by Megan Green
“Oh, yeah. Lawson mentioned you got a dog. Ain’t she sick or something?” Liam asks.
I nod as I whistle, getting Hannah’s attention. She spins to look at me, and I crook my head toward the house.
“Go get Hope, sweetie. Make sure she stays on her leash though.”
Hannah beams as she takes off like a shot toward the back door. The large open area behind our townhouse isn’t fenced in, so Hope doesn’t get to come out too often other than to do her business. She’s still not well enough to go to the little community dog park down the street, and I’m sure she’s getting tired of being cooped up all day long. A little fresh air and a few hours with some rambunctious preschoolers should do her good.
Sure enough, Hope comes bounding out of the house, Hannah matching her stride for stride as they sprint back toward the bounce house.
“Doesn’t look sick to me,” Campbell says as he watches them.
“You should’ve seen her two weeks ago. I seriously can’t even believe it’s the same dog.”
“What’s wrong with her?” Liam asks. “Is it safe for her to be around the kids today?”
I nod. “Yeah. It’s nothing that can be passed to a human or even another dog. It’s some autoimmune thing.”
“Dogs can get those?” Campbell says, his brows lifting in surprise.
“That’s what I said,” I say with a laugh. “Who knew, right?”
“She seems to make Hannah happy,” Liam observes, smiling as Hannah falls down to the grass, giggles splitting through the air as Hope jumps on her chest and licks her face.
“She does,” I say, a ball of emotion rising in my throat. “I’ve never seen her so happy.”
Two little girls come rushing around the side of the house then, sending Hannah into a fit of shrieks when she sees them.
The next thirty minutes pass in a blur as more and more kids arrive, and I lose all track of time as I attempt to wrangle the herd and keep everything running smoothly.
Once everybody is seated and my mom is overlooking the lunch portion of the afternoon, I collapse into a chair next to my buddies. Campbell and Reese chuckle as Liam slides me a beer.
“Here, looks like you could use this,” he says, lifting his own to me with a nod.
I twist off the cap, taking a long pull before sighing in satisfaction. “Fuck, that’s good.”
“Who knew twelve four year olds could be so … energetic?” Campbell says, looking incredulous.
“Hannah’s five now, asshole,” Reese reminds him.
I laugh. “There’s a reason I’ve fallen face first into my bed every single night for the past five years. One kid is hard enough. Add in these others and …”
“Fuck, you’re gonna need a hell of a lot more than just the one beer,” Campbell says, reaching into the cooler and pulling them out one by one.
I laugh, but the truth is, I never have more than one. Haven’t since the day Hannah was born. I never want to let myself get into a state where I might not be able to think clearly in case something happens to her. I can’t imagine her falling or somehow injuring herself and me not being able to do anything to help her because I’m too intoxicated.
It’s an irrational fear, I know. Especially with Reese and my parents only a phone call away. But I’ve never been able to allow myself to indulge despite the number of times a night of letting loose has called to me.
I settle back into my chair, nursing my beer while keeping one eye on my mom to ensure she doesn’t get eaten alive by the heathens. I’m watching as she attempts to get one little girl to drop the entire handful of fries she’s trying to shove into her mouth at once when Campbell sits up straight beside me.
“Well, hello there,” he says so only we can hear. “And who might you be?”
The rest of us swing our heads around to see what’s caught his attention.
Maddy stands at the edge of the house in a light-blue sundress, her dark eyes narrowed as she lifts her hand up to her brow to shield them from the sun. Her neck cranes as she looks around the yard, surely trying to spot either Hannah or me.
“Dibs,” Campbell mutters, moving to push back from the table.
“Like hell,” I say, shoving myself up before he can move too far.
Maddy’s eyes land on me when I stand, and a relieved smile spreads across her face when she sees me.
I lift a hand and wave her over. “Keep your hands and your comments to yourself, asshole,” I bite out at Campbell as Maddy makes her way toward us. “She’s with me.”
