For You (The Shore Book 2)

by S. E. Brown

It wasn’t that Brooke was being cold, she just wasn’t being warm. Madison wasn’t quite sure what to make of it, so she did the only thing she could think to do.

  “Issy and I were going to grab some dinner. You wanna join us?” She figured if there was animosity, the best way to deal with it would be head-on.

  “I have plans tonight, but thanks for the offer.”

  Madison smiled in response and looked to Issy.

  “Alright, we’re going to head out then,” Issy announced.

  “It was nice to meet you, Brooke.”

  “You, too.”

  Issy started toward the front door and Madison followed her. If that wasn’t the weirdest exchange, she wasn’t sure what was.

  As soon as they were seated in the restaurant, Issy began to apologize. “I’m really sorry about Brooke. She’s known my mom forever and I think she’s being a little defensive on her behalf.”

  Madison nodded. “That’s okay.” She thought for a moment before she continued. “Issy … I would never try to take your mom’s place.”

  It was a topic Madison wanted to cover, but she hadn’t planned on blurting it out as soon as they sat down. Declan was rubbing off on her.

  “To be honest, I’m not really sure how this is all supposed to work. There’s no doubt I will be forever grateful to your parents for everything they have done for you. But I would never want to come between you and them. I love that you came by when you figured out who I was and you called tonight to get together for dinner. I’m excited to get to know you, but I don’t want to push. I just ... I don’t know how it’s supposed to go from here.”

  “I’m not sure either. I know I want to get to know you, too.” Her voice was hopeful. “Can we just be friends?”

  “I would absolutely love that, yes. More than you know.”

  Issy smiled and it seemed whatever anxiety she had been holding onto disappeared in front of Madison’s eyes. It made her breathe easier, too.

  “Speaking of your mom, have you talked with your parents?”

  “I did,” Issy smiled. “Mom started to cry when I told them.”

  “She did?”

  Issy nodded. “She was really excited for me. For us. Both of them were, actually.”

  Madison let out a breath of relief.

  “I told them you said it would be okay if you met some day. They really liked that idea.”

  “Wow. I …”

  “Didn’t expect that?” Issy finished for her with a smile.

  “No, I mean, to be honest, I don’t really know what I expected,” Madison answered, shaking her head. “What did your brothers say when you told them?”

  “They were both really taken by surprise. Adam seemed pretty cool about it, but Zach was a bit more hesitant.”

  “How come?”

  “He just doesn’t want me to get hurt.”

  Madison smiled. While she never had a sibling to care about her like that, she could imagine the relationships Declan had with Aidan and Erin were exactly like Issy and Zach. “I never had a big brother. I’m glad you’ve got someone watching out for you.”

  “Me, too.”

  They had just started their meals when Madison changed the subject. “I was surprised your parents kept in touch with Ellie.”

  “I was, too. They told me about her when they told me I was adopted. Mom said she was so moved by the letter Ellie wrote me, she wanted to make sure she kept some sort of connection. I guess when she sent the first pictures, she included a note saying that was the only communication they would have. Mom would send a picture every few months, then my school pictures when I got older, but Ellie was to never contact them.”

  “So a one-way street then.”

  Issy nodded.

  “Makes sense. I’m sure the last thing they wanted was someone poking around their daughter.”

  “They didn’t know Ellie had passed away though. Mom continued to send pictures and since they were never returned, she didn’t know anything had happened.”

  Madison nodded slightly.

  At least I wasn’t the only one who had been left in the dark about Ellie’s illness.

  “There must be pictures of you in the pile of mail Declan left on the kitchen table. The last picture on the table looked like you were about twelve.”

  “That’s good. That means my gawky teenaged pictures aren’t out on display,” she grinned.

  “I’m sure you weren’t gawky. I mean, come on, you have my genes in there,” Madison teased.

  “So you’re who I get to thank for the crooked teeth and acne?”

  Madison laughed. “Nope, that was all Jeremy.”

  Issy laughed.

  “I’m sure you were beautiful as a teenager,” Madison added with complete sincerity. “You always were when I imagined what you’d look like.”

  “Well, we’ll see when you finally take a look at those pictures.”

  Madison grinned. Talking with Issy was so easy. Easier than she ever thought it would be. They could laugh and tease. It was … perfect.

  “Ben used to call me Duckie.”

  “Ben? Who’s Ben?”

  She hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She wasn’t trying to keep him a secret, it just hurt too much to talk about him. Almost two years later, it still hurt that much.

  “Ben was my boyfriend in high school.”

  “Ahh. Why did he call you Duckie?”

  “I would refer to myself as the Ugly Ducking. I hated that I had to wear braces. And my face would break out with pimples if I even looked at a potato chip or piece of chocolate, let alone actually eat it.”

  “Sorry to say kid, but you got that from me,” Madison grinned.

  “Gee, thanks,” Issy snarled teasingly.

  “So he twisted what you called yourself into Duckie?”

  “Sort of.” Issy’s face turned soft as she thought about the memory. “He told me the reason he called me Duckie was because even though all I could see was an ugly duckling, he could see the beautiful swan beneath.”

