“But if he does?”
“I don’t know. I’ve haven’t thought about it.”
“You’re making an awful lot of life decisions on someone else’s whim.”
“My decisions haven’t been based on his whim. He only showed up last night. I had no idea he would be able to find me. In fact, I was shocked.”
“But you knew where to find him,” her mother pointed out.
Madison shrugged and put more books in the crate. “I guess I did.”
“Do you love him?” her mother asked.
“Yes.”
Zoe wrapped the hand-blown vase she and Martin had brought their daughter back from Ireland in bubble wrap. “Are you in love with him?”
Madison didn’t answer.
They both continued to pack for a few minutes, each deep in thought.
“I know that my heart skips a little beat when I see him. I know that my hands tremble a little each time we get together. I know that his kisses are like heaven and I can never get enough of them. I love the way he looks. I love the way he feels. The way he looks at me. I love his voice. His eyes. I haven’t even thought about another man since I met him. I was miserable without him and I count the seconds until he gets back to me.”
She sat back on her heels and looked into space. “I want to spend every minute with him. I want to tell the world that he’s mine. I think if it doesn’t work out, I’ll never date again. I imagine what a baby with him would be like. I want to grow old with him.”
“So, if that means I’m in love with him, then I guess I am.” Madison said, turning her gaze back to her mother.
Zoe went to her daughter, and wiped away tears that Madison hadn’t known she’d shed. Then she hugged her daughter close. “Welcome aboard,” she said.
Madison laughed a watery laugh.
Zoe backed away and lifted Madison’s chin until Madison looked into her eyes. “If he’s what you want,” she said, “make it happen. Love isn’t like medical school where you control the outcome. This time it involves another person and his emotions, his wants and needs. But if you give it your all, you stand a really good chance of getting what you want.”
“I hope you’re right,” Madison said, wiping at her eyes. She hoped Daniel didn’t get back in time to see that she’d been crying. “I don’t want to run him off.”
“That’s the ironic thing about men. If they don’t love you, you can just look at them wrong, and off they go. But if they’re in love with you, it doesn’t matter what you do. You can’t knock them off with a stick.”
“That’s very romantic,” Madison said.
“I know, but it’s the truth. Try it and see if I’m not right. I’ve seen it far too many times - not with me, but with others.”
Shoving a stack of books aside, Madison sat on the couch. “What should I do?” she asked.
It was over three hours later before Daniel helped Martin carry their supplies into Madison’s townhouse. They’d stopped for shrimp po’boys at Pappadeaux and he could hardly wait to try one. There was a little place in Durango that sold shrimp po’boys, but according to Martin, the seafood in south Texas was incomparable.
“Well, hi,” Madison greeted them at the door. “I was beginning to think that you two had gotten lost.”
“We took the scenic route,” Martin said.
“But we made up for it by bringing food,” Daniel told her.
“You brought Pappadeaux,” she said, with excitement in her voice. “No wonder it took so long.”
Daniel exchanged a look with Martin, as Madison turned to carry the take-out bag to the kitchen.
“So, did you save anything for us to pack?” Martin asked when he joined his wife and daughter in the kitchen.
“Actually, we waited for you,” Zoe said, winking at Madison.
“Knowing you two, you probably did,” Martin said.
“Dad, after lunch, would you and Daniel run back out and get a newspaper?” Madison asked.
“Sure. Have you already packed your computer?”
“No, but I want to start looking for apartments. And sometimes they still advertise in the newspaper.”
Daniel looked sharply at Martin. This was not good.
“Maybe I can go ahead and find a new place to move into next weekend while you have some time off and while Daniel’s here to help.”
Zoe put the sandwiches and French fries on paper plates and passed them around. “That’s a good idea, Madison. I knew you’d figure out what it was you wanted to do.”
“After I get moved in someplace, I can start looking for a job.”
“I thought you were going to stay with us,” Martin said.
“Yeah, I don’t know. You live down in the city and I like this area here in The Woodlands. Besides, I just have too much stuff to keep in a storage unit.”
“We can pay the rent on the unit if that’s the problem.”
“Trust me, that’s not a problem. I’ve barely spent any money since I started working. My student loans are paid off and I have a nice savings account. I cashed in my sick leave and vacation time from the clinic. I could live for a year without working.”
“But a lease is so permanent,” he insisted.
“I can probably get one for a year.” She glanced at Daniel. He had been silent throughout this exchange. “How do you like your sandwich?” she asked him.
“It’s great,” he said. “I’d like to take you to dinner there sometime.”
“Ok,” she said, a little surprised at that.
“I think you may have been right, Martin,” he continued. “Houston may just have some of the best food.”
“This is just take-out,” Martin said. “Wait until we get to the good stuff.”
Madison was certain her dad had winked at Daniel. Maybe they had spent way too much bonding time together.
Then Daniel winked at her and her heart fluttered.
