Practicing Parenthood

by Cara Lockwood

  “Prove it, then. Take my bet. Then we’ll find out who’s better at watching defenseless animals and who needs help.”

  “You’re saying you could do it by yourself?”

  Collin nodded. “Why couldn’t I?”

  Madison cackled bitterly. “There’s no way you could. You’re too...” She was going to say self-absorbed, but stopped herself.

  “Too what?”

  “Never mind.” She glanced at him, more sure than ever that she’d win this bet. “Fine. If we ever find him, and he hasn’t been eaten by an alligator, then what do you say to a little bet? You watch him half a day, and I watch him the other half. Whoever does a better job wins.”

  “Wins what?” Collin stepped forward, the phone light facing their feet, casting shadows in the sand. He was so close that she nearly forgot what she’d asked him to do in the first place. Her anger faded, and she was suddenly aware of the broadness of his chest in front of her, blinded by memories of it being bare against hers, the weight of him on top of her.

  Focus, Madison, she scolded herself.

  “What do you want?”

  Collin’s lips quirked upward. “I want you to marry me.”

  Madison laughed defiantly, throwing her head back. “No. Not for a bet.”

  “Why not? Worried I’ll win?” Collin nudged forward a little, kicking sand on Madison’s foot. It felt cool on her skin.

  “Oh, not at all.” She crossed her arms as though to protect herself from his charisma, which seemed to work overtime in the dark. Standing together on this path made her all too aware of the time they’d spent alone in her house this past week. She wondered if arguing with him somehow made him sexier. Did anger fuel their passion?

  “So, what have you got to lose? You’ll win.”

  “I know I’ll win.”

  “Then, what would you want?”

  Madison opened her mouth and nearly said, “For you to love me,” but then shut it again. What was she even thinking? Love. That was a big word. But it was the truth. He’d asked her to marry him, and yet he’d never once mentioned the L word. He hadn’t even hinted that was he wanted with her. Sex? Yes. Parenting? Yes. Love? That hadn’t even been on the table. She realized it was what she wanted, and yet, she couldn’t make herself say it. How silly did that sound? I want love—like she was some silly college girl, someone who wasn’t in her thirties, a successful lawyer, pregnant. Single and pregnant.

  Besides, was love something you asked for? Wasn’t it supposed to be given?

  “I don’t know what I want,” she said instead, which seemed pretty darn close to the truth, since the fact that she’d almost asked Collin Baptista to fall in love with her sent her into a tailspin of confusion. Must be pregnancy hormones making her think about love and gooey feelings and valentine cards and happily-ever-afters.

  “How about...” But then Madison heard a distant whirring sound. Before she could figure out what it was, Collin had stepped forward, wrapped both hands around her and pulled her to the side of the road. “What...”

  A golf cart zoomed around the corner, smack dab in the middle of the road, and tooled straight by them, its small headlight beam shining into the darkness but not very far. He would’ve run her over if Collin hadn’t pulled her out of the way. She saw a man in a baseball cap give a jaunty wave, unaware of how close he’d come to an accident.

  Breathing heavily, she leaned against Collin, her heart racing.

  “Careful,” Collin said. “These drivers at night...sometimes they’re not paying attention.”

  “I can’t believe I nearly died by golf cart,” Madison said, still feeling shaken. “And he didn’t even slow down.”

  “Probably had one too many,” Collin said. “And I agree. Death by golf cart has to be one of the most embarrassing ways to go.”

  Madison chuckled, the adrenaline of the moment dissipating in a burst of giggles as Collin released her shoulders. He kept a firm grip on her hand. “Why don’t we walk on the side of the road?” he suggested.

  Madison nodded, not wanting a repeat of the last few minutes.

  “Thanks for that,” Madison said, and Collin squeezed her hand.

  “For what?”

  “Saving me?”

  “Oh, it was nothing. Really.” Collin shrugged. “Happy I was here to help you. Or your gravestone would’ve read, RIP, Golf Cart Road Kill.”

