“How am I supposed to get back?” he shouted after her retreating cart.
“Walk!” she shouted distantly, before she disappeared down the winding trail, the top of her cart slapping a low-lying palm branch.
“Great,” he muttered aloud. He glanced back at the bar and the wedding guests, a few of whom had caught the little exchange. He needed a drink.
The Earthquake earned her name once more, he thought ruefully.
He ambled back to the bar, where the bartender held up a pitcher full of premade margaritas. “You look like you could use a drink. Margarita?”
“How about straight tequila? You have Patron?” he asked, and the bartender nodded. Collin wasn’t sure what was going on. Had the thing he said about the dog sent her running?
Nope, she just hates your guts, man.
How had he been so...off?
Their night together had been spectacular. He just assumed she’d be willing to give them a shot, like he was. But the more he pressed, the more she balked.
His phone lit up with a text from his sister, Sophia.
How’d it go?
He sighed.
Not so well.
She said NO?!
Collin was about to confirm that when he hesitated.
She said no—for now.
Maybe it’s for the best.
It didn’t feel like it. For him, marrying Madison wasn’t just about responsibility, it was also about possibility. The idea of having the family he’d always wanted—even if it hadn’t happened quite the way he’d planned—made his whole future light up with hope. He didn’t want to let go of that.
The bartender set the shot glass in front of him, and he pinched it between two fingers, then threw it back, the strong amber liquid burning his throat. He didn’t even bother to chase it with a lime. The burn reminded him he was still alive, still here, and that meant he wasn’t beaten for good. Yet.
Before Madison had told him she hated him, they’d been hitting it off. That wasn’t the kiss of a woman who didn’t like him, was it?
He’d have to think of a plan to win her over. To convince her that marrying him was a great idea.
* * *
EXHAUSTED AND DESPONDENT, Madison slipped into an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts and went to bed. Her clothes were starting to get tight, the waistband of her shorts more snug than usual. She rubbed her stomach through her T-shirt, thinking that in a few months, that waistline would get a heck of a lot bigger.
She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling fan making slow loops above her. What to do about Collin? Sometimes she felt tempted to consider the marriage proposal, but at other times...she was sure it was the worst idea in the world.
She rolled onto her side and clicked off the lamp. She needed sleep, and then she could figure all this out. Her phone, however, dinged with an incoming message. She thought about ignoring it, but curiosity got the better of her. She rolled over and grabbed the phone, seeing a text from her uncle.
Don’t know if you heard, but Jimmy Reese escaped from jail. Just wanted you to know, in case he tries to contact you.
Madison felt her blood run cold. Jimmy Reese. Built like a boxer, icy blue eyes, tattoos so thick they completely covered his neck and both arms. A swastika on his neck, hate bubbling in him like boiling water. He’d muttered a racial slur under his breath when she’d been assigned as his attorney by the court. Honestly, she’d wanted to hand off the case—to anyone—but her uncle had thought it would be a useful lesson for her to go through with it. She had to learn how to defend even the indefensible, he’d said. It was part of her job.
She kept thinking Reese would fire her. Why would a white supremacist keep her—a brown woman—as counsel? Sure, he was a public defender case, but still. He could’ve asked the judge for another attorney.
Everyone had the right to a good defense, but she had despised Jimmy Reese. Skinhead, seething with hate, wanting to kill people who didn’t look like him—yet, ironically, he’d ended up killing a white girl.
Madison’s own dark hair and eyes made him detest her as well. He rarely said much, but the cold look in his eyes had told her he’d have been more than happy to harm her. She’d been so glad when the jury found him guilty—for once, happy to see Collin Baptista on the other side of the aisle. She knew that no matter how hard she defended Reese, a jury would put him away, especially once the girl’s parents, small-restaurant owners, took the stand, crying their eyes out and showing pictures of little Monica jumping rope and in her soccer uniform, complete with auburn braids.
