“And the same to you,” Mary said as she took Joey from Melissa’s arm.
Henry took James, who offered him a half-cranky smile, then fussed and kicked his feet. “They’re hungry,” Melissa said. “I’ll just go make them some cereal and I’ll be right back.”
Henry watched her disappear while he put James into his high chair. The fussing stopped, as if James knew he was about to get what he wanted. Within seconds Mary had both boys giggling as she made funny faces and silly noises. The sound of their laughter welled up inside Henry, filling him with such love it brought unexpected tears to his eyes.
Sons.
His sons.
He still couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it and he was thankful for the blizzard that had brought him and Melissa together for that single night that had resulted in Joey and James.
There was no way he wanted a long-distance relationship with them. What if Melissa tired of the drive back and forth from Amarillo to here? What if eventually she fell in love and married a man who resented sharing the boys?
Fear clutched his heart at the very thought. He had to convince Melissa to move into the carriage house. It was the only way Henry could get what he wanted—a full-time position in his sons’ lives.
He smiled as she came back into the room carrying two cereal bowls. “You sit back and enjoy your coffee. Mom and I will do the honors,” he said as he took the bowls from her. “Did you sleep well?”
“Like a log,” she replied. She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat in the chair next to Henry. Instantly he could smell the scent of her, clean and floral and intoxicating.
“Etta should have breakfast ready in about fifteen minutes,” Mary said as she spooned cereal into Joey’s mouth. “And after that we’ll go in and see what Santa left for us.”
“Santa has already given me more than enough,” Melissa said. Her eyes were filled with warmth as she looked first at Mary, then at him. “The welcome you’ve both given me is more than I ever expected to find this Christmas.”
“Maybe later today you would let Henry show you the carriage house,” Mary said, surprising Henry with her forwardness. “Just have a peek at it before you definitely make up your mind one way or the other.”
“I guess I could do that,” Melissa agreed slowly, but she lifted her chin in the gesture Henry had come to know as stubborn pride.
At that moment Etta entered the dining room carrying a tray of fist-size biscuits, a bowl of gravy and a platter of scrambled eggs.
Breakfast was pleasant with he and his mother telling tales of Christmases past and Melissa sharing some of her fond childhood memories of the holiday when her mother had been alive. Henry found his gaze drawn to her again and again. She looked so soft, so inviting and it was more than memories of the sex they’d shared that attracted him to her.
He loved the sound of her laughter. He liked the habit she had of shifting that shiny strand of hair behind her ears when she was thinking or when she was nervous.
He felt a little like he had in seventh grade when he’d had a crush on a girl named Angela. She’d been blond-haired and blue-eyed like Melissa and it had taken him months to work up his nerve to ask her to a school dance. The experience had been his first taste of how materialistic women, even very young women, could be.
He shoved the ancient painful memory away as he focused on the conversation and the musical ring of Melissa’s laughter.
When they were all finished eating they adjourned into the living room, where the first thing his mother insisted they do was dress the boys in the little Santa suits she’d bought for them.
As the women dressed the little ones, Henry moved the high chairs into the room, as excited as a kid to distribute the presents to everyone. When the boys were in their little Santa suits, Mary took dozens of pictures and Henry knew she’d be sporting those photos all around town, bragging about her grandbabies.
Henry donned a Santa hat that James found incredibly funny. As the little boy laughed that rich burst of joy, Henry knew this was definitely going to be a Christmas to remember.
Melissa sat on the sofa next to Mary as Henry began to unveil the bigger presents hidden under sheets. Rocking horses and walkers and stuffed animals as big as Henry himself were just the beginning. There were boxes of clothes and diapers and educational toys. Of course, the boys liked the shiny wrapping paper best of all.
Mary opened her gift of the lotion and soap from Melissa and exclaimed that it was the brand and scent that she loved.
Melissa was already feeling overwhelmed when Henry gave her a present. “You shouldn’t have,” she said to him.
He smiled. “Open it, Melissa. I picked it out just for you. It’s the exact color of your eyes.”
Melissa couldn’t help the way her heart fluttered at his words. She carefully removed the wrapping paper and opened the box to display the most beautiful blue sweater she’d ever seen in her life. It was soft as a whisper and she was touched by his thoughtfulness.
“Oh, Henry. It’s beautiful.” She felt the ridiculous burn of tears at her eyes.
“That’s not all.” He handed her a larger package. “I hope you won’t be offended by the more personal nature of this gift, but I couldn’t resist it.”
She frowned at him, wondering just how personal the gift might be, aware that his mother was seated right next to her. It was a robe, a beautiful long burgundy robe with a satin collar and belt. He must have noticed the worn condition of her robe.
One of the things she was grateful for was that although he had been extravagant with the things he’d bought for the boys, the things he’d bought for her had been ordinary presents, as if he’d known she’d be displeased if he went overboard for her.
“I have something for you, Henry.” Melissa got up from the sofa and grabbed the small present she’d slipped under the tree when she’d come downstairs that morning. He looked at her in surprise, took the gift and sat in one of the chairs to open it.
