Hero In Disguise

“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 with me if something comes up. Just make yourselves at home, please.”

She knew that he was doing his best to make things go as smoothly as possible for her and the boys. Having two kids like Eric and Richie running riot in a beautiful home like this would test anyone’s Christian charity.

“We’ll behave like guests whether you are here or not,” she assured him. “Don’t worry. Everything will be in one piece when you get back, I promise. Have a safe trip.”

He smiled at her. “Thank you. I can’t remember the last time someone said that to me.”

She turned away quickly, sensing something in the situation that could pull them across the line they’d drawn between them.

David left early the next day, and while he was gone the boys settled into a routine of outdoor play, naps and quiet time. Melissa finished two articles and put them in the mail to her magazine editor. She liked to write two months ahead on her assignments, which gave her some leeway to research her book. There were moments when the uncertainty of the boys’ future worried her, but she firmly lectured herself: “Let go and let God.” Everything was in His hands. Lord, give me patience, she prayed, and then added with a chuckle, “And, please, give it to me right now.”

Inga seemed happy to have her company when she popped in the kitchen for a cup of tea. The housekeeper liked to chat, and Melissa’s curiosity was satisfied by some of the stories Inga told her about David, his parents and their hope that he would be governor someday.

David leaned back in his seat as the governor’s private plane climbed into the air and headed northeast. They were scheduled to arrive in Denver about four o’clock, and the cabin was filled with tired members of the governor’s staff. They had been on the go for two days, and David had a briefcase filled with more work when he got back. Not tonight, he thought, anticipating getting home before dark for a change.

“David, I’m handling the reservations for next week’s fund-raiser,” Stella Day said as she stopped beside his seat with a pencil and pad in her hand. “We need to know how many tables to reserve for the governor’s staff. I’m putting you down for two places.”

“Two?” David raised an eyebrow, but he knew what was coming. His unattached status was never overlooked when it came to these political affairs.

“The governor wants you to escort the daughter of one of the speakers. Not bad-looking, I hear. Should be more of a pleasure than a chore,” Stella promised.

“Sorry, I’ve already asked someone,” he lied, deciding that when he showed up alone, he could say the lady had been indisposed. “You’ll have to find another escort to do the honors.”

“Who is she?”

“You don’t know her.”

Stella studied him. “You’re lying, David.”

“Am I?” he asked with a challenging smile.

She let out an exasperated breath. “You know how important these contacts are. An eligible bachelor like you should venture out of that shell you’ve put around yourself and start dating. I could give you a list of charming eligible women a mile long. Why don’t you let yourself go? Get out and do some socializing?”

“I don’t have time,” David said flatly.

“Make time,” Stella told him, and walked away sighing.

He knew he’d have to attend the elegant affair, which was to be held at one of Denver’s fashionable hotels. Stella was right: it wouldn’t sit well if he showed up alone when the governor wanted him to escort another lady. David didn’t know when the idea struck him to ask Melissa to be his date, but almost immediately he dismissed it. Of course she’d refuse. She’d hesitated even to move into his house until he’d made it clear that he would hardly be around. Still, the prospect of spending an evening with her kept nagging at him. He didn’t doubt for a moment that she would be a delightful dinner partner and could hold her own conversationally with anyone at the table.

By the time the plane landed and he drove home, he had decided to wait a few days before mentioning the social affair. In the meantime, he’d try to get more involved with the boys, a sure way to win her approval.

His good intentions were almost immediately reduced to ashes, when he came into a small utility room off the garage and nearly tripped over a mangy, flea-bitten, stray dog. The mutt was as startled as David. He lurched up on skinny legs, peered at him with round dark eyes through a tangle of dirty brown hair, and backed away from David, barking and growling.

Eric and Richie came bursting through a door that led to the back hall. “Scruffy! Scruffy!” Falling to their knees beside the straggly, long-haired dog, they engulfed him in a protective hug and glared up at David.

As Melissa hurried into the room, David demanded in a sharp tone, “Explain this, please.”

She moistened her lips. “I’ll try. Boys, go outside with the dog for a little while.”

“He’s ours,” Richie yelled at David.

“We adopted him,” Eric added fervently. “He’s like us. He ain’t got a home.”

Melissa didn’t look at David as she scooted the boys and the dog into the backyard. She knew that her weakness over the stray dog was going to create friction all the way around. Obviously, David was going to put his foot down about keeping the mutt, and the boys didn’t need one more heartbreak in their young lives. She silently prayed for the right words as she went back inside the house to face a glowering David.

He was in the kitchen with Inga, and she was talking to him about dinner. “I baked some stuffed pork chops and potatoes, just in case you made it home in time to eat. The kind of meals you have at those political junkets of yours don’t fill up a man the way they should.”

“Actually I’m not all that hungry,” he said, allowing a wave of weariness to sweep over him. It had been an exhausting trip and all he wanted was to come home to some peace and quiet. He had already decided to put off the confrontation about the dog until later when his nerves weren’t so raw. He liked to handle problems in a detached way, and he felt anything but detached about keeping a mangy stray dog—boys, or no boys!

