The spring sunshine warmed Melody as she tried to put aside her worry. She sat in the stands with Annie, Kirsten and several other wives and girlfriends who’d come to watch Hudson and a number of the guys from The Village race around the track in their cars. The past two weeks had been some of the happiest times of her life, and she forced herself to think about the good things.
Every day she and Hudson shared lunch together at the senior center. She loved to listen to his enthusiastic talk about the progress of the women’s shelter project. The damage wasn’t as bad as it had first appeared, and he’d been able to hire new workers. The sale of the timberland was a done deal. God had given an affirmative answer to a lot of prayers.
Slipping out of her jacket, she wished this display of testosterone didn’t make her so nervous. Even the sun couldn’t warm her heart and take away the dread that sat there like a ball of ice. She’d made herself come to this thing because Hudson loved it, but every time a car swerved or a tire squealed, her heart was in her throat. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying it. Why couldn’t she?
The bright sunshine glinted off the windshield and shiny red exterior of Hudson’s Ferrari. Engines whined as the cars sped around the track. Melody’s heart raced as Hudson left the other cars in the dust. Despite the speed, he’d explained that today was more about testing driving skills rather than a competition.
Melody glanced over at Annie and shouted above the noise, “It’s so loud.”
Nodding, Annie smiled, not trying to converse.
After the cars drove numerous laps, they stopped in one of the pit areas in the center of the track. Melody looked over at Annie again. “Do you know what they’re doing now?”
“Ian said something about each driver doing a solo run for time.”
“You mean like a race?”
“Not against each other. Against the clock.”
“Well, it still sounds like a race to me.”
Annie chuckled and patted Melody’s arm. “Relax. They’re having fun.”
“But I’m not.”
“I can tell.” Annie laughed again.
Kirsten pointed to the death grip that Melody had on her purse strap. “Your knuckles look as white as mine did when Brady took me on that hot-air balloon ride.”
Melody grimaced. “I’ll be glad when they’re finished.”
Annie squeezed Melody’s shoulders. “I’m so happy that you and Hudson are dating. I knew when I saw you two together at the fund-raiser that you were meant for each other.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Kirsten gave Melody a knowing glance. “I don’t have any doubts.”
Melody wasn’t going to express hers, like the disapproval of Hudson’s sisters. Today was about trying to cast her doubts aside, though they crowded into her thoughts as fast as the cars on the track.
When the racing was done, Hudson jogged across the track to where she was in the stands. Melody’s heart soared. She was determined to put aside her trepidation to please this man who’d captured her heart.
When he reached her side, he gave her a peck on the cheek. “Did you enjoy your first race?”
“You don’t want to know.”
He gave her a quizzical smile. “Sure I do.”
“Let’s just say it was noisy.”
“Looks as if you got a little sun today. I see a few freckles dotting that pretty nose of yours.”
He leaned over and planted another quick kiss on the tip of her nose.
“It’ll probably be pretty and pink tomorrow.” Melody shook her head. “Even when I put on sunscreen this pale skin burns and those freckles pop out.”
Hudson laughed and put an arm around her shoulders as they walked down the stands toward the track. “Let’s head over to my place. I’ve got some of my famous barbecue sauce ready to pour over the pulled pork that’s been slow cooking all day.”
“You cook?”
“Only one of my many talents.” Hudson chuckled. “Actually, the recipes belong to Sarah. She taught me everything I know.”
“When you were growing up?”
“No, after I came back home and had to fend for myself. She gave me a crash course one weekend.”
Hudson opened the door for her. Melody got inside and buckled her seat belt. The familiar smell of leather combined with an almost sweet scent she couldn’t define. “Is that the smell of your fuel?”
Hudson smiled at her. “Yeah. High-octane fuel. You like it?”
“Maybe.”
“Then, maybe you’ve got racing in your blood. Would you like to take a trip around the track?”
Melody’s pulse pounded. “Fast?”
“Yeah.”
She could do this. If she did, she might understand why he loved this so much. “Okay, but don’t laugh if I scream.”
Shaking his head, he pressed his lips together, but he couldn’t contain his laughter. “Sorry. I promise I won’t laugh again, but your expression is priceless. You look as though you sucked on a lemon.”
“I think I like lemons better than this.” Melody narrowed her gaze. “How fast are we going to go?”
“How fast do you want to go?”
Melody took a deep breath. “I don’t know. Don’t tell me.”
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. It was only a suggestion.”
Melody took another deep breath. “Let’s do it before I change my mind.”