“There’s not much I can buy for a man who appears to have everything,” Melissa said. “But I know it’s something you don’t have, something I think you’ll want to have.”
He looked at her curiously, then ripped the paper off to expose two small frames. Inside the frames were the newborn pictures of the boys and two cigars with bands that exclaimed, “It’s a Boy.”
His eyes filled with emotion as he gazed at the gifts, then back at her. “It’s the most perfect present you could have given me.” He stood and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you.”
Her skin burned with the press of his lips and once again she felt overwhelmed by the warmth, by the feel of family and by the gifts he and Mary had bought for her sons.
By ten o’clock most of the mess from the morning had been cleaned up and the doorbell rang to announce a guest. Henry went to answer as Melissa finished placing the last of the wrapping paper into a large garbage bag.
She tensed as she heard the familiar female voice. Hilary. The sharp pang of jealousy that roared through Melissa stunned her. She shouldn’t feel jealous of any woman Henry might have in his life. She had no right to feel that kind of emotion.
As Hilary walked into the living room she stopped short at the sight of the twins in their chairs. She looked at the boys, then at Henry, and her pretty features tightened with stunned surprise.
“Hello, Hilary,” Melissa said. The woman was exceptionally beautiful and sophisticated in a gold sweater and tight black slacks. Her dark hair was pulled up and gold earrings danced at her dainty ears. She carried in her hands a platter that Melissa assumed was the famous fudge she’d promised Henry the day before.
“Merry Christmas, Mary and Melinda,” Hilary replied.
“Melissa. My name is Melissa.”
“Of course,” Hilary said, then turned her attention to Henry. “Could I speak to you privately for a moment?”
“Okay. Let’s go into my study.” Henry gestured her down the hallway.
“I can�
�t imagine what he ever saw in that woman,” Mary said the minute they had disappeared.
“She’s very beautiful,” Melissa said as she put the last of the wrapping paper into the trash.
“Maybe on the outside, but it’s inner beauty that really matters. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go help Etta with the lunch preparations.”
“And I’m going to put the boys down for their nap,” Melissa replied.
Minutes later Melissa stood in the doorway of the room she now thought of as the nursery. Joey had fallen asleep almost immediately and James was almost there, fussing a bit as he fought sleep.
As he finally gave up the battle, Melissa turned from the door and gasped in surprise at the sight of Hilary in front of her.
“He won’t marry you, you know,” she said softly.
“I don’t expect him to marry me,” Melissa replied.
Hilary smiled. “He’s not going to marry me, either. I’d hoped that eventually I could wear him down, but Henry has no interest in being married. You seem like a nice woman and it would be a shame for you to get hurt.”
“I appreciate your concern, but trust me, Henry has made it clear to me a hundred different ways that he’s not the marrying kind. Besides, what makes you think I would want to marry him?”
Hilary looked at her and released a dry laugh. “You’re kidding, right? I mean, he’s good-looking and nice and wealthy. Why wouldn’t you want to marry him?”
Melissa couldn’t believe she was having this conversation with a woman who had been Henry’s lover. “My life is in Amarillo. I’ll be going home tomorrow to my life.”
“Well, in any case I just came up here to tell you that it was nice to meet you and I hope you have a safe trip home.” With a curt nod, Hilary turned around and walked down the stairs.
Melissa drew a deep breath and went into her bedroom. While the morning had been one of the happiest she could ever remember, she felt a sudden burn of tears in her eyes.
There was no way she’d ever to be able to provide for the twins like Henry could. Would she be denying her sons by choosing not to move here? She didn’t want to do the wrong thing, but she didn’t know what was the right thing. Maybe she should just take a look at the carriage house and keep an open mind.
Still, she couldn’t ignore the fact that somebody was trying to hurt Henry and it was possible she and the boys might become accidental victims.
“Melissa?”
She whirled around to see Henry standing in the doorway. “Everything all right?” he asked.
“Everything is fine,” she replied.
“I know Hilary came up here. She didn’t say anything to upset you, did she?” He gazed at her worriedly.
Melissa smiled. “Not at all. She simply told me that it was nice to meet me and she hoped I had a safe trip home.”
He seemed relieved. “Hilary tends to have a bit of a sharp tongue.”
“Don’t worry, Henry. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself.”
He nodded. “I was wondering if while the twins are napping if now would be a good time to take you to see the carriage house.” He smiled, that slow sexy grin that heated every ounce of blood in her body. “I was also wondering when I was going to get to see that blue sweater on you.”
“Why don’t you give me five minutes and I’ll meet you downstairs and we can take a look.”
“Great. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
The minute he left the room she closed the door and pulled the sweater out of the box. It fit perfectly and was exactly the color of her eyes. The fact that he’d even thought about her eyes made her heart flutter just a little bit.
It was only as she was walking down the stairs that she realized the terrible truth—she was more than a little bit in love with Henry Randolf III.