Maddy blows out a breath when she reaches my side, her free hand coming up to fan her face while the other one hands over a wrapped gift. I take it, surprising her and myself when I bend over and give her a brief hug.
“Oh, um, hi,” she says, her already-pink cheeks flushing even further.
The heat might be responsible for their original color, but I know the feel of my body against hers is the culprit for their deepening shade of red.
“Hi,” I say, reluctantly letting go of her waist. “I’m glad you could make it.”
Her eyes drop to the table behind me. “Oh, well, you know … it’s Sunday after all. Plus, I’d hate to disappoint Hannah.”
The look on her face tells me there’s more to the reasoning behind her decision to come today, more than just boredom and not wanting to upset a five-year-old. And despite how much I want to pull her away from the crowd to finally have that talk we so desperately need to have, I know this isn’t the time or the place.
As Reese’s not-so-subtle throat clearing reminds me.
I turn to face the guys, shaking off the cloud of lust that fell over me when my eyes caught sight of Maddy’s bare legs. She’s often in a skirt suit at the office, so it’s not like this is the first time I’ve gotten a hint at her shapely stems. But it is the first time I’ve seen her in anything that doesn’t fall below the knee, and the loose, flowing material does extraordinary things for both her legs and those luscious hips.
“Guys, this is Maddy. Maddy, the guys.”
Reese leans forward and shakes her hand. “Ah, so you’re the lifesaving vet I’ve heard so much about.”
Maddy grins. “That’s me.”
“I’m Reese,” he adds, leaning back in his chair. “Campbell,” he says, pointing to the asshole still ogling her. “And Liam.”
Liam lifts a hand. “Pleased to meet you,” he says with a smile. “So, you’re to thank for that giggle?” he adds, nodding his chin over at Hannah and Hope, Hannah’s laughter ringing out as Hope swipes a chicken nugget from her plate.
“Well, I think the dog has more to do with that than me but sort of, I guess. I just helped her get better. Mason’s the real hero there. He could’ve left her in the park. That’s what most people would’ve done,” Maddy says, giving me a faint smile as she lifts her eyes to mine.
The sight of those lips curled up at the corners at my expense fills me with the overwhelming need to pull her body against mine and kiss the ever-loving fuck out of her. I bite my lower lip hard to keep from doing exactly that.
Calm down, Cooper. Keep your shit together. It’s your daughter’s birthday party, for Christ’s sake.
Maddy’s eyes darken ever so slightly at my expression, and I realize I’m doing a piss-poor job at hiding my thoughts.
I clear my throat. “Ahem. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to go check on something in the house.”
It’s complete bullshit, but if I don’t step away from Maddy and get my damn bearings, I’m going to do something I’ll probably regret later. I jog toward the house, hoping like hell the guys don’t say or do anything to embarrass me while I’m gone.
I head straight for the bathroom, splashing some cold water on my face and neck when I get there and wishing I had time for a full-on cold shower.
What the hell is wrong with me? I ask myself, staring at my reflection in the vanity mirror.
It’s like realizing I have feelings for Maddy kicked them into overdrive, a
nd now, I can’t control myself. Just the smell of her hair and the sight of her bare shoulders has me hard as a fucking rock inside my jeans.
“Pull yourself together, asshole,” I say into the mirror.
A loud cheer comes from the backyard, causing me to spin and look out the bathroom window. A woman in an ice-blue dress and a blonde braid throws her arms up in the air as all the little girls around her scream.
Shit. The actors are here.
I book it back outside, just in time to see Anna and Olaf round the house and join Elsa in the center of the fray of squawking children. The woman dressed as Elsa says something to the crowd I can’t make out, and Hannah shyly raises her hand.
I watch with a smile as my little girl joins the Disney princess, her face lighting with pure glee when the woman bends down and places a crown on her tiny head.
“This is quite a show,” Maddy’s voice says from beside me, and I jump at the unexpected company.
Unexpected but entirely welcome company.
I turn to her and nod. “Reese took it upon himself to try and outdo me. It was only supposed to be Elsa.”
