Playing for Keeps (38 page)

"Good!"

Maddie stood and pulled Rob up by the hand. He patted her butt and reached down to Sophie. "Come here, child." He hoisted her up and groaned loudly. "You're growing too much! I almost can't lift you anymore!"

Sophie
giggled, and they went in the kitchen for a snack.

When Maddie wandered into her bedroom later, she noticed her leather jacket was hanging in the closet, way in the back, where it always was. She closed the door.

Sophie began second grade in September. Rob changed his work hours back to eight to five, so he could take her to school, and Maddie could pick her up.
Sophie loved school, and was very enthusiastic about the whole business. She proudly brought home each note, and when there was a parent's night, she told her father and Maddie, and called her mother as well.

Rob and Maddie dropped the younger children off with
Rosa and Smoky, and drove Sophie to her school for, 'Back-to-school night'. Sophie showed them around her classroom, proudly pointing out the pictures she already had on the bulletin board, after just two weeks.

Maddie wasn't surprised when Dionne walked in, but was shocked that she wasn't alone.
Sophie ran to her mother and hugged her, and then hugged the man she was with.

"Who the hell is that?"
Rob whispered to Maddie.

"Easy, boy." She patted his arm. "I think we're fixing to find out. Be
nice
."

"Yeah,"
Rob scoffed as Sophie led the couple over.

"Hey, Coop, Maddie." Dionne
smiled at them.

"Hello
Dionne," Rob said formally, eyeing her escort.

"This is my friend, Deron Reed. Deron, this is Sophie's daddy, Coop, and his wife, Maddie."

Deron extended his hand.

Rob shook it and said, "It's Rob." He gave
Dionne a look, and she raised her eyebrows.

"Hello," Deron offered his hand to Maddie.

"Hi Deron. It's nice to meet you." She shook hands and looked him over. He was handsome, in a sophisticated sort of way, his dark hair was slicked back, he was clean shaven, and his suit looked expensive. "Sophie tells us you wield a mean miniature golf putter."

He chuckled and rubbed his chin. "I don't know about that, she nearly beat me." He slid an arm around Dionne's shoulder. "At least I beat you by a respectable margin."

Rob looked at Dionne. "Not really your game, is it, Dee?"

She
smiled at him then at Deron. "Not usually, but it was fun. It was great to do something with Soph."

Sophie
tugged at her mother's arm. "Come see my pictures."

"Sure honey." Dionne took Deron's arm as they followed Sophie.

Rob muttered to Maddie, "I hate suits. I hate guys who wear suits."

Maddie chuckled. "Oh, but he wears it so well!"

Rob's eyes flashed and Maddie slipped her arms around his neck. "Yanking your chain, baby," she whispered in his ear, grinning. "You gotta admit, they make us look like the Waltons when they waltz in, wearing their designer clothes."

Rob
looked at his jeans and Maddie's sundress. "I don't care," he muttered. "I'd rather send my kids to school in overalls and be happy like we are, then to have to wear a goddamned suit all day."

The teacher asked everyone to find a seat so she could begin, and Maddie took
Rob by the hand. "Come on, Pa." She led him to the chairs. They sat on one side of Sophie, with Dionne and Deron on the other. Maddie thought Rob pouted through most of the presentation, and she intended to tease him about it later.

The teacher mentioned report card conferences in a few weeks, and after the presentation, Dionne told Rob and Maddie, "I may not be able to make this round of conferences. I've got a big case coming up, and I'll be in court for a while."

"We can handle it," Rob assured her.

"Let me know when it is, though, okay?"
Dionne asked.

"Of course," Maddie replied.

Deron said, "I could probably be there, if you wanted me to, Dee."

Rob looked at him and repeated icily, "We can handle it…but thanks."

Dionne looked at Sophie. "Soph, take Deron over there and show him the aquarium, why don't you?"

"Okay!"
Sophie led Deron off, and Dionne looked at Rob with an amused smile on her face.

"You're jealous!"

"I am not," he scoffed.

She looked around. "Is it almost Christmas? Your face is alternating between shades of red and green."

He replied in an angry, hushed voice "I've never met the guy, and my daughter is hugging all over him. Now he's offering to sit in for you at her parent-teacher conference? Come on, Dee!"

"Welcome to my world!" She motioned toward Maddie. "I've learned to share the mommy role. It's not going to kill you to share the daddy spotlight."

