Chapter 11 Maddie
MADDIE
I spent my weekend pampering Grace, who’d been told by her doctor that she’d better stay indoors and rest a lot while taking flu medication.
On Monday morning, I showed up at Val’s house with two workers in tow.
I had taken one look at them and knew they were in for the very short-term only.
I estimated they’d work for me for a week, at most, but I had already cast my net wide, and I was confident I’d find the right people soon.
“Ben, Derek, I’m going to give you a rundown of the project, and then tell you about what we’ll be working on today.” Even though tomorrow was the Fourth of July and we wouldn’t be working, I’d wanted them to start today so I could show them the ropes.
Ben smiled. “Sure. This is a great place.”
Derek was inspecting the ground cover. “Good thinking, covering this up, or we’d have a serious problem on our hands.”
After instructing them on their tasks, I set out to inspect if the storm over the weekend had done any damage.
I also kept peeking at the house out of the corners of my eyes.
There was no movement whatsoever, and when I entered to leave my backpack, there was no sign of Landon.
I couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment.
I’d gotten used to my daily dose of gorgeous-man appreciation.
I’d especially counted on it to kick-start the week.
This was a suckier Monday than usual, and a girl had to do what she could to get through the day. Just to be completely sure he wasn’t around, I went to the backyard too. Nope. I’d missed my chance to see Landon out for his daily run. Maybe he’d come back later for his training with Milo.
It was for the best that Landon wasn’t here, I told myself. Was I attracted to him? Hell yes. Not only because he was sexier than any man I’d seen, but because I genuinely loved being around him. He made me laugh. I liked making him laugh. But he wasn’t the man for me for about a million reasons.
I concentrated on those as I started peeling away the tarp.
My line of work was usually unsexy, but unhitching wood spikes from a moderately dry earth made this Monday especially messy. By ten o’clock, I was pretty sure my boots were full of mud. Two hours later, I was convinced I’d find mud even in my teeth.
“Boss, we’re going on our lunch break,” Ben announced sometime later.
I stood up, stretching my neck. “What time is it?”
“Almost one o’clock. Wanna join us? My girl packed enough sandwiches to feed three of me.”
“No, thanks. Enjoy your lunch.”
“We’ll be just outside the front gate in my car,” Derek said.
After they left, I sighed, trying hard not to think that Landon and I had lunch at one o’clock on the dot every day since he’d arrived.
I’d just turned my back to the front gate when I heard it open.
I knew without looking it was Landon. It was as if my body reacted to his mere presence.
My heart began to hammer, my pulse quickened.
I didn’t look up until he was right next to me.
Wow. He was wearing a suit, and it fit him so well I could swear it was custom-made.
He held up a takeout bag. “Lunch?”
Drawing on every ounce of self-preservation skill, I took a step back. But not before I caught a whiff from the takeout bag.
“Are those burritos?”
“With extra cheese and guacamole, just the way you like it. You can’t say no.”
“Oh, but I can,” I teased, even though I couldn’t believe he’d bought burritos, that he’d paid such close attention to our conversation. “You’re not the boss of me.”
He gave me a smile so perfect, I could swear my underwear caught fire.
“Eat with me, Maddie.”
Oh goody! He was using the same tone as when he’d told me to break the rules with him that night at the Lucky Bar. I knew without either of us saying it out loud that this—our need for togetherness—was breaking yet another rule.
I seemed to be even more susceptible to him after our kiss. But the man was wearing a suit and bringing my favorite food. I could indulge in my daily session of sexy man appreciation and enjoy a burrito at the same time. How could I say no?
“Let’s go in the kitchen,” I said.
I took off my shoes before stepping inside the house and followed Landon to the kitchen.
The second we entered it, I felt the walls press in on us, forcing us closer together.
I was aware of Landon’s every move. He shrugged out of his suit jacket, draping it on the back of a seat.
The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to his elbows.
What the sight of those muscle-corded forearms did to me… .
“I’ll get us some plates,” I offered, opening one of the overhead compartments from which I remembered Landon taking out plates last week. My memory was playing tricks because I was facing glasses.
“This is the one with the plates.” Landon came up behind me, reaching to the compartment to my right, retrieving two plates.
When he lowered his arm, his elbow brushed the side of my breast. A sizzle bristled through me, stoking a fire deep inside.
