by Pamela Bauer
“You haven’t been around the past couple of days,” he noted.
“I’ve been busy.” She kept her attention on the dishes she was washing.
Impatience pushed its way to the front of his thoughts. He was done with the small talk. He wanted to talk about them.
“I’ve missed seeing you.”
A light pink colored her cheeks, then she looked up at him with a flirtatious tilt to her head, “Would you like to see more of me?”
His body responded to the provocative gleam in her eyes. “You need to ask?”
“Just checking,” she said, looking smug as she lowered her eyelashes. “Are you free this evening?”
“Are you asking me out?”
She looked at him once more. “Yes.” She dried her hands on a dish towel, then reached into her pocket. “I thought maybe you might want to make use of these.” She held up two tickets. “They’re for the Wild game tonight. One of the guys at the co-op has season tickets. When he said he couldn’t go, I told him I might know someone I could take.” She slowly waved the tickets in midair.
He snatched them from her, his eyes widening as he read the small print. “The second row?”
She smiled impudently. “I guess he’s crazy about hockey.”
And Dylan discovered that he was quickly becoming crazy for Maddie. It was only because his mother chose that moment to enter the kitchen that he didn’t pull her into his arms to show her the effect she had on him.
“Good morning.” His mother, as perceptive as usual, walked up to him and said, “You’ve got that look in your eye. Did you just find out that you have the winning numbers for last night’s lottery?”
“You’re close, Mom.”
Maddie took the tickets from his hand and said, “I have tickets for the Wild game tonight. My boss at the co-op gave them to me because he had other plans for this evening.”
His mother looked surprised. “And you’re going to go with Dylan?”
“He’s the only other person I could think of who might be interested in going. None of my friends are hockey fans.”
From the way his mother was looking at the two of them, Dylan suspected she wasn’t quite convinced that was the only reason Maddie had asked him to go with her. It wasn’t much later that he discovered he was right.
“I guess you won’t be around for dinner this evening, will you?” she remarked when Maddie had left for work.
“We’ll probably grab something to eat after the game,” he answered. She was looking at him as if he were a twelve-year-old in need of a warning to stay out of trouble.
He decided to take the offensive. “Does it bother you that I’m seeing Maddie?”
In a resigned tone she said, “I should have known something like this would happen. I saw the way you were looking at her.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, Maddie’s been looking at me the same way, Mom,” he said, aware of his mother’s unspoken accusation.
She looked at him with a look that only mothers knew how to give—the one that said you’d better listen to me because I’m your mother and I know best. “You’re not going to like what I have to say—”
“Then don’t say it,” he cut her off, ignoring that look.
“I have to say it or I’d be breaking a promise I made to Nancy Lamont,” she said, still holding his eyes.
“To do what? Protect Maddie?”
“You have been known to be a bit reckless when it comes to women’s feelings,” she chastised him gently.
He rolled his eyes. “So this isn’t about Maddie, it’s about me and my lifestyle. You don’t think I should show an interest in any woman unless I have plans to put a ring on her finger.”
He didn’t realize he’d raised his voice until she said, “I don’t want to argue with you, Dylan.”
And he didn’t want to make things more awkward than they already were. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to argue about this, either. And I don’t want to hurt Maddie. I just want to spend some time with her and she wants to spend some time with me.”
“That’s what has me worried.”
He rubbed a hand across the back of his neck, wishing that his desire to be with Maddie didn’t have to cause tension between him and his mother. “Mom, I know you only want what’s best for Maddie. So do I.”
She arched one eyebrow. “You think that starting something up with her when you know you’re going to be leaving is what’s best?” “We have tickets for a hockey game. It’s not like I’m taking her away for the weekend.”
“And you think that because you both know the score, that nothing’s going to go wrong?”
“What could go wrong? We’re going to a hockey game.” He struggled to be patient. “Look, I appreciate your concern, but we’re two adults.”
“Yes, you are,” she agreed, looking as if she wanted to say more. To his relief she simply said, “Please promise me you’ll be careful. You are both very dear to me.”
He held up his hand, as if taking an oath. “I promise to be extremely careful.” Then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “There’s nothing for you to worry about. Trust me.”
“ISN’T THIS A GREAT GAME?”
Maddie liked the feel of Dylan’s warm breath tickling her skin and was grateful for the enthusiastic hockey fans who made so much noise that it was necessary for him to speak the words close to her ear.
“It’s exciting,” she answered, bending closer to him and catching the aroma of his aftershave.
She knew the way to a man’s heart was supposed to be through his stomach, but with Dylan she was convinced that it was through the Excel ice arena. Never would she have guessed a hockey game could be such a great date. It was fun, it was exciting and it was surprisingly intimate. It didn’t matter that there were thousands of people around them, they sat with their heads together, their arms entwined, and Maddie liked it.
It had been that way ever since they’d left the house and walked into the garage to get the car. Before he’d even opened the door for her, he’d pulled her into his arms and kissed her until she’d ached with longing for him.
