Stealing Home

by Sherryl Woods

Skeeter twisted his cap in his hands and nodded. “But this? I don’t know.”

  “I should be able to get my part done if I bring in some extra help,” Roy said. “Come on, Skeeter. Even at your age, you’re not too old to enjoy a challenge.”

  Maddie took pity on him. “Skeeter, we don’t want it done halfway. If you can’t—”

  “Well, of course I can,” he said, his pride at stake. “Like Roy said, maybe with some extra help.”

  “Hire anyone you need to,” Helen said, even as Maddie winced. She turned to Mitch. “Well?”

  Mitch looked resigned. “If these two old geezers have the stamina for it, I’m not about to be outdone. I’ll find the men someplace, even if I have to pull them off some other job.”

  Helen beamed at him. “I just knew you’d make it work. That’s why I called you.”

  “You called me because you know I owe you for recommending me for about a dozen other building projects in the past ten years,” Mitch said dryly. “And because you’ve always been able to twist me around your finger, ever since I had that crush on you back in third grade. Thank goodness I had the sense not to grow up and marry you. You’d have put me in an early grave.”

  “As if.” Helen stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you, Mitch.” She turned to Skeeter and Roy. “Gentlemen, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you. Get your cost projections to Maddie ASAP.”

  “Well, I guess we have our marching orders,” Skeeter said. “Come on, guys, let’s go someplace and figure out how we’re going to pull this off.”

  Mitch winked at Helen. “I suppose some practical ideas will help, since I’m fresh out of miracles.”

  Once they’d gone, Maddie turned to Helen. “Even though I watched you in action myself in the settlement negotiation, I had no idea the level of your skills when it comes to manipulating men.”

  “I didn’t manipulate anyone,” Helen protested. “I just gave them some things to think about. The right men do love a good challenge.”

  “I can second that,” Dana Sue said. “But it was surely a privilege to watch a master at work.”

  Maddie grinned at them. “Ladies, I actually believe we’re about to be in business.”

  “Was there ever any doubt?” Helen asked immodestly. “I told you we’d pull it off.”

  “I’ll remind you of that on May fifteenth, when the place is still in chaos,” Maddie said.

  “Bite your tongue,” Dana Sue said. “Given the money this is going to cost, we’d better be finished on time. I’d say you need to go home and come up with a staffing proposal and a first-class marketing plan so this place is packed from day one.”

  “Amen to that,” Helen agreed. She gave Maddie a hug. “I’ll leave this in your capable hands from here on out. Keep me posted if there are any glitches. Oh, and closing is tomorrow. Since Dana Sue’s restaurant is closed on Tuesday, I think we should have dinner tomorrow night to celebrate. My place, seven o’clock. We’ll make it an early evening, Maddie, so Ty and Kyle should be able to hold down the fort at home.”

  “Hold it!” Maddie hollered as Helen breezed out the door. The woman didn’t even slow down.

  She turned to Dana Sue. “She didn’t mean that, did she? This whole thing isn’t on my shoulders now, is it?”

  Dana Sue grinned. “I believe it is. Welcome to the world of partnership, sweetie. There’s not a thing I can do to help till we’re ready to finish up in the café part of things.”

  “You’re abandoning me, too?”

  “Organization and follow-up are two of your best skills,” Dana Sue told her. “You’ll be fine. And if you need either one of us, you know we’ll be there in a heartbeat, though frankly, I’m still a little miffed that you didn’t call me when Ty went missing the other night.”

  Maddie stared at her. “How on earth do you know about that?”

  “The Dillons were in for dinner on Saturday. Jane mentioned how frantic you were when she spoke to you. Why didn’t you call me?” She gave her a knowing look. “Was it because you wanted to give Cal a chance to ride to the rescue?”

  Maddie moaned. “Are there no secrets in this town?”

  “I live a few blocks from you. I saw his car in the driveway on my way home. When Jane told me about Tyler, I added up two and two.”

  “And came up with a hundred and twelve, if you ask me,” Maddie grumbled.

