Surprise! Surprise!

by Tina Leonard

  She stared at him, her lips parted sweetly.

  “How can I fix something that broke if I don’t know what it’s made of?” he asked. There was a huge gap in their lives. His wife had changed. They had grown apart.

  Losing time was a terrifyingly empty feeling.

  She put her hand in his. “Come on, Sammy,” she said softly. “Drive me to the Photo Shack.”

  THE FIVE FAMILY MEMBERS stared as Sam and Maddie borrowed Joey’s motorcycle and roared off. They waved cheerily and then vroom! off they went like free-spirited soul mates.

  Which they were, but unfortunately they hadn’t figured that out yet. “I wonder why that’s becoming Maddie’s favorite mode of travel,” Franny murmured. “It isn’t seemly for a new mother to be riding a motorcycle, is it?”

  Sara shrugged. “I think they find it relaxing. Their hair blows in the wind, they’re in tune with the aura of the earth—”

  “No way,” Joey interrupted. “They’re together. Maddie’s hanging on to Sam, and Sam’s got her pressed up against his back. They can be the way they really want to be, under the ruse of running an errand. You know the expression, free to be you and me.”

  All the parents looked at each other in surprise. Franny gave her a son a narrow look. “You’re supposed to be studying and playing football at college. I’m beginning to wonder what you’re majoring in.”

  He grinned. “I’m beginning to wonder how you and Dad made me and Maddie.”

  They all raised their brows at him.

  Laughing, Joey raised a hand. “No, I’ve got the birds and the bees figured out, no thanks to the little stick-figure book you gave me.”

  Virgil cleared his throat. “Wasn’t sure how much you wanted to know, Son. Seemed like all you wanted to do at the time was play catch.”

  Joey smiled at his dad. “And all the hours you spent playing catch with me is a major reason why I’m on a football team today, Dad. But it’s the time we had together that made me what I am. Sam and Maddie need time together.”

  Franny glanced in the direction the motorcycle had gone. “I wish they’d go away on a vacation together, but I know Maddie wouldn’t leave the babies that long.” She gave a long-suffering sigh. “Come on over to our house, everybody. Virgil and I will serve you some lemonade and cookies while we ruminate on this another moment and hold these young ’uns. There has to be a way for those two to have time alone together!”

  “IT’S SNEAKY,” Maddie said with a smile. “But I think you may have solved the problem brilliantly.” The travel agent’s office was next door to the photo shack. Sam had surprised her by pulling her inside.

  Sam patted his pockets, where the airplane tickets and itinerary lay. “France is beautiful at this time of year.”

  She winked at him before putting on the helmet. “I didn’t know you could be so crafty. I rather like this side of you.”

  “Anything to romance my wife.” He grinned.

  “I don’t feel guilty about this when I think of it as a reverse honeymoon. Only we’re not the ones going away.”

  He got on the bike. “If this works, no one will be happier than me.”

  She wrapped her arms around his waist as she slid onto the motorcycle behind him.

  “I’m going to talk Joey into leaving me the key to his bike while he’s gone, too.” Sam settled himself as snugly as he could between her legs. The feel of his wife molded against him was reason enough for him to purchase a motorcycle this very afternoon.

  However, maybe the plane tickets were the best way to get close to his wife to his heart’s content—without having to fake it.

  And then, with any luck, back into her trust.

  “YOU’RE SENDING US to France, Sam?”

  Sara glanced around the table on Franny and Virgil’s porch. Franny could tell Sara and Severn’s shock was genuine. As for herself, she felt as if the lemonade had just turned sour in her stomach.

  “It would be very helpful to me if you could go,” Sam said, his expression genuinely concerned. “Martin’s so busy honeymooning with Vivi, I think it’d be best if I had family over there looking after the business for a week.”

  Franny turned to her daughter for confirmation, but Maddie’s eyes were innocent of intrigue. And Franny knew Maddie didn’t have a conspiring bone in her body. She and Sam were acting like such lovebirds Franny was momentarily thrown off.

