Stealing Home

by Sherryl Woods

  Maddie buried her face in her hands. “This is so hard. How does anyone ever get it right?”

  Her mother gave her a sad smile. “I doubt anyone ever gets it entirely right. People just muddle through and try not to do too much damage along the way.” She glanced toward the ceiling. “Something tells me that having Cal in your corner won’t hurt, either. Ty idolizes him and Cal seems to have a good head on his shoulders, in addition to having very good taste in women.”

  “Mother!”

  “I’m just saying—”

  Maddie frowned at her. “I know what you’re saying, but I do not want you endorsing my love life, assuming I ever get around to having one again.”

  “It would be a crying shame if you didn’t, that’s all I’m saying.” After one last stir of the ingredients, her mother tucked the casserole into the oven. “And now I think my job here is done. Tell Ty to stop by or call me anytime he wants. Maybe I can do a better job as a grandma than I ever did as a mother.”

  “You were a good mother,” Maddie protested.

  Her mother gave her a chiding look. “Don’t rewrite history, darling. I loved you with all my heart, but I was obsessed with my work. I’d like to think I’ve finally found a better balance in my life. I just wish I’d had that epiphany in time to be a better mother to you.”

  She pressed a kiss to Maddie’s forehead, then gave her a breezy wave as she exited.

  “Mom, how are you going to get out of the driveway?” Maddie called after her. “Cal’s parked behind you.”

  “Not to worry. That’s why they invented power steering. I’ve gotten out of plenty of tight places in my life.” She grinned. “And you have a big lawn.”

  Maddie was still chuckling when she looked up and spotted Cal.

  “Is your mother leaving?”

  She nodded.

  “But I’m parked behind her.”

  She grinned at him. “She doesn’t seem to think that will be a problem.”

  “Good God,” he murmured and headed outside.

  When he returned, there was a look of wonder on his face. “She’s a little crazy, but she pulled it off. Not a scratch on either of our cars. I’m not sure I can say the same about your rosebush.”

  Maddie shrugged. “I’ve always hated that rosebush. Bill planted it. He thought it would save him from having to buy me roses for our anniversary every year. How’d things go with Ty?”

  “He’ll be down in a minute. You can ask him yourself. I think I’ll take off.”

  A part of her knew he was right to go and give her much-needed time with her son, but another part of her wanted him to stay right there and provide backup when she was at a loss about what to say.

  She gave him a rueful look. “I won’t deny that I’d like it better if you’d stay. But you’re right. Ty and I need to talk.”

  “I’ll call you later to find out how it went,” he promised.

  Maddie nodded, already looking forward to the call more than she probably should. “Thanks for everything, Cal.”

  “Anytime.” He hesitated, then met her gaze. “It’s your turn to come to Friday’s game, right? You weren’t there for the one we played yesterday.”

  She nodded.

  “Pizza after?”

  It was her turn to hesitate, but then she nodded, granting herself that one small pleasure in a sea of uncertainty. “Sure. It sounds good.”

  Besides, what was one more complication in her life? At least this one gave her something to look forward to.

  Maddie was just pulling the tuna casserole out of the oven when Katie appeared in the kitchen doorway, her thumb stuck in her mouth. Maddie regarded her with dismay. She’d thought the thumb-sucking was a habit broken long ago.

  “How’s my girl?” she asked, trying not to show how worried she was by the regression.

  “Okay,” Katie said, but her sad eyes told another story. “Is Daddy coming home for dinner?”

  “No, sweetie, we’ve talked about that,” Maddie said gently. She pulled out a chair and sat down, then beckoned to her daughter. “Come sit with Mommy.”

  Katie scrambled eagerly into her lap, then leaned against her chest, thumb still firmly in her mouth.

  “Your dad doesn’t live here anymore,” Maddie told her, brushing a wayward curl from Katie’s silky cheek. “You’ve been to his new house. Except when he goes out for dinner with you, Kyle and Tyler, that’s where he eats now.”

