Page 5 of Changing Tides

Maybe he isn’t so bad after all.

2

LIAM

“So, what’ll it be, boys?” Melanie’s sultry voice purrs as she saunters up to the counter to place bar napkins in front of each of us. She shoots me a flirty gaze and leans her elbows on the bar.

Danny and Jack, both long-time married guys, are immune to her low-cut tops and seductive confidence. Melanie is only trying to attract my attention anyway. She and I have been doing this dance for over twenty years, and for some reason, I can never take it any further than the occasional banter that spirals her into false hope.

“Just whatever you have on tap, Mel,” Danny says, gesticulating to the row of draft beers along The Ugly Mug bar with a wave of his hand.

Melanie rolls her eyes and mimics his gesture by dramatically opening her arm in the direction of the beers on tap. “There are like fifteen beers here, Daniel.”

“Surprise me.” He winks.

“Me too,” Jack agrees.

Melanie drops her arms in defeat. “Ugh, fine.” Then she walks a few steps over to me, an inviting gleam in her eyes. She traces her finger along my bunched-up fist. “What about you, Liam?”

She’s asking what I want to drink but there is another implication here. Melanie wants to know where I’ve been and why I have been blowing her off lately. We’re just friends—at least that’s all we’ve been for the last couple of years—but Melanie always gives me the impression that if I went for it, she’d want more. Guilt nags at the back of my neck when I think about what a terrible friend I am to her. I often ignore her calls and texts for weeks on end, even though she’s done nothing to deserve it.

Melanie has seen me through my darkest days, and for that, I’ll always care for her, but my feelings for her ebb and flow with the tide. She probably knows me better than anyone. She’s part of our group of buddies, and she’s friends with their wives. We havehistory. I shouldn’t be blowing her off. I should at least respect her enough to be honest about where this friendship isn’t going.

A memory flashes in my mind of Melanie and I on side-by-side gurneys, twenty-two years ago, while the Jaws of Life cut Cara from my mangled vehicle. The shattered glass in the road reflecting the lights of the emergency vehicles, and all I can hear is Melanie’s wailing. At the sound of her voice, I shake my head to clear the memory.

“Hello—earth to Liam?” She is waving her hand in my face. “Cat got your tongue?” She winks.

“Sorry,” I sputter. “Just a Corona is fine.”

Melanie clicks the gum in her mouth and makes some kind of “oookay” sound before sauntering away to get our drinks.

Danny nudges me. “What’s with you, man? You’re out there today.”

“I’m just tired,” is all I can offer him. It’s true, and I don’t have a lot of energy to take the conversation any further. I’ve had my niece Lucy for the past five months, but she’s only been legally mine for three. It’s been an adjustment, to say the least. My sister, Leah, died while serving in the Army Reserves, and she didn’t have a will. She had just been called up to active duty when her helicopter went down in a training accident in Texas. She never even made it overseas.

“I remember those days,” Jack commiserates. “Up at night with a cranky baby. Can’t say I miss it.” He grins. “What about your mom and dad? Have you talked to them recently? Maybe they can come up to help out a little.”

I groan. “You know they’re no help.”

My relationship with my parents is rocky, to say the least. They left New Jersey twenty years ago for a retirement community in Boca Raton, after gifting me and Leah the house I live in. They have zero plans to return to New Jersey, but I thought maybe they would for Lucy. Turns out, coming back here was too hard for them. They can’t even look at me, and with Leah gone, they can’t look at Lucy either. I guess it’s the two of us against the world.

“You’ll figure it out, man,” Danny reassures me with a pat on the back as Melanie brings our drinks to us.

“Figure out what?” She nib-noses, with a sideways glance in my direction.

“How todad,” Jack answers for me. “Liam here istired.”

I am not sure I like the mocking tone of his voice, but before I can say anything Melanie interjects.

“Well, if Liam would letmehelp him, he might feel a little better.” She is being snarky because I have told her I don’t plan to introduce any woman to Lucy unless I am prepared to be serious with her. She took great offense to that. I do feel bad, but it’s not fair to Lucy to lose a mother figure twice. I don’t want to confuse the kid by bringing around different women. It’s better if I just don’t date at all.

I groan. “We’ve had this conversation, Melanie. And if you don’t mind, I’m really not up for it again today.” I run my hands down my face in exasperation.

Melanie holds her hands up in defense. “Okay, okay.” She feigns a smirk as she backs away, but I see the hurt behind her eyes.

I strung her along for years which wasn’t fair to her. Now, we’re both forty. Melanie could have found literallyanyoneelse. She’s gorgeous with a great body and strawberry-blonde hair that cascades down her back. When we were younger, she and I had an off-and-on thing, and Melanie is constantly trying to turn it back on. In the past, I was happy with the occasional tryst. I wouldn’t let anyone closer than that anyway because if they really knew me, they’d probably run for the hills. I just can’t give her what she’s after, especially not now that I’m learning how to parent. Lucy has to be the only girl in my life.

When Melanie’s gone, Jack changes the subject. “So what else is new besides you avoiding commitment?” He laughs at himself and Danny joins in.

---