Where the Heart Is by Patricia Keelyn

CHAPTER FIVE

Maddie glanced around her yard, looking for the driver of the car. At first, she didn’t see anyone, but then disappointment washed over her as Adelia walked toward her from behind the house.

“Oh, there you are, Madeleine. I was just checking to see if your car was around back.”

“Mother, what are you doing here?”

Adelia stiffened. “I came over to see you, of course.”

Maddie sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by that. It’s just that I wasn’t expecting you. If I’d known you were coming …”

Adelia brushed away the last of Maddie’s sentence with a wave of her hand. “I was out and thought I’d stop by.”

“How nice.” The disappointment settled like a weight in Maddie’s stomach, and the thought of dealing with her mother on top of it seemed more than she could manage. Then the reality of Adelia actually dropping in hit home. It wasn’t like her to go anywhere unannounced. Motioning toward the house, Maddie asked, “Do you want to come in for a minute?”

“Yes. If you don’t mind.” As she followed Maddie up the front walkway, Adelia added, “I’ve never been inside this house, you know.”

“Really.” Maddie climbed the steps and unlocked the front door before preceding her mother inside. “It’s not much. But it’s comfortable.”

Adelia stepped into the foyer and slowly perused her surroundings. Maddie tried to view the room as her mother might see it and suppressed a moan. The entryway was little more than a small hallway with hardwood floors and thirty-year-old wallpaper. A staircase and double doors to the front parlor filled the left side of the room, while openings to the living room, dining room, and kitchen were off to the right. Compared to Adelia’s house, with its large open foyer, sweeping staircase, and crystal chandelier, Maddie’s father’s house seemed like a hovel.

“Would you like some tea?” Maddie closed the front door and motioned toward the parlor. She would’ve preferred to sit in the kitchen, but she didn’t need to be reminded that her mother had raised her better than to invite a guest into the kitchen.

“No, thank you.”

“Come in and sit down for a moment.” Maddie moved into the other room without waiting to see if her mother would follow.

At least she’d cleaned yesterday, Maddie thought as she opened the curtains to the afternoon sun. “I’ve been gone since this morning,” she explained, even as she questioned the impulse to justify herself to her mother. “So the house has been closed up all day.”

She pushed up a window, letting the late-spring air filter into the room.

Adelia remained silent, and Maddie turned to find the older woman standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

“Have a seat, Mother.” Maddie knew her words sounded stiff.

Adelia nodded and lowered herself onto the corner of the sofa. “You know, Madeleine, you’re welcome to stay with me if you’d like.”

Maddie bit back a sharp retort. Her father had never had much money. And when Adelia had kicked him out of her house, this place had been all he could afford. “No, thank you,” she said with what she thought was remarkable restraint. “I like it here.”

Adelia glanced around the room and sighed. “Well, I guess it is quaint.”

“It’s the house my father left me,” Maddie said, defending her father, not the house.

Adelia met her gaze, and for the briefest moment, Maddie thought she saw something akin to pain in the older woman’s eyes. Maddie dismissed the notion as ridiculous. After all, this was Adelia she was dealing with.

“You didn’t come here to criticize the house, Mother,” Maddie said as she took a seat in an armchair. “So why are you here?”

“I came over to find out where you’ve been.”

It was about the last thing Maddie had expected Adelia to say. “What do you mean? This afternoon?”

“No, Madeleine.” Adelia folded her hands in her lap and spoke slowly. “I mean that it has been more than two weeks since you’ve been to the house.”

Maddie blinked, trying to discern the meaning behind her mother’s words. Finally she said, “So?” And immediately regretted it.

Adelia’s face showed her displeasure.

“I mean, I’ve been here.” Maddie felt like a rat in a maze trying to find the trick door. “And without intending any disrespect, the last time we spoke, I got the distinct impression that you wanted nothing to do with me or my baby.”

