Stipulations and Complications

by Becki Willis

  Granny laughed with glee as Madison opened the front door and led the way out to the porch swing. Even though it faced the street, it tucked into a cozy little corner, shrouded by climbing roses and lattice panels.

  Brash poured the wine and waited for Madison to settle within the crook of his arm. Her body was still tense.

  “Try to relax, sweetheart. Things are going to work out.”

  “I don’t know, Brash. They just seem to be getting worse, not better.”

  “Have some wine. Close your eyes and relax. There you go. Isn’t that better?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  Pushing the swing into a gentle rocking motion, Brash massaged her shoulder with lazy hypnotizing strokes. He felt the tension slowly ebb from her body. They sat in silence for a long time, soaking in the peaceful evening and each other’s company.

  As he refilled their wine glasses, he asked, “So what’s this with Bethani?”

  She could hear the concern in his voice. Some of the tension came back into hers. “She’s still having a difficult time, Brash. You know how miserable she was when we first moved here. If not for your own sweet Megan, she might still be as miserable.”

  “They’ve become very good friends,” he acknowledged.

  “But you know how scary change is, especially for a child. Bethani not only lost her father, she had to leave behind everything that was safe and familiar. And now, just as things are calming down and she’s beginning to feel settled, I throw a major wrench into the works with the earth-shattering news that thirty-nine is not too old to be dating.”

  “So she knows about us?” The low timbre of his voice, the way he said ‘us,’ was deliciously intimate.

  “I think she suspects.”

  “So does Megan. She’s thrilled, by the way. She thinks the world of you.”

  “This has nothing to do with how Beth feels about you, Brash,” Maddy was quick to point out. “Please understand that. It’s nothing personal.”

  “Feels pretty personal,” he admitted lowly.

  “She’s young, Brash. Confused.” Madison felt compelled to defend her daughter. “She adored Gray. Naturally, she sees me dating again as an affront to her father’s memory. She’s at the age where she has such romantic, idealistic notions. One forever-love and all of that. She still wants to believe in fairy tales, even though she knows, deep in her heart, that they don’t exist.”

  Brash nuzzled his face against her hair. “I beg to differ.”

  She closed her eyes as warm sensations flooded her body. “You and I are both too old for fairy tales, Brash,” she whispered.

  “So are you saying I’m not your knight in shining armor?” His breath was warm against her ear, teasing her senses as surely as his words teased her mind.

  “Maybe I’m saying… I’m not a damsel in distress.” It was difficult to keep her train of thought when he blew so softly in her ear. Shivers of desire danced along her skin.

  “The river, Maddy,” he croaked hoarsely. “We need to go back to the river.”

  His lips nibbled an earlobe as he made his argument.

  “No interruptions.”

  Began a slow path along her jawline.

  “No case.”

  Hovered at the corner of hers.

  “No kids.”

  Traced the perimeter of her mouth with the tip of his tongue.

  “Just you.”

  Licked the seam of her lips.

  “And me.”

  Pressed against hers.

  “Beneath the stars.”

  Dipped inside.

  “On a blanket.”

  And turned her world upside down.

  Brash deCordova was many things. Star high school quarterback-turned-pro. College football coach. Sponsor of a football summer camp for disadvantaged youth. Officer of the law. Devoted father. Active member of the community and church.

  Still reeling from his kisses, Madison added a few more titles to his impressive resume. World-class kisser. Slayer of dragons and demons. Knight-in-shining-armor extraordinaire.

  Caught up in the magic of his kiss and the fairy tales spinning in her own head — worse, weaving their way throughout her heart — Madison imagined what it could be like, spending an evening in his arms, under the stars. His deeply rumbled reference to the blanket lured her with its seductive promise. Completely lost, Madison whimpered deep in her throat.

  All too soon, however, reality reared its ugly head. Maddy ignored it as long as she could, but she finally wedged a hand between them, gently pushing on his chest. “Brash, we- we can’t.”

