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Candice rubs her hands together. “I’m drooling already. See? We need to get Merriweather here and improve his attitude with pie. Maybe one of us should fake an injury and call the ER. Tell ’em we can’t travel, and Merriweather needs to come to us. He can’t stay mad, once we get him in front of a board game. We’ll tie him down if we have to, get him to eat at least one bite of cherry pie.”
Maddison giggles. “Somehow I don’t think kidnapping your boss is the answer. We’d all get thrown in jail.”
“You know what I think?” I wrap my arm around Maddison’s shoulders. I haven’t seen her all day, and I missed her. I kiss the top of her head, catching the familiar sweet scent of her shampoo.
Man, I love this woman. With my whole mind, heart, and soul.
“What?” Candice asks. “Please say you’re on board with my kidnapping idea.”
“I think I’ll text him and invite him one more time. He’s got plenty of coverage there tonight, and he deserves some time off. He might be lonely.”
Maddison nods. “Yep. I love it. And if he doesn’t show up tonight, I’ll have Grandpa set aside some pie. You can bring it to him tomorrow.”
Candice shakes her head. “You two are no fun. This is what happiness does to people. It makes them bail on brilliant schemes.”
When she wanders off, I take advantage of the moment alone with Maddie, and give her a real kiss.
“How was work?” she asks, as she traces her fingers across my temple. “Stressful?”
“Good.”
“Busy?”
“Busy, yeah. The day flew, actually. And I kept wondering about this surprise you texted me about.”
Her text message showed up on my phone sometime after lunch. And, since then, I’ve been curious.
Hopeful, too.
We’ve been trying for months now.
She smooths her fingertips through my hair, then pulls me down for another kiss.
Roxie, over behind the counter, whistles.
Maddie giggles as we part. “I guess we’ll save the rest of that kiss for later.”
“You can count on it.”
She tugs my hand, and I follow her toward a booth.
“So, how long are you going to make me wait?”
“Hm…” She taps her lip, like she’s deep in thought. Then she hands me a checkerboard. “I’d like to keep you on the edge of your seat for a while, but I’m not sure you’ll stand for it.”
I pull the lid off, slide the board and plastic pieces out. While I start sorting the checkers into piles of black and red, I let myself imagine.
Having a child with Maddison would make me the happiest man in the world. It must be good news that’s making her cheeks so rosy, and her eyes so bright.
I can barely look at her, I’m so excited.
“Now you’ve got that far-off look,” she says.
“I’m thinking.”
“About…?”
“What color to paint the upstairs room.”
