MELODY’S KNIGHT
by
Bonnie Blythe
A Contemporary Christian Romance
Smashwords Edition copyright 2010.
All rights reserved.
Cover by Magyar Design
Photo © Alexey Fursov | Dreamstime.com
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Chapter One
Melody Laurent felt tense, edgy and restless. She should never have watched that western love story DVD tonight. It had been too romantic, too happy. And the villain, the dreadful Black Bart, had been too darkly handsome; reminding her she had no romance, no man in her life.
She prowled around her flat, hardly noticing the rose papered walls, the gaily covered pillows on her forest green couch or the lace curtains gracing the windows. Nor the Limited Edition plate of Charles and Di on their wedding day. A gift from her mum, it hung over the kitchen table. Underneath sat a teapot covered with a bright red tea cosy. One of many that had been laboriously knitted during another evening of frustrated domesticity.
Melody stopped suddenly in front of the plate portrait of the Prince and Princess of Wales. It should have been happily ever after, she thought sadly. What’s the use of dreaming if it doesn’t last forever? On impulse, Melody removed the plate from the wall and took it over to the closet. On a nail left there by a previous renter, she hung the plate on the inside of the closet door, firmly closing the door when she finished.
She rubbed her arms and peeked out the window. A full moon rode high in the sky, illuminating the rain-washed streets below. From her window she could just see the edge of the neighborhood park.
A walk would do her a world of good. Melody glanced at the clock, a reproduction of one from Victoria Station. Eight o’clock. Not so late for a walk in the park. Before she could lecture herself on the safety issues of a solitary female strolling in the dark, she grabbed her blue cardigan. Swinging it around her shoulders, she slipped away from her building.
The air still felt warm, but Melody knew this Indian summer couldn’t last much longer. Soon the chill of autumn would be in the air. The leaves would begin to shimmer with gold, red and burnt orange colors, reminding her of her hometown in South Hampton, England. And although her new town of Milwaukie in Northwest Oregon resembled England with regard to the weather, she still had not fully acclimated to her new life in America in the past year.
Melody ran an impatient hand through her mop of brown curls. Tonight she couldn’t blame the weather or culture shock for making her feel out of sorts. It had more to do with her biological clock. Tick, tick, tick. And while she had to admit twenty-six wasn’t precisely old, it was well beyond Melody’s goal of being a wife and mother by age twenty-two. All her life she’d desired nothing more than to be a mum with a house full of kids. But even in this modern age of technology, she still needed a man to make her dreams come true. At least on her budget.
Men. Some were beastly creatures. But that didn’t stop her from wanting to marry one of them. She had great hopes of finding romance with a red-blooded American male, whatever that was. Something extremely desirable according to her best friend Nikky Anderson who’d recently married one herself. But so far the men here seemed no more interested in Melody Laurent than they’d been in England.
The streetlights combined with a full moon gave enough light to ease any safety concerns as she stepped onto the stone path of the park. She also noticed she wasn’t alone. A couple occupied one of the benches and a woman walking a wheezing Pekingese passed by on the other side. As Melody strolled along the winding paths among the trees, she prayed silently about what lay so heavily on her heart. I want to be married, Lord. I want to raise a family. That’s not asking too much, right?
She could acknowledge part of her need for a family was to make up for the lack in her own childhood. Her parents were an older couple already set in their ways by the time she’d arrived. And spending the bulk of her youth in a boarding school deepened the feeling of loneliness. A loneliness she was convinced a family of her own could banish. For the most part, her job as a secretary in a local detective agency, her church activities, and her friendships kept such thoughts at bay. But tonight she felt more anxious than usual. Crawling out of her skin was more like it.
Melody, disgusted with her desperation, stopped and leaned against a huge old redwood tree. She took a deep breath and struggled to get a proper perspective on things. She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. God, you are sufficient for all my needs and I thank you for your salvation and the wonderful fellowship I have with you. I’ll stop obsessing about marriage and trust you that things will work out according to your timing. Feeling comforted, she breathed an ‘amen’.
Suddenly, Melody felt something bounce off the toe of her shoe. She opened her eyes and peering down in the darkness, saw a sparkle. She bent over and wonderingly picked up what was obviously a diamond engagement ring. A gurgle of laughter escaped her lips as her eyes scanned the park area. Well, God, now all I need is the man!
“What did you do that for?” asked the statuesque blonde woman in a shocked voice.
Avery Knight pulled down the brim of his black cowboy hat, his expression grim. “What good is the ring to me if you don’t want it?”
The woman pouted and ran a manicured finger along Avery’s jean jacket collar. “Silly, just because I don’t want to get married, doesn’t mean I don’t want us to be together.”