  Katie heaved a resigned sigh. “With Noreen.”

  “That’s right.”

  “How come?”

  Maddie bit back her own sigh. It was a question she’d asked herself a million times over the past few months. She still didn’t have a clear answer, at least not one suitable for a six-year-old who still idolized her dad.

  “Because that’s where your dad wants to be now,” she explained carefully. “But he still loves you and your brothers very much and he wants you to be part of his new life with Noreen. That will never change. He will always be your dad.” How many times was she going to have to repeat these same words to her children? Until they truly believed them, she supposed.

  Katie certainly didn’t look convinced, just sad. “Ty says he ’bandoned us.”

  “He moved out, that’s true,” Maddie conceded. “But he did not abandon you. He loves you.”

  Katie regarded her with solemn blue eyes. “Does he still love you?”

  “No, baby. I’m afraid not.”

  “Are you sad?”

  “A little bit, because your dad and I had you and Kyle and Tyler and I thought we’d be a family always, but sometimes life doesn’t work out the way we expect. When it doesn’t, we just have to accept it and make the best of things.”

  Tears welled up and spilled down Katie’s cheeks. “I miss Daddy,” she whispered. “Ty doesn’t. He hates him. He’s glad he’s gone.”

  “I don’t believe that,” Maddie said. “He’s just hurt and confused right now, but deep down, Tyler loves your dad just as much as you do.”

  She glanced up and saw Ty just outside the kitchen door. He looked as if he wanted to contradict her, but at her warning look, he remained silent.

  Maddie brushed the tears from Katie’s cheeks. “Why don’t you go upstairs and tell Kyle that dinner’s ready, okay, sweetie?”

  Katie gave her another fierce hug, then climbed down and took off past her older brother.

  “Why’d you tell her I love Dad?” Ty demanded angrily. “She’s right. I hate him.”

  “Even if you do, which I don’t believe, it’s not something your six-year-old sister needs to hear. She needs to know it’s okay to love her dad, even if she’s sad and disappointed. Don’t take that away from her, Tyler. This is hard enough as it is.” She met his gaze. “Can you at least watch what you say around her?”

  He flushed guiltily. “I guess.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Are you gonna let me move in with Grandma?”

  “No,” she said flatly.

  He stared at her incredulously. “How come? I thought you’d be glad to get me out of the house, especially since you think I’m such a bad influence on Katie and Kyle.”

  “We’re a family,” she reminded him. “We stick together.”

  “I guess Dad didn’t get that message,” he said sarcastically.

  “Apparently you missed it, as well,” she retorted. “And for the record, one thing we do in this family is let each other know where we are at all times. I’m going to let today’s incident pass, since you’re already grounded, but add it to the list of things you think about while you’re confined to the house.”

  “I went to Grandma’s,” he said. “What’s the big deal?”

  “The big deal is that you skipped baseball practice, where you were supposed to be. You let your coach and team down. You scared me to death. You’ve always been more thoughtful than that, Ty. I don’t expect that kind of inconsiderate behavior from you and I won’t tolerate it. In addition, you worried Coach M
addox, who’s been nothing but good to you. And he and I spent more than an hour riding all over town trying to find you. None of that is acceptable. Frankly, if I were your coach, I’d bench you for missing practice.”

  Ty’s eyes widened at that. “Did he tell you he was going to do that? He didn’t say it to me. I mean, he talked about rules and consequences and stuff, but he didn’t bench me.”

  “I’m just saying what I’d do in his place.”

  “I guess it’s a good thing you’re not the coach,” Ty muttered.

  “For your sake, yes, it is,” she agreed. “But I am your mother and I expect your respect and consideration. Another incident like this and I’ll have to reevaluate whether baseball means as much to you as you claim it does. It might turn out that it will no longer be the exception that gets you out of this house.”

  He swallowed hard and for the first time looked as if he finally understood the seriousness of what he’d done. “I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t do it to be mean or anything. I just wanted to talk to someone who’d be on my side.”

