Wilde Abandon (Dark Horse Dive Bar #3)

Prologue

S econd Grade—Fox’s Birthday

Fox Bridges waited by the tree he and Melody met at each morning after they were dropped at school. He spotted her mom’s car as they parked in the lot, confused that she didn’t just drop Melody up front like all the other parents did. Melody’s mom climbed out, then helped Melody out of the back. She held a gift bag with colorful balloons all over it.

His heart beat faster in his chest. She remembered. It surprised him, though it shouldn’t. Melody, Dee to him, was the only person who really cared about him.

His mom had dropped him off in a huff this morning without so much as a goodbye. Not even a Have a great day . Certainly not Happy birthday! Not when she was mad about him waking her up. He didn’t want to be late again. She didn’t want the principal hounding her about it.

“Happy birthday, Fox! You’re seven now!” Melody called as she rushed toward him, her pigtails curled into spirals on either side of her head.

Mrs. Wilde rushed to catch up to Melody, but she stopped short a few steps away, her gaze narrowing. “Goodness, Fox, what happened to your lip?”

Fox froze. He didn’t know what to say.

Melody turned to her mom. “Yesterday we played catch during recess. I accidentally hit him in the face with my fastball.”

Mrs. Wilde’s eyes filled with concern. “Oh, Melody, you have to be careful.”

“I know. I said sorry.”

“I’m okay,” Fox assured Mrs. Wilde as he took Melody’s hand. “I know she didn’t mean it. She’d never hurt me on purpose. We’re best friends.” Which was why Melody had lied about what really happened. She didn’t want him to get into trouble.

She was keeping his secret.

Mrs. Wilde stared at his lip. “You should ask the nurse at lunchtime to give you some ice to put on that.”

“I will,” he promised. The sooner it healed, the sooner everyone would stop asking about it and looking at him funny.

Melody held out the gift bag. “Open it. Open it. I picked it all out just for you. I used my allowance.”

He set the bag at his feet, pulled out the dark blue tissue paper, then found the red Hot Wheels Mustang Mach 1. “I love it. Thanks.”

“There’s more.”

He pulled out a Batman Pez dispenser with a whole thing of assorted candy flavors and a coloring book with a box of colored pencils. It would give him something to do when he was alone at home in his room.

He looked at Melody. “Thank you.” He hugged her tight, letting her know he appreciated it. He had no idea if his parents had anything planned for him later when he got home. His mom hadn’t said anything to him when she shoved him out the door this morning.

Melody gave him one of her big smiles. “You’re welcome.”

Mrs. Wilde held out the plastic container to Melody, who took it, popped the lid, then pulled out a ginormous chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting. Mrs. Wilde pushed a blue candle into the center and lit it with a lighter.

Melody held it out, presenting it to him. “You gotta make a wish.”

To his utter astonishment, Melody and Mrs. Wilde sang him “Happy Birthday” right there in the front of the school with everyone watching. A lot of the kids and the crossing guard sang along with them. His cheeks felt like they were on fire.

“Make a wish and blow it out,” Melody coaxed.

There was only one thing he wanted. I wish that Melody and I stay best friends forever.

Later that afternoon at recess, he sat with Melody, coloring in the book she got him. Some of the boys from their class walked by. Brian turned and asked, “What are you doing with her?” He gave Dee a dirty look. “Don’t you want to play soccer?”

Fox shook his head. “Not today.” He liked hanging out with Dee a lot more.

Brian shook his head, then grinned. “Fox and Melody, sitting in a tree…” The others joined in. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” They all pointed, like they thought he’d actually kiss her.

He liked her. But gross.

Melody rolled her eyes. “Go away.” She waved them away and went back to coloring.

The boys left.

Melody looked at him. “If you want to go play with them, it’s okay.” She tried to hide a frown and her disappointment that maybe he’d rather be with them.

He liked being with her. “I want to color with you.”

Her bright smile made his tummy light and a warm feeling come over him. She made him feel this way a lot. If he could, he’d spend all his time with her.

