"I've missed you, Mads." He pressed me close and kissed me, a quick, ardent kiss where his tongue slid into my mouth, tantalizing me until I trembled.
"I can't wait to show you around." He let go of me and grabbed my hand. "Dad is eager to meet you."
As we turned toward the house, a man came out the front door. My heart did a major thud and skidded to a stop. Our eyes met. Time stood still.
He paled. I swear he did. Like he was seeing a ghost.
I was, too. Seeing a ghost, I mean. A ghost of things past and future.
"Dad." Seth pulled me by the hand toward the man. "This is Maddie."
"The infamous Maddie." His voice was warm and deep, like honey in the sun. He recovered quickly and put on a welcoming smile that lit up his face as he extended his hands and took mine in both of his.
I knew what he'd seen in me—Mom. Little Laura, as my grandpa used to jokingly call me. And it had stunned him. If I'd needed any more confirmation our parents knew each other, I certainly had it now.
My forced smile wobbled as I looked into his eyes. I had the feeling he was assessing me as much as I was him. It was natural he would size up his son's girlfriend. But this was more. I tried to guess what his stunned reaction meant. How had he felt about Mom? He obviously remembered her. Good? Bad?
His hands were warm. His grip firm. "Welcome."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Butler." In so many ways. And in others, it was a complete lie. Life would have been so much simpler if I hadn't.
"Please. Call me Rick. Mr. Butler is my granddad, not me."
Such simple, ordinary words. So much charisma. In his voice. In the way he held my hand. In his smile and even in his very demeanor. Some people just have it, that special magnetism. Successful politicians. Rock stars. And Rick Butler.
With his money and confidence, he would have been alluring even if he had gone to seed. But he hadn't. The man who could very well be my brother's father was tall, toned, and fit. Younger-looking than his true age by at least ten years, just like Mom. Her equal.
Looking at him, I was both entranced and filled with bitterness. There was no way a young Mom could have resisted him. My stomach burned with the very real fear that he'd charmed her into his bed, gotten her pregnant, and abandoned her. And that those events, thirty-five years ago, were going to ruin my life now.
This man was my boyfriend's father. And possibly my brother's. Life was such a mess.
Chapter 14
Seth
I didn't understand Dad. He couldn't keep his eyes off Maddie. Yeah, she was hot. But I didn't need Dad looking at her like he thought so, too. And flirting with her. He talked and joked with her as I got her bag from her car and carried it into the house. He kept talking while I was trying to excuse Maddie and me and show her to her room. And show her how much I'd missed her.
What was wrong with the old man? He'd never acted like this with the girls I dated in high school.
And Maddie? She stared back at him, not exactly sure about him, clinging tightly to my hand as I carried her suitcase upstairs to her room.
"Your dad is—"
"Making a fool of himself." I set her suitcase at the foot of the bed.
She laughed. "I was going to say charming."
"When he wants to be." I paused. "Don't let him scare you off."
He'd already won her over.
She smiled and stepped into me, so close her breasts brushed my chest. Go to hell, Dad. This girl is mine.
"This is a gorgeous house." She looked up at me, moving her lips inches from mine. "I missed you so much."
I was hungry for her. Desperate. I kissed her and pressed her to me. She kissed me back with enough passion to turn me to a hot burn and let me slide my hands beneath her blouse and play with her breasts.
Finally, she stepped away, breathless, and tucked my hands in front of me. Her eyes wide and a smile on her face. "I need to freshen up. Is there a bathroom in this place?"
"You have your own private bathroom." I pointed the way.
She smiled. "Meet you downstairs?"
"I was hoping we'd stay here."
She lifted one eyebrow. "With your dad downstairs?"
I sighed, resigned that she wanted to make a good impression. Good thing I had other plans for later, away from the house. "See you down there."
Dad sat in the living room staring into space. He looked up briefly when I walked in.
"What's Maddie's last name again?"
"Foster."