“Don’t be childish, Madeleine.” In one fluid motion, Adelia rose from the couch to pace the room. “Just because I disapprove of your decision to have this child out of wedlock doesn’t mean I’m oblivious to what you are going through.” She stopped and turned to face Maddie. “And the possible dangers. I carried a child myself once. In case you have forgotten.”

“I’m afraid you’ve lost me, Mother.” This was too much. A concerned Adelia was something Maddie had no idea how to deal with. “What are you trying to say?”

Adelia took a step in Maddie’s direction. “I ran into Dr. Eagen yesterday. He told me he is concerned about your blood pressure.”

Maddie’s face heated. She’d have to talk to Ted Eagen. She wasn’t a child, and the results of her medical checkups were no longer her mother’s business. “My blood pressure is fine.”

“Don’t try to deny it.” Adelia crossed her arms as if talking to a naughty child. “High blood pressure is not something to fool around with. Especially during pregnancy.”

“I know that, Mother. And when my doctor in Miami suggested I slow down and take a leave of absence from my job, that’s exactly what I did. I came here.”

“These things must be watched carefully.”

Maddie wondered if her mother was even listening to her. “I am watching it carefully. And so is Dr. Eagen.”

“But how am I supposed to know that?”

“Mother.” Maddie’s patience was slipping away quickly. “I still don’t see—”

“You’re carrying my grandchild. And considering your age and marital status, it may be the only one I’ll ever have. I expect you to take care of him or her. And I expect to be kept informed of your progress.” Adelia walked to the door and then turned to face Maddie. “So I’ll expect you for dinner every Sunday night from now on. For as long as you’re living in Felton. No excuses. Is that understood?”

Too numb to do anything else, Maddie nodded.

Without another word, Adelia turned on her heel and let herself out the front door.

For several moments, Maddie just sat there, the sound of her mother’s car starting up and pulling away the only noise to break the silence. Then there wasn’t even that.

Adelia concerned for me?

No. Her concern had been for the baby. Still, it was more than Maddie had expected, more than she’d ever hoped for when she’d first told her mother about her pregnancy. Suddenly bursting into laughter, Maddie pressed her hands to her stomach.

“Did you hear that, Baby? Grandma wants to make sure you’re all right.”

As the afternoon faded into evening, Maddie’s initial amusement at Adelia’s dictate to join her once a week for dinner wore off, leaving confusion in its place. Maddie didn’t know what to think. Or feel. The day had been filled with tumultuous events and emotions, leaving her more aware than ever of her solitary state.

Her thoughts flew from one thing to another. Amazement at her mother soon gave way to concern for Nick and his son, which only reminded her that she, too, seemed destined to be a single parent. Unless Roger came to his senses.

While waiting for Nick to tend Jon, she’d considered the possibility that Roger’s reluctance had more to do with fear than anything else. Now, alone in her house, with the weight of the day lying heavily on her shoulders, she wanted desperately to believe that was the case.

She had to talk to him.

At first, she told herself to wait until the weekend to call. After work, he’d be tired. But by nine o’clock, the temptation was too great.

She reached over and picked up the receiver, dialing his cell before she could change her mind. The phone rang four times before Roger picked up. Maddie could barely hear him above the voices and music in the background.

“Roger, what’s going on?”

“What timing, Maddie. I was just talking about you.”

“Do you have guests?”

“Just a minute. I’ll go into the other room so I can hear you better.” In the background, she heard him tell someone he had to take the call but would be right back.

Maddie waited, extremely conscious of the sound of strangers as she visualized Roger crossing the apartment. Then Roger returned, and the noise faded into the background as he closed a door.

“There,” said Roger, sounding just the slightest bit tipsy now that she could hear him clearly. “That’s better. Now we can talk.”

“It sounds like you’re having a party.” Maddie fought down a surge of anger. Here she’d hesitated to call him because it was a weekday.

“Just a few friends. So, how’s Fenton?”

“Felton.”

“You arrived safely, then?”

“If you were worried, why didn’t you call?”

“Don’t get testy, Maddie. I knew if there was a problem I’d hear from you.”

