Playing for Keeps

by LuAnn McLane

  Madison shooed her hands at Owen when he reached for his wallet. “You won’t win this one.”

  Owen sucked in a deep breath and blew it out before turning to Myra. “Fine, but then you have to agree to go out to dinner with me,” he insisted.

  “Whatever.”

  “You say that way too damned often.”

  “What-evvvv-er.”

  Madison laughed and handed Owen the bunch of mint. “Tell Pete to make yours a double,” she called as they argued all the way out the door.

  “You got that right,” Owen answered over his shoulder and caught a sharp shove.

  “Okay, now what?” Madison looked around the empty diner and realized that her chores were all caught up. She smiled, thinking that her mother was going to have an easy time closing up tonight.

  She was still chuckling to herself when the bell chimed over the door again. She looked up and felt a flash of heat when Jason walked in. He paused and looked out the window, then turned back to Madison and said, “Wait—was that Aunt Myra with Owen Lawson?”

  “Yep.”

  “In a skirt?”

  “If you mean Aunt Myra, yes,” she answered with a grin.

  “Where are they goin’?”

  “To Sully’s for a mint julep.”

  “What?”

  “Long story.”

  “Oh.” His eyes lingered on hers for a heated moment.

  “Are you here for an early dinner?”

  Jason shook his head slowly. “No, had a late lunch.”

  She took in his damp hair, cargo shorts, and green striped polo shirt. He appeared freshly showered and looked incredibly hot in his casual clothes. “Then what are you here for?”

  “I was finished over at the community center.” He shoved his fingers through his shaggy hair and then shot her a slow but oh, so sexy grin. “So I thought I’d come over and get some … dessert,” he said, using their code word. “Any suggestions?”

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” She smiled and said, “Something sweet and covered in whipped cream.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  “Oh, believe me, it is. Wait!” She twirled her index finger in a circle. “Turn around.”

  He raised his eyebrows but did as requested.

  “See the blue sign hanging on the door?”

  “Yes.”

  “Move the handles on the clock to read ‘be back in thirty minutes.’ ”

  Jason glanced over his shoulder. “Now we’re talking.”

  “Talking,” Madison said as he walked purposefully her way, “isn’t what I had in mind.” Her eyes held his, and the closer he came, the harder her heart pounded.

  “Well, then, baby, we’re on the same page.” His voice was gruff … laced with his sexy Southern edge that made her melt quicker than a Dairy Hut dip top. A moment later he was behind the counter slipping his hand through hers. “I take it we’re all alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then let’s get away from prying eyes through the front window.” He tugged her past the double doors into the kitchen. With a low groan he pushed her up against the cool wall and kissed her hotly, deeply. Madison shoved her fingers into his hair and met his passion with a heat of her own. When his mouth found her neck, he said, “I’ve been thinking about kissing you all damned day. Hit my thumb with my hammer half a dozen times and cracked two pieces of tile.”

  “Sorry.”

  He smiled. “Cussed my fool head off, but it was worth the pain to have you on my mind.”

  “Not exactly Hallmark card material, but I love it … the thinking-of-me part, that is,” she explained.

  Jason tucked a curly lock of hair behind her ear. “Couldn’t stop if I wanted to,” he told her, but then shook his head. “Damn, I sound like such a girl …”

  Madison laughed. “I’m thinking we need a little less talk …”

  “And a lot more action?” He arched a golden eyebrow and then dipped his head, capturing her mouth in a sweet kiss that curled her toes and had her clinging to his shoulders. He tasted like mint and man, and the warm ripple of muscle beneath her palms had her arching her body closer, eager for more contact. With a groan, he reached up and took her hands, weaving his fingers through hers. He extended her arms up against the wall and pressed close, letting her know just how much he wanted her. He kissed her over and over until she was crazy with wanting him. Needing him.

  “Ah, Jason …”

  Clothes fell to the floor until they were skin against skin. “You feel so good.” He cupped her bottom and lifted her up. “Wrap your arms and legs around me,” he whispered hotly into her ear.

