Chapter Thirteen
The rest of the evening passed in a blur for Melanie. She danced until she thought she would fall over. First Joe led her out as her surrogate father and new father-in-law. He and Edith claimed her as family. And she loved it.
Melanie enjoyed that dance. Joe, a non-theatening version of Spence, was wonderful. Then each of Spence’s friends danced with her. She barely noticed whether it was Cal, Mac or Tuck. They were all fine men, but they weren’t Spence.
It thrilled her to see Spence watching her from the sidelines. Though he danced with his mother, the rest of the time he kept his eye on her.
As she came off the dance floor with Tuck, Spence met her. “Time to cut the cake.”
She hadn’t even seen the cake. Edith had taken care of the arrangements, flirting with the baker shamelessly to get him to take the rush order. Spence led her to a beautifully decorated table against one wall. Its centerpiece was a three-tiered cake, with pastel roses and greenery decorating each level. She’d never seen anything so beautiful.
“It’s too pretty to cut,” she whispered to Spence.
Edith was already standing by to box up the top layer. “We’ll freeze this and you can eat it on your first anniversary,” she said. “It will still look as pretty then.”
Spence picked up a knife. “Besides, if we don’t share the cake, I’ll have to fight everyone off with this knife.”
He looked so dashing in his tux, Melanie thought he might be able to perform any task. Then he wrapped his arms around her, encouraging her to place her hands over his on the knife. They cut the first piece together and lifted it onto a saucer.
“Now you feed each other,” Edith directed.
Spence got a gleam in his eye that worried Melanie. “Spence, you’re not going to get it on my dress, are you?”
“Never, honey. You look too perfect to mess up. Now smile for the camera.”
Melanie had scarcely noticed a photographer until that moment. She smiled at the camera, then turned toward Spence for the small piece of cake he offered. He popped it into her mouth with no mess, and she did the same with a slightly larger piece for him.
Then he kissed her, their passion blending with the sugar. “Hmm, I think this wedding cake is an aphrodisiac,” Spence whispered. Then he kissed her again.
Still reeling from the passion that surged through her, she let Spence lead her back to the dance floor for a slow, romantic waltz while others lined up to get some cake.
Melanie couldn’t imagine a more perfect wedding.
 
BY THE TIME they left the reception, Spence’s body was tighter than a drum. Every time he touched Melanie, anticipation grew. And yet he told himself repeatedly that he would probably go to bed unsatisfied.
He’d given his word, and he was going to keep it. . . even if it killed him.
Their send-off was loud and happy, and they pulled away from the restaurant dragging a number of soda cans and balloons.
“I didn’t know anyone decorated cars like this anymore,” Melanie said, her eyes wide at the noise that accompanied them.
He grinned. “Yeah, you missed Cal and Jessica’s send-off because—” Oops. Not a good subject. “Anyway, we decorated their car, too.”
“I see.”
He picked up her hand and held it against his thigh as he drove through the quiet town to their home. “You tired?”
“Yes. But it’s been a lovely day. The wedding was beautiful.”
“Not as beautiful as the bride,” he said, raising her hand to his lips.
“Th-thank you.”
“Do you want me to stop and strip off all the cans and things now, or can you stand it until we get home?”
“I don’t mind. There’s no one out here to even notice,” she said just before a carful of teenagers raced by, blowing their horn in greeting. She chuckled. “Well, almost no one.”
He loved the sound of her laughter. She almost seemed surprised every time she laughed.
“Tomorrow you can sleep in, can’t you? You’ve already made arrangements for the contractors to talk to you Monday, haven’t you?”
“Yes. But I have to decide what to do about the things in my apartment.”
“Oh, I forgot. The guys all agreed to load everything up in our trucks on Saturday. It’s still too cold to rodeo, and that will be better exercise than playing pool. So, rest tomorrow and we’ll work on the apartment together on Saturday.”
“I don’t want to cause any trouble,” she said, a frown on her face.
“Honey, you can’t be independent when you’ve got furniture to move. You’re not big enough to lift everything. Besides, it wouldn’t be good for the baby.”
