Maddock shrugged. How could he ever explain his angelic gifting without giving away his secret? And did that even explain why he was so drawn to Maddy? He’d never cared about anyone the way he cared about her. But as hesitant as she was to accept his help, she definitely wasn’t ready to hear that. “I care about everybody, Maddy. It’s just my nature.”
Maddy nodded slowly. It wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear, but she didn’t really have any other options. He might not feel the same way about her that she felt about him, but he kept showing up, willing to help her. And God knew she needed it. She would just have to push down her attraction.
“Maddy, would you like to come to my house? Have a warm bath and get something to eat?”
That sounded absolutely wonderful, but Maddy instantly rejected it. Going to his house was way too personal. She shook her head. “Can you just take me to the shelter, please?”
Disappointed, Maddock stared into her eyes, trying to decipher the feelings hidden there. “Sure,” he agreed, when her mysteries stayed hidden behind her clouded emerald irises.
She followed him to his car and held her frozen hands to the heater as they made the short drive to the shelter. Neither one of them knew what to say, so Maddock turned on the radio.
“Are you hungry? Dinner is over at the shelter.” Maddock pulled into the McDonald’s parking lot.
Maddy nodded, her stomach immediately rumbling and her mouth watering. Maddock ordered food for both of them, and they filled the silence with satisfied chewing.
When they reached the shelter, Maddy turned in her seat to face him, taking a deep breath to brace herself. “Thank you, Maddock, for everything. I promise I won’t take another thing from you.”
“Please don’t say that, Maddy.” He ran a hand down her cheek, and she turned away, jumping out of the car and heading for the shelter.
Chapter 18
Lissy was feeling a little better by Saturday, and Cheydan promised to pick her up as previously planned even though she felt terrible about letting him after she’d canceled their date earlier. She fretted all morning over what to wear to meet her birth mother, discarding half a dozen skirts and dresses before finally settling on a sweater and some nice jeans. She curled her hair into soft waves that could pass for natural and applied just enough makeup so she didn’t look like death warmed over. She didn’t want to look too good — she needed them to recognize how sick she was. But she didn’t want to scare them off completely — or Cheydan.
She sat in the kitchen, tearing apart a napkin as she waited for him to arrive. She was too worked up to concentrate on watching TV or looking at her phone.
Cheydan was almost as nervous, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel and bobbing his head as he drove. His eyes widened as he pulled up to the address Lissy had given him. She’d told him it was a large house, but this was more like a mansion.
A decorative wrought iron fence stretched around the acreage, and the massive brick home sat in the middle of a field of perfectly mown grass. Cheydan drove up the quarter-mile driveway to the front entrance and parked by the wide double doors. He rang the bell and peeked between the iron scrollwork and the stained glass, waiting for someone to answer.
Lissy opened the door with a shy smile, tucking her soft hair behind her ear as she closed the door behind her. Cheydan was disappointed she didn’t invite him in for a tour, but it quickly vanished when she pecked him on the cheek and grabbed his hand.
“Thank you so much for being willing to do this, Cheydan. You don’t know how much this means to me.”
“Believe me, it’s my pleasure, Lissy.” His voice was hoarse with emotion.
“You look really nice, by the way.” His eyes trailed a path along her figure, appreciating the small waist and feminine hips. He longed to pull her close and run his hands along the curves of her body, and his fingers flexed spasmodically as he resisted the temptation.
“You look really nice, too, Cheydan.” She appreciated how well-dressed he always was, starched and tucked and polished. She wondered if she’d ever get to see him looking less than perfect.
He opened the car door for her and she slid in, noticing how clean it was, inside and out. Had he had it detailed to impress her, or did he always keep it that tidy? It smelled like his cologne, something fresh and spicy that tickled her nostrils and set off cravings like a plate of sizzling fajitas.
“How are you feeling, Lissy?” His face was soft with concern and sympathy, and his brown eyes held hers, searching for honesty.