He nodded absentmindedly, like he was deep in thought. "Foster, Foster, Foster…Foster." He frowned like he'd remembered something unpleasant and unthinkable. He muttered to himself before looking at me again. "She's a gorgeous girl."
I nodded. "Duh! What did you expect? Your son has excellent taste."
I expected him to laugh or joke or tease me about it.
Instead, he nodded. "Very pretty. And sweet. Intelligent."
"And mine," I said.
He looked startled, like I'd misinterpreted his interest in her. But damn it, Dad had never flirted with my dates before. Maddie was different. Special. What the hell was he doing?
Maddie cleared her throat behind me. I practically jumped. How much had she heard?
She came up behind me and put her hand on my shoulder, facing Dad.
"Am I interrupting?" Her voice was soft and concerned.
Dad's eyes lit up.
I pulled her even with me.
"No. Of course not." Dad didn't look the slightest bit rattled. But he studied her closely. "I was asking Seth the usual fatherly questions about you." He smiled, putting on the charm for her.
Then Dad did something he rarely did. He hesitated. Like he was nervous. What the hell?
"You remind me of someone, Maddie." He shifted in his chair, another sign of nerves.
I slid my arm around Maddie and felt her stiffen.
"Oh?" She sounded almost too casual, like she'd almost been expecting this question. And was not at all surprised, just leery. "I get told that a lot." She glanced up at me. "I must have a common look."
If she was looking to me for confirmation, she was crazy. Maddie's stunning looks were anything but ordinary.
What the shit is going on?
"This probably sounds like it's coming out of left field." Dad cleared his throat. "You look a lot like a girl I went to college with." He paused. "You're not by any chance related to Laura Glenn?"
Maddie trembled. I felt her weight in my arms like her knees were weak. She slid her arm around my waist. I tightened my grip on her.
"Small world!" she said. "Laura's my mom. She only went to the university her freshman year. Before she dropped out to marry my dad."
I didn't understand the tightness in her voice. Or why she sounded defensive.
Dad's expression was masked. "Laura was beautiful. You look like I remember her."
Pieces fell into place. Like why Dad reacted to Maddie the way he did.
"How did you know Mom? Were you in class together?" Maddie's question was innocent enough. Natural. But she lifted her chin and there was a challenge in her voice.
Dad met her eyes. "We dated. For a while." He paused. "I haven't seen her since…a few days after Mount St. Helens blew up. That was?" He looked up like he was thinking and trying to remember. "Nineteen eighty?"
Shit. I'd never seen Dad act like this. It was clear to anyone watching that Maddie's mom been special to him.
My stomach tightened and burned. This meeting wasn't going at all like I'd planned. I find out that my dad dated my girl's mother in college? Like father, like son?
"You dated someone besides Mom in college, Dad?" I challenged him. He'd bragged about going out and partying in college, seeing girls. But not about an actual relationship with anyone but Mom. "You never mentioned it."
Dad shrugged. "I wasn't a saint. I dated a lot of girls I've never mentioned." His voice was tight. He turned to Maddie. "Laura married Bruce Foster?"
Maddie no
dded. "Bruce is my dad." There was that edge of defiance in her voice, like she was sticking up for her dad and mad at mine.
There was something going on that I didn't understand. The two were playing a game of cat and mouse. Parry and feint. Dancing around something just below the surface.
"Did you know him, too?" Her eyes snapped, like she defied him to say anything bad about her dad.
Why would he?
Dad held her gaze. "Bruce was all right."
Damn it. Faint praise. All right? All right? I tried to warn Dad off. He ignored my cues.
"I met him once or twice. Briefly. They were friends, as I recall. He used to help Laura with her chemistry. Science wasn't her thing. Your dad was good at it." Dad made being good at science sound like an indictment. "How are your parents?"
Shit, Dad was stepping in it.
"Dad passed away four, almost five, years ago. Cancer." Maddie's voice wobbled.
"I'm sorry." Dad's face softened, like he was sympathetic for Maddie. He looked thoughtful. "Laura's a widow, then. Has she remarried?"
"She's engaged."
