“We’re not done here,” Todd muttered to himself. “We’re so not done.”
Twenty-One
Maddie found Nick relaxing in the window seat a few hours later. She’d been searching through the house for him – momentarily worried he’d snuck out without telling her – and when her eyes finally landed on him, she was overwhelmed with a quick rush of relief. Part of her was still waiting for him to run.
“What are you doing in here?”
Nick raised his eyes from the book he was scanning. “Isn’t this what we always used to do after dinner?” He patted the open spot next to him. “I thought we would start another book.”
Maddie grinned. “You want to start reading books together again?”
“I do,” Nick said, his smile lazy. “I’ve grown illiterate without you.”
Maddie climbed up next to him. “What book did you pick?”
Nick handed it to her, and Maddie’s face colored with embarrassment when she realized what he’d been flipping through. It was one of Olivia’s old Harlequin romances. “We can’t read this.”
“Why not?” Nick asked, feigning ignorance.
“I … you know why.”
“Because you don’t want to read the sex scenes out loud,” Nick finished for her. “Admit it.”
“You don’t want to read that book either,” Maddie countered. “There’s no action in it.”
“Oh, there’s a lot of action, Mad,” Nick said, poking her side suggestively. “I think it will be good for us to get back in the swing of things.”
Maddie swallowed hard. Was he flirting? “We can’t read that book because Granny is here.” Maddie tried a different tactic. “She’ll be scandalized.”
“Maude left five minutes ago,” Nick replied, arching an eyebrow. “She said she had a hot date.”
Maddie was dumbfounded. “She did? I didn’t hear her leave.”
“That’s because you were doing the dishes.”
“What did she say? I didn’t know she was dating anyone.”
“She said she had some hot action waiting for her,” Nick said, grinning. “She didn’t say who, but she did have an extra pair of panties in her purse.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “She did not!”
“She did, too,” Nick said. “She showed them to me.”
“You’re making that up.”
“Okay, maybe she didn’t show them to me,” Nick conceded. “She wanted to, though.”
Maddie snorted. “You’re incorrigible.”
Nick leaned back so he could stare at the ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stars Olivia had affixed in the small corner reminding him of a happy childhood. “Pick a book, Mad,” he said. “If you’re not going to read this one with me – and I’m taking it home so I can finish it, just so you know – you need to pick one.”
Maddie glanced at the bookshelf next to them. “What are you in the mood for?”
Nick waved the paperback in her face again.
“I can’t read that with you,” Maddie said. “I’ll die of shame.”
“You’re so cute I can’t stand it sometimes,” Nick said. “Grab that one.”
Maddie followed his finger and pulled out the book in question. “You want to read The Shining?”
“I haven’t read it in years,” he said. “We used to love to read Stephen King together.”
“Okay,” Maddie said, settling into the crook of his arm. “I’m not going to be able to sleep for a week, but anything is better than The Highlander’s Conquest.”
Nick snickered. “We have to broaden your reading horizons.”
“Maybe later,” Maddie said, resting her head against his chest. “Do you want to go first?”
Nick took the book from her and started to read out loud. It was hard for him to concentrate with her in such close proximity, but he was determined to reintroduce normalcy into their lives.
An hour later, they’d both dropped off. Nick had covered them with a blanket, and they were lost in happy slumber, the book discarded on the floor next to them. Olivia hovered close as she watched them, a small smile playing over her lips.
“Sleep well, my lovelies,” she whispered. “It won’t be long now.”
WHEN Nick woke the next morning, it took him a few seconds to get his bearings. The warm body next to his felt amazing, and he shifted so he could wrap an arm around Maddie’s waist and bury his face in her flaxen hair. Sometime in the night, they’d both turned on their sides, and Nick had spooned up against her back. Their bodies fit together like they were meant to be joined. Nick hadn’t slept this well in a decade, and he wasn’t ready to lose the moment.
When Maddie started to stir, Nick waited. Would she freak out? Would she pull away from him? Would she try to find distance? Instead, she rolled over and buried her face in his chest. “Morning,” she murmured.
“Morning,” Nick said, brushing her hair out of her face. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a rock,” Maddie admitted.
“You were exhausted,” Nick said. “You needed the sleep.”
“This couldn’t have been very comfortable for you,” Maddie said. “You can’t fully stretch your legs out.”
“I’m fine, Mad,” he said. “I slept just as hard as you did. I think I needed it, too.”
“How far did we get in the book?”
“Not far,” Nick said, pushing his mussed hair off his forehead. “Don’t worry. We have time.”
Maddie giggled when Nick’s stomach chimed in with a loud growl. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat,” Nick said. “Do you want leftover pizza?”
“Yeah, we’re not teenagers anymore,” Maddie said. “How about I cook breakfast?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“Pancakes?”
“Sold,” Nick said, internally sighing when Maddie pulled away. He was starving, but he would’ve been perfectly happy snuggling up with her in the window seat for the entire day.
“Do you have to work today?”
“Not until this afternoon,” Nick said, following her into the hallway that led to the back of the house.
“How is your investigation going?”
