“You needed to be loved and comforted, to be held.”
He’d
been a boy. A kid in need of a parent, grieving the death of a mom who’d loved
him so fiercely, taught him so much, that even in his thirties he still missed
her. But his dad had punished him, like it had been his fault. Had beaten him,
yelled at him, reminded him over and over that he
should have done something to help.
But
his mom had gotten pinned between a truck and a trailer. She’d been as good as
dead the instant it had happened.
“My dad changed, Maddie . He changed because he lost someone he loved, and as
much as I hated him, I don’t think he was capable of behaving any other way.”
“That’s bullshit, Jack.” Maddison was on her feet now, marching toward him, arms
crossed as she stood her ground. “ It’s bullshit and
you know it.”
“Bullshit or not, it’s why I don’t
want to be a parent. And it’s why I don’t want to fall in love. I don’t want
any of that, okay?”
She just stared at him.
“My dad was a bastard, but he loved my mom . Her dying turned
him into a monster, and I don’t ever want to be in danger of hurting a child like
he hurt me.”
“But you wouldn’t.” Maddison sounded like she was out of breath, and her face
told him she had no idea what to say, how to act, how to deal with what he’d just told her.
He closed the gap between them, put
his arms around her and pulled her in tight. Jack held her in his arms, dropped
a kiss into her hair and rocked them both.
“I’m sorry, Maddie ,”
he told her, wishing things could have been different, for both of them. “If
you want to be a mom, don’t let me hold you back, but I’m not the guy to help
you.”
She was silent, face pressed
against his chest, arms looped around his waist.
“If we’re going to do this, then we
need to be honest. So maybe we should take some time to think things through
first. Come up with an agreement.”
That made her
laugh . “You want some sort of marriage contract drawn up?”
Jack let her go, took a step back
and shoved his hands into his pockets. “A list,” he said. “I think we need to
work out what we want, and what we don’t. Then we can see if any negotiating is
needed.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Maddison’s dad was standing in the entrance to the barn,
pitchfork in one hand.
“I’m just trying to talk some sense
into your daughter. Make an honest woman of her.”
Maddison punched him in the arm before going to her father.
“Dad, give me that. You’re supposed
to be resting, or have you forgotten that already?”
Jack put his hat back on and walked
past the pair of them, patting her dad’s shoulder. “I’ll see y’all later.”
He left Maddison scolding her father and headed for his truck. It was the first morning, other
than to attend his own father’s funeral service, he’d
taken time off work in years.
All
because a girl he’d used to know had come home and made him remember the past,
and start to wonder about the future.
CHAPTER SIX
“You’re going to marry him, aren’t
you?”
Maddison was starting to remember one of the reasons she’d been so pleased to leave
home. She forced a smile, buttering her toast as she talked. “Aside from it
being none of your business, no.” It wasn’t a lie because she hadn’t decided
yet. She needed to make a final decision, because it was either Jack or a baby. Maddison didn’t want to let Jack down, knew it was a
sensible agreement, but still…
“So you’re okay with us looking for
another girl for him?” Charlotte teased. “Or perhaps if you’re not interested
then I could marry him. I mean, he is pretty cute, for a Gregory.”
Maddison resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“I’m going for a ride.” Maddison announced, grabbing her horse’s halter and
slinging it over her shoulder. “On my own, just in case you
were thinking of joining me.”
“Suit yourself. I have jobs to do
anyway.”
Maddison waved
He’d
been a boy. A kid in need of a parent, grieving the death of a mom who’d loved
him so fiercely, taught him so much, that even in his thirties he still missed
her. But his dad had punished him, like it had been his fault. Had beaten him,
yelled at him, reminded him over and over that he
should have done something to help.
But
his mom had gotten pinned between a truck and a trailer. She’d been as good as
dead the instant it had happened.
“My dad changed, Maddie . He changed because he lost someone he loved, and as
much as I hated him, I don’t think he was capable of behaving any other way.”
“That’s bullshit, Jack.” Maddison was on her feet now, marching toward him, arms
crossed as she stood her ground. “ It’s bullshit and
you know it.”
“Bullshit or not, it’s why I don’t
want to be a parent. And it’s why I don’t want to fall in love. I don’t want
any of that, okay?”
She just stared at him.
“My dad was a bastard, but he loved my mom . Her dying turned
him into a monster, and I don’t ever want to be in danger of hurting a child like
he hurt me.”
“But you wouldn’t.” Maddison sounded like she was out of breath, and her face
told him she had no idea what to say, how to act, how to deal with what he’d just told her.
He closed the gap between them, put
his arms around her and pulled her in tight. Jack held her in his arms, dropped
a kiss into her hair and rocked them both.
“I’m sorry, Maddie ,”
he told her, wishing things could have been different, for both of them. “If
you want to be a mom, don’t let me hold you back, but I’m not the guy to help
you.”
She was silent, face pressed
against his chest, arms looped around his waist.
“If we’re going to do this, then we
need to be honest. So maybe we should take some time to think things through
first. Come up with an agreement.”
That made her
laugh . “You want some sort of marriage contract drawn up?”
Jack let her go, took a step back
and shoved his hands into his pockets. “A list,” he said. “I think we need to
work out what we want, and what we don’t. Then we can see if any negotiating is
needed.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.” Maddison’s dad was standing in the entrance to the barn,
pitchfork in one hand.
“I’m just trying to talk some sense
into your daughter. Make an honest woman of her.”
Maddison punched him in the arm before going to her father.
“Dad, give me that. You’re supposed
to be resting, or have you forgotten that already?”
Jack put his hat back on and walked
past the pair of them, patting her dad’s shoulder. “I’ll see y’all later.”
He left Maddison scolding her father and headed for his truck. It was the first morning, other
than to attend his own father’s funeral service, he’d
taken time off work in years.
All
because a girl he’d used to know had come home and made him remember the past,
and start to wonder about the future.
CHAPTER SIX
“You’re going to marry him, aren’t
you?”
Maddison was starting to remember one of the reasons she’d been so pleased to leave
home. She forced a smile, buttering her toast as she talked. “Aside from it
being none of your business, no.” It wasn’t a lie because she hadn’t decided
yet. She needed to make a final decision, because it was either Jack or a baby. Maddison didn’t want to let Jack down, knew it was a
sensible agreement, but still…
“So you’re okay with us looking for
another girl for him?” Charlotte teased. “Or perhaps if you’re not interested
then I could marry him. I mean, he is pretty cute, for a Gregory.”
Maddison resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“I’m going for a ride.” Maddison announced, grabbing her horse’s halter and
slinging it over her shoulder. “On my own, just in case you
were thinking of joining me.”
“Suit yourself. I have jobs to do
anyway.”
Maddison waved
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