“I’m on it.”
“Look at all they got done!”
Maddy walked through the rooms, really noting for the first time the week’s accomplishments. The front hall, parlor, dining room and sitting room were all painted. The colors she’d selected looked rich and inviting, and she was anxious to see how the artwork that they’d purchased during Becky’s first visit would look on the parlor walls. The kitchen, in contrast, looked particularly dull and neglected.
“Do you want a glass of wine?” Becky asked, already going through the cupboards to help herself.
“I think if we relax anymore, we’ll probably fall asleep on the kitchen floor.”
“You’re right. We’re supposed to drink lots of water anyway,” Becky agreed, digging in the fridge.
Maddy walked out to the front porch, taking in the warm, muggy evening air.
Becky banged! out after her. “You should get that fixed.”
“No way. I love that sound. John keeps threatening to fix it, and I keep threatening to fire him if he does.”
Becky sat down and lifted her water to her sister. “Here’s hoping you don’t have to fire your contractor.”
Maddy tapped her sister’s bottle. “I’ll drink to that.”
They sat for a few minutes, sipping their drinks and enjoying the breeze that had begun to blow in. “I should paint right here,” Becky mused, taking in the rocky shoreline and the boats on the water.
“You’re more than welcome,” Maddy said. “Just leave me a few prints to sell in my gift shop.”
“You’re going to have a gift shop?”
“Maybe not right away, but I think I want to have something like that eventually.”
“That’s a great idea,” Becky replied. “You could use the sitting room. It’s just off the front hall; it would be perfect.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Maddy agreed. She didn’t quite have the energy to speculate about it at the moment. The day’s rigorous activities were starting to take a toll on her senses. Happily relaxed and sleepy, she sat back and considered the possibility of turning in early for the night.
Burt barked, which surprised them both. Maddy, sitting with her painted toes propped on the railing, might have started to doze, but for the interruption. She scowled at her dog as he ambled quickly to the screen door.
“What’s up with him?” Becky asked with a yawn.
“I don’t know,” Maddy answered, slowly getting to her feet. “Someone’s probably out front.”
“If Travis is back, send him on out here!” Becky drawled.
Maddy smiled and followed her dog through the house.
“Miss Maddy!”
She met Parker’s eyes a split second after she heard his greeting. “Parker! You’re back!”
She opened the door and knelt down to give him a hug. “Welcome home, Parkerpants!”
Parker returned her hug eagerly, and Maddy smiled as Blake walked up the steps, grinning shyly.
“Hi, Miss Maddy.”
“Blake, I’m so happy to see you!”
“Look at Burt! He won’t let my dad come over here!” Parker laughed.
Maddy turned to see John for the first time in a week. He stood by his truck; tall and handsome, petting Burt and smiling. He’d gotten a lot of sun, and his teeth glowed from his tan face. Maddy’s heart dropped down into her pedicured toes.
“I’d come and say hello, but I don’t think I can!” he called out, both hands engaged in scratching Burt’s ears. “Can I get you to come over here?”
Maddy thought she could close the distance between them in a matter of seconds, but decided it might not be dignified to test that theory. John’s smile was hypnotic, she decided as she neared him, though it was, unfortunately, split between her dog and herself. Burt was fairly demanding.
Maddy came within touching distance, and stood on the other side of her pet. “Welcome home,” she said, tilting her head and smiling up at him.
“It’s good to be home,” he answered. He reached over Burt and touched her cheek.
“You’re back early,” she observed happily.
“Yeah, we couldn’t wait,” John answered with a grin. His hand dropped as the boys came up behind her.
“Look! Miss Maddy has red toes!” Parker squealed.
John glanced down at her bare feet. He raised an eyebrow. “Been busy?”
Maddy laughed. “My sister’s here, and we went to a spa in Augusta today,” she explained, trying to justify her excursion into self-indulgence.
“What’s a spa?” Parker asked.
Maddy’s answer was lost on John, who was processing some disappointment in the fact that she had company. It explained the red convertible parked in her driveway.
“John?” Maddy took his hand.
His fingers immediately curled around hers. He looked down at her, the concerns of the moment lost as he took in her face. Burt still blocked him from greeting her properly, and the audience didn’t help either.
“Let’s go sit on the porch and talk about your trip. Can you stay for a few minutes?”
John smiled. “We won’t stay long. We still need to go home and unpack.”
“Okay, Burt, get out of the way,” Maddy said, pushing him so that she could walk next to John. She loved holding his hand, and very much looked forward to expressing her welcome in a more meaningful way. The boys skipped on ahead as they made their way up to the porch.
John squeezed her hand. “I like your toes,” he said quietly.
She leaned into him. “I figured you’d give me a hard time.”
“Oh, I will,” he assured her, “but I still like them.” He leaned back into her.
Blake and Parker waited on the porch, and John opened the door, ushering them and then Burt, inside. He let the door shut before Maddy could go in, and she looked up at him with an inquiring smile. John watched his boys head toward the kitchen and then turned back to Maddy, taking her hands.
“I don’t really want an audience right now,” he said.
