Falling For The Millionaire

Adam gave her a hug and handed her a plaque when she reached the podium. “Considering all the work you do, this isn’t much, but we wanted you to know we appreciate everything you’ve done for The Village.”

Taking the plaque, she wiped a tear from her cheek as she faced the audience. “This is certainly a surprise. I want to thank everyone who came out tonight. Thank you for your support of this very important project. You’re helping women and children have a better life. I want to especially thank my coworker, Annie Montgomery. Thanks again.”

People stood and more applause filled the ballroom as Melody made her way back to the table. Hudson resisted the urge to give her a hug. He didn’t know how she would take it. Despite her giving nature in regard to The Village, she seemed personally guarded. He wanted to find out why.

After Melody resumed her seat, Adam announced the dance portion of the evening. When two of the couples from their table went to the dance floor, Ian and Annie came over, sat down and congratulated Melody on her award.

Melody picked up the plaque and looked at Annie. “Did you know about this?”

Annie shook her head. “Adam said he wanted to do something for you, but he never said what.”

Melody put the plaque back on the table. “It wasn’t necessary.”

“Yeah, but it’s always nice to get some recognition.” Ian nodded his head. “The auction went very well. It brought in a lot of funds.”

“I wish Lovie could’ve been here to see her quilt produce so much money.” Melody rubbed a hand across the shiny face of her plaque. “She’s attending a grandchild’s birthday tonight.”

Hudson took in the discussion, his admiration for Melody growing. She’d rather have recognition for a coworker than for herself. He’d been hanging around the wrong kind of women.

“So what are you doing with yourself these days?” Ian looked at Hudson.

“Not much.” Hudson shook his head.

“You could join us at The Village. We could use another attorney now that our financial situation has improved.”

“Ian, I’ve never used that law degree. I wouldn’t be of much help.” Hudson wished he had a better plan for his life, but he wasn’t interested in being a lawyer or a corporate executive. He wasn’t sure where he belonged, but he wanted an adventure of his own, not one his father had planned for him. “When the weather gets warmer, I intend to do some skydiving instructions with an outfit near here that does tandem jumps. Anyone want to give it a try?”

Melody’s look slipped from astonishment to fear. “You skydive?”

Hudson nodded. “I was a paratrooper in the army. Since I left the service, I’ve become a certified skydiving instructor. I missed doing that when I was working overseas, so I aim to get back into it. And I have plans to do some race-car driving.”

“Wow! Impressive, but I’m not sure I’m that brave.” Annie chuckled.

“Enough of this discussion.” Standing, Hudson waved a hand toward the dance floor, hoping Melody didn’t think he sounded like a spoiled rich kid. But he probably was. “There’s some good music playing, and I’ve got a beautiful woman to dance with.”

“I’ll definitely take the dancing over the skydiving or racing cars.” Melody stood.

Hudson chuckled as he held out his hand. “While we dance, maybe I can change your mind.” When Melody put her hand in his, the rush he felt was as good as skydiving or speeding around an oval track. How had this woman triggered his interest in such a short time? He’d better be careful or he’d be jumping without a parachute. His experience with Nicole had taught him caution when it came to women.

“Hardly. I don’t have to leave the ground when dancing.”

“Then, you’ve never danced the jitterbug with me.”

“Not something I plan to do in this evening gown.”

“Probably not.” Hudson put an arm around her as they joined the other couples dancing to a slow romantic tune.

She looked up at him. “I have to let you know the last time I danced was at Ian and Annie’s wedding.”

“Never fear. Just follow my lead.”

“Easier said than done. I’m not used to following.”

“Somehow I knew that.” Smiling, Hudson guided Melanie across the dance floor.

“You do dance very well.”

“I should. I had enough lessons when I was a kid. While the other boys were out playing ball, I was gliding around Miss Smithers’ dance studio with some girl I didn’t like and hating every minute.”

Melody laughed. “Must’ve been rough being you.”

Happy to make her laugh, Hudson let the sound wind its way into his heart. “It’s always been tough being me. I was the youngest kid with three older sisters. Three. They ganged up on me constantly.”

