14 Valentine Place (25 page)

When she was with him, her world didn’t seem so uncertain. She finally felt as if she’d found the direction in which she wanted to be going.

Only tonight she’d had to face the fact that it was temporary. For a little while longer she’d have her compass, but after that…

She wouldn’t think about what lay ahead. She and Dylan had made a pact—they would enjoy each day they had together. And she was determined to do just that.

D
ESPITE
D
YLAN’S ASSURANCE
that everything was all right with his mother, Maddie knew she needed to have a good talk with Leonie. For Maddie, who hated to have any unsettled feelings between her and her friends, it was important that she do it as quickly as possible. That’s why she decided that, as soon as she’d finished her classes at the dance studio on Saturday, she would talk to Leonie.

To her surprise, she found Leonie waiting for her when she arrived at work.

“I know you’re busy, Maddie, but I’d like to speak to you,” she said in a serious tone.

Maddie led her into the small office at the back of the studio. As soon as she’d closed the door, Leonie was saying, “I owe you an apology. I did something I swore I would never do to any of my sons. I interfered in Dylan’s personal life. I had no right to come over there last night and I’m sorry.”

Maddie felt a lump form in her throat. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. I don’t know why I thought I had to keep my feelings for Dylan a big secret.”

“You don’t?”

Maddie gave her a puzzled look. “No, do you?”

She nodded. “You didn’t want to hear me tell you I thought you were making a mistake.”

Maddie didn’t want to ask the question, but she couldn’t resist. “Do you think I’ve made a mistake?”

She sighed. “I honestly don’t know. I’m afraid I can’t be an objective romance coach in this particular situation…not that you need one.”

No, she didn’t need a romance coach, but she could have used a mother. Trouble was she couldn’t say that to Leonie. Maybe once Dylan was gone, she could confide in her again, but right now Dylan stood between them.

Maddie sighed and leaned back against the desk. “Dylan doesn’t understand why this is so complicated.”

“No, he wouldn’t, would he,” Leonie said with a shake of her head.

“Does it have to be complicated?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned. Dylan’s my son and you’re like a daughter to me. I love you both.”

“But you don’t think we should be seeing each other.” Before Leonie could respond, she held up her hand. “It’s okay, Leonie. I’ve been thinking the same thing myself. We shouldn’t have become involved.”

“But it’s too late, isn’t it?”

Maddie looked down at her hands. “It didn’t exactly work out as I expected it would. I thought it would just be this fun, exciting—” She stopped, uneasy that she’d said as much as she had.

“When it comes to romance, fun and exciting usually come with a price.”

Maddie nodded solemnly. “I think I’ve been in a time warp. I’ve been acting more like a fourteen-year-old with a crush on a high school senior than an adult.”

“But your feelings aren’t that of a fourteen-year-old, are they?”

“If only they were,” Maddie said on a long sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this with you. So what happens now?”

“We go on as usual,” Leonie said in her cheerful, reassuring way. “Nothing’s changed, Maddie.”

A knock on the door preceded a woman sticking her head in briefly to say, “The second-graders are just about ready to start, Maddie.”

“You need to get to work, so I’m going to say goodbye.” She tugged on her gloves.

“Thank you for coming. I wasn’t sure you’d want to talk to me.”

Leonie spread her arms then and Maddie went into
them. “Of course I would. Maddie, dear, you’re like one of my own.”

Maddie choked back the emotion in her throat and said, “Thank you. I feel much better now that we’ve talked.”

“Me, too. Now you go be with your kids.” She started to open the door but stopped. “If it’s any comfort to you, I think Dylan got more than he bargained for, too.”

D
YLAN DIDN’T CHECK INTO
a hotel when he left Shane’s house. He told Maddie it was out of consideration for his mother’s feelings. She said she understood, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he’d had second thoughts about their relationship.

Not that anything in his manner toward her had given her reason to think he had. Although he was less demonstrative around his mother than he was in private, he treated her as he had for the past week—as if she were the best thing that had ever happened to him.

On Tuesday Krystal and Maddie had planned a surprise birthday party for Leonie. Besides Dylan’s brothers, guests included several of Leonie’s friends, two cousins and a handful of neighbors. Normally Maddie wouldn’t have been anxious about the party, but it was the first time she and Dylan would be together as a couple in front of the rest of the family.

