Playing for Keeps (26 page)

"
I can't wait." She leaned into him, and they kissed.

When the guests had eaten and the cake served, Rob turned the C.D. player on and led Maddie into the grass. He held her tightly and sung softly in her ear as they danced. On the second song other people joined them and danced, too.

Maddie wrapped her arms around Rob's neck and looked into his eyes. "This reminds me of dancing on our first date."

"
Me, too." He smiled. "Holding you in my arms and you feel so good, all I can think about is getting you alone...and naked."

"
Ooh, me too." She pressed against him, and rubbed her hips suggestively.

"
That's not helping," he groaned, and kissed her neck.

"
At least this time, there's no doubt. We're going to make love tonight," she whispered to him, "and it's going to be wonderful."

"
Oh, yeah." He nuzzled her neck, and they danced.

After a while
, Sophie tugged at her father's jeans and asked, "Can I dance?"

"
Of course." Rob picked her up and they danced with Sophie between them.

Maddie
's father approached and asked, "Might this be my opportunity to get a dance with my daughter?"

Rob offered Maddie
's hand to him. "Only for you, Sir."

Michael
Stewart nodded to Rob, then pulled his daughter into his arms. "My beautiful Maddie," he said softly, and held her as they danced.

"
I'm glad you came, Daddy."

"
I'm glad, too. It gave us a chance to see what you have here. It looks like a nice life, and you seem very happy."

"
Very happy," she repeated.

They danced quietly for a few minutes and he finally said
, "You know, there are things back home you need to deal with, eventually, to put the past behind you."

"
I know. Eventually."

"
We don't want to lose you again, Maddie. Don't shut the door on us again."

"
I don't intend to. But, I'm not ready to come back and face everything, yet. I'm totally overwhelmed by my life here, right now. Once things calm down, and we settle in, maybe I can think about it."

He chuckled.
"I don't see things calming down here for quite some time. A five-year-old and two babies under the age of one, you're going to be a busy girl, Mad."

"
Yeah." She smiled. "But someday, when the time is right, I'll talk to Rob about Alec, and what happened. He'll be totally supportive, and maybe I'll bring him and the kids back with me."

"
Okay." Her father nodded. "Just don't wait too long. We want to be a part of your life, Maddie."

The song ended and she hugged his neck.
"I love you, Daddy."

"
I love you, too, Madison Michelle Cooper."

They held on tight for another moment, then separated.
"I believe we're getting ready to go. Come say goodbye to your mother."

Maddie nodded
. She caught Rob's hand and motioned for him to come with them. He turned Sophie over to Fred for a dance, and followed Maddie and her father.

Andrea Cooper
handed the sleeping Sam to Emma. "Oh, kids, good. We need to get back, but we wanted a minute with you."

Rob and Maddie
walked into the house with their four parents. Andrea said, "I do hope you'll continue to bring the children by when you bring Sophie to the city."

"
If you like." Rob nodded.

"
What we'd really like, is for you to leave Sam with us so the two of you could spend an evening alone, at least every other Friday night. Perhaps eventually, you'll allow him to spend the night, but for now, we'd be happy with a few hours."

Maddie and Rob smiled at each other and she said to the Coopers
, "What a lovely suggestion. Thank you so much. I think we'll come to cherish that alone time."

"
Good!" Andrea smiled brightly. "Then with your permission, we'll set up a room at the house with baby things. We'll be able to use them for the next one, too."

"
Knock yourself out, Mom." Rob gave her a kiss on the cheek. He said to his father "Thanks for coming, Dad."

"
We wouldn't have missed it." He shook his son's hand, and gave Maddie a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you."
Maddie beamed at him, then turned to her mother. "When are you leaving?"

"
We have a late flight tonight," Meg replied.

"
Tonight!" Maddie was surprised.

"
You'll be on your honeymoon. There'll be time for us to catch up, later. The door is open, Madison. Don't close it again."

"Wide open, M
om." Maddie hugged her. "I'm buying extra doorstops to keep that puppy from closing."

Her mother gave her a look, chuckled and said
, "The more things change, the more they stay the same. Take care of yourself, Maddie, and your family. And my grand-dog."

"You got it, M
om."

"
I love you," her mother added slowly.

"I love you, too, M
om," she replied, and they hugged one more time quickly.

Rob shook hands with Mr. and Mrs.
Stewart and he and Maddie walked all their parents out. They stood in the driveway and watched until they couldn't see the taillights of the Lincoln anymore. "Wow," Rob finally said.

"
Yeah." Maddie put her head on his shoulder.

