“Why? What did I do?”
John grinned. “Nothing.” He turned to Ted. “He wants to see how bad it is out there in the hallway.”
“It’s pretty bad, sir,” Ted said. “It’s because your private life is the most exciting thing going on before the U.S. Open.”
“And because she’s beautiful,” John said, then turned toward Melody. “I’m so sorry you’re in this situation, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll never regret meeting you.”
She offered him a smile, but wasn’t sure how she felt. On one hand, if he were a normal man, she’d consider diving right in, whether her father liked it or not. But since he was so famous, she didn’t know what to do. She really needed someone to talk to—but whom? Elise was off doing her bridal duties, and her brother was so mean, he’d just make fun of her. Her father was a different issue, and considering she couldn’t get out of the room if she wanted to, she really couldn’t ask anyone their advice. No, this had to be up to her. Just like she’d done since she was about twelve, she had to be the adult.
She sat on the bed with a thud and waited, like John and Ted. John glanced at her, took her hand and helped her to her feet. He walked her to the huge couch in front of a giant television set and sat her down, then moved to the seat beside her, picked up the remote and rested his arm on her shoulder.
“What’s your favorite thing to watch on television?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t know. I don’t watch a lot of television. I don’t have time.”
“I understand.” He flipped the television to the news. “Let’s see how bad it is out there.” He moved down in his seat and pulled her head to his shoulder. He really was a nice man, caring more about her than himself. She couldn’t say that about any other men she’d ever met.
The news was the usual—murders, fires, and the weather. When they got to the sports, John sat up. Whenever she watched television back home, which was very rare, she’d turn the thing off when they got to the sports. But he seemed interested in all of it, football, baseball, and even golf. It was his thing and she respected him for it.
“We’re hearing rumors that John Spencer is dating seriously these days,” the male reporter said. “We just got some pictures into the newsroom where John and a woman named Melody Gray are holed up in the presidential suite of his father’s hotel.” They showed pictures from just minutes before, of John whispering into her ear in the lobby.
“Isn’t she gorgeous? We hear that she’s in New York for a modeling job, and I can’t blame her. With that red hair and those green eyes, she’s sure to turn the head of more than just a tennis jock, I’m sure.”
John started to laugh. “Oh, he’s so right.” He glanced at Melody, but she knew her face looked puzzled.
“I don’t think so,” she said.
“Why not? You’re beautiful. You know that, right?”
“No, and you’re not a tennis jock. I hate when they label people like that. It’s like when that girl called me a redneck. It’s not nice.”
“You’re right,” he said. “You’re too good for all of them, and I want you to know that.”
A knock at the door had them all turning toward it. Ted went to the door and opened it, the commotion still as noisy as ever. He let the man come inside, and walked with him into the living room area.
“Dad!” John said. He stood up and shook the man’s hand, and they patted each other on the back.
“What’s going on here?” the older man asked.
“I’d like to introduce you to Miss Melody Gray. She’s here for a wedding in your hotel, but the press thinks she’s my new girlfriend.”
“Well, are you?” the man asked.
Melody got to her feet, wiped her sweaty palms on her skirt, and faced the man with determination. “No, sir. I’m not his girlfriend, but just a friend.”
The smile started at his lips and covered his whole face in a moment. “A southerner?” He raked his eyes down over her. “And beautiful at that. You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
“No, sir. Should I be?”
He reached out and shook her hand. “My name’s Tom and no, you shouldn’t be, but usually when I meet someone John’s met, they bow at my feet. You’re not like that, are you?”
“No, sir. I’ve been taught to treat others equally and with respect. I’ve learned that the hard way.”
Tom slapped his son on the back. “Good job. Now, about those people in the hallway, the police should be here any minute. No one should be treated like that and I’m going to find out why our security guys weren’t on top of this.”
“Thank you, sir,” Melody said.
He smiled. “You don’t have to call me sir. From what I hear, you’re straightening out my son.”
“Oh, I don’t think—”
“Yes, it’s true,” John said, then turned to his father. “She stopped me from running, again.”
“Where to this time?”
“Seattle. She told me not to throw my life away because I’d always wonder what if.”
Tom crossed his arms. “You could always take the bar exam.”
“I love tennis, but not the politics. Being a lawyer would be worse.” His eyes darted to Melody. “But some day, I might have to.”
“I see.” He glanced at Melody, then back at John. “You’d be home.”
John glanced toward Melody as well. “Exactly. Let me get through this season and see what happens. It might be time.”
His father smiled, patted John on the back and faced Melody. “Thank you. Thank you for everything.”
Yep. It had to be something in the air or the water. Everyone was weird in this town.
“You’ll be safe here, and I promise,” Tom said to Melody. They heard shouting in the hallway, and it sounded like the police were clearing everyone out. “I have to go take care of things.” Tom shook Melody’s hand. “Take care of my son.”
“Sure, sir,” she said, but felt confused. What could she do to take care of John?
He laughed, walked to the door and left the room.