Then he’d said, “I’ve been wanting to do that ever since you waved those hockey tickets under my nose this morning.” He’d pulled her even closer to him and said, “But then every time I see you I want to take you in my arms. You’ve managed to captivate me like no one has ever been able to do, Maddie.”
They were heady words, ones she hadn’t expected to ever succumb to, but the truth was she felt the same way. Normally she wasn’t a demonstrative person, but with Dylan she discovered she liked his hand at her back, his arm around her shoulder and his fingers clutching hers. He made her feel cherished and she missed his touch when he went to the concession stands.
When he did slide back into the seat next to hers, he wore a Minnesota Wild sweatshirt.
“I thought we should look the part,” he told her as he handed her an identical sweatshirt. Maddie glanced around and saw that many of the fans around them wore clothing with the Wild insignia.
“You know I’ve never done this before,” she told him as she pulled the dark green sweatshirt over her head.
“Worn a sweatshirt with a professional hockey team’s logo on it?”
“No, worn the same shirt as my date.”
He grinned. “Me, neither. They say there’s a first time for everything.” Then he signaled a vendor, purchased two beers and proposed a toast. He raised his paper cup to hers and said, “Here’s to all the firsts that wait for us, Maddie.”
She tipped her glass against his and added, “To new things.”
If she’d had any doubts that she’d made the right decision to ask him out, they were gone by the end of the game. She supposed the exhilaration she felt could have been due to the atmosphere inside the arena when the Wild beat their opponents in overtime, but she suspected it had more to do with being with Dylan. Whatever the reason, as they walked out into the cold night air, she felt as if it was as cl
ose to a perfect night as it could be.
Before reaching the parking lot, they saw a small diner with a large neon sign in the window that said, “Comfort Food Inside.”
“Appropriate for those times when the Wild lose,” Dylan had commented as he held the door open for her.
Since the Wild had won, they hadn’t needed comforting, but that hadn’t stopped Dylan from ordering meat loaf and mashed potatoes. “It’s been ages since I had this,” he’d told Maddie when the waitress had set their plates before them.
“The same for me,” she’d said, eyeing her plate piled high with a hot roast beef sandwich, mashed potatoes and gravy. Then she’d told him how her mother would cook a beef roast for dinner on Sunday, then on Monday pile the remaining leftovers onto slices of bread and smother it with gravy.
He’d mentioned that roast beef had often been on their Sunday dinner menu as well, but with four boys there were never any leftovers. That had led them to compare stories of what it had been like growing up in families where the siblings were, in his case, all boys and in hers, all girls. They’d had chocolate pie for dessert, then talked over coffee until they’d realized they were the last customers in the place.
“Another first for me. I’ve never had a waitress ask me to leave a restaurant because she wanted to go home to bed,” Maddie said when they were once more back in the car. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“You tired?”
She shook her head. “I know I should be, but I’m not.”
“Me, neither. Want to go for a drive?”
“Sure.”
He slipped another CD in the car stereo system. This time it wasn’t a country album, but the soft, soothing sounds of a jazz quartet. Maddie leaned back and closed her eyes, content to listen to the music.
When the car came to a stop, she discovered they were parked at the top of a hill with a spectacular view of the city. Millions of lights outlined the Saint Paul skyline, including the dome of the state capital.
When she sighed at the beautiful scene, he said, “I love this view. This was one of my favorite spots when I was a kid. We’d park up here to watch the fireworks they have at the Taste of Minnesota festival every summer.” He paused, then added, “Saint Paul is a pretty good place to spend a childhood.”
“Don’t you ever miss it?”
“It’s not my home anymore, Maddie.”
“Is that a warning?”
“Maybe it should be.” He reached across and brushed her cheek with his fingers. “Work has always come first in my life and that work is in Saint Martin.”
“I know,” she said, wishing she could have more contact with him than just the touch of his fingers.
But instead of pulling her into his arms, he straightened, putting more distance between them. “I like you, Maddie. I like you a lot and while I’m here I want to spend as much time with you as possible.”
“But you’re not going to make any promises,” she finished for him.
“Do you want promises?” he asked.
“No.” There was no hesitation in her response. “I’m not ready for promises from any man.”
“You’re not.” He sounded skeptical.
She shook her head, then went on to explain that she was still trying to figure out what she should do with her life. “Until I have a career that I love, I’m not going to get seriously involved with a man.”
“You’re still looking for the right job?”
“Yes. I like teaching dance, and working at the co-op is fun, but I feel as if there’s something out there I should be doing and I can’t seem to find it. That’s why I keep taking continuing education classes,” she told him, sharing with him feelings that, until now, she’d been reluctant to reveal.
“So you’re okay with us taking things as they come?” he asked.
“Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It was just something my mom said this morning.”
“She’s not happy we went out tonight, is she?”
“She’s worried about you.”
“About me?”
He nodded. “Thinks you’re going to be hurt. That I’m going to break your heart.”
She closed the distance between them, sliding her arms around his neck. “Maybe I’m the one who’s going to break your heart.”
