Say It with Roses

by Devon Vaughn Archer

  He smiled at her again, thinking it was becoming easier with every moment they spent together.

  The band came back on stage and played one more set of classic jazz and a couple contemporary numbers.

  Afterward, Stuart drove Madison home. He walked her to the door, wishing the night had not come to an end so soon.

  “Hope you enjoyed the evening,” he told her.

  “I did,” she said. She wondered if she should invite him in for a nightcap. But she thought better of it, figuring he needed to get home to his daughters.

  “Well, thanks again for the interview and the company tonight,” he said.

  “It was my pleasure on both counts.” Madison smiled brightly so he would know that she meant every word.

  Stuart peered into her eyes for a long moment. “See you later,” he finally said.

  “Bye.”

  Madison went inside. I actually thought he might kiss me, she thought. Was that just wishful thinking, or was there actually a connection between them?

  Madison had just kicked off her shoes when the doorbell rang. She thought it might be Stuart, and her heart skipped a beat.

  Instead, it was Jacinta. “Hey, girl.”

  Madison hid her disappointment. “Hi.”

  “I couldn’t help but notice that hunk of a man who just dropped you off.”

  He’s hard not to notice, Madison thought.

  “So...who is he?” Jacinta prodded.

  “His name is Stuart. I did an interview on him for the magazine.”

  Jacinta put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, yeah. I read it. Stuart Kendall, the mystery writer. I’m surprised I didn’t recognize him. He’s one of my favorite authors. Are you two dating?”

  “Not exactly,” she said. “He invited me to see his friend play at the Rooster Club.”

  “Sounds pretty chummy to me.”

  “We’re friends,” Madison said, trying not to make anything more out of it. She knew Jacinta had a tendency to quickly draw the wrong conclusions.

  “Well, maybe you can get your friend to autograph his latest book for me,” Jacinta said.

  “I can try.”

  “Cool.” She scooted inside past Madison. “But first things first. I want to know the real story with what’s going on between you and Mr. Bestselling Author....”

  Madison chuckled. “You have a devious mind, girl.”

  “No, it’s just curiosity from an admittedly nosey neighbor.”

  Madison did not really want to talk about it, but figured Jacinta would not go away till she did.

  “I used to hang out with Stuart’s sister in Houston,” she said.

  Jacinta cocked a brow. “Is that so?”

  “Yes. So when I moved here, it was only natural that we would connect.” She saw no reason to talk about the fact that it had gotten off to a rocky start.

  “You’re just full of surprises,” Jacinta said. “And I thought you weren’t in the market for a man.”

  Madison batted her eyes. “Who says I am?”

  “The body language I picked up between you and Stuart made it clear.”

  Madison laughed. “I think you only saw what you wanted to see.”

  “Uh-uh,” Jacinta said, snickering. “My eyesight is fine, thank you.”

  “Really, Stuart and I are just friends at this point.”

  “Aah, so you are interested in the man,” Jacinta said.

  “I didn’t say that,” Madison replied. She was clearly failing at trying to hide her emotions.

  “You didn’t have to. The man is hot, you’re hot. Why not go for it and see where it leads?”

  “Maybe so, maybe no. But right now, I’m going to bed. Alone.”

  Jacinta grinned. “I get the message. I’ll see you later.” When she got to the door, she turned around and said, “Sweet dreams....”

  “You, too,” Madison said. She wondered if Stuart might be the one to make her dreams sweet.

  Chapter 7

  Stuart was in the park with Dottie, Carrie and Grace, riding their bikes. It was a warm day in the middle of April, perfect for riding. He trailed behind the three, keeping watch over them while everyone got their workout for the day.

  He thought about how he had gone last week to the Rooster Club with Madison, then been ribbed about it the next day by Chad, who seemed to think they made the perfect couple. Stuart couldn’t disagree with him, except for one little problem: they weren’t seeing each other. In fact, they hadn’t seen one another since that night and had only spoken once, briefly, when Madison phoned to say that sales of the magazine issue with him on the cover were going through the roof. He couldn’t have been more pleased.

  As for dating, the idea of a possible relationship with Madison certainly appealed to Stuart. They seemed to have chemistry, were both single and, as far as he knew, she was available. The main problem from his end was finding time, since so much of it seemed to be tied up in his kids and writing.

  And what about Madison? he thought. Was she sufficiently over Anderson Gunn and willing to take a chance on another man?

  If so, could I be the man to make her forget about him? Stuart wondered.

  “Daddy, I’m tired,” Dottie complained, bringing him back to reality.

  “That means you’re working those little muscles,” he said lightly. “How about you, Carrie?”

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “So am I,” Grace added. “I just wish I had the time to ride more often, especially with you guys.”

  “Can’t we stop now?” Dottie said.

  “All right, let’s take a break before heading home. Then I’ll let you girls decide where to go for lunch.”

