Playing for Keeps (9 page)

Rob stomped back to his room.

Maddie slipped in before him so he wouldn't know she'd been listening.

"
Get dressed," he ordered, and began pulling clothes from his drawers.

"
Who is it?" she asked innocently.

"
My parents and Dionne brought Sophie back early, and they want to stay for her party. What a fucking bundle of crap this is going to be."

Maddie made a face at him.
"Would you like me to hide in the closet? Or maybe I can sneak out the window?"

He
rolled his eyes and muttered, "Just get dressed." He stomped into the bathroom to finish dressing there, and Maddie fumed. He didn't speak to her as he passed back through, and she grew even more steamed. She stood at the mirror, debating what to do, and chuckled at the look of her wild hair. It looked like bedroom hair.
Hell, it is bedroom hair.
She formulated an evil plot in her mind, and proceeded to clean up and choose her attire for the evening, very carefully.

She
decided on a soft white cropped top that left little to the imagination; and no room for a bra. All her jean cutoffs were tight, but the pair she donned was a bit shorter, more 'Daisy Duke', than usual. Maddie smoothed lotion over her long legs and slipped into a pair of white sandals. She applied a little too much make-up, quite heavy around the eyes, and grinned at herself. Topaz would be proud. Maddie looked as much like a streetwalker as someone so otherwise wholesome could. She ran her hands through her hair and fluffed it out even more. No braid tonight. Dionne had met her match with this 'live-in nanny'.

She
sauntered into the living room, where everyone was seated, and Rob held Sophie on his lap.

He
glanced at her and his eyes popped.

M
addie tried not to laugh. The look of sheer terror on his face was priceless.

"
Maddie!" Sophie jumped up and ran to her for a hug.

"
Hi Soph. Happy Birthday!" Maddie gave her a squeeze.

"
Daddy won't let me go in the kitchen. Do you know what's in there?"

"
Maybe." She smiled, and walked Sophie by the hand back to where everyone sat.

'
This is Maddie," Sophie announced.

Rob cleared his throat
. "Madison Stewart, these are my parents, Edward and Andrea Cooper, and Sophie's mother, Dionne Baxter. Maddie works at the daycare center where I take Sophie. She's been staying out here so I can work summer hours. She takes Soph to the center in the morning." His voice trailed off.

Maddie
stared at him. What he'd said was the truth, but he made it seem so clinical, so impersonal.
They should have seen us an hour ago.

"
So you work at a daycare center?" Edward Cooper made an attempt at conversation, since the two women with him did not seem inclined to do so.

"
Yes, I do." Maddie nodded. "It's a fun job. Sophie and I get to play all day long."

Sophie grinned and added
, "And with Maddie sleeping here, she and daddy get to play all night long. He always wins at Candyland. Maddie and I think he cheats."

Maddie bit her lip at the continuing look of horror on Rob
's face. It pretty much mirrored the expression of everyone else at this point. She smiled at Rob, thinking deep down,
I knew there was a reason I love four-year-olds
. Sophie was completely innocent. She had no idea that she'd said anything wrong.

Rob coughed
. "Maybe we should let Soph open her presents before everyone else gets here." He stood and looked at Maddie. "Would you help me bring them out, please?"

"You bet."
Maddie threw a little swing in her step and followed Rob to the kitchen.

Just inside the door, he turned and practically screeched under his breath, "
What the fuck are you wearing?"

She looked down.
"Do you like it? Your father seems to."

"
You look like a fucking hooker!"

She chuckled.
"Did you notice every time I move he strains his neck to get a glimpse of my boobs?"

"
Yeah, and I believe mom noticed too. Is this really the first impression you want to make on my parents?"

"
I didn't know your parents were going to be here!"

"
Neither did I!" He stomped around the room. "But they are, and I would have assumed that once you realized that, you'd act responsibly and at least look like yourself."

"
What does it matter? I'm just the live-in nanny, aren't I?"

He shook his head.
"That was a jab from Dee, I admit it."

"Which
you didn't bother to correct."

The sad look on his face made Maddie feel guilty.
"I wasn't prepared for this, Mad. I know I probably should have been, but with everything else I had to think about this weekend, I did not prepare myself for you meeting Dee."

"W
hat do you want me to do?" she asked, a bit more softly.

He shook his head.
"I don't know. Try to stay away from Dee and avoid all unnecessary confrontation."

She nodded.
"I promise to try." She looked down. "Do you want me to change?"

He chuckled.
"Well, not now. The damage is done." He pulled her to him for a quick kiss. "You do look hot. The hair is about to drive me wild."

"
I could put the braid back in."

"
No!" He smiled at her, and handed her a couple presents to carry in to Sophie.

Sophie liked everything her father gave her
, some toys, clothes and games. Rob handed her the last package. "This one's from Maddie."

The child
ripped into it and smiled when she saw the Shel Silverstein book of poetry.

Edward remarked
, "That is a good book."

Dionne spoke up
, "Yes, it is. Sophie has it at home and we read it all the time."

Maddie looked at Sophie without skipping a beat.
"If you already have this one, we can take it back. You can pick out another."

Sophie held the book t
o her chest. "No! I love this book, and I don't have it here. My favorite poem is the one about the snowball. Do you know it?"

