April Fool Bride

by Joan Reeves

  Jake parked on the street beneath the shade of a live oak and went to the gate across the sidewalk. To his surprise, he found the gate padlocked. He shrugged and leaped over the fence. The white front door was steel, with a peephole inset at eye level. A blinking red light of a video camera up under the eave caught his attention.

  Before he could ring the doorbell, a crisp voice said, "Please state your name and your business."

  "I'm Jake Becker. I'm here to see Maddie, my wife." Wife. He grinned, liking the way the word sounded. "Madeline Quinn Becker, that is."

  After a couple of minutes, the door opened. A young African-American woman stared at him, her arms crossed. "Maddie didn't say anything about having a husband."

  Jake grinned. "She's not used to the idea yet." He didn't force the issue, but stood calmly and waited.

  Suddenly the young woman grinned. "I did read about it in the gossip section of one of those supermarket newspapers yesterday. I guess you can come in. Maddie's out back with the kids."

  When Jake stepped into the small foyer, the first thing he saw was a brass plaque on the wall.

  Edward and Maureen Quinn House of Hope.

  The light began to dawn. A desk with a computer monitor and a chair occupied the rest of the space. A closed door divided the foyer from the rest of the house. What looked like a college text lay open on the desk. What was this place? Rather than ask, he decided to remain silent and just gather information.

  "I'm Rachel. Follow me."

  As soon as she opened the door, he heard laughter and the chatter of conversation. In what should have been the formal living room, several women sat on the couches and loveseats, listening to an older woman who appeared to be lecturing from the book she held. They all watched intently as if they expected him to grow horns or an antenna.

  "This is Maddie's husband," Rachel said.

  In the dining room, six women sat around a large rectangular table. Each had a laptop, and they appeared to be working on an Excel spreadsheet tutorial. They paused to stare with solemn eyes. Again, Rachel introduced him. Then she led him into the kitchen where she introduced the three women who were busy preparing a meal. When Rachel told them who he was, they smiled and gave him a far more enthusiastic greeting than the other women had.

  Rachel pointed to the sliding glass doors. "Just go through there, and you'll find Maddie. I need to get back to monitoring the front door."

  Jake thanked her. Through the glass storm door, he could see what looked like a dozen or more kids, all running around a huge back yard enclosed by a tall brick fence. The kids laughed and screamed in excitement, and the one screaming the loudest was his favorite redhead. His wife. He watched as Maddie feigned horror at the earthworm one of the boys waved in front of her face.

  He stepped outside but stayed on the patio. Seeing her interaction with the boys made him feel funny. A weird combination of amusement and wariness and a profound emotion that made his heart swell. He liked seeing Maddie surrounded by a bunch of kids. Suddenly, he realized that they'd used no birth control last night. Unless she was on the pill, and he didn't think she was because she'd said she'd been celibate for the last two years. Two years from her DUI. Was that when she'd opened this shelter? He looked at her, overcome with emotion by the thought that he could have got her pregnant last night. Maybe he should buy some condoms before tonight.

  Then the kids noticed him. The level of noise dropped. The laughter became subdued. One little girl tugged on Maddie's arm. When Maddie knelt, the little girl whispered in her ear.

  Maddie jerked around and met his gaze. His heart pounded as he smiled and waved, but he made no effort to move into the backyard. It didn't take a genius to figure out he'd stumbled across a shelter for battered women and their kids. These kids were probably skittish enough without a strange man moving into their territory.

  Maddie said something to the kids. They looked back at him. A few smiled shyly and waved. She shooed them away with a loud, "Y'all just wore me out. Go play and let me rest."

  When she reached him, she asked, "What are you doing here?"

  "Funny. I was going to ask you the same thing?"

  Maddie shoved her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. What should she tell him? The truth? Sure, why not? "I work here."

  "So I see." He pointed. "That boy over there is getting ready to eat that worm."

