Clifton shook his head. “It’s not just the weight loss, although I’ve got to admit, I didn’t recognize you when you walked in. You’ve turned into a walking, talking fantasy, every man’s dream of the ultimate sexy woman.”
She chuckled. “Incredible what losing a few pounds will do for a woman, isn’t it?”
“No, it’s more than that. You carry yourself like a vibrant, sexy woman…”
Thank you, Mother.
“A woman who is confident, sure of herself and her worth,” he continued. “The change isn’t just visual. It goes much deeper than that. If I’d just met you for the first time, you’d have me salivating like those guys over there.” He nodded his head toward the adjacent table.
Madison glanced over at the businessmen, accepting another smile and a saucy wink. She turned back to her ex-husband, her head tilted to one side as she in turn stared at him. She suddenly had one of those light-bulb moments. The dark space in the back of her mind lit up and she knew she didn’t hate Clifton any more. She’d grown beyond that, gone through the dark hours and emerged free of the inevitable pain of a broken relationship.
Thank you, Clifton. Now if only she could do the same with Jake. She shut down on the thought, kept her mind focused on the matter at hand, because the hurt from this new relationship—was it a relationship?—would devastate so much more.
“So who was it who urged you to find me? I can’t believe it was your mother. She couldn’t stand me. Come clean, Clifton. What’s this all about?”
“It was both of them, Mother and Dad,” he said. “I’ve made quite a name for myself as an investigative journalist and I’ve dabbled in politics for a while now.”
“What’s that got to do with me?” Madison took another sip of her wine before returning the glass to the table. Poor Clifton, he was going to have to pay for that very expensive wine and the bottle was still half full.
“My father wants me to go into politics full time and for that I have to have a squeaky-clean image. Which means—”
“Re-marrying the wife you tossed aside,” Madison interrupted. “The good old family man. The voters would accept you being divorced once they see you’ve cleaned up your act. Then they’d expect you to have the one point…” She waved her hand in the air, tried to come up with the correct figure. “…something children. The perfect family man. Correct?”
“That’s about the strength of it.”
“But what do you want? Not what your father wants, but what you want.”
“I like to hover on the fringes of the political scene, particularly when it comes to the union problems, but if I became a full-time politician, I’d have to give up reporting.”
“So stand up to Daddy. Tell him to fuck off. You’ve a right to run your own life now.” She grinned at him. “You don’t really want to be married to me again, do you?”
“Ah, no, not really. I’m not certain I even knew what love was back when we got married, but now I do.” He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “Although seeing you now, I could be persuaded to spend a bit of time with you.”
“That’s sex, not love.” She toyed with the tips of his fingers. “So tell me about her.” When he tried to remove his hand, she tightened her grip.
“Who? What are you on about?”
“The lady who’s taught you all about true love. And don’t try to squirm out of it. I lived with you for ten years. I know you pretty well.”
There was silence for a moment before Clifton said, “You’re right, there is someone. She’s beautiful and feisty, doesn’t let me get away with a thing. And I love her to bits.”
“So that’s what I did wrong. I didn’t get heavy with you when you did the wrong thing.” Madison stared at him. “There’s something else. I can see it on your face.”
He smiled. “I’m going to be a daddy. Debbie is three months pregnant.”
“And you’re still listening to your father? Clifton, you fool. It’s time to cut the apron strings. Go home and marry the girl. Your parents might be annoyed to start with, but they’ll come around. And if they don’t, well, you’ll have a family of your own, with enough love to weather the problems with your father. This is your life, not his.”
“You’re right. I’m going to arrange a civil ceremony as soon as I get back and to hell with the family name. Debbie is as good as them any day.”
Madison frowned and scratched her head as she tried to make sense of it all. “So why bother to come and see me if you were planning to marry another woman?”
“I told you I’d grown up, but maybe not enough.” He frowned. “For a while I even contemplated doing what my father wanted. You’ve helped crystallize things in my mind. I guess I just needed someone to put it into words for me.”
Good gracious, after all this time he is still trying to please Daddy, despite what he’s saying. I may not have seen it at the time, but I’m better off out of that marriage.
“Go home and marry your Debbie, Clifton.”
He grinned. “You’re right, but Madison, there’s still one thing I want to say.”
She raised her eyebrows and waited.
“I’m truly sorry for what I put you through. That was the other reason I came up here. You were so shattered when you left, I needed to know I hadn’t done irreparable damage.” He grimaced. “Yeah, I know, that sounds like ego talking, but I guess I feel I have to be able to close the door on that part of my life before I can walk away with a clear conscience.”
“My, you really have changed.”
“I have no illusions I’m so great you’d never be able to get over me, but I still had to be certain you were doing okay.”
“Clifton, you did me a favor,” Madison reiterated. “Now, let’s get out of here. Unless you want to finish off the champagne?”
With a glance at the folder the waiter had placed on the edge of the table, he counted out large domination notes from his wallet. As he stood up, he said, “I hate champagne.”
“I’ll let you into a secret,” Madison tossed over her shoulder as she preceded him out of the restaurant. “I can’t stand pink champagne.”
