Falling For the Millionaire Page 13
“Then, we can make our grand entrance.” Hudson laughed halfheartedly.
Susan glanced over at Melody. “Don’t listen to him. There will be no grand entrances. As soon as he walks into that room, he’ll be smothered with nieces and nephews.”
Shrugging, Hudson laughed again. “What can I say? They love me.”
“They adore him, but he shouldn’t let it go to his head. They like their grandmother more.” Susan nodded as she patted his arm. “Hudson, will you put your jackets in the coat closet?”
“Sure.” Hudson helped Melody out of her jacket. “We’ve had such a mild winter, but I hear a cold front’s headed our way tomorrow.”
“I’m afraid so.” Susan grimaced.
As they made their way toward the sitting room, he wondered what Melody was thinking. She’d already met his mother, but he was afraid the tension with his father would spill over into the rest of the family. But for now, laughter and lively conversation greeted them as they approached the French doors that led to the room. True to his mother’s word, the children came running as soon as they spied him.
“It’s Uncle Hud.” His five-year-old nephew, Riley, raced toward them.
Hudson picked the boy up and tossed him over his shoulder. “I’ve got you captured now.”
The boy squealed and wriggled to get down, and Hudson quickly set him on the floor. In the next instant, the other kids surrounded him as he hunkered down to greet the littlest ones. Then he stood and gave the older kids a fist bump. “Hey, gang, I want you to meet someone.”
“Is she your girlfriend?” Riley’s older brother Jacob asked.
Hoping the warmth creeping up his neck wasn’t a blush, Hudson shook his head. “No, young man, she’s my boss, and you’d better be nice to her.”
The boy’s eyes grew wide as he nodded vigorously. “I will, Uncle Hud.”
A collective laugh rippled through the room as he took Melody’s elbow and guided her farther into the room. “Melody, let me introduce you to my family.”
She smiled at him, but he could read the uncertainty in her eyes. “I hope you won’t test me on all the names.”
Susan stepped forward. “You did a marvelous job remembering all my friends a few weeks ago. They were impressed.”
Melody shrugged as she let out a seemingly self-conscious laugh. “It was nothing.”
Hudson leaned closer to her and whispered, “You don’t have to remember all these people.”
She smiled up at him. “Thanks. I appreciate that, but I’ll try.”
“You can remember my name.” Hudson’s youngest niece, a sweet little girl with curly dark hair, planted herself in front of Melody. “My name’s Madelyn. Uncle Hud calls me Maddie.”
“Is it okay if I call you Maddie, too?” Melody asked.
His niece nodded. “I think it’ll be okay since you’re his boss.”
“Thanks, Maddie,” Melody replied as another ripple of laughter spread through the room.
Hudson looked at her. “Now that you’ve met my youngest sister’s kids, are you ready for the full introductions?”
Taking a deep breath, she nodded, that nervous little smile curving her mouth.
He motioned toward the chair where his father sat. “My father, H.P.”
His dad stood and took one of Melody’s hands in his. “It’s nice to meet you. I understand you’re the little lady who’s in charge of the project my son’s involved with.”
“Yes, sir.” Melody nodded. “Happy birthday.”
“Thank you. I’m trying to be happy about being another year older.” H.P.’s voice boomed across the room. “Is that son of mine doing good work?”
“The best.” Melody took a step back when H.P. released her hand.
Hudson tried not to let Melody’s approval go to his head. She was kind enough not to say anything negative to his father. His dad, on the other hand, wasn’t so generous with his praise.
Hudson motioned to the rest of his family sitting or standing around the room. “Now for the rest of this gang. My eldest sister, Elizabeth, and her husband, Todd, and their two kids, Alex and Melissa.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Elizabeth flashed Hudson an irritated smile. “Of course, he had to put in that bit about my being the eldest.”
Hudson grinned. “She might as well know who has seniority.”
“Seniority with what? I’d like to know,” Elizabeth said.
“With everything. You know you’ve loved bossing me around since I was old enough to understand what you were saying.”
“I can’t deny that.” Elizabeth winked at Melody.
He was thankful that Elizabeth had gone along with his joke. Sometimes she could be like their father—too serious and unbending. Maybe that was why his dad was reluctant to hand the reins over to her. The two of them were too much alike. His two younger sisters took after their mother, who was much more easygoing and quite flexible. He continued the introductions with his middle sister, Julie, and her husband, Sean, and their three children, Hannah, Shelby and Hunter. Moving on, he finished with his youngest sister, Rebecca, and her husband, Justin.
Smiling, Susan stepped to the center of the room. “Now that we’ve inundated Melody with names, let’s go into the dining room for the delicious dinner Sarah has prepared.”
With Melody at his side, Hudson hung back while his family filed out of the room. He wondered what she thought about the people he loved. “Was that a little overwhelming?”
“I think I can remember all the names, but not which child belongs with which parent.”
“I won’t give you a test.”
“That’s good.” She chuckled as she matched his stride. “You have a nice family.”
“Until you really get to know them.” Hudson stopped just outside the dining room.
Melody frowned at him. “Is that any way to talk about them?”
