by Sienna Skye
“You got it.”
“I’ll be done in a few minutes.”
“Take your time. I have to practice anyway.”
Chapter Fourteen
Madison
I knocked on Jace’s office door. When he didn’t answer, I knocked again. Still nothing.
A voice from behind startled me and I jumped.
“Looking for someone?”
“Holy crap. I think we can skip the cardio today. My heart is already racing.”
“Consider it a warm up. Come on in. I want to show you something.”
I followed him and went straight to his minifridge to grab a water. I saw him smile. It tickled him to no end when I felt comfortable enough to make myself at home.
“I don’t know if Sarah ever told you, but years ago, when they were kids, Hunter and Morgan’s mother died from ovarian cancer.”
“I knew they had a charity in her honor. Sarah has mentioned that from time to time. They were kids when she died? That must have been hard on them.”
“Yeah, it was. One of the things that helped them was starting this foundation. Over the years, they have raised a ton of money for cancer research and to help subsidize medical costs for women with ovarian cancer and their families.”
“That’s incredible. Are they looking for donations?”
“Not exactly. Each year, they do a benefit dinner. It’s a big ticket event. There’s dancing, raffles, and a silent auction. The works.”
He picked up an invitation from his desk and handed it to me.
The invitation had the name Sophia Stone on it. “Morgan named his daughter after his mom.” I looked up at Jace.
“Actually, Julia did.”
I wasn’t sure I understood that, but I went back to look at the invitation. It was a formal event. I recognized the venue. Even the invitation itself was impressive. I looked back up at Jace.
“It seems like a wonderful event.”
“It is. Would you like to go? As my guest, of course.”
“I’d love to go.”
I’d definitely have to go shopping. It’s not like I had a closet full of evening gowns. I didn’t even have one evening gown. At least that was what I assumed would be the proper attire.
“You’ve gone to this event before?” I asked.
“Yes, quite a few times.”
“Do you usually wear a tux?”
“Usually. Hunter and Morgan always do.” He tilted his head and looked at me.
“And the women?”
“I’ve never seen a woman wear a tux there before,” he chuckled.
“Very funny. Do they wear evening gowns?”
“Yeah. I think so. Probably?”
“That sounds certain,” I laughed.
“You know, I’m fairly certain they do. But, now that I could be responsible for possibly having a woman not wear the correct thing, I’m a little nervous to commit.”
I couldn’t help but to laugh at that. He looked like a little boy as he looked at me and shrugged his shoulders. I’d figure it out on my own. I could ask Sarah.
A little while into my training session, Trey’s deep voice caught our attention. He was commanding Julia to push harder. That was not unusual. It was the training relationship they had. He would push her, and she would do what he said. Usually after some wise ass comebacks from Julia. It was entertaining to watch them banter with each other. But, this seemed amped up a few notches. And Julia looked like she had just run a marathon. She also wasn’t throwing her usual jabs back at him.
He had her set up to do hip thrusts with a large weight bar across her hips. I was having trouble counting the plates to figure out the amount of weight she was lifting. Trey was commanding her to lift. He complimented her on her form and then counted down as she did five more thrusts. Then he helped her up off the floor and smiled that megawatt smile at her.
“You kicked ass today.” Trey handed her water bottle to her.
Julia just nodded and chugged back her water.
“You punishing her today or something?” Jace asked Trey.
“Nah, it’s my fault. I asked for it.” Julia sat down on a weight bench and drank some more water. “I told him to push me because I want to get ready for the benefit.”
“Yup. That she did.”
“I have an idea of what I want to wear. Something I am pretty sure Morgan would appreciate. I’d like to be able to pull it off.”
“Trust me, I enjoy working you to the point where you don’t even have the energy to give me hell, but you know that man of yours will love anything you wear.”
“Doesn’t mean I can’t try to make it special for him. Hey, you guys are going to the benefit, right?” Julia held the water bottle to her forehead.
“Yep. I just asked Madison before we headed out here.”
“Oh good! That’s exciting. We’ll all be there.”
“Actually Julia, maybe you could help me out and tell me about what women usually wear to it. I asked Jace, but he wasn’t all that much help.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to. But, I have a better idea. Sarah, Callie, and I were planning on doing a spa and dress shopping day. We’ll do lunch and everything. Why don’t you come with us? It will be fun.”
“I’d like that. Thanks.”
“Excellent! I’m happy you’re coming. And don’t worry about the kids. Morgan was planning on having the guys over to hang out and obviously my kids will be there. Jace, you can handle watching Ryan and Alexis right?”
“I think I can handle that.”
“Good. Then it’s settled. Madison, I will get you all the details.”
Julia said goodbye to everyone and left. Jace and Trey talked about something Hunter had discussed with them and then Trey went to go get prepped for his next client.
It would be nice to have a day of shopping and the spa. I’d never done anything like that. It’s something I always thought would be fun. And I’d get to see what everyone was wearing to the benefit.
“Are you sure you’re up to watching the kids?”