  And so she did …

  “Maddie, you’re driving me nuts. You’re on my mind with my first cup of coffee and you’re the last thing I think about when I hit the sack.”

  “I know. I’ve never felt this way before either.” Madison clung to him and kissed him wildly while he made love to her with such heat that it took her breath away. Giving yet demanding, he brought her to the brink of passion and then slowed down as if savoring each taste, each touch, and each stroke. He looked into her eyes with raw honesty, and for the first time in her life Madison let go and allowed herself to love without holding back. She watched the play of emotion on his handsome face until he closed his eyes and thrust deep. The throaty sound of his pleasure sent Madison flying over the edge and her climax exploded with achingly sweet intensity.

  “Wow!” Madison buried her face in his neck and remained wrapped around him. There weren’t any candles, soft music, or wine, and yet she trembled with emotion. “That was unbelievably beautiful,” she said and hugged him hard. She had yet to tell him that she loved him, but she knew without a doubt that she did.

  Jason lifted his head so he could look at her and gave her an endearingly crooked smile. “I didn’t even miss the whipped cream.”

  Madison laughed. She loved his easy manner and sense of humor. “Another time,” she promised, and then her eyes widened. “Oh, boy, we’d better get dressed. My mother will be coming back soon.”

  Jason nodded but dipped his head and captured her mouth for one last kiss. He pulled back and said, “Just remember to keep Madison à la mode off the main menu.”

  Madison felt a surge of feminine satisfaction that he wanted her all to himself. “Don’t worry. Madison à la mode is reserved just for you.”

  “Sweet.”

  “Exactly.”

  They laughed as they scrambled back into their clothes. Madison felt so lighthearted and happy that doing the Snoopy dance in a circle wasn’t out of the question, but her mother would be returning shortly. “Hurry!” she urged as she looked around for her panties and then giggled when she spotted them near the stove.

  “I’m trying,” he answered and hopped on one foot while trying to yank his cargo shorts on. He toppled sideways and had to brace his hand against the wall.

  “When my mom gets here, act all cool and everything, okay?” she said, but she was distracted by the ripple of muscle as he pulled his shirt over his head.

  After his head popped through, he said, “Really? I thought I’d tell your mother that we just had incredible sex in the kitchen.”

  “Oh, stop!” Madison gave him a playful shove but then thought about the fact that although while living in Chicago her mother had dated here and there, she hadn’t had a man in her life for as long as Madison could remember. Knowing how great this felt made Madison experience a pang of sadness for her hardworking mom.

  “Hey, baby, I was just teasing,” Jason assured her with a frown.

  Madison put her palm on Jason’s chest and looked up at him. “I know. I was thinking of something else.”

  “You have a lot on your mind,” he said softly and drew her into his arms. He kissed the top of her head and said, “Just remember that you can come to me with anything, if just a shoulder to lean on.”

  Madison felt emotion clog her throat and she nodded against his shirt. When his arms tightened arou
nd her, she sighed. It felt so good to be in his arms.

  “Hey,” he said gruffly and tilted her chin up, “I mean it.” His eyes held hers for a long moment, and then he captured her lips with a sweet and tender kiss that was at odds for someone so big and so strong.

  Madison melted into the kiss, but the thought hit her that this should not be happening. It was never her intention to remain in Cricket Creek. Even though she loved the little town, she was still a city girl at heart. After Just One Thing ended its run, she planned on returning to Chicago. Her mother and aunt had the diner, but what would she do in Cricket Creek? The irony, of course, wasn’t lost on her. The theme of her play was that in the end there was just one thing that really mattered.

  Love.

  And now that she had found it, could she ever let it go? Madison tried to picture Jason in Chicago and couldn’t, and yet the thought of living without him struck terror in her heart.

  “Hey, don’t look so worried. I’ll sneak out the back,” he offered with a grin and a quick kiss on her cheek.