Maddy’s heart beat happily, erratically, as she looked up at him, and John’s smile dissolved into something wonderfully unsettling as he met her gaze.
“Hello, John!”
Maddy was so intent on John’s lips at that moment; she was just so sure he was going to say something really important, that she didn’t see Otis walking across her yard. John was equally surprised, but managed not to jump as Maddy did.
“Otis, hello.”
Otis chuckled as he walked up the steps. “I wasn’t interrupting anything, was I?”
“You know you’re always welcome,” Maddy assured him.
“Thank you, my dear. How was your trip?” Otis shook hands with John.
“It was great, thank you. Caught some nice fish, got ourselves lost in the woods, and ate way too much junk food,” John answered with a smile.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Otis replied. “The fish part, anyway.”
“Would you like to join us on the porch?” Maddy asked.
“Oh no, I’m going to run a quick errand downtown,” Otis said. “I just saw John’s truck and wanted to come and say hello.” He turned and walked back down the steps, waving over his shoulder. “I’ll see you at church on Sunday. Say hello to the boys for me!”
“See you Sunday.” John opened the door for Maddy. “About those boys…”
Maddy sighed and led the way through her house. John followed, noting the work that had been done. Maddy wasn’t surprised to see Parker and Blake on the swing through her kitchen window. Wondering what kind of conversation Becky might be having with them, she pushed the screen door open.
“Becky, you remember Parker and Blake?”
Becky sat sipping her water and regarding them warily. Her expression changed as John followed Maddy onto the porch.
“Of course, I remember them,” she said, getting to her feet. “And I remember John,” she added, extending h
er manicured hand to greet him.
John shook her hand and smiled. “It’s nice to see you again, Becky.”
“Your boys were just telling me what a nice vacation they had,” she said.
“Yeah, it was a good time,” he agreed.
“Can we get you a drink?”
“Thanks, no,” John answered. “We had a long trip today, and I should probably get these guys home.”
“You came straight here?” Becky asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked over at Maddy.
John grinned. “Yeah, I guess we’re wearing our hearts on our sleeves, aren’t we boys?”
This concept was lost on his sons, but not on the sisters.
“I want to see the hideout!” Parker suddenly exclaimed, trying to stop the swing so he could get off. Blake looked hopefully at Maddy.
“It’s up to your dad,” she said with a laugh.
“I’d like to see how it looks up there,” John replied. “This floor looks great, by the way. I like the paint selection, too; the dining room is especially impressive.”
“It’s really exciting,” Maddy agreed. “Wait till you see the bedrooms.” She looked at her sister. “You coming, Beck?”
“No, you guys go on ahead,” she dismissed them with a wave. “I’m too tired.”
The rest of the group moved into the house, the boys racing on ahead. John and Maddy walked slowly up the steps behind them, arm in arm. On the landing, John stopped and pulled Maddy close.
“Dad!” Parker shrieked. “You gotta see this!”
John took a deep breath as they turned to follow Parker’s voice. He was duly impressed with how the hole-room looked with its furniture, and Maddy happily lost herself in the hostess role.
“Doesn’t it look great?” she asked. “I love how these pieces go together.” She chattered on about the floor and the walls, and John didn’t know whether to look at the room or just absorb Maddy’s delight in it. “Of course, it needs curtains and artwork, and all of the rest,” she concluded, looking around the room herself.
“It came together well,” John agreed.
The boys had disappeared, and John stepped into the closet to check on them.
“You guys okay?” He knelt down to look into their secret room.
“We’re fine, Dad!” Blake called out.
“Tell Miss Maddy to come in!” Parker yelled.
Maddy grinned as she came up behind John. “Go ahead,” she nudged his back with her knee. “I’ll follow you.”
He looked over his shoulder and then slowly stood. Maddy was struck again by his height as he unfolded in front of her.
“You’re really tall.”
John smiled and picked up her hands, lifting them so that her fingertips faced him.
“You’ve got fancy fingers, too.”
“I know. Look what happens when you leave.”
He slowly lifted one hand to his lips. “How are you going to sand with these fingers?” he asked, kissing them gently.
Maddy could hardly stand, much less sand, and wondered if he knew that he was probably holding her up.
“Miss Maddy!” Parker yelled from the hideout.
“Just a minute!” she called back, looking inquiringly at John.
He smiled and pulled her hands around his neck, where she happily linked her fingers.
“I have a secret meeting,” she reminded him.
“I know,” he said quietly, putting his hands gently at her waist.
His kiss was everything she’d dreamed about all week. Maddy wondered, for one bizarre moment, if their most passionate interludes were destined to be spent in strange and unromantic places.
“Miss Maddy?”
To her surprise, John didn’t release her, but she felt his lips form a smile over hers. She was the one who finally broke away, fearful that a curious face might suddenly appear at their feet. She looked at John, touched his rough, unshaven cheek, then quickly ducked down to the floor before she changed her mind.
“Sorry,” John heard her say. “I was seized by the enemy, but I got away.”