  “Aww! That’s so adorable! And sweet.”

  “Yeh, it was at the time,” she sighed.

  “So what happened? You’re not together anymore?”

  “No, no we’re not.”

  Madison looked at Issy and waited for her to explain.

  “We broke up before we left for college.”

  “Oh.”

  “Ben got a scholarship to UCLA. I was going to UNC. He didn’t think it would be fair to either of us to try to make the relationship work cross country.”

  Madison nodded. “And you didn’t agree?”

  Sighing, Issy sat back in her chair. “On one hand I understood what he was saying. We were young. We’d only really dated each other. We were both going to meet a ton of new people at school. There were new things we were going to experience, and he didn’t want to see us grow apart. And it’s not like either of us had the time or money to be flying back and forth.”

  “And on the other?”

  Issy looked at Madison with a raised eyebrow.

  “You said ‘on one hand.’ What’s the other?”

  “The other hand is,” she twisted her hands as she willed herself to say the words. “The other hand is, I still love him.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  Ty looked down at his phone as it started to ring. It hadn’t rung all day, and he’d been hoping it would stay that way.

  “I never shoulda given her this number.”

  Declan heard him mumble the words but never even looked up. He figured it was a girl calling. Ty was a young, athletic, good looking guy, and it wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if dealing with teenaged girls was part of Ty living with him. “Who?”

  “My mom.”

  Declan looked up at his response. “Oh.”

  The phone stopped ringing and Ty exhaled loudly.

  “You don’t want to talk to her?”

  “Not really.”

  His phone started to ring again.

&
nbsp; “You’re gonna have to talk to her eventually, Ty.”

  “Yeh, I know. Might as well get it over with.” He reached down and grabbed his phone, connecting the call as he brought it to his ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Yeh, it’s me.”

  Declan turned down the TV volume so Ty could hear better.

  “No, Mom.”

  Declan looked at Ty who was looking back at him, his eyes pleading.

  “Mom, are you high?”

  She’d been released only hours ago, but it wouldn’t have surprised Ty in the least. Disappointed him, definitely.

  He lowered the phone and pressed the button to put her on speakerphone so Declan could hear, too.

  “Baby, it’s been so long. I just want to see you.”

  “Whose fault is that?” Ty’s voice had a definite edge to it.

  “It’s my fault. I know it’s my fault. Let me make it up to you.”

  “Then answer me honestly, Mom. Are you high right now?”

  There was silence as Declan and Ty looked at each other. Both knew there was little chance of her telling the truth - and they both already knew the answer. They could hear it in her voice, how animated she was, even the way she continued to call him “Baby.”

  More than anything, Ty wanted her to tell him the truth. He wasn’t sure how much of a difference it would’ve made, but at least it would have been a step in the right direction.

  “No, Baby.”

  A single tear ran down Ty’s cheek.

  Another lie.

  He didn’t want to go through this again. He couldn’t. Not again. Thankfully, he didn’t have to, not with Declan letting him live there.

  “Mommy?”

  He knew she loved it when he called her that, and he knew it would get her attention.

  “Yes, Baby?” There was a hint of softness in her voice, as if she were talking to a young child.

  “No. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want to see you ever again.”

  She tried to respond, pleading with him, telling him how much she missed him and loved him, but Ty talked right over her.

  “I’m living with Declan now, and I’m going to school. I’m actually going to graduate high school. Declan and his brother and sister are going to help me make sure that happens. The last thing I need is you and your friends messing up my life again.

  “I want you to forget this phone number. Forget I exist. I’m better off without you.”

  He listened for a long moment as her cries tore through his heart. He knew it was what was best.

  “Goodbye, Mom.”

  He disconnected the call and laid back on the couch, his eyes closed. He suddenly felt exhausted, but he also felt lighter, like the weight of his world had been reduced by … his mom.

  “You okay?”

  Ty turned to Declan and opened his eyes. “Yeh. I think I’m going to go to bed.”

  Declan nodded but didn’t say anything. He couldn’t imagine how difficult that must have been.

  Just before Ty closed the door to his room, he turned and looked at Declan.

  “Thank you.”

  It was the most sincere Declan had ever heard him.

  Declan responded by nodding his head. He wanted to speak, but he could feel his throat starting to close. He thought he’d made the right decision, having Ty move in with him, but now he knew. If Ty was willing to fight to have a better life, Declan was more than willing to help him.

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  After Madison dropped Issy off at her place, she entered Declan’s address into her car’s GPS system. She was excited about the time she’d just spent with her daughter and wasn’t quite ready to go home. And quite frankly, she wanted to see Declan.

  They had spent the last two nights together and she dreaded knowing she would be going to bed alone. Not many guys had spent the night at her place, in part because she had a tough time actually sleeping with another person. It was one thing if she was traveling with Ryan or Jessa and they shared the same bed. It was an entirely different thing if it was some guy she didn’t really know. She’d toss and turn all night. Unless she was completely blitzed, apparently, as was the case with Jaxon.

