by Tina Leonard
“Yes, it is.” Maddie felt like she sparkled all over with pride. “What good boys they are!”
“Their mom’s pretty amazing herself.”
Amazing? Not really, when she had so many doubts about almost everything these days! But she could push herself, for Sam’s sake. “I just received a very surprising phone call.”
“Oh?” He looked at her, and Maddie thought he was so handsome. The truth was, she wanted him all to herself, but that wasn’t right.
“Vivi Jardin called.”
“Vivi!”
He didn’t look pleased. Maddie pushed away the jealousy and reminded herself to be amazing. “She is upset that you rescinded your offer.”
“Then she needs to discuss it with me.”
“I told her that.” She swallowed, brushing her baby’s cheek with a light finger. “She said that she and her brother wanted to bring me over there to see the vineyards. Apparently, the Jardins are in some financial difficulty, and want to hang on to you as a buyer. She made no bones about wanting to romance me as part of the package.”
“If I want you romanced, I’ll take you to France myself.” His frown deepened.
“I don’t want to poke my nose into your business, Sam. But wasn’t this something you wanted?”
“Past tense.”
“The only reason you changed your mind was the babies, right?”
“Not exactly.”
His eyes shifted, and she knew he wasn’t telling the truth. Her heart felt as if it were turning inside out. “I’d like to see you achieve something you want,” she said softly. “I know how much it means to finally have what I always hoped for.” She stared down at the pretty baby, her soft, plump dream come true. “I’d like that for you, too.”
“Maddie, I’m focusing on you and the children right now. Everything else is peripheral.”
I cost him that. Selfishly. He’d had no choice in fatherhood. “Sam, it’s too uneven.”
“I’m happy, Maddie.” He stared at her. “I don’t know what else to tell you.”
She closed her eyes. Sure you are. You’re just thrilled that I stole your dream.
Chapter Five
“I’d just like to know what Maddie’s supposed to do with all this wine,” Franny complained to Sara. She stood with her hands on her hips, surveying the growing collection of French wine bottles. Severn and Virgil each held a bottle, examining them with longing. Joey sat at the kitchen table drinking beer and playing solitaire.
“Boo-jo-lay,” Virgil read. “Sure is a pretty bottle. Don’t believe I’ve ever had any Boo-jo-lay.”
Sara shook her head. “Now is not the time to start. Maddie said we couldn’t open the wine because she feels funny about accepting gifts that are designed to get her to try to change Sam’s mind. We need to respect her feelings.”
“That was when it was only one bottle,” Severn pointed out. “Now there’s two weeks’ worth. I say it’s a shameful waste of good grapes to let them sit. Why don’t we open a bottle, just to let it breathe? Maybe Maddie would be tempted then.”
“Maddie’s nursing,” Franny said. “I don’t think all this romancing from Jardin is going to do any good, since Maddie can’t drink this much wine. But don’t try to excuse yourself by saying the wine shouldn’t stay in the bottle, because everyone knows wine gets better with age.”
“Yeah, but not me. I’m feeling puckish.” Virgil set the bottle down, sighing. “We’d better get started building a wine rack,” he said to Severn. “Fourteen bottles of wine, delivered at the rate of one a day…how big do you consider the rack ought to be? We could end up with enough to have a block party if that Jardin woman keeps trying to convince Maddie to help her out with Sam.”
Severn squinted at the ceiling. “Let’s go with a floor-to-ceiling job, about four slots wide. If that doesn’t cover it, we’ll plead with Maddie to let us drink the overflow.”
Franny sighed. “I don’t think it will do any good. She’s determined to stay out of Sam’s business. Matters have been very strained since that Frenchwoman called.”
“Nah. Matters got strained when Sam started sleeping on the couch in the nursery,” Severn said.
“It was hard to tell my own son he couldn’t stay with us,” Sara said, her voice trembling. “Are you sure we’re going about this the right way, Franny? I know the plan was to try to squeeze them together, but it seems that Sam and Maddie are further apart than when he was in France.”
