by S. E. Brown
Madison shifted her head to see that Jack’s eyes were closed, his head resting against Declan’s chest and his breath steady.
She leaned over and gently pressed her lips against Declan’s. “Thank you for today,” she said softly. “This has been amazing.”
“I’m glad you were here with us.”
“Me, too.”
Declan let go of her hand and brought his arm around her shoulder. Madison adjusted herself into the crook of his arm and rested her head against his chest. She tightened her arm around Juliana and closed her eyes. Together they rode through the zoo in silence, but it was a peaceful silence.
Chapter 11
“Hey you.” Declan smiled when he saw it was Madison calling.
“Hi.” Her tone was clipped, but mostly warm.
“How’s it going?”
“I was wondering what you were doing.”
Declan cocked his head. Madison seemed a little … off.
“OHMYGOD!”
“Madison? What’s wrong?” He was worried now.
“That little fucker just ran across my floor again!”
“There’s a little fucker on your floor?” he asked, trying not to laugh. It quickly became apparent she wasn’t in any serious danger. He could hear rustling from the other end but had no clue what she was doing.
“It’s a mouse,” she whispered, as if the creature that had apparently invaded her home didn’t know what species it belonged to. “You need to come help me.”
“Are you trying to tell me you’re afraid of a harmless little mouse?”
“YES!” she nearly screamed. “Can you please come over here and catch this damn thing?”
Declan laughed. Of all the calls from all the people, he never expected this one. “Sure thing, Babe. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Okay, hurry!” she answered quickly and disconnected the call.
Shaking his head and still laughing, he threw on a sweatshirt and a pair of shoes then headed toward his car.
When he got to the house, he rang the doorbell, expecting Madison to open it. Instead he heard, “IT’S OPEN!”
Why in the hell is her door not locked when she’s home alone?
He opened the door and nearly collapsed in laughter. Sitting on a bar stool in the middle of her kitchen, with her legs crossed under her so they weren’t dangling from the seat, was Madison - a whisk in one hand and a spatula in the other.
“Sweetheart …”
“Don’t you ‘sweetheart’ me. Just come find this damn thing!”
He couldn’t help himself – it was too damn funny. The woman who was in control of everything in her life, Miss Independence herself, was sitting there waiting for a guy to save her from a measly little mouse.
“Have you been sitting like this since you called me?”
She glared at him, her only answer to his question.
He walked to the edge of the kitchen and surveyed the floor but didn’t see anything resembling a mouse.
“Do you know where it is?”
Madison pointed with the whisk. “It went that way, toward the pantry.”
“Do you have any traps? We could just set one and –“
“No fucking way. That rodent is not going to have the run of my house while I’m in it. That’s just …” Her body physically shivered. “YUCK.”
“Okay … okay. How about a box? Or a bucket? Although a box would be better.”
“There’s one in the closet on the other side of the wall.”
Dutifully, Declan walked to the closet and retrieved a box. If he was smart about this, he could scare the mouse out of its hiding place and force it into the box. Then he could take it outside and let it go.
“What about peanut butter?”
“Why, you want a sandwich or something?” She was agitated thinking he wanted a snack. Not that she was opposed to feeding him, especially if he caught the little beady-eyed creature. “Now is not the time –“
“It’s for the mouse. If we can’t catch it this way, we’re going to need the peanut butter to bait him.”
“Great ...”
He maneuvered the box into place and blocked the other exits so the only place the mouse could go was into the box.
“What about cookies sheets? Or those grid things you put cookies on to cool?”
Madison cocked an eyebrow at him. “Cookie sheets are in that cupboard, there,” she pointed with the whisk again.
Chuckling to himself, he grabbed a sheet from the cupboard and set it on the counter next to where he hoped all the action would take place.
He held out his hand to her. “Spatula, please.”
Madison looked at the plastic piece in her hand and thought about whether or not she could afford to lose her weapon.
What if it gets free again? How will I shoo it away?
“Babe,” he said, gently taking the spatula from her hand, “believe me when I tell you this mouse is way more afraid of you than you are of him.”
“I doubt that,” she mumbled, wielding the whisk with two hands.
“Okay. I’m going to make a bunch of noise and hopefully scare it out of the pantry and into the box. You ready?”
Madison nodded, her eyes big, watching.
Laughing, Declan walked to the pantry and started hitting the wall with the spatula. He heard something move inside at the same time Madison tightened her legs under her.
He pounded again, making an even bigger ruckus, and soon a little brown mouse bolted from the pantry, straight into the box.
“Get the sheet! GET THE SHEET!” Madison yelled half in excitement and half in fear.
Declan grabbed the sheet and quickly turned the box on its end and covered the open side with the cookie sheet.
“Do you want to see it?” he teased, walking the box over to her.
“NO! Take that thing outta here!”
Chuckling, he walked toward the front door and crouched to release it.
“Not by my door! It might come back!”
