Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1) (6 page)

Maddie tilted her head back and looked up into his eyes, her mouth forming a small O.

“Over here.” Rosie's happy voice cried out. “We're over here.”

Quickly stepping away from Aiden she waved to the group and hoped that her blush would be put down to the heat in the sun, the cold in the wind or the warmth from the truck. Really just anything but what had actually caused it. Aiden. As she got closer to Mario’s ice cream place she knew that Sarah guessed right as to what had caused the warmth in her face.

“Coach.” Ethan said standing up straight.

“I think you can call me Aiden when we are not on the playing fields Ethan.” he said smiling down at the young boy.

The smile that lit his young face could have only be described as honoured and proud that he got to call the man that he looked up to anything but ‘Coach’.

“Can I call you Aiden?” Rosie asked earnestly.

“Of course you can little girl.” he said tapping her under the chin. “Do you know what flavour you want?”

Rosie's brow grew serious as she thought carefully about the question. Ice cream flavour was not something you answered too quickly without thinking about carefully. What would you do if you picked the wrong flavour and there was actually a better one to be had.

“Let’s head inside and see what flavours there are to pick from.” said Sarah having clearly dealt with this serious thinking before.

“I know what I am having.” Ethan said excited.

“Oh yeah?” Maddie asked.

He nodded at her. “I am having chocolate. I
always
have chocolate. Don't I mum?” he asked Sarah, tugging on his mother’s hand.

“Yes son, you always have chocolate.” she smiled down at her son letting her hand rest on his head before he ran to catch up with Aiden. He was being dragged along by Rosie who was desperate to see what flavours there were to pick from.

“It makes me sad.” Sarah said softly.

Maddie watched the three of them walk into the shop and sighed. She really was stuck with Aiden for the ice cream trip.

“Why does it make you sad?” Maddie asked Sarah softly.

Her friend started walking slowly towards the shop her head down.

“Ethan misses his Dad badly. Rosie's lucky cause she is so young and just wants to play with her dolls with me.” Sarah said again in a quiet tone.

“Ethan has you too though.” Maddie said.

“Oh I know he does.” Sarah said as they reached the shop door. “But a boy’s mum is not the same as a boy's dad. I think that's why he loves football so much cause he has the Coach.”

Maddie looked into the room watching as Ethan talked to the Coach as if he didn’t need to pause for breath. Aiden was looking down listening to him while he held Rosie up in the air so that she could see into the cabinet full of ice cream.

“It is good that he has that.” Maddie said. “But he will never replace his father and a boy will always need his mum.”

“You’re right.” Sarah almost whispered then louder. It’s hard for him not having his Dad around to do male stuff with. I know he loves me and when his Dad is home they have the time of their lives, I just worry.”

Maddie thought about what Sarah was saying is Ethan sucked up the attention Aiden was giving him. It seemed to her that there might be something bigger going on. Something that her friend might want to talk about when they are alone.

It was clearly getting close to time when Maddie should invite Sarah around for a glass of wine and a chat.

“I think he is doing great Sarah.” Maddie said carefully. “Ethan seems to have people he can lean on but if you want to talk about it anytime just come across the hall.”

Whilst talking Maddie had reached out to squeeze her friends hand.

Sarah blinked quickly and swallowed before squeezing back.

“What flavour are you going to have?” Sarah asked louder breaking the moment.

Maddie could see that she didn’t want to talk about it anymore so she let Sarah have that play. 

They walked in and stood next to the group. Maddie made sure that she had Sarah and Ethan between herself and Aiden. This caused him to give a half smile that said he knew what she had done. He winked at her then glanced away.

“Have chocolate!” Ethan almost shouted at her.

“Let her pick her own flavour.” Sarah said calming the young boy down a bit.

Rosie ignored all of this and carried on studying all the choices in the cabinet. Turning to look in to it too Maddie could see why it was talking her so long. There really was row upon row of ice cream in an array of colours. Reading each of the tags next to the tubs she discovered some flavours that she had never even heard of before.

“I can’t believe you have not been here before Maddie.” Sarah said still surprised after hearing this earlier at the football game. “How can you live in this town and not have been here before?!”

“You haven't been to Mario’s before?” Ethan gasped.

Laughing Maddie turned to the group having still not made her choice only to find Aiden staring at her with the same look he had when he stared out the window in the truck. She quickly looked back in the cabinet.

“Nope I really haven’t been here before. Just never got out that much, and definitely not to a place like this.” Maddie paused. “They don’t let dogs in.”

Ethan and Rosie laughed, Sarah even cracked a smile. Maddie was being perfectly serious though.

Deciding to change the subject, she smiled and stated. “I think I am going to take your advice Ethan and have Chocolate.”

