by Jamie Carie
“Oh, yes,” Maddie said in a rush. “I was just so surprised…that is…by all the snow.” Maddie stood back for him to enter. “We’re nearly ready. Come in for a minute?”
Jake stepped into the living room, his shoulders dusted with snowflakes.
“Max rushed to greet him while Jake squatted down and held out his arms. “Max, my man. Are you ready to go to church?”
Max gave him a big squeeze around the neck and nodded. “Got to go to church!” Max shouted.
Jake laughed. “That we do, Max. That we do.”
Maddie turned from slipping into her gloves and grasping her purse. When she saw that Jake was gently trying to coax Max’s fingers into his mittens she smiled. “You boys ready?”
Jake looked up from the task and grimaced with a smile. “This is harder than it looks.”
Maddie laughed. “You’ll get the hang of it with some practice.”
“I think I’d like that.” Jake said it low, but it had reached Maddie’s ears and made a shiver of pleasure race down her back.
Jake scooped Max into his arms, the boy looking thrilled to be so high off the ground. “Shall we?” Jake opened the door for Maddie.
There was his massive, shiny black SUV sitting in her parents’ driveway.
Max shouted in glee. “Great big truck!” He grinned even wider when Jake opened the back door and sat him on the huge leather seat.
Maddie trudged through the snow to her car to get the car seat. She pulled and pulled on the door handle, but the door was solidly frozen shut.
“Stay put, Max, I’ll be right back.” Jake shut the door and trudged through the snow toward Maddie. He gave the door handle a big jerk and with a giant creak the door swung open. Jake grinned victoriously at her. It was such a cute little-boy look, something she had seen on Max’s face when he’d thought he had done something wonderful, like go in the potty, that she giggled. “Why thank you, kind sir. However did you get so strong?”
He must have known she was teasing but looked pleased by the comment all the same. As she stepped forward to grab the seat he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss, then hauled the seat out and carried it back to the truck.
Maddie could only smile and try hard not to feel so happy as she followed him back to the vehicle. Happiness turned to alarm when Jake tried to open the door and found it locked. “Oh no,” Maddie said, rushing forward to peer through the dark glass. “Do you have the keys?”
Maddie took the car seat from Jake so that he could search his pockets. “I think I left them on the seat with Max.”
“He is probably playing with them and that’s how he managed to lock the doors.” Jake went around the back and sides, trying all the doors, while Maddie rapped on the glass, shouting in a happy voice, “Max, honey. Do you have the keys?”
She could just barely see Max scoot toward her and stand on the seat, waving the keys at her. “Good, Max. Now, push the buttons. Push every one, okay?”
Max said something back that she couldn’t hear and started to look upset. He was probably wondering why she wasn’t opening the door. “No, no, Max. Don’t cry. We are going to play a game, okay? You push the buttons on the key chain and then Mommy will surprise you when I open the door. Ready? Push the buttons, Max!” She smiled as big as she could and clapped her hands together in fake excitement.
Max dropped the keys.
“Oh, Jake. He dropped the keys.”
Jake came up beside her, peering through the window. “Keep talking to him. We have to keep him calm.”
Maddie nodded. “Max, go get the keys, sweetie. We can’t play the game without the magic keys.” He looked ready to argue, then decided to give it another try. He pushed his little body to the edge of the seat, turned over onto his stomach and then slid down to the carpet. Maddie couldn’t see him for a couple of minutes and was starting to worry when suddenly his head popped back up and he flashed the keys at her, waving them back and forth.
“Good, Max, great job! Now push those buttons!”
She was hoping and praying he didn’t hit the panic button. That would scare him for sure. Just as she thought that thought, Jake said in a bright voice, “Don’t push the red button, Max. That’s the loser button. Not the red one.”
Max looked as if he had just been about to push that very one and backed his hand away. They both watched as his cute little face studied the key fob. Suddenly, there was a loud click and the doors were unlocked. He’d pressed the right button on the first try!
Maddie rushed to open the door and took her gleeful son into her arms. “I won! I won!” he cried over and over.
“Yes, you won!” Maddie agreed, gently prying the keys from his hand. Jake took a deep breath and shook his head, smiling down at the two of them. “That was scary.”
Maddie nodded, “Thank heaven he found the button!” She gestured toward the car seat. “Let’s get him strapped in, shall we?”
Jake looked so relieved that Maddie couldn’t help but laugh as she buckled Max safely inside.
“So, iChurch, huh? Sounds modern,” Jake commented as they pulled out of the driveway.
Maddie arranged her dress against the slippery leather of her seat and nodded to him. “I’ve tried out two other churches recommended to me from my church in Muncie, gone a few weeks to each of them, and they were okay but I want to try a couple more before I make my decision.”
Jake reached for her hand across the wide console between them. “Sounds like a good idea. What exactly are you looking for?”
Maddie took a deep breath, thinking about the question. She watched his profile, how chiseled and gorgeous and bigger than life he seemed in the SUV, watched his free hand easily guide the vehicle with the steering wheel as he navigated the Sunday church rush hour and tried to remember what she wanted in a church.
