by Pamela Bauer
“Shane, it’s me. I’m sorry about Jennifer’s grandmother. Mom said you’d like me to stay at the house while you’re gone?”
“I figured it would be a chance for you to get away from the women for a while. You like dogs, don’t you?” Shane asked.
“Of course I do. And you’re right—it’ll be nice not to have to worry about whether or not I’ve got my pants on when I run to the bathroom. When do you need me there and how long should I plan to stay?”
“We’ll probably be gone until next Saturday. Jennifer would like to leave as soon as possible, but if you have plans for today, Cookie can be on her own until this evening.”
“No, I’ve got nothing planned. I’m sure Mom won’t miss having to feed me,” he said, but it wasn’t his mother who was on his mind.
“There’s plenty of food in the house so feel free to help yourself. I’ll explain where everything is when you get here.”
“Sure. I’ll just take a shower and then I’ll be right over.”
MADDIE COULDN’T BELIEVE what time it was when she awoke on Sunday. She knew she’d crawled into bed only a few hours before dawn, but she hadn’t expected to sleep so late. The sun shone brightly through her curtain as she stretched in bed.
She’d slept blissfully, but then there was no reason why she shouldn’t have. She’d had a wonderful time with Dylan and her body tingled at the memory of what had happened at the lookout. A delicious shiver of pleasure echoed through her. Just thinking about the man could cause her to body to ache with longing.
Never had she experienced such intense feelings for a man. She’d always taken pride in the fact that she’d been able to control her emotions, yet last night, had the police officer not interrupted them, she and Dylan might have…
Heat spread through her body at the thought. She needed to shower and get dressed so she would be ready for whatever today would bring. Anticipation churned inside her as she thought about seeing Dylan again.
As she climbed out of bed and reached for her robe, she noticed a piece of paper had been shoved under her door.
“Maddie, thanks for last night,” the note said. “It was great, but today is going to be even better. I have a surprise for you. If you meet me at Shane’s, I’ll see that you get your surprise and breakfast. Dylan.” Beneath the message was a roughly drawn map with an X marking his brother’s house.
She wondered what were they going to do with the married couple? Not that it mattered. Sharing Dylan with Shane, Jennifer and Mickey would be better than not seeing him at all. But he hadn’t specified a time that she should be there…and she’d slept later than usual. Had she caused all of them to wait?
She quickly showered, then pulled on a purple sweater and a pair of black slacks. Not wanting to answer any questions about last night or today, she was grateful that Krystal’s door was still closed when she passed through the hallway.
She’d been over to Jennifer’s on several occasions and had no trouble remembering how to get there. That didn’t keep her from smiling as she glanced at Dylan’s crudely drawn map.
The closer she got to the house the more curious she became as to just what Dylan had planned with his brother and sister-in-law. When she pulled into the driveway, she didn’t see his car. Puzzled, she parked and then went to the front door.
Before she could even knock, it opened. It wasn’t Shane or Jennifer who greeted her, but Dylan. “I was beginning to worry that you weren’t coming.”
“I’m sorry. I slept late,” she said as she stepped inside.
He helped her out of her coat, eyeing the purple sweater appreciatively. “You look great.”
“Thanks. I hope I didn’t hold up breakfast.”
“I’m in no hurry.”
“What about the others?” She craned her neck, expecting to see either Jennifer or Shane in the living room, but all she saw was the golden retriever who moseyed over to Maddie to rub against her leg.
“That’s the surprise,” he answered, hanging her coat in the hall closet while she petted the dog. He put his arm around her waist and steered her into the kitchen. “The others have gone. There’s no one here except you and me…and Cookie.” The retriever nosed her way in between their legs, seeking affection.
“Where’s everyone?”
“They had to go to Michigan for Jennifer’s grandmother’s funeral. I’m taking care of the place for them while they’re gone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about her grandmother.” She glanced around and noticed that there were a couple of suitcases near the back door. “Does that mean you’re going to stay here instead of at your mom’s?”
“Not a bad arrangement, is it? Shane gets someone to take care of Cookie, I get a whole house to myself so I can do this—” he kissed her neck “—and this—” he slid a hand under the hem of her sweater and rested it on her waist, causing her to tremble.
“Definitely not things you’d want to do in your mother’s kitchen,” she said as exquisite sensations of pleasure rippled through her. “How long are they going to be gone?”
“Until next Saturday.” She shivered as his hand began to slowly work its way across her back. His eyes held hers as he found the fastener on her bra.
“Six days,” she said, her voice sounding breathy.
“And nights,” he murmured, sliding a finger beneath the narrow band of fabric.
She held her breath as she waited for him to undo the hooks holding the garment together. He managed it using only his left hand.
“I promised you breakfast.” His breath was warm against her skin.
“It’s almost lunchtime.” She moaned when his hand cupped a breast.
“Does that mean you don’t want breakfast?”
“Not right now.”
It was all he needed to hear. He took her by the hand and led her up the stairs to the bedroom.
