“You were saying,” he prompted.
Startling, she stammered, “Yes…uh…yes. The furniture.” Attempting to hide her blush behind the cup of tea, she sipped, keeping her eyes down. After a moment, she dared to look up and her heart skipped at beat seeing him still staring at her, a smile curving his lips.
Chuckling, he sipped as well before saying, “Just show me what to move and where to put it. And afterward, I’m hoping I can convince you to come to the American Legion Youth ball game tomorrow. Everyone’ll be there and it’s always lots of fun.”
Meeting his smile with one of her own, she nodded her agreement. As Madelyn walked him out to the back porch, Zac’s gaze dropped to her ass, perfectly showcased in tight jeans. She turned as she moved through the screen door and he barely lifted his gaze before being caught ogling. Glad to have the distraction of moving some furniture into the shed, he got to work.
As Zac lifted the broken table into his arms and carried it across the yard, Madelyn watched him walk away, his jeans cupping his ass and showing off his muscular thighs. His arm muscles bunched and flexed as he maneuvered the piece to set it down on the ground. As he turned around, she barely had time to shift her gaze so he would not see her interest.
“Is the shed unlocked?” he called out.
Jerking, she blinked. “Uh…sorry.” She ran past him to unlock it, throwing the door open wide so he was able to enter.
“Where do you want it?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to quip, “You, me, and anyway I can get it,” but she covered quickly. “In the corner is fine. Thank you.”
Walking back to the porch together, a genuine grin curved her lips, looking forward to the game tomorrow and spending more time with him.
12
“Run! Run!”
Madelyn jumped as Jillian, sitting next to her on the bleachers, screamed for the runner to advance to the next base. She had made it to the ball game as it was already in progress, her eyes scanning the field for Zac. Seeing him standing near home plate, talking to one of the little boys, she felt a tingle down to her toes.
Belle, sitting on her other side, said, “You have to forgive Jillian. She and Katelyn really get into these games.”
Laughing, she nodded, “I can see that.” Looking around, she asked, “Is this a school group? Zac said something about the American Legion.”
Tori, sitting in front of her, twisted around and answered, “The American Legion runs the youth ball teams. They have three teams now, of varying ages. The Legion raises money for equipment and uniforms. There’s no charge to the parents, so they get a chance to have their children play sports regardless of their income.”
“Wow, I had no idea the Legion did that but, then, to be honest, I know very little about them.”
“If you were staying, then you could join the Auxiliary,” Belle said, her expression wistful. “It’s for family members of veterans and since your dad was in the AL, then you’re eligible.”
She opened her mouth to remind Belle that she was only in town for another week, but no words came out. Closing it again, she wondered why she did not say anything. Lost in thought, she startled when everyone around jumped up in the bleachers, screaming as a young girl crossed home plate. Leaping to her feet, she watched as Zac high-fived the beaming child.
“He’s awfully nice,” Belle said, shoulder bumping her.
Swinging her head around, she stared at Belle, a smile dancing on her face. “Uhhh…”
Laughing, Belle said, “You don’t have to admit anything, but I have a feeling you’ve already noticed how nice he is.”
Her lips twitched as she nodded.
“But,” Belle added, her gaze observant, “you wonder about how soon you have to leave.”
“Yeah…I, well I guess, it’s not really good timing for noticing anyone.”
“It’s never a bad time to have a friend.”
“That’s sage advice,” she noted, her gaze shifting to Zac.
A long sigh left Belle and Madelyn watched the smile slip, as she said, “Sometimes life teaches us things when we least expect it.”
She wanted to ask what was going through her mind, but another shout from the crowd garnered their attention. With the game over, she found herself swept away with the women.
“We’ll meet the gang at the pub,” Belle explained, looping her arm through hers. “Ginny and Katelyn will help with the kids and then everyone will join us.”
She looked over her shoulder, catching Zac staring at her. Smiling, she threw her hand up in a wave, catching his wink as she moved away.
Entering the pub, her heart felt lighter now as she recognized a number of the townspeople. Brogan and Aiden came from the game and settled behind the bar. Tori, Jade, Jillian, and Belle escorted her to a large booth near the back. Ordering pitchers of beer and lemonade, and plates of appetizers, they settled deeper into their seats, waiting for the others.
As the conversation flowed, she kept glancing toward the door every time it opened, a little sigh escaping each time she realized it was not Zac. A giggle caught her attention and she turned around to see the others grinning.
“Honey, if you keep jerking your head every time the door opens, you’re gonna get a crick in your neck,” Jillian proclaimed, much to the amusement of the others.
Blushing, she did not have time to deny that she was looking for someone, when the sound of a boisterous group came in. Ginny made a beeline for Brogan as the others made their way to the large booth and table. Grant and Mitch scooted in next to their wives, and Gareth walked over, hand in hand with Katelyn.
Zac followed behind, his gaze shooting over the gathering, landing on hers before a smile lit his face, spotting a space next to her on the booth bench. Walking over, he was waylaid by one of the servers placing her hand on his arm.