Avery took a step back and pushed his hands into his pockets. “I care about you, Cindy. I thought you cared for me. There’s an order to these things.”
Cindy crossed her arms and gave a flirtatious smile. “You’re so deliciously old-fashioned, Avery. But I’m just not ready to be tied down right now. I thought you understood that.”
“And I thought you’d changed.”
Cindy’s smile became brittle. “And what is that suppose to mean?”
Avery sighed and rubbed his face. “You came to church with me a few times...” His voice trailed away and he looked down at the tops of his cowboy boots.
“Are you saying that you thought I ‘got religion’?” She gave a harsh bark of laughter and shook her head. “Honey, you have it bad. No man is worth that.” She reached up and patted him on the cheek. “Are you sure we couldn’t work something out?” she asked in a suggestive tone.
Avery winced at her touch and gave her a cold look. Cindy released an exaggerated sigh, heavy with regret. In a low voice she said, “You have my number if you ever get lonely.”
Then she turned and walked away, a beguiling figure in the moonlight.
Melody stood rooted to the spot, her eyes fastened on the tableau twenty feet before her. She’d heard every word but shock and amazement stopped her from reacting immediately. After a moment, she watched the man turn up the collar of his jacket and stalk out of the park.
A myriad of thoughts and emotions tumbled through her brain.
He’s not going to look for the ring.
He must feel awful being rejected so harshly.
And why would a religious person propose to a non-believer for in the first place?
Melody glanced down at the ring in her hand. Judging by the size of the diamond, the fellow didn’t make a lot of money. Or maybe in his heart of hearts he didn’t believe he’d be accepted and so didn’t want to outlay a lot of cash until he knew she was committed. Whatever the reason, Melody needed to return the ring to him. Perhaps he needed the money he could get by way of a refund.
On the heels of that thought came the realization that she didn’t know him or where he resided. Glancing up, she saw him just as he disappeared into the shadows across the street.
Melody jammed the ring in her pocket and dashed through the park and out on the other side. She froze when she saw him enter the main entrance of the three-story building where she lived. Could he possibly be a tenant there? And if so, how could she have missed him? She judged him to be a good foot taller than her own five foot-two stature. He wasn’t someone easily overlooked.
She followed quickly enough up the stairs and down the hall to see him pull out a key to open the door of a flat two doors down from hers. His door shut with a resounding slam. Melody reconsidered her plan to knock on his door and return the ring. Just before he’d gone inside, she’d caught a glimpse of his expression. Although she couldn’t say with certainty what he looked like, his dark visage didn’t bode well for anyone with the cheek to approach him. Herself included.
Melody decided to wait until morning to return the ring. Perhaps by then he’d be in a more receptive mood.
***
Sunlight streamed through the lace sheers of Melody’s bedroom window the next morning. As she opened her eyes and struggled to sit up, she remembered the occurrence of the night before. A glance at the little porcelain clock on her antique nightstand told her she’d slept in again. But since it was Saturday there’d be no frantic race to get ready for work.
Melody heaved a sigh of relief and stumbled out of bed, not for the first time wishing she was a morning person like her disciplined friend Nikky. But she had a task to take care of today. She had to give back that ring.
After a hot shower and breakfast of fresh scones, Melody felt more refreshed. She stood in front of her wardrobe and wondered what the correct outfit might be for returning a ring to the jilted party. Finally she settled on a lavender blouse with three-quarter length sleeves worn out over a pair of purple checked, daisy print Capri pants. Chunky sandals adorned with pretty daisies completed the ensemble. After fluffing her curls and applying a touch of makeup, Melody felt as prepared as possible for her foray into a decidedly awkward situation.
She gave the ring a quick inspection in the daylight before slipping it into her pants pocket. Melody wondered if the man was a newer tenant. She herself had been there for the past year and was only recently on her own as her roommate, Nikky, was now on her honeymoon with her husband in Hawaii.
The trip from her door to the man’s lasted about three seconds. Melody stopped and wondered what to say when she saw him. Should she just hand it over without a word? Perhaps she should slide it under the door. But Melody’s nosey nature prevailed. There was an interesting story here and she was dying to know the details.
She knocked firmly and cleared her throat. After a moment, the door suddenly swung open and Melody took an involuntary step backward at the sight that met her eyes.
“Black Bart,” she whispered in awe. While not precisely handsome, the male in front of her was attractive in a frightening sort of way.
The man gave her a dark look and said testily, “There’s no Bart here. You have the wrong place.”
“Wait!” Melody cried when he started to shove the door closed. “I have something of yours.”
