Maddie didn’t answer. Instead, she nudged him out of the way with her hip and grabbed the table with both hands so she could move it herself. She let loose a loud groan, but she managed to lift the table and shift it exactly two inches. When she dropped it on the ground, she dusted off her hands and stared at its new location with a critical eye. “There. That’s perfect.”
Flabbergasted, Nick made a face that was so ridiculous it took everything Maddie had not to laugh at him. “Yes, because those two inches completely changed the feel of the room.”
“It did.”
“It did not.” Brow furrowed, Nick moved closer to her. He ran his hand over her back, concern warring for supremacy against agitation as he studied her face. “You’re not in pain, are you?”
Maddie managed to refrain from rolling her eyes, although just barely. “I’m fine. I’m tough.” She flexed her arm muscle, which was defined from regular workouts, to prove her point.
Amused despite himself, Nick ran his hand over her bicep. “I stand corrected. You’re very clearly the Hulk and I never noticed.”
“If I’m anyone, I’m Wonder Woman.”
“If you get Wonder Woman’s outfit, I’ll love you forever.”
“I thought you were going to love me forever regardless.”
“Oh, I am.” Nick’s grin was quick and mischievous. “I’m going to love you until I can’t get around with anything other than a hoverboard that doubles as a walker. Then, even after that, I’m going to love you for eternity on the other side.”
Maddie’s expression softened at his earnest statement. “Nicky ... .”
“Shh.” He lifted a finger and pressed it to her lips. “It’s you and me forever, Mad. I’m never letting you go now.”
She held his gaze, a myriad of emotions passing through her. “You know, if someone would’ve told me when I returned to town that we would be days away from our wedding a little over a year later, I would’ve called them crazy.”
“Me, too.”
“I’m really glad that we’re here, though.” Her voice cracked a bit, causing Nick to slide his arms around her slim waist and pull her close.
“I’ve never been this happy.” He gave her a soft kiss as he stroked her hair. “I love you, Maddie.”
“I love you, too, Nicky.”
Like something out of a romantic comedy, they stared into each other’s eyes. Then Maddie finally broke the spell by giving him a small shove.
“I’m starting to think you use non-existent back problems as an excuse to get certain things, though, like massages,” she said, turning back to the table. “It’s the perfect place for the table, right? In fact, it’s magnificent.”
Nick sighed. She was determined to focus on the table, which meant that was his cue to leave. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Back pain is real.”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved her hand. “Aren’t you supposed to be at work?”
“I am. If I don’t leave now, the criminal element in Blackstone Bay will clearly get a foothold and we’ll never be safe. It’s my duty as a detective to put my life on the line for the good residents of this town.”
“What about the bad residents, like Marla?” Maddie asked, amused by his act.
Nick snickered. “Well, she’s on her own, little missy.” He tipped Maddie’s chin so he could give her another kiss, this one more thorough. When he pulled back, his eyes were full of lust, but his cop face was in place. “I was thinking we’d go the lazy route tonight and I’d bring pizza home for dinner.”
Maddie brightened considerably. “That sounds like a plan to me. I should only be here another hour or two. Then I’m heading home to press my costume for the festival.”
Nick smirked. “So very domestic, Mad. I love having a wife who presses things.”
“I’m not your wife yet.”
“Close enough. You’re my heart.”
Maddie was mortified to admit she went warm and gooey all over at the simple statement. “Go to work,” she barked suddenly, taking them both by surprise. “If you don’t, we’re going to end up doing something on that heavy table and I just know someone will catch us and we’ll be the talk of the town.”
Nick chuckled, his chest warming. “I love you, Maddie Graves.”
“I love you, Nick Winters.”
“I know.” His fingers gently slipped a strand of hair behind her ear. “I can’t wait until I can call you my wife.”
“It only took us 29 years to get here, huh?”
“It took us the perfect amount of time,” he corrected. “If we’d done this too early, we wouldn’t have made it. If you’d waited much longer to come back, I might’ve been lost to you forever thanks to bitterness. Things happened exactly when they were supposed to happen.”
“That’s kind of schmaltzy,” she teased, although she happened to believe the exact same thing.
“I’m fine with being schmaltzy.”
“Yeah, well, I’m fine with it, too.” She rolled onto the balls of her feet and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Now, go to work. The sooner you finish your afternoon shift, the sooner you can come home and help me finish up the new living room. I’m finally making progress.”
“I would rather focus on you than the living room. The living room can wait.”
“Perhaps we can overlap those two options so you don’t have to choose.”
Nick’s eyes flashed with amusement and adoration. “Now you’re talking.”
“I thought you would like that.”
MADDIE NEVER CONSIDERED HERSELF a giddy person, but she couldn’t stop herself from humming as she set up her tent. Her life had taken so many twists and turns over the years, the simple fact that she was about to get everything she wanted was somehow glee-inducing.
When she left Blackstone Bay as a teenager, she told herself it was for the best. Her abilities — she was psychic and could see and talk to ghosts — were such that she was afraid Nick would be disgusted if he ever found out what she was capable of doing. Her mother had the same abilities (although not quite on the same level), and Olivia Graves warned her daughter to keep certain things secret.