Shaking his head with a laugh, he walked to the end of her property and gently laid the box on the ground, tipping it so the uninvited guest could scurry away.
When he walked back into the house, she was still sitting on the stool, her legs firmly tucked under her. “Is it gone?”
Declan nodded his head and walked toward her. “It’s gone.”
Madison let out a long breath. “Thank you.” Now that the coast was clear, she untucked her feet and sat up.
He walked up to her, setting the box and cookie sheet on the counter and stood between her legs. “You are something else, Madison Quinn.” He cupped her face in his hands.
“What?” she asked, a hint of embarrassment in her tone. “I don’t like mice.”
“Yes, I think that’s painfully clear,” he answered with a sexy smile. “I kind of like being your hero.”
His expression turned serious causing Madison to remain quiet. He leaned down and placed a long, lingering kiss on her lips.
“Wanna watch a movie?” He wanted to spend time with her and since he was already there…
Madison looked at him. No, she did not want to watch a movie. She wanted to take him up to her bedroom, lay him down on her bed and kiss him from head to toe so she could thank him for saving her from that horrid mouse. But fear stood in the way. She wasn’t sure she could handle the rejection again.
She thought about the conversation she had with Ryan before she had gone on her first date with Declan. He didn’t do one-night stands – that was crystal clear. And they obviously viewed relationships differently. She was trying to see things from his perspective. Let them have time to get to know each other, learn who the other was.
She smiled and reached up to give him a quick kiss. “Popcorn and beer?”
“That sounds perfect.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Declan woke from a tickle on his nose. He looked down to see wild red curls that seemed to be attached to a body that was laying
atop his. Well, mostly, anyway.
The movie had ended and the pay-per-view information on the TV screen was the only light in the room. He could just barely reach his phone on the coffee table in front of him. Grabbing it, he hit the button to see what time it was. Nearly two in the morning.
He set the phone back on the table and wrapped his arms around Madison.
“Babe, wake up. The movie’s over.”
She mumbled something in her sleep and Declan thought it was maybe the cutest thing ever.
“Babe,” he said again, a little louder. He brushed the hair back from her face and lightly caressed her cheek.
“No,” she whined sleepily.
A soft chuckle came from his lips. “No?”
Madison dug her arms deeper around him to tighten her hold. She pressed her face against the softness of his sweatshirt and took in his smell. It was a faint mix of cologne and pure Declan. “I’m not moving. Go back to sleep.”
He smiled, thinking how great it would be to hold her while she slept. “How about I carry you to bed?”
She rubbed her cheek on his chest. “Only if you stay with me.”
“Babe –“
“To sleep, Declan. I just want to be near you.”
He couldn’t argue the point. He wanted it just as much as she did, but he had obligations. Places he needed to be in the morning.
“I have to be at the gym –“
“Then set your alarm.” She cut him off again. “You can get up then.”
She seemed to have an answer for everything. Answers he didn’t want to dispute.
“Okay,” he said quietly into her hair then placed a kiss atop her head.
“Really?” she asked, turning to look at him.
With a smile that told her he was serious, he leaned forward and kissed her lips.
Grabbing his phone, he shoved it into his pocket then slid out from under the lump that was Madison. “Roll onto your back.”
After she moved, Declan bent down and slid an arm beneath her back and one under her knees and picked her up. She nuzzled her lips into his neck as he carried her up the stairs to the bedroom.
He gently laid her down on the bed and watched her crawl into place. Quickly, he pulled his phone from his pocket and set the alarm.
As soon as he laid down and got comfortable, Madison wiggled into the crook of his arm and looked up. “Thank you for staying.”
“Anything for you.”
She gently ran her fingers over his cheek then rested her head on his chest, her hand finally resting over his heart. A few breaths later, they were both comfortably sound asleep.
Chapter 12
Declan unlocked the door to the gym and walked in, punching in the code to disarm the alarm as the door closed behind him. He wasn’t much of an early riser and was much more likely to stay late than come in early, but he loved the quiet time before everyone arrived. Besides, he wanted his evenings open to spend time with Madison.
Leaving the interior lights off, he walked past the reception desk to his office. There he turned on a small desk lamp, tossed his gym bag on the chair and booted his computer.
About an hour later something moved that caught his eye. He rolled his chair back and saw Ty walking toward him. Declan turned his wrist to check the time and thought it was awfully early for Ty to be there.
“Hey, man. What are you doing here so early?”
“You forgot to lock the door when you came in again.” Ty walked into the office, removed Declan’s bag from the chair and had a seat.
“It would appear I did.”
Ty was seventeen and had become a familiar sight at the gym. A little more than a year ago he had come around looking for a job. Although there really wasn’t a position open for him, Erin noticed something about him. She had a soft spot for teenagers in bad situations and could tell just by looking at him something was off. Instead of sending him on his way, she created a position for him and then talked to Declan about it. He’d been helping out ever since.