“But they must’ve been a window into the lives of women.”

“I never thought of it that way.” Hudson shook his head. “I should’ve taken notes, but sadly I didn’t. I was too young to appreciate the knowledge I could’ve gained. I was merely a nuisance to my older sisters.”

“I can see that.”

“You wound me, and here I thought you were a kind person.”

She laughed again, and the sound filled his chest with warmth. He pulled her a little closer as another slow number started. For a few moments they danced without talking. He hadn’t felt this unguarded in years. This was one date he wished didn’t have to end.

Chapter Two

Nothing had prepared Melody for her attraction to Hudson Conrick. Did she believe in love at first sight? Never. How had that crazy question popped into her mind? With everything she had to think about tonight, her mind must be playing tricks on her. Sure he was handsome, a good dancer and a gentleman, but he also liked to skydive and race cars. Who knew what other crazy things he liked to do? No way could she be having romantic feelings about a man she’d met only a few hours ago.

Attraction at first sight was plausible but not love.

The music faded, and Melody gazed up at him. “I apologize, but I have to check with Adam about the silent auction now.”

“I’ll tag along if you don’t mind.”

“Sure.” Melody found it difficult to concentrate with Hudson by her side. Thankfully, the meeting with Adam lasted only a few minutes. As Melody and Hudson returned to their table, they received a few speculative glances from a couple of her coworkers, but she ignored them. She didn’t want to add to the conjecture.

While the band played a lively number, Hudson tapped his foot. “Can I convince you to dance again, or do we have to stick to the slow dances?”

Melody gripped the back of her chair as if it was a lifesaver in the sea of her own uncertainty. Would she encourage his interest if she agreed? This date contained no future commitment, and he certainly expected to dance with his date. Enjoying this time was what she needed to do, but she couldn’t let her attraction to Hudson show.

“You seem dubious.”

Melody’s halfhearted smile skidded into a grimace. Did she dare say what she was thinking? “Most of the men I know, including my brothers, don’t like to dance.”

Hudson held out his hands. “Hey, what can I say? I have to make use of those lessons.”

Melody couldn’t help laughing. “Okay. I wouldn’t want them to go to waste.”

Hudson grabbed her hand. “And we wouldn’t want to waste this good music, either.”

Letting the music and Hudson whirl her away, she focused on the here and now. She wouldn’t think about the future, and she wouldn’t think about the past. Tonight she would live in the moment and relish every aspect of it.

The time with Hudson sped like one of his race cars. When the band announced the last dance, she couldn’t believe the evening was about to end. Despite her vow only to think about the present, had she let herself get too involved?

No. Tonight wouldn’t translate into anything for tomorrow. One and done like her other blind dates. That philosophy kept her heart safe from disappointment.

Hudson escorted her off the dance floor. “Do you have any last-minute things you have to do?”

“I do. I’ll check with Adam to see if they have a job for me before I leave. I hope you don’t mind waiting.”

“Not at all. I’ll get your things and meet you there.”

“Thanks.” Melody hurried to the back of the room where Adam and Annie sat at a long table.

As Melody drew nearer, Annie looked up, a little frown creasing her brow. “What are you doing here? You should be with your handsome date.”

Glancing at the pile of receipts, Melody ignored Annie’s reference to Hudson. “I thought you might need me for something.”

Annie shook her head. “Got it under control, and you’re going to like my report on Monday. Now get out of here and enjoy the rest of your evening.”

“Okay.” Melody went around the table and gave Annie a hug. “Thanks for all you’ve done.”

“You’re welcome. Now go, go, go.” Annie shooed Melody away with her hands. “You have a date to take care of.”

“Okay, okay. I’m off.”

When Melody turned, Hudson was standing a few feet away as he held her purse and wrap. A momentary image of Christopher flashed through her mind. Hudson didn’t resemble her former fiancé in the least. Christopher had been shorter with light brown hair and blue eyes. So why had his image come to mind when she looked at Hudson? She couldn’t begin to answer that question.

She tried to shake off the pain in her heart. Thoughts of her old love usually didn’t bring as much hurt these days, and she thought of him less often. No one could ever replace Christopher. He’d been her life, and now he was gone. Her only comfort lay in knowing she would see him again in heaven.