Maddie curbed her sharp retort. He was right. She was being unreasonable. So he had a few people in. There was no point in starting an argument. That wasn’t why she’d called. “Who are your guests? Anyone I know?”

“Just people from the office. I can’t talk long. I really need to get back.”

But Maddie couldn’t let him go yet. Taking a calming breath she posed the question she’d called to ask. “Have you thought any more about the baby?”

“It’s only been a couple of weeks.”

“Almost three.” With a sigh, she wrapped the phone cord around her index finger. “I miss you.”

“I told you I need time.” He sounded irritated. “You have to be patient.”

“Time isn’t something I have a lot of right now, Roger. This child is yours, too.”

“You promised not to rush me.”

Maddie took another deep breath, trying to still her rising temper. “Okay. I won’t rush you.”

“Good girl. Oh, by the way, I got an offer on the condo today.”

Her stomach muscles coiled in a knot. “I thought we’d decided to wait before listing it.”

“It’s a good offer, Maddie. I think we should take it.”

She couldn’t answer at first. She hadn’t been expecting this. If she hadn’t called him tonight, how long would it have taken him to let her know he was going to sell?

“I don’t know,” she said finally. “Let me think about it.”

“Well, don’t take too long. They’re not going to wait forever.”

He didn’t sound to Maddie like a man who was afraid of raising children—just one who didn’t want to be bothered. “Good night, Roger.”

It was still an hour before dawn when Nick finally gave up trying to sleep. He’d lain in bed all night, tossing and turning, his mind and heart burdened with thoughts of Jon. Disentangling himself from the sheets, he climbed out of bed and headed for the shower.

He’d failed his son.

The thought had hounded him through the long restless night. Nick thought of their life together—his and Jon’s and Diana’s—going over the details, the things he should have done differently. He’d left raising Jon to Diana. He was her son. Not that Nick didn’t love the boy; it was just that he’d always been busy, first with getting through college and medical school, and later trying to establish his practice. He’d rationalized that he was doing it for them—for Diana and Jon.

Now he wasn’t so sure.

Maybe he’d been working for himself all along. Maybe the only thing that had ever really mattered to him was his dream. His goal. To become a doctor. Then, once he’d succeeded, he’d dragged Jon and Diana back to Felton. A place they both hated.

Stepping into the shower, he turned on the faucet, forcing himself to remain under the sudden onslaught of icy water. It was so cold it almost hurt. And yet, in a way it felt good. Jarring. Eye-opening. Numbing.

He thought of Jon’s accusations the last time they’d been out to the building site together, and the guilt that had been chipping away at him for the past eighteen months buried itself a little deeper in his heart. With a groan, he pushed Diana from his thoughts. Moving out from under the water, he grabbed the soap and rubbed it against his chilled skin, bringing it to a lather. He’d failed Diana, but there was nothing he could do about that now. But their son was a different matter.

He must find a way to get through to Jon.

A shiver ran down his spine, and he stepped back under the showerhead to rinse off. A few moments later, he turned off the water and got out of the shower, suddenly very aware of the sharp early-morning chill on his wet skin.

Fifteen minutes later, Nick was dressed and heading down the hall. As he passed Jon’s room, he couldn’t fight the urge to look in on his son. As quietly as possible, he pushed open the door. Jon lay sprawled across his bed wearing only a pair of oversize, knee-length shorts. He looked so young and innocent. Like the child Nick remembered.

Nick stepped into the room and moved closer to his son’s bed. His fingers itched to brush the mop of dark hair away from Jon’s forehead, to touch him while he slept and wouldn’t recoil. But he couldn’t do it. Touching Jon in his sleep seemed an invasion of the boy’s privacy. If Nick couldn’t touch him while he was awake, he wouldn’t touch him now.

As he started to back away, he spotted a corner of Jon’s spiral-bound notebook poking out from under the bed. For a moment, he considered picking it up and slipping out of the room. It would be so easy. Jon would never know. And just maybe it would give Nick some insight as to how to deal with his son. He was just about to grab the book when he stopped himself.

