She had protested feebly, but he was insistent. Trouncing her ideas of taking up Mitch’s offer by telling her that the Inn was probably full this time of year or calling Belle, or, one of the other women, in the middle of the night would be unnecessary, she had agreed to come with him, unable to think of an alternative.
Glancing at her phone, she saw it was almost nine a.m., two hours past when she normally awoke. Hearing no sounds, she climbed out of bed, stooping to pull the covers up. Moving to the bathroom, she quickly finished before looking into the mirror. Hair awry, eyes red-rimmed from crying, and a swatch of soot across her face. Uncertain if Zac minded if she took a shower, she quickly decided she did not care what he thought, since she was desperate to rid the smoky smell from her body. A few minutes later, with the warm water sluicing over her, washing away the grime, soot, smoke, and soothing tense muscles, she groaned in relief.
Zac, stepping into his bedroom, seeing the made bed, heard Madelyn’s moans of relief coming from the shower. His dick twitched, coming to attention, and he dropped his chin to his chest. Counting to twenty to get his erection under control, he knocked softly on the door. “Maddie?”
He heard the water turn off and tried not to imagine her naked just on the other side of the thin, wooden door.
“Zac?” her hesitant voice called out.
“Yeah, babe. Who did you think was out here?”
“I don’t know who else has access to your place here,” she replied.
“No one but me…and now you.”
“Oh.”
He grinned at her short, confused reply. “I’ve got some clothes out here for you.”
“Clothes?”
Shaking his head, he said, “Stay with me, babe. What you came with last night was dirty and smoky. I’ve got them in the wash. Ginny packed you a bag last night before we left your place.”
“Ginny?”
“You gonna keep asking questions or do you want the clothes?”
The door opened and she stuck her head out, her hair slicked back from her face and her body wrapped in a towel. Glaring, she said, “Can’t you just leave the clothes and go away?”
“Another question,” he chuckled.
“Zac,” she groused. “What’s going on?”
Sighing heavily, he stepped closer to her, watching her wary expression as he neared. “I made a decision last night. Well, I realized something last night and have decided I’m good with it. I want it, actually.”
Instead of asking another question, she cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to continue.
“No more friends with benefits. No more casual anything.” He watched as she stiffened her spine, lifting her chin in response, pain slashing across her face.
“Fine,” she bit out. “As I said yesterday, I think we’re better off separate.”
“No,” he retorted, “you said you didn’t think that sex without messy emotions was something you could do. And, you said you missed me when we weren’t together. And, you said that you wanted us to be together at night, instead of separate. And,” he lifted his finger, pointing it right at her, “you said that it was more than we bargained for.”
She blinked several times, stunned he remembered her words. Opening her mouth, she got nothing out before he jumped in.
“And I agree.” He watched the confusion fill her eyes and grinned. “You’re right, Maddie. It’s more than we bargained for, so we’re changing our bargain.”
Her open mouth clamped shut as her eyes narrowed, waiting to see what he was going to say.
“Our new bargain is that we’re going to be together,” he pronounced.
“Together?” This time her voice was barely above a whisper.
“Yes.”
“I…I don’t understand.”
“It’s actually very simple. You and I are together. A couple. We have feelings and we watch them grow. We’re close and we get closer. I kind of think that defines us being together.”
He watched as she stepped fully into the room, her hands planted on her hips, and he struggled to keep his eyes on her face instead of the towel that was hanging precariously above her breasts. If he were honest, he hoped it just might slip down.
“You decided. You decided?” she said, her voice no longer a whisper.
“Babe.”
She tried to ignore the way that one word slid over her, warm and smooth.
“You said you missed me. Were you lying?”
Pinching her lips together she shook her head. He stepped closer and she tilted her head back to keep her eyes on his.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, his thumbs caressing her neck. “Look, I know we both come from backgrounds where the shit our parents put us through made us think that relationships weren’t worth it…weren’t worth the trouble. But, the last few weeks have made me realize that when you meet someone special…someone who gets you, then it’s worth it. I’m not going to lie. I was scared out of my mind when I started to feel more for you, and that was pretty much immediately. But, Maddie, I can’t deny this thing between us. I don’t want to. No matter what happens, you are worth it. I wouldn’t give you up for anything. I want it all with you.”
His arms slid down her back, pulling her gently into his embrace, his hands now rubbing her soft skin and his chin resting on her head, the scent of her floral shampoo filling his senses.
Madelyn’s hands left her hips as she encircled Zac’s waist, holding him tight as well. Her cheek, against his chest, felt his steady heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she allowed his steadiness to invade her tumultuous thoughts, calming her mind. Sighing heavily, she finally replied, “But, I don’t live here, Zac. What about that?”
“I don’t know, Maddie,” he admitted. “I know that people have long-distance relationships all the time. North Carolina isn’t all that far.”
She tilted her head back to peer into his face. “And if we lasted? If the relationship continued to grow? What then?”
Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t have all the answers. I figure North Carolina needs rescue workers too.”
Blinking, her body jerked. “You’d leave Baytown? Your friends? Your life here?”