“Ready to leave?” Hudson’s question snapped her out of her sentimental thoughts.

Melody nodded. “Annie assures me that I’m not needed here.”

“Good. I’ve called James. He should have the car at the front door when we get there.”

“James? Really?”

“Yeah. That’s his name.” A frown puckered Hudson’s eyebrows as they entered the lobby.

Melody shrugged. “When I was a kid we used say, ‘Home, James,’ to my dad when my brothers and I were strapped into our car seats in the back and we were pretending that he was our chauffeur.”

“Oh, I see.” Hudson stood aside as Melody scooted through the door ahead of him.

He probably didn’t see the same humor that she saw. He didn’t have to pretend to have a chauffeur. Why had she told Hudson that story? It only underscored the differences between them.

The inadequate feeling she thought she’d overcome slithered through her mind. She tried to push the unwelcome thoughts away, but they kept intruding. She remembered how the popular rich girls had befriended her, and she’d been on top of the world. But they’d made her the butt of their jokes. The reality of the situation had been a cruel awakening.

As a grown woman, she was stupid to let old hurts color her perception. But that incident popped into her thoughts more often than she would like. Once they were settled in the limousine, Hudson poured himself another glass of water. He raised his eyebrows as he gazed at her. “Would you like one?”

She nodded, her mouth parched. For a minute, they sipped their water in silence. What was he thinking? What did it matter? Even though she didn’t plan to go out with him again, she wanted this date to have been a success.

“So you have brothers?” After the silence, his question sounded like a loud clap in an empty room.

Melody pushed aside the cobwebs of her thoughts. “Yeah, younger brothers.”

“How many?”

Melody never knew how to respond when people asked that question. Fortunately, it didn’t come up that often. A lump rose in her throat as she thought about her eldest brother, Blake, who’d been killed when his dirt bike had skidded and slammed into a tree.

“Is that a question I shouldn’t have asked?” He peered at her in the dim light, concern on his face.

Waiting for her emotions to subside, she shook her head. “The eldest of my brothers died in a dirt bike accident when he was seventeen. He was a year younger than me. I have two other brothers. So I never know quite how to answer that question.”

“I’m sorry about your brother. That must’ve been a difficult time.”

“Thanks. It was for my whole family.” Melody lowered her gaze as she twisted the strap on her purse. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore, or she was afraid she might embarrass herself by bursting into tears. She’d lost too many men in her life.

Her brother. Her father. Her fiancé.

Hudson fell silent again, and Melody stared out the window as the limo turned onto her street. The evening was at its close, but she didn’t want it to end on a sad note. She had to say something cheery or at least make an attempt. “I appreciate you taking me to the fund-raiser. I had a good time.”

The concern on Hudson’s face morphed into a lazy smile. “Me, too. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to show off my dancing skills.”

Melody laughed, feeling the earlier sadness waft away. “Ms. Smithers would be proud.”

Hudson joined in the laughter. “Maybe. I don’t believe she ever considered me one of her star pupils. I stepped on too many toes.”

“She should’ve seen you tonight.”

“Thanks.” He set his empty glass on the bar, then turned to her. “I had more than a great time tonight. I enjoyed every minute with you. I’d like to take you out to dinner next Saturday.”

Melody’s heart caught in her throat. His request caught her off guard. Aware that she’d upped his expectations with her compliments, she wished he hadn’t asked. How could she explain her reasons for not wanting to go out with him again? She didn’t want to go into past heartaches that he couldn’t begin to understand. Could he possibly see how their very different backgrounds weren’t compatible? “I did have a fun time with you, but another date wouldn’t be a good idea. I’m sorry.”

His eyebrows knit above his brown eyes. “Why not? It’s only dinner.”

“I don’t know, Hudson.” Melody sighed. “I’m not sure I fit into your world.”

The limousine came to a stop in front of her house before Hudson could respond to her statement. He lowered the window between them and the driver. “James, we’re going to sit here for a minute.” Without waiting for James’s reply, Hudson turned back to her. “My world isn’t any different from yours.”