  Maddie felt a new ache in her heart. “Ty, I am always on your side. Please believe that.”

  He regarded her with a guilty expression. “I know, Mom. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

  Maddie suspected it would, at least in some form or another, but for now she was satisfied that she’d gotten through to him.

  She set the tuna casserole on the table, then pulled a salad from the fridge.

  “Who made the casserole?” Ty asked, regarding it warily. “It doesn’t look like yours.”

  Maddie grinned. “Your grandmother made it. She was proving a point.”

  “That she ought to stick to art?”

  “Don’t let her hear you say that.” Maddie smiled. “I watched what went into it. It should be okay.”

  “Meaning it’ll taste good or that we won’t die?” Ty asked skeptically.

  Maddie studied the bubbling concoction with her own share of skepticism, then shrugged. “Both, I hope.”

  On Friday afternoon Bill started thinking about that night’s game against the high school’s biggest rival. Everyone in town turned out for this game. The rivalry had gone on for at least fifty years. Decorated cars traveled in a caravan marked by pom-poms and banners whether the game was played in Serenity or in the neighboring town.

  Bill had never missed it, not in all the years he’d attended high school, not since Ty had started pitching for the team. It was Maddie’s turn to attend the game but he couldn’t help wondering if she would mind switching with him just this once. Or maybe they could both go. Perhaps Noreen wouldn’t even have to find out about it. Where baseball was concerned, anyway, since he and Maddie had worked out their new arrangement, she seemed to be less insecure. Lately there’d been no reason for Noreen to check up on him, so she’d kept her distance from the ball field. He had to admit, everyone seemed happier.

  As soon as he’d seen his last patient, he grabbed his briefcase and jacket and headed out the door. Unfortunately Noreen caught up with him.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  Bill bristled, though her tone was merely curious rather than possessive. “I have to run an errand,” he said mildly. “I should be home for dinner in a couple of hours. Anything you need?”

  He was surprised by how easily the lies tripped off his tongue. Maybe he’d perfected the skill when he’d been cheating on Maddie.

  “Nothing,” she said, but continued to study him quizzically. “Does Ty have a ball game tonight?”

  He nodded.

  “Didn’t you go to the one earlier in the week?”

  Again, he nodded, knowing that she’d figured out just what so-called errand he intended to run. He might as well admit it. “I thought I’d drop by the field just for an inning or two, not the whole game.”

  “Maddie’s going to be there, isn’t she?”

  “I imagine she will be,” he conceded. “But I won’t sit with her. I won’t even go into the stands. I can watch from the car. It’s a big game. I’d like to see at least a little of it.”

  “I could ride along with you,” she suggested. “If it’s important to Ty, I’d like to be there, too. It’ll give us something to talk about next time we’re all out together.” She met his gaze, her expression sad. “I know he doesn’t want me there, Bill, but if I stay in the car, he won’t even have to know I’m there. He’s your son. I just want to find some common ground, maybe make things better for all of us.”

  Bill sighed and pulled her into his arms. “I know you do. And I know I’m asking a lot when I ask you to stay away from his games, but it’s the way it has to be for now. Baseball’s the most important thing he has in his life right now. He doesn’t need any distractions.”

  “And that’s all I am to him, right? A distraction,” she said bitterly, jerking away from him. “I don’t expect him to ever think of me as his mother, but couldn’t he at least try to see me as a friend?”

  “In time,” Bill said. “I know he will in time. He’s a teenager, Noreen. You can remember what that was like. It’s confusing enough without having your family split apart.”

  She studied him for a long time, then sighed. “Maybe you should have remembered that before you got involved with me,” she said wearily. “I’ll see you at home.”

  Bill watched her square her shoulders and lift her chin as she walked away, but he knew there were tears spilling down her cheeks. Despite her role as the other woman in this situation, she was a good, decent person. Otherwise he didn’t think he would have allowed her to come between him and Maddie.

