everything.”
Henry realized at that moment he didn’t like to see her cry. He walked over to her and captured her pretty face between his palms. The look in her eyes was slightly wild, as if she wanted to escape him and the entire situation.
“Melissa, don’t cry,” he said gently. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She jerked away from him and took several steps backward. “You don’t understand. This place is so wonderful and all the things you bought for the boys were unbelievable. I know they could have a wonderful life here, but they could have a wonderful life with me in Amarillo, too.”
She raised her chin and swiped angrily at her tears. “Lots of children just see their father on the weekends and they survive just fine. People get divorced or never marry and visitation is worked out okay.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “But that’s not what I want,” he said. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and leaned against the wall. “I don’t want to be a weekend dad. What can I do to make this work for you? Of course I’d take care of all your moving expenses and if you have a lease that needs to be broken, I’ll take care of that, too. If you’re worried about work, I’m sure I can find you some clients for your interior decorating and there’s always the hotel that you could be contracted to do. I can take care of all your needs, Melissa. We can make this work.”
As he’d spoken, her tears had dried and she gazed at him with an inscrutable expression. When he finished she shook her head and offered him a small, somehow sad smile.
“Henry, there are some things your money just can’t buy. You can’t buy me. I don’t care about money or things. My mother and I didn’t have money, but we were happy.” She paused and frowned.
“So, this is a no?” he asked flatly.
“It’s an I don’t know,” she replied with obvious frustration. “I’ve known you and your mother for a couple of days. I refuse to make a life-altering decision that quickly. What I suggest is that I go home tomorrow and think things through without your influence. I want to do what’s best for everybody, Henry, and that includes what’s best for me.”
Although he was disappointed with her decision, he couldn’t help but admire her strength in not succumbing to an easier life than the one he thought she was currently living.
“You know I won’t stop trying to change your mind,” he said lightly, hoping to dispel some of the tension that sparked in the air between them. She offered him a smile. “Why am I not surprised by that?” She walked out of the bedroom and he followed just behind her.
“I told you I was stubborn,” he said.
“Just be aware that you might have met your match,” she replied. As they stepped out of the carriage house he noticed that the sun had disappeared beneath a thick layer of clouds and the air felt colder than it had before.
What he needed was a good old-fashioned blizzard that would make Melissa stay long enough for him to get her to agree what he wanted. But Henry knew there were two things he couldn’t control. The weather was the first and apparently Melissa was the second.
It began to snow at nine o’clock that evening. Melissa stood at her bedroom window and stared out in dismay. If this kept up there was no way she could leave after breakfast in the morning like she’d planned. She checked on the boys, who were sleeping soundly, then went back down the stairs where she knew Henry was probably having a glass of scotch. Funny, after such a brief time she’d begun to know his habits. He usually sat in the living room to unwind after his mother excused herself for bed.
Sure enough, he was seated in his chair, a glass of scotch at his side as he stared at the lights still twinkling on the Christmas tree. He smiled when she appeared in the doorway. “How about a glass of wine?”
“That sounds nice,” she agreed and sat on the sofa while he went to the bar
Henry realized at that moment he didn’t like to see her cry. He walked over to her and captured her pretty face between his palms. The look in her eyes was slightly wild, as if she wanted to escape him and the entire situation.
“Melissa, don’t cry,” he said gently. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She jerked away from him and took several steps backward. “You don’t understand. This place is so wonderful and all the things you bought for the boys were unbelievable. I know they could have a wonderful life here, but they could have a wonderful life with me in Amarillo, too.”
She raised her chin and swiped angrily at her tears. “Lots of children just see their father on the weekends and they survive just fine. People get divorced or never marry and visitation is worked out okay.”
He stared at her for a long moment. “But that’s not what I want,” he said. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets and leaned against the wall. “I don’t want to be a weekend dad. What can I do to make this work for you? Of course I’d take care of all your moving expenses and if you have a lease that needs to be broken, I’ll take care of that, too. If you’re worried about work, I’m sure I can find you some clients for your interior decorating and there’s always the hotel that you could be contracted to do. I can take care of all your needs, Melissa. We can make this work.”
As he’d spoken, her tears had dried and she gazed at him with an inscrutable expression. When he finished she shook her head and offered him a small, somehow sad smile.
“Henry, there are some things your money just can’t buy. You can’t buy me. I don’t care about money or things. My mother and I didn’t have money, but we were happy.” She paused and frowned.
“So, this is a no?” he asked flatly.
“It’s an I don’t know,” she replied with obvious frustration. “I’ve known you and your mother for a couple of days. I refuse to make a life-altering decision that quickly. What I suggest is that I go home tomorrow and think things through without your influence. I want to do what’s best for everybody, Henry, and that includes what’s best for me.”
Although he was disappointed with her decision, he couldn’t help but admire her strength in not succumbing to an easier life than the one he thought she was currently living.
“You know I won’t stop trying to change your mind,” he said lightly, hoping to dispel some of the tension that sparked in the air between them. She offered him a smile. “Why am I not surprised by that?” She walked out of the bedroom and he followed just behind her.
“I told you I was stubborn,” he said.
“Just be aware that you might have met your match,” she replied. As they stepped out of the carriage house he noticed that the sun had disappeared beneath a thick layer of clouds and the air felt colder than it had before.
What he needed was a good old-fashioned blizzard that would make Melissa stay long enough for him to get her to agree what he wanted. But Henry knew there were two things he couldn’t control. The weather was the first and apparently Melissa was the second.
It began to snow at nine o’clock that evening. Melissa stood at her bedroom window and stared out in dismay. If this kept up there was no way she could leave after breakfast in the morning like she’d planned. She checked on the boys, who were sleeping soundly, then went back down the stairs where she knew Henry was probably having a glass of scotch. Funny, after such a brief time she’d begun to know his habits. He usually sat in the living room to unwind after his mother excused herself for bed.
Sure enough, he was seated in his chair, a glass of scotch at his side as he stared at the lights still twinkling on the Christmas tree. He smiled when she appeared in the doorway. “How about a glass of wine?”
“That sounds nice,” she agreed and sat on the sofa while he went to the bar
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