“I’m a nervous wreck, but at least I’m not throwing up today.” Maybe that was a little too honest. Cheydan just chuckled and squeezed her hand, pulling it onto his lap. His skin was warm and moist, making Lissy wonder if he was nervous, too.
“Did you eat anything this morning?”
Lissy’s eyes popped open, and she shook her head. “I was so nervous, I guess I forgot.”
“Well, let’s get you some food, then. A full stomach might help settle your nerves. How about here?” Cheydan pointed to an old-fashioned diner with galvanized metal siding and large windows outlined in neon. Their most popular menu items where displayed in red block letters around the top of the building: hamburgers, hotdogs, french fries, and milk shakes.
“That would be great, Cheydan.” She was hoping they’d go back to his family’s restaurant today, but this was good, too. She’d always wanted to eat at a place like this; it reminded her of the idyllic family life portrayed in old TV shows where no one was sick or dying, and all their problems could be solved in 30 minutes or less.
Cheydan parked the car and jumped out, running around to open her car door. He took her hand and helped her to her feet, keeping her hand in his till the waitress led them to a shiny, red vinyl booth in the corner. Cheydan was tempted to sit on the same side of the booth as her, but that seemed a little forward, especially since this wasn’t exactly a date.
Would he ever get one of those with her? He wondered, but then chided himself for his selfishness. Lissy’s need for help was more important than any desire he had to have a carefree date night. If he wanted to be with her, he’d have to take her as she was, in sickness and in health.
When the waitress came to take their orders, they both wanted burgers and fries, but Lissy couldn’t decide if she could handle a milkshake too.
“How big are they?” she asked the round woman in the pink, polyester uniform.
“Real big, darlin’. Big enough to share.” The waitress winked at Lissy who immediately blushed.
“You should get one, Lissy. I’ll help you with it if it’s too much,” Cheydan offered.
He was only talking about a milkshake, so why did Lissy feel like his words meant so much more?
Cheydan tried to distract Lissy from her nervousness by chatting about lighthearted things — their favorites foods, the kitschy, 50’s decor of the diner, the decorating styles they liked — minimalism for Cheydan and traditional for Lissy — purposely ignoring the elephant in the room — the topic of her birth family.
Finally, Lissy couldn’t resist asking the question that was plaguing her mind. “Cheydan, what if she won’t help me? What is she still doesn’t care?”
“Oh Lissy, I’m sure she cares. Who wouldn’t care about their own child? But if she doesn’t we’ll find another way. I’ll do everything I can to help you, because I care.” Cheydan ran his fingers down her cheek, and Lissy nuzzled against his hand.
She didn’t understand why he cared so much, but she was grateful for it. He was like an angel in disguise, send to her in her darkest time of need.
“I know you said all your focus is on getting well, but I’m sure you have some idea what you’d like to do with your life once you are.” Having a plan always helped Cheydan stay grounded, so he thought maybe talking about the future would help Lissy see past her current troubles. Plus, he couldn’t resist finding out if there was any chance their paths could intersect.
“For a long time, I t
hought I might like to study medicine. So many great nurses and doctors have helped me over the years, I’d like to give back and do the same for other kids who are sick. But since this whole adoption thing came up, I’ve been thinking about how parents of sick kids need support to help them deal with their child’s illness. Maybe I could do something like that.”
Cheydan beamed, thrilled how similar her ideas sounded to his own. They both wanted to help people cope with their struggles. How perfect was that? Could they find a way to do that together? His heart inflated at the idea. A future with Lissy seemed more and more real.
They talked a bit more about making Lissy’s idea a reality. Cheydan had so many practical ideas for how it could work that Lissy could actually see herself, years from now, doing exactly what she had only recently imagined. Hope for the future bloomed in her heart with Cheydan’s enthusiasm as fertilizer. All she needed to do was get better so she could get started.
When they were done eating, Cheydan insisted on paying, eager to act like a date and not just a friend. Lissy let him, happy to have someone think of her that way.
