LITMIR.BIZ

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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

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