“I don’t really know,” Nick admitted. “I’m not the primary. Kreskin is in charge.”
“Does that bug you?”
“Not really,” Nick said. “I’d like to be more involved, mostly for the learning experience, but I also don’t mind the onus of the investigation being on someone else. I’ve had my hands full with … other things.”
“Me,” Maddie said knowingly. “I’ve totally screwed up your life by coming back, haven’t I?”
Nick was serious as he regarded her. “No, Mad. You screwed up my life by leaving,” he said. “You fixed it by coming back. Now get your butt moving. I need food, and you promised me pancakes.”
“You’re a lot bossier than I remember,” Maddie grumbled. She pushed into the kitchen and pulled up short when she realized the small table at the end of the room wasn’t empty. “What the … ?”
Nick followed her, curious. The sight that greeted him was both hilarious and horrifying. Maude had returned during the night, not waking either of them from their heavy slumber. She apparently hadn’t returned alone.
“I see you two finally woke up,” Maude said, adjusting her nightgown so it covered more of her thigh. “You know Henry.”
The man sitting next to Maude, his robe open wide so everyone could see his sagging chest and beer gut, fixed Nick and Maddie with a wide smile. “Good morning, kids.”
“Henry,” Nick said, pushing Maddie forward slightly. “How is the greenhouse business?”
“It’s planting season,” Henry said. “You know how that goes.”
“This is your busy season?”
“This and the fall,” Henry said, sipping from his mug of coffee. “Thankfully, Carrie has taken over most of the day-to-day operations so I can be free to … do other things.” He smiled at Maude happily.
“Carrie is a good niece,” Maude said.
Nick glanced at Maddie to see how she was handling the situation. She looked like she was in shock. “Well, Maddie promised me pancakes,” he said. “Are you guys hungry?”
“Oh, yeah,” Henry said. “I worked up quite the appetite last night.”
Nick rubbed Maddie’s back soothingly. “Start cooking, Mad. You’ve got some hungry mouths to feed.”
Maddie sent him a scorching look. “This isn’t funny.”
“I’m not laughing.”
“You’re about to.”
“Fix my breakfast, woman,” he ordered. “I’m going to have some coffee with Maude and Henry. This is going to be fun.”
“This is … mortifying.”
MADDIE busied herself with breakfast as she tried to get a handle on what was happening. Maude had brought a man home. Maude had brought a man home and … . It was just too horrifying to think about.
“There are blueberries in the fridge,” Maude said.
“I know,” Maddie replied. “I’m the one who bought them.”
“I was just reminding you,” Maude said. “There’s no reason to be snippy.”
“I’m not snippy.”
“Hey, I’m not the only one who had an overnight guest of the male persuasion,” Maude pointed out.
“That’s different,” Maddie said. “We were just … .”
“Cuddling on the window seat,” Maude said. “I saw you when I came in.”
“Why didn’t you wake us?”
“Because you needed your sleep,” Maude replied. “You two were dead to the world.”
“You were kind of cute,” Henry agreed. “Nick was all cuddled up behind you. You couldn’t even see his face because it was lost in all that hair of yours.”
“I … .”
“And you were both snoring like freight trains,” Maude added.
“I don’t snore.”
“You do when you’re exhausted,” Maude said. “And you two were both exhausted. There was no way I was waking you up. I did take pictures, though.”
Maddie stilled. “What?”
“We took pictures,” Henry said. “Maude wants to frame one of them.”
Maddie glanced at Nick for support. He didn’t seem bothered by the admission.
“I must not be much of a cop,” he said. “I didn’t even hear you guys come in.”
“That’s what happens when you run on emotional fumes for two days,” Maude said. “You needed your sleep. You didn’t miss work or anything, did you?”
“No. I don’t have to go in until this afternoon,” Nick replied. “I’m fine. I’m starving, but I’m fine.”
“I’m working on it,” Maddie said.
“Work faster,” Nick teased.
Maude smiled at the interplay. “It’s good to see things are back to normal,” she said. “I saw you even had a book out.”
“You two spent your night reading a book?” Henry asked, nonplussed. “You know that’s not the right way to do it, don’t you?”
Maddie pressed her lips together as she started mixing ingredients in a big bowl.
“Don’t embarrass them,” Maude chided. “They always use to curl up in that window seat and read books together. It’s like foreplay for them.”
“Granny!”
“Oh, get over it,” Maude said, waving her hand. “You’re going to be thirty in two years, Maddie. You should know what sex is before that happens.”
“I can’t believe this,” Maddie mumbled.
Nick smiled at her from his spot at the table, although his eyes were thoughtful as he regarded her. “Yeah, Maddie.”
“You’re on thin ice,” Maddie said, waving the spatula in his direction. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I’m always on your side,” Nick said. “You’re just so dramatic sometimes.”
“I am not dramatic.” Maddie scanned the Bisquick box for a second. “Do we have another box of this?”
“In the pantry,” Maude said.
Maddie shuffled across the kitchen floor and opened the pantry door, gasping audibly when Sarah popped into view.
“What’s wrong?” Maude asked.