I felt Landon’s sharp exhale against the side of my head and realized I was gripping the counter for no reason at all.
I let go as Landon stepped back, and we headed to the small kitchen table.
I sat opposite Landon, careful so our legs wouldn’t touch under the table.
The room seemed to have shrunk in size in the past few seconds, but I suspected any space would feel small when filled with so much sexual tension.
“So, when are you training Milo today?” I asked.
“I’m not. He’s at a friend’s house.”
“Oh, I see. What were you up to today?” I bit into my burrito, savoring the rich flavor.
“Met up with an old school friend.”
I swallowed the mouthful quickly. “You meet your friends wearing a suit?”
“Might have doubled as a business meeting, so I went business casual.”
“Which is the casual part?”
He pointed to the rolled sleeves with a smile.
“What’s the dress code for strictly business?”
“Cuff links.”
Well, I hoped I’d never be privy to that sight. Nothing spelled sex appeal like cuff links. Not every man could pull them off, but I suspected Landon wore them very well.
We chitchatted about his friend while we ate. He’d married his high-school sweetheart and they were now about to have their third child.
“That’s the fairy tale come to life, huh? Lucky them, finding each other so quickly. No kissing frogs to discover the prince… or princess.”
“Why are you still single, Maddie?”
“More than half the population is.”
“I don’t care about them. I want to know about you.” Landon rested his elbows on the table, a twinkle in his eye. “Come on, you know all my deep, dark secrets. Share some of your own.”
“Well, technically Val told me all of yours.”
“So you prefer I ask her?” he challenged, luring chuckles out of me.
“I don’t have any deep, dark reasons for being single. I came close to getting married to that ex I told you about, the one I moved to LA for.”
“What happened?”
I felt his gaze on me as I bit into my burrito again, chewing carefully.
“He was an architect too. We studied together. He specialized in buildings, I in landscape. He was very successful. All that success turned him into an ass. He was working on a lot of high-profile buildings, even worked with Warner Bros. on a few movie sets. He got snippier with me as time went by, making snide remarks here and there. I thought it was just all the stress from work getting to him. Turns out he just thought I was beneath him.”
“What?”
“Yeah. One evening I kept rattling about a new project, and he just blurted out that I’d wasted all that time getting my architecture degree to be a glorified gardener. He felt I wasn’t ambitious enough.”
Landon’s eyes turned hard. “He told you that?”
“And more. Said that when he took me to whatever awards he received, he felt… ashamed. That it was clear I didn’t want more from life, and I’d drag him down. I called off our engagement right away. He seemed almost… relieved.”
“Why hadn’t you dumped his ass before?”
My body warmed all over at the indignation in his tone. “No one’s perfect. I thought if we put a lot of effort into it, we could make it work.”
“Being in a relationship shouldn’t feel like pulling teeth, Maddie.”
A question popped up in my mind, but I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate. In the end, my curiosity won. “Was it always easy for you and Rachel?”
I’d expected him to tense at the name, but he merely dropped his head back, as if recalling memories. “We had our fights, like every couple, but it definitely didn’t feel like pulling teeth.”
“Did you meet here or in San Jose?”
“Here. I met her in the early days of setting up the software business, and we hit it off right away. We had a few beautiful years together before she got sick.”
“What happened to her?”
“Brain cancer. It’s a cruel disease. We found out late, but doctors said they couldn’t have done much even if they had found it earlier.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. Sometimes I can’t believe it’s been four years since she died.
” He looked into the distance, then shook his head.
“But back to your ex. That guy sounds like a douchebag. He didn’t deserve you, if he looked at you and all he saw was someone who’d drag him down. Do you want to know what I see?”
“What?” I whispered.
“A hardworking woman who’s built a business doing something she loves and is damn good at it.”
“Oh, Landon. How can you say that? You caught me having a mini breakdown because my employees quit.”
“And today you showed up with new ones. The key to running a successful business isn’t not having problems, it’s finding solutions for them, which you did. I’ve had plenty of breakdowns myself. Don’t be so harsh on yourself. You’re doing a great job.”
“Thank you.” My mood skyrocketed. I was proud of myself and my business—at least on days that didn’t include breakdowns. But it felt nice to be appreciated by him. “I do love my business.”