CHAPTER 27
Declan
I loved the feeling of holding Madeline in my arms again. I hugged her and kissed her intermittently before she asked me to come inside and meet her family. I am the first person to admit that I was scared but we made our way inside and she introduced me to them. Madeline got a lot of her compassion from her mother and I watched them interact as her aunt made coffee. Both women were free spirits, but Madeline grew up good. They loved her to no end and I smiled as Shelly handed me a steaming cup of coffee.
I took a seat on the couch in between Madeline and her mom and felt the women looking at me. I wondered if Madeline had trashed me to them, but it didn’t seem like it was her style. If anything, she expressed her pain to them. One look at her in the bright living room told me that it was still very much there. She looked like she’d been crying the whole way home from the airport but now she was smiling, tucked under my arm.
We managed to have an easy dinner and chatted for a while before the older women excused themselves to get some sleep. I knew that they weren’t that tired but wanted to give us some alone time. When we were alone, I turned to her and kissed her softly as if my life depended on it as it would air. She pressed her lips against mine as she wrapped her arms around my neck, making me focus on her heat for several moments.
When we came up for air, I told her that my parents were coming in tomorrow morning for a short trip. I’d asked them to change our plans when I knew I had to win Madeline back and asked if she would join me at my house along with her mom and aunt. Her eyes widened as she looked at me and pecked my lips again. “Isn’t it too soon for that?”
“Probably but I want to spend the holiday together as long as our hours will allow it. I know that I want to be with you, Madeline. I want to spend as much time with you as I can to make up for lost time.”
“You know the problem with that, don’t you?” Madeline teased me as she pressed her lips to my jaw.
“What?”
“There is a severe lack of alone time for a few days.” I groaned against her skin as realization set in. I survived this long without her and I could do it again because no other woman could make me feel the way that Madeline had. Not even Lisa.
“We’ll manage.” I kissed her again, feeling myself harden as I willed the erection to go away. I stayed until she told me that she needed to get some sleep for the next day, since she worked, and they had made plans for dinner. “Mom’s cooking a feast tomorrow. Come over when your shift is over. She makes a big thing about the holidays and would love to have more people.”
“I’ll bring it up tomorrow.” She reluctantly walked me to the door and kissed me goodnight as she clung to me for a moment. I walked out to my car and got in as I stared at the house. The living room went dark and I Longed to be going to bed with Madeline to make up for all the lost time. I knew that I was trying to score points with her and started the engine, pulling away from the curb and heading home to clean up for the following day.
I picked up my parents and thanked them for coming back to see me before I told them about Madeline. Mom chastised me for not mentioning her before as Dad grinned at me, making me explain the situation further without too many details. They didn’t need to know that we’d been fucking like rabbits for most of the relationship and not dating the traditional way. Mom hugged me when I was finished and told me that she liked seeing me smile.
She took a quick trip to the store with Dad for food for the Christmas Eve meal that just became much bigger than any of us expected and I made some coffee to watch a game on TV. I knew that Madeline worked until five, but they should be here soon after she got home. Mom and Dad came back loaded down with bags and I helped them bring it all in and put it away.
Mom got to cooking her hearty vegetable soup on the stove in my big pot, stirring and adding to it as she hummed in the kitchen. Dad sat beside me on the couch and gave me a long look. “Madeline, huh? I had a feeling that a woman was on your mind on the last visit.”
“I was in the process of pushing her away, Dad. I almost screwed it up completely but she’d willing to try again.” I took a sip of the beer that he brought me and shook my head. “She’s nothing like Lisa, Dad.”
“I figured as much. That’s okay, son. You’re allowed to change things up.” He smiled again and turned his attention to the TV as I glanced towards the kitchen.
Dinner was full of laughter. Everyone got along well and seemed to bond over the meal of soup, homemade rolls, and salad as I watched with Madeline by my side. She was beaming, and I took several looks at her throughout the day, particularly when my mother was hugging her tightly when they met.
I never expected that anyone would accept somebody new in my life this easily. I never thought that I’d be this happy after losing Lisa, but I felt complete with Madeline by my side. I knew that it was new, but I wanted to hold onto this for a while.
I did feel a twinge of need when I pecked her lips goodbye for the night. They were planning to return tomorrow night for dinner again and I counted the days until our parents were gone. This was like being a teenager all over again and waiting for your parents to go out of town. I waved as they pulled out and turned to walk back into the house, where Mom was washing the dishes at the sink. “She’s lovely, Declan.” Mom was smiling at me as I leaned against the counter. “Such a kind person. It’s not hard to see why she is a nurse.”
“It does take a certain personality to do the job,” I agreed lightly as she looked at me again.
“I think she’ll be good for you. She’s warm.” Mom left it at that, but I knew that she always considered Lisa to be a bit chilly. It wasn’t that my former wife was a bitch or anything, just that she was focused on other things than home.
“Yeah. She is.” I ducked out as my mind raced straight to the gutter. I knew damn well how warm Madeline was when I sank deep inside of her and I needed that soon. It had been too long, and Kinsey was a fucking mistake. I’d ended it before going to Madeline’s house and she didn’t seem to mind. A girl like her would find someone else to occupy her bed. I just wanted more, and I wanted it with someone else.
We watched a movie and went to bed. Mom had loaded up my tree with presents like I was still a kid and she was sticking to the normal plan. I’d gotten a tree after Thanksgiving when she chastised me for not having one yet. I walked into my room, closing the door before I walked over to the bathroom. I changed into something to sleep in and dropped back onto my pillow as I sighed. I wasn’t tired, but keyed up. I reached for my cell phone that was on the nightstand for most of the day and searched for a number before sending a text.
Declan: Are you awake?
Madeline: I’m supposed to be sleeping but I can’t. Thanks for having me over today. It was great.
Declan: It was. My parents liked you and I’ve missed you. Thank you for coming.
Madeline: I think we need to do that as soon as possible. My hand is getting tired.
This was unusually crass coming from Madeline and I stared at the words in shock. Did she really say that?
Declan: Call me, Madeline.