  Sleeping with Declan, however, had been easy. From the first night he stayed when he saved her from that damn mouse to the prior evening at his house on the shore, she had been able to relax with him. She enjoyed the feel of his arms around her as she slept. It was comforting. And warm. And safe. And it was a feeling she had very quickly gotten used to.

  She pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine. There was a light on in the front room, which she imagined was the living room, and a light on in a room off to the side. She wondered momentarily if that was Declan’s bedroom.

  She knocked lightly and waited patiently for the door to open. When it finally did, before her was Declan, donning only a pair of faded jeans.

  Madison involuntarily licked her bottom lip.

  “Hi,” Declan offered in greeting as he opened the screen door to let her in.

  Madison put her hand on his bare chest and gave him a quick kiss before walking past him and into the living room. “Hi.”

  “How’s it going?” Declan was surprised to see Madison in his condo, but it didn’t bother him in the least. In fact, he was glad to see her.

  “It is going,” she paused. “It is going really well.” Her face lit up in a smile.

  “It is, huh?”

  “Yup.” She walked towards him. “I just had dinner with my daughter where we talked about boys and friends and school and … and all sorts of other crazy shit.”

  Declan smiled at her excitement. Madison looked like someone had just told her they’d found the cure for cancer.

  “She just called me up and asked me to dinner. How unbelievable is that?”

  Chuckling, he shook his head. “Not unbelievable at all. I think you two are going to have a great relationship. The more you talk, the more you’ll have in common.”

  “I just can’t believe it happened.”

  He took a step towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist before placing a soft kiss on her lips.

  Suddenly remembering Ty was staying in the condo, she pushed back and looked around the room. “Where’s Ty? Is he in his room?”

  “He is.” Declan smiled at how worried she was about getting caught kissing, as if they were the kids and Ty was the adult. “Don’t worry. He told me he was going to bed.”

  “This early?” Madison looked at him skeptically.

  “He got a call from his mom. She was released today.”

  “Oh, crap, I forgot about that. What did she say?”

  “She wanted to see him.”

  “Does he want to see her?”

  Declan shook his head. “No. He told her he never wanted to see her again.”

  “Wow. That must have been really tough.”

  “She was high already. I’m pretty sure that had a lot to do with it.”

  “I can’t imagine what he’s been through. Good thing he’s got you,” she grinned.

  “I guess so.”

  “So did you lay down the law?”

  “Mostly. We talked about curfews and expectations for school. I want to talk to Erin about his schedule at the gym to see if we can coordinate a few things.”

  Madison looked up at Declan with nothing but pride in her eyes. Her excitement had calmed and he had never seen her more serious. “I’m really proud of you, you know?”

  “Proud of me?”

  “Yeh, proud of you. You offered to take care of someone who had no one. You offered your hand to a young man who needed your help and you brought him a hell of a lot farther than most people would have. You opened your home to him, Declan. I’m extremely proud of you for that.”

  “Aww, shucks,” he grinned.

  “Don’t go making light of this. You very well could have changed the trajectory of his life today. In fact, I know you did. He’ll never know what could have been,
which, I’m sure, would have been way worse than this new situation he’s in, and that’s because of you.

  “When Ellie took me in, I was at the bottom. I was pregnant. The father of my baby was gone. I had no home. There was nowhere for me to go. I was heartbeats away from living on the street when Mrs. Erickson asked me to stay after class that day. She and Ellie, they saved me. They gave me an opportunity to become something better than my situation. They gave me a chance.”

  Her own words took Madison aback. She hadn’t thought about the totality of all that had happened. She had never looked at it that way. All she had seen were the stepping stones and how Mrs. Erickson and Ellie had been such a huge part of her life. If Mrs. Erickson hadn’t intervened. If Ellie hadn’t agreed to let her live with her. If Ellie would have made her leave after the baby was born. Where would she be right now? That one conversation, her listening to her gut when it spoke to her so loudly, so clearly … everything in her entire world changed in that moment.

  “Today, you did the same thing for Ty.” Her eyes moistened as she ran her hand lightly against the soft fuzz on his face. “So yes, I’m proud of you.”

  Declan wasn’t sure what to say. He just knew Ty needed help and he was able to provide it. He hadn’t really thought of what the overall effect would be.

  “I guess I hadn’t really thought of it that way.”

  “I’m not surprised.” She smiled softly with sincerity in her eyes. “That’s just what a good guy would do.”

  Declan chuckled and shook his head.

  “And I gotta say,” she said with a twinkle in her eye as she looped a finger through two of the belt loops on the front of his pants, “you look really good in these jeans.”

  Chapter 27

  Madison opened her eyes and tried to focus on what was in front of her. Large trees hung overhead. Branches sprouted in every direction. Leaves shimmered in the breeze.

  It didn’t make sense.

  Why are there trees on the runway?

  The last thing she remembered was sitting in the cockpit of Declan’s plane, charging down the runway. They had just gone airborne when …

  She slowly moved her head. There was a large crack in the windshield and the small window next to her had been completely blown out. The branch that had done the damage was laying in its place.