to force the tears away. “Whatever happens, I’m coming back next week.
So don’t let me come up with any excuses, okay? If I have to make some tough
calls about work, then I’ll just have to deal with it. But right now, I don’t
want to let anyone down. I’m exhausted and I need a break, but I’ve always
liked what I do.”
Her mom smiled and reached for her
hand. “Just promise me that you’ll actually take a proper vacation next time.”
“Hi Jack.”
Maddison froze. Her dad had a smile back on his face, like he knew he finally had an
excuse to escape garden duty.
After the night she’d had with
Jack, she shouldn’t be feeling on edge about seeing him, but his presence only
meant one thing. That he was seeing their
marriage plan through to fruition. And she didn’t know if that scared her
or pleased her… or both. Maybe she should have written up the damn list he’d
been talking about, a contract that protected both their intentions. Not than any contract would ever protect her
heart.
She fixed a smile on her face, not
wanting her mom to realize anything was troubling her. Other than the fact she
had to leave way sooner than she should have been.
“Hey Jack,” Maddison managed.
His big smile put her at ease. “Thought I’d find you all here.”
She looked him over, up then down.
He was dressed like he always had been – worn jeans, shirt with the sleeves
pushed up, and a well-loved looking pair of boots.
“Not wrangling cattle today?” she
asked.
He laughed, eyes crinkling ever-so
at the corners. She loved that when Jack laughed, she didn’t have to wonder if
he was acting or think that he could be secretly mocking her instead of being
genuine. He was open and honest with her.
“I actually came past to have a
word with your dad,” he said, pushing his hands into his pockets and facing her
father. “You have a minute, Gus?”
“Will it get me out of gardening
for the afternoon?” her dad asked.
They all laughed, her mom included.
“If you’ve got a cold beer, I’m
sure I could make an excuse to help you out.”
Maddison took a deep breath, watching them walk toward the house before looking at her
mom. “What do you think of doing a nice dinner tonight, since I’m going
tomorrow? Maybe we could have Jack over.”
Her mom’s eyebrows were drawn
together, like she knew something was up.
“ Maddison ,
is something going on that I don’t know about? This feels suspiciously like
when you and Jack were kids and you’d tell your father about a disaster before
I knew anything about it.”
She gave her mom a wink. “You’ll
just have to wait and see.”
“ Maddison Marie Jones .”
All she could do was laugh. “You
really think saying my name like that will have the same effect it did when I
was a kid?”
Her mother shook her head. “No. But
it was worth a try.”
Maddison reached for her mom, gave her a quick hug. Something had happened to her,
changed within her since she’d come home, and being emotional wasn’t really her
usual thing. “Can I help you in the garden?”
If her mom was surprised she hid it
well. “Sure,” she agreed, kneeling back down and pulling her gloves on. “And
you can tell me all about this project that’s taking you back to the city.”
Maddison could talk about work. She might be fed up with her demanding boss, but she
always loved the events she worked on, and it would keep her mind off whatever
Jack was in the middle of telling her dad.
Or
asking him…
CHAPTER NINE
MADDISON stared at her hands and
grimaced. She had black beneath her fingernails, and she hadn’t had dirt there
in way too long. She’d forgotten what hard work it was being in the garden, or
doing anything on the land. The most she’d tended to lately were half-dead
potted plants on her balcony.
“You know I’m kind of like a plant
hospice,” she told her mom.
She received a confused look in
return. “What do you mean?”
Maddison laughed. “Well,
So don’t let me come up with any excuses, okay? If I have to make some tough
calls about work, then I’ll just have to deal with it. But right now, I don’t
want to let anyone down. I’m exhausted and I need a break, but I’ve always
liked what I do.”
Her mom smiled and reached for her
hand. “Just promise me that you’ll actually take a proper vacation next time.”
“Hi Jack.”
Maddison froze. Her dad had a smile back on his face, like he knew he finally had an
excuse to escape garden duty.
After the night she’d had with
Jack, she shouldn’t be feeling on edge about seeing him, but his presence only
meant one thing. That he was seeing their
marriage plan through to fruition. And she didn’t know if that scared her
or pleased her… or both. Maybe she should have written up the damn list he’d
been talking about, a contract that protected both their intentions. Not than any contract would ever protect her
heart.
She fixed a smile on her face, not
wanting her mom to realize anything was troubling her. Other than the fact she
had to leave way sooner than she should have been.
“Hey Jack,” Maddison managed.
His big smile put her at ease. “Thought I’d find you all here.”
She looked him over, up then down.
He was dressed like he always had been – worn jeans, shirt with the sleeves
pushed up, and a well-loved looking pair of boots.
“Not wrangling cattle today?” she
asked.
He laughed, eyes crinkling ever-so
at the corners. She loved that when Jack laughed, she didn’t have to wonder if
he was acting or think that he could be secretly mocking her instead of being
genuine. He was open and honest with her.
“I actually came past to have a
word with your dad,” he said, pushing his hands into his pockets and facing her
father. “You have a minute, Gus?”
“Will it get me out of gardening
for the afternoon?” her dad asked.
They all laughed, her mom included.
“If you’ve got a cold beer, I’m
sure I could make an excuse to help you out.”
Maddison took a deep breath, watching them walk toward the house before looking at her
mom. “What do you think of doing a nice dinner tonight, since I’m going
tomorrow? Maybe we could have Jack over.”
Her mom’s eyebrows were drawn
together, like she knew something was up.
“ Maddison ,
is something going on that I don’t know about? This feels suspiciously like
when you and Jack were kids and you’d tell your father about a disaster before
I knew anything about it.”
She gave her mom a wink. “You’ll
just have to wait and see.”
“ Maddison Marie Jones .”
All she could do was laugh. “You
really think saying my name like that will have the same effect it did when I
was a kid?”
Her mother shook her head. “No. But
it was worth a try.”
Maddison reached for her mom, gave her a quick hug. Something had happened to her,
changed within her since she’d come home, and being emotional wasn’t really her
usual thing. “Can I help you in the garden?”
If her mom was surprised she hid it
well. “Sure,” she agreed, kneeling back down and pulling her gloves on. “And
you can tell me all about this project that’s taking you back to the city.”
Maddison could talk about work. She might be fed up with her demanding boss, but she
always loved the events she worked on, and it would keep her mind off whatever
Jack was in the middle of telling her dad.
Or
asking him…
CHAPTER NINE
MADDISON stared at her hands and
grimaced. She had black beneath her fingernails, and she hadn’t had dirt there
in way too long. She’d forgotten what hard work it was being in the garden, or
doing anything on the land. The most she’d tended to lately were half-dead
potted plants on her balcony.
“You know I’m kind of like a plant
hospice,” she told her mom.
She received a confused look in
return. “What do you mean?”
Maddison laughed. “Well,
Similar Books