  Madison laughed again. Then, as her chuckle died down, she thought she heard a bark.

  “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what? Another speeding golf cart?” Collin asked.

  “No. Wait. Listen.” They both stood near the side of the road, close together and very still, holding hands. She felt her chest rise and fall, her attention focused on the warmth of Collin’s hand. The ocean breeze moved through the trees near them, making a lullaby of rustling leaves. No bark. “I could’ve sworn I heard...”

  Then the bark came again. Tiny, in the distance, but definitely a bark.

  “Was that...?” Collin asked, eyes growing wide.

  “That’s what I heard. It’s Teddy!” They both started jogging down the path. Madison let go of Collin’s hand to run a little faster.

  “Teddy!” she shouted, hoping her voice would reach the dog, wherever he was.

  “Teddy!” Collin yelled.

  A closer-sounding bark answered them as they ran into a fork in the road. A small white wooden sign indicated that to the left was the landing strip for private planes called The Salty Approach, and to the right stood the firehouse, the only one on the island.

  “Teddy!” Collin shouted again, and they listened once more. They heard another telltale bark coming from the left. They both scurried down that path, Collin’s phone light bouncing on the sandy road, which was only wide enough for two golf carts passing in opposite directions. Soon, they came to a clearing. The little grass airstrip stretched out before them, paved with red gravel. In the distance, an abandoned lighthouse loomed, a white tower with blackened windows. A couple of small planes were parked near the side of the airstrip, and the grass was lined with houses. Rustic and quaint, Madison thought, remembering that it had been years since she’d last been to this part of the island. Then, they saw the puppy, happily trotting across the mowed grass, stopping to sniff at the oversized wheel of a parked plane.

  “Here, boy! Come here!” Collin yelled, and Teddy lifted his head. “See? I told you...”

  Then, Teddy darted away from them, running in a big circle on the field. “Teddy! Teddy, come,” Collin cried, but the dog took that as an invitation to play chase and began darting all around the airstrip. Collin lunged forward repeatedly, the dog just out of reach each time. Madison covered her smile with her hand and suppressed a giggle. It was hilarious to see the overconfident prosecutor scurrying around the grass like a maniac, diving after a dog who didn’t want to be caught. Teddy’s four legs were much faster than Collin’s two. Teddy was having a ball, his yellow tail waving in the air, his fur bouncing into his eyes as he ran.

  At one point, Collin, out of breath, stopped, bending down to put his hands on his knees. Teddy raced right by him, almost as if to tease, and Collin reached out, just missing the dog’s neck and falling face first in the grass. Madison howled with laughter, unable to stop herself as tears spilled out of her eyes. She’d never in her life seen anything as funny as Assistant District Attorney Collin Baptista tumbling on his face while chasing after a fur ball.

  “What’s so funny?” Collin demanded, his face a storm of embarrassment and annoyance, which only made Madison laugh harder.

  “Y-you,” she finally managed to get out. “How’s that dog-whispering power working now?”

  “Very funny,” Collin grumbled. “Teddy! Come!” he shouted, but the puppy happily ignored him, flitting away, far out of reach, tail wagging faster than an oscillating fan. Coll
in looked dejected and sweaty, yet he wasn’t giving up as he trotted after the dog. Maybe he was finally learning that he couldn’t order every creature around.

  Madison’s stomach hurt from laughing so hard, but she felt it was her duty to ultimately put him out of his misery. If there was one way to get Teddy to listen, it was with food.

  “Teddy! Here, boy. Dinner!” Madison called and held up the plastic bag of leftovers. Teddy froze, mid-trot, his brown eyes focused on her. He paused, and for a split second Madison worried that he might turn and run away from them, darting back into the darkness. But instead, he happily romped toward them. Madison dug out a piece of chicken.

  “Sit,” she commanded, and after Teddy sat, she handed him the bite of chicken, which he devoured in one eager gulp.

  “No fair. You cheated,” Collin cried, as he grabbed the dog’s collar and Madison attached the leash.