They had reached the ranch house by then. He got her suitcase out of the trunk of the car, catching up with her as she reached the porch steps. The ivory satin of her gown shone in the moonlight and he thought she looked like a magical being. A perfect fairy.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered. Setting her suitcase on the porch, he scooped her up into his arms.
“Spence!” she called, clutching his neck. “What are you doing?”
“Following tradition, Mrs. Hauk. I’m carrying my bride over the threshold.” He maneuvered the doorknob and carried her into the house he’d lived in all his life. Maria had been on a two-day cleaning jag, though he’d assured her the house was perfect as it was.
“Oh,” Melanie said, with a deep breath. Maria had left scented candles burning, the furniture gleaming in their light. Several flower arrangements had been ordered from Mickey so that the scent of fresh flowers filled the air. “It’s beautiful.”
“Yeah. I’ll get your bag.” He brought it in from the porch and ran it upstairs to the master bedroom. It, too, had fresh flowers and scented candles.
He came back downstairs to find his wife reading a note from Maria. “What’s it say?”
“She left snacks in the refrigerator in case we forgot to eat anything at the reception. Isn’t that sweet?” Melanie asked, raising her face to his, a beautiful smile on her lips.
He didn’t point out that Maria got paid to provide food. He knew his cook’s efforts went beyond what was required of her. They all considered each other family. But that was a new feeling to Melanie.
“So let’s eat,” he said before giving her a teasing kiss. He was hungry for more than food, but he figured he’d better take things slow and easy.
He just hoped “slow and easy” didn’t mean years and years.
 
MELANIE ATE to please Spence. Anything to please Spence. He was so perfect. He’d undone his bow tie and opened several buttons on his tuxedo shirt, shedding his jacket onto the back of one of the chairs. He looked sophisticated and sexy.
And all male.
In the white shirt, his shoulders and chest appeared massive. Having recently been pressed against that particular area, Melanie could attest to his strength. How was she going to resist him? And should she? The biggest reason to do so was to protect herself. She couldn’t let him know how much she cared about him. It would make her more vulnerable.
But she wasn’t sure she could deny him anything.
Because half the battle would be with herself. If he wanted her, whatever his reason, even if only for a while, she suddenly realized she wouldn’t turn him down. At least, if he made love to her, she’d have those memories.
And she’d already promised herself she wouldn’t be the bitter person her mother was.
Her gaze remained fixed on his masculine splendor, the food leaving no impression on her.
“Honey, if you don’t stop staring at me like that, I’m going to beg you to let me take you upstairs and make love to you.” He said it with a teasing laugh, a sparkle in his eyes, that set off fireworks in her.
“Okay,” she said, smiling. She’d made her decision.
“Okay, you won’t look at me like that anymore, or okay, I can carry you upstairs?” he questioned, his hazel eyes darkening.
“Whichever you want, but I’d prefer the second one.” She held her breath, unsure what he would say. She only knew her decision felt so right. To spend her nights in Spence’s arms was all she could ask.
He said nothing. But he began stacking the plates he’d pulled from the refrigerator back in it at precarious angles as fast as he could. Then, leaving everything else on the table, he lifted her from her chair and started for the stairs.
“The dishes! We should—”
“No, we shouldn’t,” he assured her. “We’re newlyweds. We have more important priorities.” He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and kissed her. When he lifted his mouth from hers, he said, “This is your last chance to stop me, honey. Speak now. . . and I’ll die.”
She tightened her hold around his neck and reached up to kiss him again. He got the message.
By the time he reached the top of the stairs, he was breathing heavily, but that may have had something to do with Melanie’s attempt to kiss his face and neck, or her hand trailing over his chest through his open shirt.
He set her on the edge of the bed and popped his tuxedo buttons in several directions as he yanked his shirt off.
“My dress,” Melanie gasped. “It has all those thousands of buttons.”
“Turn around. I’ll undo them,” he promised. When she turned her back to him, he couldn’t believe the number of buttons. He hadn’t noticed them before. “Damn! They sure wanted to make it hard on the groom, didn’t they?”
