~Chapter two:Leave her alone, Jim!~

Melinda drove onto main street and started to look for a parking spot.

She found one, right in front of her store, Same as it never was antiques.

She got out, and went in her store.

To her surprise, Jim was there, talking to his good friend and Melinda's employee, Delia Banks.

Jim had a big smile on his face.

Delia too.

But when they saw Melinda, their smiles faded away.

"Oh, hey Mel. I got worried when you left like that and decided to wait for you." he walked up to his wife and kissed her lips.

She could taste alcohol on his lips.

"Have you been drinking?" she exclaimed pushing him away.

"No." Melinda frowned.

"Ok, I just had a glass of wine."

"At nine in the morning?" he blushed.

"Yah, I guess." she rolled her eyes.

"I'm gonna go outside." Delia told them, and ran out.

"Where were you, Melinda?"

"Rick called me. A ghost was with him. So I went to see him."

Jim grabbed the wine bottle on the counter and threw it on the ground near Melinda's feet.

She screamed.

"Hey, Jim!" all of a sudden, Rick came in the store and pushed Jim away from Melinda.

Jim regained his balance, and was about to charge for Rick, but Melinda grabbed his arm.

"JIM! STOP!" she cried as tears poured down her cheeks.

Jim cooled down, and put his hands on her shoulders, and hugged her.

Melinda didn't hug him back, and was just looking at Rick. He gave her a sympathetic look.

Jim let go of her.

He tried to look into her eyes.

"Baby, are you ok?"

"No." she whispered and ran out.

Rick chased after her.

"Why are you here, Rick?" Melinda blathered out.

"You forgot your sweater in my office so I chased after you." he handed her the turquoise sweater he had been carrying the whole time.

Melinda smiled sweetly.

"Thank you Rick, for returning me my sweater and helping me out with Jim."

"Melinda... is there something wrong with him? I mean... its just how he threw a wine bottle at you. I never would have thought-,"

"Rick, I need to tell you something... I wasn't planning on telling anyone this, but since you are my best friend, I'll tell you." tears poured down her cheeks.

"Jim... is an alcoholic. I found this out last month from a doctor who is trying to help him. He's been an alcoholic since last year, a little while before I found out who my father was. Also, since I told him I knew the truth about him, sometimes it seems like he's about to kill me. It is really frightening."

Rick barely knew what to say.

He could just watch Melinda cry away, since Jim and Delia were watching them from inside the store.

Melinda was expecting Rick to console her, but he was just now looking at the ground.

After Melinda stopped crying, they talked for hours.

Finally, Rick preposed to go to lunch at Lento's on the square, Grandview's famous Italian restaurant.

They walked there, and they both had a good time.

Especially Melinda.

It would be even better if he was my partner and best friend!

Little did she know that Rick was thinking the same thing.