Madison felt pretty good when she walked out of the restaurant. She’d laid a lot of demons to rest tonight. The old insecurities seem to float off into the balmy night air and for the first time she felt free of the past. Even the certificate she’d received when her divorce was final hadn’t given her this sense of freedom.
She slipped her arm through Clifton’s and walked him toward the cab rank. “Personally, I’d like to have a boy first. What about you?”
“Doesn’t matter, as long as Debbie and the baby are okay.” He paused at the first cab in line and bent to open the passenger door.
“So when do you go back to Sydney?”
“I thought I’d take another day to have a look around up here, it’s a beautiful place. I’ll fly home on Sunday.”
With a grin, Madison wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. “Have a good life, Clifton Rossi, and send me a photo of the baby when he, or she, arrives.”
She closed the distance between them and captured his lips in a searing kiss. When she broke off the kiss, the shock on his face was balm for her soul. “Just to show you what you missed out on.” She chuckled as she slipped from his arms and disappeared into the cab.
“Go knock ‘em dead, Madison Paxton,” he called out as she slammed the door and gave the cab driver her address. She was feeling pleased with herself and the way she’d handled Clifton. Twelve months ago, she would have caved in to his demands, but she’d changed so much.
And Jake is responsible.
The words reverberated inside her head, bringing with them a sense of depression that threatened to smother her. She cast it from her, determined not to let it take over.
“You’re a vibrant, sexy woman, Madison Paxton,” she whispered. You don’t need a man to justify your existence, she finished silently.
“You are definitely the s
exiest woman I’ve had in my cab all night, love,” the aged cab driver responded.
A chuckle bubbled up at the driver’s sally. “Thank you, kind sir. You’ve made my day.”
CHAPTER 16
“What the heck’s wrong with you, boy? You’ve moped around the house like a sick duck all day.” Bart sighed in exasperation as Jake pushed food around his plate. “If you’re not going to eat that meal, stop playing with it.”
Jake let out a crack of laughter, surprised in spite of himself. He hadn’t thought he was capable of finding any humor in life at the moment. “You used to say that to me when I was a kid.”
“Yeah, well, it seems to me you’re acting like that same kid right now. You’re sulking.” Bart collected the dirty plates and carried them to the bench, scraped the remains of Jake’s meal and dumped the dirty china in the sink.
“Am not,” Jake retorted.
“Are too,” Bart reiterated. “So what’s wrong? Girlfriend stand you up tonight?”
Images of Madison rushed through him and filled his mind. His father was right. He had hovered around the house all day, unable to get his head together. He reached into his pocket and curled his hand around the crumpled ball of paper.
MADISON PAXTON MAKEOVER PLAN.
He felt like a fool, he’d been so easily taken in. She hadn’t wanted a permanent relationship, just a sperm-toting, testosterone-filled male. Any man would have done. He just happened to be the man on the spot. And it was his own fucking fault. If he’d told her the truth right up front, he wouldn’t be in this position now.
“How come you’re not out tonight? It’s the first night I’ve had you home for weeks.”
“The lady and I have come to a parting of the ways.” Jake closed his eyes a moment as a shaft of pain arrowed through him.
“So you told her the truth and she couldn’t take it.” Bart sat down across from his son. “You give her time to take it in or did you just toss it at her and expect her to accept it immediately? Women need time. You have to handle them gently.”
Jake rolled his eyes. God help him, he couldn’t confess to his father.
“Come on, Jake, I might be old, but I have had some dealings with women. If I can handle my Rosa, surely I can be of some help to my own son?”
“I didn’t tell her the truth.” Jake kept his head bent and traced the check pattern in the tablecloth with the tip of his finger.
Bart shook his head. “I told you, a relationship can’t be built on a lie. Did you tell her you loved her?”
“No, and I’m not certain I do.”
“Rubbish. It’s written all over your face.” He held up his hand when Jake opened his mouth to speak. “Uh-uh, don’t deny it. Your old man isn’t blind. Yet.” He stood and whipped the tablecloth out from under Jake’s arms. “So what went wrong?”
Jake pushed himself to his feet and paced across the kitchen, hands shoved deep into his pockets. The crackle of paper in his clenched hand was fairly potent evidence of Madison’s deception. His own lie screamed inside his head, reminding him he’s been just as underhanded as Madison.
He paused, rested his hands on the edge of the bench and hung his head. He’d started out with one objective in mind. To use Madison to get back into the dating scene. As a means of revamping his technique with women. But the whole scenario had changed.
Madison had become the most important thing on his mind. Helping her to recover from the callous treatment of her ex-husband had meant more to him than proving Courtney wrong about him. He fingered the crumpled ball of paper in his pocket. Maybe the same thing had happened to Madison.
His father was right. He did love her. This list in his pocket hadn’t changed that. He’d handled it all wrong. He should have given her a chance to explain.
She may have started out as per her makeover plan, but he had a suspicion her emotions ran just as deep as his own. He hadn’t given her a chance.
He lifted his head and stared at his father. “You’re right, Dad, I’m an idiot when it comes to women.”
“Hah, women make fools of us all, but where would we be without them? You going to give her a ring and straighten this out? Women brood, you know, better to sort this out before she has time to focus too much on your faults.”
