Playing for Keeps

by Hill, Jamie

  She smiled at him. "I was kidding about the joint. I asked you to play the guitar?"

  He smirked. "Yeah. You said it 'always makes you feel better'."

  She shrugged. "Go figure. Want to help me up? I could use the bathroom and then maybe go out to the kitchen for something to eat."

  He looked at her for minute, and then did as she asked.

  They sat at the kitchen table and ate some chicken and noodles that Rosa had brought over.

  "This is good," Maddie said.

  "Yep. Emma's bringing something tomorrow," he replied, referring to his friend Fred's wife.

  "They shouldn't do that."

  He waved his hand. "Let them. One less thing for me to worry about."

  "I'm sorry. Maybe it was the pills. I do feel better now."

  "Maybe it was you not eating when the pills said 'take with food'."

  "Who knows?" Maddie finished her food and leaned back. "I'm concerned about this business with Sophie. You don't think Dionne's trying to keep her, do you? Since I got her in an accident…you know…"

  Rob shoved his plate back from the edge of the table. "No, I don't. When I talked to Dee, in fact, she'd just been to the car rental place. We don't owe them anything, and they'll deal directly with the insurance company to get reimbursed."

  "His insurance or ours?"

  "They'll go after his first. Dee got some information about the guy. He has insurance, but not much else. She's still checking into him."

  Maddie stood up and hobbled to the sink, carrying her plate. "Thank God for her," she muttered.

  "Why would you say that?" He stood up and took the plate from her hands. "She's been nothing but friendly and helpful through this whole business."

  "Yeah, yeah, she's a fucking saint, I know."

  Rob gave her an irritated look. "I'm trying to be patient with you, Madison, but you're pushing it."

  "I'm tired of hearing how wonderful Dee is," she spouted back.

  He replied in a controlled voice "You've known for several years that you have nothing to worry about where she's concerned. But it's so much nicer for everyone when we all get along."

  "Yeah, it's a fucking barrel of laughs." She used her crutches to limp into the living room.

  Rob followed her. "Can I bring you anything, like your broomstick?"

  She whirled around to face him. "Excuse me?"

  "What's up with you? Why are you acting so bitchy?"

  "Why don't you find my broomstick and shove it up your ass!" She hopped into the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

  Maddie sat on the edge of the bed and listened to Rob doing dishes in the kitchen noisily. "I'd like to shove something up someone's ass," he hollered.

  She smiled to herself.

  He went on yelling, "And I'd like to know who's been playing the guitar to make you feel better, because it sure as hell wasn't me!"

  Maddie closed her eyes. Where had the guitar business come from? Ten year old memories shouldn't pop into people's heads like that, she decided. She curled up on the bed and tears flooded out.

  Rob found her that way, sobbing, a while later when he looked in the bedroom. "Hey." He sat next to her. "Why are you crying?"

  She shook her head and sniffled, but the tears kept coming.

  Rob lay down and wrapped his arms around her. "Come here. I'm sorry if I made you cry."

  "It wasn't you." She leaned into him. "I was in a car accident, Rob. They had to use the god-damned Jaws of Life to get me out. And Sophie. I can't even think about what might have happened to our Sophie."

  He held her tightly. "Sophie is fine. Don't spend too much time thinking about what might have happened, because it'll scare the hell out of you. She's fine, and you're going to be as good as new before long."

  "I'm sorry, Rob. I'm so sorry I did that to Sophie," she sobbed.

  He held her face. "Maddie, Sophie is fine. It wasn't your fault. Please, believe me. Nobody is blaming you."

  She sobbed and sobbed, and he held her and kissed her head. Eventually, she cried herself out. "I'm sorry for the things I said. I think I went a little nuts."

  "Yes, you did." He smiled and wiped her tears away. "It's okay. I love you."

  "Show me." She kissed him fervently, her tongue nudging his. "Make love to me."

  He gave a low growl and worked himself on top of her, his kisses making their way down her neck to her shoulder and the little red heart tattoo. He held her tenderly, loving her in the way she craved so desperately.

  When she could think again, Maddie smiled up at him. "Thank you."

  He grinned. "It wasn't a guitar, but did it make you feel better?"