“And the bride,” she said huskily, which inspired Spence to hurry even more.
As the satin gown opened under his busy fingers, his lips trailed kisses down her back. Melanie wanted to return the favor. “Hurry, Spence.”
When she could finally step out of the gown, he helped her dispose of her undergarments. More modern pieces, they were easily removed.
Though Melanie was self-conscious about her pregnancy, Spence seemed moved by the changes in her body, particularly caressing her small tummy where the first signs of their child were appearing.
“Oh, Spence,” she crooned as he kissed her stomach, making her feel, for the first time, that the pregnancy wasn’t a burden. Tears appeared in her eyes. Maybe. . . maybe one day he would be happy about their family.
His mouth came back to hers, giving her those deep, drugging kisses, slanting his lips over hers, asking for her passion in return. She met him on every level, trying to touch all of him, to know him as intimately as possible.
Though Melanie had been divested of all her clothing, Spence still wore his briefs. When she tugged at them impatiently, he stripped them from his body and rejoined her on the bed. She reveled in his powerful strength as he pulled her against him.
“Melanie, I can’t last much longer. I’m been dreaming of this moment since I held you at the church,” he whispered before kissing her again.
“Then don’t wait,” she said with a gasp, thinking she would die if he waited any longer. When he plunged into her, she felt the connection to the very depths of her soul. She hadn’t been able to explain it when it had happened the first time. She couldn’t now.
But it was incredible.
And it only got better.
When they both went over the top and slumped against each other in exhaustion, Melanie finally believed she hadn’t made a mistake, that she and Spence, along with their baby, could make a family.
He gathered her against him, his lips going to her neck, gently caressing. “I’m glad you changed your .mind, honey.”
Satisfied, sated, half-asleep, she murmured, “Yes, I am, too. I owed you so much I couldn’t—”
All gentleness left him. He stiffened, pulling away from her. “You owed me? This. . . this lovemaking was payment?”
He’d misunderstood, she knew. And she could explain it all if she said she loved him. But she panicked. She couldn’t pull herself together that quickly. All she did was stare at him in the candlelight.
He ripped himself from the bed. Standing in the shadows, like a giant staring down, he whispered, “You don’t owe me anything, Melanie, most of all your body. Good night!”
And he left her there alone in their bed. Melanie hadn’t wanted to risk her heart, but she wasn’t willing to send Spence away. She got up and dug into her suitcase for her robe, but it took precious minutes to find it. After covering her naked body with it, she hurried down the stairs.
But Spence wasn’t there.
She stared out the back door, unsure where he might’ve gone. Unfamiliar with the ranch, she didn’t know where to look.
Finally she trudged back up the stairs to the lonely, empty bed. She propped herself up with pillows, determined to remain awake until he returned.
But sleep overcame her long before dawn.
 
WHEN MELANIE FINALLY did get to sleep, she didn’t awaken until almost eleven o’clock the next morning. For the next half hour, she tried to calm herself, to think of ways of making up with Spence. Until she heard footsteps pounding up the stairs.
But they weren’t Spence’s. Maria burst through the door. “Quick. Edith and Joe are here. You must get dressed and come down so they do not know you have morning sickness.”
The next couple of minutes were frantic as Maria unzipped the suitcase and pulled out something for Melanie to wear and she dressed. After running a quick comb through her hair, ignoring her pale face, she hurried down the stairs after Maria.
“Good morning,” Edith said as Melanie entered the kitchen. “I hope we’re not here too early.”
“Not at all. I’m glad you came. I was just upstairs settling in. We. . . we didn’t do much unpacking last night.”
Joe broke into laughter he tried to cover up when all three women looked at him. “Uh, no, it was kind of late.”
Maria, after a look at Melanie, said, “Spence will be in for lunch shortly. Will you join us?”
“We don’t want to intrude,” Edith said.
“No, please, join us,” Melanie urged. Better to see Spence first when other people were around. “I hadn’t realized so much time had passed.”
“I’m glad you’re settling in so well,” Edith said, beaming at her. “Do you want to show me what you’ve done?”