  He had known the protest was coming. He loosened his hold only marginally, tilting his forehead against hers. “I know.” As if to remind himself of the reasons, he named them off in a resigned voice. “It’s too soon. There’s still too much going on. I need to keep my focus on the case. On keeping you and your family safe.”

  “And-And Bethani…” That was perhaps the biggest obstacle of all.

  Their sighs in sync, Maddy moved out of his arms. After the slightest of hesitations, he draped his arm around her shoulders, the gesture one of comfort more than passion. “She’ll come around, sweetheart.”

  “But what if she doesn’t?” Maddy worried, her eyes revealing her deep inner fear. “Brash, we couldn’t… I can’t be with you, if it makes my daughter miserable.”

  “I know. We’ll just have to give her time to adjust.” He sounded more patient than he felt.

  “I know you said you’d wait for me to get my life together. But what if… what if it takes longer than you thought? What if Bethani never comes around?”

  He gave her an indulgent smile. “Honey, she’s a teenager. Her ‘never’ won’t last nearly as long as ours.”

  “I can’t expect you to wait on me forever.” The misery in her heart leaked out in her voice. “I see the way other women look at you, Brash. You could have your pick of them, including Amanda Hooper. They all throw themselves at you, practically begging you to have sex with them. How can I expect you to ignore them and wait for me, when I have no idea how long it will take before we can be together?”

  Brash looked mildly amused at her sorry little rant. “I imagine I’ll get through it the same way I manage to walk past the bank every day.”

  His calm reply was so outrageous that she pulled away to stare at him. “What?” she asked, blinking in confusion. “What does the bank have to do with anything?”

  “Yes, Maddy, I like sex. I like money, too. And the bank has plenty of it, just sitting there, begging me to come in and take it, by way of loan or theft. Right or wrong, either way can tempt a man. Yet every day, I manage to control myself. Somehow, I walk right past the temptation.” His tone turned serious. “It doesn’t matter what other women are offering, Maddy. I don’t want them. I want you.”

  “But—”

  He broke in, ignoring her protest. “Darlin’, since the day I stepped foot on Ronnie Gleason’s chicken farm and saw you there, covered in chicken poop and mud and so much worse, there has been only one woman in my whole world. You.”

  He was writing poetry again. Tears welled in her eyes. “Brash—”

  “I’m crazy about you, Maddy. More than crazy. I—”

  “No. Don’t say it.” She clamped her hand over his mouth, squelching the beautiful emotion she saw in his eyes, silencing the magical words she longed to hear. “You can’t say it. Neither of us can. Not until…”

  Brash drug his eyes away from hers, staring beyond her with a troubled expression on his face. When he spoke, his voice was resigned. “Bethani.”

  The teen stepped out onto the porch, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was past ten. Surely Mr. de had gone home by now. Surely they weren’t out here on the porch, making a spectacle of themselves. But she would check, just to make sure…

  “Mom?” she asked tentatively. “Are you out here?”

  Swallowing a gasp of dismay, Madison quickly ran her palms over her face. T
eardrops moistened her fingertips. “Yes, honey, I’m here.” Her bright voice cleverly hid the pain that invaded her heart.

  “Why are you out here in the dark? Did he finally go home?”

  Brash made a face that only Maddy could see.

  “No, honey, he’s still here. We were out here talking.”

  “Oh.”

  After a weary sigh, Brash brushed a soft kiss on Madison’s lips and stood from the swing. “I was just about to leave, Beth,” he said, stepping into the light. “Good thing you came out and reminded me of the time. I’m going in early in the morning, so I can get off in time to watch Megan’s track meet. You’ll be there, won’t you?”

  “Uhm, sure.” She was taken back by his friendly attitude. She had been downright rude earlier, refusing to eat dinner with him there. So why was he being so nice? Guilt nibbled at her conscience.