  That perked them both up and he smiled, though he wasn’t sure it was such a good idea to give them too much leeway or they’d end up eating nothing but junk food. It was times like these when he wished there was a woman in their lives who could cook and share the responsibility of tending to the girls’ needs. Not to mention his needs as a man. He had loads of passion to give to the right woman.

  It would happen when it did. In the meantime, he would gladly continue being both a mother and a father to his kids.

  * * *

  Madison sat at her desk typing a review that was overdue. She had a good excuse for being late, though, as she also had to get out her column and two other reviews for an upcoming double issue.

  She doubted that anyone there would be sympathetic, least of all Giselle, since everyone had to carry their weight right now.

  Can’t complain, since that’s why I took the job, she thought, finishing up the piece. Could she help it if she suddenly had more to think about than work ever since she had gone to the jazz club with Stuart? If nothing else, it convinced her that there was more to life than work.

  “Busy...?” the deep voice said.

  Madison looked up and saw Larry Wellington standing there. He was fifty-something and lanky, and he was wearing what looked like a blond toupee. “Just a little,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “It sure isn’t this book,” he said, placing the hardcover on her desk. “I tried reading it here, at home, even while hanging out at my girlfriend’s place. It’s just not for me. I don’t want to simply give it a major thumbs-down, so I thought you might want to switch books to at least give this one a fighting chance. What do they say? Different strokes for different folks?”

  She gazed at the science fiction title. Not exactly her cup of tea, but she figured she might need a favor from him sometime. “No problem. I have a few unread books in a pile over there. Take your pick.”

  He grinned. “Thank you, I’ll do that.”

  “Just remember, you owe me.”

  “I won’t forget,” he promised.

&
nbsp; Madison smiled and got back to work as he left. Just then, a thought entered her head that she knew she had to act on before she lost her nerve. She would invite Stuart to dinner—she figured she owed him one after their great jazz date.

  * * *

  When his cell phone rang, Stuart was sitting in the living room watching a DVD with the girls. He enjoyed this time as one of the best bonding experiences they had.

  His eyes lit, though, when he saw the caller was Madison.

  He stood and went to another room so he wouldn’t disturb Dottie and Carrie, who were locked into the animated movie.

  “Hey,” he said.

  “Hello.”

  “Nice to hear from you.”

  “But yet you haven’t called me,” she noted.

  That caught Stuart off guard. “I’ve been meaning to, but—”

  “I’m just playing with you,” Madison assured him. “You’ve got a lot on your plate.”

  “We all do,” he told her, feeling a little guilty.

  “Very true. Anyway, since I really enjoyed listening to Chad sing, I wanted to return the favor.”

  “You want to go hear him again?” Stuart asked.

  “Actually, I was hoping I could cook you dinner,” she said. “It’s probably short notice for today, but how about tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow is good,” he responded. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

  “Does six work for you? Or is that too early?”

  “Six is perfect. Shall I bring the wine?”

  “Sure,” Madison said enthusiastically.

  Madison paused, then said, “You can bring your girls, too, if you want...”

  Stuart paused to think. He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to introduce his kids to any women before he knew where it was going, if anywhere. He had to protect them from getting hurt as best he could.

  “Thanks, but it’s probably best if they sit this one out,” he responded. “Hope you understand.”

  “I do,” Madison said. “I just didn’t want you to think I was ignoring them.”

  “I didn’t,” Stuart promised. “I appreciate the thought.”

  “Well, I won’t keep you. I’ll see you tomorrow at six. And bring your appetite.”

  He chuckled. “I will.”

  After disconnecting, Stuart phoned Grace, hoping she was available to watch the girls.

  “I have some studying to do, but I can bring my books over there and keep the girls company at the same time,” Grace told him.

  “I’ll make it worth your while,” Stuart said. He realized he was imposing on her busy school life.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Grace said. “I like hanging out with Carrie and Dottie.”

  “Well the feeling is mutual.”

  Stuart thanked Grace again. He looked forward to seeing what kind of cook Madison was. Something told him he wouldn’t be disappointed.

  * * *

  “Daddy’s going on a date,” Carrie giggled as Stuart did some last-second prepping.

  “Who with?” Dottie asked.

  What do I tell them that won’t bring up a lot more questions? Questions that I don’t have answers for? he thought. “She’s an old friend of your Aunt Holly’s.”

  Carrie lifted a thin brow. “Do you like her a lot?”

  “Right now I like her as a friend,” Stuart said uneasily. He certainly wasn’t about to get their hopes up prematurely that he might actually have found someone to build a future with.

  “Are you bringing her here so we can meet her?” Dottie questioned.

  “Not today, but maybe in the future,” he said waveringly. “Would that be all right with both of you?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Dottie said, twisting her lips.

  “Me, too,” Carrie said.

  Stuart smiled slightly. “We’ll have to work on that. I’m sure she’d be happy to meet Holly’s sweeter-than-honey nieces.”

  They giggled.

  “Is she as pretty as Aunt Holly?” asked Dottie.

  “I believe she is,” Stuart said, slipping into his blazer. “But not half as pretty as my little angels.”