“Why was he laughing? What’s so funny?” Melody asked John.
“You keep calling him sir. No one calls him that. Not even his employees.”
“Oh.” She felt her face heat up. “Am I in trouble?”
“Not at all. He liked you—a lot. Now get your things. There’s no way I’m letting you stay here tonight or I’ll worry. If I don’t leave, they’ll print things in the newspaper about both of us. So, here’s the plan...”
He talked to her for a while, then he and Ted left the room. She finished packing until she heard someone knocking at the door. After checking the peephole, she opened the door for Dennis, and he took her suitcase from her hand.
“Follow me.” They took the elevator to the second floor, then took some stairs to a back door of the hotel. After checking around for reporters, he helped her to a waiting black car, but not a limousine. Dennis put her suitcase into the trunk and helped her into the back seat, sitting down beside her.
“John’s place?” the driver said.
“Yes, and make it snappy,” Dennis answered. “We might have company.”
The man took off and Melody watched the road. Dennis reached into the front seat then handed her a soda. “John wanted me to make sure you were doing okay. Dinner will be at his place, and I think you’re having steak.”
“Steak? But that’s so expensive!”
Dennis grinned. “Get used to it.”
“What does that mean?”
He turned toward her, his blue eyes seemingly very friendly. “He’s got his eye set on you, and if he isn’t careful, I know of more than one man in New York who would.”
“What?” she asked.
He touched her arm. “Put it this way. You don’t ever have to go back to West Virginia if you don’t want to. You could be a kept woman in New York, by many men.”
“A kept woman? You mean I wouldn’t have to work?”
�
�Nope.” He stroked her arm, then moved it away. “For John, your job would be to keep the home fires burning and the kids happy.”
“Kids? I don’t have any kids. What are you talkin’ about? I live in West Virginia, and that’s my home.”
Dennis grinned, turning toward the front again. “You’ll see.”
While they drove the rest of the way to John’s house, Melody was having second thoughts about this whole arrangement. She felt like she was being kidnapped, but knew it was in her best interest. She wasn’t a charity case and wanted John to know that. Melody Gray could take care of herself and certainly intended to.
As soon as they stopped at his home, John walked out to the car, dressed in shorts and a polo shirt. She could hardly take her eyes off him, with his classy presence in front of the backdrop of the setting sun.
“Come with me, please?” he asked.
“But my suitcase—”
“Dennis will get it.”
Dennis nodded and winked at her, making her swallow hard. John took her hand and walked her inside the huge home. A wonderful aroma filled the air, and Melody took a deep breath, realizing she was hungrier than she’d thought.
John took her to the dining room where a chef was putting two plates on the table, with steam coming off the giant steak, placed beside a baked potato and fresh green beans. The seats were adjacent to each other, separated only by the corner of the table.
John helped her to her place and pushed the chair in for her, then sat down at the end of the table. “Eat up,” he said, taking the napkin from his place. We have a lot to do after we eat.”
“We do?” she asked.
“Yeah. You’ll see.”
She cut her steak and ate one bite, letting the juices of the soft steak fill her mouth. She sat back and closed her eyes, wondering what the draw was to go back to West Virginia. Dennis was right. She could stay here, get a job, and live like this for the rest of her life.
“What are you thinking about?” John asked, bringing her back to reality.
She opened her eyes and faced him, suddenly looking like a prince to her. “Not much.”
He chuckled. “Liar. Is it about West Virginia?” He took a bite of his steak and smiled.
She grinned. “Hardly.”
“Tell me what it’s like there?”
She looked down to her plate and took a bite of green beans, thinking back to the countryside near her home. “It’s gorgeous. The people are incredibly friendly and want to help you out no matter what. There are mountains and gorges, and in the springtime, when everything’s in bloom, ya swear you’re in heaven. Then when the leaves change in the fall, it’s almost as if you’ve never seen such vibrant colors before.”
“Do you ever go into the mountains and sketch the landscape?”
“I used to every chance I got. But now, it’s different. I’m an adult and can’t dream like that anymore.” She looked down and took a bite of the baked potato. The taste of it was incredible, better than she’d ever had before.
“Why can’t you dream?”
She looked up and faced him. “That’s just the way it is.”
He tilted his head and studied her. “Do you ever have any fun?”
“This trip has been fun, as weird as that sounds. It’s not every day I’m the object of reporters and cameramen.”
He shook his head. “It is for me, and I don’t consider it fun.” He took a drink and stared at his meat. “Do you ever see yourself married?”
“Probably not. I have to take care of my father, and no man would want to deal with a family like mine.”
He took another bite, just watching her. “Why not?”
“I think we’re the definition of dysfunctional. It doesn’t matter. I do what I have to do and go on.”
He reached over and held onto her hand. The warmth from his touch surprised her, moving up her arm and straight to her heart, she was that enamored with him. She’d never felt like this with anyone before.
