Bring on the Rain (8 page)

She didn’t. Madeline watched him get up
and looked away as he stood there another ten seconds before he
left for the stage.

Ruby came back to the table, fanning
her face.

“
Where’d you go? Nice of you
to come and rescue me.” Madeline was sharper in tone than she
intended.

“
You're a grown woman. You
can handle Mitch.”

“
Oh well, as long as you
think so…”

Ruby fanned the napkin. “You want to
leave?”

“
Yes, but you can
stay.”

“
No, let’s drive over to the
Dairy Mart and get ice cream.” She sighed. “This is the last night
of my period. I won’t have an excuse to crave sweets.”

“
And coffee. I want coffee.”
Madeline worked many late nights; she could not do that and
socialize too without caffeine.

They arose and made their way across
the floor. Walking around a few of the patrons, who stood talking,
took them past the stage. Jude and Mitch were standing in their
path.

It was a weird moment for the four of
them as they all locked eyes.

“
Leaving?” Jude looked at
Madeline

“
Yes.”

He bit the inside of his cheek, a habit
she recalled from his younger days and attempted, “I was going to
come over and speak to you.”

Madeline had to laugh derisively.
“After all most twenty years? Don’t bother, Jude.”

He rushed, “I’m an ass-hole
sometimes.”

“
No kidding,” Ruby quipped
snidely.

He ignored her. “Years ago,
I—”

“
Excuse us.” she looked him
hard in the eyes. Madeline didn’t want him bringing that up. She
didn’t want it brought up in a public place, nor in front of Mitch.
She had fallen apart in front of the bastard when she was
seventeen. She wasn’t a girl anymore, and in her frame of mind, she
wasn’t sure what she’d end up saying to him.

He sighed and glanced at Mitch, whom
she supposed gave some silent signal.

Jude stepped out of the way.

Ruby couldn’t resist, it was written
all over her. Madeline saw her friend as she reached out and pat
him on his denim-cupped ass. She whispered something admiring about
it.

They were laughing in the parking lot.
Ruby leaned against the van breathless. “What made me do
that?”

“
What did?”

“
Heck, I don't know, his
ignoring me doubtless. I should have said boo or something.” She
wiped her eyes and chuckled. “You’d think after all these years
he’d chill about something I did as a screwed up teen.”

“
I think he enjoyed it.”
Madeline grinned at her. “Getting felt up.”

Ruby snorted, “I think I did too. Meet
you at the Dairy Mart.”

They met and sat in her van eating ice
cream, drinking coffee and laughing over absolutely nothing.
Releasing tension was rather more complicated when their sex life
was nil and all fantasies involved someone they swore they
despised. They didn’t have much left to hide now and it was no
secret to Ruby that Madeline had steered clear of men since her
divorce.

“
Admit it,” Madeline said to
Ruby. “There is something between yourself and Jude
still.”

Ruby took a sip of her coffee. “I never
not wanted him. Years haven’t changed that for us. There is nothing
you can do about chemistry. I can pass him in my car, him on that
motorcycle and the moment he looks over, it’s like stoking a
furnace. You know how it is; they make love to you everywhere but a
bed, and do things no other man would bother with. They wring every
drop of passion, lust, whatever. They want it all. Nothing turns a
woman on more than a man who wants you that much, who enjoys
giving, that much.

I may have been young, but the few men
I’ve had since, are either fixated on you having the big O, or
getting you over with, so they can get theirs. He wasn’t like that.
I’ll bet Mitch wasn’t either. They enjoy the journey. They are
sensual, earthy, and wild. With them it’s the whole thing.” Ruby
grunted. “Let’s change the subject. I try not to think about
it.”

Madeline began a conversation about
work and Ruby’s art. They talked about family, and kids Ruby
thought she’d never have.