Shaking her head, Melody let out a halfhearted chuckle. “You come from a rich family. I’m from small-town Georgia and grew up poor. I went to the University of Georgia on a HOPE scholarship, got a degree in psychology and then a masters in counseling. I worked for a few years with a government job-counseling center before I started working at The Village. I love my work there. What do I know about the life of a multimillionaire?”

“Maybe you should find out. People are people. How can you make a judgment without getting to know me?”

“I don’t want to go down a road that wouldn’t be good for either of us. Tonight was wonderful, but this has to be it.” Melody gritted her teeth, wishing he would listen to reason, but his mentioning her judgment went right to her guilt. Was she too critical? But this wasn’t all about his money. She couldn’t forget his love of skydiving and car races—dangerous activities that took lives. She couldn’t be with a man who took such risks.

“I won’t take no for an answer.”

“Please don’t make this difficult. It’s not just because you come from wealth and I don’t. You like to live on the edge and I like to play it safe. How can that be a good combination?”

“It might be fun to find out.”

Melody let out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“Not when I want something.” Hudson’s look could cut steel. “I won’t press you anymore tonight, but you haven’t heard the last of me, Ms. Hammond.”

“I’ll take that as a warning, Mr. Conrick.”

“James, I’ll be walking Ms. Hammond to the door.”

Again the driver seemed to materialize out of thin air. He opened the door. Hudson stepped out and extended his hand to Melody. She braced herself against her reaction to his touch as she took his hand. She didn’t want to like the way her hand felt in his, but she did. She didn’t want to like anything about tonight, but she did. She didn’t want to think about Hudson kissing her good-night, but she did. She couldn’t let that kiss happen, no matter what she wanted.

When they stepped onto her porch, Melody quickly snatched her keys from her purse and unlocked her door. She turned to look up at him, another lump forming in her throat. Her head was telling her to run and run fast, but her heart told her to take a chance. She couldn’t listen to her heart. “I can’t thank you enough for being my escort and for your support.”

That lazy smile reappeared. “Sure you can. You can go out with me again.”

Melody clenched her fist around her purse strap. She would not give in. She would stand her ground no matter how captivating his smile was. She would not take a chance on another man determined to pursue something dangerous, especially when it had no redeeming value. “I’m sorry, Hudson. The answer is no. Please don’t ask me again.”

“I’m not going to make promises I can’t keep.” Hudson leaned closer, almost close enough to kiss her.

“Thanks again. Good night.” Her heart pounding, she ducked inside as his good-night was lost in the closing of her door.

Melody watched through the sidelight window while Hudson strode away without a backward glance. Her wobbly legs failed to move an inch. She put her fingertips to her lips where he’d almost planted a kiss. Her pulse raced as she stood there until the taillights of the limousine faded from her view. She couldn’t let his persuasive words, his handsome face or his generous nature change her determination not to go out with him again.

* * *

The redbrick buildings of the former college gave a stately air to The Village of Hope campus. Even the grays of winter didn’t take away from the beauty as Hudson parked his car near the administration offices. How would Melody react when she saw him? He’d spent the past four days trying not to think about her, but her image plagued his thoughts.

Maybe his ego had taken a hit when she’d refused to go out with him again. He wasn’t used to women turning him down. But he was wary of female motives no matter the circumstances. Too often they were looking at his bank account and not at him. Melody certainly had reason to see him as a dollar sign even if her interest wasn’t personal.

He wanted another date with her, and he would find a way to get one. But first, he had other things to accomplish. After a little research, he’d discovered that they were still taking bids for the women’s shelter project. Winning that bid was his goal.

Hudson and Carter Duncan, the general manager and numbers guy from the construction division of Conrick Industries, walked into the impressive reception area with its shiny marble floor and the two-story ceiling. A smiling silver-haired woman sat behind the massive reception desk. “Good morning. May I help you?”

“Good morning, Lovie. I’m Hudson Conrick, and this is my colleague, Carter Duncan.” Hudson motioned toward the short stocky man with the thinning brown hair who stood nearby. “We have an appointment with Adam Bailey and Melody Hammond.”

