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  A Husband for Melanie

  Oakdale Romance Duet

  Book Two

  CHERYL WRIGHT

  A Husband for Melanie

  Oakdale Romance Duet

  (Book Two)

  (Previously published as May in Calendar Gals Series)

  Copyright 2019 Cheryl Wright

  Cover Artist: Black Widow Books

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my very dear friends (and authors), Margaret Tanner and Susan Horsnell.

  Without their encouragement and help, I would never have embarked on this amazing journey.

  To Alan, my husband of over 45 years, thanks for being a relentless supporter of my writing for more years than I care to remember.

  And last, but by no means least, I must thank all my wonderful readers who encourage me to continue writing these stories. It is such a joy to me, knowing so many of you enjoy reading my stories. I love writing them as much as you love reading them.

  Chapter One

  Melanie Chalmers sat with the telephone to her ear.

  “Of course, Mr Gregson.” She paused for a moment to let him continue speaking. “I totally understand, but you need to understand the bank’s position on this.”

  Charles Gregson continued his angry tirade for some minutes, but thankfully disconnected the call a short time later.

  Melanie sat at her desk with her hands to her face; she’d taken more calls like this one in the past six months than she had in the past few years. Tightening of the rules had led to this abhorrent situation.

  Being Loans Manager at the bank was not only stressful, it was downright detrimental to her health. Something had to change.

  The phone ringing again startled her. She stared down at it for long moments before reluctantly picking it up.

  “Loans Office. Melanie speaking.” Her heart beat loud in her chest, waiting for the next round of abuse.

  “Mel, it’s Sierra.”

  Melanie let go of the breath she’d been holding. “Oh thank goodness it’s you. I…” She couldn’t continue, she was feeling so emotional after the nasty call she’d just dealt with.

  “Are you alright, Mel?” She could tell Sierra anything. They’d known each other for most of their lives and been best friends at school.

  “Not really.” Her voice was breaking. She needed to pull herself together - fast.

  “I’m sorry, Mel. Take a deep breath, then breathe out slowly.” She waited while Mel did as she’d said before continuing. “Better?”

  “A little,” Mel said. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “Good. Let’s talk about it tonight. I was ringing to see if you’d like to come for dinner.” Sierra sounded genuinely concerned, and Melanie knew she would be. But Sierra knew she couldn’t talk when she was at work. Apart from her heavy workload, there were too many prying ears around.

  Melanie heard the baby crying in the background. “Sounds like Cody wants you,” she said, with more cheer in her heart at the mere thought of her little cousin.

  “So you’ll come?”

  “Absolutely. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  * * *

  “And basically, that’s what happened. Not that it’s anything new – different day, different client, same story.”

  Sierra reached out and patted her hand at the same time breast-feeding two-month-old Cody. Her husband Braxton, Melanie’s cousin, eye-balled his wife.

  “Well, that’s one of the reasons we invited you tonight.” Sierra glanced across to Braxton who was sitting on the edge of his seat.

  “I’m far from ready to go back to working at the inn, and to be honest, I’m not sure I ever will be.”

  Mel was rocked by the news.

  Sierra owned the recently restored Oakdale Inn, where the pair were married a little over a year ago. She loved the inn, but Melanie knew she loved Cody even more, so she really shouldn’t be surprised.

  “I’ll still be around, but nowhere near as much,” she added. “My family is my priority now.”

  “We know how stressed you’ve been at the bank these past months,” Braxton added. “And thought this would be ideal for you.”

  “We’re offering it to you before anyone else,” Sierra added.

  Melanie’s heart rate accelerated. Could it be true? They were offering her a job? Working at the Oakdale Inn would be a dream job for her.

  She clapped her hands together. “Yes! I’ll take the job!” She wriggled around in her seat, barely able to control her excitement.

  Sierra grinned at her husband. “Hang on,” she said, gazing at Melanie. “You don’t know what the job is yet. I could be offering you anything.”

  But Mel knew that wouldn’t be the case. Sierra was always very careful about matching her employees to the right position.

  Suddenly she felt deflated. “Oh. But I have to give notice to the bank.”

  “We know. We’re willing to wait.” Sierra put Cody to her shoulder and gently patted his back.

  Braxton leaned forward. “It will be much less stress, but you will need to work some weekends. Will that work for you?”

  She didn’t have to think twice. “Absolutely. I don’t have a social life anyway.”

  “Don’t you want to know what we’re offering? You’re not even slightly interested?” Braxton chuckled.

  Mel and Braxton were very close. She knew she could trust him.

  She grinned. “Okay, go on then – tell me.”

  “You will be our Guest Services Manager.”

  Mel didn’t even know what that was.

  “You will interact with the guests and ensure their stay is above their expectations.” Sierra explained.

  “Ah, I’m not sure what that entails.” She frowned and was more confused that ever. How did one do that?

