“You should have.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t know anything about her, not even her last name or who her family was. For all they knew, she never existed. Plus, I was only fifteen.”
Reuben ran a finger down her cheek, and Maddie shivered. “You were very brave, Madison.”
“I was a scaredy-cat. And I got mad. That’s why Kyle and I weren’t together. The first foster home we had was okay, but I was so angry all I wanted to do was hit someone, and usually that someone was Kyle or another little boy in the home. Eventually they sent me to a girls’ home, because no one wanted a violent sixteen-year-old. Kyle went to the Blakelys.”
“You’re going to get custody of him, Maddie. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
She hugged her sides. “Thanks. But it’ll be a long shot. The Blakelys are filling out the official petition this week.”
Reuben moved to hug her again, but she took a step toward the house, her back resting on the door. “Reuben, you have to stop hugging me. It’s not right.”
He stared at her. “I’m not engaged anymore.”
She shook her head. “I don’t care to be a rebound girl, or anyone’s girl.”
His lip curled into a daring smirk. “And if I hug you anyway?”
She raised an eyebrow. “I’d use some of the self-defense moves I learned on the streets of Chicago. You pretended to talk like a girl earlier as a joke. Well, you might just be talking that way permanently.”
He inched back a hair. “All right then. I guess you have a good evening, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Not too early. Allie and I are going to check out a few garage sales. Can we meet here, say, ten-ish?”
He stepped forward a bit and touched a strand of her hair. “Have I ever told you that you’re adorable?”
Her heart responded far too much to his compliment. Fiancée or no, he was still a no-no. The mushy night had just weakened her defenses.
Time to recharge them. Maddie reached behind her and opened the door. “Ten, Reuben.”
Maddie yawned then took a sip of her coffee. “I can’t believe you made me get up before seven a.m. on a Saturday.”
Allie took a left down the residential street. “It’ll be fun. The early birds get the best deals, you know.”
“Yeah, but they also get very little sleep and are cranky the rest of the day.”
“Oh, posh. A good deal drives the cranks away, didn’t ya know?”
Maddie looked out the window as they drove by a perfectly good sale. “Why’d you pass by that one?”
Allie shrugged. “It didn’t look interesting. Why? Did you want to stop at it?”
“I don’t care, I just thought the purpose of this was to stop and shop.”
“It is, but we don’t want to waste time. That one had a measly two tables and most of that was full of clothes that probably have stains and are twenty years old. We’d have to stop the car, get out, look, get back in, start the car again, then go. We’d throw at least four good shopping minutes down the drain.”
Good grief, the lady was a professional. Maddie had never been to a garage sale in her life. The idea of going up to someone’s home and picking through their stuff that they laid out was just weird.
They stopped at several sales, but only found overpriced furniture with a nonhaggling owner or very few things that she needed. But then two hours into the expedition, Allie slowed the car at a large, two-story house with balloons hanging from its mailbox. The driveway was lined with at least six tables, and the lawn was scattered with various types of furniture.
Her friend turned to her. “Now, this, dear Maddie, is a mother lode of a garage sale. Let’s go.”
Taking one more sip of her coffee, Maddie opened the door and got out. She had to put a hand to the side of the minivan to steady her weary body. Early mornings weren’t her thing. Especially after a week of no sleep.
Allie came around the van and rolled her eyes. “You’re just being dramatic. Come on.”
They headed for the furniture-covered lawn first. It sported a couch, a loveseat, and a decrepit-looking entertainment center that had seen better days, probably about twenty years ago.
The couch, on the other hand, looked promising. Allie plunked down on it and wiggled her tush, punched the cushions, tried to wiggle the arm rests. “It looks solid, Maddie. Come sit. What do you think?”
Maddie obeyed. The cushion was comfortable enough. And the light green khaki fabric wasn’t too terrible. She actually liked it. “It seems like it would work.” She looked at the love-seat. “That matches it too, but I really only need a couch.”
Allie winked at her. “Let’s see what kind of deal we can get.”
The lady manning the sale approached them. “Good morning. You folks interested in the couch? I’m asking two-fifty for the pair.”
And so it started. Maddie sat wide-eyed as Allie and the garage sale lady went at it. Allie offered her a $100 for both. The lady turned red and looked like she was ready to fight, but countered with $225.
Allie went up to $130, but the lady’s voice raised an octave and said $200, final offer.
Maddie stood up to intervene, but her friend pushed her back down. Turning toward the lady, she took a step forward and got within a foot of her face, then said in a low, firm voice. “One hundred and fifty dollars, and that’s our final offer. I’ll throw in an extra five bucks to get the old entertainment center off your hands if you want.”
The lady stared her down for a good twenty seconds, but finally relented. “Sold. I take cash only.”
Allie finally looked at Maddie, who sat shell-shocked on the couch, then winked. “You have your money?”
Still unsure of what just happened, she doled out the cash to the lady, and Allie called Gary and arranged for him to come by with his truck and pick everything up later, then texted him the address.
Turning back to Maddie, she flashed her a grin. “And that, my friend, is how it’s done.”