“I was only kidding, but I’ll admit I don’t always see eye to eye with them.”
“Do any of us always agree with everything our families do?”
“You know that’s the case with me, but I promise I won’t mention it again this evening.” He offered her his arm. “Let’s go eat.”
She slipped her arm through his, and like the night of the fund-raiser, he felt like the luckiest man in the room. He was with the most beautiful woman. He escorted her to the table and pulled out her chair, then took the one next to her. They sat at the end by the head of the table where his dad sat occupying his chair like a head of state. Before the meal, H.P. asked Hudson to offer a prayer as everyone joined hands. He glanced over at Melody as he held out his hand. This was one time when he didn’t mind bowing to his father’s command. When she placed her hand in his, memories of her spontaneous hug from the night of the Valentine banquet poured into his mind. He took a deep breath as he focused his thoughts on prayer, not on the soft, feminine hand holding his.
As soon as Hudson finished, Sarah and her kitchen help brought out the first course, one of H.P.’s favorites, shrimp cocktail.
His dad took the first bite, then laid aside his fork. “Now, this is the way to start a birthday party.”
Laughter spread around the table as everyone joined him. Everything from the appetizer to the perfectly grilled steaks pleased his father. As he finished off the last morsel of his steak, H.P. leaned toward Melody. “A man should be allowed to have steak more than once a year on his birthday.”
Hudson took in Melody’s deer-in-headlights expression and jumped in to rescue her from his dad’s complaints. “Dad, you know that’s what the doctor ordered.”
H.P. frowned. “It’s criminal with all the good steak in this world that I can’t enjoy it more often. The food police take the enjoyment out of life.”
Elizabeth patted her father�
��s arm. “Now, Daddy, calm down. You don’t want to raise your blood pressure on your birthday. Think happy thoughts.”
H.P. harrumphed and crossed his arms. “My happy thoughts would include more steak.”
“How about some birthday cake and ice cream,” Sarah said as she wheeled in a cart with a large cake covered with creamy frosting and walnuts. “Carrot cake. Your favorite.”
While Sarah served, Hudson wondered what would make his dad happy besides his favorite foods. Did he find joy in telling other people what to do? Was that why he pushed his only son? Was his attitude what led to his success?
What would happen if he slipped out from under his father’s thumb? He could do that if he put Elizabeth in charge, but would it be the right thing to do? He’d thought Melody’s suggestion was brilliant until he’d had time to think it over. That solution would upset his dad and, despite the desire to be his own man, a nagging thought plagued Hudson. He didn’t want to displease the most important man in his life.
Hudson warred with himself over his father’s demands. He didn’t want to take over the company. If he wanted to be true to himself, he had to stand up to him no matter what the consequences would be. Was that what he wanted?
Susan tapped on her water goblet with a spoon, shaking Hudson from his troubling thoughts. “Let’s sing ‘Happy Birthday’.”
H.P. waved a hand and knit his eyebrows, but Hudson could tell that underneath his father’s objection there was a happy man. His mom had always been able to bring out the best in her husband. Without a doubt, his father loved and cherished the woman he’d married over forty years ago. Hudson wondered whether he could find a love like that. He’d made a wrong decision with Nicole. Was Melody a better choice? He wished she’d let him find out.
As they sang, Hudson glanced around the table at the happy faces of his family. When they finished singing, his gaze stopped on Melody, and his pulse pounded as he swallowed a lump in his throat. He’d been telling himself for weeks that he should be cautious where she was concerned. But it hadn’t mattered. His heart couldn’t resist the onslaught of her beauty, her giving nature and her love for people of all kinds.
But he couldn’t break his promise. He had to let her take the lead or convince her to change her mind about that second date.
* * *
Melody fought back the emotions that bubbled to the surface as she took in the joy in the room. Hudson’s dad reminded her so much of her own—the way he’d grumbled about the food restrictions. She still missed him all these years after he’d died and wished that he could have lived to see his sixty-eighth birthday.
She’d been wrong to tell Hudson to take over the company and then give control to his sister. It would be deceitful unless Hudson told his dad up-front. Melody could see that H.P. doted on his son, whether Hudson could see it himself or not. She also understood why they didn’t always get along. They were both strong personalities who had their own way of thinking. Even though Hudson didn’t always see his father’s point of view, she surmised from their interaction that he respected the older man and wanted to please him. That was probably why it had taken Hudson so long to strike out on his own. She wanted to help.
After everyone had finished dessert, Susan stood and clanged her glass again. “We’re going into the solarium and have coffee if you’d like, and while we do that, Melody will tell us about The Village. The younger kids may go to the playroom, but I’d like the older ones to stay and hear what she has to say. I believe there are opportunities for community service there.”
“But, Susu, when will Grampy open his presents?” Maddie asked.
“He’ll do it after the talk.” She patted them each on the head. “I’ll call you when he’s ready to open his gifts.”
Satisfied with their grandmother’s answer, the younger children raced off, and Susan smiled. “Such energy. I wish I could bottle it.”
H.P. put an arm around his wife. “You have plenty of energy. If you had any more, I couldn’t keep up with you.”
