Missing Melissa (Rivers End Ranch Book 27) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Missing Melissa

  Pamela M. Kelley

  Piping Plover Press

  Copyright © 2017 by Pamela M. Kelley

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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  Missing Melissa

  Melissa Winchester moved across the country, from Boston, MA to Riston, ID to be far away and safe. She's following two dreams, one is owning and running a book store in the Old West town on the ranch. The other is publishing her own mystery novels. She has been at the ranch for over six months now, and just when she's starting to fully relax, something happens that has her feeling as though her past may be catching up to her.

  Bernie's brother, Jack Jennings is a likeable ladies man, who falls in and out of love so fast, it makes Bernie's head spin. So, she doesn't take him seriously when he tells her after one meeting, that Melissa is the one. They met in Bernie's story, when Jack, who is a local police officer, rode out to Melissa's house to respond to a house alarm. A basement window was broken. Could have been an animal, or kids, or something else. Jack feels protective in a way he never has before.

  Which is why he proposes what seems like the ideal solution to keep Melissa safe--a marriage of convenience! Melissa is reluctant at first, but Jack is persuasive and since it's not a 'real' marriage, she agrees, knowing that she will feel safer with Jack in the house. But as they spend time together, she worries that her heart won't be safe when this arrangement ends. And not everyone believes that their marriage is real. Ever since her window broke, even with Jack there, her sense of unease only grows stronger as other strange things happen around town.

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  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  Other books by Pamela M. Kelley

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Melissa Winchester took a deep breath of the cool, salty air that drifted up from Boston Harbor as she leaned over the deck railing of her penthouse condo in Charlestown. It was a corner unit, directly facing the waterfront. For a long time, she had loved living there. It was so close to the city, yet a bit quieter as it sat just across the harbor. Her view of the Boston city skyline was breathtaking.

  "I'll miss this," she said softly as she turned back to face her sister, Melanie. They were twins, but not identical. Though they both had the same long brown hair, Melanie was several inches taller. Melissa was more petite and without trying, she'd lost about twelve pounds in the past few months. When she was stressed, she lost her appetite entirely.

  "You're doing the right thing. You never mentioned the ranch, or Riston, to him ever, did you?" Melanie asked. Melissa knew she was worried for her.

  "No, it never came up. I almost mentioned it a few times, but something held me back. An instinct, maybe. I don't know."

  "Well, I'm glad you listened to that inner voice..."

  Melissa could almost hear the unspoken words, "Before it was too late."

  "I could take a cab to the airport tomorrow. I hate to mess up your morning." Her sister had offered to drive her, but the flight to Lewiston, Idaho was at six thirty, so she needed to be there by five. So early.

  "Don't be silly. You know I get up early. At that hour, I'll breeze in and out of Logan and will easily be into work on time." Melanie lived barely a mile away, in Boston's North End neighborhood.

  "You really think it's a good idea? To go there?" Melissa had been having second thoughts all day. It was such a big change.

  "I'm going to miss you like mad," Melanie said fervently. "But it's absolutely the best plan. We're lucky that money isn't an issue." Melissa nodded at that, feeling grateful for the trust fund that her parents had put into place as a precautionary measure, ten years before they tragically died in a car accident.

  "It does feel like the right thing to do. I fell in love with Riston almost as soon as I stepped off that plane," Melissa said, remembering how surprised she'd been by the feeling that had swept over her, almost as if she was coming home...and yet she'd never been there before.

  "It is beautiful there. That week with Grammy was so special," Melanie said.

  A year before she'd peacefully passed on, their grandmother had surprised them with a vacation at River's End Ranch, a family run resort in Northern Idaho. It was a magical place. All of them had agreed on that.

  When Melissa went online to book the same cabin they'd stayed in, but for a month this time until she could find a place to rent, something else had caught her eye. Among the rental listings, she saw that the ranch had a few vacant storefronts in their Old West town that they were looking to fill, and one of the suggested needs was a bookstore. Melissa called first thing the next day and spoke to Wade Weston, the general manager of the ranch, and it was quickly a done deal. She was going to open a bookstore. A dream she'd always had. It would keep her busy and give her something to focus on.

  "I'll try and get out there in a few months, once you're all settled in. I can't wait to see your new shop. Maybe once all this is behind you, you'll be able to finish that mystery novel you've been working on?"

  Melissa smiled. Melanie had always been so encouraging about her writing. Finishing and publishing a novel was another dream she'd had for as long as she could remember. Maybe moving to Riston would be the beginning of a whole new, wonderful chapter. She hoped so. She already had her condo rented to an agency that placed traveling nurses. She was renting it furnished and the nurses typically stayed for three months, sometimes six, if they extended their contracts. It was perfect.