  "God, yes." She ran her hands up and down his bare sides. "You're the only one who can make me feel that good. The only one who has ever made me feel that good."

  He nuzzled her neck and pulled away from her slowly. He dropped down next to her, one leg still thrown across her. "Ever?" he teased.

  "You're the best, you know you are. You're going to get a big head if you keep making me say it."

  "So tell me about Mr. Guitar."

  Maddie thought a moment, hesitated, then finally said, "His name was Nick."

  "Steady boyfriend?"

  "For a while." She nodded and looked at the ceiling. "First boyfriend, although he hated the word 'boyfriend'."

  "What was up with that?" Rob chuckled.

  "He was a little older than me," Maddie admitted.

  Rob studied her face. "How much older?"

  Maddie slid her arms around Rob's waist. "I don't want to talk about Nick, especially now. I want to look into your eyes, and kiss you until I'm so hot you have to do something about it again."

  "I can do that." He drew her into his arms, and they kissed.

  Maddie slept soundly that night, and felt better when she woke up the next day. Rob helped her take a bath with her cast sticking out of the water, and she got dressed for the first time in two days. She felt good enough to ride along with him to his parent's house that afternoon and pick up the children.

  The kids were very happy to see their mama and daddy. Maddie sat on the Cooper's sofa and held Stacie. She told her mother-in-law, "Thank you so much for taking care of them. You helped us out of a huge bind."

  "We were glad to do it," Andrea Cooper told her. "And they were little angels."

  Maddie chuckled at Andrea, she was perfectly dressed and made up, her dark hair looked stylish and her make-up flawless. Maddie wondered if she'd looked that way when her own children were small and she'd chased them around all day. Regardless, she loved her grandchildren, and it was evident. Maddie appreciated that immensely.

  "Well, let's get them home." Rob stood up with Sam in his arms. "They probably have some devil in them they need to run off."

  Rob's father stepped into the room. "I moved the car seats over to the Expedition." Edward Cooper was not quite as formal-looking as his wife. Maddie thought he looked a lot like Rob might in later years. Edward had been kind to Maddie, despite their rocky beginnings. Now she enjoyed his company a lot.

  "Thanks, Dad," Rob said. "Come'ere, Stace." He picked the baby up off Maddie's lap. "Mama can barely walk as it is, she can't carry you."

  Maddie stood with the help of her crutches.

  Andrea asked, "How are you going to get along with them, Madison?"

  Rob said, "I'm staying home from work until she gets her walking cast on next week. Soph'll be back by then, and she can help out."

  Maddie smiled at her mother-in-law. "If I get in a pinch, I may call you. Hopefully I'll have my energy back by then."

  The Coopers walked them out and piled the children's things in the back of the SUV. Rob buckled the kids in their seats.

  "Call me anytime." Andrea held Maddie's crutches as she got in the vehicle.

  "Thank you." Maddie smiled again, and they drove to Dionne's condo.

  Rob went up to get Sophie. They were going to take her for ice cream before they went home.

&nbs
p; Sophie ran down the stairs in front of her father and into Maddie's arms. "Maddie!"

  "Hey, Sophie Belle! How's my girl?"

  "I'm good. Wow, look at your cast!"

  "Yeah, isn't it huge for one little broken bone in my foot?"

  Rob opened the back door. "Hop in, munchkin. We'll go spoil your appetite for dinner."

  Sophie climbed in between the two car seats where she usually rode.

  "What have you been up to?" Maddie turned to look at her step-daughter.

  Sophie shrugged. "We went to the movies, and we rented some movies to watch at home, too."

  "Sounds pretty laid back," Maddie commented.

  Rob shot her a warning glance.

  Maddie looked at him. "What? Usually they keep busy running around all the time."

  "Mom just wants to hang out," Sophie told them. "I like it."

  Maddie made a face at Rob, and he grinned. "Good," she told Sophie. "I'm glad you're having fun. We just missed you, and wanted to spend some time with you before we go home."

  They ate at a picnic table outside the ice cream parlor. Rob and Maddie each held a child, and shared an ice cream cone with them. Sophie told them about the movies she'd seen, and about going shopping at the mall with her mom. Before they left, she asked, "Do you care if I miss my game Friday night? Mom and I have a date."

