"She seems to think she has control over you."
" No one has control over me." He dropped his arms and took a step away. "No one."
" Understood." She raised her hands, and watched him walk off. Embarrassed, Maddie strolled past the food, but decided she wasn't hungry at all. She filled a glass of beer from the keg, and sat back to watch the activity.
When Sophie was done eating cake, Maddie noticed her grandparents talking to her as if they were saying goodbye. She went closer and stood shielded behind some bushes to hear what was said. Sophie told them goodbye then went to spend a moment with her mother. Rob joined his parents to say goodbye. "Thanks for coming," he said halfheartedly.
" Robert," his mother said. "What are you doing with that woman?"
" I'm not going to get into this with you, mom."
" She's not the right type of person for you, and you know it."
" Mother," his voice grew more irritated. "You have no idea what my type of woman is, so please, just let me handle my own affairs, will you?"
His father spoke up. "If it is an affair, that's one thing. Just don't let her trap you into more than that. A woman like her would do anything to get her hooks into a man like you."
" Oh sweet Jesus!" Rob swore at them. "You haven't the foggiest idea what kind of person she is, so please drop this, right now."
" Robert, have you been drinking?" his mother asked.
" Not enough, but I'm fixing to get shit-faced here in a little bit. Why don't you stick around for the fireworks?"
Maddie wondered if he meant the real fireworks , or the scene he might make if he really did get drunk.
" We need to get back." Edward ushered his wife toward the front of the house. "We'll see you the next time you bring Sophie."
" Yeah, whatever." Rob waved a hand in the air, not exactly a goodbye wave.
Maddie chuckled . He looked like someone who was trying to catch a cab back east. She continued to watch as Dionne approached Rob.
" Quite the party, Coop." She put her hand on his chest.
" Always a crowd pleaser."
" You made Soph happy. You're such a good daddy." She stepped close to him and kissed him gently on the lips.
Maddie inhaled . She didn't want to watch, but couldn't look away. She was even more astounded to see Rob kiss Dionne back for ten long seconds. Not that I'm timing it . But it was exactly ten seconds.
Their kiss ended, and Dionne left with no further words. Maddie stood behind the bushes, the ridiculousness of her situation slowly sinking in. She couldn 't believe the level she'd sunk to, sneaking around the bushes, spying on Rob.
She thought about Dionne saying that she and Rob still slept together, whenever they could. Maybe that was true before he met Maddie, but once she and Rob began dating seriously, they were together nearly every day. She didn't know what to believe, other than she'd just seen Rob and Dionne kiss for ten seconds.
Maddie returned to the party and headed for the keg. Rob said he was going to get shit-faced , and she intended to beat him to that state. She downed two beers standing at the keg, and took a third with her. She had enough of her wits left to wonder about Sophie, and found the child playing quietly with a new toy near Emma and Fred.
It was almost dark, and the men were sorting through the box of fireworks. Apparently , Doc, the fireman in the group, was the designated fireworks-shooter-off-er. He and Dugout took the hose and the combustibles, and walked out into the field.
" Hey," Maddie slipped into a lounge chair next to Emma. "We lose somebody already?"
Fred jiggled Sophie on his lap. "I tried to keep her awake, but she crashed. Maybe the fireworks will wake her up."
" They did last year," Emma recalled.
Maddie smiled. "You guys did this last year?"
" On a smaller scale." Fred nodded. "Quite a few more people this year."
They heard a loud pop, and the display began. Rob joined them, scooping Sophie out of Fred 's arms and into his own. He held her as he sat on the foot of
" No one has control over me." He dropped his arms and took a step away. "No one."
" Understood." She raised her hands, and watched him walk off. Embarrassed, Maddie strolled past the food, but decided she wasn't hungry at all. She filled a glass of beer from the keg, and sat back to watch the activity.
When Sophie was done eating cake, Maddie noticed her grandparents talking to her as if they were saying goodbye. She went closer and stood shielded behind some bushes to hear what was said. Sophie told them goodbye then went to spend a moment with her mother. Rob joined his parents to say goodbye. "Thanks for coming," he said halfheartedly.
" Robert," his mother said. "What are you doing with that woman?"
" I'm not going to get into this with you, mom."
" She's not the right type of person for you, and you know it."
" Mother," his voice grew more irritated. "You have no idea what my type of woman is, so please, just let me handle my own affairs, will you?"
His father spoke up. "If it is an affair, that's one thing. Just don't let her trap you into more than that. A woman like her would do anything to get her hooks into a man like you."
" Oh sweet Jesus!" Rob swore at them. "You haven't the foggiest idea what kind of person she is, so please drop this, right now."
" Robert, have you been drinking?" his mother asked.
" Not enough, but I'm fixing to get shit-faced here in a little bit. Why don't you stick around for the fireworks?"
Maddie wondered if he meant the real fireworks , or the scene he might make if he really did get drunk.
" We need to get back." Edward ushered his wife toward the front of the house. "We'll see you the next time you bring Sophie."
" Yeah, whatever." Rob waved a hand in the air, not exactly a goodbye wave.
Maddie chuckled . He looked like someone who was trying to catch a cab back east. She continued to watch as Dionne approached Rob.
" Quite the party, Coop." She put her hand on his chest.
" Always a crowd pleaser."
" You made Soph happy. You're such a good daddy." She stepped close to him and kissed him gently on the lips.
Maddie inhaled . She didn't want to watch, but couldn't look away. She was even more astounded to see Rob kiss Dionne back for ten long seconds. Not that I'm timing it . But it was exactly ten seconds.
Their kiss ended, and Dionne left with no further words. Maddie stood behind the bushes, the ridiculousness of her situation slowly sinking in. She couldn 't believe the level she'd sunk to, sneaking around the bushes, spying on Rob.
She thought about Dionne saying that she and Rob still slept together, whenever they could. Maybe that was true before he met Maddie, but once she and Rob began dating seriously, they were together nearly every day. She didn't know what to believe, other than she'd just seen Rob and Dionne kiss for ten seconds.
Maddie returned to the party and headed for the keg. Rob said he was going to get shit-faced , and she intended to beat him to that state. She downed two beers standing at the keg, and took a third with her. She had enough of her wits left to wonder about Sophie, and found the child playing quietly with a new toy near Emma and Fred.
It was almost dark, and the men were sorting through the box of fireworks. Apparently , Doc, the fireman in the group, was the designated fireworks-shooter-off-er. He and Dugout took the hose and the combustibles, and walked out into the field.
" Hey," Maddie slipped into a lounge chair next to Emma. "We lose somebody already?"
Fred jiggled Sophie on his lap. "I tried to keep her awake, but she crashed. Maybe the fireworks will wake her up."
" They did last year," Emma recalled.
Maddie smiled. "You guys did this last year?"
" On a smaller scale." Fred nodded. "Quite a few more people this year."
They heard a loud pop, and the display began. Rob joined them, scooping Sophie out of Fred 's arms and into his own. He held her as he sat on the foot of
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