While her eyes took in the tall figure in the doorway, his black disheveled hair, heavy black eyebrows and dark five o’clock shadow at odds with his striking light green eyes, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring.
When the man saw it in her hand, he pinned her with his laser green stare, making her feel physically impaled. Perhaps the juicy details of the story would have to wait for another time.
“Where did you get this?” he demanded in a gravelly voice that sent delicious shivers down her spine, plucking it from her palm.
“I...I found it in the park last night. It landed on my shoe after you...disposed of it.”
“Were you eavesdropping or spying or something?” He peered suspiciously around her shoulders. “You’re not from one of those secret video taping outfits are you?”
She shook her head. “I was just walking there last night and....”
Melody’s eyes widened at the intriguing muscles rippling in his arm when he jammed the ring in the front pocket of his jeans. She swallowed and resisted the temptation to reach out and touch that sinewy arm. He wore a snug dark blue T-shirt emblazoned with the name of a local fire-fighting brigade.
Melody decided this was one firefighter she wouldn’t mind being rescued by. And he’d look even better standing at the end of the aisle in a church.
Chapter Two
In the split second it took for Melody to size the stranger up for his wedding tux, a blur of golden fur suddenly erupted past the door, tripping her up mid-fantasy. She toppled painfully onto her backside, just catching a glimpse of a golden retriever puppy gamboling down the hall.
“Barney!” roared the man, tripping over Melody in an effort to get out his door. The puppy paused, took one look at his master, then turned tail and ran. Melody didn’t blame the dog a bit after the thunderous look his master sent him. In the next moment, that thunderous look was directed at her.
Melody scrambled to her feet. Desiring to redeem herself in the eyes of the stranger, she took off down the hall after the puppy, nearly tripping all the way down the stairs in her haste. A tenant entering in the main street door, stood stock still at the sight of a dog and two humans running straight for him.
“Shut that door!” bellowed Black Bart.
Too late. The puppy shot past the tenant, who jumped out of the way at the last moment. Melody and Bart collided with each other as they tried to push through the entrance at the same time. Melody yielded. Outside, Bart’s gaze raked the surrounding area.
Melody caught sight of a flash of gold after hearing several cars honk their horns. “The park!”
They rushed across the street, weaving through traffic, and raced into the park grounds. Slowed by her impractical shoes, Melody took the opportunity to take in the vision of the athletic firefighter chasing after his naughty puppy. Barney proved elusive as he dodged and feinted just out of reach of his master’s hands.
Bart made one mighty lunge and nearly had the dog by the collar. But Barney slipped from his grasp and raced away in the other direction. Melody saw her chance. Just as Barney drew up along side of her, she dove for him. She cried with delight when her hand closed around the leather collar. The dog made one last attempt at freedom but only succeeded in yanking Melody so hard, she fell over flat onto her stomach in the grass with a graceless Ooomph!
Bart ran up, breathing heavily and grabbed the dog.
“Bad Barney!” he chastised.
Melody, gasping for air, rolled over onto her back and surveyed the pair of them. “Bad Barney and Black Bart.” She erupted into a fit of giggles.
The man straightened up and looked down at her, seeming to really see her for the first time. With one hand securely holding the wayward puppy, he reached out with the other and pulled Melody to her feet.
“My name is Avery Knight, not Black Bart,” he said, giving her an odd look.
“Melody Laurent,” she replied, still holding tightly to his hand. “We’re neighbors.”
He nodded toward his dog. “Thanks for grabbing him. This isn’t the first time he’s escaped and the last time it took me over an hour to catch him.”
Avery’s smile completely altered his face, leaving her breathless--which had nothing to do with her exertions. When he glanced down at their joined hands with a raised brow, Melody let go and blushed. “Bob’s your uncle,” she murmured, discreetly brushing off her backside.
“What?”
Melody peeked up at him. “No problem. About helping you with your dog, I mean.”
“I see,” he said, obviously perplexed.
They walked back to their building together, Barney acting like he’d graduated top in his class from obedience school. Avery seemed distracted and didn’t bother with conversation. Melody wracked her brain for a way to prolong time spent with her new neighbor. But as they made they way down their hallway, no bright ideas came into her mind.
“Thanks again,” Avery said with a bland smile.
Melody watched sadly as he opened his door. She breathed out a little sigh, cheering herself with the idea that she would have many other chances to run into him in the future. She opened the door of her flat and went inside. But when she attempted to close the door, something forced it ajar.
“Barney!” came Avery’s outraged voice from the hall.
Melody saw with delight the fat little body of Barney wiggling his way through her door. He ran in excited circles around the living room, yapping wildly, before disappearing into her bedroom. In the next moment, Avery burst through the door.