“Can’t,” Jake said with a shake of his head. “She’s got some type of appointment tonight. I’ll have to contact her tomorrow.” He felt better now he had a plan of action. He grinned at his father. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Don’t mention it. What are fathers for if not to give their children advice?” He rubbed his hands together. “So, if you’re free, you can drive your old man into town. I want to check with Mr. Wong at the Chinese restaurant that everything is ready for tomorrow night.”
“No problem.” Jake was glad to have something to fill in his time. “Although wouldn’t you rather do that with Rosa?”
“Rosa is with Ken Harvey at the retirement home. He’s taking over from her as manager when she moves in here. Besides, I want to arrange with Mr. Wong to make an engagement cake for tomorrow as a surprise for Rosa. I never did give her an engagement party.”
Bart picked up his keys and handed them to Jake. “We’ll take my car, but you can drive. I’m too old to sit with my knees up around my ears in that little red rocket you drive.”
Jake laughed as he led the way out of the house, his heart lighter already. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come so he could talk to Madison and straighten this out. Tell her he loved her and lay all his cards on the table.
Thoughts of Madison kept his mind busy on the short drive into town. There wasn’t a lot of traffic on the road, but parking spaces in the main street of Caloundra on Friday night were at a premium. Finally, he hit on one some distance away and he and his father wandered down the neon-lit street toward the restaurant.
He glanced in the windows of the shops and the many eateries they passed. At the well-lit window of a fancy French restaurant two doors down from the Golden Dragon, he paused. Maybe when he and Madison sorted things out, he’d bring her here to celebrate. It looked just the place for a romantic dinner.
All of a sudden, an image hit him, smack between the eyes. Madison. At a table for two, wearing the same black dress she’d tantalized him with. But this time he wasn’t the recipient of all the sexy glamour, because across from her was another man, and to make it worse, he was holding her hand like a lover.
“Hey, you coming, Jake?”
His father’s words cut through the fog in his brain. He backed away from the lighted window. Shock rocketed through him. No wonder she’d told him not to bother to ring. His steps leaden, he turned and moved toward his father. Right at that moment, he felt older than his dad, as if all the stuffing had drained out of him.
“You feeling all right, Son?”
“Yeah, just a bit tired,” Jake said. He leaned up against the front of the gift store beside the French restaurant. Thank God it was dark, no interior lights on. Right now he needed the anonymity of the night. “You go in and sort out your engagement cake, Dad. I’ll wait here for you.”
Bart shrugged and moved off, disappearing inside the Golden Dragon. Jake made a move to step out of the patch of darkness. Then he halted. Madison and her date exited the restaurant. She looked happy, a smile on her face as she tucked her arm through her date’s. They were of a similar height. The guy was good-looking, smooth and debonair. Well, good-looking to some…if you were a woman, and if you liked that type of thing. Obviously Madison did, judging by the way she hugged his arm close to her body.
“Personally, I’d like a boy first.”
Madison’s words carried on the night air, despite the sound of the road traffic. Jake didn’t hear any more as they moved further down the street to the cab rank. Wouldn’t have mattered even if they’d been right next to him. His head was filled with a strange buzzing and a red haze had taken over his mind. As he watched the guy take her in his arms and kiss her, the sound in his head intensified.
He wanted to go after the guy, grab him and thrash him to a pulp. His hands curled into fists as he struggled to control his rage. It wasn’t the man’s fault. It was clear Madison had another stud on the side. Or she’d called one after he’d stormed out like an idiot this morning.
Seems she was still intent on being pregnant before her thirtieth birthday. A boy first indeed. This time she’d come clean and told the fellow what she wanted to use him for.
“The rotten, little—” He cut the expletive off. “Damn her,” he whispered. “She gets me to educate her, to show her how enjoyable, how mind-blowing making love can be and then she goes off and shares all that expertise with another man. She’d nothing but a user.”
For the moment, he ignored the fact he’d started this whole venture with the clear intention of using Madison. How dare she see another man behind his back?
Jealous, Jake?
The question seared through his brain. “You bet your boots I am,” he muttered.
Therein hangs the problem, and the answer, old boy. You’re jealous because you love the woman to distraction.
He’d screwed it up when he’d walked away, and by the look of things, it was too late to patch it up. Well, to hell with her. He’d gotten over Courtney and he’d do the same with Madison. Who needed women anyway? They were too much fucking trouble.
The rage inside built to terrifying proportions. She hadn’t even waited one night. Off with the old and on with the new. And if she did get pregnant, the baby could well be his. Before he could ponder the seriousness of that thought, his father walked up to him.
“Okay, all set. Let’s go home and you can give your girl a call. She might be back from her appointment by now.”
In full color, the picture of Madison allowing that bozo to kiss her slammed into his mind. Jake had to force his hands to uncurl before he could reach into his pocket for the car keys.
“To hell with women,” he spat out as he stomped off. “They aren’t worth it.”
Madison stripped off the black dress and sexy underwear and reached for her nightgown. She hesitated, tossing the nightgown back onto the bed. It was still early and she was feeling good. She grabbed her itty bitty bikini; she’d go for a swim.
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