  A sudden, sharp knock at the door made Melissa jump as panic raced through her. The building was very secure, and all visitors had to be buzzed in. Only one other person had a key, but she wasn't expecting him to come by, not tonight. He knew that her sister was visiting.

  Melanie glanced at her nervously, then walked to the door and looked through the peephole. She laughed with relief as she opened the door to let the pizza delivery man in.

  He was a teenager, tall and gangly and seemed somewhat uncomfortable as he said, "Someone else was going in, so I just walked in behind him or her. Hope you don't mind?"

  "Not at all," she assured him as she paid for their pizza, shut the door and locked it behind her before bringing the pizza into the kitchen.

  "I just about jumped out of my skin," Melissa admitted as she got two plates and napkins out. "Do you want water or wine to drink?"

  "Wine, I think. It's your last night here for a
very long time." They settled at the dining room table, and Melanie lifted her glass and tapped it lightly against Melissa's.

  "We need to toast to new beginnings."

  "New beginnings. I like the sound of that." Melissa took a small sip and started to relax a little. It had been a long day— a long few months, actually.

  Melanie was quiet for a moment and then leaned forward and looked at Melissa intently. "Don't worry, he'll never find you there. No more jumping out of your skin when someone knocks on the front door."

  Melissa smiled. "I am looking forward to that."

  At noon, Melissa's stomach started to growl. Right on cue. It was time for lunch. It was a Tuesday and the store was quiet. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so likely everyone staying at the ranch was out and about enjoying all that it had to offer. Her assistant, Anna, was ringing up a customer at the register and there was only one other person there browsing the new releases.

  Melissa usually ate lunch quickly in the back office, but when it was quiet, she sometimes took an actual lunch break on a bench just outside the door that was a nice sunny spot to relax.

  "I'm going to head outside for lunch. Be back in about an hour. Call my cell if you need me to come back sooner."

  Anna looked around the store and laughed. "I think I can handle it. Go, enjoy the sun."

  Melissa grabbed the mystery she was dying to get back into and her lunch bag, and walked outside. Her bench was free, so she settled in, ate her sandwich and then quickly got lost in the suspenseful Harlan Coben novel. She was so into the story that she didn't realize she had visitors until they brushed up against her ankles. Two white rabbits circled her feet while another sat a short distance away and appeared to be supervising. Once they had her attention, they hopped more frantically and started to walk away, then stopped and stared back at her.

  "What is it?" she asked them, amused by their antics. She recognized them as Jaclyn's rabbits. She and Jaclyn had struck up a friendship soon after she opened the shop as Jaclyn was an avid reader and came in often for new mysteries. One of the rabbits hopped back toward her, rubbed against her ankle and then looked at her expectantly before turning to walk a few steps away. When the rabbit glanced back, Melissa could almost see the impatience cross its face. She laughed when she realized what they were up to.

  "Fine, I'll go see Jaclyn. Lead the way..."

  It was a short walk to Jaclyn's home. An older woman, she'd worked at the ranch for many years overseeing the RV park and her home was right by it. As Melissa drew closer, she smiled at the many garden gnomes that she passed along the way and when she reached the front steps, the door flew open and a stream of rabbits, at least a dozen or so, ran out of the house and scampered about the yard.

  "I told them to bring you here," Jaclyn said. "I just made a fresh batch of cookies and we haven't chatted in a bit. You can stay for a quick cup of tea, my dear?"

  "I'd love that. I have about a half hour before I have to be back to the shop."

  She followed Jaclyn into her cozy home and they sat at the kitchen table. Over fragrant Earl Grey green tea, and melty chocolate chip cookies, Jaclyn brought her up to speed on what was new in her world.

  "My nephew Joshy is here. If you haven't met him yet, you will. He's a big reader, and I'm sure he'll pop into the store at some point. Some say he looks a bit like me, though his hair is much darker, of course. But you may notice a resemblance. He's a tall, skinny thing, with glasses."

  "I'll keep an eye out for him," Melissa promised.

  "What about that Jack? Have you seen him lately?" Jaclyn asked a bit too casually. Melissa smiled. She knew about Jaclyn's tendencies to play matchmaker.

  "I haven't, actually. Not since Wade's wedding." She was a little disappointed by that. She'd first met Jack when a window broke in her basement, setting off the house alarm. It was standard procedure for the local police to respond to all alarms and he was there within minutes. He'd checked out the area but couldn't determine what the cause of the break had been. But he'd been so nice and helpful, calling the local hardware store to get the window repaired immediately. And when they'd run into each other at the wedding, he'd been so fun to hang out with. And he was a good dancer too.

  "He's a handsome one, that Jack," Jaclyn said.

