“You know, it is going to take all day just to get one room sorted if we do this,” I said.
“Are you complaining?” she asked, grinning.
“Yes.” I sat on the couch, crossing my arms as if refusing to do anything else.
She moved towards me, and I grabbed her, pulling her onto my lap and laughing as she landed awkwardly on top of me.
“Be careful.” She pouted.
“I’m always careful.” I laid my hand on her belly, gently stroking her and our baby. My two favourite things.
“Am I being a pain in the butt?” she asked, her dark eyes seeking the answer in mine.
“Truthfully? Yes.”
She laughed, slapping my arm.
“I’m still glad you’re mine,” I said, raising my hand to her cheek and pulling her down for a kiss.
“Good, ’cause you’re stuck with me.” Maddy grinned, wrapping her arms around my neck.
It wasn’t possible to be any happier.
By the end of the first weekend we were settled in. Everything was where we wanted it to be—the only thing left was the baby’s room.
Maddy freaked out when I brought in one more box, one she didn’t know about, one I placed in the room we’d decided was for our child.
“What’s that?”
“You’ll see.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as I tore open the cardboard. and started assembling the cot. This made it all real. Our home—our baby—our new life.
“Andrew,” she whispered.
I stood. The cot was half assembled, one end and the base connected, but she was more important. I took her in my arms, holding her close.
“It’s okay,” I said. I closed my eyes as she cried on my shoulder.
“I love it.” She raised her head, her eyes still full of tears.
“Let me finish putting it together. There’s a mattress in the box, we just need to get sheets and stuff, but I figured you would want to do that.”
She nodded, still clinging to me.
“I love you, Maddy. More than anything. I want to give you and our baby everything.”
“You already have,” she whispered.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The last trimester of Maddy’s pregnancy passed slowly. We had our new house to keep us busy, but she was well over it by the seven-month mark and couldn’t wait for the baby to be born.
Trailing kisses down her body, I looked twice at her navel before laughing.
“What’s this?”
Maddy giggled. “I got my belly button pierced.”
I cocked at eyebrow. “Are you supposed to do that when you’re pregnant?”
She sighed. “I have no idea, but I did it anyway. I thought it looked cool.”
In typical Maddy style, she was finding ways to keep herself entertained and occupied until the baby arrived. If a piercing kept her happy, it was pretty minor.
I stroked the stud. She usually had an innie, but in the advanced stages of pregnancy, it had turned into an outie. “So what happens when your belly button goes back to normal?”
“I don’t know. Can you just get on with what you were doing before you noticed it?”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. Our already highly-sexed relationship had gone into overdrive the closer Maddy got to giving birth. Now we were mere weeks from our big day, and she couldn’t get enough of me. Luckily, I couldn’t get enough of her either. I didn’t think it was possible for us to be in any better position for the birth of our child—madly in love, and waiting for the big day.
I followed the curve of her belly with my tongue, and she sighed loudly as I began to play her. I could make her body sing, and I closed my eyes as I lost myself in this beautiful woman. My beautiful woman.
I rolled over, reaching for Maddy and finding the bed still warm, but empty. She’d been having trouble sleeping as her baby bump grew, making lying down more uncomfortable as she tried to find the perfect position that wouldn’t make her back ache.
My eyelids still heavy, I lay back and waited for her to return. I loved waking up with her, but that would be disrupted for a while, at least until the baby came.
And then I heard her, the shrill shriek of her disagreeing with someone. I sighed, sliding out of bed, and moving towards the noise. Maddy never let anyone win an argument, and I cringed at us falling out with the neighbours already.
“I don’t know,” she was yelling. Her hands were formed into fists, her face red from how upset she was.
Some guy was standing at the door with an equally red face. I had about a foot on him, so I hoped that would cause him to back off. Whatever was going on, I did not like my pregnant wife having to deal with it.
“What the hell is going on?” I said. Maddy spun towards me, her nostrils flaring as I stopped her in full noise. I almost pitied the guy on the doorstep, but he’d clearly got her into this state.
“This guy is looking for the people that used to live here, and he won’t believe me when I say I don’t know where they are.”
I moved towards her, gathering her into my arms. She shook as she slipped her arms around my waist.
“You think yelling at a pregnant woman is really a good idea? I don’t give a crap why you’re here. Get off my property or I’ll call the police.”
His expression darkened, but I towered over him, moving Maddy behind me.
“My family used to live here. My wife and children.”
“Well, they don’t live here now.”
I took a step back, closing the door in his face and turning towards Maddy. She buried her face in my chest, tears rolling down my bare skin.
“He just wouldn’t go,” she whispered.
“If what the real estate agent said was true, he doesn’t deserve to find his family.” I eased away from her, tilting her face towards me with my finger under her chin. “I’d never do that to you, Maddy. Even if things ever turned to crap between us, I would hope we could work things out. I’m telling you now, I’d never turn my back on you.”
“I love you so much,” she whispered.
I bent my head, kissing her on the nose. “I love you too. Now, come back to bed and get warm. I could do with some more sleep, with you beside me.”
