Her mother eased down into the soft, comfortable chair. “Nice. Chocolate?” Her faded green eyes implored her.
“I’ll have to get some.” How could she forget to buy more cookies?
“Now.”
“Soon.”
Madison pulled a straight back chair over and sat facing the woman. Her gaze traveled over the soft wrinkles. How could she have been so blind? This was her mother. The woman who took her in, fled her hometown at nearly fifty years old, and raised her as her own in a new city.
It had taken meeting the King family to understand how much she still had to hold onto. Moving to Dallas was the least she could do. “Mom,” she whispered. “I’ll be here every day, watching over you, catching a piece of what’s left of you. For however long you and I have together.” Precious time.
There was no response. It didn’t matter.
“Did you like the music today?”
“I like to see the dancers.” Her sly smile tore at Madison; it reminded her of who this woman once was. “Lively bunch.”
She taught Madison all about music and dance. And giving. “And loving. Unconditionally.” Unshed tears burned. She blinked them away. “Thank you. For giving up so much just for me.” With shaky hands, she placed the frayed baby blanket on her mother’s lap. “This is yours. To keep.”
A single tear rolled out of the corner of Madison’s eye.
“Mom,” she said softly, hoping to see a flare of recognition. Nothing. “It’s me, Madison.”
“Pretty girl,” she said, reaching out and patting Madison’s cheek. She pulled back. “Grace Kelly. I so loved you in Rear Window.”
How could she remember a movie and not her own child? Madison could never fully absorb the oddities of this disease.
“Jimmy…” She snapped her fingers. “Stewart. That’s his name. How is he, dear?”
Madison swallowed the lump forming in the back of her throat. “Lovely as ever.”
It hit her then. Irony at its best. This illness robbed her mother of her memory and, to keep her from getting anxious by arguing about what was real and true, Madison had to fib, surviving on a diet of lies. But, with Dex, lying had stolen him from her.
How could telling tales bring her mother peace and yet bring war to Madison? She recalled the Colonel’s declaration of battle just a few yards from this very spot.
“How true,” she whispered. “Mom, I’m sorry I let you down. I was scared of losing you and scared of losing me, too, my connection to someone who loved me. I thought Jacob and his family could fill that void. They didn’t. It took me a while, but I finally saw it. Mr. Right wasn’t my Mr. Just Right. Dex is. Only I’ll never get a chance to tell him that or how much I love him.”
“Oh, look. Visitors.” Her mother clapped in glee.
“That’s nice, Mom.” Madison didn’t bother to correct her.
“Who are you?”
“Dexter,” he said.
Madison froze. He was here. Had he heard her?
“Hello,” her mother said.
“Aren’t you going to turn around and talk to me, Madison?” His voice, so gentle, felt like a caress.
Her heart thumped wildly. Slowly, she stood and moved the chair out of the way and to her mother’s side. Finally, she faced him. The breath whooshed out of her.
He wasn’t alone. Shane, Evelyn, Rico, Peg, Charlie, Griff, Dolly and even Eddie stood behind him in a semi-circle.
“I don’t…why are you here?” Had she done anything else wrong? Were they going to have her arrested?
“Holy succotash and sassafras, Madison!” Peg wept.
“Girl, you had me at I’m sorry,” Rico said, dabbing his eyes with Peg’s long scarf.
“Your website. The blog,” Dex explained.
“Is Mrs. King-Baxter upset?” She frowned. “I didn’t use her story. I didn’t think it was my place. I sent that one, the legacy one, to Griff and Charlie’s email.”
Griff nodded. “It was good. We’re using it. You’ll be fully credited, of course.”
“Madison,” Charlie came forward. “By your piece, both actually, you opened your heart to us. You’ve come to love King’s and all it stands for. It’s there. But, if you would have just started out like that…Why didn’t you tell us?”
“King’s?” Her mother asked. “Oh, the baby.” She cradled her hands under an invisible bundle. “You’re so precious, little one.”
“I had a lot to hide,” Madison admitted.
“Dee Dee?” Dolly stepped forward, holding a hand to her bosom. “Is that you?”
“Huh?” She glanced up and said, “Miss, do I know you? Do you know whose baby this is? Why, someone just left her here.” Feeling the blanket, she picked it up and wrapped it around the baby. “There, there. What a beautiful blanket.”
“It’s a King’s blanket. Special, too.” Dolly reached out.
Eddie grabbed his wife to his side. “It’s all right to say it.”
“Only employees got one. Me, I didn’t work there. But my friend did. She mis—carried. Couldn’t look at it. She gave me the blanket…for mine.”
“Dolly.” Charlie rushed to her friend. “Are you all right? A baby? You never said.”
“Miss Charlie, honey”—she swallowed hard—“it was about a year before I came to work for your parents. I just about died when I found out. Me, I had nobody nowhere. Even my friend left town. I covered up. Kept working. Afterwards, I ached so much. But, I had you. I poured it all into you. The little girl.”
