14 Valentine Place (24 page)

“It can’t be that time already!” She buried her face in her arm. “I have to go.”

“Go? You’re not staying here?”

“I don’t think it would be a good idea.”

“Of course it’s a good idea. What’s a bad idea is you driving home alone at midnight,” he said, pushing himself up on one elbow. “You’re not worried that my mom might find out you were here, are you?”

He could see by the look on her face that he was right. He lifted her chin with his finger. “You
are
worried, aren’t you?”

“I’m not exactly worried, but it’s awkward. She’s very fond of Jeffrey and she wasn’t exactly thrilled that you and I went out last night.”

“She gave you bad advice regarding Jeffrey,” he reminded her.

When she moved away from him, he didn’t like the feeling that went through him. “Do you always confide in her about your love life?” he asked.

“Not in her capacity as a romance coach. I don’t
need help with my love life—at least I didn’t until I met you.”

He wasn’t sure she saw that as a positive or a negative.

Then she said, “Ever since I met you I felt this connection between us. I didn’t understand it. I still don’t.”

He reached for her hand. “I feel it, too.”

“Then maybe you can explain it to me.”

“Sometimes it’s better not to analyze, but to simply go with your feelings.” He kissed her, hoping to prove his point.

“But I want to understand what it is,” she said, unconvinced.

He rolled over and stared up at the ceiling, where the shadows from the fire flickered. He didn’t understand why he should feel so connected to her, either, but he suspected one reason was that she’d confided in him about her father’s infidelity. He debated whether or not he should tell her about his dad.

She leaned over him. “Why haven’t you ever married, Dylan?”

“I thought my brothers would have told you the answer to that one,” he said, uneasy that she’d even brought up the subject.

“I’m not asking your brothers. I’m asking you.”

He could see by her eyes that she had no ulterior motive in asking such a question. She was simply curious. “I haven’t wanted to get married.”

“Me neither,” she said, then rolled onto her back.

He decided they’d talked enough and in one smooth move he was on top of her. He covered her mouth
with his, kissing her until they were both breathless. “We’re two of a kind, Maddie. That’s all that matters.”

“Yes,” she agreed, then gently pushed him away. “I need to go.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.” He tried to tempt her to stay by planting kisses on her shoulder.

“I have to. I have no clothes to wear tomorrow.”

“You won’t need them,” he said with a devilish glint in his eyes.

“You said you were going to take me to the movies on my day off. I need to put on clothes for that,” she said as she fastened her bra.

He fell back onto the floor. “I can’t convince you to change your mind, can I?”

“Tomorrow will be just as special as today,” she told him.

“If it is, I will be a very happy man.”

She pulled the purple sweater over her head, then kissed him. “And I a happy woman.” She eluded his grasp and finished dressing.

He watched, thinking how graceful she was in everything she did. She could make tying shoes look like a work of art. The thought of her driving home alone had him reaching for his jeans.

“What are you doing?” she asked as he reached for his keys from the end table.

“I’m going to follow you home.”

“You don’t have to.”

“No, but I want to. I know you’re used to taking care of yourself, but humor me. Please?”

He liked the fact that she was independent. Most of
the women he’d dated had expected him to be at their beck and call. Maddie made no demands on his time. If anything, he was the one who waited for her.

He thought it was the reason that his interest in her hadn’t waned. With each passing day he found it more difficult to share her with her work, with his family and with the rest of the world. With Shane and Jennifer returning on Saturday, he knew he needed to find another way for the two of them to have privacy. Because if there was one sure way to kill a romance it was conducting it under the watchful eye of a mother. That was something he wasn’t going to let happen.

“W
HERE HAVE YOU BEEN
? I’ve hardly seen you all week,” Krystal remarked to Maddie as their paths crossed in the hall outside the bathroom Friday morning.

“It’s been a hectic week.”

Krystal’s mouth spread into a grin. “Hectic at work or hectic trying to spend all of your free time with a certain guy?”

Maddie didn’t see any point in denying she’d been with Dylan. “You know, don’t you?”