She gazed up at me, a defiant look in her eye. “I’m going to find that lady that used to live here and be her friend. She’ll need as many friends as she can get with an asshole of a husband like that.”
I laughed, pulling her by the hand back towards the bedroom. If I knew anything about Maddy, it was that she’d follow through. That poor woman wouldn’t know what had hit her.
The following week turned out to be the most peaceful in a long time. Maddy still worked during the day, but instead of moping around in the evenings, complaining that she wanted her pregnancy to come to an end, she found another hobby. Amateur detective.
Determined to track down the woman who had sold us the house, Maddy put all her efforts into finding where she'd got to, and by the end of the week she was triumphant.
I came home to find her on the phone, laughing with someone.
“Thanks, Logan,” she said as she hung up.
“How is he?” I asked.
"Great. You will never guess what he just told me." She grabbed my hand, pulling me down onto the couch. I leaned over and kissed her.
"What?"
"Remember last weekend? That awful man that showed up here?"
I nodded. How could I forget? She'd only been talking about it for the past week.
"I found his wife. She was right under my nose. Well, Logan's nose."
I rubbed my forehead. "Sorry, you've lost me. Where is she?"
She sat back, raising her eyebrows and looking smug. "She moved into the same apartment block he lives in." Maddy tilted her head. "He says she's hot."
I laughed. "Those are Logan's words, I presume."
Her eyes widened. "He said her ex turned up. Logan was so glad to be there. The guy went to hit her, but Logan s
topped him."
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah. Logan said the guy nearly crapped himself and got out of there pretty fast.”
She wrapped her arms around my waist, cuddling in tight. I closed my eyes, hugging her back. “I’m so glad I have you,” she whispered.
“I don’t know how anyone could ever hurt anyone that was so precious to them. All I ever want to do is wrap you up in cotton wool.”
Maddy laughed, kissing me on the cheek.
I rubbed her back. “I mean it, Maddy—nothing in this world is ever going to hurt you if I can help it.”
After dinner, she'd given in to the call of bed and gone for an early night.
I stayed behind, washing the dishes before settling on the couch in front of the television. Soon enough, my eyelids were heavy, and I leaned back into the cushions with a yawn. I might have gotten up and gone to bed if I could have been bothered standing.
The phone ringing made me jump, and I grabbed it from the cradle, juggling it before managing to get a hold and answering.
"Hello?"
"Andrew, I'm glad it's you. It's Bob."
I smiled. He had hit his stride looking after the boarding house, and Maddy had agreed to him staying there long-term, as long as he took care of it and kept it running like her mother had. I don't think he had any intention of letting either Maddy or Carly down.
"Hey, Bob. How's it going?"
"Maddy's dad called."
I sat up, gripping the phone.
"What did he want?"
"It took him a while. He’d just heard about Carly. Wanted to find out what was happening with the house and where Maddy was."
I gulped. "You didn't tell him where Maddy was, did you?"
"Hell no. Kid's like a daughter to me. I just wanted to let you know he might be looking for her."
I closed my eyes. After everything, now was not the time for this. As if Maddy needed anything else to worry about.
"He's in prison. Doing time for an armed robbery. He'll be in for a while, but I still thought I should tell you."
"Thanks, Bob," I said, relieved at least that he couldn't get to Maddy any time soon.
It might just be time to pay him a visit.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The prison hadn’t changed; not that I’d expected it to. I’d called ahead to make sure Russell Jones would see me, and I guess he was as curious about me as I was about him.
I hoped that now that he was locked away, the news that his wife was dead was eating him alive. All the shitty things he’d done to her … and to Maddy.
I'd vowed never to come back here, and right now, looking at the building, bile rose in my throat at the thought of going inside. Maybe I was a visitor this time, but the memory of being trapped, unable to go anywhere, punched me in the gut. It would have been so easy to walk away.
My knuckles were white on the steering wheel. The last time I’d felt like this was when I’d returned to the park, sitting in the car after seeing Rowan and Kyle. Nerves ate away at me. I checked the time. 9.57 am. I had to face him.
I paused before the front office door, taking a deep breath before pulling at the handle. It was now or never. For Maddy.
As I signed in the visitor book, a guard appeared from out the back and smiled at me, cocking his head in recognition.
“I know you.”
“Yeah,” I said. “I lived here for three years.”
He laughed. “That’s right. I like to think I have a good memory. What are you doing back?”
“Visiting my father-in-law.”
He gaped and I grinned, gaining confidence by the second. Despite the memories of this place washing over me, I had nothing to fear this time.
When he came into the room, I felt a rush of adrenalin, . It was as if iced water raced down my spine, as if a primal urge threatened to grip me. Last time I saw him, I’d knocked him out. I’d never met him formally.
“You’re Andrew. Maddy’s friend,” he said as he sat down.
“I’m her husband.”
He raised an eyebrow at that. Obviously he hadn’t heard about his daughter's marriage.
“Husband, huh?”
“Yeah. Bob called and told me that you were trying to get hold of Maddy.”
He looked at the table, dropping the eye contact. “I heard about Carly. Wanted to make sure my little girl was okay.”