  “Nope. Didn’t cheat. Just used my brain, that’s all. You might try it sometime, counselor.”

  “Ha. Funny.” Collin didn’t look as if he found it all that funny. His normally well-coifed hair was a mess, and sweat dripped down his red face.

  “What do you think about that bet now?”

  Collin shook his head and glanced at Teddy. “I don’t know. He’s a devil dog, that’s all I can tell you. He might be possessed.”

  “He’s not possessed! He’s adorable. He’s a puppy and puppies misbehave.”

  “Right. Devil dog,” Collin grumbled, still not happy about being played by a puppy.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Madison warned Teddy as she knelt and scratched the eager puppy behind his ears. Then she took the leash and Teddy happily walked by her side, raising his adorable brown eyes up to her. She fell in love with him a little more.

  “You get him tonight for the first half of the bet,” Collin said. “See how well you do.”

  Madison’s phone rang in her pocket. She answered it.

  “Hello?” she said.

  “Well, well, well.” Jimmy Reese’s deep voice growled over the phone. “Look who’s still an uppity bitch.”

  “How did you get this number?” She clutched the phone to her cheek and stopped in her tracks.

  “I have my ways,” he said. “But what you should be worried about isn’t just that I have your phone number. I’ve got your address, too.”

  “What is it?” Collin asked, seeing her stricken face. But she was too busy listening to the hateful man, the violent man, the man who didn’t care who he killed.

  “I’m coming for you and when I find you, I’m going to kill you real slow,” he said. She heard a sound in the background, but couldn’t quite tell what it was. Static? Wind?

  “The police are going to find you,” she managed to say, glad that her voice didn’t break and she sounded strong. Collin seemed to figure out what was happening. He opened his palm. He wanted the phone.

  “Oh, I know,” Jimmy said. “But not before I find you first.”

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  THE PHONE WENT dead and Madison’s knees gave way. Collin caught her, holding her tightly as she dissolved into tears. “J-jimmy Reese,” she stuttered, although it was clear that Collin already knew. He stiffened.

  “What did he say?”

  “He wants me dead.” Now that she said the words aloud, they seemed more real somehow, more dangerous.

  “What did he say—exactly?” Collin wanted to comb through the details obviously, to see if there were any clues. Like a prosecutor readying himself for the cross-examination.

  “H-he said he’s coming for me. Gonna kill me...” She left out the real slow part. She couldn’t bring herself to repeat it.

  “Any background sounds? Traffic? Anything?”

  Madison hiccupped, trying to calm herself enough to remember. “Maybe he was outside. I heard something. Wind? Trees rustling?”

  Just then, she heard that same sound in the distance. The sound of waves rushing against the beach. Madison stopped cold.

  “Water,” she said suddenly. “He was near water.”

  “You sure?” Now Collin looked even more apprehensive, his brow furrowed. “You’re positive?”

  “Why was he near water? My apartment is in Fort Myers, nowhere near any water. Collin... What if he found out about my uncle’s house somehow?”

  “He doesn’t know,” Collin said. “He can’t.” But he sounded doubtful. “Let me call Jenny,” he said. “Don’t worry. We’re going to get this son of a bitch. I’ll make sure of that.”

  Madison hugged Collin tighter, for once so very glad the hard-as-nails prosecutor was in her corner; she felt safer just being in his arms. If there was one thing Madison knew, it was that Collin didn’t let bad guys go. She was grateful for his tough attitude just then.

  Teddy looked up and whined; he came over and pressed his cold little nose against her shins, as if sensing something was wrong. She reached down and patted his head, wiping away her tears.

  “Jenny? It’s Collin. Jimmy Reese called Madison,” he said and filled her in on the details. “We think he might’ve been near a shoreline. Madison thought she heard the ocean in the distance.”

  Collin listened and then nodded. “Got it. Yes, I think that’s a good idea, too.” He ended the call.

  “Jenny is going to send us a couple of plainclothes detectives, just to be safe.”

