by Sienna Skye
“What?” I looked around to see what I was missing.
“I can’t believe you haven’t said anything to me yet.”
So, he figured it out. I thought he might have. “Like you didn’t say anything to me when you figured out how you felt about Julia,” I countered.
He tossed his hands in the air. “It makes me crazy how you can do that. Besides, that was different. I didn’t tell anyone about that.”
“Like I would have passed judgement? You know I would have had both of your backs.”
“Nice attempt at deflection, but it’s not going to work.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” I resisted the urge to cross my fingers behind my back.
“Bullshit.” He scowled at me as he spoke.
“There isn’t. I am not involved with anyone. Or in love with anyone.”
“But, you are interested in her.” There was no question in Morgan’s tone.
I didn’t say anything, and I wasn’t really sure why.
“Jace, when have you ever offered anyone an invitation to one of the kids’ birthday parties?”
“I wasn’t trying to cross any lines.”
“That isn’t what I meant, and you know it. Nice try, though.” He snapped open a folding chair and gestured for me to sit. He grabbed a bottle of water for each of us, then opened his own chair and sat down. Then he sat there and waited for me to speak.
“You’re right,” I admitted.
“I know that,” Morgan said with confidence.
“There is something about her.”
“She’s a pretty woman.” It was like he was trying to spoon feed me answers.
“It’s more than that.” I paused as I gathered my thoughts.
“Then what is it?”
“She’s got a good heart.” I stopped there and looked at him.
He nodded his head. “Okay. But there has got to be more. You wouldn’t be having so much trouble spitting it out if there wasn’t.”
“It’s like I can see this other person inside her wanting to burst out. She is so unsure of herself. I don’t think she sees who she really is.”
“Why is that? I know there is no way you haven’t figured that one out already.”
“Someone has made her doubt herself. Doubt her own worth.” I paused and I saw him raise one dark brow silently asking his question. “I’m fairly certain it’s her ex-husband.”
“Has she brought him up a lot?”
“No, not at all.”
“You just know.” Morgan nodded his head as he spoke.
“I do.”
He blew out a breath and tapped his fingers on the chair. I waited while he worked up the nerve to say what was on his mind. Finally, after another breath, he spoke.
“Years ago, you told me that you just wanted me to be happy. Do you remember that?” He didn’t wait for me to answer before he continued. “I want the same for you. Always have. And if Madison makes you happy, then I am happy.”
“What is the giant ‘but’ at the end of that sentence?”
“If the ex-husband was as big of an ass as you think he was, just make sure that Madison is ready to be in a relationship.”
What he said had merit. I didn’t really know anything about the timeline of their relationship. I didn’t know if she had dated anyone since they had split, but I doubted it.
“I understand where you are coming from, Morgan. But, we are kind of jumping the gun here. First, she intrigues me, and I would like to take her out to learn more about her. That’s a far cry from being in a relationship let alone setting myself up to get hurt. Second, we don’t even know if she is interested in dating me.”
He laughed so hard, I thought he was going to pass out. He wiped a tear from his eye and then gathered himself together before he spoke. “Finally! I have figured out something before you did. She is interested. Trust me. I have seen the way she looks at you.”
“Physical attraction is a lot different than being interested in dating someone.”
“It’s more than physical attraction. She has this nervous energy around you.”
“That’s just Madison.”
“I am not wrong on this, Jace. Why are you fighting me...Holy shit! You are afraid to believe what I am saying in case I am wrong. You really have it bad.”
The sound of the back door opening and little feet running down the stairs saved me from having to answer. Sophia ran up to me, a small napkin wrapped package in her hand.
“Here Uncle Jace. I made this one special for you.” She placed the napkin in my hand.
I unwrapped it to find a cupcake all decked out with frosting and sprinkles.
“Thank you, Princess.”
She smiled and turned to run back to the house.
“Hey! Do I get a cupcake?” Morgan called out to her.
Sophia looked over her shoulder as she continued trotting back. “Yes, Daddy. Mama is bringing yours out. Oh, Uncle Hunter and Aunt Sarah are here.”
As she got to the door, Julia opened it for her and let her walk through before coming out herself. She walked over to us and handed Morgan his cupcake. He tugged on her arm to pull her in for a kiss and thanked her. When she stood back up, she draped her arm over his shoulders. Julia looked back and forth between us a couple of times before turning her attention back to Morgan.
“Did you tell him we figured out about him and Madison?”
“Yep, that’s what we were just talking about and Jace was just about to admit to me that he has it so bad for her that he is afraid to believe that Madison might actually like him back.”
“You’re being ridiculous, Jace. First of all, you are an amazing catch. Why wouldn’t she be interested? But, it’s so obvious she is attracted to you.” Julia shook her head in frustration.
“As I was explaining to your husband, that doesn’t necessarily mean she is interested in anything more than physical attraction.”
“Oh please, that is not the case. Trust me. I can tell. I make a living giving relationship advice. And if I remember correctly, not more than an hour or so ago, you were telling me how good I am at what I do.” She moved in between Morgan’s legs then sat on his lap.