He stood in the entryway, suddenly seeming unsure of himself. “Uh, Melanie? Marina? Hello?”
Stifling a feeling of disappointment, Melody came from behind the door and pushed it closed. Avery spun around at the sound.
“It’s Melody.”
“Oh. Sorry to barge in like that. Did you see where he went?”
“Into my bedroom.”
Was it her imagination or did he blush? “Wait here, I’ll go get him,” she said.
Melody went cautiously into her room and looked around. No Barney. She checked the bathroom, her closet and behind all the furniture, shoving some dirty laundry into the hamper as she went. Finally, she got down on her hands and knees and peered under the bed. Barney hunkered down in the farthest reaches under her king size antique bed frame.
“Any luck?” she heard Avery call from the other room.
Melody stood and went out to the living room. “He’s under my bed and I can’t reach him. Do you want to give it a try?”
Looking ill at ease, he said, “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Shaking her head, Melody led the way into her bedroom. Avery crouched and looked under the bed. “Barney, come here!” He got onto his stomach and stretched his arm as far as he could. Barney crept away from his grasp. “Can you go on the other side? If we both reach, one of us should be able to grab him.”
Melody complied and pushing away boxes of stored items, stretched her arm toward Barney. Unfortunately the size of the bed and Barney’s reticence at being caught made their attempts futile. With dismay, she saw Barney had had a little accident under there. How in the world would she clean it up? Her bed weighed a ton.
Avery tried cooing to lure him out. When that didn’t work, he growled menacingly, threatening the hapless pup until even he realized it was useless. Avery quickly got to his feet, slapping a hand on his thigh in disgust.
“Perhaps, if we waited a few minutes?” Melody ventured. “He might come out on his own if we leave the room.”
Avery shrugged and stalked out of the room. She followed and before he could suggest he leave, she put out a hand to him as a glimmering of an idea came to her. “Mr. Knight.”
“Avery.”
“Avery.” She gestured toward the living room. “Won’t you have a stay for a moment? Since you’re obviously new to the building, allow me to make you some tea and we can get acquainted.”
He made a noise that sounded remarkably like a grunt and gingerly sat on the edge of her yellow and teal cabbage rose print overstuffed armchair. Melody sprang into action, moving quickly in her brightly painted kitchen. She put the kettle on to boil and warmed scones she’d made earlier that morning, thankful she had something homemade on hand. Since her life ambition was to be a homemaker, she took seriously the adage that a way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.
“How long have you lived here?” Avery asked, stretching out his long legs in front of him.
Gratified to see him relaxing somewhat, Melody said, “Nearly a year now. I came for a visit of a friend and ended up staying.”
“I’ve only been here about two weeks. So far it’s been pretty nice.”
In Melody’s mind, the value of her apartment just skyrocketed. She smiled and set teacups and saucers on a wicker tray. “Where did you move from? Someplace here in town?”
“I grew up in Eastern Oregon and had a job there with the county fire department. But with all the cutbacks, I was let go. I came to the city looking for work and praise God, I got a job within the first couple of days.”
Melody shot him an inquisitive look. “So you’re a Christian then?” One had to be sure about these things, she reminded herself.
“Yes ma’am, for three years,” he said with a surprisingly sweet smile. “And you?”
“Yes, sir,” she teased. “It’s been about two years for me.” Melody felt warm all over at this wonderful news. Now she had a divine endorsement on her new neighbor. The thought caused her to spill a little milk as she poured it into a creamer.
“What part of England do you come from?” Avery asked.
“Ah! Clever fellow! I was asked only last week if I was from Australia.” Melody deftly folded two cotton napkins and added them to the tray. “I grew up in South Hampton, which is north of London near Portsmouth.”
“I’ve been there. I once went to Europe with my parents and they have friends in South Hampton. I especially liked the picturesque towns.”
Melody looked up in surprise. “When were you there?”
“About eight years ago.”
Too bad, she thought. If she hadn’t been mewed up in that boarding school, she might have had a chance at him then. Melody smiled at her silliness. She’d been barely eighteen then.
The timer rang on the oven and she pulled out a pan of warmed scones. Melody placed them on china plates, carefully slicing them open and filling them with butter and clotted Devonshire cream. After spooning homemade raspberry preserves into a small bowl and picking up the tray, she paused before carrying it into the living room.
Melody wanted to savor this moment. A man, and she felt sure he was of the so-called red-blooded variety, sat at his ease in her chair, looking as if he absolutely belonged there, waiting to partake of nourishment from her hands. She took a deep breath, imprinting the image on her mind forever. Unless things took a turn for the better in her love life, this memory might be all she’d have to comfort herself with in her declining years.