So, with no idea what else to do, Maddie packed up her broken heart and went to college. After that, she worked as a nurse for six years in the Detroit area. All the while, she kept to herself and never dared to dream about the life she truly wanted to lead.
When Olivia died, Maddie had no choice but to return home. Her grandmother needed someone to watch over her. And, in truth, Maddie yearned for home. Although she never would’ve admitted it, she yearned for Nick, too.
They were like magnets when reintroduced to one another. Nick’s anger was palpable, but Maddie didn’t hold it against him. Then he found out her secret and stood with her rather than against. Maddie was crushed because she knew that was always going to be his reaction.
Not telling Nick about her abilities was a mistake. He never would’ve turned on her because it simply wasn’t in his nature. Once he knew, that was it. He stood by her, protected her, and eventually admitted that he wanted to be with her. It was a big step — a leap of faith, if you will — for both of them. Things worked out much better than planned though, and Maddie had never been so happy.
So, even though it was schmaltzy, she hummed to herself as she set up her tent. She would be reading fortunes at the festival, something she used to do in the small storefront set up in her house. Once Nick moved in and they got engaged, she realized she didn’t want to share her home with strangers. They were in no rush for children, but little ones were an inevitability, too, and Maddie didn’t want to limit where her children could play in the house. Turning her attention to festivals seemed like the smarter move. Nick agreed, and they were happily reclaiming the store space as a living room.
“Hey, Maddie. Um ... do you have a minute?”
Maddie realized she was bopping to a sound in her head only she could hear and she almost jumped out of her skin at the new voice. She swiv
eled quickly, her eyes widening when she caught sight of Alicia Clark’s familiar features. “Um ... hi.”
Instead of rolling her eyes or letting loose with a derisive snort, Alicia merely smiled. “Hello. I’m sorry to interrupt you.”
“You’re not interrupting me.” Maddie straightened and smoothed her T-shirt, which seemed like a wasted effort, but she needed something to do with her hands. “What’s up?”
Alicia chuckled, genuinely amused. “Were you humming?”
“Of course not.”
Alicia arched a speculative eyebrow, causing Maddie to sigh.
“I might have been humming a little,” Maddie conceded after a moment’s contemplation. “I got a new table for my readings.” She pointed for emphasis. “It’s pretty and it made me hum.”
“Yeah. The thing is, I saw Nick leaving five minutes ago and I know darned well he’s why you were humming.”
Maddie turned sheepish. “Oh.”
“I think it’s cute,” Alicia added hurriedly. “I’ve always known you guys would end up together. I remember back when you were in high school and you guys were inseparable. Everyone in town was taking bets on when you guys would get together. Then you left town and threw everyone for a loop.”
Maddie’s smile slipped. “Yeah, well ... .”
Alicia waved off whatever she was going to say. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not a big deal. You’re here now and you guys are so happy it makes everyone in town suffer from a toothache.”
“We do our best,” Maddie said dryly, eliciting a giggle from Alicia.
“You do it well,” Alicia said. “I’m actually here for a reason, though. I don’t want to take up much of your time, but I was wondering if you could put a small sign on the flap of your tent. We’re trying to make a concerted effort to let everyone knows the rates before they stand in line too long. I know it might seem silly, but we think it might cut down on a few issues with some of our cheaper residents.”
“Actually, I think it’s a great idea,” Maddie countered, taking Alicia by surprise. “I bought this really cool chalkboard with that specific purpose in mind. It’s at the house right now, though, because I was going to illustrate it tonight.”
“That’s fine.” Alicia looked relieved as she lifted her left hand to her forehead and gave it a vigorous rub. “As long as you have it here when the festival starts, that’s fine.”
Maddie found she was staring at Alicia’s hand, the glint of the woman’s wedding ring serving as a distraction. Alicia followed her gaze, and when she realized what Maddie was looking at, she broke into a wide smile.
“Trevor and I have reconciled,” she announced, as if picking the unasked question straight from Maddie’s head.
“Really?” Maddie wasn’t sure what to make of that. She’d always liked Alicia. She didn’t know her very well, but she found the woman pleasant and engaging. Her husband, Trevor, was another story. Maddie couldn’t even remember having a conversation with him and she had no idea how she felt about the man. She couldn’t form an opinion — positive or negative — because she simply didn’t know him. “That’s great.”
“It is.” Alicia’s smile widened, threatening to swallow her face. “We’ve been married 20 years now. Actually, we separated three days before our 20th anniversary. That’s when he told me he wanted a divorce.”
Maddie managed to keep her expression neutral, but just barely. “He told you he wanted a divorce days before your anniversary? That’s ... lovely.”
Alicia snorted. “I was upset at the time, too. I mean ... really upset. I think I went temporarily insane there for a few days. I couldn’t help it. I thought everything was fine in our marriage and then he told me otherwise. I was blindsided ... and I couldn’t wrap my head around what was happening.”
“Blackstone Bay isn’t very big.” Maddie chose her words carefully. “There were a lot of people gossiping right after it happened. I felt sorry for you but didn’t know if I should say anything, so I kind of let it go. I’m always bad in situations like that because I never know the right thing to say.”
