Chapter 21

Maddie seemed to be in an unnaturally good mood.

As it usually was, especially when dealing with Owen, but she came down from organizing the playroom to throw in a load of Owen's laundry. Then she'd tackled dinner. She'd whipped up a casserole using tater tots, canned soup, and she'd even shredded her own cheese, along with using the ground beef she'd purchased while we were out, claiming it could be used for many different things.

I'd figured hamburgers, but I still needed to buy a grill, and she hadn't picked up any rolls to go with them. Apparently, she'd had other ideas for her meat. All good by me. The smells coming from the kitchen were delicious.

And she'd hummed the entire time while preparing dinner.

"Why are you so happy," I murmured, coming up behind her to kiss her hair as she set the table in the dining room for the very first time.

We'd never eaten in there all together, usually opting to have our meals at the kitchen counter if we didn't just eat on the couch while we watched a movie or something.

"I like being domestic, I guess." She shrugged, laying out cloth napkins for the silverware. I didn't even know Caro had purchased napkins. I supposed she'd taken me seriously about wanting to be prepared for possible future big family dinners.

"Well, whatever you made smells delicious. You know why I got all this stuff, right?"

"What stuff?"

"The dishes and the cloth napkins and all that. I told Caro to get a nice set with lots of dishes because your family is so huge. I was hoping someday they'd all come over and eat with us." I wrapped my arms around her waist, noting how she softened in my arms. "Do you think that could happen someday? Maybe?"

"You want that? Really?"

"I do. So much. I love having you here with me and Owen."

"I love being here with you." She rubbed the back of my hand, tipping her head back so I could easily drop a kiss on her glossy lips. She shifted to turn in my arms, leaning up to link her arms around my neck. "And if you like dinner, I'll make another casserole tomorrow. I have a trove of recipes to call on." Laughing a little, she eased back as we heard Owen running up the hall.

"Hungry," he announced from the doorway, holding up his spotted fish. "So's Spot."

"See, even the fish wants your casserole," I said teasingly, kissing her once more.

"It's almost done. Just a minute or two more." As if on cue, the timer she'd set went off in the kitchen and she hurried in to tug on the big mitts Caro had also remembered to buy.

She'd thought of literally everything. I needed to give that woman a raise.

A few minutes later, we sat down to our first official family dinner, and Owen liked it so much he ate a couple servings, as did the two of us. By the time we were done with dinner, there were no leftovers, which Maddie noted sadly after Owen had finished and run off to watch TV. "Nothing for a late night snack."

"Aw, do you think you'll be hungry?" I couldn't help dropping my gaze to her flat belly, and though I swiftly looked away, I caught a little smile curving her mouth.

"Never know. Maybe you'll be hungry. You certainly ate every bite."

"I did. Just goes to show you're a good cook."

"Right, when it comes to tater tots and canned soup made in the oven." Rolling her eyes, she rinsed out the pan and started the dishwasher before stepping back to check the time. "Fireworks will be starting in not that long. Before that, there's a band and food trucks and an open house for shops in the village. Game?"

"Sure, I'm game."

"Great. I'll go get ready and get Owen ready too." Maddie started down the hall but before she reached the stairs, the bell rang. "I'll get it," she called, hurrying to the door.

A moment later, a familiar female voice made me head to the door, where Maddie was blocking the entrance.

"Melissa?" I questioned. "What are you doing here?'

She reached up to push her long dark windswept hair out of her eyes. "I was in town, since my play ended, and I wanted to see my boy." She huffed out a breath and stepped around Maddie, who looked as if she didn't have a clue what to do. "Owen?" she called.

No Owen. The TV was still on, but he wasn't in the sitting room on the couch where he usually was.

"You couldn't have let us know you were coming first?"

"I tried to call you, but you didn't return my calls. What did you expect me to do?"

"I don't know, maybe consider what would be best for Owen?"

"Oh, because you gave him this fancy house, you're the better parent, right?" Melissa rubbed her throat and glanced at Maddie. "Who are you?"

"The nanny," she said quickly, darting a glance at me as she pursed her lips. The momentary pang landed in my gut from how she'd labeled herself, but I knew she didn't want to create issues with Owen's mother. But I also didn't like that she didn't feel as if she could admit she was with me without creating friction.

This whole situation was needlessly complicated. It was time I took a stand.

I stepped forward and linked an arm around Maddie's waist as I kissed her head. "She's who I'm with. And she loves Owen too," I added as Melissa gasped.

"So, that's why you didn't bother answering my calls. You're cutting me out of my son's life."

"Seems to me you did that by dropping him off with a stranger you said was his father," Maddie interjected softly, holding up a hand when Melissa reared back as if she'd been slapped. "I'm not second guessing you. You're his mother. But I just know he's confused."