Whatam I doing?

He’d always respected Jon’s privacy. It was something Nick had never had as a boy. He could hardly violate it now. Somehow, they’d work things out.

Reluctantly, Nick backed out of the room and headed downstairs. He’d leave a note for Selba, their housekeeper, telling her to let Jon sleep in today. It wouldn’t hurt the boy to miss a day of school. Especially with everything that had happened the day before.

Leaving his truck in the garage, Nick set off on foot for the clinic. It was still early, and he hoped the exercise would clear his head. A few minutes later, he found himself on Maddie’s street, a good three blocks out of his way. When he saw her house, he realized that he’d planned on swinging by here all along. Several times during the night, his thoughts had strayed to her.

He stopped in front of her house, thinking how homey it looked in the early-morning light, with the sun peeking beneath the low branches of the surrounding trees, casting speckled patterns of light on the white siding. By some standards, it wasn’t much of a house, just a small two-story bungalow with a wide wraparound porch. Diana would have scoffed at living here, but Nick liked it. There was something about this house that spoke of home, and it made him long to walk through its rooms.

He’d been so tempted by Maddie yesterday. He’d been ready to push his way back into her life. Now he knew he couldn’t do that to her. His motives had all been selfish. He’d wanted the comfort she could give him, the forgiveness he’d waited sixteen years to ask for. But he didn’t deserve either. And she didn’t deserve to be dragged into the tumult of his life.

He wondered if Maddie had started work on the inside of her house. Had she set aside a room for a nursery? He could picture her painting it a soft yellow with white trim. He longed to see it and wished that their lives had played out differently so he could have helped her fix her baby’s room.

He glanced around the yard at the work they’d left unfinished yesterday. Again, he ached for things that couldn’t be, for a life and love he’d given up. With one last sigh of regret, he turned his back on Maddie’s house and headed toward town. He’d made his choices sixteen years ago. And now he’d just have to live with them. He’d send someone else to help Maddie with her yard. And he’d do what she’d asked him to do in the beginning. He’d leave the past alone.

An annoying buzzing pulled Maddie from her sleep.

She scooted down under a blanket, hoping the sound would go away. But it came again, and she opened her eyes. It took a moment for her to figure out where she was and how she’d gotten there. Then she remembered. She’d been unable to sleep last night and had ended up on the couch, huddled beneath an afghan, reading a book that hadn’t held her interest.

The doorbell rang again, and Maddie moaned.

Who in the world?She struggled to her feet and stretched to ease the kinks in her neck and shoulders.

She was too old for this. Her body just couldn’t handle it.

The doorbell buzzed again.

“Hold on,” she called, and glanced at the clock on the mantel to see what god-awful time someone was showing up on her doorstep. Ten forty-five. Okay, so it wasn’t that early. She’d just had a very long night with not enough sleep. Draping the afghan over her shoulders, she headed toward the front door and peeked out the window.

Tammy stood grinning at her from the porch. Throwing back the latch, Maddie opened the door and Tammy stepped inside. “Good morning,” she said, taking in Maddie’s disheveled appearance. “I guess I woke you.”

“Mmm.” Maddie closed the door and ran a hand through her hair. “I was asleep on the couch.”

“I could go away and come back later.”

“No,” Maddie said, stifling a yawn. “It’s okay.”

“Well, I have just the thing to wake you up.” Tammy lifted her eyebrows suggestively and waved a white bakery bag in front of Maddie’s face. “I brought breakfast.”

Maddie eyed the bag suspiciously before taking a guess at what it contained. “Is that what I think it is?”

“Maybe.”

Maddie took the bag from Tammy and opened the flap just enough to check out the contents. “Gooey-butter cake! I just may forgive you for waking me.”

“Apology accepted,” Tammy said smugly.

Maddie, fully awake now, grinned from ear to ear. “Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve had one of these?”

“Sixteen years?”

