Playing for Keeps (16 page)

"
Like the lady said, looking for childcare. I've got Sophie again for the summer, and I need to find a new center."

Maddie had so many questions
, she didn't know where to begin. "For the summer? What's Dionne doing?"

He looked at her
apologetically. "Dionne and I haven't been together for a few months. Long story."

Maddie
's heart soared up out of her chest and flew a couple of laps around the room. She smiled again. She couldn't stop smiling. "I have time."

Rob chuckled.
"Do you get a lunch half hour here?"

"
I bet I could even take an hour if I wanted to."

"
We passed a McDonald's a couple of blocks back. Maybe Soph could play in the ball pit and we could talk."

"
I'd like that." Maddie nodded. "Let me take care of a couple of things real quick, okay?"

He nodded
. Maddie set Sophie down and went over to Sandy.

"
Oh my God, he's gorgeous!" Sandy whispered. "No wonder Sam is so beautiful!"

"
Shhh!" Maddie grinned, her heart still flapping around wildly. "Do you mind if I leave for a while?"

"
Take all the time you want. We'll be fine."

Maddie slipped down the hall and told them to give Sam a bottle
of expressed milk because she wouldn't be in for lunch. She hurried back to Rob and Sophie. "Let's go."

They walked out into the bright sunshine and Maddie saw Rob
's truck. "Aw, still running I see."

"
Better than ever." Rob opened the door for her. "And no car seat, so we don't have to be squashed."

"
Too bad." Maddie batted her lashes.

Sophie got in between them so she wasn
't touching Rob at all.

He grinned as he started the engine.
"Soph finally hit the weight limit, so we could get rid of the car seat and just use a seat belt."

Maddie smiled at Sophie and rubbed her hair.
"How have you been, Sophie? Good?"

The child nodded
. "We opened the pool for the summer! The water's still cold, but daddy says it'll warm up soon."

They pulled into the parking lot of McDonald
's, and got out of the truck. As they walked to the restaurant Maddie commented, "Lapham would be quite a commute for childcare if you're living in Meridan again."

Rob grinned and held the door open for her and Sophie. He didn
't answer, just started talking about what they wanted to eat, and they all ordered. They took their lunches to an outside table where Sophie inhaled hers then ran to play in the big plastic ball pit and climbing monstrosity.

Maddie nibbled her French fries slowly,
watching Rob. "What are you really doing here?"

"
Like I said, childcare…" he trailed off, because they both knew he was lying.

Maddie smiled.
"Rosa told you I was here, didn't she?"

"
I'm not supposed to mention that. Did you know that she and Smoky got married?"

"
No! How great for them." Maddie looked down. "I—uh—have been busy. I don't talk to Rosa much these days."

"
So I'm told. How are you, Maddie? Happy?"

She smiled.
"Very happy. Things are good." She was happy that he was sitting across from her.
Maybe I should clarify that.
She didn't know how, so she changed the subject. "So what happened with Dionne?"

Rob shook his head.
"I was remembering things the way they were when Soph was a baby. We were happy back then. But now, Dionne's got this whole law practice built up. She works all the time and when she's not at the office, she brings work home. There are social occasions every other night. She loves that stuff, but damn it, I don't. I hate wearing a suit."

H
e looked at Maddie, and let his thoughts tumble out. "It wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. She drives around in this little BMW car that cost about as much as my house. She loves her condo, and I felt boxed in. She's changed, or maybe I've changed. I don't know. But we don't want the same things anymore."

"
And does Dionne agree with this assessment?"

"
Oh yeah. A couple of months with me and she was packing my bags to get me out. She hated my house and the pool. I got her to go there for a couple of weekends, but she brought this mountain of paperwork and ended up working all the time. It just wasn't what I thought it would be," he repeated.

"
Doesn't sound like much fun." Maddie shook her head. Their eyes met.
We had fun together, and we both know it.
She smiled. "Of course, I could never be with a guy who didn't like to cuddle up on Saturday nights and watch movies."

Rob smiled.
"Is that what you do now, for fun?"

