Chapter Three
“Burning the midnight oil, are you?” David teased later that evening as he leaned up against the door frame of the sitting room and smiled at her.
“Just a little.” She saw that his tie hung loosely, his white shirt was wrinkled, and he was carrying his summer jacket. “You look as if you’ve had a full day.”
“It’s been a long one. How did things go with you? Did the play stuff get here?” He walked over to the back window and squinted out into the night. Decorative patio floodlights spilled out into the yard, and she could tell that he was satisfied by what he saw.
“Yes, they’re great. The boys loved everything. Especially the jungle gym. You should have seen them. They looked like a couple of monkeys, climbing and swinging—and scaring the daylights out of me.” She laughed. “They’re working up some tricks to show you.”
The tired lines in his face eased. “Really? I mean, after that little episode this morning I thought I rated number one Grinch.”
“Children are very adaptive and forgiving, if you give them a chance.” She almost added that they were great teachers, too. She suspected that David could learn a lot about himself if he spent a little time with Eric and Richie while they were here.
“I’m sorry I reacted so strongly about the fountain. It’s just that it was one of the things that my mother prized, and I felt protective of it.”
“I understand. You have a lovely house, and the boys need to respect that. Thank you for taking them in while we find someone who will give them a good home.” She got up from the desk. “Well, I think I’ll call it a day. How about you?”
He sighed. “I have some briefs to look over, and I’d best get started. Of course, you could agree to try some of my famous hot chocolate and give me an excuse to procrastinate a little longer.”
An automatic refusal was on her lips. “No telling how early the boys will be up and about. I really should get to bed.”
He nodded, as if he had expected her refusal. “Yes, of course. Good night, then.”
Somehow she sensed that his brisk tone was protective and a cover-up for lonely feelings he didn’t want her to see. His obvious need to talk with someone touched her.
“Come to think of it, a warm drink does sound good,” she mused. “Maybe I’ll change my mind. That’s a woman’s prerogative, you know.” She laughed and met his steady dark eyes.
“So I’ve been told.” David smiled. He liked the way she was able to change her mind without any long drawn-out justification. She seemed to be perfectly at ease with herself, and he realized that there was no need for him to play a role or keep his guard up when he was with her. “Come on, then. We’ll mess up Inga’s kitchen and get bawled out for it in the morning.”
He led the way into the kitchen, and Melissa perched on a high stool at the breakfast counter while he prepared the cocoa. A shock of hair drifted across his forehead, and his rumpled appearance made him seem less formidable than usual. She wondered if he ever relaxed enough to wear something comfortable, like jeans and knit shirts.
She was surprised at how efficient he was in the kitchen. He had two steaming cups of hot chocolate ready in no time, and sat on the stool beside her as they sipped the hot drink.
“Mmm, delicious. You’re a man of many talents, I see.”
“Hot chocolate is about the peak of my culinary art,” he admitted. “And now that I’ve revealed my hidden expertise in the kitchen, it’s your turn. What secret talents are you hiding from the world?”
She laughed. “No secrets. My life is an open book, but that’s not the one I want to write.” She hadn’t intended to talk about the goal she had set for herself, but the way he was looking at her invited an explanation. “Since I’ve been writing for the magazine, I’ve run into some wonderful accounts of strong, spiritual women who helped settle the Rocky Mountain west. I’m trying to organize their stories in a book. I started it before my grandmother died, almost three years ago. She was the one who raised me after my parents died in a car accident when I was eight years old. She told me true stories about courageous women who held on to Christian values while they raised families in wild, frontier towns. I was fascinated by their devotion to family values and faith in God, and I decided to write a book about them.”
“Well, if you believe in something, I guess you should do it,” he said. It wasn’t an enthusiastic endorsement.
His tone left Melissa wondering why she was sharing her passion with this man who probably thought she was some dewy-eyed female, wasting her talents on a book that would have limited marketing appeal. “I don’t expect to make a lot of money at it.”
“And are you happy writing for your magazines?”
She nodded, a little piqued that he had been less than encouraging about her book. “Are you happy working for the governor?”
“Sometimes. On the whole, he’s a pretty good boss.”
The way he said it, she knew that professional ethics would keep him from discussing his real feelings. Anyway, it wasn’t any of her business. “Do you like being an attorney?”
“Most of the time, but trying to find a way through all the legal mazes isn’t always rewarding. Sometimes I think law is like looking for a black cat in a dark room.” He smiled wryly. “You know it’s there, but you can’t find it.”
“If you weren’t an attorney, what would you be?”
He shrugged. “Frankly, I’ve never given that possibility a thought.”
“Not even when you were a little boy?”
“Truthfully, I can’t remember back that far. It seems to me that my name was submitted to the University of Denver Law School when I was born.” He laughed but there was no mirth in it.
Melissa resisted the temptation to ask about his parents and his boyhood. Prying into his personal life was out of order. He’d made it clear that he was willing to offer the use of his house for a few days, but that didn’t include delving into his personal history.
She quickly finished her drink and slipped off the stool. “Thanks for the cocoa. I’m ready to hit the pillow and get prepared for my cherubs tomorrow. Thanks again for the playground equipment. It will make the next few days much easier.”
He walked with her to the kitchen door. “I’ll call Mr. Weiss, the investigator, tomorrow. Maybe he’s turned up something and we can get the boys placed in quick order. Then things will get back to normal.”
“We’ll try to keep out of your way,” she said firmly. His tone had made it clear that he was ready to have them gone as soon as possible. “With luck, we won’t overstay our welcome.”
“I just meant that it can’t be easy for you or the children to be in limbo like this,” he added quickly, apparently recognizing he’d said the wrong thing.
“I agree it’s important that we get the children settled as soon as possible.”
He wanted to tell her how much he’d enjoyed her company this evening. Her candor and natural manner were refreshing. There was nothing pretentious or false about her, and she allowed him to drop the mask he wore most of the time. If he hadn’t promised to stay his distance from her, he would have confessed that he was looking forward to more of her company.
“Let me know if there’s anything else that will make your stay more comfortable. I’m going to be gone for a couple days. The governor is scheduled for several events in eastern Colorado and wants me to go along. We’ll fly out tomorrow. The Ericksons know how to get in touch