“One trip around the track coming up.”
Hudson revved the engine, and Melody’s heart revved with it. In seconds they went around the first curve. They didn’t seem to be going that fast, but maybe her mind was frozen with fear. She took a deep breath and tried to relax, but in the next instant she had no doubt the car was flying down the track, the engine putting out a high-pitched scream. She was about to scream along with it when the car suddenly slowed around the curve at the other end. Her eyes wide-open, she stared straight ahead as her pulse slowed along with the car.
Hudson brought it to a stop in front of the stands and grinned. “You want to know how fast we were going?”
Melody put a hand over her heart. “I need to recover before you tell me and send me into shock.”
“Is it okay if I laugh now?” He burst out laughing.
“You laughed before I said it was okay.”
“I couldn’t help myself.” He chuckled. “You didn’t scream, but I wish someone could’ve taken a picture of your face.”
Melody tried to frown at him, but a smile escaped instead. Did she really want to know how fast they’d been going? Since she endured the ride, she should know. “How fast?”
“On the straightaway—one hundred and seventy.”
“Okay, that’s faster than I ever want to go again.”
“You know, you go much faster than that when you fly.”
Melody flashed him an annoyed look. “I’m talking about in a car.”
“I won’t tease you again. You were a good sport, and I appreciate that more than you know. Now let’s head to my place.”
Melody nodded and settled back, happy and surprisingly relaxed. She’d never been to Hudson’s home. He’d never said much about it. Where did the heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune live—in a luxury condo or a fancy house like his parents’?
As Hudson drove farther into the countryside, Melody became more and more curious. “You really live way out here, don’t you?”
“I do.” He slowed the car near a large mailbox before turning onto a narrow blacktop drive lined with white fences and large bare-branched hardwoods. “This is it. My dad’s grandparents used to own this property. They trained a few racehorses here, but after they quit, the old barns fell into disrepair and were torn down.”
Melody couldn’t believe her eyes as a white two-story structure with the massive wraparound porch came into view. The trees sheltering the house swayed in the wind. “It’s beautiful. Hardly looks as if a bachelor would live here.”
Hudson gave her a lopsided grin. “Are you saying a bachelor can’t have a beautiful house?”
Melody shook her head. “I didn’t mean it that way. It just looks like a family home, not a bachelor pad.”
“It was a family home. My dad grew up here.”
Hudson parked his car in one of the bays of the multicar detached garage behind the house. As they walked to the back door, Melody pulled her jacket up against the wind. “The temperature has really dropped. I hope we’re not getting another snowstorm.” She shook her head.
“No, just some colder weather. One snowstorm a year is all Atlanta can handle.”
“That’s for sure. I’m so thankful everything has worked out with the construction.”
“No one’s happier than me.”
“Have your parents said anything to you about the sale of the timberland?”
“They haven’t expressed their approval or disapproval, and I won’t ask.” Hudson shrugged. “I’m hoping it’s a matter of it being my property to use as I please. The main thing is keeping the house. That’s important to my mom.”
“Is the house as big as this one?”
Hudson shook his head. “Hardly, but it’s comfortable. I’ll take you there sometime, and we could swing by and visit your mom.”
Melody smiled and nodded, but she wasn’t sure what Hudson would think of her humble beginnings. She should know by now that it wouldn’t make a difference to him, but it could to his family if their relationship got really serious. But she didn’t want to give him a hint that such a trip might not be to her liking. “Sure. We can do that sometime.”
“How about the weekend after the road rally?”
“I’ll check with my mom to see if she has any plans.” She almost hoped that would be the case.
“I’m eager to meet her.”
“She’ll enjoy getting to know you, too.” Melody wished she could be as enthusiastic about the get-together as Hudson was. She tried not to think about it as she looked at the large pond off to one side reflecting the sun sitting just above the treetops. She would concentrate on the beauty of this place. “It’s so serene here.”
“Almost too peaceful when you live by yourself.” Hudson went up the steps to the back door, stepping aside to let her into the enclosed porch.
The doorbell sounded from the front of the house and Hudson moved to answer the door. Melody meandered through the rooms as she marveled at the fine craftsmanship in the old house. Its historic features were uncompromised by the modern renovations and conveniences in the kitchen. Hudson’s home was a treasure, and so was he. That was becoming more and more apparent with each passing day.
Soon everyone who’d shared the day at the racetrack had arrived. The women oohed and aahed over the decor and antiques while the guys exclaimed over the collection of old decoys in the study. As everyone talked and laughed around Melody, she thanked God for these people and their friendship. She thanked Him for bringing Hudson into her life and prayed for wisdom about their relationship.
