Pitch Black (28 page)

Chapter 32

W
ATCH YOUR FINGERS, THERE,” Gabe said, as he and Ethan carried Madison’s new kitchen table in through the back door.

She squeezed one eye shut, cringing in anticipation of Ethan’s yelp of pain when his fingers connected with the door jamb.

Surprisingly, the guys made it all the way into the kitchen without incident and set the table in the empty space where the old one used to be. Madison hadn’t been able to bring herself to buy another glass table; even without a reminder, she would never get the sound of that bat shattering her old one out of her head.

Gabe tossed Ethan a dishtowel. “Shine that baby up for your momma.”

Ethan snagged the towel out of the air and went to work on the dark wood tabletop. “M, you’ll never guess who we ran into at the furniture store.”

Even though Gabe had never voiced it aloud, it was obvious that he had taken every opportunity during the past two weeks to assimilate Ethan into the social fabric of Buckeye. They’d attended a high school football game and volunteered together at park cleanup day. Gabe had enlisted Ethan’s help in a couple of projects at his house that included frequent trips to the hardware store. They’d even grocery shopped. (Supposedly because Madison was still in a cast; and she wasn’t fool enough to turn down good help.)

Ethan’s comfort level and confidence had skyrocketed. It showed in his eyes, in the way he carried himself. He finally was beginning to feel as if he
belonged
—probably for the first time in his young life.

“Who?” she asked.

“Coach Lawrence. He said this town owed you and me a lot.”

“Oh, how nice.” But it didn’t account for the big grin on her son’s face.

“That’s when Gabe suggested maybe Coach could pay us back by letting me join in football practice . . . you know, see if I have any talent that could contribute to the team next year.”

Madison cast a glance toward Gabe; his grin matched Ethan’s. Her heart felt as if it were rolling around on a cloud.

“Is that so? Do you think that’s something you’d be interested in?” she asked needlessly; excitement was written all over Ethan’s face. “I mean, I don’t want Gabe to push you into something—”

“Oh no! He’s not pushing me.” Ethan stopped wiping the table. “I told him I might want to play when we went to the game the other night—and saw the Rebels get slaughtered. I think I could be good at it.” He looked at Gabe. “Gabe thinks so, too.”

She put a hand on her hip, feigning disapproval. “What if you get hurt?” She lifted her cast. “I don’t think we can manage with two of us wearing these.”

“I won’t be officially playing until next year. You’ll have plenty of time to heal before I break something.” The teasing tone in his voice told Madison that her son had truly come out on the other side of his trials a stronger—and yes, unbelievable as it seemed, happier—person.

The doorbell rang.

Gabe’s grin widened. There was a playfully devious look in his eye when he suggested Ethan answer it.

Ethan left the kitchen and Madison asked, “What do you have up your sleeve?”

“You’ll see,” he whispered, then moved to the doorway to the living room and peeked around the jamb.

Madison leaned against his back and peered around his shoulder. She barely noticed what was going on at the door, lost as she was in Gabe’s closeness. Was that his heartbeat against her chest, or was it her own?

They’d had precious little time alone, she and Gabe, to expand their carnal knowledge of one another. Their romantic encounters had been all too brief, leaving them both hungering for more. But at every turn, Gabe had insisted that Ethan be included in whatever they did. Madison decided that fact showed Gabe’s true measure as a man—selfless and giving, a man with family as a priority.

Even so,
she
was going crazy with sexual frustration. She wanted to explore the promise of passion she saw in his eyes every time he kissed her.

As she stood there drinking in the feel of him against her, the innocent contact set off not-so-innocent physical responses. Maybe she’d passed frustrated and was sliding fast toward desperate.

Suddenly, she felt Gabe’s back stiffen. He moved away from her so quickly, she nearly fell forward. His back blocked Madison’s view of who was outside the door.

She moved closer and heard a woman’s soft voice. “May I come in?”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” Ethan stammered.

As Ethan and Gabe stepped back, Kate McPherson stepped across the threshold.

Madison shot Gabe a questioning look. He responded with a puzzled expression and a lifted shoulder. This obviously was not who he was expecting.

Kate stood with her hands buried in her jacket pockets, looking at Ethan. He shifted awkwardly in the open doorway.

Madison stepped forward, “Kate, come in, please. Sit down.”

