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Chapter 10 - Melody
Having left Sally for an afternoon nap on the floor of the den where they had made a blanket fort, Melody never anticipated hearing the front door lock turning.
Her heart hammered, nose almost hitting the ceiling as she sniffed the air, concerned that maybe Miranda had come back to cause more trouble.
Instead, she stood in the kitchen archway, surprised to smell Jake's musky, masculine odor. Just the scent of him made her knees grow weak, and she had only a second to clear her throat before he pushed his way through the door.
"You're home earlier than I expected," she said before he could be the first to speak. After that morning, she was determined to hold the high ground.
"It was a slow day," Jake shrugged, and Melody thought she saw a cringe of discomfort in his face. "I left Lewis to handle things. With everything that's been going on, I thought Sally could use me more here."
Melody pursed her lips. "I'm afraid you're out of luck. "She's just gone down for a nap."
Melody walked to the den doorway and gestured for him to look. Through a gap in the blankets of the fort, they could just make out Sally sleeping with Mr. Fuzzy clamped in her arms.
"It looks as if the two of you have been having fun," Jake commented, admiring the fort.
"We have, and we've gotten all today's schoolwork done, too."
Jake looked surprised. "It takes me more than an hour just to get her to sit still to look at it."
Melody laughed at that and shook her head. "Like I said, I'm a professional."
Jake regarded her silently for several moments before he suggested, "I should probably move her to her bedroom. Maybe then I can get caught up on some of the housework."
Melody couldn't imagine what he had to get caught up on. The two-bed house was immaculate. But she watched without protest as he wandered in, pulled back a few of the blankets and bent to pick up his daughter.
It was only as he slipped his arms under her that he paused, his face twisting with pain. "Fuck," she heard him whisper under his breath.
"Is something wrong?" Melody asked, leaning against the door frame.
"I must have tweaked myself at work this morning," Jake said, sighing.
Melody raised a brow. Werewolves weren't ones for being bothered by 'tweaks.' Unlike humans, their bodies were athletic, supple and always ready. And yet, Jake looked more than a little uncomfortable.
"I've got her," Melody offered, and before he could protest, she slipped in opposite him and scooped Sally up into her arms.
"You didn't have to do that," he protested quietly as not to wake her.
Melody cocked her head and looked at him. "It's in the job description."
With that, Melody carefully carried Sally up to her bedroom. Luckily it had been the very first place Sally had dragged her that morning to find toys suitable to help with her schoolwork; otherwise, she might not have known where to go.
No sooner had she laid Sally gently on her bed, tucked her in and headed back downstairs, than she smelled the scent of bloody meat coming from the kitchen.
Curious, she wandered down the hall to find Jake standing over the stove, frying what appeared to be two large rump steaks.
The smell made Melody's mouth water.
A glance at the breakfast bar made her even more curious.
"Are you expecting company?" she asked when she saw the two places laid out.
"Yes, you," Jake responded as he turned with the pan in hand and dropped a steak onto each of the plates. "Please, sit. I could use some company that doesn't want to tear me a new one today."
Melody bit back the urge to ask what made him think she didn't want to. She was more concerned with what had to have happened at work for him to say such a thing.
Silently, and without protest, she crossed the chrome-style kitchen and settled down on one of the stools.