Cheydan plugged the address into the GPS app of his phone, grateful for the handy tool since he’d never been to the area where Lissy’s birth mother lived.
Lissy seemed more excited and hopeful now, smiling and chatting, and Cheydan was happy he’d been able to help calm her nerves.
They drove till the houses grew smaller and less cared for, till the shoulder became cluttered with rusty, old cars and the overgrown grass threatened to swallow the children’s toys left lying in front yards, till Lissy’s hope for a wonderful reunion had dimmed to a tiny nightlight.
Cheydan’s palms grew sweaty and itchy as Lissy’s hold on his hand grew almost unbearably tight. A crooked, peeling mailbox with the barely-legible name Peters stenciled on it announced their arrival.
Cheydan pulled into the driveway and turned to face her, worry etched into his features.
“I’m fine. It’s okay. Let’s just do this.” She grabbed the door handle and swung herself out of the car before she had a chance to chicken out.
The tiny house was probably once white, but the siding was now gray and dingy. The front door was the pale blue color of the acid-washed jeans that were popular in the 80’s, but Lissy couldn’t tell if it started out that shade or had faded over the decades. It was covered in dirty fingerprints, the small window obscured by dust, grease, and nicotine.
Cheydan reached out and knocked on the door, taking Lissy’s hand. They both gasped when the woman who answered looked just like her, only more haggard, like a dried rose compared to a fresh one. Heavy rose perfume wafted out with the smell of cigarette smoke. She squinted curiously at Lissy for a long moment, then briefly glanced at Cheydan before resuming her stare down.
Lissy’s mouth was stuffed with sawdust and crackers and wads of cotton, and nothing could escape it.
“Are you Nicolette Peters?” Cheydan finally asked, realizing that Lissy was incapable.
The woman tsk’d and rolled her eyes, putting a bony hand on her hip and smirking. “Haven’t heard that name in a long time.”
“Frederica?” Cheydan took another guess.
“Ha! Haven’t heard that name in even longer! Yeah, that’s me.” Her laugh became a hacking cough, and she pounded her chest with her fist to clear it. Her long nails had been painted red but were chipped and peeling, and there was a cigarette and a dark yellow stain between her first two fingers. She pointed the Marlboro at Lissy. “You must be Nicki’s other girl, the sick one.”
“I need to find my birth mother, it’s… really important,” Lissy croaked, stepping forward. Her hand was shaking in Cheydan’s, and he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb to soothe her.
“Sorry to break it to you, but my sister’s been gone for 15 years, dead for ten of ‘em - overdose.”
Lissy’s heart dropped to her stomach as her hope sunk even further, and her knees wobbled under the weight of it.
“What about her other daughter — Amanda?” Lissy couldn’t be more grateful for Cheydan, taking the lead when her emotions had paralyzed her.
“Gone, too. Ran away. Good riddance if you ask me. Nicki stuck me with her when she ran off with her boyfriend, and those government checks ain’t worth the hassle of raising a young’un. What was I gonna do, though? She was my sister’s kid — couldn’t put her out on the street.”
“Do you have any idea where she went?”
“No clue. She had some money; coulda gone anywhere. I know she quit going to school. They called looking for her, raised trouble.” She sneered, as if she couldn’t be bothered to worry about a truant teenager.
“You said she had money — did she have a job? Maybe she still works there.”
The woman shrugged, looking bored by the conversation. “They never called about her missing work. I think they shut down.”
Cheydan made one last-ditch effort to appeal to her sympathies, putting his dimples and his intoxicating smile to work. “Ms. Peters, Lissy is sick — she needs a kidney transplant. She was hoping maybe her birth family could help her. Any information you could give us would be really helpful.”
“I ain’t got any organs to spare, I can tell you that. My lungs are shot and so is my liver.” She barked out a phlegmy laugh, and Lissy wilted against Cheydan as her hopes plummeted to the ground.
“Take me home, Cheydan,” she whispered, and he wrapped his arm around her.
