by Jamie Hill
"My jacket!" Maddie stood up and reached for it. She ran her hand over it lovingly. "I wonder if it still fits?"
"You actually wore that?"
"Sure, when I was riding the Harley." She winked at him, and slipped into the jacket. "It used to fit, a couple of babies ago." The jacket still fit, and Maddie ran her hand over the sleeve. "Well, look at that."
"You rode a Harley?" Rob stared at her with surprise.
Maddie reached in the pocket of the jacket and pulled out her sunglasses. She put them on. "Whaddaya think?"
"Sexy," he admitted. "But I can't believe I never knew you rode a motorcycle. When?"
"College." She looked in the mirror, remembering her birthday, and everything else she got that night. She smiled.
Rob crossed his arms. "Why are you smiling?" he asked irritably.
Maddie turned back and rolled her eyes. She removed the glasses and returned them to her pocket, then took the jacket off. "It's a happy memory, okay? I do have a few good ones to go along with all the crap."
"But none that you want to share with me, happy or crappy. That bugs me, Mad."
She sat down on the bed again and gave him another look. "I didn't realize I was being so secretive. What do you want to know?"
"Who gave you the jacket? Mr. Guitar?"
She smiled. "I told you his name was Nick. And yes, he gave me the jacket for my nineteenth birthday."
"I can't believe your parents liked you riding a motorcycle."
"They didn't know, okay?"
"Okay." He sat next to her, and ran his hand over the leather jacket. "That's a pretty nice coat. I bet it was expensive, even back in the day."
"I'm sure it was."
"So was Nick a rich Harvard kid like you?"
If he hadn't looked so cute, Maddie might have been irritated by the question. She thought about it, and finally answered, "No, Nick didn't go to college. He worked in Cambridge."
"You told me, he was older than you. How old was he?"
Maddie hesitated again. She knew the truth was going to open a can of worms, but avoiding the issue might be worse. Wait for it. Here it comes. "He was thirty-four."
"Thirty-four?" Rob practically hollered. "Jesus, Maddie! And you were nineteen?"
"Eighteen when we started dating." She steeled herself for the rest of his rant.
"Oh my God!" He paced around the room, avoiding piles of clothes. "He was almost twice your age! Your parents must have had a shit fit! I know I would if one of my girls brought home a guy that much older."
Maddie stood. "I told you, they didn't know about him." She was getting irritated, and tried not to let the tears welling behind her eyes out.
"Jesus, Maddie," he repeated. "What were you thinking?"
She faced him. "Mostly I was thinking, 'Gee, that felt good. Can we do it again?'" She stomped out of their room and checked to be sure the kids were still sleeping before she went out to the back porch and sat down. She wiped at her eyes angrily, pushing the tears away.
A few minutes later, Rob stuck his head out the door and held up a beer. "Want anything?"
She shook her head and wiped her eyes again. He was ever the gentleman, even during an argument.
He sat down in the chair next to her and took a drink.
"What I really want," Maddie said, "is for you to stop being so judgmental. You say you want me to tell you things, and when I do, you lose it."
"Because everything you tell me is worse than the last thing. What's next? Did you do the Harvard football team in the locker room?"
"Screw you," she yelled at him, and tried to stand up.
He grabbed her arm. "Sit down. We need to talk this out."
Maddie stared at him and sat. She finally asked, "Why do you think I was with so many guys? I never told you that."
He shrugged and drank his beer. He looked toward the house then said, "There were the blow job lessons from Professor Zoey…"
"One guy," Maddie said.
"Nick?"
"No. Zoey wanted to find me a guy to lose my virginity with. I told her I wanted to find my own guy."
"And you found Nick," he said sarcastically.
"Don't take that tone with me, Robert Cooper."
He finished his beer and looked at her. "So besides Nick, how many guys were there?"
"In Cambridge? No others. There were a few here before I met you, but you know about them."
He looked at her harder. "You mean to tell me, Nick was the only man you slept with in college?"
She stared back at him. "Yeah, and we didn't do that much sleeping."
