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“Are you okay?” I asked her quietly, so only she would hear.
“Yes. The guys have been great. I just…I missed you,” she told me, and it filled me with a warm feeling inside to hear it. It solidified something inside of me that had been worried she only came to me before because I was the only option she had. Now she had other options, but she’d missedme.
“I missed you too, both of you. I’ve been so worried,” I admitted.
“We’re okay,” she reassured me as she pulled back from my arms. I didn’t want to let her go, but I knew I had to. Kai was in the room now too, and he and Hunter were looking at us with confusion.
“These assholes better have been taking good care of you,” I joked as I looked between the two guys.
“Nico sayed a bad word!” Willow accused as she pointed a finger at me indignantly.
“Sorry Princess,” I apologized as I gave Maddie an apologetic look. I wasn’t used to having little ears around. That would have to change if this was going to work out.
“You tell him, sweetie,” Kai laughed as he approached me and held his hand out. “How are you, brother?” he greeted as we shook hands.
“Good. Glad to be here,” I replied as I glanced back to Maddie again. She had some color back since the last time I saw her, but she seemed thin and tired. There were smudges under her eyes and her face seemed drawn.
She was beautiful though, her shining red hair gathered into some kind of bun on her head, wild strands that had slipped free framing her face. She was dressed in a flowery sundress that stopped just above her knee and showed off every inch of her tight little body, curving tightly around her even more prominent bump. Her tiny, delicate feet were bare, her toenails painted a soft pink that just added to how damned cute she looked in that moment, fresh faced and beautiful.
“Mommy? Nic Nic says we can go swimming. Can we go now? Please? I’m hot!” Willow declared as she stood before Maddie, pulling on the hem of her dress to get her attention.
“Nico just got here, peanut. Maybe give him some time to settle in,” Maddie laughed.
“It’s all good. I’m kinda hot too after that journey. We can go swimming if that’s okay with you?” I offered, looking to her.
“Please mommy?” Willow pleaded as she pressed her hands together under her chin and looked up at her mom with puppy dog eyes.
“Fine. As long as Nico doesn’t mind,” Maddie gave in as she looked to me with a smile.
“No problem,” I agreed.
“I’ll get my swim suit!” Willow cried as she ran for the stairs.
“No running!” Maddie yelled at the same time Hunter and Kai called “Walk!” When they all laughed together I saw something pass between the three of them that made me feel something I hadn’t felt for some years – jealousy. Was something going on between them all? Was I too damned late? I really hoped not, because now I had laid eyes on Maddie again, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to ever let her go.
***
“That was amazing,” I sighed happily as I pushed my empty plate away from me at the dinner table later that night.
“Sam makes the bestest ever pasta!” Willow told me as she stood on her chair and pointed to the man working away busily baking something in the kitchen.
“No arguments here, Willow. That pasta was delicious,” I agreed.
“If you’re done eating, why don’t you come over here and help me out, little miss?” Sam said from the kitchen.
“Can I, mommy?” Willow asked as she dropped back down to her butt on the chair and looked to her mom.
“Sure, honey. Go ahead,” Maddie agreed. She looked even more exhausted now. I had been watching her all afternoon as we all hung out in the back yard, which was like a damned park in itself. Hunter, Kai, and I had mainly stayed in the pool with Willow, while Maddie laid on a lounger at the side and kept an eye on her firecracker of a daughter in between some reading.
It had been a pleasant afternoon and Willow had loved it, but it had left me with concerns about Maddie. She had barely moved, but every time I checked on her, she looked more and more exhausted. She was even quieter than usual, and that was saying something, since Maddie was always pretty quiet. Something was obviously wrong and I wondered if it was the pregnancy – if it was just taking too much from her that she simply didn’t have to give after all she’d been through.
“Did you bring my cell phone with you?” Maddie asked, pulling me from my thoughts. Willow was in the kitchen, standing on a stool and helping to pour flour into a huge mixing bowl with the guys housekeeper – Sam.
“Yes, but he won’t be bothering you on it again,” I replied.
“Why? What did you do, Nico? I told you not to get involved with Edward or Frank,” Maddie panicked.
”Relax. Everything’s okay,” I assured her as I reached across the table and placed my hand over hers to comfort her. “I saw them both at a fundraiser this weekend. I showed them the photos. All of the photos.”