“Exactly. No one else in the entire world makes these things.” She took a deep whiff of the buttery confection and moaned in anticipation. “I’ve looked everywhere.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had one, too.” Tammy patted her hips. “It’s not exactly diet food.”

Maddie laughed. “So you brought it so I could gain a few pounds.”

“Hey,” Tammy said with a grin. “You’re pregnant, anyway.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I know you’ve always loved sweets.”

“And if Greg caught me tempting you to go off your diet, he’d have both our heads.”

“What are friends for?” Smiling, Tammy took the cake from Maddie and nodded toward the kitchen. “Are you going to make the coffee, or should I?”

Maddie winced. “I don’t expect I could talk you into tea.”

“With coffee cake?”

Maddie grinned sheepishly and pressed her hand to her stomach. “The smell of coffee really doesn’t sit too well with me right now.”

Tammy laughed and took Maddie’s arm. “Personally,” she said, as they headed toward the kitchen, “I always thought pregnancy was a bit overrated. We’ll drink tea.”

While Maddie heated the water, Tammy found cups, small plates, and napkins. A few minutes later, they were both seated at the kitchen table digging into the sinfully rich treat. To Maddie, it tasted like sunshine and late-Sunday-morning breakfasts when her father would pull her onto his lap and read the comics aloud. She hadn’t thought about those times with her father for years.

“Earth to Maddie,” Tammy said. “Are you there?”

“Sorry.” Maddie smiled, while images of her father still floated on the fringes of her thoughts. “I was just remembering how Daddy used to go down to the bakery every Sunday morning and bring back breakfast.”

“You still miss him, don’t you.” It was a statement not a question. And there was no point denying it.

“Yes.” Maddie nodded and held on to her smile. “But I have a lot of good memories.” She sighed. “Well, enough of that. What did you say while I was tripping down memory lane?”

Tammy laughed lightly, acknowledging the shift in the conversation. “I just wanted to know why you were sleeping on the couch.”

“Insomnia.” Maddie smiled and took a sip of tea. “I came downstairs to read and must have fallen asleep.”

“Are you okay? Problems with the baby?”

“No, nothing like that.” Tammy’s concern touched her, and Maddie sought to reassure her. “I got some news last night. And I guess I couldn’t get it off my mind.”

“Good or bad?”

Maddie hesitated, knowing that if she started talking to Tammy, she wouldn’t be able to stop. “Well, it’s not really bad news.”

Tammy lifted an eyebrow without saying anything, but Maddie saw the question in her friend’s eyes. She also saw the patience. Tammy was willing to listen if Maddie wanted to talk.

“In one sense, it’s good news. But in another …” Maddie wrapped her hands around her mug of tea. “Oh, what the hell. I may as well tell you. Roger, the baby’s father, and I own a condominium in Miami. When I came up here, we talked about putting it on the market, but decided to wait.” She kept her gaze locked on her hands and tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice. “He got an offer from a buyer yesterday.”

“But you said you were going to wait before listing it.”

Maddie lifted her gaze to Tammy’s and nodded. “Yep.”

“He went ahead and listed it, anyway?”

Maddie shrugged and looked away. Releasing her mug, she picked up her fork and began toying with the remainder of her cake. “I could use the money, but …”

“But?”

She dropped her fork back on the plate, her appetite long gone. “I was hoping that with a little time Roger would …” She shrugged again.

“Maddie—” Tammy leaned forward and lay a hand on Maddie’s arm “—it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about this.”

Maddie shook her head and wiped at the tears gathering in her eyes. Lately, it seemed as if she spent half her time either crying or on the verge of crying. “No. It’s okay. Maybe talking about it will help.”

Tammy nodded and gave Maddie’s arm a squeeze before releasing it. “It’s got to be better than keeping it inside.”

Maddie forced a smile, grateful for Tammy’s understanding.

“How long have you and Roger been together?” Tammy asked.

“Three years. We work for the same firm. He’s an expert on entering new foreign markets.” Maddie leaned back in her chair and sighed. “I thought I’d found Mr. Right.”

