"You cook?"
"Only one of my many talents." Hudson chuckled. "Actually, the recipes belong to Sarah. She taught me everything I know."
"When you were growing up?"
"No, after I came back home and had to fend for myself. She gave me a crash course one weekend."
Hudson opened the door for her. Melody got inside and buckled her seat belt. The familiar smell of leather combined with an almost sweet scent she couldn't define. "Is that the smell of your fuel?"
Hudson smiled at her. "Yeah. High-octane fuel. You like it?"
"Maybe."
"Then, maybe you've got racing in your blood. Would you like to take a trip around the track?"
Melody's pulse pounded. "Fast?"
"Yeah."
She could do this. If she did, she might understand why he loved this so much. "Okay, but don't laugh if I scream."
Shaking his head, he pressed his lips together, but he couldn't contain his laughter. "Sorry. I promise I won't laugh again, but your expression is priceless. You look as though you sucked on a lemon."
"I think I like lemons better than this." Melody narrowed her gaze. "How fast are we going to go?"
"How fast do you want to go?"
Melody took a deep breath. "I don't know. Don't tell me."
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to. It was only a suggestion."
Melody took another deep breath. "Let's do it before I change my mind."
"One trip around the track coming up."
Hudson revved the engine, and Melody's heart revved with it. In seconds they went around the first curve. They didn't seem to be going that fast, but maybe her mind was frozen with fear. She took a deep breath and tried to relax, but in the next instant she had no doubt the car was flying down the track, the engine putting out a high-pitched scream. She was about to scream along with it when the car suddenly slowed around the curve at the other end. Her eyes wide-open, she stared straight ahead as her pulse slowed along with the car.
Hudson brought it to a stop in front of the stands and grinned. "You want to know how fast we were going?"
Melody put a hand over her heart. "I need to recover before you tell me and send me into shock."
"Is it okay if I laugh now?" He burst out laughing.
"You laughed before I said it was okay."
"I couldn't help myself." He chuckled. "You didn't scream, but I wish someone could've taken a picture of your face."
Melody tried to frown at him, but a smile escaped instead. Did she really want to know how fast they'd been going? Since she endured the ride, she should know. "How fast?"
"On the straightaway-one hundred and seventy."
"Okay, that's faster than I ever want to go again."
"You know, you go much faster than that when you fly."
Melody flashed him an annoyed look. "I'm talking about in a car."
"I won't tease you again. You were a good sport, and I appreciate that more than you know. Now let's head to my place."
Melody nodded and settled back, happy and surprisingly relaxed. She'd never been to Hudson's home. He'd never said much about it. Where did the heir to a multimillion-dollar fortune live-in a luxury condo or a fancy house like his parents'?
As Hudson drove farther into the countryside, Melody became more and more curious. "You really live way out here, don't you?"
"I do." He slowed the car near a large mailbox before turning onto a narrow blacktop drive lined with white fences and large bare-branched hardwoods. "This is it. My dad's grandparents used to own this property. They trained a few racehorses here, but after they quit, the old barns fell into disrepair and were torn down."
Melody couldn't believe her eyes as a white two-story structure with the massive wraparound porch came into view. The trees sheltering the house swayed in the wind. "It's beautiful. Hardly looks as if a bachelor would live here."
Hudson gave her a lopsided grin. "Are you saying a bachelor can't have a beautiful house?"
Melody shook her head. "I didn't mean it that way. It just looks like a family home, not a bachelor pad."
"It was a family home. My dad grew up here."
Hudson parked his car in one of the bays of the multicar detached garage behind the house. As they walked to the back door, Melody pulled her jacket up against the wind. "The temperature has really dropped. I hope we're not getting another snowstorm." She shook her head.
"No, just some colder weather. One snowstorm a year is all Atlanta can handle."
"That's for sure. I'm so thankful everything has worked out with the construction."
"No one's happier than me."
"Have your parents said anything to you about the sale of the timberland?"
"They haven't expressed their approval or disapproval, and I won't ask." Hudson shrugged. "I'm hoping it's a matter of it being my property to use as I please. The main thing is keeping the house. That's important to my mom."
"Is the house as big as this one?"
Hudson shook his head. "Hardly, but it's comfortable. I'll take you there sometime, and we could swing by and visit your mom."
Melody smiled and nodded, but she wasn't sure what Hudson would think of her humble beginnings. She should know by now that it wouldn't make a difference to him, but it could to his family if their relationship got really serious. But she didn't want to give him a hint that such a trip might not be to her liking. "Sure. We can do that sometime."
"How about the weekend after the road rally?"
"I'll check with my mom to see if she has any plans." She almost hoped that would be the case.
"I'm eager to meet her."
"She'll enjoy getting to know you, too." Melody wished she could be as enthusiastic about the get-together as Hudson was. She tried not to think about it as she looked at the large pond off to one side reflecting the sun sitting just above the treetops. She would concentrate on the beauty of this place. "It's so serene here."
"Almost too peaceful when you live by yourself." Hudson went up the steps to the back door, stepping aside to let her into the enclosed porch.
The doorbell sounded from the front of the house and Hudson moved to answer the door. Melody meandered through the rooms as she marveled at the fine craftsmanship in the old house. Its historic features were uncompromised by the modern renovations and conveniences in the kitchen. Hudson's home was a treasure, and so was he. That was becoming more and more apparent with each passing day.
Soon everyone who'd shared the day at the racetrack had arrived. The women oohed and aahed over the decor and antiques while the guys exclaimed over the collection of old decoys in the study. As everyone talked and laughed around Melody, she thanked God for these people and their friendship. She thanked Him for bringing Hudson into her life and prayed for wisdom about their relationship.
After a grand tour of the house, they all pitched in to set the dining room table and bring the food in from the kitchen. After they were seated, Hudson gave thanks for the food and the day's activities. Soon they filled their plates as more laughter and conversation echoed through the room.
She glanced over at Hudson, who was joking with Brady, Ian and Travis. Hudson fit into her world. The question was, did she fit into his? Despite the good things between them, Melody couldn't forget his sisters' unkind comments. They'd punched a hole in her confidence. She'd gotten over one hurdle with Hudson today. She'd faced the fear of his racing and came through unscathed. She still didn't like the activity, but she understood better why he enjoyed it.
She had to learn to be happy with today and stop borrowing trouble from tomorrow.
* * *
The main street of Melody's hometown had a Mayberry feel that gave Hudson a glimpse into her childhood. He glanced at her across the console of his SUV while they waited at the one traffic light. She seemed distracted or worried. He wasn't sure which. Was she uneasy about him meeting her family? He'd had the same concern the night of his father's birthday party. "Are you worried that your mother won't like me?"
She jerked her head in his direction as a little frown puckered her eyebrows. "No."
"Then, don't look so apprehensive."
"After seeing your place, I realize that my Southern roots are a little different than yours. Not that I didn't know that before." She gave him that forced smile.
"Do you think that matters?"
Melody shrugged. "I wanted to prepare you for a little downsizing. When your mom talked about your property, she mentioned a farm. I had no idea you own nearly a thousand acres even after you'd sold part of it."
"It was a farm, at least all of it that isn't timberland. The land came into my mother's family at the beginning of the twentieth century. Because of the mismanagement of the previous owners, my great-grandparents bought the property for pennies on the dollar. My mother's ancestors were farmers who worked hard every day of their lives. I'm the beneficiary of their hard work, and I don't want to squander their legacy. That's why I had to deliberate long and hard about selling any of it."