14 Valentine Place (19 page)

M
ADDIE WOKE
Sunday morning determined to act as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to her
yesterday. She’d pretend Dylan hadn’t kissed her, that he hadn’t left her the biggest and most beautiful bouquet of flowers she’d ever received and that she felt no different toward him today than she had last week.

Only it wasn’t easy to do, not when the first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the bouquet of flowers. He’d left no card. If it hadn’t been for the note Krystal had put next to the vase, Maddie wouldn’t have known who had left them.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true. When she’d seen the flowers sitting on her nightstand, she’d had a funny sensation in her stomach. And when she’d looked among the flowers for a card and found none, she’d known they weren’t from Jeffrey. He always included a poem when he sent her flowers. There was no poem, only a long slender stick protruding from the vase with “You’re Someone Special” written in blue across the top.

Then she’d found Krystal’s note. “So the kiss didn’t mean anything, huh? He walked to the florist to get these for you. Lucky you. K.”

Maddie didn’t feel lucky at all. She felt confused. She’d gone to see Jeffrey with the hope that being with him would have its usual calming effect. But he’d seemed a bit on edge because she’d come on a night when he’d planned to work. She’d cooked him dinner, then finished the Eleanor Roosevelt biography while he’d immersed himself in his research. She frowned at the memory.

It was no wonder her neck was stiff this morning. She’d fallen asleep on his couch and he hadn’t bothered to wake her until he’d finished working. If she’d
known she’d spend the evening alone on his sofa, she could have gone home after dinner.

Only then she would have had to see Dylan. Dylan, who never missed an opportunity to tell her how much he wanted to be with her. Dylan, who could make her tingle by simply looking at her. Dylan, who’d walked all the way to the florist to get her the flowers.

She’d always taken great pride in not letting her emotions get the better of her, yet this morning she felt as if she had very little control over herself.

She only hoped that she could get downstairs to the shower without having to see him. Once she was dressed, she’d go to church, stay for coffee and donuts, and maybe even stop by to see her friend Natalie on the way home. Jennifer and Shane were picking Leonie up at the airport at two. It would be much easier to face Dylan in a room full of people than one-on-one in the hallway.

She tiptoed down the stairs with her towel and shampoo in her hands. She wanted to peek to see if he was still asleep, but didn’t think she should take the risk of being noticed. When she reached the bathroom without bumping into him, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Showering as quickly as possible, she wrapped a towel around her head, pulled her robe back on and opened the door. No one was in the hallway and the house was quiet. She returned to her room to dress for church. She was just about to pull on her full-length coat when there was knock on her door. To her relief, it was Krystal.

“You going to church?”

“Yes. How are you feeling this morning?” she asked, buttoning her coat.

“Better. My head’s still stuffy but at least I don’t ache all over.” She looked past Maddie’s shoulder into the room. “How did you like the flowers?”

“They’re lovely,” she answered honestly.

“I thought so, too. Did you have fun last night?”

“Yes, I always enjoy myself when I’m with Jeffrey.” She told the white lie, not wanting to get into a discussion about her love life. “I’d better go or I’m going to be late. Do you have everything you need? I can stop at the drugstore if you want me to get you more flu pills.”

“No, I’m good. I’ll see you when you get back.”

Maddie nodded, then started for the stairs, pausing to ask, “Do you feel well enough to make lunch?”

“Sure, but Maddie, that’s not the answer.”

She feigned innocence. “Answer to what?”

“You’re going to have to face Dylan sooner or later,” the younger woman warned.

“I know. I just prefer it to be later,” she said, then started down the stairs.

Maddie used the side entrance, which meant she could leave without having to go through Leonie’s living quarters. The sun was shining, the air bitterly cold as she unlocked her pickup and climbed inside. To her horror, the inside dome light was on.

She inserted the key in the ignition only to hear a sickening grinding sound when she tried to start the engine. She groaned, angry at herself for not noticing the light was on when she’d come home.

She got out of the pickup and headed back up the
walk to the house. Before she could reach the door, she saw Dylan. He had on his leather jacket, but no gloves or hat.