“Will you please call us if you hear anything from Amanda? We’re desperate.” He held out a slip of paper with their phone numbers on it.
The woman looked at it a moment too long before taking it, and Cheydan knew she would throw it in the trash as soon as they left, but he still said thank you.
They drove home in silence, both of them trying and failing to think of another solution. “Lissy, I should get tested. Maybe I’m a match.” Cheydan finally broke the silence.
She turned and stared at him, wanting so badly to accept his offer, but unwilling to be that selfish. Cheydan was the perfect guy for her — the kind who would love her in sickness and in health, who’d take her to doctor’s appointments and dialysis instead of dinner and the movies, the type of guy who’d sacrifice everything just to give her a few years of happiness.
She longed to say yes to him, to kiss him and tell him she loved him and let him care for her, even though all she had to offer him was gratitude. But she couldn’t do that. Couldn’t let him give up his life for a girl he barely knew, just because he felt sorry for her.
She knew he would just argue if she told him she wouldn’t let him do that, so instead she just squeezed his hand and smiled noncommittally. She turned back to stare out the window. He was like a fish caught on a hook, and she had to figure out how to set him free without ripping him open.
Chapter 19
Maddy dug to the bottom of her bag, sure there was another clean shirt in there somewhere. Not a day went by that she wasn’t grateful for the bag of beautiful clothing Maddock had given her. It was either an amazing coincidence or Maddock had gone to a lot of trouble to find a whole bunch of things that would be perfect for her.
Her fingers brushed against paper, and she pulled out an envelope. Inside was a pile of bills. Maddy sank to the ground, counting the money. There was $200 in twenties. Had Maddock put that there, or the person he got the bag from? If it was the original owner, was it on purpose, or on accident? Maddy stared at the bills, conflicted. She could really use the money, but she didn’t feel right taking it without knowing for sure she was meant to have it. Maddock would be there soon, so she decided to question him about it.
Since it was Sunday, Maddy decided to put on the dress she hadn’t had a chance to wear yet. The silky material with the soft pastel pattern made her feel feminine and pretty. Maddock said he would come to the shelter after church let out. Maddy was a little surprised he hadn’t invited her. He’d tried to include her in every other activity he was involved in. She wasn’
t religious, but she probably would’ve said yes if he’d asked her, just to spend more time with him.
She still wasn’t sure how to take him. He acted like he liked her and wanted to be with her, but he never made any romantic gestures. The guys at school always pawed at the girls they liked, making it obvious. So why didn’t Maddock ever try to touch her? Of course, Maddy did a good job of keeping him at arm’s length, always resisting his efforts to help her. She had fallen for him, but she just couldn’t risk exposing her heart to him.
Maddy took her time applying her make up and pulling back her hair then spritzed on some of the cherry blossom body spray, wondering again who had put together this thoughtful bag of treasures. When she was satisfied with her appearance, she wandered out to the dining room to wait for him.
When he didn’t show up by the end of lunch, she gave up on him. She filled a tray with food before the kitchen shut down for the afternoon and ate with some of the other girls who were staying at the shelter. The conversation swirled around her, but she couldn’t focus on it, she was too caught up in her thoughts of Maddock. By 1:30 he still hadn’t shown, and all the other residents had left the dining hall. Maddy wandered over to the window absentmindedly.
She was staring out the window, daydreaming, when strong arms wrapped around her from behind, and a sexy, sultry voice murmured, “Hello, beautiful.”
Maddy’s heart stuttered and swelled up into her throat, blocking off her airway for a moment as she leaned back and absorbed the warmth of his presence. Maybe he was attracted to her!
Maddock turned her around so he could get a better look at her, running his hands down her arms and taking her hands in his. He’d thought she was beautiful the first time he laid eyes on her, but now, clean and well dressed, no longer desperate and starving, she looked amazing. He couldn’t resist touching her. Her cheeks blushed like the cherry blossoms that perfumed her hair and body.
Date with Destiny Collection: Angel Romance Series: Books 1 - 4 Page 38