Maddie
's heart soared at the little girl's words. "Yes, I love that poem, too." She smiled and touched Sophie's cheek.

So
phie scooted next to her. "Will you read it to me?"

The doorbell rang and Maddie answered
, "Your guests are starting to arrive, sweetheart. We'll read it later, I promise."

Rob opened the door to Fred, his wife Emma, and a very large teddy bear. Maddie noticed they seemed to know everybody, and there were greetings all around.
"Okay," Rob announced "now that Fred's here, we can go out back. I promised we'd wait for him." He led Sophie through the kitchen and out to the back door. Maddie hung back, but she could still hear the squeal of excitement when Sophie saw the swimming pool.

Rob showed his daughter all around it, with Dionne and the grandparents admiring the handiwork. Maddie leaned against the porch rail and watched.

"Mommy, look at my pool!" Sophie hopped up and down. "Will you go swimming with me? Please?"

Dionne shook her head
. "Not this time, baby. I didn't bring my suit." She threw out her chest. "I'm sure there's not one in this house to fit me."

Maddie muttered
, "Not one to fit that ego, for sure."

Fred came up to her and smiled.
"Hello Maddie. How are you getting along today?"

"
I've had better days, Fred. But thanks for asking."

He put his arm around his wife
. "This is my wife Emma. Em, this is Coop's better half, Maddie."

Emma smiled and extended her hand.
"I'm pleased to finally meet you, Maddie. Fred's told me many good things about you."

Maddie smiled and shook Emma
's hand. "Then you'll have to excuse the way I look. I'm not usually dressed so…" she let it drop, and they laughed. "Rob said I look like a hooker."

Fred looked
toward the pool. "Coop's parents are an interesting couple. Giving you a hard time, I imagine?"

"
Not yet. She hasn't said a word to me. He's been okay."

Fred looked over Maddie
's outfit and chuckled. "I'm sure! Well, just stand your ground. Be yourself. You'll do fine."

"
Do you have any suggestions for dealing with the lovely, Dionne?"

Emma
spoke up quickly. "Fred, I see beer over there, but I wonder if Robert has any iced tea?"

"
Sure," Maddie replied, and started toward the kitchen.

Emma grabbed her arm.
"Let Fred get it. He knows his way around inside. Why don't we sit down over here in the shade?" She led Maddie to two chairs, and they sat.

Emma said
, "Robert has a tempestuous relationship with his parents. He didn't go into the family business like they wanted."

"
Feed and grain?"

Emma nodded.

Maddie smiled. "He said it was the most boring job he could imagine."

Emma nodded again.
"Robert is a free spirit. He needs to work outdoors, much like my Fred. They truly love what they do. And it hurts when other people look down on them."

"
I definitely understand that. People think taking care of children is a nothing job. Minimum wage, minimum respect."

"When actually it's the most important job in the world. Those people are leaving their most precious possessions in the world with you,
their children
. How could doing that be a nothing job?"

Maddie smiled genuinely at the older woman.
"Thank you. It's so nice to hear that, from time to time."

"
Now Dionne, she's another story. She broke Robert's heart when he built this house and she refused to move here with him. That's when he and Fred met, you know, when Robert was planning this place. Fred helped with a few of the details, and the two of them did all the work on the house. They got pretty close. That's why Fred is still a part of Robert's crew. He needs to retire, but he just can't stand the idea of it. Robert lets him work as much as he wants, and he knows Fred does a good job for him when he's there."

"
I didn't know that." Maddie smiled at the story. "That's so sweet. But back to Dionne?"

"
Yes." Emma nodded. "She's a very strong willed person. Fred always thought she sucked the life right out of Robert."

Maddie chuckled.
"Fred seems to have a good grasp on people."

Emma nodded again.
"He always has. Would you like to know what my Fred's first impression of you was?"

"
Do I want to hear this?" Maddie bit her lip

"
You do. Fred came home and told me you were sweet, pretty, funny, and in love with our Robert. We think you're good for him, just what he needs. And little Sophie obviously loves you."

"
Much to Dionne's chagrin."

Fred returned with three glasses of iced tea.

"Thank you, dear." His wife smiled lovingly at him. She turned to Maddie, one last time. "As for how to handle Dionne, well, Maddie, just grab hold of Robert and hang on tight. Remember, possession is nine tenths of the law!"

Maddie
had tears in her eyes as she hugged Emma then Fred. Her heart swelled that these nice people, friends of Rob's, were being so kind to her."Thank you, so much." She wiped her eyes." I'd better go see if I need to do anything. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

She noticed several more people had arrived, and Rob and Sophie were busy accepting presents and visiting. Dionne and the Coopers were still standing by the pool. Maddie headed
in the opposite direction, and wandered into the house. Smoky was in the kitchen, getting food ready to go on the grill.

"
Hey Smoky! Use some help?"

"Always, from you, Maddie
. Or should I call you Wild Thing? Look at that hair!"

"
Yep, I'm being naughty today. Rob said I'm dressed like a hooker."

"
I get the look you're going for—the direct opposite of a lawyer, right?" He grinned and she blushed. "Oh, hey! I heard about that blush! Damn, he was right!"

"
Stop it!" Maddie gave him a swat on the arm, and helped him carry things out to the grill.

"
Maddie, is that you?" Rosa walked up behind her, and Maddie turned around.