The company arrived in bunches, which suited Maddie just fine. In the excitement of getting the happy birthday banner hung, the balloons inflated and everyone’s coat hidden so as not to spoil the surprise,
there wasn’t time for anyone to notice that Dylan couldn’t keep his eyes off Maddie.

At least she didn’t think anyone had noticed until Jennifer approached her in the kitchen as she filled the punch bowl and said, “You and Dylan aren’t—” She broke off, but it was obvious what she was asking.

Maddie couldn’t prevent the blush that colored her face.

“Oh my gosh! You are.” She looked at Dylan who’d just walked into the kitchen.

“It’s not what you think,” Maddie said.

“Yes it is,” Dylan disagreed over her shoulder, then as if to prove his point, grabbed her around the waist and placed a kiss on her cheek.

Mickey gasped, then ran through the house repeating, “Uncle Dylan kissed Maddie!”

“So that’s why there were all those wonderful leftovers in the refrigerator when we got back from Michigan. Maddie had been cooking,” Jennifer said. When Shane came into the kitchen, she tugged on his sleeve. “I was right about these two.”

Again Maddie blushed and Dylan grinned.

“That was pretty fast work,” Shane told his brother. Maddie wasn’t sure if it was admiration or apprehension in his eyes. However, there was something more important on Shane’s mind than Dylan’s love life. “Jason’s here.”

“It
is
Mom’s birthday,” Dylan reminded him.

“Yes, but he’s here with all of his stuff. He’s moved out of the dorm.” Shane raked a hand over his head. “Just what Mom doesn’t need on her birthday. To discover her kid’s quit school.”

Krystal popped her head into the kitchen. “Jan just called. She and Leonie are leaving the restaurant now so they’ll be here in about ten minutes.”

The announcement created a commotion as everyone hurried into the other room to wait for the moment of surprise. Maddie finished mixing the punch. When some spilled over the edge of the bowl, she swore.

“You’re not nervous, are you?” Dylan asked, reaching for the sponge.

“Of course I’m nervous. Aren’t you? Can you imagine what your mom is going to say when she sees Jason and all of his stuff?”

He shrugged. “She’ll deal with it the same way she dealt with me running off to join the Marines. Are you sure that’s all that’s bothering you?”

“What else would there be?” she asked innocently.

“The fact that you’re going to have to see Garret. You haven’t talked to him since you split with Jeffrey, have you?”

“No. Is Garret here?”

“He called and said he was going to be late. He’s the reason you’re so fidgety, right?”

He was, but she didn’t want to admit that to Dylan. Nor did she tell him she was worried that Garret might bring Jeffrey to the party.

“No, and I told you I’m not nervous. I always get a little edgy before a party—especially when I’m responsible for the food.”

“Which tastes great.” He smiled sheepishly. “I sampled the hors d’oeuvres. Did I tell you you look wonderful?” He eyed her appreciatively and her face warmed even more.

“Please don’t look at me like that. I’m already hot.”

“What a thing to tell me when there are twenty people in the next room.”

“Maddie, hurry!” Krystal called from the doorway of the kitchen. “Leonie’s going to be here any minute.”

It turned out to be more like five minutes before Leonie and her friend Jan returned from what Leonie thought would be her only birthday celebration. As the room full of people shouted “Surprise,” she looked at Maddie and Krystal and said, “I told you I wasn’t celebrating my birthday this year.”

“You don’t have to, Mom,” Dylan gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We’re doing it for you.”

To Maddie’s relief, the party was a success. When Garret arrived, he was alone. The only moment of tension came when Leonie opened her cards and gifts. Jeffrey had sent her a poem he’d composed himself. Maddie could feel both Garret’s and Dylan’s eyes on her.

After everyone had had cake and ice cream, Maddie and Krystal headed into the kitchen to begin the cleanup, leaving the Donovan family members to see to their guests. They hadn’t been there but a few minutes when Garret joined them.

Thinking he wanted to talk to Krystal, Maddie said, “I think I’ll go see if anyone needs more coffee.”

“Maybe Krystal could do that,” Garret suggested. “I’d like to talk to you if I could, Maddie.”