He led her back in the house, where Rosa and Emma were gathering up suitcases.

"What are you doing?" Maddie asked.

They looked at Rob.

He smiled at Maddie. "They're taking our children for the night. Rosa and Smoky are taking Soph. Emma and Fred are taking Sam. We've packed the portable crib, bottles, everything he could need."

"
But…" Maddie's eyes welled up with tears.

"
I know." Rob held her securely. "You've never spent a night away from him. But he's going to be with Emma and Fred, and he's going to have a great time. Come here." He turned her away from their friends and wiped her eyes. "It's our honeymoon, Maddie. They're going to keep the kids until five tomorrow evening. That gives us about twenty hours here, by ourselves. And I intend to spend the better part of that making love to you."

A shiver ran down her spine, much as it had the first time Rob said those words to her. Maddie melted into him and wiped the tears from her eyes. She nodded and smiled up at him.
"That sounds good," she replied, and slid her arm around his waist.

They
strolled back into the kitchen and said goodbye to their children and friends. Maddie and Rob walked them to their cars and watched them fasten the kids into their seats, and drive away. Strolling arm in arm with Rob to the backyard, Maddie looked around and realized that everyone was gone. The food was put away, the lights were dim, and Keith Urban continued to croon in the background.

"
Well, what do you know?" She looked around and smiled.

Rob grinned. He led her to the back door, and cranked the music up loud as they passed the stereo.
"Yep, it's just you…me…Keith…and Bo. Stay out here, Bo."  He kicked the door closed with his foot and led her to their bedroom.

"
We're not exactly alone." Maddie touched her stomach.

Rob sat on the edge of the bed and lifted Maddie
's dress so he could talk to her stomach. "Hello, new baby. You can stay this time. But next year, on our anniversary, you're going with Fred."

Maddie smiled as Rob kissed her stomach. He pulled her dress completely over her head and tossed it across the room. He reached for Maddie and brought her into his arms, laying her down gently on their bed.
"Hello, Mrs. Cooper."

"
Hello, Mr. Cooper." She smiled at him.

"
Say, I just realized something. I've never made love to a married woman before. It could add an element of excitement."

"
Oh, lord!" Maddie closed her eyes. "If you add any more excitement, I might possibly burst from happiness."

"
Well, let's just see what we can do." He smiled, and kissed her.

Part Two: Run to Me

Chapter One

"Don't even
think
about it!" Madison Cooper raised her hand like a stop sign and shot a menacing look toward the back door of her house. Three muddy children and one muddy dog stopped in their tracks. "Sophie Cooper, I thought you were going to watch them."

"I did!" Seven-year-old Sophie grinned and wiped her hands on the back of her shorts. She was streaked with mud, her normally long blond ponytail brown with dirt.

Maddie snorted. She dropped her laundry basket on the kitchen table before she bent down and picked up her one-year-old daughter, Stacie. "Uh, yeah…you watched them crawl through a mud hole." She held up the baby, whose diaper and white t-shirt were now both brown. "Look at you!"

Maddie shook her head and shooed their Golden Retriever back outside. "You're out of here, Bo. Daddy can give you a bath when he gets home. I've got my hands full with baths in here." She looked down at two-year-old
Sam, who was just as mud-caked as his sisters, and she couldn't help but grin. "I hope you had fun, at least."

Sam smiled up at her, his face gleaming with pleasure, and nodded. He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, smearing a streak of brown.

"Lord, help me," Maddie muttered, and turned to Sophie. "You, go shower in the back bathroom. I'm going to stick these two in the big tub."

"Sorry, Maddie," Sophie grinned sheepishly at her step-mother, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and took off for the shower.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Maddie replied, not really angry, and grabbed Sam's hand. Sophie was mature for seven, but not
that
mature. "Let's go, tiger." She took the two younger children into the bathroom and started water running in the big claw-footed tub. She stripped Stacie and sat her in the water, then helped Sam remove his clothes and diaper. "In you go." She lifted him into the water, then poured in some bubble bath. Maddie tossed a few toys and a washcloth in, and knelt by the edge of the tub. "Of all the things you have to play with in the back yard, and you guys choose a mud hole."

Sam squeezed a yellow duck and said, "Truck…choo choo… dirty."

"Oh, great. You took your truck and train in the mud with you? We need to tell daddy so he can get them washed off when he bathes Bo."

Sam nodded and grinned.

Maddie smiled. The little guy was so precocious, yet at the same time, sweet and innocent. She often wondered if Rob had been that way as a child. Their son certainly favored his daddy, now.

