Emmett by Diana Palmer Page A

tears on the back of his hand. “Melody cried all night. I heard her. I thought it would serve her right, because of Mom. But it made me feel awful.”
    â€œIt made her feel pretty awful, too.”
    â€œI know.” He looked up at his father. “What’ll I do?”
    Emmett thought for a minute. “Go to bed. I’ve got an idea. We’ll talk some more tomorrow.”
    â€œWe’re going home, aren’t we?”
    â€œYes. Tomorrow afternoon. But first, in the morning, I want to make a few phone calls.”
    Â 
    He made eight phone calls before he got the information he wanted. His head had stopped throbbing and he felt much better. Leaving the kids with a babysitter—not the elderly one of two nights ago—he went downstairs and hailed a cab.
    Melody was just hanging up the telephone when she heard the outer office door open. She looked up with a smile ready for the client coming in. But it wasn’t a client; it was Emmett. And under his arm was a big, straggly-looking orange tabby cat.
    â€œAlistair!”
    She scrambled up from the desk, tears of joy streaming down her face. “Alistair! Oh, Alistair…!”
    She took the cat from Emmett and kissed Alistair and hugged him and petted him and stroked him in such delight that Emmett felt even worse than he had when Guy told him what he’d done. Seeing Melody vulnerable like this touched him. It was as shocking as it had been to see Guy in tears.
    â€œWhere did you find him?” she choked, big-eyed.
    He touched her cheek gently. “At the local pound,” he said. He didn’t add that the shelter had been in a state of chaos and the cat had inadvertently been scheduled for premature termination. That wouldn’t do at all. “I suppose you know that it was Guy who let him out.”
    â€œI know,” she said.
    â€œIt’s my fault more than his,” he murmured reluctantly. “I’ve blamed everyone for Adell, especially you.I couldn’t stand to admit that she left because of me, because she didn’t love me. I stayed away too much. The kids and the loneliness killed our marriage.”
    â€œNot the kids,” she replied, clutching Alistair. “Adell loves the children. She’d love to have them visit, but…” She paused.
    â€œBut I wouldn’t let her near them. That’s right,” he agreed tersely. “I hated her, too. Her, and your brother and you. Everybody.”
    â€œYou were hurt,” she said softly, her eyes searching his. “We all understood. Even Adell.”
    His jaw went taut. He took a deep breath and looked over her head. “We’re flying out this afternoon. I have to go.”
    â€œThank you for my cat,” she said sincerely. In a fever of gratitude and without thinking of the consequences, she reached up and touched her soft lips fervently to his chin.
    Shocked at the look it produced on his lean, dark face, and not a little by her own behavior, she drew back at once.
    He looked down at her curiously, stunned. When she began to step away, his lean hand caught her shoulder and stopped the slow movement.
    â€œNo,” he said hesitantly, searching her soft, dark eyes while his heart began to race in his chest. “Not yet, Melody.”
    While she was getting her breath, he let his gaze drop abruptly to her soft, parted mouth and his big hand moved up to her chin, gently cupping it as he tilted her face up.
    His thumb moved hesitantly over her full lower lip. “I’ve…wondered,” he whispered as his head began to lower. “Haven’t you?”
    She didn’t get the chance to reply. His mouth slowly closed on hers with tender, confident mastery. It was firm, and hard and a little rough. She let her eyes close and stopped breathing. She’d been kissed, but just the touch of a man’s lips had never been quite so vivid. It had to be because of the antagonism they’d felt