"I'm sure he has been. I just was running out of money, and I knew he'd be better off with Jude until I could save up some. But that's not going so well, either."

Maddie reached out to touch her arm. "Do you want to come in and sit down?"

"Maddie, what are you doing?" I snapped, instantly regretting my knee-jerk reaction when both women looked at me as if I was some ogre.

"She's Owen's mom." Maddie's voice was patient in a way I'd never been. "I'll go make sure Owen is okay while you talk. Or while you insist she leave. Whatever. Your call. I'll check on Owen." Her next move was to hurry up the stairs, assuming he'd gone up to his room.

Where else could he have gone? He was just a little boy. Just three.

Then I heard Maddie calling him softly. "Buddy, where are you? Where did you go?"

I frowned, stiffening my shoulders. "I'm not letting you take him."

All the fight seemed to have bleed out of Melissa at once. "I don't want to take him from his home." At my raised brow, she sighed. "Okay, maybe I did at first. It never occurred to me I wouldn't be what's best for him long-term. Not that I've seen him yet, but this is such a lovely place. Is he happy here?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "He wasn't at first," I admitted. "I had no clue what I was doing. But everything changed when I met Maddie. She knows how to make a home for my boy. And for me." I released a shaky breath, belatedly hearing Maddie's soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Owen was on her hip, holding onto her while he rested his head on her shoulder.

Seeing them together in just that way sent a jolt through me. I couldn't lose them. Either one of them. Already they were both irreplaceable pieces of whatever was being built here.

I climbed a few steps to brush a hand over Owen's cheek, impossibly relieved when he turned his face into my hand. "You okay, buddy?"

His lower lip trembled. "I don't want to go away."

"You're not going anywhere, my boy. We love you." I took a deep breath before shifting to face Melissa where she still stood in the doorway, now holding her hand to her mouth. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I won't take him," she murmured. "Can I just see him for a few minutes?"

Maddie nodded gently, passing Owen to me as if she was entrusting me with his care. And somehow that felt like such a big moment between us, even though Owen was my son. But Maddie was so good with him. So loving.

"Baddie?" Owen asked, his voice thick with tears.

"I'm not going anywhere." She squeezed his hand and then she squeezed mine too.

I carted Owen down to Melissa and she sat down right on the floor in the foyer to hold him. After a moment of indecision, he crawled into her lap to hug her. "I missed you, Mommy," he whispered, making Melissa cry.

"I missed you too, Owen. But I can see you're in a good place with your dad and Maddie."

"Baddie," he immediately corrected, making all of us laugh.

After a moment, I sat down on the floor beside them and then Owen crawled into my lap and stuck his thumb in his mouth, watching over my shoulder for Maddie, who soon came to join us, as well. It was probably more than a little odd that we were all on the floor in the foyer when there was plenty of perfectly serviceable furniture available, but if it worked for Owen and Maddie, it worked for me too.

We talked for a little while, Melissa asking Owen questions about his summer so far that he more or less answered with one word answers that he rotated through.

"Good." "Fine." "Okay."

And then, "The puzzle was fun."

After a bit more of that, Melissa rose and brushed off her legs as the clear sound of fireworks nearby sounded outside the house. "It's the Fourth, so I'm sure you guys have some plans. Fireworks?"

Owen clapped his hands, again seeking out Maddie. "Baddie, fireworks!"

"You got it, kiddo. We'd better get going soon so we don't miss all of them."

"Thanks for this." Melissa gestured to where the three of us were still sitting, waiting for her cues. "I'll head out. Hope you have fun. Have fun, my smart little man." She swallowed hard and stared at me. "If you need anything, Jude, I left my number in the voicemails. Otherwise…" She trailed off.

Then she took a long breath, giving us a halfhearted wave when Owen just continued sucking on his thumb as she walked out, the door slamming shut behind her.

Maddie and I looked at each other, and I swore it seemed like we simultaneously forced out a deep breath. "You ready for fireworks, buddy?"

He nodded vigorously but instead of leaping off my lap, he wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me a big kiss on the cheek. Then he did the same thing to Maddie. "We go now?"

"Yeah, we go now. Just let me find that new rain slicker we got you today, because there's a threat of showers later." Maddie got to her feet and Owen attached himself to her legs, walking almost as one with her as Maddie laughed and headed upstairs.

Maddie looked back at me as they passed the bend in the stairs and she pursed her lips in a way that seemed like a kiss.

Had she blown me a kiss?

I shut my eyes and took another long breath. I'd still inform my lawyer about everything that had happened tonight, but it seemed as if maybe the threat had passed.

Maybe.

And it felt as if Maddie had been the biggest part of the reason I still had my son.