Franny plunked down on a stool. “They were together at her two-week checkup, weren’t they? I thought it was a good sign she allowed him to take her.”
“Only because he said he’d ride on the back of the car if she let Joey drive her to her appointment!”
Franny looked at her friend. “She doesn’t want to be beholden to Sam, but that was carrying it a bit too far. I don’t know why my daughter’s got herself in knots over that wine company. If Sam wanted it, he’d buy it. Wouldn’t he?”
“Well, yes, but he wanted it before he found out that Maddie needed him. Of course, she doesn’t think she needs him, and that’s the problem. Or maybe she doesn’t want to need him, so he’ll go back to France. Actually, I don’t think I understand Maddie at all. And I wish she would have left the babies with us. That’s what we’re here for. To help her. And so is Sam. But she hardly lets anyone do anything for her, and I think it’s very unappreciative of her!”
Franny thought Sara might be about to cry. “It does seem that the situation is a bit out of kilter.”
“I’m sorry to say this, Franny, but I think Sam’s jumped through plenty of hoops to please Maddie. Now, you know I love her as if she were my very own daughter, but I think she needs a good talking to!”
“You offering?” Franny asked. “I hope you are.”
“You’re her mother!”
“That doesn’t mean I’ve ever been able to make her see sense once she had her mind made up. Maddie’s always had to learn from her mistakes.”
“I think she’s making a big mistake now.”
“Can’t make a gal do something just because he wants her to. It’s never worked that way with love before, Sara.” Franny tried to be reasonable, but her lid was starting to jump from the steam building up inside her head. “Just because he wants it don’t mean she’s gotta do it.”
“It’s just so hard to see him so unhappy!” Sara wailed. “Shut out from his own family!”
“Let’s focus on how we can bring them together, not get upset about them avoiding their marriage. After all, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors.”
“Very little in this case,” Sara said sadly. She shredded a paper towel with agitated fingers. “Franny, my heart is breaking! I know he’s a grown man, but he’s still my son, and I hate to see him in pain! It makes me hurt all over just to think about it.”
“Well, here. Wine’s medicinal, isn’t it, Joey?” Virgil reached for the bottle of Beaujolais. “As Maddie’s father, I say it’s time we do some taste-testing. I’m sure Maddie wouldn’t want you suffering unduly, Sara, not when the cure is just waiting to have its cork popped.”
“Now, Virgil—” Franny began.
“That’s an excellent idea, Virgil,” Severn said, joyfully picking up a chardonnay with a lovely label decorated with fruits and scrollwork. “I wasn’t in the mood to build a wine rack, anyway.”
“I’ll do bar duty,” Joey offered, “since I’m experienced in bar tending at college.”
“Since when? You’re on an athletic scholarship.” Virgil eyed him distrustfully.
“Football players get to eat pretty well, and the guys like a firm burgundy with their steak,” Joey stated.
“Oh, dear,” Franny said, the last of the extended family to acquiesce. “I mean, don’t you think, er, that is…” She glanced around the granite island counter in the kitchen, where people and wine bottles were now grouped. “Maddie said—”
“Maddie’s not here. After her check-up she’s going to show
off her babies to the hospital staff, and fit in a fast look-see with the pediatrician. We’ve got a couple hours before she comes home, not that she’ll allow us to help her much then, either,” Sara said grumpily. “I wouldn’t complain if she stays gone with Sam all day.”
“Now there’s something to think about,” Franny said thoughtfully. “Maybe they just need a date. A dinner date!” She clapped her hands. “Sara, you’re brilliant!”
“I’m afraid to ask what you’re thinking.”
Franny ignored Sara’s comment. “Let’s set up a table just for the two of them, with the crystal candlesticks and a tablecloth. We’ll put a bottle of red wine on the table. Then we can steal over to my house with the babies, and they can enjoy an evening alone!”
“That will work until the babies need to be fed,” Sara said.
“Oh, pooh. I forgot about that.” Franny frowned for an instant. “Well, no plan is foolproof. We’ll just have to go with it.”