  “It’s a lot of little things. You’ll oversee the Concierge and Valet services, ensure the guests are happy, deal with complaints should there being any, which hopefully there aren’t. So many things – organize day tours when needed, I could go on and on.”

  Mel was relieved. “So basically, I just keep the guests happy?”

  “That’s it.”

  “Okay, I accept.” She couldn’t stop grinning. This job would be a welcome change of pace.

  She mentally did the arithmetic in her head. “After I give notice at the bank, I could start, say, mid-April?”

  “Make it May 1. That way you get a break before you start. Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  The conversation turned to salary, uniforms, and expectations. Melanie knew she’d be leaving her soul-destroying job and that was all that mattered to her.

  She knew no matter what, Brax and Sierra would look after her and treat her fairly.

  The weight that had held her down for a long time had suddenly lifted and she felt like a totally different person. Tomorrow she would give her notice, and her life would be changed forever.

  Only one other thing would make her life better, and that would be a cuddle with dear little Cody before he was tucked into bed.

  * * *

  “But you can’t leave, Melanie. We rely on you. I rely on you – you’re the best Loans Manager I’ve ever had.” Her boss was far from happy.

  “I’m sorry, Mr Howard,” she said. “But this has been coming for a long time. The changes the bank made to the loans process has left the staff o
pen for abuse.”

  He looked shaken but said nothing.

  “Every day, at least once an hour, we cop abuse from disgruntled customers. I can’t take it any more.” She sighed. “Besides, my cousin and his wife have offered me a dream job at the Oakdale Inn.”

  He sat there behind his huge mahogany desk, with his gold-plated name and his fancy telephone. His lips were pursed, and he was glaring at her, but still said nothing. It was then realization hit. He knew! He was fully aware of the verbal abuse staff were enduring but had done nothing. He just didn’t care.

  Fury boiled up inside her, making her resolve stronger than ever.

  She handed over her resignation paperwork, almost threw it at him, and left the bank manager’s office without another word. He was far from happy, and neither was Mel.

  If he’d thought about the repercussions on the staff before making any changes, this wouldn’t be happening.

  She took deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She only had another two weeks here – she needed to keep that in mind.

  When she had calmed down enough, she made a cup of tea, then proceeded to her desk. The desk she’d sat at for the past nine years. This had been her first job out of school. Braxton had tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen.

  “Come and work for me,” he’d said, but she didn’t want to work on his property. She wanted a real job – one that she found herself and had no connection to family.

  It had been the perfect job in the beginning, but after her promotion, and the changes to the bank’s loans rules, it had all gone to hell.

  She closed her eyes and shrugged her shoulders until she was more relaxed.

  If she had felt the weight lift last night, then right now she was floating on air. The headache that had been hanging around for months finally lifted, and her whole demeanor felt different, better.

  She was joyful. She hadn’t felt that way for as long as she could remember, and she knew with her new job, it would continue. She couldn’t wait for May to roll around.

  * * *

  Saying goodbye to the colleagues she’d worked with for nearly a decade had been difficult.

  The bank had put on an afternoon tea for her, and speeches were made. Mr Howard stated how sad he was to see her go, then everyone tucked into the abundance of food on the surrounding tables.

  Melanie cleared her desk of all her personal items, which were very few, slung her bag over her shoulder, and headed for the elevator.

  After all this time, it was hard to believe she would never return. Someone else would sit at her little desk; the one she’d sat at all this time.

  It was all she could do not to cry.

  “Mel.” She turned to see Sharon Stanton standing nearby. “I’m really going to miss you,” she said, wrapping her arms around her friend. “But I know this is the best thing for you.”

  “Thanks Sharon,” she said quietly, trying not to break down. She’d hoped to sneak out before actual goodbye’s had to happen. “I’ll probably see you around town.”

  They separated, and Melanie slowly walked away, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew she’d done the right thing. She could not have continued working at the bank under such horrendous conditions. Her mental health was in grave danger and had been for some time.

  She pressed the button to the elevator and waited for it to arrive. All the while, Sharon stood staring after her, looking deflated.

  If it wasn’t for the anticipation of starting a new and exciting job, she would probably feel the same.

  She exited the elevator and slowly walked toward the front door, where she would leave for the very last time.

  Melanie looked around. “Goodbye bank,” she said under her breath, then walked out the door, determined not to look back.

  Chapter Two

  Mel took a deep breath, then walked through the door to the Oakdale Inn.

  Her two-week break had done her the world of good. Brax and Sierra were right to insist she wait until now to start her new job.

  She was refreshed and ready to move forward.

  She’d been here before, but not as an employee. The last time she’d been at the inn was the day of the wedding. Sierra and Braxton’s wedding. It was all hustle and not a lot of time to look around. Apart from the fact it was still under construction – almost finished but not quite there yet.

  This would be a whole different ball game.