  “It would help us if we knew the family business was in the best of hands,” Maddie confirmed.

  Franny heard the emphasis on “family business” and perked up. “Well, when you put it that way…but we were of the mind that you two were the ones who need a trip. Especially since we’re here to baby-sit.”

  “I can’t leave the babies right now, Mom,” Maddie said gently. “We’ll let you keep them when the time is right for us to go. But Sam’s hoping you’ll do this for him, so we can stay here and bond with our children.”

  This was more plea than Franny or Sara could stand. They glanced at their husbands, who seemed somehow caught by the idea.

  Joey clapped his hands. “You’re springing for my ticket, too?”

  “Oh, we can’t let Sam do that,” Franny demurred. “We’ll buy our own tickets.”

  “Absolutely not. This is a company-paid trip,” Sam insisted. “Think of it as my thanks for looking after Maddie when I should have been here doing it myself.”

  “Oh, you didn’t know, Son,” Virgil said to his son-in-law. “Our daughter’s right ornery about doing things her own way.”

  Sam nodded. “I agree with you. And that’s why I’m doing this my way. I’m staying with her, and sending you five on the business trip this time.”

  The four parents took each other’s measure steadily.

  “Sure would like to see the land of grapes,” Virgil said.

  “Wouldn’t mind spending a little of Virgil’s money in the stores,” Franny said.

  “We’ve always said we wanted to travel,” Sara said, pleading with her husband.

  Severn shrugged. “No place better to travel than France, I guess. I wouldn’t mind expanding my waistline with some French food.”

  “Yes!” Joey punched the air. “Maybe I’ll meet a French gal!”

  “Your job is to chaperon them,” Sam said, mock-sternly. “I want you to chauffeur them, and get them through customs, and keep a general eye on them.”

  “There’s no telling what they might get into in France,” Maddie told her brother. “Actually, I’m not sure you’re any more trustworthy than they are. But I’m counting on you to be the level head in the bunch. No falling asleep under patio umbrellas while they snooze off where anyone could steal their money or whatever.”

  “You make us sound helpless,” Franny said. “We’ve got our orders. We’re going to take good care of the family business!”

  Maddie and Sam smiled at each other.

  “Excellent,” Sam said. “And I’ll take good care of Maddie.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “Martin,” Sam said over the phone the next day, “remember all those times you told me how loyal you were, and how you owed me?”

  “This is starting to sound smarmier than I’m used to from my one and only honest client, but, yeah.”

  Sam grinned at the suspicion in his lawyer’s tone. “I’m sending all the family over to France. Consider it an extended wedding gift for you and Vivi.”

  “The…entire family?” Martin asked carefully.

  “Mom, Dad, Franny and Virgil, and Joey. Joey’s pretty cool and will help keep the adults out of trouble. I have them staying in a nice hotel in the center of Paris. But if you wouldn’t mind—”

  “Trying to get some time alone with your wife, Sam?”

  “Exactly. We love our family, but we want a little less help in certain departments. And they’ve been wanting a vacation. Who better than my old buddy Martin to assist all of us in our common goals?”

  “Who better, indeed?” Martin sighed. “You should be enj
oying a honeymoon over here with Maddie.”

  “This is the way Maddie and I want it. We want to be with the babies. We want to be with each other. Basically, we want to find our marriage again. To do that, we decided we just want a few days without any…well-meaning assistance.”

  “I’m your man,” Martin said. “What do you want them to do?”

  “They think they’re coming over to keep an eye on the family business.”

  “Oh, boy. Vivi’s going to love that. She and her brother, Jean-Luc, guard that place like a holy shrine.”

  Sam grinned. “Vivi wanted American buyers for her wine company. There’s a cloud attached to every silver lining.”

  “I’ll tell her you’re sending five clouds our way.”

  “Thanks, Martin.”

  “Next time, I want it to be you and Maddie who are coming to visit.”

  “First things first. I’ve got to convince Maddie that no matter whatever else happens, the four of us were meant to be a family.”

  “Courtesy of Maitland Maternity.”

