“Frank’s a great guy.”
“Without a doubt,” John agreed. “Anyway, Jen had been talking about studying abroad; said she needed some space and time for herself. Somehow, I knew it was the end. A mother doesn’t just leave her young children to study overseas for six months. Blake was devastated.”
John stopped for a moment, and Maddy ached to see the pain in his eyes. “I could deal with her leaving me. Our marriage wasn’t the same once she got pregnant with Blake. But the kids…
“Parker was too young to know what was going on, but I told Blake from the beginning that his mother wasn’t coming back. It sounded so cruel,” his voice caught, “but I knew it was the truth. When she wrote after three months and confirmed it, we were more or less ready. She asked for nothing in the divorce – her parents had left her money – but the fact that she willingly gave up all rights with the kids blew me away. She just wanted to be released from the family.”
Maddy’s mind reeled. “And you haven’t seen her since?”
“No. As far as I know, she’s still in Europe.”
“And she hasn’t seen the children?”
“No,” John replied. “I have reason to believe that she has other distractions over there.”
“And her clothes and other things?”
“Her sister came and packed up her stuff. It was surreal. We hardly spoke during the two days she spent going through the house. I know she felt bad; didn’t like what she had to do.”
“Do the boys ever see her?”
“Jen’s sister? No, she lives in L.A. And Jen’s parents died before we met, so the boys have no grandparents on her side.”
Maddy didn’t know what to say. She came around the counter and put her arms around John. He stood and held her.
“I’m so sorry,” she said.
“It’s okay now. It took a while.” He shook his head. “I had to figure out what forgiveness really meant. It basically amounted to dropping the whole thing in God’s lap.” He smiled a little.” That’s how Blake and I talked about it, anyway.”
“Well, you’ve done a wonderful job raising the boys,” Maddy said.
“Thanks,” he said. “And you were pretty brave to move across the country and take this on.” He looked around the room.
“Yes, I was, wasn’t I?” She grinned up at him. “I’ve had good help.”
“Yes, you have,” John agreed, kissing her forehead.
Maddy put her arms around his neck. The last time she’d faced her break-up with Phil, she’d spent the night crying with her dog. The healing process had definitely taken a pleasant turn.
sixteen
The storm damage response required only a few hours’ work for the crew Monday morning, and that included making the minor repairs to Otis’ house. At noon, Maddy and Otis picked up sandwiches downtown, and everyone convened on her porch for lunch.
Otis finished fairly quickly, and after thanking everyone again, made his way home for his afternoon nap. John started outlining the week for the rest of the crew, mentioning that he’d be out of town Tuesday, and that the new guy, Bill, would be joining them Wednesday. They talked through the week’s projects and were wrapping up when the topic of John’s trip to Augusta came up again. Frank wanted to confirm the paint choices for various rooms in the house, but then acknowledged that Maddy would be around if he had any questions.
“No, Maddy’s coming to Augusta with me,” John replied.
The grin that spread across Frank’s face caused Travis and Willie to reconsider what had, at first, been rather mundane news.
“You putting her to work on the Augusta job?” Frank asked, biting into his sandwich.
John looked hard at his friend. “No, Frank. I’m giving Maddy a ride so she can look for mattresses.”
Too much information, thought Maddy, as the grin on Frank’s face grew wider. Travis and Willie began looking from Frank, to John, and then to Maddy, and back to Frank, again. The latter’s smile was especially entertaining.
“I’m going to need to buy at least four mattress sets. I figure I might get a better deal up there,” Maddy explained.
“No doubt,” Frank agreed, chewing and grinning, and looking back and forth between John and Maddy. She decided it would be a good time to clean up from lunch.
“We’re going to start on your room upstairs, Maddy,” John reminded her. “I think we’ll move the furniture, except the bed, in-to the hole-room, so if you could finish moving your personal things down here, that would be great.” His efforts to sound detached and businesslike were pretty much in vain. Travis and Willie now wore smiles that matched Frank’s as they brought in their lunch dishes. Wisely holding their tongues, they left John and Maddy to finish their conversation with forced disinterest.
By the end of the afternoon the master bedroom was primed and the molding stripped. The bookshelves had long since been finished and the end result should have pleased Maddy a great deal. Instead, the room looked empty and sad to her when she looked in at the end of the day. The bed, which had been partially disassembled, stood in the middle of the room; the mattress and box spring propped against the frame. She heard John’s footsteps and a moment later he joined her in the doorway.
“Looks different, doesn’t it?” he asked.
“It looks good,” Maddy nodded. “I’m going to miss this room, but I like what you’ve done to it.”
“It’s not like you can’t stay in here when you don’t have guests,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, but it won’t be the same,” she answered. “It’s not really my room, anymore. My room is downstairs,” she said with more conviction. “It will be fun to shop for bedding and make it cozy.” Her enthusiasm started to become real. “I’ll do that while you’re doing your thing in Augusta.”
John leaned down to get a closer look at her smile, but Maddy met his lips with her finger. “Work day,” she reminded him, slipping past him down the hall. She turned with a grin at the top of the steps. “Your rules, not mine.”