"It might," he muttered.

Maddie saw the conversation going nowhere good, so she pressed up against Rob and murmured, "We should get Sophie and go. We need to get the babies, and I'm anxious to get home."

He gave Dionne an irritated glance, and put an arm around Maddie. "Sure, let's go."

"Goodnight." Maddie
smiled at Dionne, and they went to collect Sophie and leave.

At home,
Rob helped her get the children ready for bed, and they tucked them in together. Maddie slipped into the bathroom, and came out swearing.

"What's wrong?"
Rob asked.

She wiped tears from her cheek. "I got my period. I'm not pregnant."

He pouted, and pulled her into his arms. "It's okay, sugar. We'll just have to keep trying. That's the fun part, anyway."

"I know. But I've never had to
try
before! The first three times, it happened so fast I didn't even realize what was going on."

"Three?"
Rob looked at her. "Last time I checked, you had two babies."

"Duh." Maddie slapped her forehead. "I guess this business with
Sophie is on my mind. You know, I feel like she's my own."

"I know." He kissed the side of her head. "I'm worried about this Deron guy."

Maddie gave him a look.

He continued, "Not because of
Dee. I could care less who she sees or what she does with her life. But because of Sophie. This guy seems too friendly, likes he's trying to ingratiate himself to her. I just hope, if they get serious, he doesn't try to convince Dee to get custody back."

That hadn't occurred to Maddie. "You don't think that might happen, do you?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I'm happy with the way things are, and I know Sophie likes it here, too."

"Don't borrow trouble. There's no need to start worrying about anything, yet. You heard
Dionne, she's got a big case coming up, and she's going to be busy the next couple months."

"We need to keep an eye on the situation, is all." He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it at the hamper.

Maddie slid her arms around Rob's waist and kissed him. "You're cute when you pout. It makes me feel like I need to scold you. Like you've done something naughty."

He pressed against her and grinned. "I could come up with something naughty, if it meant you might scold me."

"Such a bad boy," she whispered as he kissed her neck. "I do think there's going to be punishment involved."

"Where are those silk scarves?" he murmured, his mouth finding her tattoo and working its way lower.

Maddie thought of the scarves, and grinned.

Chapter Ten

The spring semester ended at Harvard, and summer school began. Maddie wasn't actually
enrolled
in summer school, but she'd told her parents she was. It gave her six more weeks in Cambridge, and that left just six weeks in Hartford before the fall semester.

The days were boring. She slept late, watched TV, and tried to read a little. Some days she shopped. When Zoey got out of class, she hung out at the dorm with her. Zoey had ended her relationship with Ty, and was slightly disappointed that Maddie hadn't followed through and ended things with Nick.

Maddie assured her that she and Nick were getting along better than ever. Since her birthday, he'd opened up to her, they talked more, and when his friends were around, he treated Maddie nicer. Pleased with the situation, she put up with boring days to get to the evenings when Nick could be with her. They went for long rides on his bike. Some nights, they walked on the beach, and, a few times, Maddie skinny dipped in the ocean. Nick never joined her, but he said he enjoyed watching.

Several afternoons a week, she hung out at the bike shop. She learned the paperwork that Nick needed to have done, and did it for him. It gave her something to do, and allowed him more time to do what he really wanted, which was work on the bikes.

They made two overnight trips to New York. Maddie had only been there once, to a Broadway show with her mother. Nick showed her the sights, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and various parts of the city he thought she'd enjoy. She loved those trips. Nick was animated when he showed her around. They laughed and had a lot of fun, and they slept at a nice hotel where they did very little actual sleeping.

Maddie enjoyed the time they spent together, and dreaded the rest of the summer she had to spend in
Hartford. The day before she left, they stayed in bed all day, to be as close to each other as possible. Maddie cried when she thought about leaving him, and he didn't give her a bad time, he just held her and wiped away the tears.

He suggested he could drive up on Saturday afternoons and they could get a motel room and spend a few hours together. The idea appeased Maddie somewhat, and she agreed to find the motel and call him with directions.

On that last day, he helped her load her car with everything she needed to take home. Maddie cried again and Nick pulled her into his arms. "I'll see you in four days. I think you can make it for four days, don't you?"

"I'm not so sure," she muttered.

He chuckled and kissed her gently. "I love you, kiddo. Call me, and I'll see you Saturday."