“Julia, please no meddling.” I was aware that I sounded like I was begging.
“Meddling? I am not a meddler. I only get involved when people ask me. When have you ever seen me meddle without being solicited?”
“Somehow I see you making an exception in my case.”
“I promise not to run any outward interference. I will simply send positive vibes out into the universe. Am I allowed to do that much?”
“Vibe away. You are going to do it whether I say yes or no anyway.”
She pointed a finger at me and winked. She turned her attention to Morgan while she ran her hand through his hair. He looked back at her with adoration in his eyes.
“Alright guys, breaktime is over. As much as I would love to sit here all day, we need to finish setting up.” She stood up and started walking back to the house. “I’ll send Hunter out to help you.”
Before I knew it the house and yard were filled with happy chattering kids. Morgan, Hunter, Trey, and I were put in charge of the games and activities. Kyle, who started out as Hunter’s best friend and then was sort of adopted by the entire Stone clan was running around shooting marshmallows out of some sort of marshmallow shooter contraption. Not at the kids, but at me, Hunter, Morgan, and Trey. There was an unspoken understanding between the four of us that when the kids were gone, he was going to get his.
I was starting to get nervous, and I rarely get nervous, that Madison wasn’t going to show up. Then, almost out of nowhere, I saw her walking through the backyard with Sarah. She had two wide eyed kids in tow. They were taking in the activities with rapt attention. Sarah called Sophia over and introduced her to Madison’s kids. The little girl handed a birthday present to Sophia, who looked delighted with the girlie wrapping. The boy ran off to one of the games and Sophia grabbed the little g
irl’s hand and the two of them skipped off together.
Madison wasn’t wearing her usual ponytail. Her brown hair hung in pretty waves just past her shoulders. It was rather warm for a Spring day and she was wearing a floral sundress and sandals. I had only ever seen her wearing yoga pants and those oversized tee shirts.
“Welcome. I’m glad you decided to come.” For a brief second, I thought about giving her a hug and a kiss, but then I changed my mind.
“I’m glad you made them invite me.”
“I told you already, I wouldn’t have…” I stopped when I saw the twinkle in her eye. Madison was teasing me. Well, that was a start. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Grown up or non-grown up beverages?”
“That depends. Is my trainer going to chastise me if I chose a grown up beverage?” she teased.
“I think your trainer can overlook it.”
“Then, take me to the grown up drinks.”
We walked over to the bank of coolers with the adult beverages. The first one I popped open had an assortment of beer. I looked at her and she scrunched up her nose and shook her head. I laughed and opened the second cooler which had bottles of wine. She looked interested and nodded her head from side to side. That was a definite maybe. I opened the third cooler which had at least five different varieties of wine coolers, hard cider, hard lemonade, and other mixed concoctions. That one made her eyes light up and she pointed to her bottle of choice. I grabbed the bottle and opened it for her.
“Thank you.”
“Any time. Would you like to check things out?”
“I should find Morgan and Julia and thank them again for the invitation.”
I scanned the yard. “Morgan is actually heading over to us right now. Julia has to be around here somewhere.”
Morgan walked over to greet us. Trey was behind him, Sawyer in one arm, Wyatt in the other.
“Hi Madison. I’m glad you could make it. Where are your kids?” Morgan gave Madison a hug.
“Ryan is playing with those boys over there and Alexis is the one attached to Sophia’s hip.”
Morgan looked in each direction that Madison pointed.
“Good. I’m glad they are comfortable and having a good time.”
Madison smiled at Morgan before turning her attention to Trey. She looked at the boys in his arms.
“Designing a new strength training routine, Trey?” she laughed.
“I have a whole new respect for Julia. I swear these boys have gained five pounds each since I last held them and that was just last week.” Trey laughed which caused the boys to laugh.
Hunter came up behind Trey and Madison walked over to greet him. He leaned over to give her a hug and kiss and they started talking. She seemed relaxed with Hunter. In fact, it was the most relaxed I had seen her. Trey and I started talking and we were lost in conversation when I saw Kyle.
He strolled up casually, an easy smile spread across his face. I had seen that smile melt the hearts of women more than my fair share of times. Kyle had that California surfer boy look and he had just enough of a bad boy quality that rarely left him dateless. He was a natural flirt, but his genuine charm made women feel comfortable in his presence.
I saw his eyes zero in on Madison. “Hi, I don’t think we have met before. Kyle.” He held out his hand and Madison shook it.
“Hi. I’m Madison.”
Kyle took in the scene in front of him and seeing that Madison was standing with Hunter asked the question that occurred to him.
“So, how do you know Morgan and Julia?”
“I work with Sarah. And I go to Stepping Stone.”
As if materializing out of nowhere, Julia was at Kyle’s side. She spoke at a pace that was quicker than her usual cadence.
“Hello Madison. I’m so glad you’re here. And that you’ve got a drink. Please make yourself at home. Kyle, I need you to come help me.”