“Well, my parents always attended the same church for as long as I can remember. It was good, very traditional. My sister and I did the Sunday school thing and I was in the church choir. But after I married Brandon and moved to Muncie, I don’t know. It was weird. It was like he and I were living different lives sometimes. I worked full-time to put him through college and then I had Max. He was either going to class and studying or, after landing his first big job, working all of the time. Max and I…we sort of found our own church. It became like a family to me.”
Jake glanced over at her. “Sounds like you found something you needed.”
Maddie nodded. “I did. And I loved the worship. They have a great worship team. It was like being at a concert every Sunday. The people really got into it. They lifted their hands and clapped and, well…worshipped God with such freedom.”
She waited with an indrawn breath to hear what Jake would say to that. She had no idea what kind of religious upbringing he may or may not have had.
“Is that weird, do you think?” she asked into the silence.
He seemed to be thinking about it. “Well, when you put it like that. I mean, people cheer and raise their hands and clap for us—a basketball team—and they don’t think anything about it.” He glanced at her again and she could tell that he was really thinking this through. “And we’re just playing with a little orange ball. Just trying to get it to swoosh through a net more times than our opponents. It’s great. I’ll grant you that. But if I were to really to imagine heaven…seeing God?” He looked at her again, his gray-green eyes piercing in intensity. “I can’t imagine that raised hands and clapping would even begin to be enough. I’m no god and they give me that.”
Maddie blinked back sudden tears. No one had put into words how she felt about it before. “Exactly,” she said softly. “That’s what we’re looking for today.”
The church was in a strip mall. They pulled into the packed parking lot and found a spot. Maddie started to unstrap Max from his car seat but Jake stopped her. “Let me get him.” He pulled the straps away and gathered her son into his arms. “Come on, Max. Let’s go to church!”
Max gave a happy
laugh and nestled into Jake’s arms like he belonged there while Maddie quickly turned away, trying not to slide on the ice on the pavement in her heels and keep the tears that kept rising up this morning from her eyes.
Together, as if they were a family, they walked to the double glass doors.
The greeters, a heavyset man and a trim, pretty woman greeted them with smiles and programs. Maddie clutched hers, seeing the heads turn in the lobby toward their threesome, knowing that Jake might be recognized. They made their way down a long, carpeted isle to a row of chairs about halfway back and in the center. Jake settled Max securely on his lap and stretched his long arm across the back of Maddie’s chair. Within minutes the lights dimmed and the worship team took their positions on the stage.
The leader had longish dark hair and deep eyes. He spoke a little, welcoming them, then began to strum his guitar. He began to sing in a deep baritone about God’s glory. The rest of the team stood with their eyes closed as this one man and one acoustic guitar filled the warehouse-like space. His voice was pure. His words grew into a fullness that made Maddie breathe deeper as a peaceful feeling swept through her. Then the band joined in.
~~~~~~
Jake watched Maddie’s face. Her eyes were closed and her hands were tightly clasped in front of her pretty dress, but he couldn’t keep his eyes from her face. She was feeling…something.
Religion had never meant much to Jake. He hadn’t been raised in the religion of a church, only the religion of a sport. But something Maddie had said on the drive over had struck him. They were all looking for a touch from God, weren’t they? If he did believe in God, and he did, he didn’t know exactly why or how, but he had felt Him at times during his life. When he’d signed his first contract with all those colleges vying for him, he’d felt some guidance beyond his father’s booming voice. He had felt sure…had some feeling of rightness and peace that he was supposed to go with Georgia Tech. And then, when his girlfriend had decided to abandon him and attend a different college, he had known, somehow, that it was the right decision for both of them.
He may not have entered a church before today, but there had been God moments in his life for as long as he could remember. He didn’t doubt the existence of a God who loved him, who watched over him, who knew him since before he was born.
He looked down at Maddie’s captivated face and suddenly knew. This music might be the thing that brought Maddie closer to God, but Maddie would be the one who brought him closer to God.
He took a long, deep breath as gratitude filled him. She was the one. For so many reasons…he had found his other half.
With Max dozing against his chest, his freshly shampooed curls tickling his neck, Jake reached over with his other hand and grasped Maddie’s hand.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The day was bright for mid-December, a blue sky with white clouds, giving a reprieve from the gloomy, overcast weather. Maddie pulled her car into the model home’s parking lot and looked for Sasha’s red Ford Mustang convertible, Sasha’s biggest splurge. As she turned off the engine, Sasha pulled in beside her and waved.
“This neighborhood is great,” Sasha stated with a big grin as she got out and locked her car with a chirruping beep.
“I know. I can’t believe I’m really doing this.” Maddie had worked for the Racers long enough to have saved a respectable four thousand dollars to add to the money left over from Brandon’s life insurance. It might just be enough for a down payment on a starter house for Max and her.
As they walked up the sidewalk and into the model home, Maddie asked, “How are things with Rob? You didn’t call, so I didn’t know if you wanted to talk about it. Did you tell him about Marcus?”
Sasha nodded, hand on the doorknob. “I’ll tell you all the details later, but suffice it to say,” she turned, tossing her long, dark hair, “he calls me daily and has even hinted at a ring.”