“I’m all for it,” Severn said. “But what about us? Do we all vote to pop some corks or not?”
Everyone looked hopefully at Franny. “Um…” She hesitated. The faces grew glum. Briefly, she closed her eyes, before opening them wide with innocence. “My nerves are a trifle stressed from all this planning. How about we head out to the patio and have a steadier or two?”
Instantly, everyone grabbed a bottle and hurried out to the patio. Corks popped, wine breathed and glasses clinked. They each fell into a chair or onto a chaise lounge.
“Now this is the life,” Severn said happily. “French wine, on a sunny May day. Mmmm-mmm! It doesn’t get any better than this!”
“TRY TO DO BETTER than that!” Maddie told Sam with irritation. “It doesn’t cost so much to call France. You used to do it all the time. You call Vivi Jardin and tell her we’re shipping back every single bottle of that wine.” Maddie hurried from the doctor’s office, the good news about her weight and general health spurring her into a long-overdue discussion with Sam. “You’ve made your feelings plain about staying in Austin, and that’s fine. I don’t want any more wine sent here to change your mind, though. Tell her your answer is still definitely no, and that I don’t drink, so all the effort is wasted.” Actually, Maddie loved a glass of good wine, but this wine was exported from France with intent.
“I’m not calling Vivi. Martin can do all the phoning.”
“Maybe there’s some other reason why you don’t want to simply call and tell her that if we receive any more wine we’re going to float away.”
“No. I would think two weeks of samples is probably enough. I’m sure you’ve seen the last of it.”
“She’ll call me again. You know she will. All these wine bottles mean she’s got her fingers crossed that I’m working on you. And then what do I say?”
“Now is not the time for me to acquire a company.” Sam held a baby carrier over one arm as he followed her down the hall. “These babies need me. Most importantly, you need me, whether you want to face that or not.”
The ride home was fairly silent, except for an occasional squeak from a baby in the back seat. Maddie felt very skittish about all the wine arriving daily from France. The negotiated business deal was important to Jardin, but also to Sam, although he didn’t want to talk about it much.
“Home sweet home,” he said, pulling into the driveway.
It wasn’t really. Having Sam around had made the last two weeks the longest of her life. She alternated between wanting to kiss him and wanting to scream at him. Abby told her it was the hormones, but Maddie was pretty certain it was chemistry other than that. Unresolved tension.
She pulled out Henry’s carrier, and Sam took Hayden’s. Together they walked inside, marveling at the quiet coolness. “Isn’t it amazing how the house settles down when the babies aren’t in it?” she asked. “It’s so peaceful.”
Sam walked into the kitchen. “Uh-oh. Be careful with your adjective.”
“What does that mean?” She followed him into the kitchen, her jaw dropping. Fourteen wine bottles sat on the center counter, ten open. “Oh, for goodness sakes!”
“Guess I can’t return these to Vivi now.”
She set the baby carrier down and crossed to the sliding door, which led to the patio. “Look at them out there! Sleeping like babies!”
Sam came to stand behind her. “Ah, the models of responsibility.”
Her mother lay on a lounge, her head lolling back against the headrest, her mouth open toward the sky. Her father was draped next to her, his head on her chest in a familiar fashion they would normally never have displayed in public.
“It looks like the god of wine crash-landed in our backyard,” Maddie whispered. “We were only gone three hours, too. You think they could have stayed out of mischief!”
“Look at my parents,” Sam said in disgust. “My dad’s got his hand up my mother’s skirt.”
Maddie gasped. “No, he doesn’t! At least not the way you make it sound. For heaven’s sake, Sam, it’s a tea-length dress! His hand can only be on her…her knee.”
Perhaps it was his mother’s thigh, but Maddie wasn’t going to upset Sam further. She was humiliated enough by Joey. He’d loosened the top snap on his jeans, maybe to better improve the circulation of wine through his blood. He looked like an underwear model who made a career out of eating. “I’m going to have words with my brother! Look at him! Do you think that patio table was built to hold two hundred-and-fifty pounds?”
