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She must have done her work pitching my figure to the sellers, because by seven the next evening I’d signed the papers, wired the money, and I had keys in my hand.
Steve was astonished. He couldn’t begin to understand why I wanted to move out of his and Kennedy’s house, much less to the edges of town, and with so much yard to tend–and that was before he and Kennedy walked the house.
“You really do know how to pick them.” He shook his head slowly as he stood in the living room and turned a slow circle. “Good thing you haven’t dated in years, Mad. Now I know you’d have picked the projects.”
“I have so many ideas!” Kennedy reappeared, Teagan on her hip. “This really can be a blank slate.”
It was a good thing Kennedy had an eye for design, because I was pretty hopeless. It was something I’d never had to pay attention to, nor had I formed any opinions while I was in military housing. Now that I had the chance to put my personal stamp on something, I didn’t know what that should look like.
Steve unloaded the things I’d stored in his garage from the back of his truck. “Sure you want to spend the night out here all by yourself?” He looked a little worried.
“The only thing that’ll bother me out here will be owls and mice,” I said, hoping I was wrong about the mouse part. I’d been to the dollar store that morning to buy traps and candles, since I couldn’t get the electricity turned on immediately, and I’d said a prayer before starting a roaring fire in the huge living room fireplace.
Over the next few days, though Kennedy was hosting Thanksgiving, she brought over her laptop and we talked through colors and textures, themes and a cohesive look.
By Thanksgiving morning I watched the parade from my own living room while I assembled furniture. I had agreed to bring a few side dishes to Steve and Kennedy’s, so I’d stopped at the supermarket the night before for a cheese platter, some mashed potatoes from the deli and some fresh asparagus.
It was probably nothing short of a miracle that the ancient refrigerator worked and so did the oven, so I shivered my way through a too-cold shower, then roasted the asparagus and tucked everything into the rental car I’d been using for the week. It wasn’t lost on me that I’d neglected to shop for a car, something I would have to see to the instant I got home, whenever that might be. As it was, I’d already asked Aaron if I could hitch a ride with him the day we were scheduled to head out.
“Look what the cat dragged in.”
Oh good, it was Grams. Just what I’d been hoping: the person who’d be sure to remind me of my numerous shortcomings as she passed the Brussels sprouts. She’d ask whether I was going to give her any great-grandchildren over pie, then make insinuations about my sexual preferences as we sipped coffee. Not to mention that throughout the day she’d help herself to handfuls of Adam’s backside.
Yeah, Adam was there. He was outside with Steve, where the two of them were huddled over the smoker on the back deck. I’d have given a limb to know what they were talking about, but whatever it was, it was obviously serious.
Teagan was crawling all over the place by now, almost ready to start walking, and she zoomed over to the slider and pulled herself up, slapping the glass with her palms to get Adam’s attention.
“Geez, between your daughter and Grams, it doesn’t look likeIhave a prayer with Adam,” I teased Kennedy quietly as we started carrying dishes into the dining room to place over warmers.
“Oh, I think you’re the only one in town who has a chance with Beckman.” She smirked at me and I chased after her.
“I think you’d better spill some details, Kenny. What have you heard?”
There was a whoosh and a squeal as the slider opened and Steve caught Teagan up against his wide chest. The little ingrate grinned at him and immediately extended her arms, leaning out and toward Adam.
“Madelyn.” He nodded, not a trace of a smile on his face as Teagan settled against his shoulder contentedly. “Heard you had a busy few weeks.”
Not that he would have known if he hadn’t talked to Steve, because I hadn’t seen or heard from him since the morning he told me I was all woman now. No way in hell I was forgetting that for as long as I lived.
Kennedy lifted her eyebrows at me and crossed the space to take Teagan from Adam.
“Mads tell you what she’s been up to lately?” she asked, clearly leading him, and his smile was tight.
“Nah, but Steve told me you bought a house.”
“Sure did.” I couldn’t help the grin that stretched across my face. Finally I had a place to call my own. “Might get a dog when I get back home.”
“Get back home?” He looked confused, and I realized immediately that Steve hadn’t told him I was shipping out in a couple days.
“That’s on you,” was all Kennedy said, clearly directing her words at me and I was surprised by the tone of her voice.
I grabbed one of the pitchers Kennedy had filled and placed on the kitchen island countertop, carrying it toward the dining room and hoping Adam would follow me.
“I ship out on Monday,” I said quietly. “I’m hitching a ride with Aaron to our rendezvous point. I don’t know how long we’ll be gone; it’s kind of open-ended.”
An expression flashed across Adam’s face that I couldn’t get a read on. It was a combination of emotions, maybe anger and fear.
“Damn it, Madelyn.” His voice was low and angry and that took me by surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