While the men started painting the walls and lacquering the trim in the master bedroom the following morning, Maddy and John got on the road for the trip to John’s other work site. Travel coffee mugs in hand, they talked about the day ahead, and Maddy asked John about the house he was working on. He filled her in on some of the renovations they had done, explaining that the house was large and relatively new to begin with, so they were basically installing a lot of expensive new fixtures. It wasn’t his favorite kind of work.
“I really prefer bringing an older home back to life,” he smiled at Maddy. “It’s more challenging, but definitely more satisfying.”
“So how did you get involved in this job?”
“It was a contact through my sister,” John answered. “She went to school with Dave Perkins, though his wife is making most of the decisions about the house. He’s never around.”
Really? “What’s Mrs. Perkins like?” Is she young? Old? Is she pretty?
John glanced at Maddy. “What do you mean?”
“Does she know her stuff? Is she easy to work with?” Is she pretty?
“Well,” John considered the questions. “She has very expensive taste, and has plenty of money to burn, so it’s really a matter of helping her make good decisions. She definitely appreciates the in-put.”
I’ll bet she does. “So, how old is she?” Maddy thought she’d make small talk.
John gave Maddy a sidelong glance. “Probably early forties.”
Ouch; not old enough. Might as well dig. “Is she pretty?” Maddy continued to look at the countryside, and when John didn’t answer immediately, she looked over at him, innocent curiosity carefully displayed on her face. It gave way to a sheepish grin when she beheld the look on John’s. “I just thought I’d ask.”
“She could be considered pretty, if you like her kind of style.”
“Do you?” The question came out before Maddy could stop it.
“Madd
y…” John said her name with a slight hint of exasperation.
“Was that your scolding voice, John?”
“No, that’s my ‘you’re getting too nosy’ voice.”
“Well!” Maddy crossed her arms and looked out the window. Convicted, but unrepentant, she turned on him again. “Is she a sunbather?” The possibility dawned on Maddy with some alarm. She looked hard at John and saw his face color a little. “She is a sunbather!” Maddy gasped. “I’m coming with you.”
“You can’t come with me,” he said, pulling off the interstate. “We’re at the mall, and I’m dropping you off here. I’ll call you when I get back.”
Maddy looked at him defiantly. “Fine.”
John pulled into the parking lot. “Maddy, I don’t want to leave you like this, but you can’t come. You’d be bored, anyway.”
“I don’t really want to come,” she assured him, getting out of the truck. “I’ll see you later.” She turned and left without another word.
“I’ll be about two hours,” he called after her.
She waved dismissively and pulled out her lists. She refused to think about John working with rich, beautiful, sunbathing women. It was time to do some shopping.
Two very long hours later, with John’s work complete and Maddy’s shopping unfruitful, they drove in silence to the first mattress store.
“Want to stop for lunch?” John glanced over at Maddy, unsure which mood might color the next phase of their day.
“Let’s check out one of the stores, first,” Maddy suggested. “I’d like to get an idea of what I’m in for, if you don’t mind waiting to eat.”
“Fine with me,” John answered. “Conrad’s Furniture is only about five minutes away.”
“Okay,” she replied. She looked out the window, brooding for a few minutes, and finally said, “I’m sorry for asking so many questions before. It was none of my business.”
“It’s okay.” John paused. “I might have had a few of my own if you were meeting with another contractor.”
Maddy smiled a little. “So far I’m satisfied with the one I have; not that it couldn’t change.”
John grinned. “Threat duly noted.”
Maddy was still a little curious about how John had spent the last two hours, but since she’d just apologized for being nosy, she could hardly ask him outright. She contemplated how to get him to be more forthcoming about his recent renovating experience. He seemed content to drive along in silence. She had to bait him somehow.
“So, how many lovesick homeowners are there?”
“How many what?”
“Lovesick homeowners, you know, like Mrs. Perkins?” Maddy was trying to sound casual, even flippant, but she really did want to know.
“Maddy,” he began.
She looked at him innocently. “You’re the one who told me about the women who sunbathe while you work. I just wondered how many of us there are?”
“Women who sunbathe while I work?”
“No, John, lovesick homeowners. You know what I mean.”
“Honestly, I don’t,” John answered, beginning to enjoy watching Maddy trap herself.
“Oh, please.”
“Well, I can think of one.” He hesitated long enough to make her almost ask for details. “I don’t know if you’d call her lovesick, but I’m pretty sure she’s interested.”
Maddy cringed and looked out the window.
“She’s younger than Mrs. Perkins – I don’t know how much – I haven’t figured that out, yet. And she’s very pretty, if you like her kind of style.”
Maddy shifted, trying to be aloof, but wanting very much to hear more.
“She’s got great…” he hesitated, could sense Maddy’s curiosity, “well, I probably shouldn’t be mentioning that.” He was quiet for a moment, and Maddy turned to look at him. He grinned as he drove along, and she found his profile both adorable and infuriating.