  They ate that up as he expected and followed him downstairs like puppies into the gourmet kitchen, where Grace was baking cookies.

  “I’ll leave you two in Grace’s capable hands,” he said. “And save some of those cookies for tomorrow.”

  “We will,” Dottie said.

  “If you need anything—” he said to Grace.

  “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. Won’t we, girls?”

  “Of course,” Carrie said.

  Stuart gave them both a hug and left for his dinner date.

  Chapter 8

  Madison was a trifle nervous about making dinner for a man for the first time since relocating to Portland. She considered herself a pretty good cook, but had gotten out of the practice of making fancier food.

  I definitely don’t want to embarrass myself, she thought. Or have Stuart put off by a terrible meal.

  Not that he seemed like the type of man who would judge a woman’s worth solely on her culinary skills. On the other hand, Madison believed that since he was the father of two girls, any woman in his life should at the very least be able to feed them properly.

  She knew she wasn’t exactly in his life in that way, and maybe never would be. But she wasn’t opposed to seeing how far things could go with them. Assuming he felt the same way.

  Madison checked the food one last time. The meal would be breaded pork chops, seasoned brown rice, homemade biscuits and steamed carrots. For dessert, she had used an old recipe for peach cobbler that she’d gotten from her grandmother.

  I’m sure Stuart’s wine will fit nicely with the dinner, she thought, heading back up the curving stairwell to finish dressing.

  Not wanting to overdo it or underwhelm him, she settled on an orange scoop-neck top and a black pencil skirt, which were both figure-flattering. She slipped into a pair of wedge sandals. She wore her hair up, accentuating her cheekbones, and added sterling silver earrings and a matching necklace to complete the outfit. After a quick spray of fragrance, Madison was all set.

  She heard a car drive up, and a peek out the wooden blinds confirmed it was Stuart. Madison tried to suppress the butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to enjoy the evening and not let her nervousness ruin their dinner date.

  * * *

  “This bottle of Pinot gris is from a local vineyard,” Stuart said, handing it to Madison, who looked as lovely as ever. “I know the owner personally.”

  “Impressive,” she said. But not quite as impressive as you. He was smartly dressed and looked good enough to eat. She blushed at the thought. “I’m sure it’s tasty.”

  “There’s only one way to find out....” Stuart took the bottle from her and headed to the kitchen. In the process, he took a sweeping glance of the roomy town house, from its exposed brick to wood beams to hardwood flooring. “Nice place you have here,” he told her.

  “I’m pretty comfortable with it,” Madison said.

  “You should be. Somehow it suits you.”

  “I think you’re right, it does.” She liked how he took charge with the wine, opening it while she got out two goblets.

  Stuart poured a small amount in the glasses. “See what you think.”

  Madison tasted it, allowing it to swirl around in her mouth. “It’s wonderful,” she said with a smile.

  He smiled, too. “Glad you like it.”

  She met his eyes. “Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  “No,” he had to admit. “But the proof is in the pudding, as they say.”

  Madison agreed and tasted more of the wine.

  “Speaking of pudding, something s
mells good in here,” Stuart said, sniffing. “Apart from you.”

  “Thank you on both counts.” She blushed. “The food’s ready to be served. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable at the dining room table?”

  “Can I help with anything?” he asked.

  You’re helping a lot by just being here, she thought. “I’ve got it covered,” Madison said, then decided to make him feel useful. “Oh, you can bring the wine and goblets to the table.”

  Stuart grinned. “Will do.” He admired her at work; she was clearly in her element as the woman of the house. Not to mention she was sexy as hell in that outfit.

  Five minutes later, they were eating.

  Madison waited till Stuart had sampled everything before getting his verdict on the meal. “I hope my cooking agrees with you.”

  “Does it ever,” he said as he sliced through the tender pork chop. “Everything is delicious.”

  She took a small breath in relief. “I hoped it would be.”

  “You can cook for me anytime,” Stuart said. “I haven’t had a home-cooked meal made by someone other than myself in quite a while, so I’m really savoring it.”

  Madison chuckled lightly. Was he inviting her to cook for him more often? As a good friend, or something more?

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she told him, and bit into a biscuit. “Are you a good cook?”

  “You pretty much have to be when you’ve got hungry kids to feed. Of course, they frequently talk me into ordering pizza or eating out.”

  Madison giggled. “I imagine if it were up to them, if your girls are like most kids, they would prefer to eat nothing but junk food.”

  “You’ve got that right.” Stuart laughed as he scooped up some brown rice. “I do the best I can to make sure they’ve got some balance in their diet, but it’s not always easy as a single dad.”

  “I’m sure,” she said. “So who watches the girls when you’re not around?”

  “They have a nanny named Grace who does a great job with them.”

  “But she still can’t quite take the place of their mother...”

  Stuart sipped his wine and wondered if this was an appropriate subject to talk about. He certainly did not want her to think that he was still pining for his ex-wife.