  “Am I wrong?”

  Maddie hesitated, then admitted, “Not entirely. I just thought he might have a better idea about what Ty was thinking after I left them at Rosalina’s.”

  “Of course you did,” Dana Sue said, smirking.

  “Well, I did.”

  “And it had nothing to do with wanting to lean on those big, broad shoulders.”

  Maddie frowned at her. “You are a very annoying woman.” And perceptive, but she didn’t say that.

  “I know you like the back of my hand, sweetie. The man gets to you. Admit it.”

  “A little,” Maddie said eventually. At Dana Sue’s chiding look, she added, “Okay, a lot. But it begins and ends there.”

  “Why?”

  “The list goes on and on.”

  “And how many of the things on that list really matter?” Dana Sue asked. “Something tells me most of them are just excuses for not putting your heart at risk.”

  “Could be,” Maddie allowed. “Then again, maybe I just don’t want to turn into a laughingstock when people figure out I’m attracted to my son’s much younger baseball coach.”

  “Since when have you ever given two figs about what anyone in this town thinks? Remember when you organized that protest at the school over the impending dress code? Every teacher, every parent and most of the school board thought you ought to be locked in your room for impertinence, but you stood your ground. Thanks to you, we weren’t all dressed in little navy blue uniforms with patent-leather shoes.”

  “There are days when I see what kids are wearing to school now that I regret that,” Maddie said. “And the tattoos and piercings—I don’t even like to think about them.”

  “I’ve had a few disagreements with Annie about those,” Dana Sue said. “She will not be piercing or tattooing anything until she’s grown up and out from under my roof.”

  “Famous last words,” Maddie said.

  “Don’t say that. It makes me want to run over to the school now to check on her.”

  “I was just teasing,” Maddie assured her. “Annie’s a good kid. Too thin, maybe, but a good kid. I think Tyler will do something nuts long before Annie does.”

  “That’s not all that encouraging. Isn’t he the boy who ran off and stayed out past curfew just this past weekend?”

  Maddie sighed. “I see your point.” She regarded Dana Sue wistfully. “I never thought I’d be facing my kids’ teenage years all alone.”

  “You’re not alone,” Dana Sue said fiercely. “You have me and Helen and even Bill, if you want him.” She grinned. “And something tells me it wouldn’t take much to have Cal involved if you want him to be.”

  “Dana Sue!”

  “I’m just saying he probably understands more about teenagers than the rest of us combined.”

  Maddie thought of his understanding of Ty and nodded slowly. “I think you’re right about that.”

  “Then think of him as a resource,” Dana Sue said. “Any little tingles you get in the process are just a bonus.”

  She hugged Maddie. “Gotta run.”

  Maddie sank down on the front steps of their soon-to-be spa. Her life certainly was taking some unexpectedly fascinating twists lately. She could only pray they would all turn out to be for the better.

  “Where’s Kyle?” Maddie asked when she’d put dinner on the table that night. From the moment she’d had a home of her own and kids, Maddie had insisted on family meals with traditional fare. There would be no catch-as-catch-can suppers of caviar or cold hors d’oeuvres or, in the case of her lean, jam-packed early years with Bill, fast-food bur
gers eaten on the run.

  “Beats me,” Ty said, sitting down and reaching for the bowl of mashed potatoes.

  “Katie, have you seen your brother?”

  “In his room,” she said. “I told him to come down, but he said he wasn’t hungry.”

  “Okay, you two go ahead and eat. I’ll get him,” Maddie said, then glanced around to make sure everything they’d need was on the table. Katie loved to help, but she hadn’t totally mastered place settings and things like salt and pepper shakers yet. Maddie’s quick, automatic survey stopped her in mid-step. Once again Katie had set a place for her father.

  Maddie bit back a sigh. Obviously they needed to have another talk. Katie simply refused to believe that her dad wasn’t coming home again. Not even visiting him at Noreen’s had helped her to grasp the permanence of the change.