  Maddie whirled. "Jaime, put that worm back in the grass. You and Robby stop daring each other." She waited a couple of minutes to make sure they obeyed her before turning back to Jake. "Those two should be brothers as much as they egg each other on."

  "I saw the plaque in the foyer. Tell me about this place."

  "That's a long story."

  Jake sat on one of the benches and patted the place next to him. "I'm not going anywhere."

  If only, Maddie thought with a pang. She shoved the poignant thought away. "You know I was stopped for DUI. I learned the hard way that it's impossible to get away with anything when the paparazzi follow you everywhere. I know part of all the crazy things I did was just hoping someone cared about me enough to stop me."

  "Constance bought your way free of the DUI, didn't she?"

  "Yes, but I'm naive enough to want to believe that everyone gets the same treatment under the law so I decided my debt to society hadn't been paid. If I'd been convicted, I'd have had to pay a big fine and do community service. I know someone who was slapped with a ten thousand dollar fine after a third driving under the influence. Even though it was my first, I decided I'd sentence myself to the same thing. Constance was furious. She didn't understand why I felt compelled to punish myself. That was the first of many fights we had over the subject. So I looked around at all the places that needed donations and volunteers. This shelter was getting ready to close because of lack of funding so I donated ten grand here. It took most of my savings. Of course, I hadn't been big on saving anything from the monthly allowance I got so that was my fault." She looked over the yard, smiling at the kids who had infused her existence with life.

  "Once I'd visited here, I wanted to do more. I found myself spending more time here and less in clubs. All my so-called friends disappeared because I discovered I enjoyed playing with these kids more than drinking in bars. Women and their children come here for safety. I help them."

  Maddie blinked back tears. "And they help me. That emptiness inside of me that I had tried to fill with booze and sex was finally filled by helping others. That is the most wonderful feeling in the world."

  "I encourage them and listen to them. I want them to believe that as long as there's life, they can take control and create a better world for their children and for themselves. At the end of my first month here, I'd formed study groups, brought in stacks of books from used bookstores, washed dishes, babysat, and even learned to cook oatmeal and make pancakes. I found I was good at organizing things. I was completely hooked. I talked to Amy and found out what was needed to set up a shelter and get non-profit status. What it cost in dollars to put a roof over their heads, food in their mouths, and funds for job training."

  "This is what you want your inheritance for, isn't it? This explains why you drive an old car and all your other economies."

  "Yes. We're operating on a shoestring. With my trust, I could do so much more." She laughed. "First, I'd get a new roof. Then I'd bring in more tutors. Some of these women can't read or do more than sign their name. Education for the mothers. Scholarships for their kids. Some kind of ongoing, long-term support that will give them a shot at breaking the cycle of abuse and having a better life."

  "If you've got non-profit status, who are your corporate donors? Other than Quinn Energy."

  Maddie looked at her hands. "I don't have any corporate donors. Especially not Quinn Energy. Constance was furious about my devoting all my time and money here. She called these women unwed mothers too stupid to use birth control."

  Jake winced, but all he said was, "That's harsh. Did she swing her weight aroun
d to keep other companies from donating?"

  "No. You see. I…I haven't tried to solicit any donations."

  "But that doesn't make sense. I don't care if you want to use your trust for this, but why wait? You've got the Quinn name. Why not use it?"

  Furious color painted her cheeks. "You know why. Every time I do something openly, all my mistakes from the past are brought out for public consumption again. Those pictures." She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "Some of those pictures are so awful. I hold my head up and say it doesn't bother me, but I'm ashamed. I don't want that shame to taint this shelter in any way."

  Jake suddenly pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Immediately a chorus of teasing remarks came from the kids.

  Maddie's heart beat unsteadily. "Why did you do that?"

