Rush to the Altar

by Jamie Carie

  “Maddie?”

  She turned slowly to see Jake Hart, devastatingly handsome in black tie, even with the cranberry-colored wet spots on his white shirtfront from Sasha’s drink. He looked from Maddie’s surprised face to Sasha’s and then back again, a frown between his brows.

  “I came to apologize. I, um…” He seemed completely sober now. “Seems I jumped to some conclusions about you. And I’m sorry.” He looked to Sasha again. “You were right. I really don’t know her at all. Thanks for setting me straight.”

  Sasha visibly gulped.

  Maddie could only stare.

  “Will you forgive me?” His voice was so deep and quiet and sincere. Maddie felt herself go warm all over and found that her head was nodding and shaking at the same time. “Of course,” she managed out of a tight throat.

  “Will you save me a dance? I’d like to get to know the real Maddie Goode.”

  Maddie thought she might faint, but took a deep breath instead. “Okay, I guess.”

  He smiled, a real, warm, inviting smile that made her head swim like the time she had a terrible cold and a touch of vertigo.

  “Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of her fingers. “I still think you’re an angel…no fairy looks this pure.” Then he was walking away with his long-legged stride down the hall. He turned at the entrance to the men’s room and grinned at Sasha, teasing, “You think I can get this stain out of my shirt before my big speech?”

  Sasha grimaced. “Sorry,” then she shrugged, a half-pained, half-happy expression on her face. “But you did deserve it and I’ve always wanted a good excuse to do that.”

  Jake laughed and disappeared into the men’s room.

  They turned toward each other, both wide-eyed and staring.

  “I can’t believe it. A monster one minute and a prince the next. Do you think that was real?” Maddie questioned.

  “Wow. If it wasn’t, he’s a very good actor. Maddie, he asked you to dance!”

  Maddie brushed back her hair nervously. “I know. Do I know how to dance?”

  “Of course you do, you’re a great dancer. Now let’s go mingle and get some food. Best thing to do is act like it was no big deal. Let’s ignore him for a while.”

  Maddie nodded with a tight smile. “Okay. I’m so glad you’re here, Sasha. I truly think I would ruin my life without you.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  After cocktails, there was a four-course dinner. A bowl of either French onion or cream of artichoke soup made up the first course, followed by a finely chopped salad with creamy parmesan dressing. Maddie had agonized over the main course, finally settling on a choice of roast beef or salmon, steamed veggies, asparagus with mustard cream sauce, twice-baked potatoes loaded with anything they could want on a potato and huge yeast rolls. Dessert consisted of vanilla flan with amber-colored caramel sauce or creamy chocolate mousse, all of which Maddie had gotten to sample before choosing a caterer. That had been a great two weeks, sampling food and being acquiesced to as the Racers representative.

  Now she hung back, overseeing the guests, a few she recognized, many she did not, but knew them mostly to be distinguished community leaders. The mayor and his lovely wife sat at one of the round tables in the center toward the front of the room with another politician, a university president, a doctor who was a close friend of the mayor’s family and a local celebrity, the current Miss USA. She was gorgeous in a sequined gown, Miss USA sash and tiara, which Maddie presumed was the costume of a beauty queen.

  “Must be nice to look like that all the time,” Sasha had whispered to Maddie when they’d first seen her.

  Their table looked happy—plenty of food and a handsome waiter at their beck and call. Her gaze roving, she spotted a gentleman growing loud and animated. Gliding near the table she casually studied him, waved over the waiter for their table and whispered, “Water down Dr. Sinclair’s next vodka tonic a bit, yes?

  The waiter nodded, understanding and a slight smile of respect lighting his eyes.

  Maddie turned to circle the room one last time before sitting down to her own dinner and nearly walked into a wall of muscle.

  “Oh,” she exclaimed, stepping on his foot with her silver sandal. “Excuse me.”

  Low male laughter. “That wasn’t how I envisioned getting you back into my arms, but I suppose it will do.”