“You really get into this stuff, don’t you?”
Allie turned and started toward the main part of the sale, leaving Maddie no choice but to follow. “It’s all about negotiation. Never ever pay full price at a garage sale.” She stopped at a table filled with Christmas decorations. “Want to do some early Christmas shopping?”
The holiday was too far off for Maddie to even think about decorations, but the thought of having a place of her own at Christmas to put up a tree, hang a few lights in the bushes, with Kyle there on Christmas morning, made her want to cry right there in front of a bunch of obsessive garage salers. Instead, she walked to another table to get her mind off it. “No, Christmas is still too far off. I do like these light blue placemats though.”
Allie joined behind her. “Ohhh, you’re right! And they have cloth napkins to match!”
Maddie looked at the price. A quarter a piece? Really? Surely Allie wouldn’t make her try to make the lady come down on the price this time. Talk about embarrassment.
“If you want them, hold on to them while we shop.”
“Fine, but Allie, I’m not haggling with her over these, okay?”
Allie waived her off. “Of course not. I have a firm policy never to negotiate when someone’s only asking a quarter. Otherwise it makes me look cheap.”
Perish the thought. The woman should write a book about her garage sale rules.
“You look around here more. That table over there has kids clothes. Don’t pay for anything until I get back, got it?”
Maddie put her hand to her forehead and saluted. “Yes, sergeant.”
Allie rolled her eyes. “Ha, ha, funny. It’s for your own wallet’s good.”
That part she appreciated. She only had three-hundred dollars for furniture and other things to set up home, money she could barely afford after putting a whole week’s paycheck down on the house. But it helped that she was working obscene hours between full-time at the salon and nearly full-time at the restaurant.
She found her friend knee-deep in children’s clothes. “Find anything?”
Allie’s head popped up, and a grin spread across her face. “I told you this was the mother lode spot. They have like-new clothes in Sara’s and Bethany’s sizes, and she’s only asking fifty cents a piece.”
They spent the next twenty minutes sorting through piles of clothing and ended up with a whole box of clothes.
Besides the furniture, after minimal haggling, they left spending less than twenty dollars between them.
Maddie checked her watch and gasped. “I need to get back. I’m supposed to meet Reuben in a half hour.”
“That’s fine. I can only help until two this afternoon anyway, and we need to get you settled in. I’d say we did good today, wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, we did, although I guess I’ll be sleeping on the couch for a while until I find a bed.” She’d hoped at least to find something for Kyle to sleep on, to show Corina that she was capable of taking care of him.
Allie just nodded, making Maddie regret her words. Her friend didn’t think her ungrateful, did she? Because that was the furthest from the truth. The Callahan family had been kinder to her than anyone had been in a very long time.
A little too kind.
As they drove home, Maddie tried to suppress a smile every time they drove by a sale. Allie would shift in her seat, drum her fingers on the steering wheel, and clear her throat each time. The woman was officially addicted.
“So, how are the kids doing lately? I haven’t gotten a chance to see them.” Maybe getting her attention on something other than sales would help Allie’s withdrawal.
“Oh, they’re doing fine. Cole’s too big for his britches lately, and Bethany is just sweet little Beth. Sara misses you like crazy, keeps hounding me to let them come see you. She starts kindergarten next month, you know. She’s entering the big times, that’s what she said to me last weekend. Seriously, I have no idea where she gets her vocabulary.”
Maddie could just hear five-year-old Sara saying it too. “Do you let her watch too much TV or something?”
“Hey, don’t go blaming the mom, now. She has a dad too you know. They’re probably glued in front of the TV as we speak watching Saturday morning cartoons.”
“Mmm-hmm, now you’re resorting to blame shifting.”
Allie stopped the car in front of her parent’s house. “Oh, shush. I am not.”
Maddie barely heard her, because her focus was riveted to the gorgeous shirtless guy coming from behind the garage.
29
To flex or not to flex? That was the question.
Or, the more proper question, should he go put his shirt back on? Not even ten and already the heat of the day beat down on him. Plus, he didn’t mind the way Maddie stared at him.
Liar.
Fine, he really liked it. She probably didn’t even know she was doing it, but as she got out of the minivan, her eyes stayed glued below his neck. When she shifted her gaze upward, the most beautiful blush he’d ever seen flared on her cheeks.
The day might prove to be highly interesting.
Allie walked around in front and grabbed Maddie by the elbow. “Come on. We have to finish your packing.”
She shook her head, as if just coming around to her senses. “I’m pretty much done.”
“Good, then we can load it all up and head on over while Gary and Reuben see to the big stuff.”
Maddie frowned. “What big stuff?”
Reuben heard a grunt behind him, and turned to see Gary, his face cherry red from strain, carrying the solid-wood head-board on his shoulder.
“Let me help.” He’d forgotten that he’d only come out front to make room in the back of the truck and was supposed to go back and help.
Gary let him take it, and Reuben walked past the wide-jawed Maddie and set the headboard against his step-dad’s Ford, then hopped into the bed of the truck to rearrange things. “I got side-tracked, sorry.”