“But she looks so happy,” Maddy remarks, never taking her eyes off Hannah.
I turn to see Hannah as she stands between the two princesses, one hand in each of theirs, as the snowman dances around them.
“She does, doesn’t she? Fuck, I guess that means I’ll have to thank the asshole later.”
Maddy throws her head back as she laughs. “And something tells me he’ll never let you live that down.”
I smirk. “Met him for thirty seconds and already picked up on what a cocky prick he can be?”
Her eyes dance with laughter as she looks at me. “It’s hard not to notice. It’s also hard not to like him,” she adds with a sideways grin.
“Yeah, the fucker has that effect on people. He can simultaneously drive you insane and make you love him, all in one breath.”
She giggles. “I can see that. He definitely had a few things to say about you.”
Fear floods through me. I knew I shouldn’t have left her alone with him. “What did he say? Whatever it was, it was a lie. He’s full of shit.”
Her brows lift as she gives me an assessing gaze. “Oh, well, I certainly hope that’s not the case about all he said.”
I gently grab her wrist. “What did he say, Maddy?”
Her lips curl up in a mischievous smile. “I guess you’ll never know.” With that, she breaks my hold on her and saunters away, heading back toward the table where my friends are sitting.
Or my ex-friends, I should say.
I’m about to go after her when my mother intercepts me. “This party is marvelous, Mason. You’ve really outdone yourself.”
I stop, lifting a hand to rub the back of my neck as my eyes continue to watch Maddy make her way back to Reese and the others. “Thanks, Mom. I didn’t do it alone though. You and Dad helped a ton. And Reese.” The fucker, I tack on silently.
Seriously, what was I thinking, letting him anywhere near Maddy when I’m still trying to figure out exactly what’s going on between us?
Realizing she doesn’t have my full attention, my mother turns her head, her eyes following mine until they land on Maddy. “Who’s that?”
I’m not sure how to answer her. My mother knows all about my old friend Maddy. They never met; Maddy and I preferred to spend time at her house instead of mine back then because her mother was always at work and we could do and watch whatever we wanted. But my mom knew who I was spending all my time with, and she knew how upset I was when Maddy moved away without so much as a good-bye.
My mother also knows all about the new vet in town, the one who saved Hope’s life and made my daughter the happiest little girl in the world.
What she doesn’t know is that those two people are the same woman.
I hesitate briefly before deciding to go with the easier answer. “Vet,” I say, hoping that’ll be the end of it.
My mother’s eyes light up. “Oh! This is the woman who helped that sweet little dog? I must introduce myself. And thank her for what she did for our Hannah.”
“Actually, I—” I start, but it’s too late.
My mother is already halfway across the yard, her sights set on Maddy. Poor girl has no idea what’s coming her way.
I run after her, catching up right as my mom interjects herself in the middle of Maddy and Campbell’s conversation.
“Hi there! I’m Nancy Cooper, Mason’s mother. You must be Dr. Woods,” she says, pulling Maddy’s hand from the table before she even has a chance to offer it.
“Oh, hello,” Maddy says, her eyes flitting from my mother to me and back again. “Yes, I’m Dr. Woods. You can call me Maddy though.”
“Maddy Woods,” my mother says, her brow furrowing as she turns the name over in her head. “Why does that sound so familiar?”
Maddy’s eyes fall down to the table, and she nervously clears her throat.
“Maddy grew up here, Mom,” I say, saving Maddy from having to sit under my mother’s scrutiny as she tries to remember how she knows her.
“Oh my goodness, you’re right! Maddy Woods! Mason, isn’t this the same little girl you were friends with?”
Maddy flushes, this time from embarrassment rather than lust. I want to tell my mom that Maddy isn’t a little girl, not back when we were seventeen and definitely not now. But then again, I’m still Hannah’s age in my mother’s eyes. I don’t think she’ll ever stop calling me her baby boy.
So, instead, I nod. “Yeah, this is my friend Maddy from high school.”