“Having trouble?” he asked.

She rattled her keys. “Truck won’t start. I think the battery has run down.”

“I can give you a jump. There are booster cables in the garage.” He looked at her inquisitively, waiting for either a yes or a no to his offer.

She knew it would be silly to refuse. “You sure you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind.” He stepped around her and headed toward the pickup. “We’ll use Mom’s car to get yours started. I’ll move it next to your truck.”

She followed him. “I thought you weren’t supposed to drive?”

“It won’t hurt me to back the car out of the garage and pull it alongside yours,” he insisted. He reached into his pocket. “Good thing I brought the keys.”

Concerned about his shoulder, she said, “Maybe I should pull the car out.”

“I can do it,” he stated confidently, then opened the garage door.

To Maddie’s relief, he had no problem, and in only a few minutes he’d hooked up the booster cables between Leonie’s car and her truck.

“You’re all set,” he told when her pickup was running.

“Thank you. I’m on my way to church.” She didn’t know why she said that. She didn’t owe him any explanations.

“Now you can get there.”

“Yes.” She knew she needed to say something about the flowers. “Thank you, too, for the flowers. They’re lovely.”

“I’m glad you like them. Did you have a nice time last night?”

She didn’t miss the way he emphasized “nice,” as if to equate it with dull. “It was very nice, thank you. And you?” She thought it was a little absurd how they were talking to each other as if they were polite strangers.

“Shane and Garret came over. We all played cards—even Jason. We had a good time. All got along. No fighting.” A hint of a smile curved his lips, as if he were proud of the accomplishment.

“Good. I’m sure your Mom will be happy to hear that.” She glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going or I’m going to be late.”

He nodded in understanding. “I’ll see you later?”

“Sure. Thanks again…for the jump.”

She climbed into the truck and backed out of the driveway, thinking how silly it had been for to her to spend so much energy fretting over seeing him again. He hadn’t said a word about their kiss. He had treated her as if she were simply a woman renting a room from his mother.

She should have been relieved, but she wasn’t. She was disappointed. And she knew the reason why. She liked being with him. He wasn’t just someone who made her heart beat a little faster. He was a nice guy, and that was something she knew could be more dangerous than good looks.

CHAPTER NINE

Dear Leonie: I don’t want to hurt my boyfriend, but I met this guy who wants to take me out for dinner—no strings attached. He’s only in town for a few weeks and my boyfriend and I have always agreed that it’s okay to see other people casually, but I’m feeling a bit guilty about seeing this guy. What should I do?

Signed: Needing permission

Leonie says: If you’re feeling guilty, this is more than a casual dinner. Be honest with your boyfriend.

D
YLAN SUSPECTED THE REASON
Maddie stayed away from the house most of Sunday was to avoid seeing him. Late in the afternoon she put in a brief appearance to welcome his mother home from her trip, but it wasn’t long before she was once more driving away in her pickup. Dylan wondered if she was going to meet Jeffrey.

Later that evening Krystal noticed his preoccupation with looking out the back window toward the alley. “Awfully interested in what’s happening—or maybe I should say what’s
not
happening—in the back, aren’t you?”

“Garret said he might stop by,” he told her as he let the curtain fall back into place.

“Really? Then you’re not looking for Maddie?”

“Has she been gone?” he asked innocently.

“As if you didn’t notice.” She leaned up against the counter and watched him move restlessly about the kitchen. “In case you’re wondering, she’s not with Jeffrey.”

He shot a dubious glance her way. “What makes you think she’s not?”

She gave him a mischievous grin. “This.” She reached into her pocket, pulled out a slip of paper and dangled it in midair. “He called looking for her earlier this evening and we had a nice little chat.”

“Then he doesn’t know where she is, either?”

“No. He did tell me—”

Before Krystal could finish what she about to say, they were interrupted by Jason, who looked anxious to talk to his brother.

“You didn’t say anything to Mom about California, did you?” He kept his voice low, as if fearing his mother would come into the room.