  Maddie’s head jerked up to look into the eyes of someone familiar, though at first she couldn’t quite place him. The lighting was low, candles everywhere, reflecting the colors Maddie had chosen of gold, yellows and reds, making it difficult to see the man’s face, standing in the shadows as he was.

  Suddenly it clicked. “Greg? Greg Foreman?” She took a step back.

  “Maddie. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. What are you doing here?”

  “I…I work for the Racers.” Incredibly, he looked better than he had in college.

  “Really? Wow. What do you do?”

  “I am a coordinator for the Racers Foundation. How are you? I saw all the names on the guest list but don’t remember seeing your name.”

  “Really? Well, I was invited.” He was sounding a little heated.

  “Of course, you were. It’s a wonderful party, is it not?” Her gaze swept the elegant room.

  “Maddie…you’ve changed so much, I hardly recognized you. You look really… spectacular.”

  Maddie wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. She smiled, knowingly, remembering his smooth talk. She had changed a lot since their brief stint of dating in college and wasn’t quite so naïve. “Thank you. What are you up to these days?”

  “I’m an orthodontist. I have a practice in Carmel. It’s very…” He pretended humility with a shrug. “…Successful.”

  Maddie laughed, unable to help it. “Well, your teeth look wonderful. How about personally? Are you married?”

  Greg ground his teeth. “I should be.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Divorced.” He sighed heavily. “I found her…in bed with another man.”

  Maddie didn’t know whether to believe him, he was acting so strange. “I’m sorry. How terrible for you.”

  “Yeah, I didn’t think I would get through it, but I did. Meeting sweet women like you puts the game back in me. You taken?”

  Maddie didn’t want to go into that. “I’m in a relationship.”

  “Anyone I know? Wait, it’s not one of the players, is it?” He asked it like it was an impossibility and though Maddie knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t quite help herself.

  She shrugged delicately.

  “No kidding. Who?”

  Maddie allowed her gaze to wonder over to Jake. It wasn’t as if she was out-and-out lying, not really. Just leading a cad to think something that might buy her some peace tonight.”

  “No way. Jake Hart? I should have snatched you up when I had the chance.”

  Maddie wanted to roll her eyes but feigned neutrality. “We both know that wouldn’t have worked out. I’m sure you will find someone, Greg.”

  “Sure I will. I’ve found lots of someone’s, but I’m looking for someone really special. Someone like you.”

  Could the malarkey, as her Irish grandfather always called it, get any thicker? Maddie pasted a smile on her face, tilted her head to one side and remarked. “You didn’t think I was so special when you dumped me via email during our sophomore year. What makes me so different now?”

  “Look at you!” Greg gushed. “I hardly recognized you, you look so good.”

  Again the backhanded compliment. Maddie was getting bored. “Greg, it was so good to see you again, but I have to go.” She smiled a tight smile at him. “I’m working, remember?”

  An angry yet panicked look flashed across his face. “Can I call you?”

  Maddie shook her head. “I’m sorry, Greg. I think we can both agree that it wouldn’t work out. Take care.”

  She glided away toward her table, where she could h
ear Sasha laughing at something the handsome, successful owner of a retail chain was saying.