  She glanced down at her uniform, which was basically a suit with the Oakdale Inn logo, and ensured it looked as it should. She tugged at her skirt to straighten out a few wrinkles that were showing.

  Cassie Somerton was the manager of the inn and greeted her at the door. “Welcome, welcome!” she said, with a smile on her face.

  “Thank you,” Mel said, relieved to see a familiar face.

  “I’ll give you the grand tour, beginning with the staff amenities.” She led Mel to a backroom used solely for staff lockers. “This is your locker,” she said. “And here are your keys. Please ensure you use them.” She also handed Mel a lanyard with her staff identification.

  She pointed to another room which lead off the locker room. “Change rooms are over there, and this is the staff break room,” she said, walking into yet another room. “We look after our staff very well here, as you will see.” She indicated the kettle, a microwave, toaster and more. “The fridge is always filled with food. Just help yourself.”

  “When you come on shift, fill out one of these forms,” she said, indicating a bundle of forms on a clip-board. “Philippe Bisset, our head chef, will provide whichever meal you choose while you are on a shift.”

  “Seriously?” Mel couldn’t believe it.

  “Like I said, we look after our staff.” She turned to face Melanie. “I don’t know how to say this any other way, so I’m just going to come out with it.” She took a deep breath, as if bracing herself. “There will be no special consideration because you are part of Sierra’s family. No offense intended.”

  “None taken. Look, I don’t expect special treatment. I hope it wasn’t suggested because…”

  “No. Definitely not.” Cassie was quick to reassure her. “We’ll continue our tour, and then we’ll talk about your job description.”

  Mel was in awe. The day of the wedding, she’d not seen all the rooms and facilities available, and not all rooms were complete. A lot had been done since she was last here.

  “And this is our beautifully equipped kitchen.” She turned to the head chef. “Philippe, I’d like to introduce you to our newest staff member, Melanie Chalmers.”

  “Chalmers, as in Sierra and Braxton?” He asked in his enchanting French accent. His hand was outstretched, and Melanie accepted it. It was soft and warm, and his grip gentle. Mel was certain his demeanor would be the same.

  A zing went up her arm as their hands connected.

  “Brax is my cousin,” she said. “Please, treat me like every other staff member. I’ll be very upset if you don’t.”

  “I can see we’re going to get along just fine.”

  She glanced around the kitchen. “This is massive.”

  “It is. Sierra installed a brand-new kitchen with the renovations. Here,” he said, putting a hand to her back. “Come and meet my sous-chef and kitchen hands.”

  She was introduced to everyone, then the two women headed for Cassie’s office.

  “Philippe is nice,” she said conversationally.

  “Yeah, he is.” She unlocked the door to her office, indicating for Mel to sit, and they discussed her position and all it entailed.

  Mel immediately felt right at home here and had no regrets about leaving her old job behind.

  * * *

  “Aren’t you going home, Mel?” Cassie pulled on her jacket and headed for the door. “It’s been a long day for you. So much to take in.”

  “Thanks, but I have a few more things I want to check out before I go.” She sat behind the front desk, checking the guest list for tomor
row.

  Cassie had forewarned her there were some high-profile guests arriving over the next few days, and she wanted to be prepared.

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” She waved and left, leaving Mel to check the upcoming bookings.

  “Ah, Melanie, are you free?” Philippe’s alluring accent flooded her ears.

  She glanced up. “I’ll be leaving in an hour or so, but I’m free right now.”

  His arm outstretched, he reached for her hand. “Allow me.”

  He led her to the inn’s restaurant, which was currently empty. “Please sit. I shall return shortly.” He left her to wonder what on earth he was up to.

  Melanie glanced up as he returned to the room. “It will get crazy here very soon, so I like to take a short break before it does. I thought you might also enjoy a break.”

  He took two coffees and a small plate of sweet pastries from a tray and placed them on the table.

  “That looks amazing. Thank you for thinking of me.”

  He shrugged. “It is purely selfish. I want to get to know you better. We will be working together after all.”

  She smiled. She’d only met him this morning, but Mel already felt as though she’d known Philippe for years.

  She took a sip of her coffee. “Perfect.”

  He lifted the plate and offered her a mini chocolate éclair. “Please,” he said. “Made with my own two hands. Especially for you.”

  She felt the heat creep up her face. “I doubt it,” she said with a laugh.

  He was gallant enough to look guilty. “Okay, perhaps not just for you. But I made them with you in mind.”

  She reached over and took one, snatching up a napkin as she did. “Oh my. These are delicious,” she said, genuinely meaning it. “Did you really make these?”

  “I should be offended,” he said, grinning. “Do you think I am not capable? My dear lady, this is child’s play. Next time I shall make something much more to your liking.”

  His eyes sparkled playfully, and she admitted defeat. “No one has ever gone to such trouble for me before,” she said, then took another bite. “These really are to die for.”