It bothered her that Ruby wanted
children so badly but never married. When Madeline suggested Ruby
have one on her own, she’d replied bluntly she’d only considered it
with Jude. She didn’t want to have a child out of emptiness and
need. Yet the clock was ticking for her.

Chapter 5

Dating…

“
Hold me,” Brook murmured,
cuddling against Coy. They stood on the front porch.

It was awkward with the crutch, but he
gathered her against him, moaning when his rough hand smoothed over
her backless dress.

“
You’re hard again.” She
laughed breathlessly.

“
Don’t talk about it,” he
muttered against her hair, his eyes squeezed shut. “I’m trying to
wait for you.”

“
You've had a lot of girls,
haven’t you?”

“
Hush, Brook, we’ve been
down this road.”

She raised her head, her eyes
shimmering in the moonlight. Searching his handsome face, she
whispered, “Between waiting, and Mom, you’re going to get tired of
me.”

He cupped her face, swallowing thickly.
“I want you. It’s all I think about, every song I hear or play.
Hell, you’ve managed to get to me. I‘ve never felt this
before.”

Thrilled and scared, she turned her
head and bit his thumb. She husked shyly, “I want to. On Prom
Night, after the dance. I want you to carry me off, and make love
to me.”

He shuddered and leaned forward, taking
her mouth in a deep, raw kiss, that had her clinging to him. His
hands got carried away and slid through the back slit, touching her
silky skin. When his hips started arching into her, Coy stopped the
kiss. He breathed hot against her hair, “I hope I can hold out that
long.”

Brook was dizzy, high as a kite, and
crazy in love. She let her hands roam the overheated sinew of his
frame. He was built so solid, cut, and tanned. Better than any
pretty boy movie star. Coy was more a man than the other boys at
school were were. He made her feel feminine and sexy. She wanted
him—and it scared her to death.

“
Don’t let Mom drive you
away.” She buried her lips against his strong throat.

He murmured, “I won’t. I can’t let that
happen. I know it’s about my Uncle Mitch now.”

Brook jerked back, staring at him.
“What?”

He adjusted the crutch, leaned against
the banister, and explained quietly, “She and Uncle Mitch were a
couple, but something went wrong. Probably Grandma Dovie. She’s not
the same now, but used to run everyone’s life. Anyway, Uncle Mitch
drank a lot afterwards. He said it killed him to lose Madeline. He
implied there was a big difference between his version, and your
mom’s accusations.”

“
I can’t believe it. I
can’t. If Mom had him, why would she marry my dad—who was totally
wrong for her? He’s my dad and I love him, but God Almighty, they
were horrible together. “Mom and Mitch.” Brook made a strangled
sound.

It was simply too much. The mother she
knew baked cookies, ironed uniforms and watched PBS. Her mom and
dad had been as strangers in the house, and honestly, as far as
sexy men went Madeline acted as though she never noticed them. She
was as homebody as they came.

She might be young, but Mitch was a
hunk, a wild Copper Creek hunk, even with silver hair. He was...
Well, he was sexy, and her mom wasn’t. She couldn’t imagine her
doing anything with Mitch. She could not wrap her mind around her
mom being sexual at all.

She said some of that aloud and Coy
told her, “Something sure screwed up. She blames him, hates us. You
know that.”

Brook was still stunned. “Mitch…before
my dad?” She blinked and shook her head. Then she laughed
awkwardly. “Do you think they were real lovers?”

“
Jason says, Uncle Mitch has
a whole album of pictures of them. My dad took them when they
dated. He says, they look as though they’re completely wrapped up
in each other. He says there’s one taken from a distance and you
can tell they’re kissing, the French kind for sure.”

Brook frowned. She sat down
in the wicker chair, uncaring her formal was getting creased. “Mom
lives like a nun, she won’t even date. Daddy always has a polished
girlfriend. But, Mom, dude
—
I thought she was one of those women
who didn’t like sex. I thought maybe that’s why she stuck with
Dad.” Brook thought, oh God, I can’t see mom with Mitch Coburn. He
is definitely the opposite of Daddy.