After a grand tour of the house, they all pitched in to set the dining room table and bring the food in from the kitchen. After they were seated, Hudson gave thanks for the food and the day’s activities. Soon they filled their plates as more laughter and conversation echoed through the room.
She glanced over at Hudson, who was joking with Brady, Ian and Travis. Hudson fit into her world. The question was, did she fit into his? Despite the good things between them, Melody couldn’t forget his sisters’ unkind comments. They’d punched a hole in her confidence. She’d gotten over one hurdle with Hudson today. She’d faced the fear of his racing and came through unscathed. She still didn’t like the activity, but she understood better why he enjoyed it.
She had to learn to be happy with today and stop borrowing trouble from tomorrow.
* * *
The main street of Melody’s hometown had a Mayberry feel that gave Hudson a glimpse into her childhood. He glanced at her across the console of his SUV while they waited at the one traffic light. She seemed distracted or worried. He wasn’t sure which. Was she uneasy about him meeting her family? He’d had the same concern the night of his father’s birthday party. “Are you worried that your mother won’t like me?”
She jerked her head in his direction as a little frown puckered her eyebrows. “No.”
“Then, don’t look so apprehensive.”
“After seeing your place, I realize that my Southern roots are a little different than yours. Not that I didn’t know that before.” She gave him that forced smile.
“Do you think that matters?”
Melody shrugged. “I wanted to prepare you for a little downsizing. When your mom talked about your property, she mentioned a farm. I had no idea you own nearly a thousand acres even after you’d sold part of it.”
“It was a farm, at least all of it that isn’t timberland. The land came into my mother’s family at the beginning of the twentieth century. Because of the mismanagement of the previous owners, my great-grandparents bought the property for pennies on the dollar. My mother’s ancestors were farmers who worked hard every day of their lives. I’m the beneficiary of their hard work, and I don’t want to squander their legacy. That’s why I had to deliberate long and hard about selling any of it.”
“I’m sure they would be proud of the way you’ve used the money from the sale. Lots of people are benefiting from your generosity.” Warmth radiated from Melody’s smile this time. “But I still say it’s not like any farm I’ve ever known. It’s like something you see in the movies about old Southern plantations with Spanish moss dripping from the trees.”
“Yeah, it’s a special place for me. I loved going there when I was a kid. We swam in the lake and went hiking in the woods. There was an adventure around every bend and over every hill. We would ride horses, and Granddaddy would take me out on his tractor for a special treat.”
“Sounds like fun.” Melody pointed ahead. “Turn right at the stop sign and go five blocks, then turn left onto Magnolia Street. On that street go three more blocks to Oak Lane, the street where I grew up.”
While Hudson drove slowly through the residential neighborhood filled with modest clapboard houses in a variety of colors, he tried to imagine Melody as a little girl running up and down the street or riding her bike. Her childhood had probably been carefree, not orchestrated like his. That was why he’d loved the farm so much. It was his chance to be unencumbered. He loved being with Melody because with her he was able to be himself. Everything they did together reinforced that idea. His doubts had disintegrated.
The weeks since Melody had agreed to date him had been a whirlwind of activities that they’d shared. The road rally had been a resounding success. The following weekend he’d escorted her to Kirsten and Brady’s wedding. Hudson wondered what it meant that he’d grabbed the garter, but Melody had made no attempt to get the bouquet that had been deliberately tossed in her direction.
Was he way ahead of himself when he thought of her in terms of marriage? He was finding it harder and harder to hide his feelings. What would she say if he told her that he loved her? Did she feel the same?
He’d tried not to think about that question but concentrate on the good times they’d shared and the good things happening at The Village as the construction project drew closer to completion. A week ago they’d joined with Kirsten and Brady to rejoice in their adoption of Zach and Tyler, the two boys who’d been under Brady’s foster care. Hudson wanted to celebrate everything with Melody, including the opening of the new women’s shelter.
And he’d been thinking of adding a personal touch. Would she consider skydivers as part of the ceremony, or would she balk at the idea?
Questions of all sorts floated through his mind, but today he had to concentrate on one thing—getting to know Melody’s family.
“The white house with the blue shutters is the place.” He saw her take a deep breath and put on that less-than-genuine smile again. “You can park out front.”
A flowering dogwood tree in the front yard still had a smattering of white blossoms. Tall pines and gnarly oaks shaded the house while a chain-link fence surrounded the yard. Hudson parked, then hurried around to open Melody’s door. He wished he could take away her anxious expression as he opened the gate and escorted her up the front walk.