  “Noreen, wait,” he called after her. “Let’s go to Rosalina’s for pizza.”

  She turned back, swiping at the tears glistening on her cheeks. “Really?” she asked, her expression brightening as if he’d offered her the moon.

  He grinned. “Sure. Why not? We can hang out till the team comes in. The local radio station broadcasts the games, so they’ll have it on at Rosalina’s and we can listen to it together.”

  “How’s Ty going to feel if we’re there when he comes in?” she asked.

  “We won’t stay,” Bill said, warming to the idea. “We’ll just say hello, congratulate him on his pitching if they win and then take off. I’m sure it will be okay as long as we don’t stick around.”

  Noreen looked doubtful. “He’s embarrassed about me, especially in front of his friends,” she reminded him.

  “Then we’ll go before he gets there,” Bill said, knowing she was right. “But you and I will be able to share the game and you’ll have something to talk to him about the next time we get together.”

  “Perfect,” she said, beaming at him. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me,” he said gruffly.

  After all, if he had a decent bone left in his body, he’d try to remember that this was the woman he’d chosen over his family. She didn’t deserve to spend one single moment thinking she was second best.

  The truth was, as young as she was, Noreen had borne up amazingly well under the judgmental scrutiny of Serenity’s nosiest residents, especially once she’d been unable to hide her pregnancy. She’d known that most of the town had taken sides and that Maddie had won the contest. But not once had she expressed a single ounce of self-pity. In fact, she’d done everything she could think of to stand tall and fit in, especially when it came to his children. It was the circumstances, not Noreen, that had made that impossible.

  Bill looked at her glowing face, saw the eagerness shining in her eyes and impulsively leaned down to kiss her. “Have I told you lately how beautiful you are?”

  She gave him a tremulous smile. “Not really.”

  “Well, it’s true. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

  Unfortunately, he also had no idea why his good fortune wasn’t making him happy.

  13

  Nearly a dozen pieces of top-of-the-line exercise equipment had arrived at the club F
riday morning. Most were still in their boxes and had been shoved to one side in what would be the main workout room, but Maddie had persuaded Mitch to unpack and hook up one treadmill just so she could give it a try. He’d positioned it in front of the wide expanse of windows facing the woods, just as she’d envisioned it.

  Now, at the end of a long and tedious day, she had maybe ten minutes before she needed to leave to pick up Katie and Kyle and get to the field for Ty’s game. She climbed onto the machine, checked the settings and started it up. As she settled into an easy stride, she gazed out at the tranquil setting and felt her cares slip away. If it could do that for her in under a minute, just imagine what it would do—

  “My turn,” Helen said.

  Maddie was so startled she nearly stumbled off the platform. “Where’d you come from? Don’t sneak up on a person that way!” She climbed off and let Helen take her place.

  “I saw Mitch earlier and he mentioned that the equipment had arrived. I was anxious to get a peek. Is that the rest of it over there?” She nodded toward the assortment of boxes across the room.

  “Yep. If all of it is as great as this, our members will be ecstatic,” Maddie said.

  “Why didn’t you have Mitch’s crew unpack it?”

  “There’s still too much work to be done in here. It would be in the way and get filthy besides.” Maddie grinned. “I couldn’t resist trying one machine, though.” She ran her fingers over the elaborate control panel. “Isn’t it fabulous?”

  “Not just the treadmill, but this view,” Helen said, already looking more relaxed. “Honestly, I could swear I feel better already.”

  “I know,” Maddie said excitedly. “I did, too. I’m really starting to believe this place is going to be a wonderful addition to the town.”

  Helen regarded her with an odd expression. “You didn’t believe that going in?”

  “Not really. I was too focused on what it would mean for me to have a project I could sink my teeth into,” Maddie admitted. “And of course, there were the health benefits for the three of us.”

  Helen gave her a wry look. “I could have bought us all memberships in Chez Bella a lot cheaper.”