“Dolly?” Madison choked.
The older woman turned to her, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Blonde curls. Big green eyes. A living doll, that’s what you were. How could I keep you? I had nothing. Job to job. I knew Dee Dee from church. Loved babies. One night I went to the church door— banged real hard on it, too. Knew she was there working late.”
“You’re my birth mom?” Madison’s knees wobbled.
“Oh, honey.” Dolly rushed to her, grabbing her tight. She sobbed. “Forgive me. I didn’t know it was you. Not until you talked about the blanket. I started thinking, talked to my Eddie, and bang, we figured it out.”
Big, hot tears rolled down her face as Madison hugged Dolly to her. She was warm and her arms so fierce around her. “I can’t believe it.” She smelled like rose water and pressed powder, two of the sweetest scents she ever smelled. Maybe she could get Dex to make up a batch for her.
“I’m never letting you go, you hear me?” Dolly choked out. “I got my girl back, Eddie, what do you think of that?”
“Welcome to the family, Madison. You can call me Eddie. Or Dad.” Even his voice was hoarse with emotion.
She laughed. Looking up, she caught his eye and smiled. “Let’s start with Eddie first. I’m sure you’ll want a DNA test.”
“That’s up to my gal here. Her call.”
“Who are you?” her mother asked, bringing her back to the moment.
She pulled away from the embrace and swiped her eyes. Dolly reached up to help.
“She’s ours, Dee Dee. Yours and mine,” Dolly said, nudging her arm. “How do you like them apples?”
“Chocolate?”
“I got some of that, too.”
There were more questions, more answers and lots of talk.
“Group hug, everybody,” Rico called out. “Dolly’s got a baby girl! And the mad scientist has a hot date!”
“No, the new King’s director of product development,” Peg chimed in. “Ain’t that right, Boss 1 and Boss 3?”
“Ah, leave it to Peg to let the cat out of the bag,” Griff muttered, but with a smile in his voice.
“I heard that. It’s a good thing I like you.”
The others chuckled.
Madison became aware of Dex’s gaze. Looking up, she focused on him. “You got the job! I’m so happy for you.”
“As the new director, I propose we open a Vintage Vibe store within King’s. After all, we’ll have an empty spot once the wedding wing opens and
we move the Charmings Wedding Boutique out of the main store.”
“Vintage?” Charlie asked with a smile in her voice. “With a modern flair. Unique. Maybe we could hire someone who specializes in vintage…”
“I think we all know the perfect candidate for that, don’t we?” Griff said.
“Me? King’s? Really?” Her dreams were coming true. Ones she didn’t even know she had. Warmth bathed her cheeks as she looked at the new director of product development. “Dex.” She swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I should never have—”
“What? Fallen in love with me?”
“You know. I guess it’s not difficult to read between the lines, is it? But can you forgive me? For all the fibs and lies? And for Mr. Wrong and Mr. Right? ”
A pent-up breath siphoned out of him. “You showed me more than the lies. You showed me you. The family you ached and longed for.” He went to her then, cupping her face in his hands. “Madison Avenue, I love you.” He searched her eyes. “I’m here. All you have to say is if you want me.”
“Dex, of course I do. You’re the one for me.”
“Not Bodie? Or Jacob?”
“Too hot. Too cold. You? You’re Mr. Just Right.”
THE END
About the author:
Bestselling author Laurie LeClair writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Laurie’s habit of daydreaming has gotten her into a few scrapes and launched her to take up her dream of writing. Finally, she can put all those stories in her head to rest as she brings them to life on the page. Laurie considers herself a New Texan (New England born and raised and now living in Texas). She lives in Central Texas with her husband, Jim.
You can contact her at:
www.laurieleclair.com
https://twitter.com/LeClairbooks
https://facebook.com/laurieleclair.75
Books by Laurie LeClair:
Once Upon A Romance Series:
If The Shoe Fits – Book 1
Waking Sleeping Beauty – Book 2
Taming McGruff – Book 3
The Reluctant Beauty – Book 4
Awakened By A Kiss – Book 5
Tangled At First Sight – Book 6
Finding Mr. Just Right – Book 7
***
Wanted: Fairy Godmother
***
The Sweet Spot Series:
The Dating Dilemma – Book 1
***
The Heart Series:
Secrets Of The Heart – Book 1
Crimes Of The Heart – Book 2
Lies Of The Heart – Book 3
***
The Bounty Hunter Series:
Murphy’s Law – Book 1
Riley’s Rules – Book 2
***
The Long Journey Home
***
Runaway Wife
***
Sweet Summertime
***
An Angel Mountain Novel:
The Heart Remembers
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the author:
Books by Laurie LeClair:
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
About the author:
Books by Laurie LeClair:
once upon a romance 07 - finding mr right Page 17