Susan laughed, and the two walked arm in arm as they led the way to the solarium.
Hudson came up beside Melody as the group followed behind his parents. “So are you having a good time?”
“Yes. The food was amazing. I can understand why your dad complained about not getting to eat it often enough.”
H.P. stopped and turned to Melody. “I heard that, young lady. You should talk to my wife and convince her that I shouldn’t be on such a restricted diet.”
Melody shook her head. “I couldn’t do that. I think your wonderful wife loves you and wants to keep you around for a while longer. That’s why she makes you watch what you eat.”
H.P. nodded. “Yeah. That’s what she tells me all the time.”
“Listen to her. I lost my granddaddy to a heart attack because he didn’t do the things he was told.” Melody took in H.P.’s frown and wondered if she’d overstepped. The statement had popped out of her mouth before she’d had the chance to really think it through.
“I am so sorry, my dear.” H.P. sighed. “I guess you’re right. I should listen to my wife.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could give her talk without that worry.
While everyone jockeyed for a seat, Susan pointed to a chair with a flaming red cushion. “Melody, please sit here.”
“Thanks.” Melody wasn’t sure what Susan expected from this talk and said a silent prayer for God’s guidance.
Hudson immediately grabbed a spot at the end of the sofa next to her chair. When he smiled, her insides scrambled. How could she keep her mind on her talk when he was sitting there smiling at her? She had to focus on his family and not on him, but he kept coming into her line of vision. After everyone was settled, Melody figured she might as well put Hudson front and center since she couldn’t get him off her mind. She started her talk with his undertaking at The Village and asked him to give them more details.
Hudson grinned as he looked her way. “She warned me that she planned to put me on the spot, but I’m happy to report that we’re halfway finished with the project. Despite Carter’s absence, we’ve been able to maintain our original timeline.”
As Hudson continued to talk about his work, Melody believed he was not only sharing with his family, but he was making sure his dad knew what was happening. After Hudson finished, she thanked him and praised his work. She wanted to let him know how much she appreciated what he was doing. She continued her talk by mentioning the different facets of the ministry and put an emphasis on areas where they needed volunteers. Finally, she put in a plug for the road rally.
That topic created a cacophony of conversation throughout the room. Finally, H.P. rapped his knuckles on the nearby table. “We should participate in this fund-raising endeavor.”
His pronouncement started another round of conversation. Melody liked the lively interaction between the members of Hudson’s family, and she was happy that his dad approved of the idea.
While she watched the commotion, Hudson leaned closer. “You’re a hit with my dad. I knew he’d like you.”
“The road rally is a hit, and that was your idea.”
“True, but I still say he’s eager to participate because he likes you.”
Eventually, the talk died down and H.P. took over the floor as he gathered commitments for the rally from his children and grandchildren. Melody passed out the forms she’d purposely brought with her. Soon someone from each family group was filling one out.
Hudson leaned an elbow on the arm of the sofa. “I should’ve known my dad would eventually take over this event.”
“That’s okay. It’s his birthday.”
Hudson laughed. “Yes, we must indulge the birthday boy. At least his declaration didn’t involve me this year.”
Melody wrinkled her brow. “Does it usually?”
“And what does he say about you?”
Hudson laughed again. “He tells me what I’m to do next with my life. But that won’t happen this year, even if he eventually gets around to such a decree.”
Melody wasn’t sure how to respond to his statement. Despite the congenial nature of the evening, the conflict between father and son had not subsided. Melody wished she could smooth away the troubles between Hudson and his father, but she would be asking for trouble of her own if she did.
As the leaders of each group finished filling out the entry forms, they handed them to Melody and expressed their excitement about the event.
H.P. handed her his form, then motioned her toward the door. “Since you’re here, come with me to my study. I’ll write a check for our entry fee.”
“If you’d like to open your gifts in the study, we can bring them in there,” Susan said.
“Whatever you’d like, my dear.”
Again, Melody tried not to gawk at the affluence surrounding her. These folks took for granted the wealth that was an everyday part of their lives. She immediately shut down her negative thoughts. Hudson’s family had shown her today that they were willing to help The Village, not only with their money, but with their time. She should have only good things to think about them. After spending so much time with Hudson, shouldn’t she know by now that his wealth wasn’t what defined him or his family?
When they reached the double doors that opened into the study, H.P. stood aside to let his wife, daughters and Melody go first. She glanced around the room at the hundreds of books in the built-in bookcase. Dozens of family photos were on display while a massive desk dominated the floor space.
Before Melody finished looking around, H.P. handed her a check. “Here you are.”
“Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the rally.” Melody looked up at H.P. “Hudson told me that one of the windows in the Chapel Church at The Village was dedicated to one of your relatives, Maisy Conrick.”
“Yes, that’s right.” He motioned for her to follow as he moseyed over to an old black-and-white photo on one of the walls. “Maisy was my great-aunt. I never knew her because she died before I was born, but family stories are full of her charity and bravery. She went to work among the poor immigrants in New York City. That’s where she contracted the diphtheria that killed her. The vaccine for the disease was only in development at the time.”