“You didn’t have to say anything.” Alicia was earnest. “What happened with Trevor and me was hard. I mean ... really hard. I had no idea anything was wrong when he first told me he wanted a divorce, but now I get it. I kind of forgot to work on my marriage for a bit.
“Don’t you do that,” she continued. “Always work on your marriage. Never take Nick for granted.”
“I don’t think I could ever do that,” Maddie said truthfully.
“I didn’t either, but sometimes you get caught up with kids or work and forget that there are other people in your life, people who need attention. I’m not saying to focus entirely on Nick to the detriment of yourself or anything. Just ... make sure you don’t forget him.”
“I’ve already lived a huge chunk of my life without Nick,” Maddie explained. “I don’t intend to do that again. Thanks for the tip.”
“No problem.” Alicia’s expression was bright and cheerful. “Trust me. I learned my lesson about neglecting my husband. It took a lot of work — we even went to counseling together, which is something he fought from the beginning — but we’re finally back on track.”
“I’m happy for you.” Maddie meant it. “I’m glad you guys managed to work things out.”
“We did. In fact, I should probably get going.” She spared a brief glance for her watch. “I promised I would cook a big dinner tonight — it’s a celebration of sorts, the one-month anniversary since we reconciled — so I should get going. Sometimes a simple home-cooked meal can do wonders for a bad mood.”
Maddie offered up a half-wave. “I’ll make sure I get the sign ready and have it with me when the festival opens. Don’t worry about that. Go home and enjoy your celebration. That’s the only thing you have to worry about.”
“That’s the plan.” Alicia grinned widely. “I will see you tomorrow, right? You’re all ready for things to open, aren’t you?”
“I am.” Maddie bobbed her head. “Frankly, I’m glad to be able to focus on this rather than the wedding. I’ve been over those details so many times I’m driving Nick nuts. This festival came at the perfect time.”
“I never thought about it, but that makes sense. I think you’re going to make a beautiful bride, Maddie, for the record.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow and we’ll talk more then. Have a good night.”
“You, too.”
With that, Alicia was gone and Maddie was left with her thoughts, which immediately turned back to Nick. He mentioned pizza, but a nice dinner didn’t seem out of the question. She had more than enough time to cook.
After all, she didn’t want to take him for granted before they even exchanged vows, right? Now was the time to tell him how much she loved him, so that’s exactly what she decided to do ... with rosemary chicken and mashed potatoes.
Thankfully, Nick was the sort of man who would appreciate the gesture. She just had to text him there was a change of plans before running to the grocery store. That was more than doable.
Two
Maddie had a feast on the table by the time Nick made it home. He kicked off his shoes by the front door, followed the scent of chicken through the house, and almost fell over when he saw the food waiting for him.
“What the ... ?”
Maddie beamed at him from behind the counter. “Happy almost wedding.”
Nick didn’t know how to respond to the greeting. “Um ... I thought we were getting pizza.”
“I texted you to say I was handling dinner.”
“I know, but I thought that meant you were getting the pizza. How long did you spend on all this?” Nick moved to the table and stared at the chicken at the center of it. Maddie had arranged it in such a way that it looked like a work of art, potatoes and vegetables fanning out on every side.
“Not long.”
“Not long?” Nick was incredulous as his eyes tr
aveled to the counter, to where a chocolate cake rested on a pedestal. “You baked, too.”
Maddie turned defensive. “I’m a good baker.”
“I know you’re a good baker.” Nick narrowed his eyes as he searched the angular planes of her face. “What’s up with you?”
Maddie averted her gaze and focused on untying her apron. “Nothing is up with me. Can’t I simply want to provide a nice meal for my future husband?”
“I didn’t say you couldn’t. It’s just ... I thought you were busy setting up your tent.”
“That’s done.”
“And you decided to celebrate by turning into Martha Stewart?”
Agitation, faint as a whisper, flitted through Maddie. “If you don’t want to eat, don’t eat.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t want to eat. I just ... .” The sound of a door opening at the other end of the kitchen caught Nick’s attention and he was never so happy to see Maddie’s grandmother Maude than he was right now. “Hello, trouble,” he drawled when he saw her. “We got a call from Harriet Proctor this afternoon. It seems someone decorated her bushes with fake eyes and put a sign that reads ‘town busybody’ in front of her house. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Since Harriet was Maude’s arch nemesis (a term Maude willingly coined), it was obvious to everyone in Blackstone Bay who had decided to mess with the town’s biggest complainer. Since there were no witnesses, though, Maude was free and clear ... at least for now.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Maude replied, blasé. “What’s all this?”
“Dinner,” Maddie said. “Sit down.”
“Dinner?” Maude eyed the huge spread, incredulous. “When was the last time we had actual food to eat in this house?”
Maddie took offense at the statement. “I’m pretty sure you never go hungry.”
“Yeah, but that means pizza. I thought we were getting pizza.” Maude’s tone turned whiny. “I had my heart set on pizza.”
Grave Destiny Page 40