The anger built again. His little girl? As if he gave a crap.
“She’s fine. Better than fine."
He looked back up and I met his eyes, so like Maddy. His hair was dark, graying at the sides, and he had slight stubble on the chin that he was now scratching at nervously.
"I don’t want you contacting her. I don’t want you seeing her. She doesn’t need any more stress right now. She’s coping with her mother’s death and she’s pregnant.”
He looked up, and I could swear I saw a glint of emotion in his eye. “She’s having a baby?”
“Yes. I’m here to tell you to stay away. If I had any say I’d make them leave you locked up in here. But one day you’ll get out, and I don’t want you part of her life.”
Memories of Kyle warning me to stay away from Rowan echoed in my ears. That day in the park, when I’d finally snapped and went straight to their place and committed my crime. I understood Kyle's actions more than ever now.
Russell sat in silence, staring back at me, and his eyes were pained as if I had hurt him. But he’d hurt Maddy more, and for that I would never forgive this man I didn’t even know.
Her scar was a constant reminder of what he’d done.
The relief of stepping back out of that building was immeasurable, and I stood beside the car, leaning on it for support and taking huge gulps of breath. I’d never take my freedom for granted. Ever.
Logan’s car was in the driveway when I got home and Maddy shrieked as I walked in the door. I loosened my tie; I was ready for a stiff drink.
“Andrew, look at what Logan bought us.”
In the centre of the living room was a rocking chair, perfect for Maddy to sit on and nurse the baby.
“Bought you, you mean. Where’s my present?” I grinned at Logan, who shook his head and laughed.
“I figure the less stressed she gets, the less stress you get,” he said, reaching up to shake my hand.
I took his hand in mine and Maddy kissed me on the cheek before disappearing with promises of a drink.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“I saw Maddy’s father today,” I said, keeping my voice low so she didn’t hear me.
“No shit. How did that go?”
“He called Bob to get in contact with Maddy. Wanted to say how sorry he was about Carly. I went and told him to leave her the hell alone.”
Logan raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Good move. She doesn’t need that shit. Now she’s got you, she doesn’t need to worry about it any more.”
I leaned back on the couch, lifting my feet and resting them on the coffee table. Maddy would tell me off, but I was too tired to care.
“How are things going with you? I heard you have a hot neighbour.”
Logan shook his head, looking down and grinning as if he had some big secret. “Olivia’s amazing. She’s got these two awesome kids, and she just works so hard. I don’t want to push her; she’s been through a lot, but I’m kind of hoping things go my way.”
“Good for you. Gotta grab happiness where you can. I can tell you now that her ex was a real douchebag. I don’t even know the guy and I can say that.”
“I already told her I think he’s an idiot. Who walks away from the perfect woman?”
Maddy returned with a bourbon and cola and leaned over the back of the couch to kiss me.
“How did you know I needed this?” I asked.
“I know you better than anybody,” she said, her eyes full of desire, something even Logan didn’t miss.
“Uh, guys, I think I’ll get out of here and let you enjoy your evening.” He smir
ked as he stood, grabbing my hand to shake again.
Maddy lifted her chin at him. “Later.”
She turned back to me. "Now, where were we?"
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
The birth of our daughter changed my life.
All of a sudden, I had a bundle with all this blonde fluff on her head in my arms, and I fell head over heels. She looked up at me with her big blue eyes, and I felt the pull of being her father. She was just as beautiful as her mother, and made just as much noise. Seriously, that kid had the biggest set of lungs, and I had no idea how she stored them in that tiny body.
We were both so in love we decided we wanted a houseful of children. Well, maybe three.
“What are we going to call her?” Maddy asked. We’d decided that we’d wait until we saw her to name her, and now I had no idea.
“You can name her whatever you like. I don’t care, she’s Daddy’s Little Girl to me,” I said, cradling our daughter, stroking the blonde fluff.
“Well, aren’t you just useless? Maybe I should name her Moonbeam, or Sunshine. She looks like a Sunshine.”
I held my daughter’s little feet in my hands, marvelling that they could both fit inside my fist. She really was precious.
“Whatever you want,” I said, completely distracted.
“Andrew, I thought we could call her Carly.”
I looked up at Maddy. She looked sad, as if she wanted to cry. “Maddy, I think it’s a beautiful name. And you’re beautiful, and this little one is beautiful.” I shifted my focus back to the baby, who had wriggled free of my useless swaddling. “I think Carly is a perfect.”
With my free hand, I reached for Maddy, and she smiled.
My rainbow.
~
Maddy and I were both soon exhausted, and loving every second of it. But Carly’s birth also brought nightmares over what I’d done to Rowan, and how I’d separated her from her baby, back to the forefront of my mind. When I wasn’t waking with Maddy as she fed Carly in the night, I was waking myself, shaking as I relived Rowan begging me to let her go to her child.
I would have given anything to be able to throw myself at her mercy, beg her forgiveness, but I had already apologised and contacting her again was out of the question. There was only one thing I could do—take care of my family the best I could.
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