Maddie held on to him tightly. She slowly pulled away and replied, "I love you, too, Nick. I'll call you Friday."

He opened her car door, and she got in. "Drive careful, Maddie."

She
smiled. "Bye, Nick."

Being home over the summer wasn't as bad as Maddie thought it was going to be. She spent her days by the family's pool, or shopping with her mother, who let her buy some clothes she'd actually wear.

Maddie saw Alec a few times during the week. They went out for sodas, and a couple of times, he came over to swim. She still enjoyed his company, and he wasn't pushy about wanting anything more from her.

She talked to Zoey in Oklahoma, and heard all about her working at a nursing home over the summer. It paid well and she needed the money, but it was hard and sometimes nerve-wracking. Zoey's salvation was to smoke a joint and vent to Maddie over the phone.

Maddie had sworn off all drugs for six weeks, to prove to herself she wasn't addicted. She wasn't, but she definitely missed the mellow feeling it provided.

She also missed Nick, and phoned him almost every day. When he drove up on Saturdays, she invented somewhere to go, and met him at the local 'No-tell Motel'. They rolled around in the sheets for awhile, got some take-out for dinner, and talked about their week. Maddie stayed as late as she thought she could get away with, they made love up to the last minute, and she went home. Nick either left for home that night, or if he was tired, slept over and left in the morning.

It was an arrangement that worked well for a few weeks, until
Michael Stewart decided to take his family to Martha's Vineyard for the last two weeks of their summer break. Maddie didn't want to go, but was overruled. She wanted to spend one last night with Nick before they left, but her father insisted she stay home and help pack, so they could leave early on Sunday.

Maddie fumed about it for a while, then came up with a possible plan. She called
Alec, and he agreed to 'take her out' that night. Maddie's father agreed to let them go, as long as Maddie was home early. She called Nick and told him they'd only have a few hours, but she could meet him.

Alec picked her up, and they met Nick at a truck stop on the interstate near her home. She didn't want
Alec to know where they were going, in case he ratted her out for whatever reason.

Maddie gave Alec a kiss on the cheek. "I'll meet you back here at eleven, okay?"

"Sure, Maddie." He shook his head. "This seems like a bad idea."

"Lighten up, buddy." She grinned at him, climbing out of his car and sliding onto the back of Nick's bike.

"Hello, you," she said.

"Hey, baby." He revved the engine, and they peeled out.

It was forty-five minutes later before they spoke again. Maddie lay in Nick's arms, swearing at her father for spoiling her plans and ruining her summer. Nick just listened and let her rant. He finally told her, "You need to go and try to have fun. Call me once in a while if you can, and we'll look forward to when you get back. It'll only be three weeks until you're back at school, anyway."

"Seems like forever," she mumbled into his chest.

"It'll fly by before you know it. Shoot, three weeks is nothin'."

"Yeah!" Maddie snorted. "When's the last time you went three weeks without seeing me?"

He chuckled. "I guess that would be the three weeks when I didn't call you last December. Huge, monumental mistake on my part."

"That's right." She snuggled into him. "Glad you realize that."

They held each other for a while and Nick finally asked, "So, Maddie, when did you get your period last?"

She shrugged. "I've never been very regular. It was a few weeks ago."

"How many weeks in 'a few'?"

She looked at him. "I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're worried about."

"And you know this because?" He looked at her.

She shrugged again. "I just know. We've always been careful."

He chuckled. "Nothing's foolproof. I think you need to get checked out and get on some pills, since this appears to be a long term thing we got going here."

She rubbed a hand over the stubble on his face. "You're such a sweet talker."

He nuzzled her neck and whispered in her ear, "I don't think you love me for my
talk.
"

She laughed at that. "Okay, maybe you're right. But I'm not pregnant, I'm sure of it." She thought for a few minutes and finally asked, "Do you
ever
want kids?"

"Not now," he replied quickly.

Maddie chuckled. "I know that. I told you, I'm not pregnant. But
ever
? I mean later, much later."

He seemed to think about it. "I wouldn't mind a kid or two. Once I feel like I'm not a kid myself, anymore."

"Oh God, that could take forever!" she teased, and he tickled her. She laughed and squirmed until he stopped.

He grinned. "I suppose you want a whole houseful of kids."

"Yeah, I do." She smiled at the ceiling. "If I have the means to take care of them, that is. I love kids."

"Just give yourself plenty of time," he told her. "Kids are nothing to rush into."