She went through the motions of cross-examination, but truth be told, her heart hadn’t been in it. Jimmy Reese had known it, too. When they were about to read the guilty verdict, he leaned over and whispered, “Better hope I get outta here scot-free or they put me away a long time, you Pakistani bitch. I’ll make you pay for every night I spend in jail.”
Never mind that Madison was half-Indian, not Pakistani—she doubted he cared about the distinction. Or the fact that her father was a second-generation Indian-American—all Reese saw was a person who wasn’t like him, which meant she was less than human.
And now he was out!
Madison felt her heart speed up. Then she willed herself to calm down. Jimmy doesn’t know where I am. I’m not any place he’d know to look for me. And besides, normally these guys get caught within forty-eight hours. Jimmy will be no different.
She thought about phoning Collin. He’d prosecuted the case. He had a right to know... But something stopped her.
What? Aside from the fact that he’d probably make a snide retort about how bad guys were bad, and how Reese should’ve been put in jail for longer than twenty years... No, she didn’t want to admit to him that she was a little scared. Wouldn’t he just use that as an excuse to push marriage even harder?
She opted to call her uncle instead.
“Hey, Maddie,” he said, sounding cheered to hear her voice. “You all right?”
“Fine,” she said, hoping her anxiousness didn’t show. “Jimmy escaped? How?”
Uncle Rashad sighed. “Looks like an administrative mix-up. You know he was already serving a term for burglary in the county prison. Then he was scheduled to be transferred over to the state institution to start his murder sentence. But somehow the county records were out of date. When his burglary sentence was up, they let him go.”
“They let him go?” Madison felt her blood pressure rise. “But he’s dangerous! And he’s violent and...” She swallowed hard. “And he hates me. He blames me for a bad defense. Or he just hates me because of what I look like.”
Because my skin is darker than his.
“I know.” Uncle Rashad sighed again. “It’s my fault. I should’ve never encouraged you to take this case.”
“The court assigned it to me,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but I could’ve encouraged you to decline.”
“You were simply trying to make sure I saw all sides of the law,” she said. She knew he’d had no idea the defendant would be so hateful...so dangerous. Besides, just because Reese loathed her didn’t necessarily mean he was coming for her, did it? After all, a man like Jimmy Reese hated a lot of people. Surely, she wasn’t at the top of his list.
“Does Mom know?”
“Not yet.”
“Good. Don’t tell her. She’ll flip out.” Madison imagined her mom in an all-out meltdown. “Does... Does Collin Baptista know?”
“I assume so, or he will soon. I haven’t talked to the prosecutor’s office, but I’ll bet they were the first ones contacted,” Uncle Rashad said. “Why do you ask?”
“He prosecuted Jimmy.” And he’s the father of my baby.
“I know.” Uncle Rashad paused, as if reading her mind. “Is that the only reason? I heard... It’s none of my business, but someone said the
re was a rumor you and he...”
Madison felt her face burn. Who knew about them? Unless Collin had been spreading the word that he planned to propose, Madison hadn’t told anyone about their one-night stand. And, given that they’d barely had a relationship afterward, she couldn’t imagine anybody at the courthouse picking up on that.
“No. I mean...not exactly.”
“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked.
Like Collin Baptista showing up on my doorstep with an engagement ring and his ego the size of Mount Everest? No, she didn’t.
“No. Not...right now.”
“He’s there with you, isn’t he?”
“Uncle Rashad! How did you—”
“Yvana might have told me,” he said quickly. “She wanted to make sure everything was okay. She was worried about you.”
Madison groaned. Of course, Yvana had told Rashad. They were close friends, and Madison hadn’t exactly sworn her to secrecy.
“It’s...complicated,” Madison said.
“It always is,” Uncle Rashad agreed. “At least, it always is until it isn’t.”
“What does that mean?” Madison released a frustrated breath. Her uncle often talked in riddles, like some kind of infuriating Buddhist monk.