“Hey Zac, nice to see you here.”
“Thanks, Sidney,” he replied, his voice amicable but his eyes still on the table of friends.
“I thought maybe we could get together sometime. I’m free after work,” she pushed, her eyes hopeful.
Jerking his head back to her, he was surprised at her offer, considering he was almost ten years older than she was. “Uh…I don’t think so. I’ve got plans.”
Pouting, she said, “Maybe some other time.”
He glanced back to the table, seeing Madelyn’s eyes now averted, a slight blush painting her cheeks. Fuck! Turning back to the young woman, he said, “Sidney, you just started working here, so I gotta warn you…Brogan’s not too keen on his servers coming on to customers. Especially since you’re so young.”
Her eyes flashed anger as she flounced away, leaving him standing with his hands on his hips for a few seconds.
“Problem?” Brogan asked, coming up behind him.
“Nah…I got it covered.” Plastering a smile back on his face, he turned around and walked to the back booth, noticing Madelyn had scooted toward the end of the bench seat, effectively taking away the place he planned on sitting.
Not to be deterred, he sat down, his hip bumping into hers as he gently pushed her over. “Hate to crowd you, but I’ve been waiting all morning to spend some time with you,” he whispered.
“Of course,” she replied, her smile too wide and her tone too bright.
Throwing his arm across the back of the booth, he leaned in and whispered, “You’re the only one I wanted to see, Maddie.”
Her eyes sought his before sliding back toward the bar at the young woman in a Finn’s Pub t-shirt. Dropping her gaze, she sighed. “Zac, I’m only here for little while. I wasn’t jealous when she wanted to be with you, but it did make me realize that I’m being selfish to want your company when I leave in a week…or more.”
He caught her last words and asked, “Or more?”
“I’m not sure I can get all of Dad’s affairs in order within another week. I thought I’d call my boss on Monday and tell him I need another week off.” Blowing out a puff, she added, �
��I have no idea how he’ll take that.”
“Damn, how can he not understand what you’re dealing with?”
“Well, he’s an administrator now and I do have clients that have to be shuffled around to other counselors.”
“Don’t take on that guilt,” he admonished. “You’ve got a lot to deal with.” A grin reappeared on his face as he latched on to the other part of what she said. “You want my company?”
Shoulder bumping him, she rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’d like to spend time with everyone.”
“Hmmph,” he groused. “I’m now thrown into the everyone category.”
A giggle slipped out as she admitted, “Okay, okay. I want to spend time with just you as well.”
“That’s more like it.” He liked that she was not coy. What she thought, she said. Dropping his hand casually to her shoulder, he gently rubbed the tension from her muscles.
Twisting her head to look up at him, she said, “I really liked the ballgame. I had no idea the American Legion did anything like that.”
“It’s just one of the many community service projects we have going,” he explained. Before he had a chance to tell her more, the servers brought huge platters of wings and nachos for the group to share.
“You’d better jump in while you can,” Belle laughed. “These guys know how to decimate whatever’s put in front of them.”
Seeing the hands moving quickly, she grabbed a few wings before Zac had a chance to get any.
“Hey,” he complained.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I figured I would get some for both of us.” She continued to load her plate before sliding it between them.
Grinning, he squeezed her shoulder with his left hand, diving into the food with his right. He noticed she did not have a glass. Pushing his beer over toward her, he asked, “Here, need something to wash it down with?”
“I’ll just get some water,” she said, looking at the server approaching, but he got there before she did.
“Two waters, please,” he said, his voice low.
Smiling her appreciation, they continued to eat.
After a few minutes of no talking as the group munched, Tori looked over and asked, “How are things going with your father’s house?”
Wiping the barbeque sauce from her lips, she said, “Slow. Really slow.” Seeing the curious expressions from all around, she hastened to say, “As a child I remember my dad loving antiques, but it seems that in the years I was gone, it became an obsession. He filled the house with his finds. When I first entered, I thought I had entered something from the TV show about hoarders.”
Gasping, Jillian said, “I had no idea you had to deal with that kind of situation.”
“It’s okay,” she replied. “David Wills sought me out at the funeral and is going through everything. He’s helping to decide what is actually an antique with value and what’s not.”
“He’s got a good reputation,” Tori said. “He inquired about some of my grandmother’s antiques, but I wasn’t selling them so I had to turn him down.”
Mitch added, “If I remember, he wasn’t too happy about that.” Looking at Madelyn, he warned, “Don’t let him strong-arm you. Only sell what you want and when you want. Tori’s right…he’s got a good reputation, but he can also be pushy.”
Belle’s eyes jumped between her and Zac and she smiled. “How long are you going to be here?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I thought one week, then two. Now, I’m going to ask for another week off because I want to go through the house very carefully. I know David’s methodical, but I find myself wanting to go over each piece myself. I don’t want to make any rush decisions. It’s also a chance for me to take some time off. I haven’t taken a vacation in almost two years.”
“Honey, you do need a break! How can we help with that?” Jillian asked. “Going through anything? Or, the guys would be glad to help move some of the furniture.”