“Maddie, if we discover that we’re the other half to each other’s souls, then I’d do what I have to do to be with you.”
Tears filled her eyes, but she did not reply. She simply tucked her head back underneath his chin and remained quiet, her mind swirling with thoughts that threatened to overtake her.
Madelyn stood in the driveway of her dad’s house, staring at the black, charred earth that used to be the shed. She remembered when her father put the lawn mower inside, along with other gardening tools. He would place the tools and mower in one corner, allowing her to have the rest of the space for her imagination to take over. Princess castle, prairie house, cabin in the woods. Whatever struck her imagination, she had a place to live out her childhood dreams.
“Maddie, get out of the shed. You’re getting dirty,” her mom would yell from the back door.
“Leave her be,” her dad would chide. “Little girls need to have a place to let their imagination run wild.”
“Well, she gets that from you,” her mom would retort.
She startled as the memory came back, realizing that after so many years of assuming her dad did not care about her she had hidden all the good times in her mind. Things like that he often encouraged her to play and explore. Fueled by her mother’s comments about her father after they moved away, after he himself pushed her away, she had tucked those kinder memories away.
Rubbing her hand over her forehead, willing the pain to go away, she turned as she heard a vehicle coming down the road. David. Sighing, she wondered if she would have the strength for him today.
Plastering on a smile as he alighted, he hurried over, taking her hands in his.
“My dear Madelyn, I heard the news and am so sorry, but thank God, you’re safe.” He twisted around, seeing the blank place where the shed
used to be. “Is it all gone and please tell me you didn’t have the valuables in there?”
“Yes and no,” she replied. “Yes, what was in the shed, as you can see, is gone, but I had only placed some more of the items to be gotten rid of in a yard sale or donated to a thrift store.”
He nodded slowly, his attention back to her. “Oh, my dear, I see the dark circles underneath your eyes. What can I do to help?”
She looked toward the house and said, “If you can give me two more days, I’d like to have you come back and start hauling out the things for auction. That’ll give me time to make some more decisions about the few pieces I’d like to keep. Then, once you’ve taken them to your shop, the house will be emptier and I can feel freer to decide my next move.”
“I think that’s a brilliant plan,” he said, nodding profusely.
The sound of more vehicles coming down the road caught their attention, both turning at the same time. She smiled at the sight of Katelyn, Tori, Jillian, Jade, and Belle.
As they alighted from their vehicles and rushed over, David nodded and smiled, “I see you’re well in hand. Give me a call and I’ll have some men ready in a couple of days.”
“Thank you…for everything,” she said, her hand still in his. She felt the squeeze on her fingers before he said his goodbyes to the group and headed back to his car.
Immediately surrounded, she assured the women that she was fine, just shaken.
“I couldn’t believe it when Mitch came home and told me,” Tori exclaimed. “Then I was furious he did not call me right away so I could have come.”
“You didn’t need to be here in the middle of the night,” she protested. “Especially pregnant, Tori. You shouldn’t be around all that smoke. Believe me, my kitchen could barely hold the people here anyway.”
“Who all was here?” Jade asked.
“Mitch, Ginny, Lance, and Colt—”
“Oh, that’s right. This is the county and not the town,” Jillian said. “Grant wasn’t on duty, so he wasn’t here. He called me this morning, but Tori had already called.”
“And Jillian called me,” Katelyn grinned, before turning to the others, adding, “and I called Jade and Belle, but Lance had already told Jade.”
Belle looked at her and clucked, “Honey, you look exhausted. Where did you sleep last night?”
“Zac took me back to his place.” Silence filled the air, only broken by the birds twittering. She looked at their faces, seeing expressions ranging from worried to wary to happy. “It’s fine, honestly,” she said, then sighed. “Actually, it’s anything but fine.”
Linking arms with her, Jillian marched toward her front door. “We’re here to help and not just with the furniture. So, let’s go in, take a load off, and you can tell us everything!”
21
Madelyn put the kettle on before setting out six cups for tea. The others carefully moved a few of the objects from the kitchen, placing them in the living room where she directed them, making more space in the kitchen for them to sit at the table. There were only four kitchen chairs, but she easily found two antiques that were sturdy and placed them in there as well.
Settling around the table, she bit her bottom lip, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure where to start.”
“The beginning is always best,” Belle said, her soft voice holding a touch of humor.
Nodding, she laughed as she agreed. “I remember Zac from high school. I used to have to wait for the second bus load and would hang out at the baseball field. They were all there…Grant, Mitch, Aiden, Brogan, Callan, Philip, and Zac. I was just a nerdy freshman, but I thought they were beautiful.”
She grinned at the wistful sounds coming from Jillian, Katelyn, and Belle, and knew they remembered as well.
“Of all of them, I thought he was gorgeous and really sweet. I remember seeing Claudia Mooney hanging by the fence trying to get his attention and was secretly thrilled when he never gave her the time of day. One day, he was catching a ball near the fence where I was, and I was stunned when he bent over to grab it and looked right at me when he stood up. And then smiled.” Sighing wistfully at the memory, she repeated, “He smiled, staring into my eyes.” Then with a rueful snort, she added, “That spring, I heard he went to the prom with Claudia and I was so disappointed.”
