Falling For The Millionaire. Merrillee Whren

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СКАЧАТЬ tonight because of the donation his family had made to The Village, she didn’t hang on him or try to impress him like so many women did. There was something different about her—something he couldn’t decipher at the moment, but it was something he liked.

      Her less-than-genuine smiles puzzled him. He could always look on the positive side of things and believe she was merely nervous about the success of this event. From what his father had told him, lots of dignitaries and movers and shakers were here. He’d been to plenty of these types of functions—most of them boring. But he was looking forward to his evening with Melody.

      The sight of her in that red evening gown, with a skirt that swished and flowed around her like the cape at a bullfight, had set his heart racing. The color accentuated her blond hair swept away from her face in a fancy hairdo, set off with some kind of sparkly stuff that matched her dangly earrings. She reminded him of the storybook princesses his nieces were so fond of. As far as blind dates went, she was a ten.

      “Look what the cat dragged in.” Ian’s voice shook Hudson from his musings.

      Hudson stood and shook his friend’s outstretched hand. “Good to see you. It’s been a long time.”

      Ian glanced around. “Where’s Melody?”

      “She went to check on something and should be right back.” Hudson looked at the petite dark-haired beauty standing next to Ian. “Who is this lovely lady?”

      “My wife, Annie.” Ian smiled as he looked lovingly at her. “Annie, I’d like you to meet Hudson Conrick.”

      “Nice to meet you, Hudson. Are you associated with Conrick Industries? I did some consulting with one of their companies years ago.”

      Nodding, Hudson shook Annie’s hand. He couldn’t even meet an old friend without his family connections being brought into the conversation. “Yes, my great-grandfather started Conrick Industries in the early 1900s.”

      Before anyone could make another comment, Melody returned. “Ian, Annie. I’m glad you’re here. Where are you sitting?”

      “Table three.” Annie pointed to the table next to them.

      “Oh, good. We’re right here.” Melody placed a hand on the back of her chair. “We’ll be able to talk after the formalities are over.”

      Hudson took in the relief on Melody’s face. Was she merely happy to have her friends nearby, or was she uncomfortable with him? The woman was a riddle—confident and self-assured, yet vulnerable.

      “I see my parents.” Annie looped her arm through Ian’s. “We’d better say hi to them. Talk to you later.”

      As they walked away, Hudson looked over at Melody. “Ian and I haven’t been in touch much since we left law school. I thought I remembered him getting a divorce. Is Annie his second wife?”

      Melody stared up at him with her light brown eyes flecked with green. She looked as though she didn’t know how to answer. “I’m not sure what to say about that. It’s complicated. Maybe you should ask him rather than me.”

      Shaking his head, Hudson let out a halfhearted laugh. “Did I step into a minefield with that question?”

      Melody’s face turned ashen, and she took a deep breath as she placed a hand over her heart. “Sorry.”

      “Don’t be sorry.” Hudson motioned toward their seat. “Let’s sit down and forget I made the inquiry.”

      Melody nodded, the color still not returning to her cheeks. He pulled out her chair, and she sat down without saying a thing. As he took his seat, Hudson tried to figure out why the discussion had triggered Melody’s reaction. Had she and Ian been involved before he married Annie? While Hudson stewed over Melody’s reaction, two middle-aged couples approached their table. Melody got up and hugged them all.

      Hudson stood as she turned to him and introduced him to Ian’s parents, Doreen and Jordan Montgomery, and to Adam Bailey, the administrator of The Village, and his date, Debra McCoy. After the two couples left, Melody greeted the folks who would share their table, an advertising executive and his wife, a couple who owned a printing business and a couple who were both doctors.

      The laughter and conversation that buzzed through the ballroom came to an end as Adam Bailey greeted everyone from the podium at the head table. After Adam’s greeting, Jordan Montgomery gave a blessing for the event. Immediately following the prayer, the waiters and waitresses served the food.

      The discussion during the meal centered on the ministries of The Village. Hudson admired the way Melody maneuvered their talk toward supporting The Village without being pushy. Thankful that she controlled the conversation, he sat back and watched. He didn’t have to say a thing, and he appreciated that. Best of all, no one asked him about his family connections. That made for a perfect dinner.

      While the servers removed the plates and brought out the desserts, Adam Bailey came to the podium once again and gave a quick talk about The Village. Jordan Montgomery followed with a short but motivational speech that encouraged people to look beyond themselves and help those in need. Soon after, they began the auction of donated items, as well as the silent auction that would be going on during the evening.

      The auctioneer entertained the crowd as he moved each article along. Hudson watched Melody’s joyous reaction as a quilt made by Lovie Trimble, the receptionist at The Village, garnered five thousand dollars.

      When the auction concluded, Adam came back to the podium. He thanked everyone for their participation, then turned and picked up something from a nearby chair. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to honor someone tonight who deserves a lot of credit for this evening’s activities. She’s the dynamic force behind this project. Please give a huge round of applause for Melody Hammond.” Adam looked down at their table. “Melody, come on up here.”

      The surprise on Melody’s face as she stood made Hudson smile. He’d learned from the discussion tonight that her whole life revolved around the women’s and children’s ministries at The Village. She obviously deserved this award. While she made her way to the stage, the applause grew louder.

      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 СКАЧАТЬ