She saw the emphatic nods from around the tables, but she shook her head. “Thank you so much for the offer and I promise to take you up on it, if and when I need. Zac’s already been helping with some of the heavy lifting.”
She looked down at her plate, missing the knowing glances of their friends.
The others nodded as they continued to eat. No longer hungry, she fiddled with her napkin, suddenly overcome with melancholy.
Zac, seeing the change in her demeanor, leaned over and whispered, “You want to get out of here?”
Her jerky nod was his answer and he stood, offering his hand to assist her up. Seeing her chin quiver, he wanted to help her escape the prying eyes of their well-meaning friends. “Guys, we’re gonna take a walk and will see y’all later.”
Amid goodbyes, he casually placed his arm around her shoulders and led her out into the sunshine.
13
Zac itched to take her hand as they walked down the street toward the town pier but, instinctively understanding she needed peace, he simply guided her along with his hand on her lower back. Neither spoke as she allowed the sunshine and bay breeze to soothe her spirits. They walked onto the wooden pier and sat on one of the benches built into the sides. Slipping her shoes off, she leaned back, tilting her face to the warmth.
After a few minutes, she twisted her head, staring at his eyes, pinned on her. “Can I ask you something?” She caught his nod and she added, “And if you don’t want to answer, you can just tell me, okay?”
He shifted so that he was facing her and reached up to tuck a windblown strand of hair behind her ear. “Go ahead, Maddie. You can ask me anything.”
She sucked in her lips for a moment, gathering her courage before blurting, “Do you think we ever really know our parents?”
Not what he was expecting, Zac stared, his expression blank.
“It’s just that what I always thought about my parents seems to not be what the reality was and I wondered if that was just me.”
Heaving a sigh, he said, “I think we know what we remember and what others tell us. But I’m not sure we can ever really know what they were like. At least, not when all we have to go by are childhood memories.”
She nodded slowly, before continuing, “I heard that your parents had died…and I just wondered…well, I know it’s only been a week for me, but somehow, I thought…since my dad and I…I just thought…oh, hell, I’m not making any sense!”
“You want to know what it was like for me?”
Nodding, she said, “I know that is so personal. I’m a counselor and, yet, I feel so unprepared for what I’m feeling. I know everyone’s grief is so different, but I feel lost.”
She had twisted her body to face him and he took her hands in his. “I guess being raised in this town, I have no secrets. Everyone knows about Rod and Mary Hamilton. My parents were great. They loved each other and loved me. Then Mom got cancer when I was in elementary school and died when I was ten.”
She gasped, her hands squeezing his. “Oh, my God, Zac. I must have been too young to know that or even understand that back then.”
He nodded and added, “It was horrible but, honestly, one of the amazing things about living in a small town is I was immediately surrounded by other, good women who stepped in. Mitch and Jillian’s moms, Nancy and Claire, Grant’s mom, Marcia, the MacFarlanes’ mom, Corrine, and Philip’s mom, Tonya…they all made me feel loved. Made sure I had lunches packed, groceries in the refrigerator, made it to school and to practices. And not just for a few months, but for years. Hell, sometimes they still look out for me.”
Madelyn stayed quiet, wanting to hear everything he felt like sharing, without interrupting him with questions.
“That was almost twenty years ago, but I still feel it. Still miss her. Still wish things had been different.” Linking his fingers with hers, he said, “Your grief is so fresh…too real and too close. Don’t try to make sense of it. Just let it flow. Cry if you want. Be alone when you want. Surround yourself with others when you want.”
; Emitting a small chuckle, she said, “Good advice. Are you sure you’re not the counselor?”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” he chided gently, lifting her chin with his knuckle. “As a rescue worker, I’m always thinking of what I could have done better or differently, even though I may have saved a life. I guess it’s the same for you. You can counsel others, but it’s different when you have to go through it.”
Nodding, she silently agreed. After another moment, she said, “The group here is so close…so supportive. They’ve taken me under their wing and, even though I’m only here for a short time, they make me feel part of something bigger than myself.”
“This is a good place to live. I know I was itching to get away into the big, wide world, but four years with the Navy taught me that all I really wanted was to come back here and live. In fact, most of us Baytown Boys came back and we started inviting some of our military friends, who didn’t have a supportive hometown when they got out of the service, to move here too. Jason and Lance are two who’ve done that.” They were silent for a moment before he added, “I mentioned the Eastern Shore Mental Health Group and how some of my buddies see them for PTSD. You could probably get in to talk to someone about grief counseling. You know, counselors need counseling too.”
“God, you’re so right.” Sighing, she said, “But I won’t be here much longer.” Wanting to move to a less emotional topic, she said, “Tell me about the American Legion. I had no idea what it was and, certainly, no idea my dad was even a veteran.”
Laughing, he replied, “Oh, man, I could talk about the AL all day. It’s the nation’s largest wartime veterans service organization. It’s committed to mentoring youth and to continued devotion to our fellow service members and veterans. I’m the finance officer and one of the founding members of our chapter here.”
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