“TOMORROW’S YOUR DAY OFF. Where should we go? To a movie? To the mall?” Dylan asked Maddie as they lay wrapped in a blanket in front of the fireplace sipping hot chocolate.
She shrugged. “We can decide tomorrow. Tonight I just want to think about what a fabulous day it’s been.”
Dylan knew she was right. It had been an incredible day. Not even in his wildest fantasies had he expected that making love with her would leave him feeling as if all of his life he’d been waiting for her to come along and bring out the best in him.
And she did. Not only when it came to sex, but with everything else they’d done. She’d taught him how to make a French pastry he couldn’t even pronounce, how to do card tricks she’d learned from her grandfather, and how to two-step. Together they’d read the Sunday paper, worked the New York Times crossword puzzle and taken Cookie for a walk in the cold sunshine.
As he stared at her face in the firelight, he thought she must be a siren, for she certainly had cast a spell over him. When the grandfather clock in Shane’s living room struck midnight, Maddie groaned.
“It can’t be that time already!” She buried her face in her arm. “I have to go.”
“Go? You’re not staying here?”
“I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
“Of course it’s a good idea. What’s a bad idea is you driving home alone at midnight,” he said, pushing himself up on one elbow. “You’re not worried that my mom might find out you were here, are you?”
He could see by the look on her face that he was right. He lifted her chin with his finger. “You are worried, aren’t you?”
“I’m not exactly worried, but it’s awkward. She’s very fond of Jeffrey and she wasn’t exactly thrilled that you and I went out last night.”
“She gave you bad advice regarding Jeffrey,” he reminded her.
When she moved away from him, he didn’t like the feeling that went through him. “Do you always confide in her about your love life?” he asked.
“Not in her capacity as a romance coach. I don’t need help with my love life—at least I didn’t until I met you.�
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He wasn’t sure she saw that as a positive or a negative.
Then she said, “Ever since I met you I felt this connection between us. I didn’t understand it. I still don’t.”
He reached for her hand. “I feel it, too.”
“Then maybe you can explain it to me.”
“Sometimes it’s better not to analyze, but to simply go with your feelings.” He kissed her, hoping to prove his point.
“But I want to understand what it is,” she said, unconvinced.
He rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, where the shadows from the fire flickered. He didn’t understand why he should feel so connected to her, either, but he suspected one reason was that she’d confided in him about her father’s infidelity. He debated whether or not he should tell her about his dad.
She leaned over him. “Why haven’t you ever married, Dylan?”
“I thought my brothers would have told you the answer to that one,” he said, uneasy that she’d even brought up the subject.
“I’m not asking your brothers. I’m asking you.”
He could see by her eyes that she had no ulterior motive in asking such a question. She was simply curious. “I haven’t wanted to get married.”
“Me neither,” she said, then rolled onto her back.
He decided they’d talked enough and in one smooth move he was on top of her. He covered her mouth with his, kissing her until they were both breathless. “We’re two of a kind, Maddie. That’s all that matters.”
“Yes,” she agreed, then gently pushed him away. “I need to go.”
“I wish you wouldn’t.” He tried to tempt her to stay by planting kisses on her shoulder.
“I have to. I have no clothes to wear tomorrow.”
“You won’t need them,” he said with a devilish glint in his eyes.
“You said you were going to take me to the movies on my day off. I need to put on clothes for that,” she said as she fastened her bra.
He fell back onto the floor. “I can’t convince you to change your mind, can I?”
“Tomorrow will be just as special as today,” she told him.
“If it is, I will be a very happy man.”
She pulled the purple sweater over her head, then kissed him. “And I a happy woman.” She eluded his grasp and finished dressing.
He watched, thinking how graceful she was in everything she did. She could make tying shoes look like a work of art. The thought of her driving home alone had him reaching for his jeans.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he reached for his keys from the end table.
“I’m going to follow you home.”
“You don’t have to.”
“No, but I want to. I know you’re used to taking care of yourself, but humor me. Please?”
He liked the fact that she was independent. Most of the women he’d dated had expected him to be at their beck and call. Maddie made no demands on his time. If anything, he was the one who waited for her.
He thought it was the reason that his interest in her hadn’t waned. With each passing day he found it more difficult to share her with her work, with his family and with the rest of the world. With Shane and Jennifer returning on Saturday, he knew he needed to find another way for the two of them to have privacy. Because if there was one sure way to kill a romance it was conducting it under the watchful eye of a mother. That was something he wasn’t going to let happen.
“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I’ve hardly seen you all week,” Krystal remarked to Maddie as their paths crossed in the hall outside the bathroom Friday morning.
“It’s been a hectic week.”
Krystal’s mouth spread into a grin. “Hectic at work or hectic trying to spend all of your free time with a certain guy?”
Maddie didn’t see any point in denying she’d been with Dylan. “You know, don’t you?”
She nodded. “I knew it was just a matter of time before it happened. Anyone with half a brain could see there was going to be a spontaneous combustion. How does Leonie feel about it?”