"Yes, sir." She saluted him. "But you know what you said about me getting on the pill? There's no way I can go to my doctor. He's my mother's doctor, too."

Nick tapped on her head. "They have a clinic at that school you pretend to go to, Dizzy. And I'm pretty sure it's confidential. Promise me you'll go when you get back to
Cambridge."

"Okay, I promise." She wrapped her arms around him. "Promise
me
you'll miss me."

"You know I will." He kissed her, and they made love until it was time to leave.

They drove back to the truck stop. Maddie got off the bike, and Nick lit up his first cigarette of the evening. She grinned. "Thanks for not smoking around me. I know my father would smell it."

"Then gimme one more kiss, and I'm outta here." He held the cigarette out to the side.

Maddie gave him a really good kiss. "I'll miss you." She ran a hand over his face.

"You too, baby doll." He smiled and looked at Alec, who was trying not to watch them from his car. "Thanks, Junior," Nick told Alec.

Alec looked at him dully. "I don't feel good about this arrangement."

Nick chuckled. "I don't either, Junior. But I've found it's easiest to keep Maddie happy. When Maddie's happy, everyone's happy." He patted her on the butt.

She grinned and crinkled her nose at him as he drove off.

The trip to Martha's Vineyard turned out to be fun for Maddie, when she got over her pouting. They sailed every day, and she and Matt swam with a group of kids who were also vacationing there.

They came in late one evening, laughing, after a campfire down on the beach. Their parents were up, sharing a bottle of wine, when Maddie and Matt walked in. "Hey," she said, and dropped her things on a chair.

"Looks like you're having a good time." Her mother smiled at her.

Maddie picked up the wine bottle and looked in it. "Looks like you are, too."

"Maddie!" Matt scolded her.

"Oh, chill out." She grinned at her parents. "You're entitled to have fun, you know. You're married and of legal age."

"Glad you approve." Michael slipped his arm around his wife. "So what have you been up to?"

"Making s'mores,"
Matt said. "Maddie's the worst at it. She burned her marshmallow every time. People were trying to give her lessons on roasting marshmallows, she was so pathetic."

She made a face at her brother. "People just like to help me," she said.

"I'm sure of that." Michael raised his eyebrows at his wife.

She shushed him, and smiled at the kids. "I'm glad you're having fun. Maddie, we haven't seen you this happy in a long time."

"I'm happy." She blinked innocently.

"Perhaps just not around us." Her father looked back at her.

"Don't be silly." Maddie put her arms around her parents and squeezed. "But thanks for this trip. It's been fun." She stood. "Matt and I are going up. You two, carry on. Goodnight."

Her parents smiled at her and her mother replied, "Goodnight. Goodnight, Matt."

"Goodnight." He followed Maddie up the stairs.

As much fun as she had at the Vineyard, Maddie was excited to pack up and head back to school. She wasn't excited
at all
about the prospect of starting school. She just wanted to get back to Nick.

When she arrived at his place, he welcomed her with open arms, and they kissed. "I miss you more each time you go away," he said. "And you didn't even call me."

"I'm sorry. It was hard to get away from the family. Someone was always with me. It bugged the hell out of me at first, and then I decided to take your advice and just have fun."

"So you forgot about me?"

"Never!" She kissed him. "I thought about you everyday. I thought about
this day
everyday…and planned in my mind exactly what I wanted to do to you."

"I like the sounds of that," he murmured as they kissed. "I was feeling a little sorry for myself. I never wanted to get this hung up on you, Maddie. Not talking to you bothered me more than I ever thought it would."

She grinned as she walked him backwards to the bedroom. "Tell me all about it. I'm going to make love to you, while you tell me how much you missed me, and how much you love me."

He groaned at the prospect, and they fell back in the bed. "Damn, I love you, girl."

"Keep talkin'." She tugged at his belt.

They made love and lay in each others arms snuggling afterwards. "She did miss me," Nick teased her.

"You know I did." She rubbed her hand over his furry chest. "There was never any doubt about that."

"We survived the summer separation."

"Yes, we did, and I'm back. Oh! I forgot to tell you. I got my period at the Vineyard."

He smiled at her. "Good news. And very convenient."

She grinned. "I try."

He rolled on top of her and tickled her. "Try, my ass. You
do
whatever you set out to do, don't you?"

Maddie slid her arms around his neck. "You got me figured out."