Daniel disappeared just after lunch, saying he had some business to take care of. Madison didn’t know what business he could possibly have to take care of. Maybe he needed to make some phone calls. At any rate, she had been spending more time glancing toward the door than she had been packing.
“He seems like a good guy,” her dad said at one point.
“Who?”
Her dad shook his head. “You know perfectly well who - Daniel.”
“Oh. I think so.”
“How do you feel about him?” her dad asked.
“I like him. Do you know where he went?”
“He didn’t tell me.”
“I don’t know what he could possibly have to do.”
“Who knows, Honey. He’s a grown man. Maybe he has business to tend to.”
“I have Internet access here. And he could have stepped out to use his phone. It makes no sense to me.”
When her parents glanced at each other, Madison shrugged and went back to packing.
Chapter Fourteen
Later that evening, after all four of them had gone out for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, Daniel lit a fire in the fireplace.
Zoe and Martin had gone up to the guest room to bed.
Daniel and Madison sat together on the sofa, beneath a down throw, with Fluffy curled up in Madison’s lap.
“We may have to get some more firewood if this cold weather keeps up,” Daniel said.
“It reminds you of home, huh?”
“It does remind me of home. It sounds like it’s snowing outside.”
Madison laughed. “Snowing? It doesn’t snow in Houston.”
“Never?”
“Well, on rare - very rare occasions, it has.”
“Let’s look,” he said.
“You look. I’m too tired to move.”
Daniel got up, peeked out the window, then opened the blinds and stepped back. “Snow,” he said, proudly.
“No way!” Madison said, but there it was. Snow. Not a lot. But little flakes floating downward.
Daniel rejoined her o
n the sofa. “Just like that night we spent at the inn,” he said.
“That was nice,” she agreed.
“I knew you were a city girl even then. And, just as you intimated, you have your cell phone, your television, and your internet going.”
“I know. It turns out I’m addicted to The Weather Channel and Fox News. If I could I would have both of them up on my TV at the same time.”
“You could have two TVs.”
“No, that would take the fun out of it.”
“You’re a strange woman, Madison McKivitz.”
“Thanks,” she said sarcastically.
“That’s one of the reasons why I love you.”
“You do?”
“It hasn’t changed since the first time I told you, unless it’s gotten stronger.”
“I didn’t know if you still would now that you know who I am.”
“I’ve always known who you are. Even if you didn’t,” he held her hand in his, kissed her fingertip. “Do you still love me?”
“More than ever,” she said.
“Then it sounds like we have something special going on.”
She looked at him and smiled. “I’d say we do.”
“I was going to wait and find the right time to do this,” he said, “but with it snowing, I don’t think a better time will present itself.”
“What?”
He got on his knees in front of her, took a small box from his pocket. Madison saw in the light of the fireplace that it was a blue Tiffany’s box.
As she watched, he opened it and there was the perfect diamond ring - platinum solitaire.
“Madison McKivitz,” he asked. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at him, her mind whirling with the possibilities.
They were from two different worlds - she and he. He was from the small town of Durango, Colorado where winter snow was a commonplace thing. He spent his days riding the train track, collecting tickets, guiding tourists.
She was from the city - one of the largest in the United States. She was used to fine restaurants and shopping at the Galleria and Nordstrom’s. She was a physician with lots of patients, even if she had just recently resigned that position.
She was used to the summer heat and winter snow was almost a miracle.
A miracle just like their love. That was one thing she was certain of. She loved Daniel Beaumont and he seemed to love her, too.
“Yes,” she said.
Then before she knew what was happening, the ring was on her finger and she was in his arms.
In his arms - where she hoped to spend the rest of her life.
“Looks like someone forgot to go to bed,” Martin said.
Madison jumped. Crap. She was still curled up on the sofa in Daniel’s arms.
“We must have fallen asleep,” she said to no one in particular. The fire was out cold. They’d burned up the last of the wood before falling asleep kissing.
“Looks like it,” her father said.
They untangled themselves and Daniel wiped his hands over his face. “Sorry,” he said to Madison.
“I can’t believe we didn’t wake up all night.”
“Don’t worry,” Martin said, “I’ll make the coffee.” Fluffy followed him into the kitchen, meowing at his feet. “And feed the cat,” he added.
“I’ll do it, Dad,” she said.
“I’ll jump in the shower,” Daniel said. “In case I get kicked out later.”
Martin laughed.
“I’m glad to see you two are getting along,” he said, after Daniel had gone into the bathroom.
Madison was staring at her hand as though for the first time.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, then noticed the ring on her finger. “Oh. I see. Come here,” he said, pulling her into a hug. “Are you happy?” he asked.
She nodded against his chest.
“This is what you wanted?”
She nodded again.
“Then I’m happy for you,” he said, and released her. “Have you talked about how this changes your plans?”
