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MADISON
Laying there in bed,she replayed their conversation in her mind over and over again. Each time she heard his words, his sentences, it was the same painful conclusion.
The man was not interested in her like that, and it was obvious.
Everything Eric said or did was blunt, bold, and not hard to interpret… and that was part of what fascinated her. There were no games. This was just how he was, and it was so different from Asher that it was hard to swallow.
… And why on earth would a man willingly marry for convenience to a friend he barely knew?
They were supposed to meet at the courthouse to ‘get it over with’… and that just made her heart hurt. Maybe this was what being an adult or mature grown-up was like. The first time you married was for a foolish, flighty love, and the second time was for function or duty…
What a shame,she sighed heavily in the darkness of her room… before hearing Max in his crib, rocking it against the wall, happily making noise. She knew he would be standing there, shaking it, and would be beaming joyfully at her for having gotten her attention.
Now, how was she going to get Eric’s attention?
Did she even want it?
Opening herself up to getting to know someone again would only allow her to get her feelings hurt once more. He wasn’t expecting anything more than a relationship on paper… but that bothered her – and she didn’t want to think it was because she was obviously vain.
One handsome man walks into her life… and now she’s suddenly interested?
For months and months, she had been telling herself that relationships were a burden, not needed, and sometimes could do more harm than good. All she needed was Max in her life, and she would feel complete raising her son to be a good person, being his caregiver and friend, and that would fill her heart with enough joy to keep her from feeling lonely…
And that was true.
She didn’t feel lonely.
However, that man she met today, Eric, made her feel something else… something powerful. Feelings that she didn’t want to put to words or admit, because it made her feel weak, womanly, and it almost felt like it took her independence from her that she had struggled to gain after Asher.
Hearing Max rocking his crib against the wall again, she heard his ‘Ma Ma Ma…’ that he was calling out, and she threw back the covers. Padding into his room silently, she smiled as he grinned at her.
“You sneaky thing,” she crooned playfully. “Were you calling for me?”
Max gave her a shy smile, before burying his sleepy head against her neck and hugging her.
“Awww, sweet boy,” she breathed, smelling his hair that was sticking up slightly. “Mama loves you so much and would do anything to protect you – including marrying a stranger. Let’s get ready. We’ve got a big day today.”
* * *
Hours later,Madison was still getting text messages from her mother, asking questions. Yeah, her timing had not been the greatest this morning, and a bevy of sputtering, disbelief, followed by rapid-fire comments, had followed her to the car.
“Mom, I’ll call in two seconds, but I’ve got to be at the school at seven. I’ll tell you everything, I promise. I just want you to ride with me to the courthouse at 3:30 so I have someone there for me.”
… And she did – except the questions were still coming.
Where did you meet this boy?
How old is he?
How long have you known him?
You mentioned a ‘marriage on paper’ – but don’t you want more children?
Does Asher know?!
How come you are not answering? Is he a dirty little secret? I’m just prepping myself for later today’s fiasco…
Hello?