Before they reached the three steps going onto the porch, a woman with short dishwater-blond hair opened the screen door and stepped out. He was looking at an older version of Melody. The resemblance between mother and daughter was remarkable.
“You’re here! I’m so happy y’all could come for a visit.”
Melody hurried to greet her mother with a hug, then turned to him. “Mom, this is my friend Hudson Conrick.”
Hudson nodded, trying not to let the friend reference annoy him. They were more than friends. Why didn’t Melody want to acknowledge that? “I’m pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
“Please call me Regina.” She extended her hand.
Hudson shook it. “Thank you for inviting me, Regina. Melody tells me I’m in for a treat because you’re serving your fabulous fried chicken.”
“Well, I know it’s Melody’s favorite.” A pleased smile brightened Regina’s face as she ushered them into the house. “I hope you don’t mind that I invited Will and Rob and their families. It’s not every day your brothers get to see you.”
“That’s super.” Melody looked over at Hudson, her brow wrinkled. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Happy to meet more of her family, Hudson took in the pine flooring and overstuffed sofa and chair and the decor that featured the same pale blue color as on the shutters outside. The house was plain but neat and clean.
“I was fixin’ to set the table.” Regina turned toward the kitchen. “Your brothers should be here shortly.”
Melody immediately volunteered to help, and Hudson insisted on helping, too, even though both women protested that he was a guest.
“This is my first chance to use Ms. Lily’s china and sterling.” Regina opened a built-in china cabinet on the far side of the small dining room. “Your daddy always said such finery wasn’t necessary, but I just like to come in here and look at it sometimes.”
“Momma, it does look nice here. It’ll look even better on the table.”
Regina took out a stack of plates with gold trim and a rose pattern on the edges and handed them to Hudson. “Ms. Lily was my neighbor for years, and she gave me these nice things when she became very ill because she said her kids and grandkids wouldn’t appreciate them. She was such a dear. I hated to lose her. She was right. After she died, her kids sold everything.”
Melody hugged her mother. “Momma, I’m so glad she gave you these lovely things.”
Laughing, Regina gave her daughter another stack of dishes. “It’s so wonderful to have you here. I wish you lived closer.”
“I’ve tried to get you to move up to Atlanta.”
Regina waved a hand at Melody. “I’d never survive in the city.”
“Where I live it’s still more country than city.”
“That’s what you think. There’s too much traffic for me. Besides, I don’t want to leave my friends.”
As they finished setting the table, Regina asked Hudson about his work. He only mentioned what he did at The Village. He didn’t know what Melody had told her mother, but he wasn’t going to talk about Conrick Industries if he didn’t have to. Today he wanted to be plain Hudson, not Hudson Paine Conrick, the Fourth, heir to millions.
As Regina went to the kitchen to start the chicken, she insisted they relax in the front room. He followed Melody and sat on the sofa with her. She still seemed uncomfortable as she crossed and uncrossed her legs and picked at invisible lint on her slacks. Before he could question her about it, two little girls, full of giggles, raced into the house.
They stopped short when they spied Hudson. “Are you Aunt Melody’s beau?” the taller of the two asked.
He grinned but remembered how Melody had introduced him to her mother. “Maybe you should ask your aunt.”
The little girls gathered around Melody. “Is he?”
“He’s my friend.”
“Ah. That’s no good.” The older girl frowned and turned back to Hudson. “Grammy says Aunt Melody should get married, and she needs a beau to do that. So could you be her beau?”
He had no clue how to respond. He needed to think fast. “What should I do to make her my girl?”
“You could kiss her.” The smaller girl looked him over as if she was trying to figure out if he was worthy of her aunt.
As Hudson struggled to come up with a response, two men, one toting a baby in a carrier, two women and two young boys entered the house and rescued him from the inquiries of the little girls. Melody sprang up from the sofa and hugged them all and cooed over the baby dressed in pink—a girl, for sure. Then Melody turned to him. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet my friend Hudson Conrick.”
Trying not to let Melody’s introduction bug him again, he shook hands with everyone as they said their names and the kids’ names. Now he knew how Melody probably felt that day at his parents’ house when she’d been introduced to twice as many people. He tried repeating the names in his head. Will was married to Lauren, and their kids were Chloe, Ella and Micah. Rob, the younger brother, was married to Dana, and their kids were Robbie and Grace.