“The way it’s been acting lately, it wouldn’t surprise me,” he said, his breath warm on her face as he gazed at her. “I don’t know what’s in store for this heart of mine, but I’m looking forward to the ride.”
She placed her lips on his, moving them slowly and softly, inviting him to find out for himself just what dangers lay ahead. A groan came from deep in his throat as he pulled her against him. Gone was the sweet temptation of her kiss. Their mouths were demanding and determined, expressing the hunger they had for each other.
Maddie wasn’t sure what happened to her coat or how Dylan’s fingers found the warm flesh of her midriff. Lost in the sweet sensations his touch created, she whimpered as he worked his way beneath the satiny fabric of her bra.
As if it were the most natural thing to make out in the front seat of a car, he pulled her on top of him. With her body so close to his, she could feel his arousal and suddenly all she could think of was what it would be like to make love with him. Brazenly she inched her fingers inside the waistband of his jeans and his breathing became ragged.
“We’re going to be so good together, Maddie,” he said thickly as his hands explored her soft, heated flesh.
His words were an aphrodisiac, making her forget everything except the need he stirred inside her. She wanted him. He wanted her. Nothing else seemed to matter.
Except the bright spotlight illuminating the car. Stunned at first, Maddie didn’t move, but then Dylan gently pushed her away so he could sit up. He rolled down the window to see an officer standing outside his door. He squinted at the light shining in his face.
“Sorry. I thought you were a couple of kids,” the officer said in a voice that held a bit of admonition, too. “This isn’t a good place to park at this time of night.”
“We just stopped to get a look at the view,” Dylan told him while Maddie scrambled to rearrange her clothes.
They exchanged a few more words, then the squad car pulled away. Dylan turned to Maddie. “I guess he thought we were a couple of teenagers.”
Maddie felt like one. “At least he didn’t ask us for an ID.”
Dylan didn’t say another word, but started the car. The ride home was accomplished in silence except for the music on the CD player. When they reached the house, he walked her to the side entrance that led to the rooms upstairs. When she unlocked the door, he stepped inside the entry with her.
“I had a great time tonight, Maddie.”
“Me, too.”
He reached for her hand. “I’d like to see you tomorrow.”
“I’d like that, too.”
“It’s a good thing that cop came when he did.” His eyes were dark as they stared into hers. “When we make love for the first time, I don’t want it to be in my dad’s car.” And with those last words, he kissed her lightly on the fingertips and said good-night.
DYLAN ACHED SO BADLY for Maddie he had a hard time falling asleep. He still couldn’t believe that he was thirty-one years old and he’d almost made love to a woman in a Chevy. Now he was one flight below her, taunted by thoughts of her lying in the bed above him, wondering how they were going to find the time and privacy to be together.
And that was definitely his plan. She’d made it perfectly clear that she wanted to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her. Now he had to figure out a way to make that happen without causing any friction in the family.
He hoped this Sunday wasn’t going to be like the last one when Maddie had been gone the entire day. He wanted to see her. To talk to her. To laugh with her. To make love with her.
It was that last sentiment that had him thinking of places they could be together. If Garret weren’t
a friend of Jeffrey’s, he’d have asked his brother if he could use his apartment while he was on night duty at the hospital. The only other alternative seemed to be a hotel room. He wondered how Maddie would respond to such a suggestion.
It was the final thought on his mind before he fell asleep. He awoke the next morning to the sound of someone knocking on his door.
“Dylan, I need to talk to you. Could you open up, please?”
He heard his mother’s voice through the door. He glanced at the clock and groaned. Surely this couldn’t be about how late he’d been out with Maddie? He stumbled over to the door. “What is it, Mom?” he said on a low grumble as he propped himself against the jamb.
“I’m sorry to wake you, but you need to call Shane,” she told him. “Jennifer’s grandmother passed away last night and they’re going to have to go to Michigan for the funeral.”
So it wasn’t about Maddie. He immediately felt contrite. “I’m sorry to hear that. I’ll call and give them both my condolences. Is there anything I can do to help out?”
“As a matter of fact there is. That’s why I had to wake you. They need someone to take care of Cookie, their golden retriever. That’s why Shane wants to talk to you before he leaves.”
Dylan shrugged. “No problem. Is he going to bring the dog over here?”
“He’d rather have you stay there.”
Stay there? Even in his sleepy state it didn’t take Dylan long to realize that was the perfect scenario. He’d have an entire house to himself. He wouldn’t have to worry about running into anybody in the kitchen. He’d be alone to do whatever he pleased whenever he wanted. He’d have a place where he and Maddie could—
“I’m on my way to church, but I wanted to let you know what had happened because Shane and Jennifer want to get on the road,” his mother interrupted his musing. “They’re making the trip by car.”
“I appreciate you telling me, Mom. I’ll call Shane right away.”
She nodded. “Leave me a note if you decide to go over there before I get back.”
“I will.” He closed the door and reached for the phone next to the bed.