“I guess she’s fine with it. I haven’t seen her all week.” Something that bothered Maddie. She and Dylan hadn’t exactly been sneaking around, but because they hadn’t seen his mother, it almost felt as if they had been.
“You don’t think she’s going to object, do you? For Pete’s sake, Maddie, she adores you. She’ll probably be tickled pink that you and her son are hitting it off.”
“And romance is her business,” Maddie added, trying to convince herself as well as Krystal. “She understands why this kind of stuff happens.”
“It’s not like you’re a couple of teenagers,” Krystal pointed out.
“No, you’re right.”
“Just face her and get it over with. I know it’s awkward, but Leonie is such a dear. It’ll be fine. You’ll see,” Krystal said with her usual optimism.
Maddie knew what her friend said was true, yet she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that her relationship with Dylan was going to change how Leonie felt about her. One thing she did know. She needed to talk to Leonie about what was going on and do it soon.
But when she went downstairs, Leonie was nowhere to be found.
Later that day when she arrived at Shane’s, she found Dylan sitting on the sofa with his laptop open. She was about to express her concerns to him about his mother when he pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her thoroughly.
“I put in a request to extend my medical leave,” he told her when the kiss ended.
“Because of me?”
“It sure as hell isn’t because of the weather,” he teased.
“You can get an extension?”
“I need to continue my physical therapy. I’d be crazy not to—especially after the way this week has turned out.” He nuzzled her neck with a trail of warm kisses.
She sighed. “It has been incredible, hasn’t it?”
“Beyond my wildest dreams.” He stopped kissing her and looked at her, his eyes cloudy. “Unfortunately, tomorrow we lose our privacy.”
“What happens when you’re back at your mother’s?”
“Actually, I’ve been thinking about not going back to her house.”
She straightened. “What?”
“I’m used to living alone, Maddie. As much as I want to be close to you, it’s going to be sheer torture trying to sleep when I know you’re upstairs from me. That’s why I’ve been checking into taking a room at a hotel.”
“It would be great…for us, but…”
“You’re worried about my mom’s feelings, aren’t you?”
She nodded. “It’s awkward. I know it shouldn’t be but it is.” She got up from his lap. “I need to have a talk with her, Dylan.”
“We’re adults, Maddie. We shouldn’t have to get anyone’s blessing before we can see each other.”
“I know, but I’ll feel better if I’ve talked to her about us.” She folded her arms across her chest, suddenly chilled. “I need to do it before Tuesday. That’s her birthday and everyone’s coming over. I don’t want there to be any uncomfortable surprises.”
“Then tomorrow it is. Now come here and let’s enjoy our last night alone.” He started to undo the buttons on her blouse.
“I thought you wanted me to make dinner,” she said as her breath caught in her throat.
“Not necessary. I’ve ordered dinner to be brought here.” He trailed kisses across the flesh her open blouse exposed.
When the doorbell rang, he glanced at his watch. “If that’s dinner it’s early. They weren’t supposed to be here until eight o’clock.”
Maddie watched him walk over to the front door and open it. A chill traveled across her arms, and she didn’t need for Dylan to tell her who was at the door. It was Leonie.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Dear Leonie: I met this guy who was only going to be in town for a month. I told myself I wasn’t going to be upset when he left again, but I’ve gone and fallen in love with him and n
ow I don’t know what to do.
Signed: Wishing I could turn back time
Leonie says: Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Either forget him or get used to big long-distance phone bills.
“I STOPPED BY to see if you wanted to join me and Garret for dinner, but I can see you’ve already made plans,” she said coolly. Leonie looked at Maddie. “I figured this was why I haven’t seen much of you this week.”
“He can go to dinner with you,” Maddie said, wishing her dear friend didn’t look so disappointed at finding her with Dylan.
“No, I can’t because I’ve already made plans for dinner,” he spoke up. “But thanks for thinking about me.”
Maddie couldn’t believe Dylan’s ease. It was as if he didn’t see any reason why there should be awkwardness between the three of them.
“Then I’ll go,” Leonie said.
“No, Leonie, wait. We should talk about this.” Maddie spread her hands nervously.
Again it was Dylan who spoke. “Mom’s fine with everything, aren’t you?” He cast a glance at his mother, who Maddie thought was anything but fine.
Leonie’s next words proved it. “As you already told me, what you and Maddie do is none of my business.”
“You said that to your mother?” Maddie gawked at Dylan. Then she walked over to Leonie and put an arm around her shoulder. “Leonie, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you earlier about me and Dylan. I should have. I wanted to, but…” She knew there really was no reason why she couldn’t have told her friend about her feelings for Dylan.
“I had to learn from Garret that you’d broken up with Jeffrey,” Leonie said.
The disappointment on her landlady’s face only added to Maddie’s regret. Until today Leonie had never looked at her with anything but affection and understanding. Maddie wanted to right what was wrong between them, but she wasn’t sure she knew how.
“I’m sorry” were the only words she could find to say.
To her relief, Leonie accepted her apology graciously. “I understand, Maddie. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like a few words with my son.”