“Absolutely. I’ve watched Morgan’s kids before. Besides, Morgan will be there as back up. Hunter, too. I don’t think there is anyone more level headed than Hunter. We’ll be fine. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Oh goodness. You might have just sealed your fate by saying that. It’s kind of like when a nurse on the floor says the ‘Q’ word. Even though we all know not to say it.”
“What’s the ‘Q’ word?”
“I’m not saying it.”
“You’re not on the hospital floor.”
“Still not pushing my luck,” I insisted.
I watched in amusement as he tried to figure it out.
“I got it! It’s ‘quiet’, isn’t it?”
“You just doubly doomed yourself,” I chastised him.
“It’s okay. I like to live on the wild side.”
“Speaking of living on the wild side. I had an idea of what we could do with the kids. I’m not sure what you’ll think about it, though.”
“What’s your idea?”
“I’d thought we’d go play mini golf.”
“Let’s do it. It’s about the kids being comfortable around me and about us being together. If you think that’s something they would enjoy, then I’m all for it.”
“They’ve never been before, but they mentioned wanting to go.”
“Ahh, a tactical move.”
“Might as well stack the deck in our favor. I’ve never brought anyone around them before. Part of me is nervous.”
“Don’t be nervous. I will dazzle them with my mini golf skills.”
“I’m sure you will,” I laughed.
“I’m glad you’re going with the ladies for the spa day thing. You deserve to have some relaxation time. And fun. They’ve done this spa day thing before. I’ve been at Morgan’s when they got back. They are usually still half tipsy and all sorts of relaxed. I think you’ll enjoy yourself. Plus, they will be much better a
t giving fashion advice than I could ever be.”
“Well that is probably very true. I’m happy Julia invited me. Is it silly to say I feel like part of the family now?”
“It’s not silly at all. You are part of us, Madison.”
That felt better than I could ever imagine it would.
***
A few days later, Jace and I were taking the kids to play miniature golf. I hadn’t told them what was happening. I would never tell the kids to keep something from their father, but I was afraid if they knew ahead of time and mentioned it to him, he might say something to put a bad taste in their mouth. So, while they sat eating breakfast, I told them the day’s plan.
“Hey guys, I have a surprise for today.”
They both looked up at me. Cheeks stuffed full like little chipmunks.
“We’re going to go play miniature golf today. Jace is coming to pick us up in a little while. We’re all going to go together.”
They chewed faster, their eyes bugging wide open. Alexis reached for her milk, but Ryan went right to voicing his approval.
“I’ve been wanting to go play mini golf FOR EV-ER!”
“Me too! There’s a place with a windmill. Do you think they have a windmill?” Alexis asked with her eyes bugging out of her head.
“Yes, I think they do,” I said.
“Does this mean we’re going in Jace’s truck?” Ryan jumped out of his seat.
“Well, we haven’t discussed whose car we’re taking, but maybe.”
“I really want to go in his truck,” he said emphatically.
“He’ll be here in a little while. Clear your plates, then go brush your teeth and get ready.”
They brought their plates to the sink and ran off to get ready to go. They didn’t question why Jace was going at all. We decided we would tell them together that we were dating. Hopefully, that would go just as well.
When they were done getting ready, they took turns standing watch by the window. It was Ryan’s turn when Jace pulled up.
“He’s here! And he brought the truck!”
I had to laugh. Jace only had one car. He rang the bell and I walked over to let him in with two shadows on my tail. The kids yelled out a greeting to him before I had the chance to open my mouth.
“Are we taking your truck?”
“Ryan! Let Jace get in the door. We’ll figure out which car we’re taking later.”
“We’ll work it out, bud.”
“Are we going to go play golf now?” Alexis asked.
“Guys, come sit down for a minute. I want to talk to you about something. Well, Jace and I both do.”
“Then golf?” she asked.
“Then golf,” I told her.
I hadn’t thought about where we should all sit. Should we all sit together on the couch? I ran a few scenarios through my head when it hit me I was seriously overthinking this.
“So, you guys know that Jace and I have been hanging out together.”
“Yeah, he’s helping you get strong.” Alexis nodded her head.
Ryan jumped up and made like he was flexing his biceps.
“Well, yeah. That’s part of it. But, when we were spending time together, we realized that we liked each other.”
“Well, duh. If you didn’t like each other, we wouldn’t all be going to play golf.” Ryan rolled his eyes up as if he found it ridiculous that I was stating the overly obvious.
“What your mom is trying to say is that we figured out that we liked each other as more than just friends. So, I asked your mom to be my girlfriend.”
That was simple and direct. Why didn’t I think of it?
“That means Jace will be around more often. You’ll be seeing him more.”
“Does that mean we’ll do things together? Like today? Golf with a windmill?” Alexis asked.
“Yes, sometimes. Sometimes, Jace and I will be going out alone together.”
“For like boyfriend girlfriend stuff?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah, for boyfriend girlfriend stuff,” I told him.
“But, I’ll still get to ride in his truck sometimes?” he asked.
“I’ll tell you what. If it’s okay with your mom, maybe one day we can go out. Just the guys. How does that sound?”