“I think I will too.” Sarah said looking towards Rosie. “What about you Princess?”

Looking between each of the adults and then the ice cream choices once more, she stated

“Chocolate.” clearly not wanting to be left out.

“Aiden?” Sarah asked.

Maddie looked to the man as he gently placed Rosie back down on the ground.

“I guess I will have Chocolate too.” He looked up and straight at Maddie. “I don’t want to miss anything.”

Looking away she tried to making her heart stop racing. She needed to calm down. Its only ice cream and then she could get home. She would grab Marvin and walk for ages. Clear her mind of him and everything that has passed today and the other days. Go back to her old life and routine. Talking a deep breath she looked back at the group and smiled.

“Looks like everybody is having Chocolate.”

“CHOCOLATE!” Ethan and Rosie jumped up and down waving their arms about.

“Maybe they don’t need the sugar.” Sarah said laughing as she looked at them.

“Probably not but it will be fun watching them running around like hyper bunnies.” Maddie remarked.  

Suddenly she realised that Aiden was no longer in their little group but instead stood at the counter handing over money for all the ice creams.

“Aiden.” She said quickly.

He carried on talking to the man behind the counter, took the receipt off of him and put it in his back pocket straight away.

“Aiden.” she said again walking towards him with the group walking behind her.

After putting his wallet away Aiden moved towards them whilst scanning the room for a table.

“How much do I owe you?” Maddie said reaching into her regularly used black bag for her purse.

“It’s on me.” he declared ushering the kids to a table in the window.

Maddie didn’t move towards the table with everybody else but instead stood glaring at Aiden.

“Thank you so much.” Sarah murmured before quickly helping the children sit at the table.

Aiden turned to look at Maddie and raised his eyebrows at her lack of movement. She on the other hand was trying hard not to snap.

“Thank you but I can pay for my ice cream.” 

Aiden’s eyebrows went from raised to frowning instantly. “I have taken care of it.”

Resisting the childish urge to stamp her foot Maddie carried on. “I have money to pay for ice cream.”

Standing in front of her, Aiden crossed his arms and sighed angrily. “I said I have taken care of it.”

Looking over at the group Maddie noticed that the ice creams had been brought to the table but Sarah was not tucking into her ice creams like the children were. Instead she was looking over at them with a frown on her face.

“And I said I
can
and
will
pay for my ice cream.” before she could say more, Aiden stepped forward and into her space again.

“Will you be quiet and just accept that someone has paid for something for you.” He snapped. “Or if you cannot do that will you think of your friend for pity-sake.”

Glancing at Sarah again she frowned. “Sarah? Why?”

“Her husband works away and she has two young children. She works full-time on top of looking after them. How often do you think she gets to come and have ice cream with her children? How often do you think she can
afford
to come and have ice cream with her children?” he enlightened her.

And it was an enlightenment. Straight away her anger left and understanding took it’s place. Here she stood moaning and no doubt Sarah knew exactly what they were talking about. She must be so embarrassed knowing that she couldn’t come up and say that she would pay for hers and the kids. Plus how ungrateful was she being. Why couldn’t she just thank this man and enjoy her Chocolate ice cream.

“Now go and sit down and eat your bloody ice cream and for god-sake have a good time.” he snapped before walking to the table and sitting at one of the two empty seats.

This left her only one seat to sit in and it was next to him with Rosie on her other side. She could not catch a break today. Aiden had made his point, made her feel like a fool and now she had to sit next to him and eat her ice cream.

Just brilliant.

Walking over she sat carefully down and tucked her feet under the seat working hard so that she didn’t touch him in anyway. Reaching out she scooped some up and had a taste. It was really, really good but it still stuck in her throat. She
was
a fool.

“What were you talking about Maddie?” Rosie asked drawing her attention to the golden haired girl.

Maddie could feel all of the people round the table looking at her and waiting on her reply.

Talking a deep breath she replied “I was just thanking Aiden for buying us all an ice cream.” she looked up at Sarah and smiled at her. Trying to reassure her that hat was really what they were talking about.

“Thank you.” Ethan and Rosie said almost at the same time.

Aiden smiled at them all and said. “You’re welcome.” before having more of his ice cream.

Sarah just looked between the two other adults sat in the room and slowly smiled before mouthing   'thank you' at her. Maddie didn’t know why because she hadn’t done anything worth it. Instead she nearly made things so much worse. Looking at Aiden quickly she saw he was looking at her with a blank face. She couldn’t even read his eyes this time. Now what was that all about?

A ringing noise came from her bag.

“Sorry.” she muttered as she riffled around for it. “Carry on.”

Turning away from the table a little she put the phone to her ear. “Hello.”