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,