Third Grade—December—Drop-Off

Melody Wilde had a secret. It made her tummy hurt. That pain made her mouth taste sour as she scanned the front of the school and didn’t see her best friend. Yes, Fox was a boy. But he was nice, and she liked him a lot. It made her feel good when she shared her lunch with him because he didn’t have one.

He didn’t want anyone to know that.

But that wasn’t the secret.

Though she suspected her mom knew about the lunch thing, because she’d packed Melody two of everything every day since she caught Melody sneaking extra stuff from the pantry a long time ago. Like first grade when Fox was in her class, too. And second grade. And now third.

But today he wasn’t waiting by the tree where they always met.

She twisted to look out the back of her dad’s truck, but she still couldn’t find him.

The truck stopped and her dad turned to her. “What’s wrong, Mel?”

“He’s not here. I can’t find Fox. I have to find him. He has to be all right.”

Three days ago, he hadn’t been all right. He had been hurt. Bad. She didn’t know exactly what happened, but she thought he might have a broken arm. She tried to get him to go to the office to see the nurse, but he didn’t want to go. He got mad. He begged her not to tell.

It wasn’t the first time she’d kept a secret for him. It felt like he was always hurt and asking her not to tell. She didn’t like it that he was hurt. It made him not smile. It made him sad.

And when Fox was sad, so was she.

But three days ago he was really mad, too. He said he hoped his dad would just die and his mom would go away.

It seemed really bad to say something like that about his mom and dad even if the few times she’d seen them they did seem mean. They yelled at Fox a lot. And she was pretty sure the bruises Fox tried to hide and the hurts he didn’t want to talk about…those came from them.

“Daddy…” Her bottom lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears.

“What is it, sweetheart? Are you sick? Do you want to go home?” He put his hand on her forehead, feeling if she was hot.

She took his hand and squeezed. “I think something bad happened.” Her stomach churned more and her chest hurt.

“What, honey? What happened?”

She stared at her lap. “I’m not supposed to tell. I promised to keep the secret.”

“If you think something bad happened, then you need to tell. It’s okay to break a promise if you think someone is hurt or something bad could happen.”

She looked up at her dad and the tears slid down her cheeks. “He’s my friend. I promised. But I’m scared.”

Her dad undid his seat belt and hers and pulled her into his chest, hugging her close. She felt safe and whispered, “He’s not here. I think they hurt him again.”

“Fox?”

She looked up at him. “Yes. You have to go see. You have to find him. His arm hurt real bad. I think it’s broken but he wouldn’t go see the nurse. I tried to make him go, but he made me promise not to say anything. What if it’s worse?”

Her dad put his finger under her chin and made her look right at him. “Is he hurt a lot?”

“All the time, Daddy. But he always comes to school. He doesn’t like to be home. Please, you have to go see. Make them stop. He can stay with us. I’ll share my room. We won’t hurt him. You and Mama are nice. I’ll take care of him. I will. I promise.” She’d do anything for Fox.

Her dad gave her a sad face and brushed his hand over her hair. “You are taking care of him right now, sweetheart, by telling me he needs help. I’ll take care of it. I promise. But I need you to go to class now. I’ll pick you up later.”

“You’ll bring him to school, right? He doesn’t want to be at home.”

“I will make sure he’s all right.” He kissed her on the head. “Go. I’ll drive out to his place right now.”

She scrambled out of the truck and pulled her backpack on. Before she shut the door, her dad was on the phone and saying, “I need a wellness check immediately on Fox Bridges.”

Melody closed the door, her tummy not so tight. Her daddy would help Fox. He’d be okay, and they’d be friends forever.

Fox heard the sirens in the distance and a truck driving close. He lay curled up on the dirt. He’d been there all night listening to the sounds of the critters scurrying and the wind blowing through the cracks in the barn. The pain…it wouldn’t let him sleep. He was so tired.

When sunlight glinted on his face, he knew he was supposed to wake his mom, avoid his dad at all costs, and go to school. He liked school. It was safe there. No one yelled at him. No one hit him. He always got something to eat, thanks to Melody. They had lunch together every day.