Tammy listened silently.

“We were supposed to get married. Only we were never able to agree on a date.” A sliver of anger broke through Maddie’s pain. It felt surprisingly good. “I kept telling myself it was as much my fault as his. We both traveled, and we just couldn’t find a time when we were both in town long enough to even plan a wedding.”

“Why didn’t you just go down to the county courthouse?”

“Good question.” Maddie’s anger grew stronger. “But I think I know the answer. Roger never really wanted to get married.”

“And the baby?”

“When I told him about the baby, he couldn’t deal with it.” She hesitated a moment, unable to continue. Just thinking about her conversation with Roger last night infuriated her. “He said he needed time to think things over. And last night when I talked to him, he told me not to rush him.”

Tammy shook her head and took Maddie’s hand in hers. “I’m so sorry, Maddie.”

Maddie squeezed her friend’s hand and smiled, letting the tears, hot scalding tears of anger, flow unchecked down her cheeks. “Hey, I’m fine,” she said. “I always land on my feet.” Grabbing a napkin, she dried her face and rose from the table. “How about some fresh tea?”

Without waiting for an answer she grabbed the kettle and refilled it with water. As she set it on the stove, she said, “So he’s evidently listed the condo without my permission, and now we have an offer.” With a caustic smile Maddie returned to the table and sat. “So much for thinking he’s going to come to his senses and come rushing up here looking for me. He didn’t even ask how I was doing.”

“What did you tell him about the offer?”

Maddie grinned. “I told him I needed some time.”

Tammy laughed abruptly. “The hell with him,” she said. “If you weren’t pregnant, we could go out, get drunk, and bad-mouth men all night long.”

Maddie met her friend’s gaze and started laughing. Tammy joined her, and Maddie’s melancholy mood evaporated.

The kettle whistled on the stove and Maddie jumped up to refresh their tea. “Well I am pregnant,” she said as she poured hot water into their cups. “And your husband is the sheriff. So, I think we’ll have to be satisfied with tea and gooey-butter cake.”

For the first time since she’d told Roger about the baby, Maddie actually felt good. She’d been telling herself all along that she could do this—endure her pregnancy and raise this child alone if necessary. She was a strong woman. Now, she knew she’d been right. And looking into Tammy’s eyes, she knew she wasn’t alone.

Tammy broke into her thoughts. “Greg said you were with Nick yesterday when he got the call about Jon.”

“We were at the Bee-Bop eating lunch.”

Tammy picked up her cup and rested her elbows on the table. “Did you meet Jon?”

“Yes.”

“What did you think?”

“Yesterday wasn’t exactly the right day to form an opinion of him.” Maddie shook her head, recalling her brief meeting with Nick’s son. “Did Greg ever find out who pulled the knife?”

“He has his suspicions. But nothing definite yet.”

Maddie sighed, wondering again about this condition called parenthood. “I thought a lot about Jon last night. And his father.” That was an understatement. When her thoughts hadn’t been on Roger or the baby, they’d been on Nick and his son. “There was a lot of tension between them.”

“Losing Diana was hard on both of them.”

“Yes, but—” Maddie folded her arms on the table “—it was more than that.” She paused, searching for the right word to describe her first impression of the boy. “Jon was so angry.”

“Remind you of anyone you know?”

“Yeah.” Maddie let out a short laugh. “Me. I looked into his eyes and knew exactly how he felt. It was scary. And Nick …” She shook her head. “He seemed—” Before Maddie could finish her sentence, the front doorbell rang.

“Who on earth … ?” Maddie rose and headed toward the front of the house. “Back in a minute.” Pulling her robe around her, she looked out the window, then opened the door. A young man in his late teens stood there.

“Miss Aims?”

“Yes.” Maddie realized she must really look a mess. She hadn’t even run a brush through her hair. “I’m Maddie Aims.”

“I’m Bobby Fieldman, from Fieldman Nursery.”

