53. Ian
The bed wasempty when I woke.
So was the kitchen and the living room. I fixed myself a cup of coffee, tugged a sweatshirt over my head, and ambled outside where I found Madison sitting on the front porch, a mug of decaf tea in her hand, and Finn curled up at her feet.
My heart was full. Maybe that made me sound like a sap, but it was the truth. The only thing that could make that image better would be the baby that was due to arrive in less than two months.
If you had told me a year ago that I’d be living in Ashwood again, I’d have told you that you were insane, but here I was, holed up in a tiny farmhouse with the mother of my child, my dog, Finn, and getting to watch our dream home being built up on the ridge.
Hell, if you’d have told me this a month ago, I would’ve been almost as shocked, yet here I was. And it hadn’t even been my idea. It was Maddie’s.
We’d been packing up, getting ready to head back to Philadelphia. I’d taken Finn for a long walk, hoping to tire him out before the drive. When I returned, most of Maddie’s stuff was spread out on the bed and only a few items had been put into her suitcase.
“You need help? I can pack all this up if you want.”
Madison shook her head. “No thanks.” She picked up a sweater and put it in the bag, then took it out again.
“Everything okay?”
She nodded. “Everything’s fine.” She set the sweater down. “Can we talk?”
I’d never been in a relationship before, but those didn’t sound like words anyone would want to hear. I rubbed at the tight spot over my sternum and dropped into the wicker chair.
Maddie came around and sat on the edge of the bed in front of me. “You’re probably going to think I’m crazy, but I don’t want to go.”
Not what I expected to hear.
I blinked a few times. “Really? You want to stay?”
The corners of her mouth quirked up. “Is it crazy?”
“No,” I gushed. “It ain’t crazy at all. I’m kinda shocked. This is coming out of nowhere.”
She nodded, looking more serious. “I know, and of course I need to go back for my doctor visits, but we can fly back and forth. I have my own plane, so it’s no big deal.”
NBD, she says.
“I mean, it’s not my plane, it’s one of my family’s planes, but it’s always at my disposal.”
I coughed. “One of your…”
She waved me off. “That doesn’t matter. If it works for you, I’d like to stay here. It’s peaceful, and I love your family and wouldn’t mind seeing them more.” She nudged me with her toes. “Maybe learn to cook.”
“Really?” I arched a brow.
“Do you want me to learn to cook?”
“Honestly? I don’t care. That’s up to you. Is it something you want to learn?”
She laughed. “Not really. Spending time with your mother would be fun; your sisters and your dad too.”
She continued trying to convince me to agree, as if I wasn’t already on board.
“And you should think about poor Finn. The city’s no place for a dog. Out here he can run around and get lots of exercise.”
“Uh huh, that’s true.”
“And you probably want to be here for the new house. They’re digging the foundation soon, right?”
“That’s a good point. And I do have a hammer.”
“Exactly, and— What?”
“I own a hammer. I can help build the house.”
“You know how to build a house?”
“No, but how hard can it be?”
The look of confusion on her face was too adorable. “I’m kidding. I would love to stay here if that’s what you want.”
The smile…this girl. Why did I ever think she was an ice queen? Being the recipient of that smile was like being doused in sunshine.
“Then it’s settled?” she’d asked, hopeful.
“Works for me.”
So here we were, a month later. I smiled down at the little mama-to-be sitting on the front porch, sipping her tea.
“Mornin’, darlin’.”
Madison greeted me with a beautiful smile. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
After helping myself to a kiss, I answered. “I did. It would’ve been nice to wake up with you still in bed.”
“I wanted to shower and start getting ready. We need to be at the airport by eleven, and since we’re not staying in the city overnight, we need to drop Finn off with your parents.”
“We have time,” I said, dropping into the chair beside her. “Soon as I finish my coffee, I’ll get in the shower.”
A chipmunk ran across the porch, and while Madison, scrambled to lift her legs, she no longer screamed when she saw them.
She narrowed her eyes when she caught me smirking. “Don’t,” she warned.
“Did I say anything?”
“No, but you were thinking it.”
It felt so good to sit there and laugh with her.
“Didn’t know you could read my mind, darlin’.”
She snorted. “Like it’s hard.”
I grabbed her hand and tugged gently. “I’ll show you something hard.”
She screamed and laughed as she tried to get up from the chair, but it was me doing the laughing when no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t budge.
I set down my mug and stood. “Need help there, little lady?”
Snickering, she raised her arms. “You be quiet.”
“Everything looks good,” Dr. Abernathy said. “Your blood pressure is excellent, and the baby’s growth is right on schedule. The head isn’t engaged yet, but I don’t think it will be long before you experience what we call lightening. The baby will ride lower in your abdomen as you get closer to your due date. We’ll see you in two weeks, unless you experience any issues.” She picked up her tablet and asked if we had any questions.
“Just one,” Maddie said. “I wanted to make sure that it’s okay for me to still fly.”
The look on Dr. Abernathy’s face wasn’t a glowing endorsement. “Most airlines won’t allow you to fly past thirty-six weeks, so it doesn’t really matter what I think.”
“What about privately,” I asked. “We flew in this morning from West Virginia on Maddie’s plane, and we were flying back later today.”
“It’s only an hour-long flight,” Maddie added. “Driving is five hours.”
“Why do you need to be in West Virginia?”
Maddie and I shared a look before she answered, and when she did, she seemed almost shy. “It’s peaceful,” she said. “And we’re surrounded by Ian’s family. We’re staying in the sweetest little farmhouse, and construction recently started on the new house Ian’s building. I can work remotely for a few hours a day if I need to. The only reason we come back to the city right now is for these appointments.”
“You do seem less stressed, and like I said, your blood pressure is perfect?—”
“And if anything happens, we can be back in the city in an hour. Her pilot’s always on standby,” I added. “The guy gets paid to sit around and wait.”
Clearly I thought that was insane, but it wasn’t my money.
“For now, I’m going to say it’s fine? I’ll see you again in two weeks. After that, I’ll see you once a week. But after Thanksgiving, I’m going to insist that you remain in the city until you deliver. No flying or driving back and forth at that point.” She held out her hand to Maddie. “Do we have a deal?”
Maddie’s laugh was carefree and lighthearted and so very different from the girl I’d met all those months ago. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as Dr. Abernathy shook my hand as well.
“Deal,” I stated.