Kate appeared smaller and more colorless than ever. Since Todd’s death, she’d become understandably reclusive. Madison knew firsthand how it felt to be Buckeye’s pariah. Kate’s sin of association would be a long time in being forgotten.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, finally pulling her hands out of her pockets. “Thanks, but I can’t stay. I’m on my way to see Jordan. I just wanted to talk to Ethan.”

Madison saw Gabe move a fraction closer to Ethan. She moved to Ethan’s other side. A united front that felt entirely natural.

Kate visibly swallowed. “I won’t take long.” A weak, heartbreakingly pathetic smile curved her pale lips. She looked Ethan in the eye. “I . . . I want to apologize to you.” Her hands were trembling.

Surprise colored Ethan’s expression. “You didn’t . . . I mean, it’s not necessary—”

“It is,” Kate cut him off. “An apology isn’t nearly enough, but it’s all I can offer. And I want to ask you not to hold my mistakes against Jordan. You’re his friend—a
good
friend.”

“Thank you.” He paused and then asked softly, “Is . . . is he any better?”

This time a real smile graced Kate’s face. “He’s making progress. I’ve made sure the staff at Pleasant Hill knows you’re welcome to visit any time. He’s asked for you.”

“Really?” Ethan broke into a grin. “I can’t wait to see him.”

Madison said, “We’ll go next weekend.” She was glad that although Ethan’s life was branching out and moving forward, he wasn’t leaving his first friend behind.

Kate looked over her shoulder and Madison noticed that Bobby was sitting in his car waiting for her. “I’d better go.”

“Don’t forget to tell Jordan I’ll be there next week,” Ethan called as she walked down the steps.

“I won’t.” Before she got in the car, she turned and said, “Thank you.”

Ethan raised a hand to wave, a more graceful gesture of forgiveness than Madison managed. She felt impossibly sad for Kate, and yet she could not forget what the woman had tried to do to her son.

Gabe closed the front door.

Madison grabbed Ethan around the neck with her good arm and brought him into a hug. “I’m so proud of you.”

He pulled away. “Sheesh, M. Did you think I was gonna hit her or something?”

Gabe said, “You accepted that apology like a gentleman. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

“No big deal,” Ethan said as he moved away.

Madison watched Gabe watching Ethan. She liked what she saw; kindness, respect, caring. It struck her then that Gabe Wyatt would be a good father when his time came.

Before Ethan reached the kitchen, there was another knock at the door.

Gabe’s face lit up as he called, “Ethan, can you get that?”

Ethan turned around, wearing a dubious scowl. “You’re standing right there.”

“I don’t live here.”

Ethan pointed to Madison, who was still standing within four feet of the door. “M—”

“Has a broken arm,” Gabe finished for him.

Ethan rolled his eyes, walked past both of them, and yanked open the front door.

When Madison saw the puppy, she looked at Gabe. “I know I said I’d think about it—”

“A dog! I’ve always wanted a dog.” Ethan reached out, asking Mr. Whetzel, “Can I?”

The old man passed the brown ball of fluff to Ethan. “This little’un here was dumped out t’the house. The missus is allergic. Sheriff said maybe y’all could take her in.”

“She’s just here for a visit,” Gabe said quickly. But his excitement outshone the sun. “You know, to meet everyone and see how y’all get along.”

Madison said, “She is awfully cute.” Then she raised a brow toward Gabe. “And you don’t play fair.”

Gabe leaned close to Madison’s ear and whispered, “Every boy needs a dog.” There was enough enthusiasm in his voice to make Madison wonder who really wanted the dog. Gabe added, “You know, to learn responsibility and all.”

“Oh yeah,” she muttered behind her smile, “Ethan really needs a lesson in personal responsibility.” She touched Gabe’s cheek. “You’re so transparent. Sweet, but transparent.”

“Can we keep her, M?”

“How big do you think she’ll get?” Madison reached out and stroked the dog’s soft head.

“Reckon nobody’ll know ’til she’s done growin’,” Mr. Whetzel said.

Gabe whispered, “Does it matter?”

A quick pink tongue darted out and kissed Ethan’s cheek.

“She loves me already,” Ethan said. Then he turned his clear blue eyes Madison’s way. “She needs us. She’s a street kid, just like I used to be.”