Avery looked up as she entered the room and set the tray on the coffee table.
“Wow, this looks great. I haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“How do you take your tea?” Melody enquired politely.
Avery smiled. “With milk and lots of sugar. I like sweet things.”
Biting her lip with suppressed pleasure, she prepared his cup and handed it to him. Forgetting her own tea, she drank in the sight of his large tanned hands carefully bringing the delicate china cup to his lips. She leaned over with a plate. “Have a scone.”
***
Half an hour later, amid light chit-chat, Avery had downed five scones and three cups of tea. After licking his fingers, he leaned back in the chair and groaned.
“That was fantastic, Melody. Especially in comparison to my usual breakfast of Lucky Charms.”
Dizzy with delight, Melody smiled kindly and said, “Anytime you feel like tea, pop over for a bit. If I’m home, that is. I work in an office from nine to five on weekdays.”
“I just might take you up on that.” After wiping his mouth and hands with his napkin, he reached into his front pocket and pulled out his apartment key. Along with it came the engagement ring, which fell to the floor.
Melody noticed a red flush creep up his neck as he picked it up. “You’re probably wondering why I threw this thing away,” he said with a sigh.
She said nothing, hoping he would oblige her and fill in some details, especially now that his appetite was sated.
Avery sagged against the cushions of the chair. “I don’t know how much you saw or heard last night.” He looked up at her with a lop-sided smile that tugged at her heart. “But my proposal of marriage was turned down flat.”
Melody leaned forward with her chin in her hands, her eyes fastened on his face. “I’m so sorry,” she murmured sympathetically. Uh huh.
“It really threw me for a loop when she said no.” He gave a harsh laugh. “Maybe she didn’t like the ring.”
Melody tapped her finger against her lips. “A question. Are you by any chance having financial difficulties?”
Avery’s brows snapped together. “What do you mean?”
“Only that I noticed the stone in the ring is a trifle small. Nearly nonexistent as far as I can tell. In fact, you’ll notice they’ve made some little etchings on the metal to make it appear that the diamond is bigger. It’s really rather deceptive, don’t you think? Perhaps this Cindy had hoped for something more substantial. Not to imply that she’s a shallow sort, of course, but that could be one explanation.”
Avery mouth opened but no sound came out. His lips thinned and his face darkened.
Seeing his expression, Melody quickly attempted to explain further. “What I mean to say is that perhaps since the girl wasn’t a Christian...I mean that’s what I assumed from the conversation. That said, it stands to reason her mind was more on worldly things such as the size of the diamond.” Melody scrunched up her nose in confusion. “Wait a bit. There’s a scripture that says as Christians, we shouldn’t be unequally yoked. I’ve always heard that referred to marriage. In that case, I’m surprised you proposed to her in the first place.” Then her face cleared. “Oh, I have it! You thought that your love might draw her to the Lord. A romantic notion and I know it’s been done, but are you sure that’s wise?”
Melody looked over at Avery and shrank back against the back of the couch when she saw his ominous expression. She could almost see steam pouring from his ears. “Oh, dear, I’ve offended you,” she said weakly.
At that moment, a whoosh sound caused their heads to swivel in unison toward the kitchen. To her horror, Melody saw the kitchen curtains burning, on fire apparently because she’d forgotten to turn off the gas after boiling water for tea.
Before she could react, Avery leapt over the top of the couch and unceremoniously ripped down the curtain by the unburned end, plunging it, along with the now mangled curtain rod, into the dishwater in the sink. He then shut off the gas burner and turned to Melody, giving her a baleful look.
“Why didn’t your smoke alarm work?” he demanded, pointing to the alarm on the kitchen ceiling.
“Bad battery?” she said faintly.
Avery reached up and flipped open the unit. “No battery,” he said. “I suggest you put one in as soon as possible. Deadly fires almost always start small. You could’ve burned the whole building down.”
At that moment, Barney crept out of the bedroom on his belly, looking back and forth between the two humans, giving them both a sycophantic grin.
Spotting the dog, Avery crossed the room. After hoisting his dog into his arms, he walked stiffly to the door. Melody followed, apologies tumbling from her lips. But, before she knew it, Avery had exited her apartment without a backward glance. She watched him wistfully as he went into his own apartment, once again slamming his door.
Melody closed her door and leaned against it. Drat. Again her mouth had got her into trouble. And she’d managed to start a fire. Bad form with a firefighter in the room. But she had to admit, Avery looked awfully handsome when angry. Quite like a villain in a cowboy movie. And she had a secret fetish for so-called Spaghetti Westerns. Humming a jaunty little tune, she went to repair the damage in her kitchen.