“You’ll see,” he said and she could almost feel him grinning through the phone. “You doing okay? Feeling...okay?” The concern in his voice was real. It made Madison’s heart feel full. No matter what, she had family who cared for her. Family like Uncle Rashad.
“Yes. A little morning sickness, but nothing I can’t handle.”
“You can handle anything. Always have, always will,” her uncle told her. “I’ll let you know if I hear any more about Jimmy, but don’t worry. Since it was a clerical mistake, everybody’s out looking for this guy. They’ll bring him in soon.”
“I hope so,” Madison said. “For everyone’s sake.”
She hung up and then tossed and turned, unable to go to sleep as she thought of Jimmy Reese’s mean, hateful face.
She thought about Collin, too. Did he know? He had a right to know, whether or not she wanted to be the one to tell him. Jimmy would hate him as much as he did her, would be out for revenge against him as much as her.
She texted Collin.
Jimmy Reese escaped.
Instantly, her phone rang in her hands. “What do you mean, he escaped?” Collin asked.
“Clerical error, or so Uncle Rashad said. I don’t know the details, but...”
“Hang on, I’m coming over.” The line went dead before Madison could argue. What the...? Not five minutes later, she heard a furious knocking on her front door. She pulled herself out of bed and padded down the stairs to answer it. Collin was standing there in just his shorts, sans shirt, carrying a small bag. Teddy barked happily when he saw Collin and came trotting over to the glass door, tail wagging.
She swung the door open and he brushed past her. Teddy followed, nipping at his heels. “Are all the doors locked?” he asked, setting down his bag without permission on the foyer tile.
“Yes. I think so...but...”
Collin went to each door and window, methodically checking them all. “I’ve left a message with the prosecutor’s office, so I’ll get more details soon, but for now, I need to stay with you.”
“Why?” Madison didn’t understand the urgency, but Collin being so concerned was starting to make her even more worried. Sure, Jimmy was a threat. But he had to know where to find her first.
Collin turned, glancing at her as if she was delusional. “Because a convicted felon and a crazy white supremacist who swore vengeance is on the loose and he might kill me, or you, or both of us.”
“I didn’t prosecute him. I defended him.”
Collin gave her a shrewd look. “I know he was trying to intimidate you in that court room. I didn’t hear what he said, but I could read his body language as clear as day.”
“He never said he’d kill me.”
“No, but I bet he just implied it.” Collin stopped fiddling with the window in the living room and crossed over to her. He put his hands on her elbows. “I know you’re a strong, independent woman who doesn’t need my help, but let me help you. This one time.”
He pulled her into a hug and Madison melted into his embrace, suddenly very grateful for Collin’s presence. She could wait it out alone, she could lie awake worrying about Jimmy, but with Collin here that became much more bearable.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice so low she wasn’t sure if Collin heard. He squeezed her harder against his chest, and she felt a rush of emotion that nearly overpowered her. There was something so wonderful about his arms, so safe and comforting.
Just then, Teddy started sniffing the ground. He wandered away from them, into a corner of the foyer. Madison recognized the signs too late. He lifted his little leg and peed.
“No!” Madison cried, breaking the embrace.
“Bad dog!” exclaimed Collin as he lunged forward, too. The dog finished his business and then ran to hide under a nearby table.
“Well, that’s one way to be distracted from the likes of Jimmy Reese,” she said shaking her head at the yellow puddle on the white marble tile.
“Bad dog!” Collin shouted at the dog once more. Teddy cowered under the foyer table, looking scared as he ducked his fuzzy head.
“Don’t yell at him,” Madison chided, putting a hand on his arm.
“Why not? How else is he going to learn? He needs boundaries. Rules.”
Madison let out a sigh of frustration. Honestly, she didn’t understand this man. What would yelling at a puppy do? “We need to take him outside. Show him where he’s supposed to go.”
“Well, I sure as hell am not going to pee on the grass so he learns.”