Melanie almost choked. She pictured the bedroom as she’d left it, the bedcovers in total disarray, a suitcase open on the floor with its contents dumped out beside it. “Uh, no, I’m not ready yet. Maybe later. But you will stay to lunch, won’t you?”
“’Course we will,” Joe assured her. “We never pass up Maria’s cooking.”
After she led them to the kitchen and they all sat at the table, Maria put a cup of hot tea in front of her and Melanie relaxed against the back of the chair. She doctored the tea with cream and sugar and decided she was going to survive the roller-coaster ride her life was on.
Until Spence opened the back door.
They all turned, and Melanie watched as his gaze took in his parents. His expression, one of anger, turned to a guarded look as he greeted them.
“Mom, Dad, I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Well, we brought more gifts that were left at the wedding. Though maybe you two would want to open them today,” Joe explained. “Though you look kind of tired, son.”
“I didn’t get much sleep last night,” Spence said as he moved to the refrigerator.
Joe laughed again, and even Edith smirked at their son’s response, putting a totally different meaning on his words than Melanie thought he meant. In fact, he shot her a hard look that his parents missed.
“That’s not a surprise, boy,” Joe said.
“Joe, behave yourself. The ladies invited us to lunch. You don’t mind, do you, dear?” Edith asked her son.
“You’re always welcome, Mom. How long until lunch, Maria?”
“Probably half an hour if you want a shower,” his housekeeper answered.
“Good idea,” he said, heading for the stairs.
“You go with him, Melanie, dear,” Edith urged. “I’ll help Maria.”
“And I’m walking out to the barn. Be back in a little while, Maria,” Joe said, lumbering up from his chair and heading out the back door.
Melanie had no choice. She slowly climbed the stairs. By the time she reached the bedroom, Spence had already started his shower. She tidied, up the bed and put her belongings back into the suitcase. Where she was sleeping that night was still a question mark. No point in unpacking until things were settled.
By the time Spence emerged from the bathroom, the room was immaculate, as Maria always left it. He opened the door, wrapped in a towel around his hips and nothing else.
Melanie was sitting primly on the side of the bed.
He looked around to be sure she was alone.
“What do you want?” he asked harshly.
“Your mom insisted I come up with you.” She didn’t look at him after that first glance. The sight of his bare chest reminded her too much of the joy of last evening.
Before she opened her mouth and ruined everything.
“You straightened the bedroom.”
She darted a quick look and then away. “I wouldn’t have left it like that but. . . but I overslept and then Maria came running up to tell me they’d arrived and—”
“I see.” He crossed the room to the large chest of drawers that stood against one wall. He took out clean briefs, jeans and socks. Then he removed a clean shirt from the closet.
As he crossed back in front of her, Melanie said, “About last night—”
“I don’t have time for that,” he said, his voice hard and disinterested. “Lunch will be ready before I can get dressed now.”
As if lunch was more important than their marriage.
He closed the bathroom door behind him.
Melanie slumped on the bed. What should she do? He’d wanted sex, she knew that much. But he didn’t love her. He hadn’t told her so.
And he was so angry with her now, he’d sooner spit on her than kiss her.
The door opened again and he appeared fully dressed. “Are you coming?” he asked, walking by her.
She didn’t answer, so he stopped at the door. “Well?”
“Yes, of course,” she said, rising. It was all she could do. To embarrass him by not playing hostess to his parents would only make matters worse.
“You can’t go down like that,” he protested as she walked toward the door.
She looked down at the denim dress she was wearing, wondering what was wrong. “Why not?”
“Because you look like you’re going to someone’s funeral.”
Before she could put on a smile, he pulled her against him and dropped a hard kiss on her lips. Then he turned his back on her and went down the stairs.
“Spence—” she called, reaching for him, but her voice was barely a whisper and he didn’t turn. But he should have heard her heart breaking.
Because he hadn’t kissed her as he had last night. Warm, loving, caring. No, that had been a kiss of dismissal, of anger. And she mourned what she had lost.