Maddy walked the Fordhams out to John’s truck, saying good-bye to the boys as they climbed into the back seat. John kept hold of her hand as they slowly strolled to his door.
“So, when can we go out?” he asked. “Do you want to wait until your sister leaves?”
This thought so obviously distressed him that Maddy had to laugh. “No, we can go any time. She came to paint, so she’ll keep herself busy.”
“Tomorrow night?” John asked, holding her hands and stroking her fingers.
“Tomorrow night’s great.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven?”
“Sounds good,” she answered, then added, “What should I wear?”
“Well, it’s a nice place; on the outside, too,” he grinned.
“I’ll dress up then.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
“To my dressing up or to going out?”
John laughed. “To going out. You can wear whatever you want. I’ll be happy.”
Maddy’s mind flickered over the black dress. “Okay,” she replied. “We’ll see about that.”
John leaned down and kissed her lightly, knowing his boys were watching from inside the truck. They heard the giggles to prove it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Maddy said, backing away.
John climbed into his truck with a wave and a smile. Twenty-four hours seemed like an awfully long time to both of them.
nineteen
John managed to fill the twenty-four hours with the necessary details of returning from vacation: unpacking, laundry, reading the mail and lawn care. By 6:30, when he got out of the shower, he was more ready for a nap than a date. He fed his boys and got their things ready for the night with their aunt and cousin.
The fact that Maddy was her brother’s top priority upon his return was not lost on his sister. She kept these thoughts to herself as she welcomed her nephews and waved John off. She liked Maddy well enough, and while she wanted her brother to find a “friend,” Maddy had quickly become much more than that. She hoped that John knew what he was doing.
Maddy spent far too much of her twenty-four hours contemplating her evening with John. Becky didn’t help, being all too ready to keep the topics of wardrobe and jewelry and hairstyle ever before them. She wondered if it was wise to take Becky’s advice, but had to admit that it was fun to have her there to share the day and help pass the time.
By 6:45, Maddy looked ready for a night on the town. Her hair was pinned up in some sort of haphazard twist, which Becky insisted was very stylish, and which had taken her a rather long time to create. Maddy hadn’t worn the dress or the shoes that went with it in a long time, and they felt foreign to her. Becky insisted that she looked perfect, though her endorsement made Maddy just a little bit nervous.
Her sister poured them a glass of wine while they waited for John to arrive, but Maddy took only a sip. When the doorbell rang, she panicked and looked wide-eyed at Becky.
“I can’t wear this. I have to go change!”
“Don’t you dare,” Becky laughed, but managed a threatening look. “Just go get that shawl we bought and come right back down-stairs. I’ll go let Mr. Contractor in; see if he looks good enough to take you out.”
Maddy obeyed, and Becky took her time walking through the house to greet their guest. There was no harm in making him wait a minute or two. At the front door she stopped and stared. John looked very striking in black slacks, a charcoal shirt, and black tie. Becky thought he seemed taller and, for some reason, more formidable.
John waited patiently, then raised an eyebrow. “Hello, Becky.”
She opened the door to let him in, wondering if she should have pushed so hard for the black dress.
“Hey, John,” she replied. “Maddy’s upstairs. Come on in.”
John walked into the foyer and waited for Becky to finish her appraisal.
She wasn’t very discreet.
“Thanks for letting me steal Maddy away,” he said.
Becky met his gaze, a hint of wariness in her eyes. “Well, you two will make a pair, that’s for sure,” she answered, turning to lead John through the house.
Maddy was halfway down the staircase when they entered the hallway, and this time John stopped in his tracks. Becky looked at the two of them as they regarded each other, amused and a little alarmed. It was like seeing two little kids playing with fire; a fire with which she was all too familiar. She slipped quietly out to the porch.
John watched Maddy descend the stairs in her black dress. He’d never seen her so elegant and so… completely dazzling. Her hair was pulled back, but some of it fell in wisps around her face. Her shoulders were mostly bare, except for two narrow straps that disappeared somewhere behind her neck. He finally drew a breath. The dress wasn’t low cut or particularly short, but it definitely demanded attention; so did her very nice legs.
He brought his eyes back to her face. She was smiling, but she looked nervous, too. Even so, he felt like an awkward, gawking schoolboy. He cleared his throat.
“You are beautiful,” he said, taking her hand. “You look… amazing.”
“Thank you. You look great yourself,” Maddy’s heart hammered so loudly she was sure he could hear it. They stood in the hallway for a moment, uncertain what to do next.
“Guess I’ll say good-bye to Becky,” she said, and John looked up, surprised to see that her sister had gone.
They walked outside and Becky sighed and smiled.
“I’m going to need a picture of this,” she said, heading into the kitchen for her camera.
When she returned, she had them stand with their backs to the water. John draped his arm around Maddy’s shoulder and she snuggled into his side. It was a cozy, happy picture; both of their faces reflecting far more composure than either one of them felt.
“Good luck,” Becky said, putting her camera away.
“I’m sorry?” John asked, taking Maddy’s hand to lead her back through the house.
Becky shrugged. “Have fun – not too much,” she qualified.
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