Rob rubbed his hands over his face. "Aw, shit, Maddie. Don't do this to me."
"What?" she hollered at him. "You said you wanted to know! You want specifics? I have a pretty good memory."
He held his hand up. "Enough. Please." He looked at her. "I'm, sorry. I guess I don't need to know everything. I get jealous when I think of another guy touching you, and I don't know which is worse, thinking there were a lot of guys that didn't mean much, or one guy who meant something to you."
Maddie slipped off her chair and into his lap sideways. "I understand how you feel. I've had to live in the shadow of Dionne Baxter since the day I met you."
He opened his mouth to say something, but she put her fingers to his lips. She went on, "And don't tell me I never had anything to worry about, because if you recall, you left me for her after I'd already fallen in love with you."
He made a face, but she didn't let him speak. "It's okay," she whispered. "I know it's over with her, and I know you love me way more than you ever thought you loved her. That's the way it is with me. I love you so much more than I ever I loved him."
He started to talk and she kept his mouth covered. He gave her a look and she chuckled. "Okay." She released his mouth. "Just think before you speak, hubby. We've got a romantic moment going here, don't blow it."
"I need to ask one more thing, and then we'll see just how romantic a moment it actually is."
"Okay, what?"
He looked at her. "You loved him?"
Maddie smiled at Rob. "Yeah, I did. He was good to me."
Rob winced and she chuckled. "Not only like that. Good, in general. He took care of me."
He nodded. "I'm glad for that, at least. And I'm glad for whatever brought my Wild Thing to Oklahoma, and me." He kissed her gently.
Maddie moaned and opened her mouth fully to him. Their tongues danced back and forth and she ground her bottom downward on his lap.
Rob caressed her breast then slipped his hand under her shirt.
The back door opened and Sophie called, "Maddie? Can I have a snack?"
Rob groaned and pulled his hand out.
Maddie smiled at him. "Sure, Soph. I'll be right there." She kissed him, one more time.
Sophie said, "Hi Daddy!"
He pulled back from Maddie, winked, then looked at his daughter. "Hello, munchkin. How was your nap?"
"Good!"
Maddie stood and pulled Rob up by the hand. He patted her butt and reached down to Sophie. "Come here, child." He hoisted her up and groaned loudly. "You're growing too much! I almost can't lift you anymore!"
Sophie giggled, and they went in the kitchen for a snack.
When Maddie wandered into her bedroom later, she noticed her leather jacket was hanging in the closet, way in the back, where it always was. She closed the door.
Sophie began second grade in September. Rob changed his work hours back to eight to five, so he could take her to school, and Maddie could pick her up. Sophie loved school, and was very enthusiastic about the whole business. She proudly brought home each note, and when there was a parent's night, she told her father and Maddie, and called her mother as well.
Rob and Maddie dropped the younger children off with Rosa and Smoky, and drove Sophie to her school for, 'Back-to-school night'. Sophie showed them around her classroom, proudly pointing out the pictures she already had on the bulletin board, after just two we
eks.
Maddie wasn't surprised when Dionne walked in, but was shocked that she wasn't alone. Sophie ran to her mother and hugged her, and then hugged the man she was with.
"Who the hell is that?" Rob whispered to Maddie.
"Easy, boy." She patted his arm. "I think we're fixing to find out. Be nice."
"Yeah," Rob scoffed as Sophie led the couple over.
"Hey, Coop, Maddie." Dionne smiled at them.
"Hello Dionne," Rob said formally, eyeing her escort.
"This is my friend, Deron Reed. Deron, this is Sophie's daddy, Coop, and his wife, Maddie."
Deron extended his hand.
Rob shook it and said, "It's Rob." He gave Dionne a look, and she raised her eyebrows.
"Hello," Deron offered his hand to Maddie.
"Hi Deron. It's nice to meet you." She shook hands and looked him over. He was handsome, in a sophisticated sort of way, his dark hair was slicked back, he was clean shaven, and his suit looked expensive. "Sophie tells us you wield a mean miniature golf putter."