“Why don’t you go upstairs and freshen up,” Inga coaxed like a mother hen. “I can set the dining room table for you and Melissa, and feed Eric and Richie in the kitchen. Both of you look as if you could use some quiet time. And you need to settle this dog thing, ya?”

David allowed himself a weak smile. “Ya.”

“Good. Now, out of my kitchen, both of you. Dinner in half an hour.”

David and Melissa exchanged smiles as Inga banished them from her kitchen.

When David came downstairs, he was surprised to see Melissa already seated at the dining room table. She had changed into a simple pink dress revealing her tanned arms and shoulders, and her raven-dark hair glistened in the soft light from an overhead chandelier. She looked lovely. Pleasure sluiced through him and his evening took a brighter turn as he looked at her.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said quickly, taking a chair opposite her.

“You didn’t. I was trying to get the boys settled in the kitchen, and Inga ordered me out.” Melissa laughed.

“Inga insisted they eat with her and Hans tonight. She put Hans at the table between them, so I guess everything’s under control.”

“We can always hope,” he said dryly, and then quickly changed the subject. He wasn’t ready to spoil the evening so soon. The subject of the dog could wait a while, but there was no “question” in his mind about it—the dog had to go.

“How is the writing coming?” he asked politely.

As they talked for a few minutes about her current assignment, she realized what a polished dinner companion he was. He kept the conversation moving, asking questions and listening to her answers with a soft smile on his face.

As he leaned toward her, his slightly damp hair was burnished by the light’s glow into shades of golden brown. He wore tailored brown slacks and an expensive chambray shirt open at the neck.

“I decided to go freelance because I felt called to write my women’s book,” she told him as she reached for a crystal water glass and took a sip.

“‘Called’?” He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s an interesting word.”

“Yes, I believe that there is a divine pattern in our lives. If we will only let go and let God, surprising things will happen. Haven’t you ever felt that a coincidence is not that at all?”

Inga’s entrance with a loaded tray saved him from getting into any discussion of her naive beliefs. As he looked at her, Melissa’s eyes were sparkling with such sincerity, he didn’t have the heart to argue that it was up to an individual to make things happen in his or her life, not some far-off deity.

As expected, the meal was delicious, perfectly prepared, and the beautiful dining room with its richly paneled walls lent a kind of magic to the whole evening. Melissa had trouble believing that she was sitting there in the company of a handsome and entertaining host who took all this elegance for granted. She hid a secret smile as she imagined him sitting at her marred Formica table on chairs that were losing their stuffing.

Once in a while she could hear Eric’s and Richie’s childish voices in the kitchen, and, although she missed them, she was grateful for the reprieve from their less-than-polished eating habits.

By the time they had finished their deep-dish apple pie and their after-dinner coffee, they had grown more comfortable in each other’s presence. Once again the idea came to David to ask Melissa to be his companion for the fund-raiser. He knew she’d be a perfect companion for the evening. Undoubtedly it would be a different experience for her, with all the handshaking and back-slapping, but she would charm them with her lovely eyes and sweet smile. And if tonight was any test, for a change he would finally enjoy himself at one of these political affairs.

He wondered why he suddenly felt more self-conscious asking her to go with him than he would have approaching a formidable dignitary. “I would like to ask a favor of you, Melissa.”

Melissa waited, wondering why he suddenly seemed ill at ease. This private time together had gone well, hadn’t it? Had she missed something? Was he going to ask her and the boys to move out of the house?

“Please, feel free to say no. There’s an important political fund-raiser next weekend. It’s a reception, banquet, and a national dinner speaker. I have to go.” He cleared his throat. “And I’m expected to take someone with me. I was wondering—hoping, really, that you might consider going as my dinner partner. The food will be lousy, I can promise you that, but you might find the political circus entertaining.”

She had to smile at his not very persuasive presentation. “It sounds interesting, but I wouldn’t be comfortable at that kind of thing. Sorry.”

“As a writer, I would have thought you’d be open to new experiences.” Her flat refusal didn’t surprise him but he wasn’t about to accept it without an argument.

“My life is already full of new experiences,” she countered. Sitting here in this elegant dining room with him was one of them. She pretended interest in her coffee as she took another sip. She knew it wasn’t the challenge of spending an evening with Denver’s rich and influential that was making her say no. It was the idea of going out with the esteemed David Ardell as his date that brought an instant refusal. He moved in elite social circles. The society pages were filled with the kind of women and social events that were a part of his life. She didn’t belong in that kind of society whirl, now or ever.

“Thank you for the invitation.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too.” He could tell from the finality in her tone that further discussion was pointless. “All right, then, I guess we’d better move on to the problem at hand. The dog.”

She met his eyes. “Yes, let’s talk about the dog. I want to explain what happened.”

He leaned back in his chair. “Please do. Never in my life have I seen a more disreputable creature. It is really beyond me why you would allow the boys to have anything to do with it.”

