Page 3 of Unexpected Temptation

T hree days later, Amelia drove into the town where, according to Meredith’s emails, Mr. Stone lived.

She had thought long and hard about what she would say to him, but finally decided she would tell him the truth.

As much as she hadn’t wanted to hurt the man’s feelings or the embarrassment it would cause her, he deserved that much.

She was dreading this more than she thought she would, but knew she had to get this done before she could appease her conscience enough to be able to move on with her life.

The colors, sounds, and smells had also caught her attention and held her spellbound.

The lush green pastures, the flowers that grew in abundance, and the mountains in the backdrop spoke to her in a way she couldn’t explain.

This is the type of place she wanted to make her home, and after she had dealt with Mr. Stone, she would move on until she found somewhere like it.

Her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had a bite to eat that day. She hadn’t eaten very much in the last few days. Her nerves had taken away most of her appetite.

Even though she’d been nervous as hell about being on her own and the task she had to accomplish, the farther she drove away from the only home she’d ever known, the higher her spirit seemed to go until she felt a freedom she’d never experienced in her life.

She figured if she could get through the ordeal of the day, her spirits would rise further, and she’d be downright joyful.

Amelia hadn’t known how truly miserable she was until she was away from the place and people who put her into an abyss of insecurity and misery.

If they thought she would be back, they were mistaken.

Amelia never wanted to deal with them again.

She should have felt guilty for walking away from her family, but she had never truly felt a part of it.

Frankly, they’d never really wanted her to be a part of it.

It had always been the three of them together.

She’d been invited to go a handful of times, but only when she was younger.

Since she had become a teenager, she hadn’t been invited anywhere with them.

When she asked to go, they always came back with some excuse, like she wouldn’t enjoy it or some other nonsense, which she never believed.

She knew they were ashamed of her. It didn’t take an Einstein to figure that out.

It didn’t matter whether she was a nice person or kind to others. She didn’t look or act like them. And to them, it was the only reason they needed to shut her out.

Only since she’d been away from them for the few short days had she started to find a semblance of happiness. She believed that happiness would continue to grow as time and distance passed.

Silence spread across the restaurant as the door closed behind her. Every patron’s undivided attention was fixed on her. She stood frozen, with her hands gripped in front of her.

The place had an old-fashioned charm. Although worn-looking, it was spotless.

There were brown vinyl booths on both sides, a few scattered tables in the middle, and a long bar with plain wooden stools at the back.

She could even see the cook through the large window that separated the kitchen from the dining room.

“What can I get you, Hun?”

Amelia jumped and turned toward the elderly waitress. “I ... I thought I’d get a bite to eat.”

“We have the best meatloaf in the county if you want to try that?”

“That sounds wonderful,” Amelia answered, smiling. She glanced around the restaurant to see that the people were still staring.

“Go ahead and grab a seat anywhere. And ignore these nosybodies. They don’t mean to embarrass you. We don’t get a lot of strangers around here.”

Amelia released an anxious breath and nodded.

“I understand. I’ll go sit in that booth in the back.”

“Go right ahead. I’ll bring you a glass of water and a menu.”

“I don’t need the menu. I would really like to try the meatloaf special. I’ve never had it before.”

The waitress huffed in surprise.

“You’ve never eaten meatloaf? Where have you been, Mars?”

Amelia laughed. “Sometimes it felt like that.”

“Go and sit down, Hun. I’ll be right over.”

Amelia made her way toward the booth. She relaxed further when the other patrons started talking amongst themselves again.

“Here you go.” The waitress set a plate filled with meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a glass of water in front of her.

“What else can I get you to drink?”

Amelia’s eyes widened at the enormous amount of food in front of her. “Nothing. The water’s fine. This looks wonderful, but there is an awful lot.”

“Ranchers eat a lot. Enjoy. Holler if you need anything.”

Amelia nodded and then dug in. It was the simplest meal she’d ever had, but one of the best. Everything seemed to melt on her tongue with a burst of flavor.

She groaned and pushed the plate away from her.

The waitress stopped to fill her glass. “Finished already?”

Amelia chuckled. “That was absolutely delicious, but if I eat one more bite, you’ll have to roll me out of here.”

“By the way, I’m Sandra. What’s your name?” she said and chuckled.

“Amelia.”

“Nice to meet you, Amelia. What are you doing in these parts?”

“I’m mostly just passing through. I have to make one stop, though.” Amelia felt the nerves return and swallowed. “Would you happen to know how I could find a Mr. Jaylen Stone?”

“Why would you be looking for him?” Sandra asked curiously.

Amelia cringed a bit at the cautious tone of her voice. “I just need to give him a message.”

“Jaylen is kind of a loner and doesn’t care to have many people around.”

“How well do you know him?” Amelia asked.

“Not well. He moved here about six or seven years ago and bought some land from a family member of his further up the mountain. We could go months without seeing him. He comes down for supplies, but usually, he goes right back up his mountain. Sometimes he’ll stop in here, but he’s not one you can easily have a conversation with. ”

“Do you know why he’s like that?”

“Now, I don’t like to gossip, but I’ve just been told he was a soldier and went through some hard times overseas.”

Tears burned against Amelia’s eyes. “Oh, that poor man.” How in the world is she going to tell this man he doesn’t have a wife coming as he expected, after all he’d been through?

“I hear a lot of men and women have been severely affected by what’s happening overseas. If they don’t have a family when they come back, they tend to isolate themselves, sometimes becoming homeless because they can’t cope with regular life. It’s a damn shame.”

“He doesn’t have any family?” Amelia asked. Damn, it just kept getting worse.

Sandra shrugged. “I have no idea. The person who would know anything about him would be Kane at the feed store. I see them talking a lot when he comes to town, and I have heard he’s been to Jaylen’s place several times, helping with stuff.”

Amelia pulled out a few bills and laid them on the table. “This should cover the meal and your tips, right?”

“Oh, Hun, that’s too much.”

“No, it isn’t. You’ve been incredibly nice to me, and I appreciate it. Thank you.”

She took a few steps toward the door when Sandra called out to her. “Amelia, you didn’t tell me why you needed to see Jaylen.”

Amelia turned back. “I don’t feel right telling you something he might not want people to know. I’m sorry.”

Sandra nodded and waved her hand. “No. You’re right. Go and see Kane. The feed store is a couple of blocks north of here. He can tell you the best way to get to Jaylen’s place and answer any questions you might have.”

Amelia wasn’t used to being touched or touching others, but she impulsively hugged the older woman.

“You’ve been very kind.” It was something she wasn’t used to.

Amelia pulled in front of the feed store, shut off her car, and stared.

It looked like a big grey steel warehouse. It had massive garage doors open to the side, where one man was loading bags of something into the back of a truck. Other than him, the place was quiet.

Hell, she needed to get this over with so she could move on.