He chuckled and rubbed his chin. "I don't know about that, she nearly beat me." He slid an arm around Dionne's shoulder. "At least I beat you by a respectable margin."
Rob looked at Dionne. "Not really your game, is it, Dee?"
She smiled at him then at Deron. "Not usually, but it was fun. It was great to do something with Soph."
Sophie tugged at her mother's arm. "Come see my pictures."
"Sure honey." Dionne took Deron's arm as they followed Sophie.
Rob muttered to Maddie, "I hate suits. I hate guys who wear suits."
Maddie chuckled. "Oh, but he wears it so well!"
Rob's eyes flashed and Maddie slipped her arms around his neck. "Yanking your chain, baby," she whispered in his ear, grinning. "You gotta admit, they make us look like the Waltons when they waltz in, wearing their designer clothes."
Rob looked at his jeans and Maddie's sundress. "I don't care," he muttered. "I'd rather send my kids to school in overalls and be happy like we are, then to have to wear a goddamned suit all day."
The teacher asked everyone to find a seat so she could begin, and Maddie took Rob by the hand. "Come on, Pa." She led him to the chairs. They sat on one side of Sophie, with Dionne and Deron on the other. Maddie thought Rob pouted through most of the presentation, and she intended to tease him about it later.
The teacher mentioned report card conferences in a few weeks, and after the presentation, Dionne told Rob and Maddie, "I may not be able to make this round of conferences. I've got a big case coming up, and I'll be in court for a while."
"We can handle it," Rob assured her.
"Let me know when it is, though, okay?" Dionne asked.
"Of course," Maddie replied.
Deron said, "I could probably be there, if you wanted me to, Dee."
Rob looked at him and repeated icily, "We can handle it…but thanks."
Dionne looked at Sophie. "Soph, take Deron over there and show him the aquarium, why don't you?"
"Okay!" Sophie led Deron off, and Dionne looked at Rob with an amused smile on her face.
"You're jealous!"
"I am not," he scoffed.
She looked around. "Is it almost Christmas? Your face is alternating between shades of red and green."
He replied in an angry, hushed voice "I've never met the guy, and my daughter is hugging all over him. Now he's offering to sit in for you at her parent-teacher conference? Come on, Dee!"
"Welcome to my world!" She motioned toward Maddie. "I've learned to share the mommy role. It's not going to kill you to share the daddy spotlight."
"It might," he muttered.
Maddie saw the conversation going nowhere good, so she pressed up against Rob and murmured, "We should get Sophie and go. We need to get the babies, and I'm anxious to get home."
He gave Dionne an irritated glance, and put an arm around Maddie. "Sure, let's go."
"Goodnight." Maddie smiled at Dionne, and they went to collect Sophie and leave.
At home, Rob helped her get the children ready for bed, and they tucked them in together. Maddie slipped into the bathroom, and came out swearing.
"What's wrong?" Rob asked.
She wiped tears from her cheek. "I got my period. I'm not pregnant."
He pouted, and pulled her into his arms. "It's okay, sugar. We'll just have to keep trying. That's the fun part, anyway."
"I know. But I've never had to try before! The first three times, it happened so fast I didn't even realize what was going on."
"Three?" Rob looked at her. "Last time I checked, you had two babies."
"Duh." Maddie slapped her forehead. "I guess this business with Sophie is on my mind. You know, I feel like she's my own."
"I know." He kissed the side of her head. "I'm worried about this Deron guy."
Maddie gave him a look.
He continued, "Not because of Dee. I could care less who she sees or what she does with her life. But because of Sophie. This guy seems too friendly, likes he's trying to ingratiate himself to her. I just hope, if they get serious, he doesn't try to convince Dee to get custody back."
That hadn't occurred to Maddie. "You don't think that might happen, do you?"
"I don't know." He shrugged. "I'm happy with the way things are, and I know Sophie likes it here, too."
"Don't borrow trouble. There's no need to start worrying about anything, yet. You heard Dionne, she's got a big case coming up, and she's going to be busy the next couple months."