“Well, any of the boys would have gone with her,” Katelyn said, “cause she put out for most of the team. I think she’s the only girl my brothers both had…not at the same time, of course.”
“Gross!” Belle cried, as the others shook their heads.
Laughing, Jillian said, “Well, she got married out of high school to a man five years her senior because she got knocked up. She strutted around town like her shit didn’t stink, waving her engagement ring in our faces. Said he was some big banker.”
“Wow,” Madelyn said, wondering why Jillian was smiling.
“Seems he worked in a bank, but he did maintenance for them. Nothing wrong with that job, except it wasn’t what she thought he did. It was a few years before she realized he wasn’t rolling in money. It hit her hard, but with two kids, they stayed married. Then I heard she was getting a divorce and lost custody of her kids.” Shrugging, she added, “Seems he came home and caught her doing it with the man installing their air conditioner. And the kids were home at the time. He got rid of her ass and got the kids.”
“Wow!” she repeated, eyes wide.
“Who cares about Claudia?” Jade said, trying to pull them back to topic. “I want to hear the rest of Madelyn’s story!”
Now the one laughing, she continued, “I left Baytown with my mom when I was fourteen, but I suppose Zac is just one of those heroes, like in a romance novel…the kind the heroine never really forgets.”
“Now, it’s my turn to say wow,” Tori said, her lips curving.
“Anyway, I was surprised when he gave my father’s eulogy. We started talking and it seemed he got me.” Looking at the others, she added, “It went beyond our understanding of each other’s grief experience. You know, both of us losing our fathers the way we did. You all know that his father was an alcoholic, but what I haven’t told anyone else is that my father was too.”
“Oh honey,” Jillian said, reaching over to clasp her hand.
“Anyway, we seemed to have a connection and then…well, uh…we decided to be friends with benefits.” Feeling the heat of blush rise on her cheeks, she laughed in embarrassment. “Maybe I just needed the sex as a stress reliever. I’ve never done that before, but with Zac it just seemed so right.” Looking around the table, she breathed a sigh of relief at the smiles greeting her.
“So, how’s that working out?” Katelyn asked, leaning forward, her eyes pinned on her.
“Good…at first…then not so good and now I think we’re back to good.”
“Huh? Sorry, but you’re gonna have to break that down at little more for me,” Jade said.
Taking a sip of tea, she said, “It was good. We’re both mature, consenting adults who decided that we liked each other and there was no reason not to enjoy each other’s company, in every sense of the word, while I was in town.”
“Sounds easy,” Tori said, “but…”
“But, I realized it was all wrong. To be honest, I’ve never been someone’s fuck buddy before. I’m hardly a blushing virgin, but my sex partners were always men I was in a relationship with.” Lifting her shoulders, she sighed, “It seemed simple, but then I found myself quickly missing him when we weren’t together. I really wanted to spend more time getting to know him…be with him.”
“Emotions got in the way of just good ol’ sex,” Katelyn quipped.
Nodding, she agreed. “Yeah. It’s not like on TV or in books where they make it seem so easy to be in a ‘friendship with benefits’ relationship. Sex without messy emotions. Even if it’s short term and exclusive. I felt empty on the inside. I told him that I just didn’t think the way we were would work anymore.”
Belle leaned
forward, her eyes full of sympathy. “And he just wanted things to stay the same?”
“No, not at all.”
At this proclamation, the other women all blinked in unison, their mouths open. Seeing their look-alike expressions, she laughed. “As it turns out, he wanted more too.” Her voice softened with the memory. “He even said that he’d be willing to date me long-distance or, even, go back to North Carolina with me.”
“What?” Jillian and Katelyn shouted.
“I was just as surprised as you are. I mean this is his home…his friends are all here. And from what he’s told me, even though he doesn’t have blood-relatives here, your families became his.”
“That’s so romantic,” Belle breathed, her eyes wide with wonder and her smile filling her face.
“What are you going to do?” Tori asked.
“I’m not sure,” she replied honestly, her eyes searching theirs. “My life is rather topsy-turvy at the moment, which makes it not the best time to make life decisions. But, I can tell you this…I’m in no rush to go back to North Carolina right now. My boss is unsympathetic and things with my mom are…uh…unsettled. I’ve still got to come to grips with my father’s death and there are some things I’m finding out about him that change things…I want to keep exploring that.” Shrugging again, she said, “So, at least for now, I’m here and I guess Zac and I are officially dating.”
“Oh, I hope you stay,” Belle gushed, gaining a nod from Jade.
“Baytown may seem like everyone’s all up in your business,” Jillian said, “but believe me, when you’re down, these are the people who’ll run to your aid.”
“I used to spend my summers here with my grandmother, but grew up in Virginia Beach,” Tori explained. “She left the Sea Glass Inn to me and, I have to tell you, I rushed back here first chance I got and would never live anywhere else.”
“I’ve only been in town for about two years,” Jade threw out, “but I love this place. Lance is a transplant here also and we have no plans to leave.”
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