years so I have no idea what anyone’s habits are.”

“Good idea,” Tiernan said. “Can you keep Loki with you?”

Loki had other ideas. He followed Tiernan back to the truck.

“Never mind,” Tiernan said. “I’ll take him with me instead.” He paused at the door to his truck. “Do you want to come with us?”

“You’ll only be a minute, right?” she asked.

“All I intend to do is park outside of view. Just up the lane a little bit,” he said. “You should be fine until I get back.”

“I grew up coming here,” she said. “I still know this place like the back of my hand. Go on. I’m good here.”

Tiernan climbed into the driver’s seat after allowing Loki passage. The night at the vet’s office did him good. The Lab had more energy than Tiernan had seen in a while, which was saying something.

There was a spot to pull off not too far from the A-frame that should keep the truck blocked from view. The good thing was that no one knew what Tiernan’s truck looked like. Correction—Melody’s brother would know if he’d been paying attention this morning. Coop had looked stressed out, so those details might have escaped him. The guy had been cagey, and Tiernan didn’t pick up on one single warm vibe toward Melody. Would it be the same with his siblings when he visited home again? He couldn’t imagine a world where the Hayes kids, grown as they might be, would turn against each other. Self-interest was the only vibe Tiernan had received from Coop. The guy could be a younger, more deviant version of Duncan, which probably didn’t help much.

Tiernan was predisposed to not liking the guy based on the association with his grandfather. Was it fair to put them both in the same bucket? Maybe not. Tiernan hadn’t spent enough time around Coop to decide one hundred percent if his instincts about the guy were correct. But then, initial impressions were usually right.

Hiking back to the A-frame, Loki bolted. Not unusual for the pup, but the move was unsettling to Tiernan in this situation. His radar was already on high alert as it was. The last thing he needed was another reason to be stressed.

Rather than shout for his dog, he kept a low profile. If Loki took off too far, he would be bringing home ticks at the very least. The dog had a way of finding trouble, Tiernan was learning. So, he headed in the direction his dog had taken off to instead of the A-frame.

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