“It does matter,” he said, leaning closer. “It matters to me. I don’t want you to have a life where you’re living for someone else and not for you. You have talent and are beautiful, and it’s only being wasted where you are right now. Don’t you see that?”
She sighed, laid down her fork and moved her hand away from him and to her lap. “Every one of us is dealt a hand, and it’s up to us to live the life we’ve been given. Mine is in West Virginia with my daddy. That’s what I’ve been put on this earth to do, and I’m gonna do my job. I’m sure my mother is watchin’ me from heaven and proud I’m takin’ care of my daddy. Does that make sense?”
“No. It’s not fair to you. You have opportunities that you can’t see because you’re stuck in the mountains of West Virginia. Granted, it might be a gorgeous place, but how can you get ahead and be happy with your life? Is that how you want to live out your life, always looking back and regretting staying right where you are?”
She lowered her head and looked at her lap, the tears filling her eyes. He was right, but she couldn’t leave her father. He’d never understand it, because he was living the dream…he had no idea how tough it would be for her if she did leave West Virginia. Besides, she’d promised her mother on her deathbed that she’d take care of her father, even though she was an eight-year old promising something for the rest of her life.
His fingertips were warm as they lifted her chin to face him. He wiped away the tears from her cheeks, then moved his hand away and brushed his lips on hers, tasting of steak. “I can fix all of this for you. Would you like that?”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. I can fix it all, and even deal with your father. Let me take all your problems away from you. I want to give you so much, but you have these barriers up that won’t let me.”
“I can’t. You don’t understand.”
“No, I don’t, and after the U.S. Open, I’m tempted to go down there myself to see what’s keeping you there.” His eyes captured hers, touching her soul. “I don’t want you to go back. I want you to stay here and travel with me. Melody, I love you.”
“I know,” she said. “But I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.” He moved closer to her, his eyes just inches away. “I know you feel something for me, too. Please marry me?”
She sat back in surprise. “Marry you?” she whispered. “I hardly know you.”
“But I know you. I don’t have a lot of time before I have to go to another tournament, so I’m racing against the clock.”
“But marriage?” she whispered. “Are you nuts?”
He sat back and cut another piece of steak. “I think that’s the only way you’ll say yes to staying with me. Seeing how your father has kept you very protected, you’d never live with someone unless you were related or married to them.”
“You’re right about that. My father would hunt you down and shoot you if I moved in here without a marriage certificate. Heck, if he knew I was here right now, he’d probably do the same thing.”
John raised an eyebrow. “Really? Is it possible for him to come up here hunting for you?”
She found the situation amusing. “Are you scared, John?”
“No. I have a few bodyguards who would take care of him, but I’m wondering if I should have them carrying weapons.”
She waved him off. “He doesn’t care where I am right now, if he even remembers me telling him I was leavin’.”
“Who’s taking care of him?”
“A lady from our church. That’s why I can’t be gone long.”
He leaned forward. “Don’t go back. Please?”
“I have to. I have responsibilities.” She glanced around at the two bodyguards standing at the door. “Don’t they eat?”
“Sure. They’re given time off to eat. I’ve invited them to join me already, but they always refuse. They say their job is to protect me, so I let them do their job.”
She ate a few more bites of her dinner, letting it fill her mouth. She coul
dn’t remember the last time she’d eaten this well, or this much, other than the pizza when she first met John. But he didn’t need to know that, either.
They both finished their meals, and she stood up to take the plates into the kitchen.
“No. Not your job,” he said, holding onto her hands and putting the plates back on the table.
“Why not?”
“The cook will get upset and I don’t need him on my bad side. He’ll think he’s not appreciated.”
“How many people do you employ?” she asked.
“I have a bunch of people. I have six bodyguards, two every eight hours. Then there’s Rob and Art, and the cook is really a nutritionist. He let me splurge tonight because tomorrow’s not a tough day for me. He said he’d even bring me coffee and dessert later, if I practiced after dinner.”
“How do you live like that?”
His face turned nonchalant, but Melody could never live under that much control. “I get used to it,” John said. “I never have to worry about what to make for meals, and everything’s taken care of. I have two maids and a driver. The driver you had tonight was a bodyguard who came in to work early.” He took her hand. “Want to hit a ball with me for about half an hour?”
“Sure. I have to get you back for beatin’ me earlier.”
“I’ll go easy on you.” He put his arm on her shoulder. “Now, back to this marriage thing—”
“You’re nuts.”
“Yep. Do you like kids?”
She sighed. “I don’t think I’d be good with kids.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood, so I don’t know how to do it.”
He stopped and studied her face. “Why didn’t you have a normal childhood, other than your mother dying early?”
“You’d never understand.” She started to go out the sliding glass doors to the tennis court, but he stopped her with his hand on her arm.
“Try me.”
“No. You’d think of me differently, and I don’t want that to happen. Let me live my dream here for a little bit longer and put my home and family out of my mind.” She felt the tears welling in her eyes, but fought them. He’d never understand what she was going through back home, and she didn’t want to burden him with it.
Love Means Nothin' Page 8