Chapter 8
The morning had gone far better than Henry had hoped. The living room had been filled with laughter, warmth and a feeling of family that had been missing from the house since his father’s death.
Melissa had teased him as if they’d known each other forever, and in many ways that’s the way he was beginning to feel about her. She was comfortable, and yet made him simmer with expectancy. He couldn’t remember a woman who had done both for him.
He pulled on his holster and his gun and then covered it with his winter coat. Despite the fact that it was a holiday and the season of peace and joy, Henry couldn’t let down his guard. He was eager to have a sit-down meeting with Jimmy the next day to see if the lawman had come up with any evidence as to who might be after him. They needed to come up with a plan to force the person out into the open.
He turned as Melissa came down the stairs, clad in the blue sweater and the jeans that did amazing things for her legs and curvy butt. Something about her stole his breath away.
Lust, he told himself. That was it. Lust and nothing more. If he slept with her again he was certain these crazy feelings would go away.
Her plans were to leave in the morning and short of locking her up in a tower, there was no way he could stop her. He pulled her coat from the closet and held it out to her. “Ready?”
She nodded. “Ready.”
“I’ve got to say, you look sexy as hell in that sweater.”
“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls,” she replied lightly but her cheeks flushed as she pulled on her coat.
They stepped out the door, and Henry threw an arm around her shoulder. He told himself it was because he wanted to protect her if somebody came at them, but the truth was he’d been dying to touch her all day.
She didn’t pull away but instead snuggled into him as the cold wind whipped her hair against his face. They walked briskly, not speaking. Henry kept his gaze bouncing left and right, relaxing as he saw Charlie and several of his men in the distance.
When they reached the carriage house he unlocked the door and ushered her into the foyer. “You might want to keep your coat on. We just have the minimal heat running in here right now.”
She nodded, stepped into the living room and caught her breath. “Oh, my gosh. This is four times the size of my apartment.”
It was an open floor plan, the living room flowing into the kitchen. The living-room flooring was a soft beige carpeting and the kitchen had an attractive tile in Southwest colors. The furnishings were simple but tasteful and the kitchen was fully equipped with every pot and pan that a chef might need.
“If you wanted to bring in your own furniture we could store all of this,” he said, unable to read the expression on her face. “Let me show you the bedrooms.” He led her down a short hallway to the first bedroom. It was definitely large enough to accommodate two cribs and later two twin beds for the boys. From the window the stables and corral were in view, perfect for two little cowboys.
From there he led her into the master bedroom, which was huge, with an adjoining bathroom complete with a Jacuzzi tub. For a moment his head filled with a vision of how she’d look in that tub with her shiny hair piled up on her head and her body surrounded by scented bubbles. He tried desperately to shove the provocative vision out of his mind.
She wandered around the room and when she finally turned to look at him, tears glimmered in her eyes. Instead of looking pleased, she looked achingly miserable.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
The tears spilled from her eyes onto her cheeks. “I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused. I’m so overwhelmed by everything.”
Henry realized at that moment he didn’t like to see her cry. He walked over to her and captured her pretty face between his palms. The look in her eyes was slightly wild, as if she wanted to escape him and the entire situation.
“Melissa, don’t cry,” he said gently. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She jerked away from him and took several steps backward. “You don’t understand. This place is so wonderful and all the things you bought for the boys were unbelievable. I know they could have a wonderful life here, but they c
ould have a wonderful life with me in Amarillo, too.”
She raised her chin and swiped angrily at her tears. “Lots of children just see their father on the weekends and they survive just fine. People get divorced or never marry and visitation is worked out okay.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “But that’s not what I want,” he said. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and leaned against the wall. “I don’t want to be a weekend dad. What can I do to make this work for you? Of course I’d take care of all your moving expenses and if you have a lease that needs to be broken, I’ll take care of that, too. If you’re worried about work, I’m sure I can find you some clients for your interior decorating and there’s always the hotel that you could be contracted to do. I can take care of all your needs, Melissa. We can make this work.”
As he’d spoken, her tears had dried and she gazed at him with an inscrutable expression. When he finished she shook her head and offered him a small, somehow sad smile.
“Henry, there are some things your money just can’t buy. You can’t buy me. I don’t care about money or things. My mother and I didn’t have money, but we were happy.” She paused and frowned.
“So, this is a no?” he asked flatly.
“It’s an I don’t know,” she replied with obvious frustration. “I’ve known you and your mother for a couple of days. I refuse to make a life-altering decision that quickly. What I suggest is that I go home tomorrow and think things through without your influence. I want to do what’s best for everybody, Henry, and that includes what’s best for me.”
Although he was disappointed with her decision, he couldn’t help but admire her strength in not succumbing to an easier life than the one he thought she was currently living.
“You know I won’t stop trying to change your mind,” he said lightly, hoping to dispel some of the tension that sparked in the air between them.
She offered him a smile. “Why am I not surprised by that?” She walked out of the bedroom and he followed just behind her.
“I told you I was stubborn,” he said.
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