  Upstairs Maddie found Kyle lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. She noticed that his hair, closer to her dark blond than to Bill’s or his brother’s golden shade, was too long and his jeans were an inch too short. He needed a trip to the barber and the mall. He’d rather eat dirt than do either, which was probably why he hadn’t mentioned that he was outgrowing his clothes and couldn’t see past the hair in his eyes.

  “Hey, kiddo, dinner’s on the table,” she said.

  “Not hungry.”

  “Doesn’t matter. You know the rule around here. We all sit down to eat together.” She recalled that only a few months ago Kyle had always been the first one at the table, anxious to try out his new jokes, ready to tease his little sister and to bug his big brother. His dad had been his best audience, laughing at his material, no matter how silly it was.

  Maddie sat down beside him. “It still feels weird, doesn’t it, without Dad here?”

  He avoided her gaze and remained silent.

  “It feels weird to me, too,” she said. “But we’ll get used to it and things will be like they were before.”

  “How can they be if Dad’s not there?” he scoffed. “Come on, Mom, admit it. The whole family thing is lame.”

  “Family is not lame,” she said emphatically. She’d spent the first twenty years of her life craving exactly what she’d worked so hard to create for her kids—a traditional family life. “It’s the most important thing in the world. These are the people who will love you unconditionally, no matter what you do.”

  Kyle rolled his eyes. “Like I believe that. Dad’s gone, isn’t he?”

  “Well, no matter where your dad is, he loves you. Katie idolizes you and Ty has always looked out for you. I think you’re the funniest kid in the whole wide world. Even your terrible jokes are better than anything on TV.”

  She got a faint smile in return for that.

  “No way,” he protested.

  “Yes,” she insisted. “And your dad took one look at you on the day you were born and fell in love with you. He would do anything in the world for you.”

  “Except stay,” Kyle said softly. He met her gaze, his eyes swimming in tears, then looked away and mumbled, “I asked him to.”

  Maddie felt tears sting her own eyes. “You did?”

  He nodded. “I cut school and went to his office the day after he moved out and talked to him. He said no. He said his life was with Noreen and this new baby now, but that it didn’t mean he wasn’t still our dad.”

  Maddie ignored the news that Kyle had cut school without her knowing about it. “Didn’t you believe him?”

  He shrugged. “I guess.” He finally lifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes filled with misery. “How can I hate a little baby who’s not even born yet?” he asked in a small voice.

  “Oh, Kyle, you don’t hate the baby,” she said. “You might be jealous and angry and even blame the baby for having what you wish you had, but you don’t hate the baby. In fact, I predict that when that baby gets here, you’re going to fall in love with it the same way you did when Katie was born.” She forced a grin. “As I recall, you weren’t too happy about her impending arrival, either. Now I’ll bet you can’t imagine your life without her.”

  “I guess.”

  “Come on. You know it’s true. You might think she’s a pest, but you love being the big brother for a change.”

  A grin slowly spread across his face. “I’m holding out for when she gets old enough to date. I am going to give her such a rough time…”

  Maddie nudged him with an elbow. “See, you’re looking toward something positive in the future already. Now, come on down and eat dinner. I made meat loaf and mashed potatoes.”

  His eyes lit up. “My favorites. How come you did that? Nobody else likes meat loaf.”

  “Just you and me,” she said with a wink. “I figured we deserved it.”

  He regarded her with sudden understanding. “That’s why you made spaghetti last night, ’cause it’s Katie’s favorite, right?”

  Maddie nodded.

  “I’ll bet tomorrow night’s pork chops,” he said, “’cause that’s Ty’s favorite.”

  “Yep.”

  He gave her a sly look. “And Dad hated all of them, huh?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, he did, but it’s a whole new world around here now, so watch out.”

  “You know what Dad hated worse than meat loaf, pork chops and spaghetti?” he asked.

  “What?”

  “Pizza with sausage and pepperoni,” he said, regarding her hopefully.

  Ruffling his hair, she stood up. “If you don’t have pizza after Ty’s game on Friday, I’ll put that on the menu for Saturday.”