  “Damn right,” Sam said. “As far as I’m concerned, giving us twins wasn’t the only miracle Dr. Maitland performed. She gave me a chance to get my wife back, Martin. I intend to spend the next week showing Maddie how much I need these particular miracles.”

  “And then? If she still thinks she wants to be trois instead of quatre?”

  “You keep our parents busy,” Sam stated, “and I’ll do my darnedest to go from live-in ex to real husband and father of deux.”

  “That will be a miracle,” Martin said.

  SAM AND MADDIE TOOK their parents and Joey to the airport and saw them off with waves and smiles, and kisses from the grandparents to the grandbabies. The travelers looked dapper, each holding a tiny American flag Maddie had given them and carrying a new picture of the babies in their wallets. Severn and Sara were fashionably attired in navy suits just right for travel. Sara’s blouse was red, and Severn’s shirt was white. Their elegantly silver hair was combed to perfection.

  Franny and Virgil wore comfortable matched red, white and blue windsuits. Franny’s iron-colored tufted curls were a bit askew as always, and Virgil stood slightly bent, his face sun-wrinkled and his bald spot red among the pewter strands from all the years on the tractor.

  Deep happiness flooded Maddie. They were doing the right thing for their parents, even if they had resorted to some devious tactics in order to send them away for a week.

  “I feel like I shouldn’t go,” Franny wailed. “I’m a traitor to my grandchildren!”

  “You should go, Mom,” Maddie said somewhat desperately, in case her mother should turn around and march back toward the car. “You and Dad deserve a vacation.”

  She could see the indecision in her mother’s eyes. “You’ll be all right, I know,” Franny said finally. “Sam will take good care of you.” She glanced at her son-in-law. “Please make her rest,” she pleaded. “Maddie’s such a go-go girl.”

  “So’s her mother.” Sam kissed her cheek fondly. “Enjoy yourself. Martin and Vivi will show you all the highlights.”

  “We’ll make sure everything is working smooth as a ribbon at Jardin,” she promised Sam.

  Virgil shook Sam’s hand and kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Bon voyage, I guess. I’ve always wanted to say that.” He grinned sheepishly.

  “Have a good time, Dad.” Maddie patted her father’s cheek as he bent to kiss the babies. “Keep Mom out of trouble.”

  “Impossible. She does whatever gets set in that gray-haired head of hers.” But he took hold of his wife’s hand and led her down the gate toward the plane.

  Sara and Severn said less painful goodbyes. They kissed everyone again, the babies twice, and hurried after the others.

  Joey lingered. “I know what you two are up to.”

  Sam and Maddie exchanged guilty glances.

  “Can’t say I blame you for wanting a little time alone together,” he said with a sigh. “I know sex would be on my mind if I had the chance.”

  He ambled down the hall after kissing the babies on their foreheads.

  Maddie looked at Sam, her face burning. “Sex isn’t on my list,” she assured him.

  It looked like he made a conscious effort to shake his head. “Nor mine.” But a blush spread up his throat.

  They stood silently for a moment, looking at each other.

  Sam scratched at his neck. “Just out of curiosity, how much longer, anyway?”

  “I have my final checkup this week,” Maddie said, equally nonchalant. “By my calculations, the night before our folks return, we should be…”

  His brows rose. “Good for an all-night kiss?”

  She glanced at the baby he held in his arms. “And then some, if you’re up to it.”

  “Oh, I’ll be up to it. You can stake our wine company on it.”

  “This won’t be like the last time you thought you’d be up to an all-night kiss?” she asked, eyeing him mischievously. “And ended up sleeping like a baby instead?”

  “Absolutely not,” he promised. “This time, expect me to kiss you from your ankles to your eyebrows, from sundown to sunup!”

  They didn’t have to wait, Maddie thought. Five days wasn’t such a crucial length of time for healing, and she felt fine.

  The truth was, the doctor’s time frame gave them a badly needed chance to get to know each other again, in the quiet of their home. She and Sam had been married for a while; like musical notes written on a score, their song would play just as it always had, if they let it.