“You’re kidding?” Maddie placed her hand on the door to keep Sasha from opening it yet. “He wasn’t angry?”
“Oh, he was steaming mad. He ranted at me both over the phone and on text until I was ready to slug him. I told him that as far as I was concerned we weren’t in a real relationship anyway and he finally conceded that I was right. He said he would like to start over. I guess since someone like a famous basketball player wanted me he decided he would fight for me. For the first time since we’ve been together, he is actually chasing after me. Can you believe it? Men!”
Maddie shook her head, perplexed. “Do you want him that way? I mean, you know, having to be so goaded into it and all?”
Sasha grinned. “I’m waiting to see how long it lasts and if it survives his parents’ house. I talked him into a visit with me included this time. If that doesn’t go well,” she shrugged, “I may have to end it. I really think this might be our turning point.” Sasha pulled the door open. “Come on, let’s find you a house.”
Maddie had thought a lot about buying an established home—she would probably get more for her money—but she couldn’t get away from wanting something fresh and new, a new beginning where she and Max could make their own memories, so she’d decided to visit some builders.
The office was spacious and neat, with a well-lit room displaying floor plans and a community map. “Look,” Sasha whispered, pointing. “It has a neighborhood pool!”
Maddie nodded, pointing at another spot on the map. “And a park. Max would love that.”
A woman came over to them, petite and well dressed, with brown hair and glasses. “Hello.” She held out her hand with a big smile. “I’m Rebecca Slater.”
Maddie shook her hand, a little nervous. “I’m Maddie Goode and this is my friend, Sasha.”
“Welcome to Meadow Grove. What can I help you with today?”
“I’m looking into building a home. We would like to see the models.”
Rebecca swept an arm toward the floor plans on the wall. “Wonderful. We have twelve lots left. Which model would you like to see?”
“I can probably afford one of the smaller homes, but I would like to see them all.”
“Let’s look at the lots available first and then I will show you the models.” Rebecca led them over to the center of the room.
The three crowded around a square glass case in the middle of the floor. Inside was a replica of the community, little cardboard houses lining the streets, green paint designating the hilly property from the flat and blue paint for the fishing pond and swimming pool. Rebecca pointed out the remaining lots. One was within close proximity to the park and within walking distance to the pool. Maddie looked at Sasha and grinned.
“What style of home are you looking for?”
“It’s for me and my son, Max. I would like a two-story, maybe something with vaulted ceilings and an open floor plan on the first floor.”
“Oh, yes. We have just what you’re looking for,” gushed Rebecca. “Come see the Commodore.”
They followed the saleswoman back to the wall with the oversized floor plans and tried to imagine them as carpeted, decorated homes.
“I think I like the Ecuador,” Maddie said at last. “Can I see both, though?”
“Just follow me,” Rebecca said in a happy voice. “You’re going to love the models. Everyone does.”
The first home was a small ranch, but tastefully decorated. Maddie nodded her way through the tour, thinking she could do better.
The second had an odd layout that she didn’t like, but the third was, as Rebecca assured, very similar to the Ecuador, and Maddie loved it. The entry gave way into a huge family room with vaulted ceilings. The dining area and spacious kitchen were separated by a long counter with granite countertops and barstools. Maddie loved the idea of having Max sit at the counter doing his homework one day or eating a snack while she was cooking in the kitchen. There was a nice-sized powder room and a laundry/mud room. Then they headed up the stairs.
The stairway led to a bonus room that overlooked the family room below. A short ha
llway led to a jack-and-jill bathroom with two medium-sized bedrooms on either side. Maddie noted that one could easily be turned into an office.
The upstairs seemed perfect with the three bedrooms, two bathrooms and lots of closet space. The master bedroom’s closet was big enough to be a room all on its own.
“You’ll have room for all those shoes we’ve been buying,” Sasha teased, peeking into the closet.
“We’ve been buying? If my credit card bill is any indication, I’d say you’ve been talking me into them, and I’ve been buying.” But she grinned while she said it. The house was perfect.
She was just about to ask the price when her cell phone rang. The number on the screen didn’t look familiar.
“Excuse me,” she murmured, stepping into the huge closet and hearing Rebecca say she would let them look around by themselves for a while and meet them back in the office when they were finished.
Maddie saw Sasha plop down on the huge bed as she said “hello” into the receiver.
“Is this Madeline Goode?”
“Yes.”
“My name is Sabrina Bridgestone.”
“Yes?” Maddie questioned when the woman stopped talking.
She heard a deep breath and then the rush of words. “I need to speak with you concerning your husband. Concerning Brandon.”
Maddie adjusted the phone on her ear. “What is this about?”
“What it’s about is too complicated for a phone call. We need to meet.”
“Who are you?” Maddie demanded, a feeling of deep unease spreading from her stomach. “My husband…is no longer living.”
“I know that,” the woman snapped. “I know that.” This time it was said low and sad. “I knew your husband. Knew him very well. Better than you know, and we need to talk.”
“Who are you? Is this some kind of sick joke?”
“Listen. I didn’t want you to ever know about this, about Brandon and me, but something’s happened. Something I have to warn you about. Can you meet me today? Anywhere, you name the place and I’ll be there.”