Who could argue with that?

MADISON SAT CURLED AGAINST
Gabe’s side, watching the flames flicker in his fireplace. They’d just finished carry-out pizza and were drinking grocery store wine out of plastic glasses. The couch was lumpy, the wallpaper was water-stained, the wind whistled through the cracks around the windows, and occasionally there was a downdraft that backed smoke up into the room—it was the most beautifully romantic setting she’d ever experienced.

While they’d been eating, Gabe had told her how he’d come to purchase this house, looking upon it as an act of pity, taking on something that was too dilapidated to attract a family. His compassion was so pure, so kind that she’d nearly cried.

Man, she thought, she
was
getting sentimental in her old age.

Gabe kissed the top of her head. “I’m glad Ethan’s social life is branching out.”

She chuckled. “You mean you’re glad he’s finally got someone to do stuff with so we can be alone.”

He pulled away, looking truly hurt. “No. I mean I’m glad he’s finally getting to live the life he deserves. He’s a good kid.”

She felt like a heel. “Yes, he is.” She nodded and gave him a contrite smile. “And I apologize for thinking you had a self-serving reason for your—”

He moved so quickly Madison was pinned beneath him before she could react. He even managed to do it and keep her cast safely out of the way. “Oh, don’t apologize.” He grinned, his eyes sparking with mischief. “I’m happy for him”—he dipped his head and nibbled at her lower lip—“but I’m ecstatic for me.”

His fingers worked the buttons of her blouse as his mouth pushed aside the fabric. Everywhere his lips grazed her skin, it was set afire.

“Mmmmmm.” She shifted beneath him, urging him toward her breast. “Me, too.” Ecstatic was the understatement of the century. Her body had hungered for his; her dreams had foreshadowed this moment. Now it was finally here and she wished time would stand still.

After a teasing encounter with her still-clad nipple, he covered her body with his own again. Framing her face with his hands, he looked at her. The cool humor had left the depths of his eyes; now they were hot, suggestive, and filled with tenderness. A lightning bolt shot through her, striking in the pit of her stomach.

She pulled him close and whispered, “I was beginning to think we were going to have to wait for Ethan to go to college before we’d get around to this.”

His warm breath caressed her lips when he groaned. “Dear Lord, woman, you can’t be serious. I’m only human.”

She shifted so her thigh slipped between his legs. As she moved it against him, she said, “Oh yeah, I can see that now.”

Burying his face against her neck, his mouth did things that completely shut down her brain and turbo-charged her senses. He slowly peeled her clothes away. Agonizingly slowly. So slow as to border on cruelty. She had to bite her tongue to keep from shouting for him to just rip them away, and had to still her own hands to keep from doing the same to his.

She could feel him trembling with restraint. His torment was no less than hers. Following his lead, she savored each deliciously torturous moment, realizing that it was the care with which he made love to her that gave the act its full sweetness.

Gabe’s hands and body thrilled her, but it was what she saw in his eyes that ripped her apart.

“Maddie, my love.” He kissed her and finally brought them together in the union they’d both so long desired.

His love erased the outside world and invaded every fragment of Madison’s body and soul. She became so lost in him, she couldn’t remember her own name, but whispered his as if it were a prayer.

Epilogue

M
adison waited in the lobby of the stress center. Jordan was finally ready to make his statement to the police about his stepfather’s death. He’d requested that Ethan be there with him. Which wasn’t surprising; the doctor had repeatedly said how instrumental Ethan’s visits had been in Jordan’s recovery.

Madison felt a little like the odd man out; Gabe, the district attorney, Kate, Bobby, Dr. Brinegar, Ethan, and Jordan had all ensconced themselves in the conference room an hour ago.

Getting up, Madison moved around the lobby, too restless to sit any longer.

The door to the hallway that led to the conference room opened and Gabe appeared. His face was unreadable.

Her heart beat faster as she walked over to him.

He took her elbow and moved her toward the exit. “Ethan wants to spend some time with Jordan. Let’s go get some coffee.”

Even though it had been four months since that horrible weekend on the mountain, the need to know what had really happened suddenly became urgent. But she held her questions; it was obvious Gabe didn’t want to discuss it here.

They walked in silence a half-block to a Starbucks and ordered coffees.