“Cool!”
“Not to me. Why can’t I go out with you too? Just a guy and a girl?”
“We can do that, too. Just as long as your mom agrees.”
Of course, they asked me right at that moment whether they could each have a day with Jace, and they were ecstatic when I gave my approval. I wasn’t sure if they entirely comprehended the relationship Jace and I were in, but for whatever they did understand, they seemed not only comfortable, but happy about it. I could only hope their father didn’t do anything to try to change that.
The rest of the day went just as well. Maybe better. We did take Jace’s truck, so right from the start, Ryan was happy. The kids had a ball playing golf. We played two rounds. I shook my head at Jace who was obviously throwing the game to give the kids a chance to win. After golf, we stopped at a local hotdog and hamburger place for lunch. Ryan and Alexis chatted endlessly about all the fun they had at mini golf.
Before heading home, we stopped for frozen yogurt. I looked at Jace when he let them top their yogurt with every topping under the sun. He smirked and nodded at me.
“This is a special treat, guys. Next time, we will do whatever your mom usually lets you do, got it?”
“Yes. You’re letting us do it because this is our first date. Right, Jace?”
Jace ruffled Alexis’s hair. “That’s right, sweetie.”
After the frozen yogurt, we went back to my place. Jace was going to go home, but the kids invited him in to watch a movie. He agreed with a little boy grin spread across his face.
Jace and I snuggled up on the couch while we watched the movie. The kids didn’t blink an eye. After the movie, they suckered him to one more. When it was time to leave, they were asking him when he was coming back again.
“Your mom is going shopping with Sophia’s mom and some of the other ladies. I will be hanging out at Sophia’s house. I was wondering if you would like to come spend the day with me there.”
For them, this was icing on the cake of an already incredible day. They chattered on about how excited they were to spend another day with Jace and about how much they loved going to Morgan and Julia’s house. For different reasons of course, but they were both thrilled.
After Jace left, I sent them each in to shower and get ready for bed. Alexis was still little enough that she needed help. Usually, she took a bath, but I wanted to speed things up a bit. I helped her wash and rinse her hair. When she was all clean, I dried her off and helped her get into her pajamas. She climbed up on her bench and brushed her teeth. She chose that time to try and say something to me.
“I have no clue what you just said, girlie. Why don’t you wait until you finish? You can tell me while I comb out your hair.”
She nodded and rinsed her mouth. Then I stood behind her and started to comb out her wet hair.
“I’m really glad you picked Jace to be your boyfriend. I like him. He’s nice and funny. He let us have extra toppings because it was our first date.”
“I’m happy that you like him so much.”
“Yeah, he’s really cool.” At some point Ryan had slipped into the bathroom. “He makes you smile a lot, too.”
“What?” He threw me off guard with that.
“He does, Mommy. You don’t just have regular smiles when Jace comes to see us. You have really big smiles. Right, Ryan?”
“Really big smiles.”
Ryan walked over and wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug. I squeezed him back and ruffled the hair on the top of his head. I was blown away by their assessment. That they were able to see how happy Jace made me. I was still trying to digest that all when another thought hit me. If they were able to see I was happier with Jace, were they able to tell how unhappy their father ma
de me? That was a lot for kids their age to have to deal with. That thought made me sad, but other than trying to keep them out of it as I always had done, there wasn’t much else I could do. Hopefully, the happy memories would far outweigh the sad ones. Creating happy memories for them was within my power.
Chapter Fifteen
Madison
Usually I hated getting stuck in a group text. Your phone would go off constantly and there were inevitably side conversations that really should have been in their own thread. Surprisingly, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the group chat I was in with Sarah, Julia, and Callie. We were making plans for our day out. First, we narrowed down a date. Then it was the order of events, which turned out to be shopping, followed by the spa, and finishing up at lunch. From there we decided that we would all get the same spa services just to make timing simpler. We decided on getting a massage, facial, and a manicure and pedicure.
These women were a riot. I found myself checking my phone just to see if there were any updated messages. I also started making calculations in my head. The spa services plus tips. Plus, the dress was bound to cost a few dollars. I tried not to overthink that too much. I rarely spent money on myself. This was something I was really looking forward to and there was no harm in spoiling myself from time to time.
I offered to meet Jace at Morgan and Julia’s house, but he insisted on driving. He said he saw on more than one occasion how tipsy the women came home from one of their outings. It made me wonder, because they never talked about having a designated driver in the text chain.
When we got to the house, Morgan answered the door. He was holding a wiggly puppy in his arm. Ryan and Alexis instantly started chanting how cute the puppy was. Morgan grabbed the puppy’s paw and had it wave hello to the kids.
“This is Casey. He’ll be happy to play with you and receive all the lovin’ you want to give him.”
When we stepped inside, Morgan closed the door and then put the puppy down on the floor. The kids scrambled to the floor and Casey immediately rolled over to have his belly rubbed.
Morgan greeted me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I scanned the room. It looked like we were the last to arrive. Unless Morgan was expecting more of the guys to come over.