“Nothing,” Maddie replied, recovering quickly. “I just thought I saw … a mouse.” She lowered her voice. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you,” Sarah said. “I didn’t realize you weren’t alone.”
“I … it’s fine to pop in when it’s just Granny,” Maddie whispered. “Even Nick knows now. Henry doesn’t, though.”
“I can come back later.”
“That would probably be best.”
Sarah peered around Maddie’s shoulder curiously. “That’s the police officer from the other night.”
Maddie nodded.
“He’s really hot.”
Maddie nodded again.
“Is he your boyfriend?”
Maddie shook her head. This wasn’t a conversation she could participate in now.
“Your grandmother is adorable.”
Maddie could think of a few other words to describe her.
“Is that her boyfriend?”
“I have no idea,” Maddie muttered.
“He’s … .” Sarah’s head shifted as she regarded Henry, and then all the color drained from her face. That was an impressive feat, since Sarah no longer had blood flowing through her ethereal body.
“What’s wrong?”
“I … .”
“Do you recognize him?”
“I … I have to go.” Sarah blinked out of existence.
“Sarah!” Maddie was beside herself. What just happened?
Nick appeared at Maddie’s side. “Who are you talking to?”
“I … .” Maddie glanced over her shoulder and focused on Henry.
“Is it Olivia?” Nick asked. “Tell her I said ‘hi.’”
“It’s wasn’t Mom,” Maddie murmured. “It was Sarah Alden.”
Nick was intrigued. “What did she say?”
“She didn’t say anything,” Maddie replied. “Well, she said you were hot.”
Nick smirked. “What can I say? Women love me.”
“Then she saw Henry,” Maddie said, her face troubled. “It was like she recognized him. Then she freaked and disappeared.”
Nick followed Maddie’s gaze to the table, where an enthusiastic Henry was regaling Maude with a fishing story. “Why do you think she did that?”
“I have no idea,” Maddie said. “We need to find out, though. It was like she was … scared.”
Nick rubbed the back of Maddie’s neck thoughtfully. “Finish breakfast,” he said. “We can’t do anything about it now, and I don’t want you to draw attention to yourself. I don’t think Henry is known for being tightlipped.”
Maddie nodded.
Nick brushed a quick kiss against her forehead. It was friendly, but Maddie shivered involuntarily at his touch. “It’s still okay, Mad. Everything is going to be okay.”
Maddie wished she could believe him.
Twenty-Two
“Where is everyone?”
Christy looked around at her empty salon and shrugged. “It’s just one of those weird lulls,” she said. “I purposely try to schedule people for early in the day so I can get out at a respectable hour. This is one of the rare afternoons it worked out.”
Maddie nodded, unsure. “You’re not getting boycotted, are you?”
“Why would people boycott me?”
“Because of the other night.”
Christy snickered. “I’m the town hero because of that,” she said. “There have been no less than twenty mothers parading through here thanking me for keeping their daughters’ virtue intact.”
“Do they know you weren’t really doing that?”
“Of course not,” Christy said. “I told them I was, though. Everyone wants me to start attending church services now.”
Maddie pressed her lips together. “Do you wan
t to go to church?”
“Honey, I’m not getting up early enough on a Sunday – my one day a week that I have all to myself – to go to church,” Christy replied. “They don’t need to know that, though. I’m a morality crusader right now. I’m more popular than ever.”
“And people aren’t giving you crap about hanging out with me, right?” Maddie was worried.
“Why would they?”
“People hate me.”
“You’re unbelievable,” Christy said. “People don’t hate you.”
“Marla hates me.”
“Marla hates herself,” Christy replied. “She’s so miserable she thinks she has to make others miserable to bolster her own self-esteem. It’s sad. People hate her, not you.”
“She was the most popular girl in high school.”
“She was the most terrifying girl in high school,” Christy corrected. “She was popular because people were scared to tell her she was a horrible person. That’s not really being popular.”
“I remember her being popular.”
“That’s because you were scared to death of her,” Christy said.
“She was mean to me.”
“She was mean to you because she was jealous of you,” Christy said.
“She was not jealous of me.”
“Maddie, you have got to get a handle on the way you look at yourself,” Christy said. She climbed up from the chair she was sitting on and patted it. “Sit here, please.”
Maddie was leery, but she did as instructed. She’d never really had a female friend, and she was desperate to hold on to Christy. Once she was settled, she met Christy’s gaze in the mirror expectantly. “Why am I sitting here?”
“I want you to tell me what you see when you look at yourself,” Christy said.
“I see … me.”
“Yes, but be more specific,” Christy said. “What do you see when you look at your hair?”
Maddie had always considered her hair to be her best asset. “I like the color.”
“The color is absolutely beautiful,” Christy agreed. “People pay hundreds of dollars to get this color.”
“Are you saying you don’t like the cut?”
“Your hair is extremely long,” Christy said. “I would cut a few inches off, but it seems to fit you. It’s simple and lovely, just like you are.”
Maddie was embarrassed. “Thank you,” she mumbled.
“Yeah, this is what I’m talking about,” Christy said. “When someone pays you a compliment, you need to accept the praise and not be ashamed of it.”
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