  At least someone was having fun.

  ~~~~~~

  Jake’s gaze slid over to Maddie again. Who was that she was talking to? And why did he care so much? He looked purposefully away but it wasn’t long before his eyes sought her out again. He just couldn’t seem to help it. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. Every time he tried to turn his attention to someone else, someone bright and glittering at his table, he would sense Maddie’s presence, know just where she was standing in the room, who she was talking to, trying to place the decent-looking guy she was talking to right now. Was that a flirtatious laugh? Did she know him? He watched her touch his sleeve with familiarity and had to stop his feet from marching over there and taking the guy by the collar. He turned away, taking a long gulp of his drink. This was ridiculous! He had never wanted a woman to notice him this badly and he was determined to disregard it. It wasn’t sane.

  He just had to ignore her. It wasn’t as if she was the only captivating woman in the room. He looked up and across the table at Lisa Montgomery, a model, aspiring actress and a blond knockout. Usually he would be interested, wonder how long it would take to reel her in, but he couldn’t seem to drum up the chase instinct, and that scared him.

  He’d heard some of the other happily married players talk about how their wives had captured them and he’d always thought of it as enticement, though they’d never called it that. He saw how happy and connected they were with their wives, always on guard around the attractive female fans, and he had privately thought the women in their lives had finally won the game, put the ol’ ball and chain around their million-dollar necks and won the prize. But now, for the first time, he had this glimpse of what they felt. He couldn’t get over it. He couldn’t believe in it. He wanted to fight it and yet…he wanted to take her into his arms and kiss her; it was all he could think about tonight.

  The image of her, in her light fairy costume and glittering eyelashes over those shocked and hurt eyes, eyes the color of the blue waters in the Caribbean, staring at him in hurt disbelief as he’d berated her for her dance routine and accused her of wanting to seduce him, haunted him. He found he wanted to banish the hurt, put salve on the wounds he’s caused and draw her into his arms. And she’d been gracious enough to accept his apology. That alone was impressive. She could have played that card in a lot of different ways—revengeful or calculating, taunting or tantalizing. Instead, she’d melted—sincere, sweet, openhearted acceptance—and promised him a dance.

  The dance. Dinner was over, the speeches were over and the party had migrated to the other room, where the band was testing their mics and the sound system. The dancing would soon begin.

  Jake took another sip of his drink and found Maddie at the back of the room, talking and laughing, a barely touched martini in her elegant hand. He debated his options. The third song, if it was a good one. He couldn’t ask her before the third song if he wanted to look better than desperate. He’d already forgotten his promise to ignore her.

  Jake’s spine straightened when he saw out of the corner of his eye the man she had been talking to earlier come up to her and ask her to dance the first song. It was a fast one, and only two women, one dressed as Wonder Woman and the other as a tennis player, were making their way to the dance floor. He saw Maddie shake her head, then clenched his teeth as the man grabbed her hand and pulled her to the floor anyway. Jake stared openly at them now, anger beating in the pulse at the base of his throat. What was it about Maddie that everyone thought they could manhandle her like that? He would have to get her into self-defense classes. Teach her some street moves to protect herself.

  He stared while Maddie acquiesced, though he could tell her heart wasn’t in it, she didn’t give the man eye contact and her body was barely moving to the music. The guy, however, was obviously intoxicated and getting handsy with her. He was just about to go out there and do something about it when he heard “Hey, Jake” from just behind him.

  He turned to see Marcus Cornell, a fellow player and the friend he’d come here with. “Marcus.” He nodded to him then looked back at Maddie. She looked miserable.

  “You really got a thing for her, don’t ya?”

  “Why do you say that?” He wanted to know how he was being so obvious.

  “Come on, man. You’ve only got eyes for her. You haven’t even noticed Jill Parkinson is here, or that other woman you dated, Tiffany something or the other? Didn’t you go out with her?”

  Tiffany Daniels. His only serious relationship outside of a college girlfriend. “Tiffany’s here?” He’d really been in love with her until she had left him when he said he would never marry without a pre-nup. It hadn’t taken her long to find another rich boyfriend. “I wonder if she married that guy,” he said.

  “She’s a beautiful woman, that’s for sure,” Marcus agreed. “Hey.” Marcus motioned toward Maddie on the dance floor. “Is it just me or is that guy getting a little too friendly on the dance floor with your girl? I don’t think she likes it, either.”

  Jake grasped Marcus on the shoulder. “Thanks, man. That was all I needed to hear.” He made his way through the crowd toward them as the song wound down. The man’s hands kept wandering over Maddie’s arms and side in a way that made Jake want to plow a fist into his face.

  Maddie was shaking her head and trying to back out of the man’s touch when Jake arrived within earshot. “No, thank you, Greg. Now, please. I’m finished dancing. I need to see that the auction is set up and ready to go.”

  Greg didn’t seem to want to pay any attention to her feelings, but as he looked up and beyond Maddie’s shoulder and locked eyes with Jake, he suddenly let go and backed away.

  Greg held out his hand toward Jake. “Jake Hart,” he gushed. “I’m a big fan. Dr. Greg Foreman.” When Jake ignored his hand and turned toward the stunned face of Maddie, he asked her, “Maddie, are you okay? This guy bothering you?”

  Maddie shook her head, sidestepping toward him so that her slim shoulders were right at his chest level, almost touching him.

  “Now don’t be upset,” Greg scolded him. “Maddie and I are old friends from college and it was just an innocent dance.” He looked at Maddie and said in a stage whisper, “Looks like we got your boyfriend jealous.”

  Jake really wanted to slug him now; the vision of it played in his head until he had to look away from his overly groomed face and back at Maddie. Instead, he contented himself with playing into Greg’s misinformation. “Yeah, I’m the real jealous type so you better keep your hands off my girl if you know what’s good for you.”

  Greg’s hands went into the air, false innocence on his face. “It was just a dance, man.” He looked at Maddie and mumbled, “You take care, Maddie,” and spun on his heel to leave.

  Jake stopped him by grasping his shoulder and squeezing, saying into his ear, “I mean it, man. Don’t call her, don’t touch her, don’t ask her to dance…don’t even think about her. She’s mine.” He gave the doctor a firm pat on the shoulder, hard enough to make him stumble, and then turned his back on him, taking Maddie’s hand into his.