  Rob and Maddie exchanged glances, and he looked at his daughter. "Well, I don't know. I think you're a little young to be dating. Do I get to meet the boy?"

  Sophie giggled. "Not me, Daddy. Mom has a date, and they want to take me with them. We're going to dinner, and maybe play miniature golf."

  "Are you serious?" Rob looked at Maddie again. "I don't think I've ever seen Dee play miniature golf before." He whispered "It's not natural."

  Maddie told Sophie, "You might tell her not to wear the Manolo Blahnik's."

  "What?" Sophie asked.

  "Fancy shoes," Maddie whispered, and Sophie laughed and nodded.

  They returned to the condo and Rob helped Sophie out. She gave Maddie a big hug. "I love you Maddie."

  "I love you, too, sugar. I'll see you Sunday."

  "Okay!" She ran up the stairs with her father trailing, and he returned in a few minutes by himself.

  "All right then." He adjusted his seat belt and put his sunglasses back on. He looked over at Maddie. "Dee says Manolo Blahnik's are appropriate for any occasion, and if you want to borrow one to wear with your cast, she'll let you."

  Maddie laughed and shook her head.

  Rob drove toward home, and Maddie said, "So she's got a date she wants Sophie to meet. Sounds serious."

  "I doubt it," he said casually.

  "Your face is getting red. Are you having a reaction to the strawberry ice cream?"

  "Yeah, probably." He shot her a look. "Hey, I know she dates. I don't care. I'm married, remember?"

  "Oh, I remember." She nodded.

  He gave her another look and drove home.

  Friday, Rob told her his crew was having a 'Maddie's-got-a-broken-foot-kegger' at their house that night.

  "You've got to be kidding!"

  He laughed. "It's not as bad as it sounds. They're bringing food and the keg, and they're all bringing food for us to eat next week. I think Emma and Rosa spearheaded it."

  "I don't feel like entertaining, Rob," she complained.

  "You don't have to do a thing, just sit. I'll do whatever needs to be done."

  She shook her head. "Sounds like their excuse to drink beer and swim in our pool."

  "Pretty much." He nodded, and grinned. "But I could use a few beers myself."

  She started to comment and he added, "I won't drink until the kids are in bed, I promise. And I'll only have a couple. I have no desire to feel like crap tomorrow morning."

  Maddie gave him a look.

  Rob had worked with the same construction crew for several years. Fred was the oldest on the crew, and one of Rob's closest friends. They'd met when Rob was building his house, and they'd worked on it together. Fred and his wife, Emma, took an instant liking to Maddie, and they were all quite close.

  Smoky was Rob's other good friend on the crew. He and Rosa came over with their baby, Callie, and brought a bunch of food Maddie could put in the freezer and take out as she needed.

  Doc, Shorty and Dugout were the other colorful characters from Rob's crew. They arrived with beer, girlfriends, swimsuits and a gold paper crown from a fast food restaurant for Maddie.

  She sat on her porch with her leg propped up and the crown on her head, and let them wait on her. Fred and Emma loved the children. Fred pushed Sam on the swing and Emma held Stacie as she played with her baby doll.

  Smoky brought Maddie some barbecued ribs, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek. "All right, this was a good idea," she admitted. "At first, I thought you all were crazy. But holy cow, when was the last time I got to sit around wearing a crown and get waited on, hand and foot?"

  "Last weekend?" Rosa teased as she passed by with more food.

  "I think you're right." Rob grinned at Rosa as he rocked six-month-old Callie back and forth in his arms.

  "Ah, kiss my grits, all of ya." Maddie waved at them.

  Rob approached Maddie and kissed her cheek. "Look at the baby, Mad. Isn't she sweet?"

  "She is." Maddie touched Callie's little hand. "She seems so tiny compared to Stace."

  "I want another one," he whispered to her, and rubbed his finger across the baby's cheek. "A little one. This next one, we'll make stay tiny for a long, long time."

  "Yeah." Maddie snorted. "You can breastfeed and change diapers for that one."