  “All right!” He hesitated, his mood suddenly deflating. “Why wouldn’t we have pizza after Ty’s game like we did last week?”

  Maddie debated the wisdom of telling him about the deal she’d made with his dad to attend alternate games. Truthfully, though, she didn’t have a choice. Better she tell him now than have him caught off guard on Friday.

  “Because I won’t be at the game this week,” she said. “Your dad’s going instead.”

  “And that means we can’t go?” he asked incredulously.

  “No, of course not,” she assured him. “You and Katie will go with your dad.”

  “This is because Noreen showed up last week and ruined it for everybody, isn’t it? She gets all weird if you’re around Dad, right?” he demanded, radiating indignation.

  “Your dad and I reached a compromise we felt was in everyone’s best interests,” she said, determined to be fair.

  “Well, it sucks,” he said heatedly. “And I’m gonna tell Dad that.”

  With a sigh, Maddie watched him dash out of the room and take the stairs two at a time. Not five minutes before, she’d almost believed that the way to cheering up her kids was as simple as feeding them their favorite foods. Now she knew better. It would never be that easy. They all had a long way to go and there was a potential minefield around every bend.

  10

  The din was unbelievable. Maddie closed the door to the kitchen, where she’d set up a temporary office space for herself now that the Hartley place was officially theirs. Thanks to more of Helen’s wizardry, the phone had been installed by nine this morning and all the contractors were on the job doing demolition work. Why she’d thought she would get anything done in the chaos was beyond her. The sound of sledgehammers was giving her a headache.

  “You got a minute?” Mitch asked, opening the door cautiously.

  “Sure. Come on in. How do you stand the noise?” she asked him, rubbing her temples.

  He grinned. “I’m usually making some of it myself, so I hardly notice. For you, I’d recommend earplugs, or working at home till we get the rest of the demolition done.”

  “When will that be?”

  “Next week. Then we’ll be sawing and hammering all day.”

  “You’re not wasting any time, are you?”

  “According to Helen, we don’t have any to waste.” He eyed her hopefully. “Just how firm is that deadline? Any wiggle room?”

  She grinned. “If you’
re expecting me to give you a reprieve, think again. I report to Helen, too, and believe me, once her mind’s set on something, that’s the way it’s going to be.”

  He laughed. “I figured as much. I guess it was just wishful thinking.”

  Maddie sobered. “Even so, we don’t want you cutting any corners on quality just to meet the deadline, Mitch.”

  He gave her a wounded look. “I don’t cut corners, not ever. What would that do to my reputation? We’ll do whatever it takes to get the job done and get it done right. My wife will kill me if I don’t. She wants to sign up the minute you’re ready to start taking memberships.”

  “Tell her she can come by next week,” Maddie said eagerly. “The sooner we can let people in here so they can start the buzz on what’s happening, the better.”

  Mitch held up his hands. “Whoa! Not a good idea. This is still a construction zone, Maddie.”

  “Which is why I’m going to direct people around the outside of the house to that door right there,” she soothed. “I noticed you’re stacking your materials on the other side. They’ll never step into the area where you’re working or get near the stockpile of materials. I won’t even let them peek into the main part of the house unless you give me an okay.”

  He was still frowning, but he finally nodded. “I suppose that would be all right. I just don’t want any accidents on this site, especially not involving people who don’t need to be here.”

  Maddie nodded. “I understand, but I’m on that same timetable you’re on. Not only does the construction have to be completed by June, but I have to hire employees and sign people up for memberships. Otherwise all we’ll have is a beautiful, empty and very costly building.”

  “Fair enough,” he agreed, then grinned at her. “You know, Maddie, you all think Helen is the tough one, but you’re not half-bad at negotiating yourself.”

  “Thank you,” she said, allowing herself to bask in the unexpected praise for a skill she’d forgotten she possessed. “Now I’d better get back to this pile of catalogs on fitness equipment and spa treatments. I am in way over my head.”

  “You know, you could ask Dexter. That gym may be a rundown disgrace, but the equipment’s first-rate.”