Last night he’d wished she was here with him. She’d tell him stories. She’d probably have tried to keep him warm.

He didn’t feel the cold anymore.

It hurt to move, so he just didn’t move at all, though breathing hurt, too. He couldn’t stop doing that, so every second he felt that pain in his chest and tried not to breathe too deep.

But his heart started racing as he heard those loud sirens.

They’d wake his dad and mom. They’d be so mad. It seemed like they were always mad. His mom was sad a lot. She wasn’t always nice either. Dad liked to hit her, too. But she got her licks in sometimes. She hardly ever stopped Dad from hitting him anymore.

Better him than her, he guessed she probably thought, angry all over again. They were making him like them.

He hadn’t done anything last night. He’d been quiet. He stayed in his room. Didn’t matter. It never mattered if he did something or not.

The cars didn’t make any noise now.

His eyes were drifting shut. So tired.

He hoped the cops were here to take his dad in for another DUI, whatever that was. It had something to do with him being drunk all the time. That’s what Mom said.

Fox liked it better when his dad went away, though being with his mom wasn’t much fun—just not as bad as being with his dad.

There was a lot of yelling all of a sudden.

They woke up my parents. Not good.

Then his dad was yelling, “You can’t come in. You can’t search without a warrant.”

Fox didn’t know what that was, or what they were looking for. He didn’t care. His eyes were closed. He felt like he was drifting away. That pain in his belly hurt worse now.

He didn’t want to hurt anymore.

The barn door slid open and the light blinded him. He squinted his eyes closed tight and didn’t move, hoping his father wouldn’t find him, even though he’d barely made it inside the door.

“Fox.”

He didn’t recognize the man’s voice. It sounded shocked and sad at the same time.

A hand brushed over his head. He flinched. Not from the pain, but because he expected another blow.

“I won’t hurt you, son. I’m here to help. Melody sent me.”

Anger, betrayal, and fear washed through him, making his aching muscles tense even more. How could she do this to him?

This would be so bad. His dad would kill him. “T-told her n-not t-to t-tell.” Anger filled his voice and he grimaced as a wave of pain—physical and emotional—hit hard.

Something warm was draped over him. Until he felt the heat, he hadn’t realized how cold he was.

“This will never happen to you again.”

Fox didn’t believe him as he drifted in and out.

My dad’s going to kill me. Maybe he already did.

A little while later, there were lots more voices around him, people talking about him, how cold he was, how many injuries he had. A blast of pain went through him when they gently moved him, and Fox thought, Doesn’t matter what Dee did. I’m never going to survive to see her again.

It should have been a relief when she walked into his hospital room the next day. But all it did was ignite the fear that at any moment his dad would walk in the door in a rage, looking to punish Fox for everything. For nothing. He didn’t really need a reason.

Pain, sharp and aching, radiated through him as he lay in the hospital bed. Fox could barely move without something hurting, but seeing Melody’s eyes filled with sadness and pity…he lost it.

“This is your fault. You told them. You promised you wouldn’t tell. He’s going to kill me. Get out! I hate you!”

Alarms started going off. He couldn’t catch his breath. He felt blood on his stomach. He’d pulled the stitches from his surgery. He didn’t even know why he’d needed surgery. The cast on his arm made sense. His dad had broken his wrist several days ago. Again.

Melody’s lips trembled. Tears poured down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.”

“Get out!” He didn’t want her to see him like this. He didn’t want anyone to know.

Mr. Wilde held up a hand. “Son, you need to calm down. She only wanted to help.” His voice was so familiar.

The man who’d found him curled up in the barn. Melody’s dad.

Mr. Wilde took her hand and pulled her toward the door as a nurse rushed in, ordering them out.

The last he saw of Melody, tears were running down her face, and she was saying over and over again, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”

He didn’t care in that moment. But he would later, when he discovered his parents were in jail, he was never going back to them, and he was safe. Because she saved his life.

And all he wanted was to find a way back to her, so he could make things right.