  "Because I like you. I thought I knew you, but I only knew the girl you were and the woman I couldn't help but read about in tabloid headlines. I've learned you're neither of those, and I find I like the woman you've become. I like her very much. You were talking about teaching these women to believe in a better life. Leaving their pasts behind. You need to do the same thing. You've accomplished something amazing, and others will recognize that too. You should be the first to recognize that the way to negate something bad is to replace it with something good. Stop hiding from the press and start looking for every photo op to show the world that you are beautiful, compassionate, smart, and kind. Pictures of the woman you have become will fill the paparazzi archives. Those will be the ones published when your name is mentioned. No one will remember the old ones because that's not who you are."

  Maddie was stunned. Before she could reply, one of the kids wailed as if he were being killed. She and Jake both jumped and ran, but the emergency was only the result of a boy not being allowed to be Spiderman because it wasn't his turn in their game of pretend.

  Maddie spent the rest of the afternoon in a daze while Jake rode herd on the kids. He must have answered a million questions. If she hadn't already been in love with him, she'd have lost her heart all over again as she watched him play with the kids.

  For children who had experienced some awful things at the hands of the men in their lives, they were amazingly open and friendly, and Jake seemed to bring out the best in the kids. Once they'd overcome their initial reticence, they wouldn't leave the poor man alone. He'd make a wonderful father. That's when it hit her. She and Jake had made love several times last night, but he'd never used a condom. She hadn't been able to think of anything but the feelings he aroused in her. She'd been driven by the desire, no, the need, to join her body with his. She wasn't on the pill. If she'd wanted to get pregnant, she couldn't have picked a better time of the month to try to make it happen.

  She was excited and scared about the prospect, all at the same time. She couldn't be that irresponsible again. As much as she'd love to have Jake's baby, she wouldn't do that to him. He wasn't the type to walk away from his responsibilities, and she'd die if he stayed with her because of an unplanned pregnancy rather than because he loved her.

  Maddie resolved to make sure they used birth control next time. For now, she relaxed and enjoyed watching Jake play with the kids. He chased them and let them chase him. This morning she'd been determined to put their relationship back in "no sex" land, but somewhere between his silly knock knock jokes and a game of Simon Says, she gave up the fight to resist him.

  Life was so short, and she'd wasted too much of it in being miserable. Here she was, married to the man she loved so why resist him? What if this was only a marriage of convenience, and he walked away at the end of the year? Why not love him while the marriage lasted rather than wasting their precious time together?

  Chapter 10

  Maddie dressed for dinner in a teal sheath with short sleeves and a square neckline. She didn't even mind dining with Constance because Jake would be there, but she wanted the dinner to pass swiftly so she and Jake could return to the bedroom. Her pulse quickened at the thought.

  She loved her work at the shelter because it gave her a purpose. Loving Jake gave her life. He made her heart soar.

  A knock on the bathroom door made her jump.

  "I'd like to get in there before the next ice age," Jake said.

  Maddie opened the door. "No problem. I'm ready. I was just obsessing about…this dress."

  Jake frowned. "What's wrong with the dress?"

  "Oh, it's a bit tight, don't you think?" she improvised.

  "No, actually, I think it's not tight enough. It doesn't show off your sexy butt enough." His hands curved over her bottom. "But the color is great with your hair and skin."

  With that he gently pushed her away and closed the bathroom door, leaving her with her mouth agape.

  Sexy butt? Maddie walked over to the dresser mirror and studied her butt. She still had this mental picture of herself as a skinny kid with crazy red hair and too-long arms and legs even though she knew she didn't look like that any longer. Well, intellectually she knew it. Emotionally was another story. She'd learned to think more about others and less about herself so she rarely thought about her looks. Until Jake's eyes had traced a lazy path over her body that day in his kitchen. Last night, he'd made her feel beautiful. She patted her own behind then laughed at her silliness.

  A short while later, she and Jake left the bedroom. Maddie gazed up at him. He looked breathtaking in a navy silk shirt and charcoal slacks.