Wiping her hands on her apron, Regina joined the group and doted on her grandkids while they bounced around her like jumping jacks. Despite Melody’s denial of a serious relationship with him, happiness grabbed hold of him.
While she helped her mother and sisters-in-law put the food out on the kitchen counter, the men got their children settled and served them at the kitchen table, all except baby Grace, who had fallen asleep in the carrier. With everyone gathered, Will gave thanks for the food. Then the adults filled their plates and went into the dining room.
Mealtime was filled with jovial conversation and laughter. Hudson saw how this family bonded together. The tension that often accompanied his family get-togethers was absent here. He envied their camaraderie. Did Melody realize what a fantastic family she had?
When the meal was over, everyone pitched in to clear the table. Then the women finished the cleanup in the kitchen while the men took advantage of the remaining minutes of daylight to take the kids outside. The children played tag and hide-and-seek while Hudson joined Will and Rob on the front-porch rockers.
Will gave Hudson a pointed look. “You’re H. P. Conrick’s son, aren’t you?”
Hudson stared back and wondered how Will had made the connection. “I am. Do you know my father?”
“I’ve never met him, but Rob and I have done some contract work for the food-processing division of Conrick Industries. We have our own trucking business.”
Hudson nodded and wondered what shoe would drop next. “That’s great.”
Will eyed Hudson. “I’m going to be honest. I don’t want to alienate you, but I have to look out for my sister. I hope you’re not toying with her affections. Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you can cozy up to her, then toss her aside when she no longer fascinates you. She’s had enough heartache in her life.”
Hudson sat back in the rocker. Wow! How could he respond to that? After his experience with Nicole, he’d developed a reputation as a love-’em-and-leave-’em kind of guy. Had that history now followed him to this tiny town? Surely not. But Ian had warned him in a similar way. Melody had a lot of protectors. “I care a lot about your sister. She’s very important to me. I don’t know why you think I don’t have her best interests at heart.”
Will tapped his steepled fingers against each other as he stared at Hudson. “Melody would be mortified if she knew I was telling you this, but I won’t stand by and see her hurt or used.”
Hudson shook his head. “What makes you think I’m out to hurt her?”
“Experience.”
“Care to explain?” Had these guys run into one of his old girlfriends—women who’d probably only pretended to be hurt? All they’d ever wanted was to have the connections he provided or the money he could spend on them.
“Sure. This town’s made up of mostly poor and middle-class families, but there are a few very wealthy families who own most of the businesses. When Melody was in high school, a small group of these rich girls befriended her. She hung around with them, and they hooked her up with one of the guys in their group—one of the most popular football players. He invited her to a party. I’d never seen her so excited. She thought she was ‘walking in high cotton,’ as they say around here.”
“And this guy did something to hurt her?” Hudson’s stomach churned at the thought.
“Not just the guy, but the whole group. They’d invited her there to make fun of her, laughing at her clothes, her hair or anything they could tease her about.” Will leaned forward, his gaze boring into Hudson. “They tore her clothes, threw her in the pool and took her shoes, then left her to walk home.”
Hudson’s heart hurt for Melody. “Were those kids punished for what they did?”
Will let out a disgusted laugh. “Are you kidding me? Their daddies protected them from any kind of repercussions. There are two kinds of justice in this town. One for the rich and another for the poor.”
Hudson thought back to his childhood. Had he ever been mean to someone because they were poor? Probably not, because his circle of acquaintances didn’t include them. He’d lived in a bubble of wealth. His time in the army had changed that perspective, but still, he didn’t know how it felt to be without or living paycheck to paycheck. No wonder Melody had told him when they’d first met that she didn’t believe she fit into his world. How could he show her that she did? “I’m sorry Melody had to go through that, but I don’t plan to hurt her.”
“That’s what you say.”
“What do you want me to do? Quit dating her right now? Won’t that do exactly what you’re warning me of—hurt her?”
“I suppose it would.” Will broke eye contact as he shrugged. “I’ve probably spoken out of turn, but I love my sister and don’t want to see her unhappy.”
I love her, too. The words filled his mind, but he didn’t say them. Melody should hear them first. “You know there are no guarantees in any relationship, but I promise I’ll do my best to make her happy.” Hudson waited to speak further until Will looked up. “At this point, Melody’s the more reluctant participant in our relationship. Now I understand a little better why.”
With a skeptical expression still on his face, Will stared back at Hudson. “Good.”
Hudson wondered if he should tell Melody how he felt, or would he be pushing their relationship beyond where she wanted it to go?