Growing up, Ty didn’t have the best home life and was fighting to keep himself off the streets. His dad was killed several years ago and his mom had been arrested for possession and intent to distribute for the second time. Since he was sixteen when she was put in prison, and he didn’t have siblings, the state didn’t make much of an effort to ensure he was cared for. He would have been out of the system in less than two years and there were other kids, younger kids, that needed their attention.
Erin had tried to take him in but her husband, Chris, was cautious about having Ty live with them. And since Declan didn’t live in Charlotte full-time, they weren’t comfortable having him in his house either. He was a good kid, but they knew better than to give a teenager access to a house without any kind of supervision. Instead, Erin worked with Aidan to get him into one of the state-run homes. They saw him at the gym nearly every day, made sure he was staying on track and gave him extra money when he needed it.
“What are you doing here so early?” Ty stretched out his legs under the desk and made himself comfortable. It wasn’t the first time he’d taken up residence in Declan and Erin’s office.
“Just trying to catch up on some things.” Declan was enjoying the time he spent with Madison but had paperwork he needed to take care of. He may have been the boss, but if Erin came back to work and things were a mess, she’d kill him.
“Alright. I’ll let you get back to it.”
Declan looked at Ty as he rose from his chair. He wasn’t acting like his usual self. “Everything okay, bud?”
Ty looked at him as he contemplated whether or not to fill Declan in on what was happening.
“Okay. Sit down. Tell me what’s going on.” He had waited too long to respond.
Ty sat back in the chair and removed the baseball hat from his head. He ruffled his hair while he gathered his thoughts.
“My mom is being released.”
“She is? When?”
Ty’s mom was supposed to have spent two years behind bars. It hadn’t been that long since she was put away.
“Three days.” He shifted in his seat. “The jail is too full and since she’s been behaving …”
“They’re letting her out early,” Declan finished.
Ty nodded his head.
“What’s got you worried about her release?”
“I’m only seventeen, Declan. I’m still a minor.”
That’s what Declan thought the concern was but wanted to hear it from Ty himself. The kid had been doing well since he came to work with them and his mom had been out of the picture. He was going to class and staying out of trouble. For someone in his situation, with his family’s history, that was saying something. Declan was certain Ty would be the first person in his family to graduate high school. Erin, and now Aidan and Declan, were determined to see him walk across that stage.
“You’ve got a spot at the home. I’m sure we can get a petition or something to let you stay there until you’re eighteen. That was the plan while she was in jail anyway.”
“I know.” Ty looked down at his hands. “Would you help me? With the petition?”
“You know I will. I’m here to help. Whatever you need.”
Relief washed over Ty’s face. He had developed a relationship with Erin, but when she left the gym for her maternity leave, he wasn’t so sure what was going to happen. He’d met Declan before, but he could have easily overridden Erin’s decision to let him work there. In the few months Declan had been managing for Erin, the two had developed a trust between them. Ty was thankful he had Declan to turn to.
“Let me talk to Aidan, okay?” Declan offered. “He helped get you that spot in the home, so I’m sure he can help with the petition, too.”
“Thanks, Declan.” There was a warm smile on Ty’s face, one Declan didn’t see very often.
“Alright, get outta here. I’ve got stuff to do before Erin kicks my ass.”
“K. I’ll see ya later.”
Ty
put the hat back on his head and walked quickly out of the office.
Not wanting to waste any time, Declan picked up his cellphone and called his brother.
“Hey D.”
“You have a few to talk?”
“Sure. I’m just heading to the office for a few hours.”
“Ty was just in here. His mom is being released early due to the number of criminals you keep putting away.”
Aidan chuckled. “It’s not just me, ya know.”
“I do. But you’re the only lawyer I actually talk to, so I get to blame you.”
“Thanks for that.”
Declan heard Aidan mumble something about drivers that shouldn’t be allowed on the road.
“He’s still a minor, isn’t he?” Aidan finally spoke.
“Yeh, for a few more months.”
“How many is a few?”
“Seven.”
“Shit. Does his mom want him back?”
“I’m not sure, but he definitely doesn’t want to go back to living with her.”
“Okay.”
“He’s done well, Aidan. He’s doing all the right things – school, keeping clean, and he’s been working here. He’s on the right path.”
“I know. And we want to keep him there.”
“Exactly.”
“Alright. Let me talk with one of my partners about what we can do. He’s certainly old enough to be able to speak for himself, but that isn’t always enough.”
“I hear ya. Let me know what you find out, okay?”
“You got it.”
Chapter 13
Declan had been tossing around ideas all day for what to do on his date with Madison. He had thought about taking her go-karting, but they had done the competitive thing the night they played pool. He wanted something more low-key than that. He also thought about hitting the arcade and spending their time goofing around playing old 80s games and eating pizza. He was a master at Centipede and held the high score at his favorite arcade, but that didn’t seem to sit well with him either. He’d have to show off his expertise another time.