  Constance met them at the foot of the stairs. "Good evening. I must say you make a striking couple."

  Maddie nearly stumbled on the last step. She couldn't ever remember Constance giving her a compliment.

  Graciella joined them for dinner, and Maddie found the evening positively surreal. The two women chatted as if they were real friends. Jake looked as perplexed as Maddie felt. Constance smiled a lot and seemed like a different woman.

  Constance said, "Tell me, Jake, what are you doing now that you've sold your interest in the oil production company? That was quite a coup by the way."

  Maddie's gaze jerked to his face. What did Constance mean? Jake smiled at her, but he looked uncomfortable.

  "I was pleased I could hand the company off so that its people would be taken care of." He shrugged. "I'll always dabble in futures trading, commercial real estate, and helping out companies in financial trouble if I believe in them and think I can turn them around."

  Maddie felt uneasy. He sounded like a success story, not like a guy who needed a job.

  "How did you get into financial trading?" Constance asked.

  "I started learning when I was still in the army. The father of one of my friends was a financial trader at the NYMEX then, and he was kind enough to take me under his wing." He looked over at Maddie. "That's the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was once a separate entity, but now it and COMEX, that's the Commodity Exchange, operate as designated contract markets of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. That's DCM of the CME if you're keeping track of abbreviations."

  Maddie's unease was turning to dread. Jake hadn't needed her money. She forced a laugh. "Should I be taking notes?"

  "Only if you want to learn how to be a business success like Jake," Graciella said, preening like the proud mother she was.

  Jake looked at Maddie. "Uh, by the time I left the army, I had built up an investment fund and my friend's dad sponsored me as a floor broker. That was the beginning, and I followed that with hard work and sacrifice."

  When Strack appeared, Constance asked for coffee, dessert, and brandy to be served in the solarium.

  Maddie found herself walking next to Jake. Why had Jake married her? Not for love. Obviously not for money.

  "Are you feeling all right," Jake asked.

  Maddie plastered a bright smile on her face. "Yes. I'm fine. Just enjoying learning more about you."

  "About that. I've been wanting to tell you, but I didn't know how."

  They stood in the doorway of the solarium. Maddie could see Constance pouring the coffee. Maddie wanted
to read that report Amy had sent her, and she thought she knew where it was. Most of all, she needed to think.

  Graciella patted the space next to her on the sofa. Jake sat, but Maddie pulled away and went to one of the chairs. She ignored his probing look and said little, but she watched everything, analyzing what she heard and what she felt. When she couldn't take it any longer, she rose and excused herself.

  Constance stood and followed. At the foyer, she touched Maddie's shoulder.

  Maddie turned. "Yes?"

  "I wondered if I could talk to you for a few minutes. Alone?" Constance asked.

  "About what?" Maddie knew she sounded terse, but she didn't care.

  "Oh, uh, I don't know." Constance rubbed one hand with the other. "Uh, about your day? How was it?"

  "It was fine. Like always. I'm sorry, but I'm really tired. Goodnight."

  "Oh, certainly. Goodnight then."

  Maddie glanced at her stepmother. Was that uncertainty she heard in the woman's voice? Did Constance look sad? No. Constance was never less than assured and unemotional. She hurried up the stairs and to her room, changed into pajamas, and started searching the handbags in her closet. In an old Coach bag she occasionally carried, she found the report from Amy.

  An hour later, she was in shock. Jake was a multi-millionaire. How he must have laughed when she'd "hired" him to marry her. Why had he done it? He didn't love her. She felt chilled by the idea that took form in her consciousness. Feeling cold and empty, she decided to go to the kitchen and make a cup of tea. She grabbed her robe, but didn't bother tying it. The sash pulled free of one of the belt loops and trailed on the floor. She used the back stairs. Her hand was on the swinging door when she heard Jake and Graciella.

  "Mom, I don't get it. Why are you and Constance suddenly acting like you're friends?"