“It was designed to hold plastic plates and light drinks with toothpick umbrellas floating in them. But doesn’t he look happy, all sprawled out there, shaded from the sun.”
“He looks drunk!” Maddie snapped. “I should have known that Vivi would peddle the most potent wine in the world.”
“Yes, but what a nice dinner we’re apparently having, Maddie. Look at this romantic table setting. A rose, good china and the sterling.”
She stood beside him, and Sam felt regret wash over him for the days when they’d taken a romantic evening for granted. “I think they’re trying to do something nice for us.”
“They’re trying to do something all right.”
Her voice was stern, but Sam knew she remembered the better days of their marriage, too. “Seems a shame to waste all their effort,” he murmured, gently taking her in his arms. They hesitated, unfamiliar with the feel of each other at first before their lips fused, then touched again, molding to each other in a good old-fashioned kiss even the French would appreciate, Maddie thought wildly.
She stayed still in Sam’s arms, wishing he wouldn’t stop kissing her. She had missed him so badly! Why, why was he the only man she could be attracted to?
Relaxing against him as he kissed her cheek, along her neck, to the hollow of her throat, Maddie moaned.
He stroked down her arm to take her hand in his, laying it against his chest. “I missed you.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
“You won’t hate me in the morning then?”
She laughed. “I don’t think so. I couldn’t regret a kiss like that.”
He nuzzled her ear, biting lightly at the lobe. “I feel like I’ve got a buzz myself.”
“Now you know why your dad’s got his hand up your mom’s skirt, and it isn’t solely because of the wine.”
“Don’t talk to me about it.” He ran his hands up Maddie’s back, tracing her bra strap. “How is this all supposed to come out?”
“What?”
“You. Me. The babies. This.”
She closed her eyes again, seeking relief from his gaze. “I don’t know. I’m scared.”
“Funny, I feel the same way.”
“You do?” She gazed up at him. “Scared of what?”
“Oh, little babies who cry and I don’t know why.” Moving the hand he held to his lips, he kissed each finger. “My wife terrifies me, because she changed everything while I was gone, and I do mean everything, from furnishings to the number of bodies in the house. She’s got
no place in her life for me. And I think I should apologize for a lot of things, but I’m scared I won’t say it right, and even if I could, all the I’m sorry’s I could say would fill the ocean between here and France and maybe still not be enough.”
“Oh, Sam.” Trapped by everything she was feeling, she stared into his eyes, her heart tapping against her throat. “Let’s not be sorry anymore. Let’s just be a family.”
“Like that?” He jerked his head toward their reclining relatives.
“Yes. Just like that. Wouldn’t it be nice to be so comfortable with each other we could simply relax like them?”
He looked down at her. “Are you saying you’re not relaxed with me?”
“You make me very nervous. How can I be kissed like that and not be?”
“Five years of marriage, Maddie. We know everything about each other, or we should.”
She frowned. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”
“Are you keeping secrets?”
“No.” Moving away slightly, she said, “Not anymore. But I did. And I’d do it all over again, the same way. I’m sure you wish I wouldn’t say that, but it’s true.”
“I wouldn’t.” He tugged her back into his arms. “I’d install a tracking device on you.”
“What?” She couldn’t help smiling at his teasing tone.
“Well, now I realize I should have been keeping up with your every move while I was gone. When Joey called me, I was shocked.”
“I still haven’t had my chat with Joey about that. Where were you when he called you with the big news?”
“In a restaurant.”
“Mmm. In France. That sounds romantic.”
“It wasn’t. It was business.”
She glanced up at him as he held her in his arms. “With Vivi?”
“Yes, with Vivi. We were trying to finalize the deal.”
“Ah, so close. No wonder she’s upset.” Maddie leaned her head against Sam’s chest, smelling the familiar scent of him she’d always found so sexy. And sometimes so secure. “Maybe I should have installed a tracking device on you, if I’d known you’d be squiring beautiful women to romantic dinners.”
