Marrying Maddy by Kasey Michaels Page A

she’s wearing so badly today.”
    â€œJoseph O’Malley brought on those hives, Allie,” Jessie reasoned. “She hasn’t had them since a few weeks after she came home, not until today. Now both the hives and the house are on your head. I hope you’re happy.”
    â€œYour sister’s shattered nerves are what brought on the hives, Jessie. Try to concentrate. It’s Maddy’s diving into all those courses in domestic…domestic whatevers. Picking out Joe O’Malley’s exact opposite for her groom. If she were completely sure she’s doing the right thing, her nerves shouldn’t upset her enough to have her covered in splotches, now should it? Besides, I’m not saying she’s wrong, exactly, I’m just saying that she needs to see the two of them stacked up against each other. Sort of weigh them, sort out her own feelings.”
    â€œInspect their teeth, their bank balances? Sleep with both of them?” Jessie said as they walked back through the house, heading for the kitchen. “That is what you’re thinking, isn’t it, Allie? I know you. I’ve seen the books you read.”
    Almira stopped dead, ten feet in front of the kitchen door, and turned to hold a finger just beneath Jessie’s nose. “Now you listen to me, little girl. I read romance novels. Love stories. One man, one woman, true love triumphing over each and every obstacle. I do not read about or advocate sleeping with two men at the same time, comparing them like…like automobiles I might be taking out forsome sort of test drive. Shame on you for even thinking such a thing.”
    â€œYes, Allie,” Jessie said, bowing her head. “I’m sorry. I guess I must have gotten carried away. Forgive me?”
    Almira pulled her taller granddaughter down and kissed her cheek. “Of course I forgive you.” Then she whispered in Jessie’s ear, “Although, it could be interesting….”
    â€œAllie!” Jessie exclaimed, straightening, knowing her cheeks were turning a bright, embarrassed red.
    â€œAnd, my dear, if it helps you to understand what I’m doing, I have it on good authority that your sister and Matt have never— ”
    â€œAllie!”
    Inside the kitchen, sitting on a high stool, her chin tucked into her hands, Maddy lifted her head at the sound of her sister’s voice.
    She’d gone straight to the family kitchen upon her return, Mrs. Ballantine right behind her, prudently shooing the cook, Mrs. Hadley, and one of the maids out of the area before leaving Maddy to her own devices.
    Those devices had included a lot of slamming of pots and pans, a lot of wrenching open of cabinet doors before flinging them shut with considerable force.
    And muttering. There had been a lot of muttering.
    â€œHe still loves me. Hah!” she’d grumbled, measuring flour and sugar into a stainless steel bowl.
    â€œ I’ve got a warped mind? Double hah! He’s the one with the warped mind. Listening to Allie. Buying my house. Coming here with his grin and hismoney and…and his knees, and acting as if it was no big deal.”
    She’d stop mixing the brownie batter, staring off into the distance. “ Boy, is he lucky we don’t keep rat poison in the kitchen. Because I’d be this close to…” She’d shivered, shook her head and began abusing the brownie batter once more. “I wouldn’t want to waste good food that way,” she’d told herself just before she sat down with the bowl, licking batter off the wooden spoon.
    He’d looked so good. So very, very good. Just the way she remembered. Just the way he appeared in her dreams—no, her nightmares.
    She’d fished a clean spoon out of the drawer, and took another whopping scoop of brownie batter.
    And then another.
    And another.
    She could still see Joe standing outside the wedding chapel, telling her he’d blithely