She nodded. “I knew it was just a matter of time before it happened. Anyone with half a brain could see there was going to be a spontaneous combustion. How does Leonie feel about it?”

“I guess she’s fine with it. I haven’t seen her all week.” Something that bothered Maddie. She and Dylan hadn’t exactly been sneaking around, but because they hadn’t seen his mother, it almost felt as if they had been.

“You don’t think she’s going to object, do you? For Pete’s sake, Maddie, she adores you. She’ll probably be tickled pink that you and her son are hitting it off.”

“And romance
is
her business,” Maddie added, trying to convince herself as well as Krystal. “She understands why this kind of stuff happens.”

“It’s not like you’re a couple of teenagers,” Krystal pointed out.

“No, you’re right.”

“Just face her and get it over with. I know it’s awkward, but Leonie is such a dear. It’ll be fine. You’ll see,” Krystal said with her usual optimism.

Maddie knew what her friend said was true, yet she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that her relationship with Dylan was going to change how Leonie felt about her. One thing she did know. She needed to talk to Leonie about what was going on and do it soon.

But when she went downstairs, Leonie was nowhere to be found.

Later that day when she arrived at Shane’s, she found Dylan sitting on the sofa with his laptop open. She was about to express her concerns to him about his mother when he pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her thoroughly.

“I put in a request to extend my medical leave,” he told her when the kiss ended.

“Because of me?”

“It sure as hell isn’t because of the weather,” he teased.

“You can get an extension?”

“I need to continue my physical therapy. I’d be
crazy not to—especially after the way this week has turned out.” He nuzzled her neck with a trail of warm kisses.

She sighed. “It has been incredible, hasn’t it?”

“Beyond my wildest dreams.” He stopped kissing her and looked at her, his eyes cloudy. “Unfortunately, tomorrow we lose our privacy.”

“What happens when you’re back at your mother’s?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about not going back to her house.”

She straightened. “What?”

“I’m used to living alone, Maddie. As much as I want to be close to you, it’s going to be sheer torture trying to sleep when I know you’re upstairs from me. That’s why I’ve been checking into taking a room at a hotel.”

“It would be great…for us, but…”

“You’re worried about my mom’s feelings, aren’t you?”

She nodded. “It’s awkward. I know it shouldn’t be but it is.” She got up from his lap. “I need to have a talk with her, Dylan.”

“We’re adults, Maddie. We shouldn’t have to get anyone’s blessing before we can see each other.”

“I know, but I’ll feel better if I’ve talked to her about us.” She folded her arms across her chest, suddenly chilled. “I need to do it before Tuesday. That’s her birthday and everyone’s coming over. I don’t want there to be any uncomfortable surprises.”

“Then tomorrow it is. Now come here and let’s
enjoy our last night alone.” He started to undo the buttons on her blouse.

“I thought you wanted me to make dinner,” she said as her breath caught in her throat.

“Not necessary. I’ve ordered dinner to be brought here.” He trailed kisses across the flesh her open blouse exposed.

When the doorbell rang, he glanced at his watch. “If that’s dinner it’s early. They weren’t supposed to be here until eight o’clock.”

Maddie watched him walk over to the front door and open it. A chill traveled across her arms, and she didn’t need for Dylan to tell her who was at the door. It was Leonie.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dear Leonie: I met this guy who was only going to be in town for a month. I told myself I wasn’t going to be upset when he left again, but I’ve gone and fallen in love with him and now I don’t know what to do.

Signed: Wishing I could turn back time

Leonie says: Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. Either forget him or get used to big long-distance phone bills.

“I
STOPPED BY
to see if you wanted to join me and Garret for dinner, but I can see you’ve already made plans,” she said coolly. Leonie looked at Maddie. “I figured this was why I haven’t seen much of you this week.”

“He can go to dinner with you,” Maddie said, wishing her dear friend didn’t look so disappointed at finding her with Dylan.

“No, I can’t because I’ve already made plans for dinner,” he spoke up. “But thanks for thinking about me.”