Lovie’s brow wrinkled. “How do you know my name?”

Hudson pointed toward the little gold bar pinned to her jacket. “It says so right there on your name tag.”

Lovie shook her head. “You can’t fool me. You said my name before you were close enough to read it.”

“Okay. You’ve got me.” Hudson chuckled. “I heard about you and your quilt the other night at the fund-raiser.”

Clapping her hands together, Lovie beamed. “So wonderful what the Lord can do with a little bit of nothing.”

“I saw your quilt. That wasn’t a little bit of nothing. It was a lot of work. A true work of art and love.” Hudson leaned on the raised counter of the reception desk.

“Thank you. I am proud of it and so happy I was able to help The Village.” Lovie blushed as she reached for the phone. “I’ll let Adam know you’re on your way to his office, which is down the hallway to the left.”

“Thanks.” Hudson nodded, then fell into step with Carter as they made their way around the corner.

“I sure hope you know what you’re doing. I wouldn’t want to make your father unhappy with this venture.” Carter frowned as he slowed his step and turned to Hudson.

Hudson stopped, taking in the worry in Carter’s eyes. “I told you this project will be mine. I’m prepared to take this whole endeavor on my shoulders. You don’t have to be concerned about a thing.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Your part is to help me get the numbers I need. I want to be armed with as much information as possible when I confront my father.”

Carter shook his head as they continued on their way. “Better you than me. Besides, I’d sure like it if this project saved my job.”

Their footsteps sounded loud in the quiet hallway as Hudson tried not to think about his dad’s reaction to this undertaking. He had heard rumors that the construction side of the business wasn’t doing well. Carter’s statement made it a certainty. Hudson would like nothing better than to save the jobs of all those involved. Before they reached their destination, Adam stepped into the hallway. “Good to see you again, Mr. Conrick.”

Hudson shook hands, then made introductions. Adam ushered them into his office. Hudson glanced around the Spartan space until his gaze rested on Melody. Although she smiled as she greeted them, she didn’t look happy to be there. Was she still wishing to avoid him?

Adam motioned for them to sit on the black leather chairs near his desk. “I understand you want to see the blueprints for the new project and tour the area. Is that correct?”

Hudson nodded as he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it over the back of the chair. “Carter here is my numbers man. He’ll want to see what you’ve got so Conrick Construction can give you a bid.”

“We’re close to making a decision, so you’ll have to give us your proposal by Monday.” Adam pushed the rolls of blueprints and another folder across the desk.

“That won’t be a problem.” Despite the statement, Hudson’s dry mouth and racing pulse gave him no peace. So much of what he wanted to prove to his father was riding on this proposal. For years he’d walked the path his father had set before him. Those dance lessons, law school and the army had been his father’s command. Hudson was determined not to jump to his dad’s wishes anymore. Staring death in the face on the battlefield made him realize he’d been living a life that had been chosen for him. He didn’t know who he was or what he wanted because he’d let someone else plan his life. Not anymore.

Could he make his case? No time for doubts. He would finally stand up for himself and make his own mark in this world. That included his interest in one very reluctant woman. Melody Hammond was a challenge he couldn’t resist.

While thoughts of standing up to his father rolled through Hudson’s mind, Carter studied the blueprints and the information Adam had provided. Finally, he closed the folder and glanced at Hudson. “I’d like to take these blueprints to the construction site.”

Adam waved a hand in Melody’s direction. “Melody will give you a tour. I have another meeting this morning, so I’ll meet you in the senior center after you finish.”

Melody produced another uncomfortable smile as she led Hudson and Carter into the hallway. “Let me stop by my office and grab my coat.”

“Sure.” Hudson nodded as he walked beside her. “It’s a little chilly out there today, unlike the night of the fund-raiser.”

She nodded, still trying to hold her smile in place as she scurried into her office and out of sight. Had he made a mistake in mentioning their date? He had to quit second-guessing himself. Women didn’t usually intimidate him, but Melody did. He’d never met a woman like her.

“I can see why you’re eager to do this project. She’s quite a looker.”