Stubborn and in Love (Book One)

Walkin' After Midnight

Jack's POV

Peggy had come into my office and told me about Melody's state. 

"I'm gonna go look for her. Daniel, you stay here and continue looking at evidence. I'll be back soon."

 I grabbed my overcoat and headed out of the office. When I reached the street I saw Melody walking about a block ahead of me. I moved to the other side of the street and followed her from afar.

 I saw her enter a liquor store, but I noticed she hadn't come out with a purchase. When she was out of my sight I headed into the store. 

"Excuse me sir, but the lady who just walked out..what did she want in here?"

 "Well she didn't buy anything really, but she broke a bottle of wine and paid for it."

 I nodded and scanned the shelves.

 'Which wine bottle did she break?"

 He pointed to the bottle of red wine in the corner. 

"That one right there. When she picked it up she looked as if she'd seen a ghost. She also asked me where the vineyard was that made the wine. I told her it was in Georgia."

 "Hmm, that's odd." 

I carefully examined the wine bottle and then saw the inscription on the bottle. 

Melody's Creation. 

I tucked the money into the man's hand and left quickly with the bottle. This was getting more concerning by the minute.

When I arrived back at the office I saw everyone had gone home except Daniel. Perfect, I needed his help.

 "Hey Jack I told Melody you were looking for her but she told me to let you know that she's fine and decided to call it a night."

 "I don't think she's fine." 

Daniel looked up at me from his desk.

 "What do you mean?" 

"I followed Melody to this wine shop in a pretty sketchy area. She didn't purchase anything but accidentally broke a bottle of this wine." 

I set the bottle onto his desk and pulled up a seat. He took the bottle and soon found the inscription at the bottom.

 "Why is it entitled Melody's Creation? Do you think she's connected to it?"

 "I think so. The vineyard that produces it is in a small town a few miles outside of Atlanta, Georgia. That's where Melody used to work."

Daniel scratched his head. 

"Has she mentioned maybe a family run business? Or a close friend who runs a vineyard?"

 "No I don't think-" 

I stopped short. Daniel looked expectantly at me.

 "Do you have something Jack?"

 "Maybe. When I took Melody out on our first date she mentioned a previous relationship back in Atlanta. It was one that wasn't healthy for her. I wonder if this boyfriend is connected in some way."

 "That would explain the affectionate name of the wine," Daniel added. 

"What about the way she looked at the car? Maybe her boyfriend drove that car."

 "If it was a really bad relationship maybe the reason she couldn't remember exactly is because she's experiencing PTSD."

 "That's possible. Maybe this case is reminding her of that relationship. I need to find out more."

 I pushed back my chair and gathered my things.

 "Where are you going?" Daniel asked.

 "I'm going to go speak with Melody."

Melody's POV

I had just gotten into bed when I heard a knock on my door. It was pretty late for visitors, so I grabbed my revolver off of my nightstand and headed to the door. I peeked through the hole and saw Jack. Relief washed over me as I swung open the door. 

"Hey, what are you doing here so late?"

 "I wanted to talk to you..."

 He trailed off and looked me up and down. I forgot I was not dressed for company. I cleared my throat as my cheeks flushed. He stepped closer to me and cupped his hand on the side of my face. I leaned in and closed the gap between our lips. He kissed me sweetly and pulled away after a minute. 

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay after this afternoon," he whispered. 

I kissed him once again and smiled.

 "I'm fine, thank you. It's late, you should go home and get some sleep. Goodnight Jack."

 He squeezed my hand softly and left.