“Thanks for your time, Captain Brody.” She managed not to sound too breathless.
“I’ll think very carefully about your suggestion. Thanks for bringing it up,” Brody answered.
Bringing it up? Was that a double-entendre? She could still feel his arousal burning against her thigh. Melissa swallowed hard.
“Thank you for listening,” she said. Great. Could she thank him any more times?
“I’m sorry about Stan. He should know better than to paw our guests.” Brody winced as the words left his mouth. One of the firemen snickered.
Oh God, she was going to completely lose it. “That’s okay,” she said in a strangled voice, and hurried to her seat next to Nelly, who glared at her.
“Again?” hissed Nelly. “Just like the front door the other night!”
Melissa couldn’t stop a quick snort of laughter. Her grandmother had a point. Did she and Brody have some kind of door fetish? She shot Brody a sidelong look. His hair was ruffled and his collar slightly askew. The other firefighters looked down, or sideways at each other, trying not to laugh. Ella drummed her fingers on the table. An awkward silence fell over the room.
Ryan cleared his throat. “We sure are grateful you three beautiful ladies came to dinner. Kinda hate to see it end. We might have to hold you to your offer, Miss Ella Joy. When are you going to come back and cook for us?” He aimed a slow wink at her.
Ella brightened. Once again, Melissa experienced a sense of deep gratitude toward the gorgeous Ryan Blake. “Of course, handsome,” said Ella. “You just name the date.”
Wonderful, thought Melissa. Another dinner. She’d have to remember not to go anywhere near a door.
Chapter Nine
A n enormous golden moon hovered over San Gabriel that night. Crickets murmured, mockingbirds sang. Countless skittering creatures came alive now the heat of the day had ended. The fresh scent of night-blooming jasmine mingled with roses stole through Nelly’s window.
The pain was worse at night, and instead of sleeping, she held long discussions with Leon. “Disastrous start, but I think it ended up pretty good. Two times Melissa’s gone off with that Captain Brody and barely kept her clothes on. Some sparks between those two. It’s true I wanted that handsome boy for her, but I’ve never seen Melissa act like this with anyone. You should have seen the way they looked when they came back in the room. Oh, it was sweet. And Ella’s face—she looked like she was sucking on a pickled egg. She’s really not such a bad girl. She’s spoiled and needs a good spanking. I wish Melissa would stand up to her. But Melissa’s a funny one. With all her brains, all her qualities, I don’t know why she hides herself away. Not with Brody, though, I’ll tell you that much. Oh . . .” The pain surged, and it was a minute before she could think again.
“Oh yeah, Melissa and Brody. I heard them talking out there in the hall—and don’t try to tell me it’s eavesdropping when I was sitting right there at the table—and she was letting him have it, but good. Oh, she’s going to mess this up, I just know it. And don’t be pestering me, I know time’s running out. I’ve got to hurry things along. Make sure she doesn’t drive the poor man away. And see that she doesn’t get into one of her stubborn fits and decide he’s not her ‘type.’ These girls today, it’s a mystery to me how any of them ever gets married. Back in my day, we didn’t have ‘types.’ Men were all about the same, until you found the one you just couldn’t live without. That was you, for me. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Brody’s the one for Melissa.”
Another pang struck deep.
“I know, I know. Not much longer. I’ll just have to do what I can.” After that, she drifted into a dream in which she and Leon shared a hot fudge sundae, and he gave her his cheeky wink, and said his favorite thing. You want some sugar? Come on up here and I’ll give you a big old heapful
“I’ll think very carefully about your suggestion. Thanks for bringing it up,” Brody answered.
Bringing it up? Was that a double-entendre? She could still feel his arousal burning against her thigh. Melissa swallowed hard.
“Thank you for listening,” she said. Great. Could she thank him any more times?
“I’m sorry about Stan. He should know better than to paw our guests.” Brody winced as the words left his mouth. One of the firemen snickered.
Oh God, she was going to completely lose it. “That’s okay,” she said in a strangled voice, and hurried to her seat next to Nelly, who glared at her.
“Again?” hissed Nelly. “Just like the front door the other night!”
Melissa couldn’t stop a quick snort of laughter. Her grandmother had a point. Did she and Brody have some kind of door fetish? She shot Brody a sidelong look. His hair was ruffled and his collar slightly askew. The other firefighters looked down, or sideways at each other, trying not to laugh. Ella drummed her fingers on the table. An awkward silence fell over the room.
Ryan cleared his throat. “We sure are grateful you three beautiful ladies came to dinner. Kinda hate to see it end. We might have to hold you to your offer, Miss Ella Joy. When are you going to come back and cook for us?” He aimed a slow wink at her.
Ella brightened. Once again, Melissa experienced a sense of deep gratitude toward the gorgeous Ryan Blake. “Of course, handsome,” said Ella. “You just name the date.”
Wonderful, thought Melissa. Another dinner. She’d have to remember not to go anywhere near a door.
Chapter Nine
A n enormous golden moon hovered over San Gabriel that night. Crickets murmured, mockingbirds sang. Countless skittering creatures came alive now the heat of the day had ended. The fresh scent of night-blooming jasmine mingled with roses stole through Nelly’s window.
The pain was worse at night, and instead of sleeping, she held long discussions with Leon. “Disastrous start, but I think it ended up pretty good. Two times Melissa’s gone off with that Captain Brody and barely kept her clothes on. Some sparks between those two. It’s true I wanted that handsome boy for her, but I’ve never seen Melissa act like this with anyone. You should have seen the way they looked when they came back in the room. Oh, it was sweet. And Ella’s face—she looked like she was sucking on a pickled egg. She’s really not such a bad girl. She’s spoiled and needs a good spanking. I wish Melissa would stand up to her. But Melissa’s a funny one. With all her brains, all her qualities, I don’t know why she hides herself away. Not with Brody, though, I’ll tell you that much. Oh . . .” The pain surged, and it was a minute before she could think again.
“Oh yeah, Melissa and Brody. I heard them talking out there in the hall—and don’t try to tell me it’s eavesdropping when I was sitting right there at the table—and she was letting him have it, but good. Oh, she’s going to mess this up, I just know it. And don’t be pestering me, I know time’s running out. I’ve got to hurry things along. Make sure she doesn’t drive the poor man away. And see that she doesn’t get into one of her stubborn fits and decide he’s not her ‘type.’ These girls today, it’s a mystery to me how any of them ever gets married. Back in my day, we didn’t have ‘types.’ Men were all about the same, until you found the one you just couldn’t live without. That was you, for me. Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Brody’s the one for Melissa.”
Another pang struck deep.
“I know, I know. Not much longer. I’ll just have to do what I can.” After that, she drifted into a dream in which she and Leon shared a hot fudge sundae, and he gave her his cheeky wink, and said his favorite thing. You want some sugar? Come on up here and I’ll give you a big old heapful
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