Maddie couldn’t believe Dylan’s ease. It was as if he didn’t see any reason why there should be awkwardness between the three of them.

“Then I’ll go,” Leonie said.

“No, Leonie, wait. We should talk about this.” Maddie spread her hands nervously.

Again it was Dylan who spoke. “Mom’s fine with everything, aren’t you?” He cast a glance at his mother, who Maddie thought was anything but fine.

Leonie’s next words proved it. “As you already told me, what you and Maddie do is none of my business.”

“You said that to your mother?” Maddie gawked at Dylan. Then she walked over to Leonie and put an arm around her shoulder. “Leonie, I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you earlier about me and Dylan. I should have. I wanted to, but…” She knew there really was no reason why she couldn’t have told her friend about her feelings for Dylan.

“I had to learn from Garret that you’d broken up with Jeffrey,” Leonie said.

The disappointment on her landlady’s face only added to Maddie’s regret. Until today Leonie had never looked at her with anything but affection and understanding. Maddie wanted to right what was wrong between them, but she wasn’t sure she knew how.

“I’m sorry” were the only words she could find to say.

To her relief, Leonie accepted her apology graciously. “I understand, Maddie. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like a few words with my son.”

Maddie nodded and excused herself, going into the kitchen where she flipped through the pages of Jennifer’s cookbooks and tried not to think about what was being said in the other room. It wasn’t long before Dylan joined her.

“She’s gone,” he stated.

“What happened?” she demanded, jumping to her feet, worried that he’d only made the situation worse, not better.

“Nothing happened. We just talked. Everything is going to be all right.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You’re going to get on a plane and leave here in a couple of weeks. I have to live in her house.”

“Maddie, what’s with you? This isn’t that big a deal. So Mom knows you and I have been seeing each other. So what?”

She made a sound of exasperation. “That is such a typical male response. Your mother has feelings.”

He raked a hand over his head. “I know and I did my best to be considerate of them. You’re getting all upset about this when there’s no reason to. She’s not mad at you.”

“Well, she’s not feeling very motherly toward me. I can guarantee you that,” she retorted, pacing the floor.

“Do you want to go home and talk to her?”

She stopped. “You think I should?”

“At this point I’m not sure I should say what I think.”

She realized then how emotional she’d become. She went to him and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his chest. She needed to feel his strength, to feel the sense of rightness that always came over her when he held her in his arms.

“I’m sorry I’m being so silly,” she said, swallowing back the tears that threatened to break loose.

He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face so he could gaze into her eyes. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I’ve made you cry.” He swiped at the lone tear that trickled down her face. “None of this would have happened if I’d listened to Garret and left you alone.”

“I didn’t want you to leave me alone.”

“I’m not sure I could have had I wanted to,” he said, smoothing his hand over her hair.

She saw the look in his eye and knew what he said was true. Krystal had been right. Eventually the spark would have ignited between them. “This feels right to me.”

“It feels better than right.”

“Yes, it does,” she agreed, then once more burrowed her head into his chest, loving the strength and security she found there. It was a new feeling for her—trusting someone enough to cry in his arms.

What she felt for Dylan was so very different from the feelings she’d had for other men. It gave her a great sense of contentment, but it also frightened her because of its intensity. In a few weeks he’d be gone, out of her life. The thought sent a chill through her.

“Are you cold?” he asked. “I can think of a good way to warm you.”

As always, his words were enough to send heat rushing through her. It had been that way ever since she first saw him. A look, a touch, a few provocative words and she’d melt.

It was only after they’d made love later that evening that she noticed the chill again. Leonie’s visit had forced her to acknowledge that their relationship wasn’t as simple as they’d hoped it would be.

She’d told herself right from the start that when Dylan’s time was up in Minnesota, she would let him go. It was what she wanted. He was the one who was supposed to teach her how to recognize a good man.

Only it hadn’t exactly worked out that way. She’d expected him to be shallow and self-absorbed, but he’d been compassionate and generous. She’d discovered she could talk to him about things she’d never thought she’d share with anyone. The more time they spent together, the more she began to think that he was good for her.