Why did Maddie sound so fierce?
She smiled too sunnily. "I spent most of the week working on wedding stuff with her."
"But she's doing okay?" It was like he had to know, wanted to be reassured. "Life turned out okay for Laura?"
Maddie studied him. "Yeah, she's great."
I didn't understand Maddie's nerves. Or why she didn't elaborate.
"Good." Dad nodded like he was thinking. "Tell her…tell her hello from me, will you?"
Maddie hesitated. Which was odd. It was a simple request. Why should it be a problem?
She finally nodded, hesitantly.
I took her hand, eager to escape. "We should get going." I squeezed it. "I have a busy day planned."
Maddie
Seth's dad is Ian's dad. Seth's dad is Ian's dad.
The phrase repeated over and over in my mind as Seth pulled me outside by the hand.
He didn't speak as he led me to the attached garage where a pair of bicycles leaned against the side. He tossed a helmet to me. "It's a gorgeous day. I thought we'd bike to the lake and take the boat out."
His voice was hard. He was obviously upset, but was he angry with me?
I barely had time to strap my helmet on before Seth was on his bike, cruising down the driveway.
I threw my leg over the bike and headed out after him. "Hey! Seth! Seth! Wait!"
He took off, as they say, like a bat out of hell, pumping and cruising down the twisting lane.
My helmet was jammed on my head, with my hair sticking out beneath. The ends blew in the wind as I pumped furiously to keep up with him.
The wind in my face felt good. I just needed to breathe and think. It would have been perfect, except Seth was upset with me. I just knew it.
We flew past the winery, down the hillside road to the main road, which was, mercifully, mostly flat. Just a few gently rolling inclines. I had to work to keep up with him. He ignored my calls for him to slow up.
He was a full block ahead of me by the time he turned off the main road toward the lake. I made the left turn and cruised past hotels, cafes, condos, and local convenience stores until I found him standing on the porch of a quaint, romantic boutique hotel at the edge of the lake. His bike leaned against the rail.
I leaned my bike next to his, hung my helmet over the handlebars, and joined him on the porch. "What's wrong?"
"You tell me." His eyes and voice were hard as he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the hotel.
Through the lobby. Into the kitchen where everyone seemed to know him. And directly to a large refrigerator.
"Ah, so this is the girl!" A large man in a chef's apron smiled at me, studying me with blatant curiosity.
"I'm Maddie." I held out my hand for him to shake.
"Caesar." He took my in his two meaty ones and squeezed warmly. "This one has been so excited that you're coming! Our Seth is a charmer, like his dad. Girls always hanging around him. But I've never seen him this way about one before! Dedicated. Committed." When he laughed, his voice filled the room with good humor. "Almost like this time the girl has the upper hand."
He leaned into me and whispered, "Use it to your advantage. Tame this cocky young buck."
Seth glared at him. "Our lunch?"
The chef dropped my hand and wagged his chubby finger at Seth. "Patience!" Caesar returned his attention to me. "You had a good trip?"
"Very pleasant," I said. Up until a few minutes ago.
"Don't let Seth hotdog on the lake. This one likes to make a wake." He opened the commercial fridge and handed a large cardboard picnic box embossed with the hotel's logo to Seth. "Have fun, you two kids. But not too much!" He laughed again, large and booming.
"Thanks, Caesar." Seth took the basket with a scowl on his face.
"Where's your sense of humor, man?" Caesar winked at Seth.
Seth grabbed me by the hand again and pulled me outside, across the beach, to the end of the dock and a waiting speedboat. He tossed the picnic box in without a word and offered me his hand.
I scrambled over the edge of the boat and into the passenger seat next to the driver.
"Life jackets are in there if you want one." Seth pointed to a storage compartment at the back of the boat as he untied the boat from the dock.
He jumped into the driver's seat and backed us out, slowly and carefully. As if Caesar or Rick were watching and grading his boat-driving skills. He took it easy near shore, past the buoys. Then he gunned it.
