Chapter 10 #3
“I can’t wait to see you.” He ended the call before she could reply. Let her think about that until he saw her again. As he closed his eyes to take a quick nap, he smiled at the thought of seeing her soon. He really couldn’t wait.
Maddie was frightfully late to the gathering at Syd’s house to plan Tiffany’s shower, but she had a good excuse.
She and Mac had run away together for the afternoon, since his parents had the kids, and they had a rare opportunity to spend some time alone.
Hours after she’d gotten the happy news from Victoria, Maddie still wasn’t sure if she should tell her friends or hold off because of Sydney’s situation.
She hadn’t resolved the internal debate when she gave a quick knock on Syd’s door and stepped into the house. “Hello?”
“Out here,” Sydney called from the back deck.
Maddie went through the kitchen to the sliding door.
“Grab a glass of wine and come on out,” Sydney said. “We found a breeze.”
“If you can call it that,” Stephanie muttered. She was fanning herself with the latest issue of the Gansett Gazette.
Since there’d be no more wine for the foreseeable future, Maddie fixed a glass of ice water and went outside, where the heat hung low and heavy over the island.
The word “incinerator” came to mind. “How much longer is this grossness supposed to last anyway?” she asked as she ran the glass over her face, looking for relief anywhere she could find it.
“I heard on the news that it’s here to stay for a couple more days,” Laura said.
“Days?” Abby asked. “As in more than one?”
“Afraid so,” Laura said. “They’re predicting thunderstorms later in the week.”
“Can’t happen soon enough for me,” Maddie said. “Hey, where’s Jenny?”
“Sick,” Sydney said. “She has a fever.”
“Ugh, that’s too bad.” Maddie sat next to her mother on a lounge chair. “Hi, Mama.” She leaned in to kiss Francine’s flushed cheek. “Glad you could make it.”
“Why have you been crying?” Francine asked, taking a long perusing look at her eldest daughter.
“What? I have not.”
“Yes, you have. What’s wrong?”
Everything stopped as the others stared at her, and Maddie wilted as much from the heat of their stares as the thick humidity. “Um, well, so it’s kind of funny, actually.”
“What’s so funny?” Grace asked.
Maddie glanced at Sydney and saw that her old friend was waiting to hear what she had to say. “It seems that, despite my histrionics the other day, I’m pregnant after all.”
The girls went wild screaming and hugging Maddie until she was in tears all over again.
“I knew it,” Francine said smugly. “You had that look about you. Same as the last two times.”
“I’m glad you knew it, because I had myself convinced I wasn’t.”
Sydney came over to hug her. “Congratulations, Maddie. I’m so happy for you.”
“I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed for you, too.”
“If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Don’t let my situation take anything away from your excitement. Do you hear me?”
Sydney’s kind words had Maddie bawling her head off all over again. “You can’t be nice to me, or this happens. Don’t anyone be nice to me for the next nine months.”
“All right, bitch,” Stephanie said. “Stop your damned blubbering, and let’s plan this shower for your sister.”
“Much better,” Maddie said, laughing as she mopped up her tears with a tissue her mother handed her.
“How’s Mac handling the news?” Francine asked.
“Surprisingly well. He’s very excited but also very determined to move to the mainland in plenty of time to ensure there’re no more train-wreck deliveries.”
“I bet he won’t have to twist your arm on that one,” Abby said.
“Not at all. I learned my lesson with Hailey. There’s no way that’s happening again.
” Despite the seemingly never-ending need to bawl her head off over every little thing, Maddie forced a watery smile for her friends.
“I talked to Patty today,” she said of Tiffany’s assistant at the store.
“She gave me the schedule for this week so we’ll know when Tiffany is off.
Looks like Tuesday is our shopping day and Saturday is our party day. ”
“Have you mentioned this idea to Blaine?” Francine asked. “They might have plans on Saturday if that’s their only day off.”
“I was thinking we should make the party for both of them so it’ll be super embarrassing when she’s opening presents from the store,” Maddie said.
“Oh, I love that idea,” Abby said. “We’ll invite all the guys and tell them they have to come to support Blaine. They don’t need to know what kind of party it is.”
The others howled with laughter at the thought of the guys at a sex-toy-and-lingerie party.
“It’s the least of what they deserve after the number of times they’ve crashed our girls’ night out,” Maddie said.
“Absolutely,” Grace said. “But if you guys do this to me, I’ll kill you all. You hear me?”
“I see a new tradition in the making,” Stephanie said, rubbing her hands together as she directed a diabolical smile at Grace.
“No way,” Laura said. “I’m next, and they haven’t invented a naughty nightie that’ll fit this body.”
“Is that a challenge?” Maddie asked her husband’s cousin.
“Oh God,” Laura groaned. “Me and my big mouth!”
“This is perfect for Tiffany,” Francine said. “She’ll love it.”
“So will Blaine—but he won’t love it until they get home with the goods,” Sydney said.
“This is going to be awesome,” Maddie said. “What’s the plan for getting them to the lighthouse?”
“I have the perfect idea,” Sydney said. “Here’s what I think we ought to do.”