  "Yes, he is." There was that, too. Jack was very good looking. Tall and blond, and he had the cutest dimples when he smiled—and he smiled a lot. He always looked like he was up to mischief. But, he also had a reputation—he dated a lot of women, and none of them for a long period of time. Melissa wasn't looking to get involved with anyone, but even if she were, Jack wouldn't be on the list. He was the type of guy that she generally avoided. But she did enjoy his company and had thought he might be a good friend to have. She was still so new in town that she could definitely use more friends to do things with.

  "You know, I think people may have the wrong idea about Jack," Jaclyn began.

  Melissa paused, as she'd been about to take a bite of another cookie. "Oh? How’s that?"

  "Well, he's a charmer, our Jack, but he's also very sensitive. I think he just hasn't found the right one. When he does, he'll settle right down."

  Melissa laughed. "And you know this how?"

  "I know things," Jaclyn said matter-of-factly. "I know people. And I have a pretty good track record, if I do say so myself."

  "You do. I will admit that. Maybe you should open a side business as a match-maker, make it official," Melissa teased her, knowing she'd never consider such a thing.

  Jaclyn chuckled. "That would take all the fun out of it, I think." She reached for another cookie and a more serious look crossed her face. "How's everything else going with you, dear? You haven't had any more trouble with your alarm, have you? Did they ever find out what happened? How your window broke?"

  "No, they never did. It's all good, though. I think it must have been an animal or maybe kids. It's been perfectly calm and quiet since." Melissa had been jumpy for a few weeks after the alarm went off, but when nothing further had happened, she gradually relaxed and was feeling as though her past was truly behind her.

  "That's good, dear. You know, I was thinking about you. My friend Carol mentioned that her cable company offers an inexpensive camera service that ties into your alarm. It monitors all movement around the house. Maybe you should add that? She sees all kinds of things on hers—bats, deer. Might be fun. The fairies thought it was a good idea, too."

  One of the eccentric things about Jaclyn was that she claimed that she could communicate with fairies. She did have an odd way of knowing things before anyone else, though. Her tone was light, but Melissa didn't miss the note of worry and was touched that she was concerned for her.

  "Thanks, I will look into that. Maybe I'll get it at some point," Melissa promised.

  "Good, good. Oh, look at the time. How it flies. I'm meeting Simon shortly for a golf lesson. Can you believe it? At my age. I told him I didn't think it was possible and he took that as a challenge to teach me. Says golf is for all ages. Do you golf, dear?"

  Melissa stood, knowing Jaclyn was letting her know it was time to go.

  "Very poorly. Maybe I'll hit Simon up for a lesson one of these days, too. For now, I should head back to the shop. Good luck with the golf."

  Chapter 2

  "Mrs. Winslow, you're doing the right thing. Do you have somewhere safe to go?" Jack asked the elegant woman who stood before him. She was in her mid-fifties, with meticulously manicured nails and pale blonde hair that hung in a perfect, sleek bob to her chin. Her husband was a well-respected doctor, and they were members of the country club and active in Riston politics.

  She nodded. "I'm going to stay with my sister until I decide where I want to live. I'm never going back to him." Her voice wobbled just a bit but her eyes were determined and Jack admired her strength. He handed her his card.

  "If you need to call us for anything, that's my direct line and the main number as well. Don't hesitate to call if you feel threat
ened in any way."

  "Thank you." She smiled. "My only regret is that I didn't do this sooner."

  Jack watched her go and then turned back to his computer. His shift was almost over and he was getting ready to shut things down.

  "You just never know, huh?" Mary, the receptionist at the front desk said once Mrs. Winslow was gone.

  "Could happen to anyone," Jack agreed. He thought about what Mrs. Winslow had told him. It was a story he'd heard many times over the years in different variations. How things had been so wonderful at first and the abusive behavior seemed to catch them by surprise once they were married or almost married. In retrospect, most women said the warning signs were there, but they’d failed to see them. Controlling behavior, moodiness, wanting to know whereabouts at all times—many women mistakenly were flattered by the attention, at first, not seeing it for what it really was until it was too late.

  Jack thought of Melissa, and wondered how she was doing. He knew that she had a restraining order on file. When she moved to Riston, she'd come into the office and gave them a copy for their files which also activated the order in Idaho. She didn't think she needed to worry, given that it was so far, but she was smart to take the precaution. He didn't know what her story was. They hadn't talked about it. But he remembered the look on her face when he went to check on the alarm. She'd been nervous and scared. He was glad that it had turned out to be nothing. They'd had such a good time at Wade's wedding, too. He'd been dying to call her, to spend more time with her, but his sister Bernie had asked him to wait.

  "I don't think Melissa is ready to date and as much as I love you, I'm not sure that you'd be who I'd pick for her. You're like a hurricane, Jack. You'd sweep her off her feet and it would be all wonderful, until you get bored and you're on to the next one, and then she'd be devastated. I really like Melissa. I don't want to see her get hurt," she'd said.