“I really didn’t have much choice. The boys were playing in the backyard, and I was keeping an eye on them through the window. Inga set out a plate of sandwiches and some drinks on the patio table, and I intended to join them as soon as I finished what I was working on. The next time I looked out, I saw Eric and Richie on the grass with this dog, feeding him their sandwiches.” She drew in a deep breath. “Apparently he came to the gate, whined and wanted in. You can guess the rest. The poor thing was starved.”

“Why not feed him and then call Animal Control?”

“How could I? Before I knew it, the boys were pouring love on the stray as if they’d found something to make their lives less bleak. I told them the dog was the scruffiest-looking thing I’d ever seen, and they started calling him Scruffy. I think they identify with him because they’ve been hungry and alone. I just couldn’t take the dog away from them.”

“Well, I can,” David said firmly. He’d never had a dog. Never wanted one. His mother had said they were nothing but nuisances and he agreed. “No dogs.”

“We could keep him in the backyard and utility room. With a bath and trim, he might even look presentable,” she argued.

“Be sensible about this, Melissa,” he said as gently as his irritation would allow. “We’ve got two children to place, and so far, the investigator hasn’t come up with any relative who might take them. As long as the children are here, there’ll be no dog.”

She looked at him with a stubborn set to her chin. “Let’s make a deal. I’ll go with you to the fund-raiser if you’ll let the boys keep the dog.”

He wanted to laugh. The idea that he would even be open to such an absurd bargain was ridiculous, and he couldn’t believe that he didn’t flatly reject the offer. “What kind of a deal is that?”

“A good one, don’t you think? You get what you want, and the boys get what they want.”

“And what do you get?” he asked with a teasing smile.

She grinned. “A chance to wear the new dress I just bought.”

As his gaze swept over her animated, smiling face, he knew that, dog or no dog, he wasn’t about to turn down the trade she’d offered. “It’s a deal. Shall we shake on it?”

“Is that how you lawyers seal important deals like this one?” she asked.

“Absolutely.” As she slipped her hand in his, he was tempted to let his fingers lightly stroke her soft smooth skin but he knew better. She wasn’t the kind to engage in any casual dalliance, and he wasn’t going to jeopardize the chance to spend an evening with Melissa instead of some boring debutante.

He couldn’t quite figure out why she intrigued him so much, but he suspected that once the boys were placed, there was little chance their paths would cross again.

Chapter Four

The next morning when Melissa and the boys went down for breakfast, the dog was gone.

“Gone?” Melissa said in disbelief when Scruffy was nowhere to be seen. The boys began to wail loudly.

“You lied!” Eric clenched his little fists. “You said we could keep him.”

Richie’s dark eyes suddenly filled with tears. “I liked Scruffy. He was a neat dog. Why did you let someone take him away?”

“I’m sure there must be some mistake,” Melissa soothed, trying to keep her own anger under control. She’d heard David’s car leave early, so he must have decided to dispose of the dog before the boys got up. He’d skipped out of the house before the ax could fall. She couldn’t believe that he’d gone back on the deal they’d made. Apparently he’d decided her company at the fund-raiser wasn’t worth the hassle of putting up with a scrawny mutt for a few days.

Inga came into the breakfast room with a puzzled look on her face. “What’s all the fuss about?”

Melissa tried to keep her voice even. Nothing would be gained by lighting into the housekeeper. “What did David do with the dog, Inga?”

“Oh, he told Hans to take him to some dog place.”

“The dog pound?” Melissa asked, almost choking on the words.

“No, not the pound. You know, one of those place where they give dogs baths and trim them up nice. Hans was supposed to take the dog to the vet for some shots, too.”

As a surge of relief swept over Melissa, she was surprised at her own quick reaction to think the worst. In fact, she was a little ashamed. David had been more than gracious to put up with this invasion of his home and privacy, and he had every right to protest keeping the dog. Melissa felt guilty about the way she had judged him, when, instead, he was spending money on the dog for grooming and shots. She was as bad as the boys.

“What happened to Scruffy?” Eric demanded, not understanding Inga’s explanation and looking as worried as ever.

“It’s all right, boys,” Melissa assured them. She explained where Hans had taken the dog and why. She joked that they might have to change Scruffy’s name to fit his new looks. “David just wanted to make sure the dog was all nice and clean and healthy.”

“He must like Scruffy,” Eric said, suddenly happy, his lips curving in a soft smile.

“David’s a good guy,” Richie agreed, in an instant change of heart.

Inga just shook her head. “Wonders never cease. A dog in the house. Heaven help us. I don’t know what’s gotten into David to allow it.” Her clear eyes held a knowing glint as she looked at Melissa and added, “And then again, maybe I do.”

The way the housekeeper was looking at her made Melissa stiffen. Surely the housekeeper didn’t think that there was anything personal in allowing the boys to keep the dog. While she was trying to decide how to respond, Inga gave a teasing laugh.

“David spoke to me about keeping the boys on Friday night while you two go out,” she said. “He wants his tux put in order and his silver cuff links polished. My, my, such a to-do.” Inga’s eyes held a merry sparkle as she asked solemnly, “Will you be needing my help getting ready for the special occasion? Your dating the governor’s counselor will raise a few eyebrows.”