  “Why don’t you take my place there on the swing and sit with your mom for a while? But not too long,” he cautioned with a smile. “You ladies need to get to bed before long.”

  “Okay.”

  “Maddy, again, that was a delicious meal. Sorry you weren’t feeling up to eating tonight, Beth. Hope you’re better by tomorrow night, though. I promised Meg I’d take everyone out for pizza, and of course you’re invited.”

  “Oh, well… sure. I mean, thank you.”

  Brash gave her a wink. “Have a good night, ladies. I’ll talk to you both tomorrow.”

  Drying away the last of her tears, Madison patted the seat beside her. “Come sit by me, sweetie,” she encouraged her daughter.

  Bethani took the seat uncertainly, perching on the edge of the swing. Maddy did not say anything, waiting for the teen to speak first.

  Her tone was defensive when she finally blurted out, “It’s not Mr. de, per se. But it’s too soon, Mom.”

  “It’s been six months, sweetheart.”

  “I know. Entirely too soon. And Grandmother Annette agrees with me.”

  Madison’s blood chilled. “When-When did you speak with your grandmother?”

  “I called her tonight. I was upset, and I knew she would understand. She agrees that for you to see anyone so soon would be a disgrace to Daddy’s memory. She says propriety dictates that you wait at least a full year before resuming a social life. I’m not sure about propriety, but I know what’s decent and what’s not.”

  “Beth—”

  The teen charged on, unaware of her mother’s breaking heart. “She’s invited Blake and me to come for a visit, and I think we should go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  A restless night did nothing to improve Madison’s spirits. Afraid she would disturb Bethani with her tossing and turning, she transferred to the couch shortly after midnight, but sleep was elusive. Long before six o’clock, she was dressed and ready to start the day.

  She called Derron early, knowing she would wake him. “Are you ready for our outing?”

  “Huh? What outing? Who is this?” the man replied groggily into the phone.

  “This is the person who signs your paychecks,” she retorted. Never mind that those checks came few and far between. “We’re going back to the cave today, remember?”

  “It’s still the crack of dawn! Call back at a decent hour.”

  “It is a decent hour. It happens to be 6:03. I’ll be there to pick you up in twenty minutes.”

  “You’ll have to give me at least thirty,” the younger man grumbled. “And you’d better bring breakfast.”

  She compromised. “We’ll stop by New Beginnings and grab something to go.”

  “Remind me again. Why are we going back?” he whined.

  “Because we missed something the first two times. Obviously, whatever it is, someone is going to drastic lengths to keep it hidden. Traps, cameras, restraining orders, motion detectors. It’s insane. And I’m determined to get to the bottom of it, once and for all.”

  “What if it really is a cougar den?”

  “Doesn’t matter. Today I’m angry enough I might just tackle it with my bare hands!”

  Derron was still mumbling when she hung up the phone, something about labor laws and employee abuse. She switched on the television in the kitchen, hoping to catch up on world events over another cup of coffee. Anything to divert her attention from her own troubles.

  Just as she took a sip of the dark brew, her own image flashed across the screen. Hot coffee spewed from her mouth, spraying over the floor.

  It was another fluff piece, something about the popularity of the television show and rumors of a spin-off. There was even something about a made-for-television movie in the works. It was the first Madison had heard of the ridiculous rumor, but the television station already had a survey started, asking viewers who they thought should be cast in the lead role. So far, the results were overwhelmingly in favor of Madison playing herself.

  “Nonsense. Nothing but nonsense,” she complained, turning the television back off. Was there no peace?

  The house phone rang and she grabbed it on the second ring, not bothering to check caller ID. It was probably Derron, calling back to beg off for the day.

  “Back off,” a voice snarled on the other end of the line.

  “Wh—What ?”

  “Back off.”

  Madison gripped the receiver tighter. “Who is this?” she demanded.

  “Consider this a friendly warning.” The voice was anything but friendly as it ground out another dark order. “Back the hell off.”