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said, but when she heard a knock on the front door she put a hand to her mouth. “Okay, that would be cool,” she decided and followed him to the back door so she would remember to lock it.

  “I’ll see you at the game,” Jason said and gave her one last quick peck on the cheek before heading out the door.

  When Madison heard another sharp knock, she hurried toward the front door. Thinking that only her mother would be so persistent, she began formulating a valid reason for closing up for thirty minutes in the middle of the day. She was a writer—surely she could come up with something reasonable.

  15

  Islands in the Stream

  Olivia put her face up next to the window and peeked into the diner. As long as she could remember Myra’s had never closed in the middle of the day, and she wondered if something was wrong. With that disturbing thought in mind, she banged harder on the door. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jason Craig sneaking around the corner of the building. He slipped into his red truck and pulled away just as Madison flung the front door open.

  Bingo.

  “Why, you little devil.” Olivia pointed a finger at Madison.

  “What?” Madison gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look. “I am an angel. Ask anyone.”

  “Right, anyone who doesn’t know you.” Olivia put her hands on her hips. “Just what have you been up to, young lady?”

  “Chores.”

  “Ha! Behind closed doors? It’s hardly a chore to have a little afternoon delight with Jason.”

  “Dear Lord, you’re channeling Aunt Myra.” Madison flipped the sign from the clock over to OPEN and tried to smooth her hair as she walked over to the counter. “Now just why would you think such a far-fetched thing?”

  “Well,” Olivia began as she sat down on a stool, “for one, I witnessed Jason sneaking out the back way and hightailing it away from here. For two, your curls are tousled and you have a glow about you that says you were up to somethin’ good.”

  “You should know,” Madison pointed out as she slid a glass of sweet tea toward Olivia.

  “Why, I never …” It was Olivia’s turn to put an innocent hand to her chest.

  “Oh, stop with the acting. Save it for the play.”

  Olivia grinned. “Okay. We’re not fooling each other anyway.”

  “I’m just glad that it was you instead of my mom knocking at the door.” She wrinkled her nose. “That would have been awkward.” But then Madison poured a glass of tea for herself and leaned one hip against the edge of the counter. After taking a long swig she said, “Oh, Olivia, I’m falling for Jason big-time.” When her voice trembled, Olivia reached over and patted her hand. “He already told me that he loves me.”

  “And what’s wrong with that, sweetie?”

  “Olivia, I never intended to stay here in Cricket Creek.” She inhaled a shaky breath. “But that flies all out the window when I’m with him.”

  Olivia nodded, since she knew exactly where Madison was coming from.

  “My play is all about love finding a way and I don’t see how this can ever work out.” She put the heel of her hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. “I really tried hard to resist him. But I caved.” After a long, silent moment she turned tortured eyes to Olivia. “Now what do I do? What in the world was I thinking? Olivia, I can’t hurt him!”

  Olivia looked at her young friend and said, “We can’t choose when, where, or why, but when it comes our way we need to accept love with open arms. For in this life, if we could choose just one thing, love would always win.”

  “Stop quoting me.”

  “Madison, it’s true.”

  “To quote you, it’s … bull feathers.” Madison pounded a fist on the speckled counter so hard that the silverware jumped. “If you don’t agree, then just what are you going to do when Noah leaves at the end of the summer? Huh?”

  Olivia toyed with her straw and watched the ice twirl in a circle.

  “I know you’re falling for Noah too. So don’t even try to deny it.”

  “I won’t deny that there is an attraction. Noah suggested that we play it up for the sake of the production. Create some Hollywood-style buzz.” She lifted one shoulder. “I’m having fun. It’s working. End of story.” She tilted her head sideways and began folding her napkin like a fan.

  Madison took a swallow of her tea and then crunched some ice. “You are so full of it.”

  “As my father would say, it is what it is and it ain’t what it ain’t.”

  “Would you leave Cricket Creek if he asked you to?”