“It’s not my place to tell her anything, Jason. You’re an adult, responsible for your own life,” Dylan told him.

“Yeah, I am. I wish you’d tell that to Shane.” He opened the refrigerator and got a soda.

“He’s just worried about you.” Krystal spoke up on Shane’s behalf. “You’re lucky. Not everyone has three big brothers looking out for him.”

Dylan could see that Jason didn’t regard his older siblings as being his good fortune in life. “So what are your plans?” he asked his brother.

Jason shrugged. “Mom won’t let me take Dad’s car
back to school because she thinks you need it.” There was no mistaking the hostility in his tone.

“I do need a car. Once I get this sling off, I’m going to have to drive myself to physical therapy on a regular basis, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t get a rental car to use while I’m here.” Dylan told him.

His face brightened. “You’d do that?”

“Sure, but it might take me a day or two to make the arrangements.”

“That’s okay. I can wait a week before leaving,” he said. “Do you think you could talk to Shane, too. He’s been giving me a hard time over all of this.”

“I’m not sure there’s anything I can say that will change his mind. He feels very strongly that you should stay in school.”

“Well, it’s not his decision to make.” Once more the defensiveness was in his voice.

Dylan held up his hands. “I didn’t say it was, but no matter what you decide, you need to discuss it with Mom,” he stated evenly. “You owe her that much since she’s been paying the bills for you to go to school.”

“I know, and I will,” he said a bit impatiently. “I need some time to figure it all out.”

Just then Leonie came into the kitchen. “Do you want to take some food with you, Jason?”

The sound of a horn had him reaching for his backpack. “No, it’s okay, Mom. My ride’s here. I’ve gotta go.”

“Give me a hug.” She opened her arms and he went into them. “You sure everything’s okay?”

Jason met Dylan’s eyes over his mother’s shoulders. “I’m fine.”

When he’d finished hugging his mother, he approached Dylan, his arms tentative as they reached for him. Dylan wasted no time in giving him a brotherly half embrace.

“Everything will work out,” he said next to his ear. “You have a good head on your shoulders. Use it.”

“I will,” he mumbled, then pushed him away. “I better go.”

As soon as he hurried out the door, Krystal said to Leonie, “You look like you could use a cup of tea. How about if I brew us a pot?”

“Tea would be nice. It’s been a long day.” She took a seat at the table, then looked at Dylan and asked, “Do you think I was wrong not to let him take the car back to school?”

He walked over to the table and gave her shoulder a pat. “If I’m the only reason you don’t want him to take it, you might be. I can always get a rental car.”

His mother sighed. “That’s only one of my concerns. I’m not sure he’s responsible enough to have it at school. He seems so young.”

“Mom, when I was his age I’d been on my own for over a year and a half.”

“I know that, but Jason’s not as mature as you were at that age. I always knew that you would be all right no matter how far away from me you traveled, but Jason’s had to deal with some pretty tough stuff for a kid his age.” She finished with concern in her eyes.

Dylan knew she referred to the death of his father.

Again it was Krystal who spoke. “But look at the
support group he has…you, Dylan, Shane and Garret. And he’s a smart guy. He’ll be fine…you’ll see,” she stated reassuringly.

As she filled the kettle with water, she launched into a story about one of her cousins who’d had trouble in college and now was a high school teacher. Dylan was grateful that Krystal veered the conversation away from his brother. The less they talked about Jason, the easier it would be to keep quiet about Jason’s plans.

Before long Krystal had successfully turned the conversation in a completely different direction. Instead of worrying about her youngest son, Leonie was answering questions about her trip to Hollywood, a subject that held great interest for the hairstylist.

“I still can’t believe you met Shania Twain when you were at the TV studio,” Krystal exclaimed, her face animated at the thought. “Maddie is going to die when she hears that.”

“Maddie likes Shania Twain?” Dylan found it surprising that someone who taught ballet and tap would be a fan of country music.

“She has all of her albums,” his mom answered.

“And she even waited in line for five hours to get tickets to her concert, but they sold out before she made it to the front of the line,” Krystal added.

“When’s the concert?” he asked.