“What are you doing?” The shocked female voice almost sounded mad. Shouldn’t she be grateful?
He turned around to where Maddie stood, hands on her hips, fire shooting from her eyes. “Loading up your bed. What does it look like I’m doing?”
“Like you’re stealing your parents’ bed.”
He forced himself not to grimace. The bed inside was Gary and his mom’s bed, not his parents’. “Nope. Mom and Gary’s bed is safely inside, where it belongs.”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
Gary walked up beside her and draped an arm around her shoulders. “It’s a gift, Maddie, from Betty and me. We have another bed in storage that we’ll be putting in the guesthouse. This one’s yours now.”
She shook her head like the stubborn woman she was. “No. I can’t accept this. You’ve done too much already.”
Reuben wiped a bead of sweat off his brow. “Now listen. We’ve already got the mattresses loaded, and I’ll be dipped if you expect me to take these right back in there. If you don’t want them, then feel free to start unloading it yourself.” He knew he was being a grouch, but the confounded woman needed to learn how to accept help gratefully, if not gracefully.
Maddie narrowed her eyes then softened a bit. Ignoring him, she turned to Gary. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you. You all have been way too generous.”
“No such thing as being too generous when you’re obeying God, Maddie.” He stepped closer to Reuben and helped hoist the headboard onto the truck.
When they had it propped to the side with the mattresses, Reuben hopped out of the truck and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans.
Allie tugged on Maddie. “Stop lollygagging around. I can’t help long.” She turned around and glanced back at the men. “Don’t forget to go pick up Maddie’s new couch, okay? You got the directions I texted you?”
Gary scratched his head. “Is that what the message thingy was on my phone?”
Reuben fought not to roll his eyes. “Yes, we got it, Allie. I’ll get it from his phone, and we’ll pick it up on the way to the house. And Maddie, don’t forget all your stuff from the party last night is still in my trunk.”
Allie stomped her foot in sisterlike fashion. “Shoot, I’d forgotten about that. I wanted to help get it all put up this morning.” Her pout was almost comical if it hadn’t been so annoying. “Oh, I have an idea. Maddie, you can just drive Reub’s car to your house.”
A female? Driving his car? Over his dead body. “No. I’ll just follow the truck over there.”
Maddie’s forehead crinkled with confusion, and Allie’s just steamed. “That’s ridiculous, Reuben, we’re going straight there, and you guys still need to pick up the rest of the furniture. If you don’t want her driving it, then I will.”
The laugh that escaped his lips was unintentional, but the thought of his flighty sister, who had been in three fender-benders just this year, driving his car was insanely funny. “You’re joking, right?”
Her hands jammed onto her hips. “What? Don’t trust me either?”
He’d never hear the end of this if he didn’t let one of them drive. He fished a hand into his jeans pocket for his keys and tossed them to Maddie. She caught them midair. Impressive. “Don’t wreck it, okay?”
Maddie looked at the keys and then up at him. “If you’re so nervous about it getting a scratch, why’d you buy such an expensive car anyway?”
Allie rolled her eyes. “Take a wild guess.”
Reuben clenched his jaw. He loved his sister, but she was stepping over the line. “Allie, put a sock in it, okay?”
“You know you never would have dreamed to spend that kind of money if Livy hadn’t begged you to.”
He didn’t want to talk about Livy today. “I bought it for the business.”
Allie pushed Maddie toward the back of the house and turned around as they w
alked. “You better watch out for lightning after that fib you just told.”
Thankfully the sky was bright blue. “Just be careful, okay?”
Maddie sat at the red light, trying to figure out how to work the confounded windshield wipers on the fancy car. Who knew a storm could brew up so fast? Not an hour before, it’d been the perfect sunny day, and after they stopped to get some lunch, out of nowhere, dark clouds rolled in. She sure hoped the guys had gotten the furniture in before the bottom fell out of the sky.
The thing she tried made the headlights go off, not good in this weather.
Then the radio began blaring. Not it either.
A car honked behind her, and she glanced up to see the light had turned green. She’d have to try again at the next one. She pressed on the gas and drove slowly through the intersection, praying she could see anything important, like a car, pedestrian, or maybe, um, the road.
Water pounded the glass, making the street look like a giant kaleidoscope. Allie’s van that was in front of her disappeared. She remembered the way, but she’d prefer to have stayed together in this weather.
If only Allie hadn’t insisted on Maddie driving. Reuben hadn’t been happy about the matter, in fact livid was too mild a term. She didn’t know for sure what was up between him and his precious car, but the guy needed to chill a bit.
Maybe it reminded him of Livy. Now that they were officially broken-up, it made sense.
Inhaling, she took another whiff of the familiar scent that lingered. So totally Reuben. The designer cologne, or maybe aftershave, mixed with the smell of the hair gel she’d sold him. She smiled, thinking about his hair. Maybe it was the stylist in her, but it looked so cute when he tried so hard to make it perfect, but only just made it worse. And he thought himself so suave.
Stop thinking about him! It did her no good to dwell on her now-single boss. Nothing positive could come of it.
Sandwich, With a Side of Romance Page 18