Krystal reached for the silver coffee server. “Sure.
I’ll take care of it,” she said, and with a curious glance at the two of them, left.

Maddie turned her attention back to the serving plates she’d been washing. “Are you enjoying the party?” she asked Garret, making small talk, hoping she could avoid the real reason he’d asked to speak to her, because she was fairly certain it involved Jeffrey.

She was unsuccessful. He said, “You and Krystal did a nice job, but I don’t want to talk about the party. I want to know what’s going on with you and Dylan.”

Before Maddie could answer, she heard a male voice say, “Do you really think that’s any of your business?”

She turned toward the door and her stomach jumped at the sight of Dylan.

“I was talking to Maddie, not you,” Garret said quietly.

“When the question involves me, you should be talking to me.” Dylan moved closer to Maddie.

She thought he looked like a tiger she’d seen on the nature channel, prowling the perimeter of its territory. She hoped he wasn’t going to act like some caveman defending his conquest. Not now.

She tried to ease the tension. “Garret and I have been friends for a long time, Dylan.”

Only Garret didn’t look very friendly at the moment as his glance darted back and forth between Maddie and Dylan. “Whatever you want, you go after, no matter who gets hurt.” The accusation was directed at his brother.

“This really doesn’t involve you,” Dylan told his brother calmly. “And even if it did, now is not the
time to be having this conversation. It’s Mom’s birthday.”

He sneered. “Oh, that’s right. And you, her oldest son, have always been the one who’s been most considerate of Mom’s feelings, haven’t you?”

Maddie could see the sarcastic bullet had hit its target. Dylan’s eyes darkened. She expected him to shoot back an angry retort, but he simply said, “I am right now, which is more than I can say for you. If you’ve got something to settle with me, fine. We’ll settle it another time, another place, but leave Maddie out of it. It’s not her fault.”

“I agree with you about that,” Garret shot back. “She didn’t have a chance once you’d made up your mind to go after her.”

“What’s going on in here?” Shane’s voice had all three of them glancing toward the doorway.

“Nothing’s going on,” Dylan spoke first. “Garret and I were having a discussion, but we’ve decided to continue it another time.”

“
We
haven’t decided anything,” Garret contradicted him.

Shane extended a hand to him. “Come on, Garret. You’ve worked too many hours and you’re tired.”

“Yeah, tired of him acting as if just because he’s the oldest he can do whatever he wants to this family.”

“Garret, that’s enough,” Shane spoke up. “We’re having a party for Mom. It’s bad enough that Jason’s going to drop his bombshell on her. She doesn’t need more trouble.”

To Maddie’s relief, Garret didn’t continue. He
stepped around Dylan and headed toward the door, but not before saying to Shane, “You know I’m right. He did the same thing when Dad died. Came home, stirred up a bunch of trouble and left. This visit is no different.”

Shane gave Dylan a long, hard stare then walked with his younger brother out of the kitchen, leaving Maddie and Dylan alone. She wasn’t sure what he would say to her.

“Shocked?”

“About what I heard?” She shook her head.

“I have been the black sheep of this family, Maddie,” he warned.

“You’re not to me,” she said in a quiet voice.

“There’s stuff that you don’t know about. The last time I was home, my brothers and I didn’t get along very well.” Again his voice carried a warning.

“That’s to be expected at such a difficult time. All of you were upset by the loss of your father,” she said in understanding.

He reached for her hand. “It goes back further than that, but I don’t want to put you in the middle any more than I already have.” He nodded toward the other room. “I should get back. Are you going to be okay?”

She nodded. “I’m going to keep working in here.”

She thought he might kiss her, but he simply pressed his fingers to her cheek and said, “Don’t worry. Everything will work out.”

Maddie wanted to believe him, but deep inside her a kernel of doubt kept growing. And growing.

M
ADDIE KNEW
that what had happened the night of Leonie’s birthday party had changed things between her and Dylan. Although they continued to see each other, their relationship held none of the urgency that had driven them to be together the previous week.

Maddie wanted to blame it on the fact that they were living in Leonie’s house, but she realized that had he wanted to make love with her, he would have figured out a way to make it happen. She wondered if he’d tired of her already, or if he’d simply decided it would be easier to part company if they were friends instead of lovers.