  But she didn’t want to fall into the rhythm they’d had before. Everything had changed in their lives, and as husband and wife, they had to change, too.

  Or she’d never know if they were capable of withstanding the hard times in life. This time, she had to be sure.

  “THE FIRST THING we have to do,” Sam said, as soon as they got the babies into their cribs that night, “is talk.”

  “You’re not much fun.” Sam was right, but it was as if he’d read her mind, so Maddie resorted to teasing.

  They seated themselves on the patio off the bedroom, the monitor nearby. She’d put her hair up with a green ribbon and changed into a long, slinky jade nightgown and bathrobe her mother had thoughtfully left in a wrapped box on her bed. “We love you, Maddie,” the note read. “Here’s a little something we thought Sam might like. Mom and Dad.”

  “We’ll be all talked out in five days,” Sam said, “and ready for action.”

  “Oh, I agree. I’m dressed for scintillating conversation.” The sting was taken out of her words as she slid into his lap with a silky whisper of satin.

  “Boy howdy,” Sam said. “Your mom picked a doozy of a nightie.” He ran a hand over the gown where it covered her thigh. “Almost as soft as your skin.”

  She laughed. “That won you a point.”

  They stared up at the stars for a moment, Maddie’s head leaning against Sam’s shoulder. The stars were pretty—tiny twinkles in a deep, dark sky—but her mind was on her husband. He had on a short-sleeved polo-style shirt, so that his bare forearms wrapped around her, anchoring her to him. His khaki shorts left much of his nicely built legs bare, and she could feel the rougher texture of his skin through the softness of her gown. More than anything, she could feel the steady hammer of his heart against her back, and a pulse beating in his neck. He felt steady. Warm. Secure.

  “To be honest, Maddie, my goal isn’t to score points.”

  She rolled her head so that she could see his face. “What kind of talking do you want to do?”

  He picked up her hand. “I want to tell you five things I wish I’d told you before.”

  Her own pulse beat a little more quickly. “I’m listening.”

  Pressing her forefinger against his lips, he said, “Number one—I shouldn’t have left you.”

  “Oh, Sam.” Her heart melted.

  “Let me finish.”

  She let the protest die on her lips as he kissed
her next finger.

  “Two. I missed the hell out of you, Maddie. The only reason I stayed gone was because I was hiding.”

  “From what?” she asked, her voice soft.

  “From wanting you so badly and not being able to give you what you wanted most.” He brushed a kiss against her temple. “I was a little bit crazy from feeling I should provide the things you needed. A man ought to be able to give his woman a family.”

  She lowered her eyes. “We don’t really know why it didn’t work for us, Sam. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be at the time.”

  He shook his head, then placed his lips against her third finger. “Three—I love our babies. And I thank you for being braver than me.”

  “Braver? Or more headstrong?”

  That brought a slightly wry grin to his face. “Both. It’s a trait you come by honestly from Franny.”

  “I don’t know that I was brave, Sam. Just…too scared not to try whatever medical help was available.” She reached up to rest her hand against his cheek. “I should have told you, though. That was wrong of me.”

  “Which brings me to number four,” he said, kissing and then nibbling her thumb. “I was very mad at you when I left. Then I was very angry with you when Joey told me what you’d done. I couldn’t believe you would do something like that without telling me.”

  “I know.” She felt tears sparkling in her eyes. “I’m afraid you’re going to be a little more upset with me before the night is over. And you have every right to be.”

  He pulled away from her a little so that he could look directly at her. “You’re not telling me you’ve kept some other secrets from me, are you?”

  She winced. “Maybe one.”

  Sighing, he said, “Let me finish my last point for the night.” He kissed her pinkie, and then her palm. “I just want you to know that no matter what you’re about to tell me, I am not going to be angry. I am not getting upset. You are stuck with me for all eternity.”

  A smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “You’re not hard to be stuck with.”

  Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the wrought-iron patio chair. “Boy, this talking stuff is exhausting.”