Madison couldn’t help grinning. “No! Of course not. I mean, we need to take him out. When he pees outside, we give him a treat. That’s called positive reinforcement.”
“Sounds like spoiling him to me.”
“I don’t get you. One second, you’re coddling him and the next, you’re yelling at him. What kind of dad does that?”
Collin froze. “You said dad.”
Madison wished she could swallow the word. Take it back. “Dad to a dog.”
“I think you meant more than that,” he corrected, and his eyes flashed with triumph. “Much more.”
“No. I didn’t.” Did she? Her head swam. Surely not. Collin wasn’t ready to be a dad. Hell, she wasn’t even convinced she was ready to be a mother. So far, taking care of a dog for twelve hours had more than tried her patience.
Collin stared at her for a long time, during which she was keenly aware that he wore no shirt. Madison broke the gaze and scurried to get a paper towel and some spray cleaner to wipe up the mess.
“I’ve got that,” he said, and took them from her as he stooped to clean. A few wipes and the puddle was gone.
“Outside,” Madison said in a gentler voice to Teddy. “We do that outside.” She studied the puppy, doubtful he understood her, although he did come out and trotted over to her bare feet where he gave her toes an apologetic lick. She picked him up and carried him to the front door.
“No, let me,” Collin said, retrieving the dog from her. “Jimmy might be out there.”
“He wouldn’t know where I am,” she said.
“You’re right, he probably doesn’t. But let me take him outside. There are mosquitos out there, too.”
“Fine.” Madison watched as Collin took the dog out, walked him down the stairs to the small patch of grass and set him down.
The dog sniffed around on the grass but was in no mood to do anything, since he’d just relieved himself all over the floor inside. After a minute, Collin reached down and picked him up. He brought him back into the house, tucked in the crook of his arm. Teddy f
elt warm and surprisingly small. His fur made him look like a bigger dog than he actually was.
“Why don’t we try to take the dog upstairs,” Collin said, setting Teddy down. “See if he’ll sleep in your room.”
Madison reluctantly agreed. She wasn’t wild about the idea of him possibly having an accident there. She gathered up a few folded towels from the utility room, then followed Collin as she carried Teddy upstairs. Madison carefully made a bed of towels near the bed and put the dog in it. Teddy gave a little puppy yawn and a stretch before he lay down. Madison sat on the edge of the bed, watching Collin carefully tucking the towels around the dog and felt a sudden tenderness for the man. He could be caring and gentle, at least when he wanted to be.
The puppy’s eyelids grew heavy and then closed. Collin grinned. “Looks like I was right—again.”
Madison frowned. She’d been feeling grateful to the man. Why did he have to go and ruin it by gloating?
“Please. The stick this morning was just luck,” she said, crossing her arms.
“Brilliance, you mean.” Collin flashed her a smile, and she felt the annoyance in her chest loosening. It was hard to stay mad at him, that was for sure. “You say I always think I’m right, but what if I just am always right?”
Madison wrinkled her nose at him. She yawned. “Someone so brilliant can no doubt let himself out, then.” Madison, suddenly feeling exhausted, leaned back on her pillows.
“No, I’m staying. I told you. Until they find Jimmy Reese.”
Collin took a step closer, leaning over her on the bed. She almost thought he might kiss her.
“You should sleep on the couch, then,” she said, her voice a whisper. In a way, she hoped he’d argue with her. But he didn’t.
“The couch. That’s fine.” He turned to leave, pausing at the door. “Good night, then.”
“Good night,” Megan called softly, not sure whether to feel disappointed or relieved.
He glanced once at the dog, still sleeping, and then started to open the bedroom door. But he’d only gotten it halfway open when Teddy woke, lifting his small golden head and giving a sharp bark. Collin’s shoulders slumped in defeat. He turned to see little Teddy emerge from his towel bed and head toward him.
Practicing Parenthood Page 9
