Callaway Country. Annette Broadrick

smiled. “We need to get together a little later this evening—if you can spare the time,” he added with a sidelong glance at Melanie.

      “Of course, sir. I’m looking forward to it.” He drew her closer to his side and said, “I’d like you to meet Melanie Montez. Mel, my aunt and uncle, Cole and Allison Callaway.”

      Allison smiled and took Melanie’s hand. “I’m delighted to meet you. I believe I read that you’re originally from Texas, is that right?”

      Melanie nodded. “Yes, from a small town in south Texas that nobody’s ever heard of.”

      “I’m so pleased that you were able to join us tonight,” Allison said. “I understand you have a new movie coming out in a few weeks.”

      Clay watched as his aunt managed to charm yet another person into opening up and sharing her life. Allison never ceased to amaze him. Cole was lucky to have her.

      He slid his arm around Mel’s bare shoulders and said, “I’m starving. Let’s find a table somewhere and hit the buffet.”

      Allison chuckled. “I believe your mother expects you to sit with them tonight,” she said, nodding to a table across the room from the entrance.

      “Great,” he said, slowly moving his hand along Melanie’s shoulders and down her arm to her hand. Taking it in a firm grasp, he said, “Let’s go meet the folks, gal. Hope you’re up for this.”

      He started across the crowded room with the sound of Allison’s laughter ringing in his ears.

      Melanie said, “If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you were nervous about seeing your folks tonight.”

      “Not nervous, exactly. It’s just that they’ve been trying to get me to come back home for years and I’ve never made it until now. I generally meet up with them somewhere during their travels.”

      “Ah. So they’re going to be surprised to see you here tonight?”

      He knew his laugh sounded a little hollow. “It seems I’m the only one who’s surprised,” he said, glancing back at Cole. “Sometimes I forget the kind of power this family can wield.”

      Cody, Clay’s father, stood when he spotted them approaching the table. His grin lit up the room. “Glad you could make it, son,” he said, grabbing Clay in a bear hug. “Somehow I expected you to show up in your uniform.”

      “I took time to shave and change into my tux at the airport. You wouldn’t have wanted to see what I looked like coming off that plane this evening.” Then he leaned over and hugged and kissed his mother, Carina. “I swear, Mom, you get younger-looking every year.”

      He introduced Melanie to his parents.

      Carina said, “Clay’s sisters will be thrilled to death to meet you, Melanie. They should be arriving any time now.” She gave Clay a quick glance that spoke volumes. “We had no idea that Clay knew you.”

      With commendable poise, Melanie chuckled and said, “I’m just one of his many deep, dark secrets, don’t you know?”

      Clay thought it was time to change the subject. “Have you two been to the buffet yet?” he asked his parents.

      “Actually, we thought we’d wait until the line thinned down a little,” Carina replied.

      “Obviously you haven’t skipped as many meals as I have getting here,” Clay said. He looked at Melanie. “How about it, Mel? Think you can force yourself to eat something?”

      She held up her fist in a mock threat before turning to his parents and saying, “Let’s see if feeding him will calm this unruly beast, shall we?” She led the way to the buffet, giving Clay the opportunity to admire her figure, showcased in a flaming red dress that clung to every curve.

      As soon as they reached the line in front of the buffet Clay caressed the small of her back. “Have I mentioned how exotic you look in that dress?” he whispered in her ear.

      She leaned against him slightly and glanced over her shoulder at him. “I was beginning to think you hadn’t noticed,” she replied with a saucy grin.

      “I may be suffering from severe jet lag at the moment, but I’m not dead.”

      She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, causing her body to enticingly rub against him. “Mmm. So I notice.”

      He laughed outright. “How long has it been since I last saw you?”

      “Not that I’m counting, but it’s been close to eight months…four days…and, oh, six-and-a-half hours?”

      “Unfortunately it’s going to be several more hours until I can get you alone, I’m afraid. I have no idea how long this meeting will last tonight.”

      “It must be important for him to have it this evening.”

      “Oh, it’s important, all right. Otherwise he wouldn’t have gone to the trouble to get me here.”

      The line moved ahead of them, and Melanie straightened and picked up a plate. “I’ll be waiting for you whenever you can get away.”

      He smiled at her, placing his fingertip lightly against her bottom lip. “I’m counting on it.”

      Pamela McCall sat at one end of the ballroom watching the milling crowd, wishing she were anywhere else but at this big benefit bash. It felt a little strange to be back in Texas socializing with many of her father’s constituents. She’d made a point of avoiding the political life he’d embraced for years.

      However, she’d responded to the invitation out of a sense of loyalty toward the Callaways, particularly Cody and Carina Callaway. Her childhood would have been dismally lonely if Carina hadn’t stepped into her life and filled in the empty space left when Pam’s mother had died.

      Pam knew that it was time for her to attempt to repay part of the debt she owed them, despite her personal feelings in the matter.

      Ostensibly the party tonight was a benefit to raise money for various charitable causes, but anyone who knew the Callaways was aware this gathering was a bold statement made by the family: Don’t Tread on Me.

      Her father, a U.S. senator from Texas, had sent one of his staff members, Adam Redmond, to be her escort for the evening. Pam had made her own way in life and jealously guarded her independence from her domineering father, but she saw no reason to be rude to Adam, who was a nice guy. He was tall, dark, handsome and charming…and only those close to him knew that he was gay.

      He was also a dear friend.

      She glanced at Adam and smiled. “I’m so glad you’re here, Adam. I can’t imagine anything worse than coming to something like this alone.”

      Adam looked around the room before he said, “I thought you knew some of these people, especially the Callaways.”

      “Oh, I do. In fact, I was practically raised with Cody and Carina’s children from the time I started grade school. Their daughters are like sisters to me.” She continued to scan the room. “Speaking of whom, I haven’t seen them yet. I—oh, no,” she murmured.

      “Is something wrong?”

      Pam tried to make light of the moment. “Not really. I just hadn’t expected to see him here tonight,” she said, deliberately turning away from the room and facing Adam once more.

      Adam chuckled. “Him? He doesn’t have a name?”

      She attempted to hang on to her sense of humor as well as her emotional balance. “Sorry,” she said with a forced smile. “His name is Clay Callaway, the only son of Cody and Carina.”

      “Why wouldn’t you expect him to be here? You’re the one who pointed out earlier that the Callaways had turned out in force tonight.”

      She shook her head. She didn’t want to discuss Clay Callaway with anyone.