  “I asked, who is this?” Madison snapped. “At least be man enough to identify yourself.”

  “Next time, the warning won’t be so friendly.”

  The line went dead, buzzing in her ear long after the other person hung up. She finally slammed the receiver back into its cradle, muttering in frustration. “Problem is, I have no idea what I’m backing off from!”

  She grabbed her equipment for the day and stalked out the door, as much angry as she was afraid. Enough was enough. Someone was messing with her, and she had reached her limit on tolerance.

  ***

  “There has to be a better way to get there from here,” Derron complained less than an hour later. They had crossed through the fence onto Adams’ property, skirting the deep thicket of woods as they circled their way around to the bluff.

  “When you think of one, let me know,” Madison replied dryly.

  “Do you have a back-up plan, just in case that wasn’t a recording we heard? Besides your bare hands, that is?”

  “You have your gun with you, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s the back-up plan. But I’m certain that was the same recording. Just listen.” She pressed the app button on her phone, filling the morning air with ominous sounds of a low, deep growl.

  “Turn that thing off!” Derron warned. “You might call up a real animal, coming to investigate.”

  Madison pressed a button to stop play, but nothing happened. “I can’t stop it,” she fretted, jabbing more buttons. “Oh, here we go.” New sounds roared from her phone. “Oops, not that one.” Next, she unleashed dozens of barking Dobermans. “Not that one, either.”

  “Mute your phone, mute your phone!” Derron advised.

  “I’m trying,” she said, frantically trying to quiet the menacing noises she created. Halfway through a lonesome coyote’s call, she found the mute button.

  They walked along in silence for a few moments, but both kept looking over their shoulders. “You don’t think we called anything up, do you?” Derron worried.

  “I doubt it.” She sounded more optimistic than she felt. “When I was little and we were out coyote hunting, my Grandpa Joe always used a wounded rabbit’s cry.”

  “Good, no coyotes.” They walked several more yards before he ventured with, “But what about cougars?”

  “I don’t know. We never tried to find any of those.”

  “Just for the record, we are not trying to find them today, either!”

  “We’ll
know soon enough. There’s Pine Bluff.”

  They paused to study the mini-mountain. Like before, they would have to edge their way around the deep gully to reach the base of the formation.

  “Let’s go this way,” Madison suggested.

  “Lead the way.”

  She flashed him an evil look before proceeding along the treacherous path.

  “What? I’ve got your back,” he claimed gallantly, falling in single-file behind her.

  “Fine, but you’re going in the cave first.”

  “How did we come to that non-unanimous decision?”

  “You’re the one properly dressed for spelunking,” she smirked, eying his attire over her shoulder. He wore hiking boots and a bright red jumpsuit, complete with a matching headlamp and several gadgets hanging from the tool belt cinched tight around his waist.

  “Oh, all right,” Derron grumbled. “Good thing I brought my knee pads.”

  They fell silent after that, concentrating on following the narrow cow trail around the mouth of the gully. Madison ignored the possibility that a pack of angry, hungry wildcats forged the path.

  Like before, Derron gave her a hand and helped her over the uneven slabs of limestone that swelled beneath their feet. Before they reached the entrance of the cave, they paused to study their surroundings. Madison waved her hand experimentally, trying to engage the motion sensor that triggered the recording.

  Nothing.

  Derron took a tentative step forward and stuck his hand forward, waving it first high, then low. Still nothing.

  “I thought this is where we were before,” Madison said, beginning to get nervous. She had been so certain it was a recording…

  “It is the same spot,” Derron hissed. “I remember this exact rock. I helped you onto it, remember?”

  “Yes.” She stepped forward nervously, easing her way onto the rock and one step closer to the animal den.

  The low rumble filled the still morning air. Even though it was a familiar sound by now, it caused them both to start.

  Hand against his pounding heart, Derron nodded to her feet. “So the rock is the trigger.”

  “It appears that way.”