“No, we haven’t gotten that far.”
“You’ll figure it out.”
“She’ll figure what out?” Zoe asked, heading for the coffee mugs.
Madison exchanged a look with her dad. Decided not to tell her yet.
Zoe studied Madison. “There’s a look on your face,” she said. “There,” she pointed. “On your hand.”
Madison held her hand out for her mother. Zoe went to her and examined the ring. “It’s beautiful,” she said. “I told you it would work.”
“What would work?”
This time Madison exchanged a knowing look with her mother.
“Oh, nothing,” Zoe said. “Just girl talk.”
“Which is what frightens me,” Martin said.
All three of them took their coffee mugs and sat down at the kitchen table.
“Whatever you decide to do,” Zoe said. “We’ll support you. If you want to move to Durango, we’ll help you. You can use the condo. If you want to stay down here, that’s ok, too. You can even stay with us. Even though you’ve said you don’t want to. It all depends on when the wedding is.”
“Mom. Take a breath,” Madison said. “We have to talk it through and decide. We don’t know yet what we’re going to do.”
“Make sure it’s what you want to do, too.”
“It will be, Mom. I promise. Daniel is nothing like Timothy.”
“Thank God,” Martin and Zoe said in unison.
Daniel opened the door and peered out of the downstairs bathroom. “Is it safe to come out?” he asked.
Madison went to him and put her arms around him, and led him back to the kitchen.
Martin stood up and went to shake his hand.
“Welcome to the family, Son.”
Zoe hugged him.
Madison looked at them, with tears in her eyes.
All was right with the world.
A little later, Daniel looked over at Madison. He wasn’t sure which one of them was glowing more. Each time they glanced at each other, which was rather often, they would smile knowingly at each other. Knowing that they were about to embark on spending the rest of their lives together. They had some things to work out, of course, like where they would live. That was kind of a big one since they were from different parts of the country. But he knew they’d figure it out. She could practice medicine if she wanted to or she could just practice being his wife and the mother of their children.
They could live in Houston and visit Durango or they could live in Durango and visit Houston. He wouldn’t even mind if they had houses in both cities and split their time between the two. None of that mattered to him. It only mattered to him that they were together.
They would discuss it, of course, and come to a decision together. She could lead and he would happily follow.
He was content. He had his little elfin princess at his side.
Epilogue
Madison gazed out at the snow-covered lawn. In the distance, she heard the train whistle of the narrow-gauge engine and smiled.
Daniel would be leaving shortly to ride the afternoon train. It was in his blood and he lived for that train. He liked the interaction with the tourists and he like the feel of the track beneath his feet. He like to keep his pulse on the status – to make sure everything was running smoothly.
Sometimes she would go with him, but not today. And not again for a few months.
She wrapped her hands around her stomach and felt the baby move. It wouldn’t be long now.
Daniel appeared at her side and wrapped his arms around her. “How are my girls doing?”
“You’re going to feel funny if it’s a boy.”
“Nah, it’ll be a girl and she’ll look just like you.” he insisted.
Madison shook her head. “You’re silly. Yesterday, you were certain it was a boy.”
“And I’ll be ecstatic no matter which one it is.”
“As wil
l I.”
“The train will be passing by soon.”
“I know, I heard it. I can’t wait until our house is built.”
They were sitting on what would be the front porch of their home. The smell of fresh-cut lumber permeated the air. The framework of the house that would hold the two of them and their child or children, as the case may be, stood behind them. And it would be big enough for both families to spend holidays and summers with them if they so choose.
“This is the perfect place for our house,” Daniel commented.
She nodded. “I love it that we can see the train from here as it goes by.”
“We can even catch it from here if we want to. Maybe ride up to the inn,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
Madison closed her eyes and shifted her mouth against his. She had fond honeymoon memories of the Inn. It turned out that Daniel had been right. The Inn was better than going to the Hilton.
This had truly been the best year of her life.
There was nowhere else in the world she wanted to be.
Even when she didn’t know who she was, she’d known she wanted to be here.
It had taken a tragedy to upset her life and change her life path.
But through it all, she had discovered who she really was.
And found the happiness of a lifetime.
If you loved Pretend You’ll Stay, I think you’ll also enjoy Love Again. Please continue reading for a sneak peek at it – it’s currently available on Amazon!
Love Again Excerpt
Love Again
Love’s Second Chance Series
Book 2
Chapter 1
Love Again
Claire Worthington believed that life moved in only one direction. Forward.
“Mom!” Danielle said excitedly as she approached Claire down the wide UCLA hallway. “My psychology class is so lit. The instructor is on fire.”
Claire gathered up her iPhone and iPad, drew her handbag over her shoulders. She’d been waiting for two hours for her daughter’s classes to end. “So… you like it?” Claire asked for clarification.
Pretend You'll Stay (Winter Kisses Book 2) Page 17