I jerked back in my seat. We flew up the lake away from town. The day was sunny, and warm for early spring. But cool on the lake with the spray coming up.
He wove and turned. Cornering so fast that I screamed. First in fear, then in delight. Up the lake until the bare hills became dotted with trees and then heavily forested and dark in deep green foliage. The air became cooler as the lake became shady.
The large, expensive homes became fewer and fewer, replaced with smaller cabins and cottages. We passed a mail boat making its daily rounds. Seth waved to the mailman.
Neither of us spoke. But in the fresh air away from the town, a calm settled over both of us.
I was wearing a lightweight sweater. I shivered and cuddled up next to Seth for warmth. I couldn't stand him being cold toward me. He peeled off his sweatshirt and put it around me, still looking straight ahead, his eyes on the path up the lake.
Finally, he pulled up to a dock jutting out in the shady lake from a small beach. A small, rustic cabin sat above it.
"Dad's fishing shack." Seth grabbed the dock and tied the boat up.
"Your dad owns half the town."
He jumped out of the boat onto the dock and offered me a hand up. "Hardly."
"A hotel, a winery, a fancy home, and a fishing cabin?" I arched an eyebrow. "He does pretty well."
"Yeah." Seth reached into the boat for our picnic lunch.
I followed him up the dock that bounced gently in the ripples from the lake. Across the shore. Up a set of wooden steps to the balcony deck of the cabin that overlooked the lake.
Seth plunked onto a wooden bench against the wall of the cabin and stared out over the water. "It's peaceful here. Secluded. I like to come here and think sometimes."
I sat next to him and folded my hands between my legs, though I ached to touch him. I'd been nervous about meeting his dad. I'd known enough to be wary about what could happen. I'd even worried Rick would notice my resemblance to Mom.
But from my perspective, one level, things had gone relatively well with Rick. I'd gleaned valuable information. On another level, Seth's reaction scared me. I swallowed hard.
He sighed. "This isn't going like I'd planned."
My eyes misted up. He'd planned a romantic reunion and I was touched. And saddened.
He turned to look at me. "What was going on between you and Dad?"
I swallowed hard. "What do you mean?"
He
frowned. "Don't pull that crap with me. What is that shit? Did you know our parents knew each other in college?"
I suspected. That, and so much more. But know for sure? No. I crafted a partial truth and shook my head. "Mom never talks much about her college experience. Except in general terms, like how much she hated her science classes. Your dad was right about that. And how hard the classes were. And about my Dad. And how he saved her butt more than once."
I thought about what I'd just said. Suddenly seeing that Mom could have meant much more than I'd always thought.
"It shouldn't matter, right? That our parents dated." I begged him with my eyes not to care and slid my hand to rest on his thigh.
If he was so upset about this, what would he do when he found out about Ian?
"It's weird. Creepy." He sighed again. "Am I the only one who thinks so? Like something in my family's DNA is genetically programmed to be attracted to your family's." He shook his head.
"It's…a strange coincidence." I wondered if there was a way to exonerate myself from the guilt of the secrets I was keeping from him. Or, more accurately, the suspicions. Because even now, all I had was damning circumstantial evidence.
"Then why were you nervous and angry at Dad back at the house?"
Damn! He was too perceptive. Almost like he saw into my mind. Was I that easy to read?
"I wasn't nervous."
He shook his head like he didn't believe me. "You think he hurt your mom."
I was too slow to deny it.
"My dad was a player in college. No doubt about it." He snorted. "He liked the girls and they liked him. If you can believe his bragging. Mom and him were on and off again all the time." He took my hand in his. "I'm sorry if he hurt your mom or treated her like a douche."
He squeezed my hand, almost desperately. "I'm not my dad. I would never hurt you. I know you've been worried over what Zach's told you about me getting cold feet and bailing on relationships after a month or two." He squeezed my hand even tighter. "I'm not bailing on you. I'm in this relationship one hundred percent.
My heart felt tight. My eyes misted over again. He believed what he said. But he had no idea how much he would be tested.
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