  Olivia looked at Madison with surprised eyes. “Well, we’re putting the cart way before the horse, but to answer your question, no. This is my home.” Olivia stopped fiddling with the napkin and swallowed hard. “My father lives here and he means the world to me,” she added and then could have bitten her tongue when Madison’s eyes widened. “Oh, Madison, how callous of me!”

  “No problem.” Madison waved a dismissive hand at her. “Olivia, I know we share a bond where parent abandonment is concerned. It truly sucks and it’s shaped our way of viewing the world. But, look, I can’t control the fact that my father chose not to be a part of my life or that my grandparents were so narrow-minded. And you can’t change what your mother did.” She inhaled sharply and looked up at the ceiling. “My mother and aunt Myra taught me to be fiercely independent and to never rely on others.” She shook her head. “I know they meant well, but it sure is nice to have a soft place to land … a shoulder to lean on. I just hate to feel weak and needy.” She inhaled deeply once more. “The past is difficult to shake.”

  Olivia reached out and finished for her. “But we can’t let it rule our lives. Make us afraid to let go and love.”

  “Oh, boy”—Madison shook her head slowly—“I talk a good talk, but I sure don’t know how in the world all of this will play out. And speaking of plays … fiction sure makes a hellava lot more sense than reality.”

  “Yes, too bad we can’t write our own ending,” Olivia responded.

  “So true—but one thing I know for certain. We’ve got people who love us.” She smiled softly and said, “I just told your father that we might not have had traditional upbringings, but love comes in all shapes and forms. One isn’t better than the other. Just different. I truly believe that.”

  “As usual, you’re right.” Olivia took a sip of tea and then sputtered. “Wait—you were talking about this to my father?”

  “Does that upset you?”

  “No, I suppose not,” Olivia replied evenly, but then leaned forward on her elbows. “Oh, there’s more?”

  Madison suddenly seemed to be gathering her emotions. After a moment she cleared her throat and said, “That simple statement seemed to somehow set your father free.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” Olivia looked down at the speckled countertop and expelled a shaky sigh. “I know that he always blamed hi
mself for my mother leaving. He thought that in his own way he wasn’t good enough to keep her here, and he always assured me that I wasn’t the reason she left either, although I sometimes think that I was.”

  “Olivia! ” Madison reached out and grasped her hand.

  “And I do believe now that he hated my loss of a mother more than his loss of a wife and so he devoted himself to me instead of ever looking for the love that he so deserves.” She felt tears well up in her eyes and looked up. “Oh, you are so right! His love and devotion more than made up for my mother’s absence. Why didn’t I ever tell him this?”

  Madison shook her head and then shrugged. “I’ve been thinking the same thing about my mother and aunt Myra too. Olivia, don’t you see? We couldn’t have understood any of this until we experienced the thrill of falling in love in our own lives. It’s a powerful emotion.”

  Olivia nodded firmly. “Here I’ve been trying to set up matches for everybody I know except for my very own father.”

  “Well, speaking of”—Madison arched an eyebrow—“it’s a good thing you’re sitting down because I have something to tell you.”

  “About my father?” Olivia’s heart kicked it up a notch.

  Madison nodded.

  “Don’t keep me in suspense!”

  “Your father and my aunt Myra are over at Sully’s having a mint julep.”

  “Together?”

  “Yep.”

  “Wait—a mint julep?” Olivia blinked at Madison and then glanced up at the clock. “At four in the afternoon?”

  “Your father decided it was five o’clock somewhere.”

  “My father said that?”

  “Uh-huh, and Aunt Myra was wearing a skirt and carrying a bunch of mint like a bouquet. It was priceless.”

  Olivia smacked her hands to her cheeks.

  “I know!” Madison continued. “They were bantering with each other as they headed out the door. They make such an odd but cute couple. I think they have potential.”

  “Truthfully, I had recently wondered the same thing.” Olivia could only shake her head in amazement. “So you really think so?”

  Madison took a swallow of tea, then opened a bag of chips. “She had him laughing so hard he had to grab the counter.”