“
Apparently she and Uncle
Mitch had lots of it,” Coy winked. ”…sex.”

“—
You reckon maybe they
still feel anything?” She has a pretty strong reaction to y'all.
Maybe… Coy, it makes perfect sense. It blows my mind but…” Brook
stopped when he held up his hand.

“
I hear a car coming.” He
hobbled over to the steps. He looked over his shoulder. “It’s her.
Walk me to the truck.”

That’s where they were, standing by the
truck when Madeline pulled in and climbed out.

“
Hey, Ms. Logan,” Coy
greeted her.

“
Coy. How was the dance?”
She juggled her purse and jacket and a bag of groceries.

“
Nice. Good
band.”

“
Well. Good night.” She
looked at Brook. “Come in soon, honey.”

Brook was eyeing her, trying to see her
differently, trying to envision her young and in love with a Copper
Creek boy. “I will,” she murmured watching until the door
closed.

Finally, she turned to Coy, and they
both laughed softly. After a few minutes of quietly talking over
this news, Brook raised her eyes to gaze into his. Too soon, his
smoldered, scanning her smiling face. His hands came up to gently
trace her lips. There was nothing soft about the kiss that
followed.

Brook stood on tiptoe and lost herself
in the warmth and sensual stroke of his tongue. Hunger exploded
between them. Youthful bodies trembled and burned, until he had to
break contact and catch his breath.

Shivers raced down her body, knowing
how much she turned him on, how badly he wanted her. There were no
words before that last look Brook gave him, prior to going in the
house. There were no smiles. They locked gazes, in a promise, aware
that soon, very soon, they would be lovers.

~*~

Madeline took a quick shower then
dressed in boxers and a T-shirt, afterwards rubbed mint cool lotion
on her feet before sliding on a pair white cotton socks. Sitting on
the bed to allow her hair to dry, she was reading a slim book of
poetry, listening, when Brook came in and Coy’s truck engine
rumbled.

Her daughter took a shower, yelling a
few choice words because the hot water ran out. She came running
out with a towel on her head and body, dashing to her room, still
grumbling.

Madeline was sitting up against the
headboard when Brook knocked and came in, fresh, shining, and
wearing a baggy pair of P.J.’s with watermelons on them.

She sat down on a big overstuffed chair
beside the bed.

When she kept staring at her—Madeline
could feel it.

Madeline put the book down. “He told
you?”

“
About Mitch? Yes.” Brook
asked accusingly, “Why didn’t you?”

Having rehearsed this since finding out
Mitch had told Jason. Madeline got it out in a rush but flat tones,
“It was a summer fling, nothing more. I was only a bit older than
you were, and I do mean a little. Except I was much more sheltered
and immature. It was nothing significant.”

“
Guy’s don't keep whole
albums of girls who mean nothing.” Brook’s eyes narrowed. “Were you
lovers?”

Madeline met her daughters gaze.
“That’s irrelevant, and none of your business. If you’re upset
because you thought Bud was the—”

Brook rolled her eyes. “Mom, when are
you going to realize other than having me, you and Daddy were awful
together?”

Madeline winced. “I know. I don't want
you upset though. I wasn’t a slut, Brook.” Her eyes probed Brook’s
expression.

“
You’re like a nun now. No
way was I thinking that. I know you, from how you were with Dad,
how you are now. It’s hard to imagine you with anyone. You and Dad
didn’t hug or kiss.”

“
I’m sorry, Brook.” Madeline
carried a lot of guilt over her ill-fated union with Bud
Logan.

Brook waved her hand. “Forget that, but
I know what it is to feel for a Coburn man. You can’t tell me
th—”

“
Have you slept with Coy?”
Madeline panicked.

“
No. I swear.” Brook shook
her head again. Then said, “But I probably will.”

“
I don't want to hear
this.”