  "I'd do it," Rob said to Callie. He nudged Maddie. "Think about it, okay?"

  "Can I get my cast off, first, please?" She smiled at him sweetly.

  "I suppose." He rolled his eyes and carried Callie out into the yard.

  When dinner was over, Maddie kissed the babies goodnight, and Emma helped Rob tuck them in to bed.

  Some of their guests swam, but when it got dark, they all sat around on the porch sipping beers and talking late into the night. Maddie was very relaxed. She had one beer and enjoyed their friends, and the always-lively conversation.

  Rob was true to his word and cut himself off after three beers, so he wouldn't regret it in the morning when he was up early with the children.

  Everyone cleaned up after themselves before they left, and soon it was just Rob and Maddie sitting in their chairs on the porch, with the dog between them. "You were a good boy tonight." Rob rubbed Bo behind the ears. He pulled a chew bone from his pocket and gave it to Bo. "There you go, that's a good boy."

  Bo nuzzled him and lay down next to them with his bone. Rob smiled at Maddie. "You were a good girl, tonight, too." He pulled something from his pocket and held it up for her to see.

  "Oh my God!" Maddie squealed as she saw the marijuana cigarette Rob held. "Where did you get that?"

  "I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."

  Maddie clapped her hands. "I can't believe you did this."

  He smiled and handed the joint to her with a book of matches. "There you go. Have fun."

  "You going to join me?" Maddie struck a match and lit the joint.

  Rob smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Someone needs to be able to take care of the kids, just in case."

  "Aw, you should have gotten it when they were gone." Maddie inhaled the smoke and closed her eyes.

  "You needed it a lot worse then, that's for sure." He grinned at her.

  She opened her eyes and looked at him. "You fucker. You offered to bring me my broomstick!"

  He laughed. "That was a good one, I'll admit it…"

  She eyed him as she puffed the joint. "You're a good one. You're too good to me."

  "Remember that, if that shit makes you sick. It's not my fault."

  Maddie smoked half the joint and then pinched it out between her thumb and forefinger. She licked her hot fingers, and set the roach down carefully. "It's not going
to make me sick. It is going to make me horny. Can I say that's your fault?"

  He dropped to his knees in front of her chair. "Definitely. Whenever you get horny, I hope it's always my fault."

  "Always." She leaned back, and motioned for him to proceed.

  Rob started kissing the ankle of her good leg, and worked his way up.

  Chapter Eight

  Nine and a half years earlier – Cambridge, Massachusetts

  Maddie packed her things early on December thirty-first and told her family goodbye.

  "Behave yourself at that party," her mother said.

  Her father added, "If someone does bring alcohol, you and Alec need to leave. Use your head, Madison, and your best judgment. You'll get by fine."

  "Thank you." Maddie gave each of them a kiss on the cheek, and slid into the front seat of her car. She felt guilty about lying, but put it out of her mind. She was very excited to be going back to Cambridge, and to Nick. "Bye!" She waved as she drove off, and cranked her radio up loud.

  Back in Cambridge, she stopped at Buckley Hall and dropped off her things. She repacked her suitcase with the type of clothes she'd be wearing, or at least start out wearing, at Nick's place. She left a note for Zoey, saying she'd be at Nick's, but would check the answering machine daily and stop by every couple of days to touch base. She tossed her stuff back into her car and drove to Nick's.

  She knocked on the front door and stuck her head in. "Anybody home?"

  "Hey, good lookin'." He smiled at her as he walked out of the kitchen. "You made it."

  "Hey, baby." She dropped her suitcase and slid her arms around his neck. "I missed you!" She kissed him passionately, and he rubbed her lower back.

  She pulled away. "Well…?"

  "Well what?" He looked at her.

  "Did you miss me?" She prodded.

  "Sure."

  Maddie laughed. "God, you're romantic!"

  He shook his finger at her. "Don't start with me, little gal."

  "I'm not." She chuckled, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just happy to see you."

  "And I am happy to see you." He grabbed her butt and squeezed.

  They celebrated New Year's Eve with pizza, beer, pot and sex. Maddie thought that pretty much described their whole vacation. Not a bad way to spend a week, she decided, but even for her, it got a little repetitive after a while.