“She’s difficult to work with,” he continued as he pulled into the lot of the furniture store. “She’s strong-willed and irritable…”
Maddy inhaled sharply.
“Until she’s had her coffee,” John explained. “And I might not have the patience to work with her at all, if she didn’t have such a cool dog.” He parked his truck and looked at her. “Know anyone like that?”
Maddy’s face revealed an entertaining mix of emotions. John enjoyed seeing her at a loss for words.
“I know someone who might be moderately interested, who’s way younger than Mrs. Perkins,” she replied. “In fact,” she continued, opening her door, “she’s probably way younger than you, too, so it would never work.”
She exited his truck with a flourish, and she heard John’s laugh as she closed the door. At the store entrance, he held the door for her, still grinning as she walked through it. Maddy maintained her attitude of hauteur as she marched ahead to the mattress department.
“I’m going to look at these bunk beds,” John called after her. “I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Take your time,” Maddy threw over her shoulder.
She found her way to the mattresses, and a pretty young saleswoman walked up to greet her. Figures, Maddy thought.
“Hello, ma’am, how are you today?” She smiled pleasantly at Maddy, who cringed at the ‘ma’am.’
“Fabulous,” she answered, somewhat curtly.
“Can I help you find something?”
“I’d like to see some mattresses,” Maddy began.
“What size are you interested in?”
“You name it.”
The clerk returned a puzzled smile. “Well, we have everything from twin to king-size. Some are pillow-topped, and some are extra long. It depends on what you’re looking for, and what you want to spend.”
Maddy wasn’t sure where to begin, but was fairly certain that John was coming up behind her, based on the increased animation of the pretty mattress clerk.
“My guess is you’ll need one of our longer mattresses,” the girl continued, smiling and waiting to be introduced to Maddy’s shopping partner.
Maddy found herself blushing right along with the clerk. “Not necessarily,” she replied through her teeth.
“Oh,” the girl squeaked, not altogether disappointed. “Sorry, I just assumed.” She stared up, wide-eyed, at John as he joined them.
“Assumed what?” John asked, casually putting his arm around Maddy’s shoulders.
“She assumed that we were mattress shopping together,” Maddy explained, hoping to include him in her embarrassment.
“Oh, well, we are, aren’t we?” He looked at Maddy, then at the clerk. “Hi, I’m John,” he said, extending his hand.
She shook it, the silly smile still spread across her face. “I’m Darlene.”
“Of course we’re together,” Maddy interrupted them, irritated that John remained so composed and oblivious. “But we’re not buying a mattress together. You’re just helping me.”
“Oh, right,” John replied.
“Let’s start with the queen,” Maddy said, trying unsuccessfully to catch his eye so she could scowl at him.
Darlene began explaining their options and walked them over to the queen-size mattresses, inviting them to lie down and test them. Maddy declined, but John stretched out readily on the first bed. Linking his hands behind his head on the pillow, he grinned at Maddy.
“It’s nice. You should try it.”
She looked hard at him. “I’ll take your word for it.”
“You really should try it,” the clerk encouraged Maddy. “It’s the only way you’ll know if you like it.”
Maddy looked at Darlene, and then at John, who continued to grin at her. “No thanks, I’ll try this one.” Maddy turned to the next bed and lay down on it. The pillow top made it very comfortable.
“How do you like that one?” John asked her. “Should I try it?”
“Not necessary.” Maddy slid off the bed before John could move to join her. The c
lerk, puzzled, looked back and forth between her customers.
John sat up on his bed and looked around. “What’s the difference between this one and that one over there?” he gestured to another bed close by.
Darlene launched into mattress descriptions, which John attended to very seriously. Maddy watched as he tried out another bed, and talked animatedly with his new friend. She was tempted to wander off and look at foot stools and let him have his fun. Instead, she walked over and lay down on the bed that John was testing.
Surprised, he turned his head. “What do you think?”
“It’s nice. A little firmer than the other one I tried. I definitely like the pillow top.”
Darlene watched them a little wistfully. “Would you like me to price it for you?”
Maddy sat up. “Well, I’m going to need one queen and three double sets. Can you offer a price break with a larger purchase?”
Darlene was a little overwhelmed. “I’ll go check with my manager.”
“Thanks,” Maddy said. “We’ll wait here.”
Mega-Mattress was located in a large strip mall, and it looked like it had been around for years. Maddy hoped that the stark walls and cold, cavernous space were evidence that the owners passed along the savings on decorating to the customers. A middle-aged gentleman came up to greet them.
“Good afternoon, folks. My name is Steven. How can I help you today?”
“Hi, Steven. My name is Maddy, and I would like to look at your mattresses.”
Steven grinned, and Maddy rolled her eyes. It was a mattress store – of course she would like to look at mattresses. “Queen-size,” she quickly qualified, ignoring John.
Steven didn’t. “And who’s this fine-looking gentleman with you, Maddy?”
“He’s my… John,” she finished, confirming her inability to communicate.
John reached out to shake hands. “Nice to meet you, Steven.”
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