"We need to keep an eye on the situation, is all." He pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it at the hamper.
Maddie slid her arms around Rob's waist and kissed him. "You're cute when you pout. It makes me feel like I need to scold you. Like you've done something naughty."
He pressed against her and grinned. "I could come up with something naughty, if it meant you might scold me."
"Such a bad boy," she whispered as he kissed her neck. "I do think there's going to be punishment involved."
"Where are those silk scarves?" he murmured, his mouth finding her tattoo and working its way lower.
Maddie thought of the scarves, and grinned.
Chapter Ten
Nine years earlier – Cambridge, Massachusetts
The spring semester ended at Harvard, and summer school began. Maddie wasn't actually enrolled in summer school, but she'd told her parents she was. It gave her six more weeks in Cambridge, and that left just six weeks in Hartford before the fall semester.
The days were boring. She slept late, watched TV, and tried to read a little. Some days she shopped. When Zoey got out of class, she hung out at the dorm with her. Zoey had ended her relationship with Ty, and was slightly disappointed that Maddie hadn't followed through and ended things with Nick.
Maddie assured her that she and Nick were getting along better than ever. Since her birthday, he'd opened up to her, they talked more, and when his friends were around, he treated Maddie nicer. Pleased with the situation, she put up with boring days to get to the evenings when Nick could be with her. They went for long rides on his bike. Some nights, they walked on the beach, and, a few times, Maddie skinny dipped in the ocean. Nick never joined her, but he said he enjoyed watching.
Several afternoons a week, she hung out at the bike shop. She learned the paperwork that Nick needed to have done, and did it for him. It gave her something to do, and allowed him more time to do what he really wanted, which was work on the bikes.
They made two overnight trips to New York. Maddie had only been there once, to a Broadway show with her mother. Nick showed her the sights, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, and various parts of the city he thought she'd enjoy. She loved those trips. Nick was animated when he showed her around. They laughed and had a lot of fun, and they slept at a nice hotel where they did very little actual sleeping.
Maddie enjoyed the time they spent together, and dreaded the rest of the summer she had to spend in Hartford. The day before she
left, they stayed in bed all day, to be as close to each other as possible. Maddie cried when she thought about leaving him, and he didn't give her a bad time, he just held her and wiped away the tears.
He suggested he could drive up on Saturday afternoons and they could get a motel room and spend a few hours together. The idea appeased Maddie somewhat, and she agreed to find the motel and call him with directions.
On that last day, he helped her load her car with everything she needed to take home. Maddie cried again and Nick pulled her into his arms. "I'll see you in four days. I think you can make it for four days, don't you?"
"I'm not so sure," she muttered.
He chuckled and kissed her gently. "I love you, kiddo. Call me, and I'll see you Saturday."
Maddie held on to him tightly. She slowly pulled away and replied, "I love you, too, Nick. I'll call you Friday."
He opened her car door, and she got in. "Drive careful, Maddie."
She smiled. "Bye, Nick."
Being home over the summer wasn't as bad as Maddie thought it was going to be. She spent her days by the family's pool, or shopping with her mother, who let her buy some clothes she'd actually wear.
Maddie saw Alec a few times during the week. They went out for sodas, and a couple of times, he came over to swim. She still enjoyed his company, and he wasn't pushy about wanting anything more from her.
She talked to Zoey in Oklahoma, and heard all about her working at a nursing home over the summer. It paid well and she needed the money, but it was hard and sometimes nerve-wracking. Zoey's salvation was to smoke a joint and vent to Maddie over the phone.
Maddie had sworn off all drugs for six weeks, to prove to herself she wasn't addicted. She wasn't, but she definitely missed the mellow feeling it provided.
She also missed Nick, and phoned him almost every day. When he drove up on Saturdays, she invented somewhere to go, and met him at the local 'No-tell Motel'. They rolled around in the sheets for awhile, got some take-out for dinner, and talked about their week. Maddie stayed as late as she thought she could get away with, they made love up to the last minute, and she went home. Nick either left for home that night, or if he was tired, slept over and left in the morning.