"Close your eyes tight." She tilted his head back and poured water on his hair. Dabbing a spot of baby shampoo in her palm, she worked it through his fine, blond hair. "Keep them closed." She rinsed his hair a few times until the shampoo was out. "Good job, buddy." She used the washcloth to clean his face. "Much better. You play while I wash Stacie's hair."

The phone rang in the kitchen, and Maddie listened to see if Sophie was still in the shower. She heard the water running, so she let the answering machine take the call. As she worked the shampoo through Stacie's red curls she heard the message, "Hey, Maddie, it's Dionne. I need to know what time Sophie's baseball game is tonight. I think I'll be able to make it. Call me on my cell when you get a chance. Thanks! Bye."

Sophie appeared in the doorway, a towel around her body and another around her head. "What was that?"

"Your mom wants to know what time your game is tonight. Sounds like she'll be there." Maddie rinsed Stacie's hair as the baby screamed.

"Good!"
Sophie went to her room.

Maddie finished rinsing Stacie and scooped her out of the water and into a towel. "Calm down, sugar. You're all right." She cradled the baby until the child calmed down, and dried her off.

Stacie smiled and crinkled her nose at her mother. "Ma ma ma," she babbled.

"That's right." Maddie kissed her daughter. "Mama. I'm glad you can finally say something besides, 'Dada'."

"Dada?" Stacie perked up and looked around.

Maddie laughed. "Not yet, pumpkin. He'll be home later." She dried the red curls and fluffed them with her fingers. "He'll be happy to know you're as enthralled with him as he is with you." She looked at Sam, still playing happily in the tub, and thought, again, how much he looked like his daddy. Rob had dark, sun-bleached blond hair and Maddie liked it that Sam did, too.

Rob, on the other hand, wanted a little girl with red hair and freckles like her mama. Maddie was glad she provided that with their second baby. They still hadn't decided how many children they wanted, but, when they'd begun having kids, Rob had jokingly told her they'd keep trying until they got their red-headed girl. Now, the pressure was off.

She wanted a breather before considering getting pregnant again.
Sam and Stacie were 11 months apart, and Maddie had her hands full with them. Sophie was good help with the children,
most of the time
. Maddie chuckled, looking at the pile of muddy clothes on the floor. Sophie came by her fun-loving spirit naturally. If Rob was home he'd have been as muddy as the children.

"Okay, wait right here." Maddie stood the naked Stacie up and reached for Sam. "Time to get out." He struggled and they splashed water all over the bathroom until Maddie got him settled. "For crying out loud, kid," she muttered, and exhaled upwards, blowing her bangs out. "I really didn't need this." She dried off the rambunctious boy and hauled both children into their bedrooms, dressing each of them quickly.

"Sophie!" Maddie called and sat both children in front of the television. She put on a 'Barney' DVD and called again, "Sophie!"

"What?" The girl reappeared, pulling her hair into a fresh ponytail.

"Can you keep an eye on these two, please? I need to call your mom back, and clean up the bathroom."

"I hate Barney." Sophie pouted, but plopped down on the sofa.

"I'll braid your hair when I'm done," Maddie offered.

"Deal." Sophie nodded, and a small smile brightened her face.

Maddie threw the dirty clothes in the hamper, dried off the water-splashed bathroom and hung up the towels. Checking the other bathroom, she straightened up after Sophie's shower. She peeked into the living room and found everyone quietly watching TV. She stopped in her bedroom to run a brush through her short red hair and fluff it out a little.

When she and
Rob started dating, Maddie had long hair, which he loved. He couldn't keep his hands out of it, and when they split up the first thing Maddie did was chop her hair off. She chuckled, remembering that night, and how her friend Rosa came to her aid and evened out the cut into a cute style. Rosa also confiscated Maddie's scissors. Maddie laughed again at the memory. She was glad that when Rob came back into her life, he liked her short hair as much as she did. He still liked to run his hands through it, but it didn't take as long as it used to.

Maddie checked the children one more time, and sat down on her bed to return the phone call. "Hi Dionne, it's Maddie."

"Maddie, hey," Sophie's mother answered. "What time is the game?"

"Not 'til eight-thirty."

"And it lasts about an hour?"

"They have an hour and fifteen minute time limit. But be advised, last week they ran late and we didn't get out of there until almost ten-thirty."

"Oh, well shit. So I probably can't make drinks back here in town by ten."

"I don't know, you might. Maybe if you take your phone, you could call whoever if the game's running late."

"I
always
have my phone. I don't know how you exist without one."