It was a freakishly warm day—nearly fifty. They sat outside in the watery late-January sunshine.

Gabe leaned back in the metal chair, looking tense and frustrated. “I tell you, Maddie, after hearing the mental torture Todd put that boy through, I’d shoot him again given the chance.”

“That bad?”

He nodded, taking in a deep breath, and blew it out. “It’s a wonder Jordan didn’t try to commit suicide years ago.” His face grew more grim. “Apparently, he didn’t try four months ago, either. Todd had stood over him, demanding he take those sedatives, using threats to Kate as a motivator.”

“Dear God.” The image of a hulking Todd holding out a handful of pills, standing over poor Jordan, who reluctantly took them one after the other, brought tears to her eyes. She was suddenly so cold she wished they’d sat inside.

“Todd did kill Steve,” Gabe said. “But I don’t think he planned to.”

Madison couldn’t imagine how that could be . . . he went up on that mountain and as much as hunted the man down.

Gabe continued, “Right before they left on that camping trip, Jordan had discovered Todd’s steroid stash. Todd caught him. Of course this was right after the Gilbert kid’s death—making the implications much more serious. Todd must have felt he hadn’t sufficiently ensured Jordan’s silence before Kate had interrupted them. Todd made a trip up the mountain to “remind” Jordan of the consequences of telling what he knew.

“Jordan said Todd had been crazy—wound up. He had Jordan by the neck with one hand and was holding a rock over his head with the other when Steve showed up. When Steve went to pull Todd away, Todd swung blindly and hit him.

“After that, Todd totally lost control. Jordan said it was like watching a wild animal.”

She recalled the look on Todd’s face when he’d swung the bat at her head. “I can believe that.” She paused and tried to banish the image. Good God, if it was this difficult for her, what must it be like for poor Jordan to deal with his memories? “Between Todd’s psychological problems and the steroids, he wasn’t much short of
being
a wild animal.”

Madison clutched her coffee with both hands, her chest aching for Jordan. How horrified he must have been, how terrified.

Gabe leaned forward and wrapped his own hands around hers. “If he had taken you from Ethan . . . from me . . . I . . .” He dropped his gaze and shook his head.

Madison got up and walked around behind him. She leaned forward, draping her arms across his chest and pressed her cheek to his temple. “I know.”

Over the past months, her need for Gabe had grown to match her need for air and water. She never would have predicted she could be this completely, insanely, irrationally in love. The trials they’d been through early on had tempered their relationship, making it stronger than time alone would have.

Gabe and Ethan had found solid ground, creating their own special relationship—one that seemed to be nearly independent of her.

She held him tighter. “I want to ask you something.”

He put his hand over hers where it rested over his heart. “Anything.”

“It’s not something I want you to answer right now. I want you to really think, because it’s a biggie.”

He pulled her around to sit in front of him again. “Okay.” His eyes searched hers.

“I’d like for you to be Ethan’s guardian . . . if anything should happen to me.” Having stared her own mortality in the eye made her realize how vulnerable her son would be if she died or was incapacitated.

At a moment when she expected Gabe to put a little more distance between them, he took her hands and leaned closer. “I don’t need to think about it. It would make me happy to be a permanent part of his life. But”—he squeezed her hands—“I have a request of my own.”

As hard as she studied him, she couldn’t tell where he was headed. She knew what she’d like to hear . . . but reason said it was too soon. They’d just come off a raw, emotional time.

That time, for her, had crystallized many things, however. Had made her see what a sin it was to waste precious days, how fleeting a chance at happiness could be.

He said, “We’re not kids without experience. We both know our own hearts and minds.” He paused and her heart sped up. “I want us to be a real family . . . you, me, and Ethan. Will you marry me?”

His words stole her breath. She looked into his eyes, so green in the sunlight, and saw her future. Her heart leaped at the prospect. She’d known for weeks that she wanted to build a life with him.

She reminded herself, too soon. Much too soon.

Say no . . . not yet. Be the voice of reason.

She shook her head slowly. “Yes.”

His face clouded. “Which is it, yes or no?” he asked.

“What?”

“You shook your head no and said yes. Which is it?” Before she could answer, he said, “No. Too late. I choose the verbal answer. Yes, your answer is yes.”

Leaning forward, she kissed him. “Of course it is.”