“Besides.” She sighed. “That would require Prince Charming to actually have my address. I think he’s gotten lost.”
It didn’t help, of course, that her heart still hung onto the one man she’d never have, which was pathetic, considering three years had passed since he’d walked out of her life. Or rather, let her go.
She didn’t have to ask to know what Hannah would say about the matter. “Would you do it again, if you could?” Hannah had asked her that once, referring, of course, to her decision to end her relationship with Grayson.
The conversation had begun because Hannah had contemplated an affair with Cade. Hannah had been as scared as Maddie was now, afraid of falling in love. Maddie had told her to go for it or she’d regret it, because Maddie had a heart full of regrets. None of which she knew what to do with. The day she’d found that article on the front page of a local newspaper, her heart had sunk. She’d been so angry and so hurt; she’d left Grayson at that romantic little cabin all by himself. She’d stood him up. Back then, though, she’d been so sure she’d made the right decision.
Now? Not so much. Her mind filled with “what-if’s.” What if she’d gone? What if she’d given him a chance to explain? Would things have turned out differently?
Except now she was stuck. How did she move on when she wasn’t sure she’d made the right decision? When it was too late to do anything about it anyway? When she was sure she’d met the man she’d wanted to marry, only to discover he wasn’t who he said he was? That he’d essentially lied his way into her bed?
Okay, so she hadn’t slept with Grayson. They’d shared a hell of a lot, though. She’d shared things with him she didn’t tell just anybody. So while she couldn’t deny she had regrets, the sense of betrayal went deep, and she didn’t know how to get over that or let it go.
“Oh, I’ll bet Prince Charming’s closer than you think.”
Cade’s odd comment, and the I’ve got a secret tone to his voice had Maddie glancing up. As if his words weren’t enough of a puzzle, he grinned at her, something mysterious working behind his eyes.
“Cade!”
Behind her, Hannah let out a hushed reprimand, and Maddie turned sideways to peer at her. Her best friend glared none-too-subtly at her husband, but at Maddie’s look her frown tipped into an awkward smile. Okay, she’d known Hannah long enough to know she couldn’t hide a secret if she tried. Hannah was too honest. Despite her impassive expression, her best friend had a worried, shifty look about her. The same look Christina often got when discussing Maddie’s blind date to the auction.
Cade laughed, light-hearted and dismissive, and shook his head, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I just meant you shouldn’t give up hope. Look at me. I’d given up on women altogether before Hannah waltzed her way into my life.” Cade winked at her. “You never know.”
He breezed past Maddie to Hannah, hooked an arm around her waist and tugged her against his side. Maddie could only stare for a moment, suspicion itching at the edges of her consciousness. Why did the two of them look like they knew something she didn’t? Despite their intimate embrace, Hannah still sent her husband an, albeit subtle, warning glare.
What on earth was with her friends these days? They all seemed as if they shared a secret somebody had forgotten to tell her.
Maddie shook off the sensation and arched a brow at Cade. “Aren’t you usually at the office this time of day?”
Cade turned toward her, one arm wrapped around Hannah’s back, and nodded. “Mmm. I’ve taken the morning off. Too many hours at the office leaves little time for Em when she’s awake. So, I’m taking a half day to spend some Daddy time with my girl.”
Because he was a lawyer, Cade’s profession often meant long hours were the rule, not the exception. Hannah had told her once he usually wasn’t home before seven. Maddie was glad to see he was taking time for the baby.
Cade smiled, crossed the space to her, and held out his arms. “Now, if you’ll kindly hand back my baby, my daughter and I have a date.”
Maddie offered a reluctant but playful sigh. “If you insist.” She bent her head, inhaling the sweet baby powder scent that clung to the child, kissed her forehead, then set her into his waiting hands. “Have fun, Dad.”
He tucked Emily gently in the crook of an arm nearly twice as long as she was. “Oh, I plan on it.” He glanced up then, flashing a teasing grin, his green eyes alight with amusement. “I hear you’ve got yourself a date.”
Maddie’s cheeks grew warm. She shook her head. “I don’t even want to know what she’s told you.”
“Just the basics, Maddie, I promise.” Hannah offered a gentle smile.
Despite the reassurance, Maddie sighed. “I have to admit I’m nervous. It’s the first real date I’ve had in a while.”
“Word of advice? Enjoy it. Best damn thing I ever did.” He didn’t give her time to respond, but turned to Hannah again and bent, murmuring against her mouth as he kissed her. “I’ll leave her with Mom, probably around eleven or so. I might be late tonight.”
When Hannah lifted onto her toes to kiss him back, Maddie turned away, giving them some privacy. She ran her fingers over the top of the small box. Dave’s present was a book, one of her favorites. Poems by Emily Dickinson. It was a sweet gesture.
Cade left the store, the door chime dinging behind him.
Hannah stepped up beside her, peering around her shoulder. “What’s this?”
Warmth bloomed in Maddie’s chest as she slid the box in Hannah’s direction. “I got a surprise this morning. The mailman dropped it off just before you guys got here. Take a peek. I have to admit, he outdid himself on this one.”
Hannah turned her head, a pleased grin curling across her face. “I take it you like him.”
Maddie turned to the box instead. She wasn’t sure she wanted to discuss the details. If she did, she might talk herself out of this. “I’ll admit it. He’s…nice. We’ve been talking just about every night.”
She reached into the box and pulled out the note, releasing a heavy, melancholic sigh as she read it again.
I’m enjoying getting to know you, Maddie. Came across this and thought of you.
It was a completely sentimental gift, and she had to admit, she wasn’t immune to its charm. She had a penchant for romantic poetry, in large part due to her grandpa. Her grandfather had raised her from the time she was small. She didn’t have any memories of her parents. Missionaries who’d traveled the world, they’d left her with her grandparents when she was three, only to die a few years later in a horrible accident. A fire of all things. Grandma had died twenty years ago now, Grandpa only about five.
She had so many memories of him reading with her. He’d had a stack of books much like the ones Hannah had—old, weathered favorites he’d kept on a small shelf in the living room, and every night he’d read to her. Despite his years in the states, his Irish lilt had never quite faded, and if she closed her eyes the sound of his voice came as clear as it had then. She’d always treasured those books. They were like comfort food, something she reverted to when stressed, because they filled her with good memories. To get a copy of a book she knew practically by heart was an overwhelming gesture. The question was, what had made him choose this particular book? Had Christina mentioned it to him? Or was it simply a happy coincidence?