"We won't talk about it now. It's time for Dad to open his presents." Hudson picked up one of the gaily wrapped gifts.
"I'll agree with that." H.P. sat behind his desk as Hudson handed his dad the gift.
The younger children sprinted into the room and found seats on the floor while the rest of the family sat on the sofa, chairs and window seat. As H.P. ripped the paper from the packages or dug into a gift bag, Melody took in the simple items that brought a smile to his face, especially the handmade gifts from the children. Even those from the adults were simple things that were more sentimental than anything else, such as photos of his grandchildren or of family vacations that were set in special and unusual frames.
All this familial happiness made Melody realize that despite their wealth, the Conricks were like so many throughout the country. They loved each other, but they didn't always agree. The love they shared brought them through the troubled times, even the disagreements.
When H.P. was done, Melody inquired about the location of the restroom and Susan gladly escorted her. After Melody was done there, she wandered back toward the study. As she passed down the hallway, she heard someone say her name. She stopped. Although she knew it wasn't right to eavesdrop, she couldn't help listening.
"What do you know about her?"
"Not much, but Hudson's smitten."
"He's fallen for a gold digger before. Who's to say she isn't another one like Nicole? He's always been a sucker for pretty blondes. And she's very pretty."
"Did you see the way she was buttering up Daddy by taking an interest in the family history? She had him eating out of her hand with that poor-little-me act about her granddaddy. Looks as if she's trying to worm her way into the family."
"Hudson cares about her, and you're too critical. Give her a chance."
"A chance to break Hudson's heart?"
"It's not our business."
"I don't care what you say. I'm making it my business. You can't stop me."
Melody wasn't sure who was talking. The sisters tended to sound alike, especially since she didn't know them that well. One of them seemed to be defending her while the other two were adamant that a poor girl from southern Georgia was surely after Hudson's money. What could she do? The only wise thing right now was to retreat to the bathroom and hope the conversation would be over when she came back out. Or maybe they'd staged the conversation in hopes that she would hear it. Was that their plan?
Back in the beautifully appointed guest bath, Melody stared at herself in the mirror. The old hurts from her high school years stole back into her mind. It was the mean rich girls all over again. They were talking about her behind her back. They didn't believe she was good enough for their brother. Tears welled in Melody's eyes as she continued to look in the mirror. She couldn't go back out there until she got her emotions under control. She wasn't sure how she could push aside the anger, hurt and humiliation. If only they knew that Hudson's money was one of the things that had kept her from falling for him the first time they met. She wouldn't let them win. After wiping her tears, she refreshed her makeup. With her head held high, she made her way back to the study. When she entered the room, Hudson immediately came to her side.
He grinned down at her. "I thought you'd gotten lost."
"I could have in this house. No telling where I might have ended up if I'd taken a wrong turn."
"I would've come looking for you."
"Trying to play my knight in shining armor again?"
"If you want to be my damsel in distress?"
"Not really. No more twisted ankles for me."
"Then, you've got to learn to slow down." He leaned a little closer. "And let me catch you."
Melody's heart tripped. He was flirting with her right here in front of his family. What would his sisters say? "I can't let that happen."
"You could. You should try it, and see how you like it."
Melody was so tempted to do exactly that. She would show his sisters that she was good enough, better than good enough for their brother. Taking a calming breath, she tamped down her anger. That was no reason to pursue Hudson. She didn't want this evening to end on a sour note, but how could it get better when his sisters' hurtful words kept pushing their way back into her thoughts?
"I know the idea of letting me catch you can be overwhelming, but you could say something." Hudson winked at her.
"I'm helping you keep your promise."
Hudson pretended to wipe his brow. "Thanks for saving me."
Melody laughed, thankful for something to blunt the hurt of his sisters' unkind words. "Anytime."
"All right, everyone, we're headed back to the solarium." H.P.'s booming voice gathered their attention. "It's tradition time. One big game of Uno coming up."
"My dad's favorite game. We play it every year on his birthday." Hudson put a hand to Melody's back and guided her toward the door. "I'm making sure you don't get lost."
"I can find my way."
"I'm helping you play it safe."
She gave him an impish smile. "This coming from the man who likes to live dangerously?"
He shrugged. "What can I say? You're influencing my behavior."
If only that was true. Melody smiled but kept the thought to herself.
As the group sauntered back to the solarium, Elizabeth latched on to Hudson's arm. "Hey, little brother. I need a word with you." Elizabeth turned to Melody. "You don't mind if I borrow him for a few minutes?"
Melody pasted on a smile. "He's not mine to lend."
"That's a good one." Elizabeth looked at Melody with a smile nearly as affected as her own, then steered Hudson away.
Melody stood there, not quite sure she was going to find much pleasure in the rest of the evening. But she would. She would not be intimidated. Straightening her shoulders, she entered the solarium, where H.P. and his sons-in-law readied the table for the game.
While Melody watched, Rebecca came over. "So has our family overwhelmed you yet?"
Melody wondered why Rebecca had sought her out. Was she going to tell her to leave Hudson alone? "Not really. I come from a large family myself. I grew up in a small town, and it seemed as though half the town was related to me."
"That sounds like where our mom grew up."
"Yes, she mentioned that when I was here to talk to her ladies' missionary group."
"Mom was very impressed with your presentation."
"Thank you." Melody didn't know what to make of these compliments or Rebecca's seemingly friendly nature.
"I know this isn't any of my business, but I have to say it. Hudson is clearly captivated with you, and I think you should give my little brother a chance."
Melody didn't know what to say, especially after the earlier conversation she'd overheard. Was Rebecca the one who'd been defending her? "I don't understand."
"I shouldn't be telling you this, but a few weeks ago Hudson asked me for advice about women. He didn't mention any names, but now I believe he was asking because of you."
As Melody listened to Rebecca, the hurtful conversation replayed itself in her mind. Nothing made sense. What would Rebecca say if she knew Melody had heard them talking. One way to find out. "Are you sure your sisters would be happy if they knew you were saying this to me?"
"What do my sisters have to do with this?"
"I wasn't meaning to listen, but I-"
"You heard us talking?"
Melody nodded.
Rebecca laid a hand on Melody's arm. "I'm so sorry. Elizabeth and Julie are very protective of Hudson, especially Elizabeth. He says she's like a second mother."
"Maybe you don't believe I'm a gold digger, but it doesn't bode well for any relationship I might like to have with Hudson if two of his sisters do."
"They'll come around."
Melody stared at Rebecca. Was that really true? And who was Nicole? Should she ask? Opposing thoughts danced through her mind like the lights beaming off the glass enclosure surrounding her. She had to know. "Who's Nicole?"
"A woman who broke my brother's heart, pretending to love him when all she wanted was a rich husband."
"Oh." Melody had no idea what to say. "I'm not sure how I feel about Hudson."
"Think about giving him a chance. I promise you won't be sorry."
Melody wished she could be sure. Everything in her wanted to believe Rebecca, but she feared being reeled in only to be cut loose when she got too close. Was Hudson really waiting for her to make the first move, or would it be a replay of the mean girls' ploy that still haunted her so many years later?
Throughout the remainder of the evening, Melody studied the people around her. Elizabeth and Julie preserved their masks of friendliness, but Melody knew the thoughts behind their facades. She'd come to believe Hudson had been right about his father. H.P. did like her, but would that translate into approving of Hudson's interest in her? Likewise with Susan. Rebecca was the only one who was definitely in her corner.