She didn’t give him a chance to answer before she started tugging on his arm. As she walked past me, I caught her chastising him under her breath. “Look what you did. You made me meddle. After I just promised not to. This is all your fault. I’m a meddler.”
Kyle looked genuinely confused. “Meddler? What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just come with me.”
“So you can continue not to meddle?”
“Exactly!”
“Sure, that makes all the sense in the world,” he grumbled.
I shook my head and laughed softly. Trey grabbed Morgan’s attention as Sawyer and Wyatt started to snuggle in on him, their eyes blinking slowly in an effort to keep from falling asleep.
“I think these little guys might be ready for a nap.”
“Sure does look like it. They are off schedule. It’s way past their nap time.” Morgan smiled as he looked at the boys.
“I can help you bring them in the house.”
“Thanks, Trey.” Morgan took Wyatt from Trey. “Come on little man. Let’s get you settled down.”
Just like that, we were down to three of us. Hunter and Madison watched for a moment as Trey and Morgan walked off and then went back to their conversation. I noticed how Madison kept track of where her kids were at all times. That didn’t seem like such an easy task, because there were kids running and playing all over the place. A few moments later Hunter excused himself. It was just me and Madison, which made me very happy.
“Would you like to grab some food?” I offered.
“Yes, everything looks so good.”
As we headed over toward the food, I walked a bit closer to her than usual. She didn’t pull away or tense up. This was a start. I liked being close to her. Feeling her presence in my space.
After we filled our plates, I found a place for us to sit. It was somewhat away from the bustle of activity, but where she would still be able to keep an eye on the kids because I knew that would be important to her.
“I hope you are having a good time.”
“I am. I’m really glad I came.”
“Then I am really glad that I forced Morgan and Julia to invite you.” I winked at her.
She laughed and rolled her eyes at me. “Good thing.”
“Do you have to work weekends at the hospital?”
She shook her head as she finished chewing her food. “I’m a nurse manager in the pediatric clinic. They are only open during the week. No holidays either. I really lucked out that the position opened up right when my ex and I were splitting. The old hours I had would have been difficult with the kids.”
“I’m glad it worked out for you. Plus, it gives you more time for a social life.”
She cocked her head to the side, and I continued. “I imagine you would have worked on the weekends when the kids were with their father and spent the weekends you were off doing things with them. This way, when they are with their father, you have the chance to go out and do something for yourself.”
“It never seems to work that way.”
“You have to make it work that way, Madison. You are entitled to have fun.”
“I suppose.”
“You are. You are on this path of self-care. Part of that is cutting loose a little bit. And I’m not just talking about a kiddie birthday party or sessions at the gym. Sarah, Julia, and Callie have regular nights out. Sometimes some of their other friends join them. You should go out with them one night.” Or you could go out with me.
“I have heard Sarah talk about it before.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I guess she probably wouldn’t mind if I tagged along.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t. You deserve it, Madison. Taking care of yourself makes you better able to take care of others.”
“Now I know I have definitely heard Ask Nikki make that declaration on more than one occasion.”
“The woman is good at what she does.”
“I know you guys are close.”
That was not the first time she brought that up. She had brough
t it up enough times that I knew there was a reason for it. It was obvious there was insecurity behind her words. But, for maybe the first time in my life, I felt my instincts were off, because what they were saying did not make any sense. I’d figure it out, though. I was planning on learning as much about Madison as I could.
We sat for a little while and talked. We didn’t talk about anything in particular. We just followed where the conversation took us. But it gave me time to take in her body language, the inflection in her voice, the way she would gaze off for just a moment when she was weighing her options. I felt like I had a much better grasp on who Madison was, but I also knew I craved to learn more.
As time went on, most of the party goers went home, leaving only a small group of friends. Sawyer and Wyatt were toddling around in an enclosed play yard and Sophia was sitting with Madison’s kids watching a movie on a blow up movie screen Morgan and I had set up earlier.
Little by little, the adults came over to sit by us. Trey came over first. He had noticed what we were drinking and brought Madison and I each another drink along with his own. Kyle appeared a few minutes later, followed by Callie who was magnetically drawn to Trey but never tagged after him like a puppy. Hunter and Sarah walked over hand in hand and plopped down on a love seat. Morgan and Julia were the last to join the group.
Conversation flowed easily. Most of us had known each other for years. We laughed over memories of when we were kids, especially over the antics that would occur at one of Kyle’s numerous parties. Madison seemed comfortable and laughed along with the rest of us, but she was quiet. She never initiated any conversation. The fact that she wasn’t fidgeting and looking for the exit was a good sign. As the night became cooler, we helped Morgan and Julia break everything down and moved the party inside.
The twins were put to bed and the kids went to play in Sophia’s room. The rest of us went to hang out in the family room. I noticed that Madison stopped drinking long ago, but I was pretty sure that had more to do with the kids than anything else. Every now and then she or Morgan or Julia would go and check on the kids.