She recognized the name. Fieldman Nursery had been around since before she was born, and she’d gone to school with several of the Fieldman brood. But she’d never met this particular member of the family. “What can I do for you?” she asked, thinking he must be collecting for something.

“I have a delivery for you.”

“You must be mistaken.” She felt Tammy walk up behind her. “I didn’t order anything.”

“No, ma’am. There’s no mistake. Doc Ryan sent these over.”

The boy stepped aside so Maddie could see behind him. On the porch sat a half-dozen flats of multicolored flowers and two bushes in black plastic pots.

“Six dozen impatiens and two azalea bushes,” the boy stated while handing her a small envelope with “Maddie” scrolled in sharp masculine letters across the front. “Courtesy of the doc.”

Maddie stared dumbfounded at the handwriting she would have recognized anywhere.

“Read the card,” Tammy urged from behind her.

Maddie opened the flap on the envelope, but glanced again at the array of blooming color on her front porch before pulling out the card. A quick survey of the note left her more confused than ever. Nick had sent the plants and the young man from the nursery to help her finish her yard work. He was tied up in the clinic and couldn’t get away.

“I can’t accept these,” she said when she’d finished reading the note for the second time.

The boy’s smile broadened. “The doc said that’s what you’d say. And he made me promise not to take ’em back.”

Maddie frowned, knowing she wasn’t going to get anywhere with this young man. “Okay. I’ll take this up with Dr. Ryan.”

“Yes, ma’am. Doc also paid for a half day of my time. He said your yard needed some fertilizing and mulching. When would you like me to come over? I’m free either today or tomorrow afternoon.”

“Uh, neither for now.” She shook her head, not really sure of the best way to handle this. “Let me talk to Nick—I mean, Dr. Ryan, and I’ll get back to you.”

“Okay.” The boy pulled out a card from his shirt pocket and handed it to her. “Here’s my number. Just give me a call. The most I need is a day’s advance notice.”

“Thanks.” Maddie closed the door and turned to face Tammy, whose expression reflected her curiosity. Maddie sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get off easy.

“I was doing yard work yesterday,” she explained, because she knew Tammy would get the story out of her one way or another. “Nick came by and talked me into lunch, promising he’d help me finish the yard afterward. Then he got the call about Jon, and we never got back here.” Maddie shrugged and headed toward the kitchen. “He probably feels guilty.”

Tammy followed. “Men never feel guilty. They don’t even know what the word means.”

Maddie laughed silently and shook her head. Tammy was probably right. Women seemed to have the market on guilt. So why had Nick sent the plants?

“Maddie,” Tammy said as she returned to her place at the kitchen table, “this all sounds a little suspicious to me. First you have lunch with Nick, and then you rush off to the clinic when Jon gets hurt. Now these flowers …”

“Plants.”

“Whatever.” Tammy waved a hand dismissively. “What’s going on between the two of you?”

Maddie avoided meeting her friend’s eyes as she grabbed the teapot and refilled their cups. “You said yourself that Nick needs a friend right now.”

“True.” Tammy rested her elbow on the table and pointed a finger at Maddie. “But you said—”

“I know what I said.” Maddie returned the teapot to the stovetop and leaned against the counter. “And it’s still true. I don’t want to become involved with Nick again.”

“But?”

Maddie sighed and moved across the room to sit at the table, facing her friend. “I’m worried about him. He’s hurting.” Tammy nodded but didn’t say anything. “And I can’t shake the feeling I owe him something.”

“Like what?”

Maddie shrugged. “Friendship. Support.”

“So what’s the problem with either of those things?”

“I don’t want to risk getting involved with him again. Not now, not with the baby—”

“We’re only talking about friendship here, Maddie.”

“I still don’t trust him.”

“It sounds more like you haven’t forgiven him.”

Maddie met Tammy’s gaze and considered her words. “Maybe you’re right.”

But the real question bothering Maddie was whether she could turn her back on him. Could she forget the pain in his eyes when he’d spoken about Diana, or his frustration when he’d introduced her to Jon? It was a question she was afraid to answer.