"I never go anywhere. I'm always here. And drinks at ten? Please! I can't remember the last time I stayed up that late, unless someone was hanging off my boob."

Dionne chuckled. "Shove Rob away and tell him to go to sleep."

Maddie snorted. "Oh, yeah, like that's going to happen."

"Hang on." Dionne spoke to someone away from the phone, then returned. "I guess I'll see you tonight. Same field, I assume?"

"Yeah, the one at Tenth and
Norman."

"Do you suppose you could copy off her game schedule for me? I'd ask you to email it if you weren't so technologically challenged."

Maddie laughed again. "You know how Rob feels about that stuff. I'm lucky to have a TV and DVD player."

"He ever let you get
Cable?"

"You bet. We leaped into the twentieth century just a few months ago. Sophie really laid it on thick about missing her favorite shows. All her friends get to watch them."

"It's the twenty-first century, Maddie."

"Exactly my point."

Dionne laughed. "Okay, see you tonight."

"Bye." Maddie hung up and thought about the call. She and Dionne got along fine, now. In fact, since Maddie didn't work, she was easier to reach than Rob. Dionne always called her when she needed something. Being a busy lawyer in the city, Dionne agreed to let Sophie live with Rob and Maddie rather than spend a lot of time in day care.

The adversarial relationship between the two women had lessened over time. It was at its worst when Rob and Maddie were first dating. Rob had unresolved feelings for Dionne, his college sweetheart and girlfriend for nine years. He left Maddie to go back to her, but found out quickly that Dionne's lawyer lifestyle in the city was not for him.

Maddie'd been heartbroken when Rob left her, and miserably lonely for all the months he was gone. She delivered Sam while they were apart. One of the happiest days of her life was the day
Rob came to find her, asked her to forgive him, and to marry him. Maddie was all over that offer, and they spent the afternoon in bed celebrating.

Rob had been amazed to discover he had a son, and didn't put the baby down for weeks after. He moved Maddie and
Sam in with him and Sophie, and made plans to enlarge his house to make room for all of them, plus the baby Maddie found out she was carrying shortly after they got back together.

The phone rang again and startled her. She grabbed it. "Hello,"

"Hey, beautiful," her husband drawled, and Maddie chuckled as his voice sent a spark into her.

"Do you know what the sound of your voice does to me?" she purred into the phone.

"Oh, I bet I have an idea. Wish I was there."

Maddie could almost see his devilish blue eyes and wide grin. "Me, too! Where are you?"

"Just finished work. Smoky asked if I could help him pick up some furniture they bought and get it to their place. If we do it tonight it'll be out of the way and I won't have to mess with it on the weekend."

"Will you be able to make it to the game?"

"You bet. I won't have time to come home first, though, so I wanted to make sure it was all right with you."

"I suppose. Make sure
Rosa feeds you dinner for your efforts." Maddie had introduced her best friend Rosa to Rob's good friend Leonard, or Smoky, as he was referred to on the job site. They hit it off immediately.

"Dinner has already been mentioned. I'll plan to see you at the game."

"Dionne called, she's coming, too."

"Sophie'll like that," he said diplomatically. "Is she excited to play?"

"I guess. I just had to give everybody baths. She took them out back and they played in the mud."

"And I missed it?" he hollered, and laughed. "Damn!"

"Don't worry. I'm sure the mud will still be there tomorrow. As will the muddy dog and toys, which I'm saving just for you."

"You are too sweet," he teased her, and then said seriously, "Mad, if the kids are too much for you, maybe I should come home. We can move this crap tomorrow."

She glanced into the living room, where the three children were asleep in front of the TV. "Nah, they're sleeping. We'll be fine. I'd rather have you home with us tomorrow."

"I'd rather be there with you, you know that. But Smoke has helped me a lot. I feel like I owe him."

"I know. Besides, I'm keeping a tab of what you
owe me
. You can start working on it this weekend."

He chuckled and said in his husky drawl, "Looking forward to that, beautiful."

Maddie smirked. "I love you. I'll see you later."

"I love you, too, baby. Later."

Maddie replaced the receiver and curled up on the bed for a minute, since the kids were asleep. The laundry could wait. A nap sounded so much better.

She fed the children dinner and got everyone ready to go to Sophie's ball game.
Ball glove, water bottle, diaper bag, bottle for Stacie
. Maddie shoved everything in their Expedition SUV and buckled everyone up. She backed down the driveway and headed to town. Their house sat on several acres on the edge of Meridan, Oklahoma, a small suburb of Oklahoma City. It was fifteen minutes from their house to Meridan, and another thirty to forty minutes when they went into the city.