about this and that for a while before Mark got around to the real reason he’d called.
“So, I ran into both your sisters a few days ago.”
“Great! I keep telling you to call them up.”
Mark wondered if Joe would be so positive if he knew the sort of thoughts Mark had been having about Madeleine.
“Well, things have gotten a little complicated.”
“Even better! You finally got up your nerve. Only took 7 years, but still—“
Joe was taking this better than he’d h opped.
“Not that kind of complicated. Well, possibly—“
Joe made him spill everything down to the last detail. Unfortunately, although Joe offered his enthusiastic support, he had far less to offer in the way of constructive advice.
“Madeleine hasn’t gotten involved with anyone since the divorce. She’ll go out with a guy a couple of times, but then she always kicks him to the curb.”
After they’d talked about Madeleine for a while, Mark told Joe about Kristen.
“Have you told Madeleine about Kristen?” Joe wanted to know.
Mark hadn’t. He didn’t intend to. What was the point? It wasn’t like he needed to complicate things further by hitting her up for free legal advice.
“I think you should,” Joe insisted. “And Ami, too. You have no idea how scary that girl can be when she goes into Mother Hen Mode.”
M ark didn’t say he wouldn’t tell them, but he didn’t say he would, either. Joe didn’t press him further. Instead, Joe asked Mark for a favor. It wasn’t a big favor. Mark agreed to do it. He knew he’d have nothing better to do, anyway.
“Sure. What time?”
“10:00 AM. There’s one more thing—“
Mark smiled as he listened to Joe on the other end of the line. The second favor was a lot bigger. And gutsy. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Madeleine would never see it coming.
M adeleine was late for work. She’d overslept. Emily was tired and cranky and had a melt-down on the drive to school. Getting out of the car at the office, Madeleine snagged her hose. Maybe no one would notice.
“You have a run,” Angela announced as Madeleine made her way down the hall .
“I know. You don’t have a spare, by any chance ?”
“I do. I always keep one in my bag.”
Of course she did. Madeleine bet Angela never ever forget to replace her spare pair, either. Angela went to retrieve the hose from her bag.
“So , who are you bringing to the party tonight?” Angela asked as she thrust the hose into Madeleine’s hands.
Angela asked this every year . Madeleine, just as she had every year since her split from Chad, said she’d be coming on her own.
“ No man of the moment? I do envy you. It’s so boring to go home to the same man every night.”
Really? Angela made it sound like Madeleine was operating an amateur brothel in her off-hours.
“Actually , I am seeing someone.” Madeleine couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. Was she seeing someone? It was too soon to tell. But she wasn’t about to backtrack now.
Angela arched one perfectly -plucked brow.
“He’s an old friend. We reconnected recently.” Madeleine floundered for an explanation.
“You should bring him to the party.”
“Ah—I think he has to work.”
That was probably true. Although , Mark had offered to take her out to dinner, so maybe he was doing the afternoon shift at the North Pole.
“Oh, what does he do?” Angela always asked what people did. She was that kind of woman.
Part-time Santa impersonator? Madeleine had a reckless urge to say that out loud just to see the shock on Angela’s face.
“Mark’s a personal trainer.”
“Personal trainer. Very nice! Pays dirt, but still—“
Madeleine didn’t say anything.
“Great body, I bet.”
Madeleine wasn’t in the mood to discuss Mark’s body with her boss. That was a conversation she would never be in the mood for.
“Does he usually work nights? Isn’t that kind of unusual for a personal trainer?”
“He has a couple of clients
“So, I ran into both your sisters a few days ago.”
“Great! I keep telling you to call them up.”
Mark wondered if Joe would be so positive if he knew the sort of thoughts Mark had been having about Madeleine.
“Well, things have gotten a little complicated.”
“Even better! You finally got up your nerve. Only took 7 years, but still—“
Joe was taking this better than he’d h opped.
“Not that kind of complicated. Well, possibly—“
Joe made him spill everything down to the last detail. Unfortunately, although Joe offered his enthusiastic support, he had far less to offer in the way of constructive advice.
“Madeleine hasn’t gotten involved with anyone since the divorce. She’ll go out with a guy a couple of times, but then she always kicks him to the curb.”
After they’d talked about Madeleine for a while, Mark told Joe about Kristen.
“Have you told Madeleine about Kristen?” Joe wanted to know.
Mark hadn’t. He didn’t intend to. What was the point? It wasn’t like he needed to complicate things further by hitting her up for free legal advice.
“I think you should,” Joe insisted. “And Ami, too. You have no idea how scary that girl can be when she goes into Mother Hen Mode.”
M ark didn’t say he wouldn’t tell them, but he didn’t say he would, either. Joe didn’t press him further. Instead, Joe asked Mark for a favor. It wasn’t a big favor. Mark agreed to do it. He knew he’d have nothing better to do, anyway.
“Sure. What time?”
“10:00 AM. There’s one more thing—“
Mark smiled as he listened to Joe on the other end of the line. The second favor was a lot bigger. And gutsy. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Madeleine would never see it coming.
M adeleine was late for work. She’d overslept. Emily was tired and cranky and had a melt-down on the drive to school. Getting out of the car at the office, Madeleine snagged her hose. Maybe no one would notice.
“You have a run,” Angela announced as Madeleine made her way down the hall .
“I know. You don’t have a spare, by any chance ?”
“I do. I always keep one in my bag.”
Of course she did. Madeleine bet Angela never ever forget to replace her spare pair, either. Angela went to retrieve the hose from her bag.
“So , who are you bringing to the party tonight?” Angela asked as she thrust the hose into Madeleine’s hands.
Angela asked this every year . Madeleine, just as she had every year since her split from Chad, said she’d be coming on her own.
“ No man of the moment? I do envy you. It’s so boring to go home to the same man every night.”
Really? Angela made it sound like Madeleine was operating an amateur brothel in her off-hours.
“Actually , I am seeing someone.” Madeleine couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. Was she seeing someone? It was too soon to tell. But she wasn’t about to backtrack now.
Angela arched one perfectly -plucked brow.
“He’s an old friend. We reconnected recently.” Madeleine floundered for an explanation.
“You should bring him to the party.”
“Ah—I think he has to work.”
That was probably true. Although , Mark had offered to take her out to dinner, so maybe he was doing the afternoon shift at the North Pole.
“Oh, what does he do?” Angela always asked what people did. She was that kind of woman.
Part-time Santa impersonator? Madeleine had a reckless urge to say that out loud just to see the shock on Angela’s face.
“Mark’s a personal trainer.”
“Personal trainer. Very nice! Pays dirt, but still—“
Madeleine didn’t say anything.
“Great body, I bet.”
Madeleine wasn’t in the mood to discuss Mark’s body with her boss. That was a conversation she would never be in the mood for.
“Does he usually work nights? Isn’t that kind of unusual for a personal trainer?”
“He has a couple of clients
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