  ~~~~~~

  Maddie tried to gulp back her shock. She hardly knew what to say as the band began playing one of her favorite songs and she felt Jake’s big hands reach for her.

  “Sorry about that,” he whispered, leaning down a little to speak into her ear, pulling her close and beginning to sway to the music.

  “About rescuing me?” Maddie looked up into his eyes. “I…I thought I could handle him, but I think I underestimated his, uh, determination. Thank you. I didn’t want to make a scene and possibly lose my new job by stabbing him in the foot with the heel of my shoe, but that was my next plan of action if he didn’t get his hands off…” She faltered, embarrassed.

  “Yeah. I saw,” Jake stated with intense eyes. “I think I convinced him not to even look at you anymore.”

  Maddie laughed, a little light
headed. “Yes, I think you did.” Jake smelled so good. She wanted to get closer, turn her head and lean against his chest, smelling the cologne on his neck and letting the music take them away, but she didn’t.

  Jake Hart was an NBA star. She was little more than a recent widow, a new employee and a broken-hearted woman who had little trust in enduring love. As happy as she felt now, she knew the pain that could come from this.

  She took a step back from Jake’s tall form and gave herself an internal shake. Life could break your heart. This man could certainly break hers and there wasn’t much left intact to conquer.

  She was a mother, with responsibilities.

  She had better remember that.

  CHAPTER NINE

  “Having a good time?” Sasha asked, after Jake escorted her back to her chair and left to get them fresh drinks.

  Maddie looked at Sasha’s face and felt a pang of guilt. He was, after all, the one player Sasha had been interested in—never mind that she “sort of” had a boyfriend, or that they never thought in a million years that they would actually meet him. “Yeah. He’s a really good dancer for someone so tall. I’m sure he will dance with you too. I can ask him when he gets back.” Maddie slid into the chair next to Sasha and lifted her brows.

  Sasha shook her head. “No way! I think we know who he is interested in and it’s not me. You two looked pretty involved out there.”

  “Oh, no. We did? This is my job. I have to be careful.”

  “Are there rules about dating the players? Could you get fired?”

  “I’m not dating him, but no, I don’t think there are rules against it.”

  Sasha grinned at her. “Well, don’t worry about it. Only I know how much you were enjoying yourself out there because I know you so well.” She looked around at the gregarious crowd. “No one else would realize it.” She reached out and grasped Maddie’s hand, squeezing it. “I haven’t seen you dance like that since…well, you know.”

  Maddie groaned, pulled her hand away and dropped her head into one palm, her elbow braced on the table. “I’m a terrible person. How could I?”