My mother smiles, but I see the way her eyes glide over Maddy, trying to assess the situation and what her being back in town might mean. “Well, son, you certainly never told me how pretty she was.”
My eyes lift to Maddy, watching as her face flames a violent shade of red. Reese and the guys sit and watch, their eyes volleying from me, to my mother, to Maddy before starting the cycle all over again.
Thanks for the help, douche bags.
After a few moments, Maddy lifts her gaze to mine, her eyes peering up at me from underneath her lashes as she pleads for my help.
I grab my mom by the elbow. “That’s because I was too blind to see it back then,” I say as I pull gently on her arm. “Come on, Mom. Let’s go see if Hannah has the cast of Frozen wrapped around her little finger yet.”
Maddy shoots me a grateful look as I lead my mother away.
I wink, wanting to let her know I meant every word.
Three hours, a hundred chicken nuggets, and a dozen sing-alongs later, the backyard has finally cleared, leaving behind only piles of trash and empty tables. Hannah is snoozing over underneath a large oak tree, Hope curled into her side, the two of them completely wiped after the afternoon of fun and entertainment.
My mother bends to pick up a pile of paper plates.
“I’ll get that, Mom. Why don’t you and Dad head home? It’s been a long day.”
My nearly sixty-year-old mother looks dead on her feet, no longer having the same energy and stamina she had back when I was Hannah’s age. She gives me a thankful smile.
“Are you sure? I don’t mind staying and helping to clean up,” she says even though I can see in her eyes that she wants nothing more than to go home and sleep for a solid twelve hours.
But my mother wouldn’t be my mother if she wasn’t always trying to please everyone.
I stride over and give her a kiss on the cheek. “I’m sure. Thank you for everything. I love you.”
She gently pats me on the cheek. “Love you too, son. And I’m so proud of you. You’ve turned out to be such a good dad.”
She tells me this nearly every time I see her, but I never tire of hearing it. Knowing someone as amazing as my mother thinks I’m doing a good job with Hannah always fills me with hope and happiness. I must be doing something right if she approves.
“Thanks, Mom,” I say, giving her a tight hug. I feel her shift in my arms, pulling
away as her eyes focus on something over my shoulder.
I turn my head, seeing Maddy as she collects empty cups and tosses them into a garbage bag.
“I like her,” my mother says, bringing her eyes back to mine.
After the awkwardness of their first encounter, things between my mother and Maddy shifted into a more natural state as the party progressed. Instead of scrutinizing her, my mother laughed with Maddy as Hannah tore into her gifts and even went as far as to praise Maddy’s gift of a play veterinarian’s bag. By the end of the afternoon, Maddy seemed far more at ease than she had when she first arrived. I’d even go so far as to say she might have even enjoyed herself.
I nod as I look down at my mother. “I do too,” I admit.
She pats my cheek again. “Good. I don’t know exactly what happened between you two when you were kids. But don’t let her get away again.”
With that, she turns and walks away, looping her arm through my father’s when she reaches him. He immediately stops what he’s doing, following my mother without a single word.
And for the first time since Stephanie left, I allow myself to want.
Want a relationship like my parents. Want someone to share my life with. To raise Hannah with. To give her siblings with.
To grow old with.
Turning to face Maddy, I have no idea if that someone is going to be her. I have no clue what our future holds. But for the first time in forever—ha, take that, Anna—I can’t wait to find out.
I saunter across the lawn to her, taking the garbage bag from her hand when I reach her. “Thanks for coming today,” I say, stepping in close enough that I can feel the heat radiating from her body.
She doesn’t try to take a step back, instead lifting her face so she can look me in the eye. “It was fun. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Hannah’s going to put that vet bag to good use. Poor Hope is going to be her first victim—er, I mean, patient.”
Maddy’s eyes crinkle when she laughs. “She’ll love every minute of it.”
“Hannah or Hope?” I ask with a smirk.
“Both,” she replies, her face coming a fraction of an inch closer as she speaks.