  “Is that really necessary?” Madison asked, but in her gut, she knew it was. Reese wasn’t only violent but smart. She’d feel better with more protection. She inwardly winced when she realized she’d have to tell her uncle as well. After he found out, he’d probably insist on sending his own bodyguards if the state didn’t provide them. Might even insist on them.

  “They’ll come tomorrow.” Collin frowned as he put his arm around Madison and pulled her close. “In the meantime, you’re sleeping in my house tonight.”

  “What?” Madison began to protest. “But I don’t—”

  “No buts,” he broke in. “If he did somehow link your uncle’s house with you, then we need to be on the safe side. Mine’s a rental.”

  Madison saw the logic. Still, she didn’t like the fact that Jimmy was already, on some level, winning by scaring them, upending their plans, making them hide.

  “Just until he’s caught,” Collin said. “Which will be soon.”

  Madison hoped so.

  * * *

  ONCE MADISON PACKED a bag, she and Collin headed over to his rental. It was smaller than her uncle’s, but it did have three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rope hammock on the extended deck, which sat, like hers, one story up. Teddy came as well, but instead of a utility room, he’d have to sleep in the bathroom on the second floor, since the utility room here didn’t have a door. Despite being safely ensconced in the neighbor’s house, Madison felt glum. She couldn’t shake the anxious feeling in her belly, and she kept hearing the sound of Jimmy’s gravelly voice.

  When she and Collin arrived, they entered his bedroom, and she saw that there was a handgun on the bed.

  “I’m licensed,” he said. “Ever shoot one?”

  She slowly shook her head.

  “We’ll have to change that,” he said. He checked the chamber of the pistol and then double-checked the safety.

  “Come here.” He motioned her forward with his free hand. She didn’t care for guns. They were dangerous, and given the number of clients she’d represented, typically caused more problems than they solved. Collin discharged the clip, showing her the empty chamber inside.

  “Just in case you need to know,” he said, and he showed her how to load the pistol, how to cock it, how to flick the safety latch. Then he gave it to her and she held it in her hands. Cold heavy steel. She mimicked his motions, pulling the side back and cocking the gun. It was harder to do than she’d thought. Would she be able to do this in a panic? With Ji
mmy rushing toward her? Her stomach lurched. She never wanted to have to use this on anyone. Suddenly, Jimmy Reese and his threat seemed all too real. Her bottom lip began to quiver. She was used to taking care of herself, being independent, but now the task of protecting herself seemed almost impossible.

  Collin gently took the safety-locked pistol from her hands. “It’s okay. I’m here.” The simple words comforted her. She wasn’t alone.

  “Thank you,” she said, expressing the gratitude she’d failed to show him. “Thank you for being here. For...looking after me.”

  “No need to thank me,” Collin said, and pulled her into his strong arms. She felt safe there, protected. “I know what’ll cheer you up.” Collin threw an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close. “Let’s go into the kitchen and see what we can find.”

  “Do you think I can eat at a time like this?” Madison asked, but then her stomach growled.

  “Oh, I know you can eat at a time like this.” He rooted around in the pantry. A moment later, he held up a jar of tomato sauce and a box of spaghetti.

  “Yum,” she said. “Spaghetti sounds delicious.”

  Collin grinned as he set about boiling water and warming up the sauce. He’d also gotten ground beef at the club’s little grocery store, and he browned that and added it to the sauce. He used the mismatched pans left by the owners, and got to work chopping vegetables for a salad.

  A little while later, they had a delicious meal—Madison digging in, not realizing how hungry she was until she put the rich pasta in her mouth. “Mmm,” she murmured. “Good.” She shoveled another bite in. With the baby, it was feast or famine—either she couldn’t keep anything down or she felt like eating everything in sight.

  “Might want to chew that first,” Collin teased, but Madison didn’t care. She couldn’t help it. Her appetite had returned with a vengeance. And she had to admit that stuffing her face felt like a better alternative than worrying about Jimmy Reese.