"
Every weekend." Maddie brushed her hair back from her eyes and reflexively searched for Sophie in the ball pit. The child, who was taller but still looked exactly the same, played contentedly. Maddie looked back at Rob.

He had a strange
expression on his face. "I suppose I should get you back, if you're finished."

"
There's no hurry. Sandy said she'd cover for me."

Rob gathered up their trash and put it on the tray.
"We should probably get going."

Maddie reached out and touched his hand.
"Please, tell me why you came all this way. I know it wasn't for childcare."

He looked at her.
"It's too late. Damn it, I should have tried to find you sooner. It's too late." He stood up and shoved their trash into the trash can. "Sophie, let's go."

Maddie followed him, confused by his sudden change of temperament.
"Rob!" she tried to talk to him, but he opened the door to the truck and didn't look at her.

"
That was fun!" Sophie buckled her seat belt and wiped her face off. "It was hot inside, though."

"
Yeah." Maddie took a tissue from her purse and wiped Sophie's face. "Those ball pits get hot for sure."

"
Here we are." Rob pulled into the TLC parking lot, and made no move to get out.

"
Rob, I need to talk to you for one more minute, please."

He stared straight ahead.

"Please," Maddie implored him. "You came all this way. I just need another minute from you."

He finally nodded and helped Sophie out. They walked to Maddie
's room and she greeted Sandy. "Hey, could you keep Sophie here for a couple of minutes? Rob and I need to talk."

"
Of course." Sandy took Sophie's hand. "The kids are sleeping, but we could look at some books if you like."

"
Sure." Sophie went with Sandy.

"
I'll be right back, Soph," Rob told his daughter.

Maddie took him by the hand and led him to the lounge. Fortunately
, there was no one there. She shut the door for privacy and turned to face him. "What was that all about? Your mood went from sixty to zero in about ten seconds."

He reached for her left hand and rubbed his thumb over her wedding ring.
"It's too late. I can't believe I let you slip away from me a second time. I am so stupid!"

Maddie looked at her hand and realized he thought she was married. A big smile crossed her face. She pulled him to her and kissed him gently.

He resisted for a moment, before returning the kiss.

Maddie pressed her body against his.

Rob caught himself and pushed away. "I can't do this. I
won't
do this to some other guy. You said you were happy. I can't come in here and mess that up for you."

"
It's okay." She rubbed her hand over his face. "It's really okay."

"
But—"

Maddie smiled.
"I do have someone new in my life. He's the most wonderful guy in the world, and he makes me very happy. Come on, I want you to meet him." She pulled Rob by the hand into the hall.

"
He's here?" Rob got a horrified expression on his face.

"
Yeah." Maddie smiled as she pulled Rob along. "He's right in here." She opened the door to the infant room and saw Raul standing there talking to another worker.

"
Hey Mad," he said congenially.

"
Hi Raul."

Rob whispered, "
Is that him?"

"
No." Maddie led Rob to a crib and stopped by the side. "This is him." She scooped the baby up. "Robert Cooper, I'd like you to meet Samuel Robert Cooper. Sam was born April ninth."

Rob
's eyes widened and he looked from Maddie to the baby and back again. "What? How? When?"

Maddie smiled as she rocked the sleeping baby back and forth in her arms. She looked up at Rob.
"The when part is easy. Do you remember the night of Sophie's birthday party?"

Rob shut his eyes for a second.
"I've tried to forget that night."

She leaned into Rob and whispered,
"That's not all you forgot."

He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She smiled and nodded.

He looked down at the baby in her arms and finally allowed a smile to come to his lips.
"You have a son?"

"
We
have a son," she corrected, and placed Sam gently into Rob's arms. "I named him Sam. I hope you like it."

"
Like it?" he whispered in disbelief, and studied the baby's face. "I love it. I love him! Look at him! He's beautiful!"

Maddie leaned on Rob
's arm and looked at Sam. "Yeah, he is. I think he looks a lot like you, and Sophie too."

"
And you." Rob looked at her, and a look of anger mixed with anguish crossed his face. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

"
Of course." She continued to smile, still leaning against him. "I gave him your name, didn't I? But I couldn't decide the right time to do it. I found out I was pregnant the day you told me you were going back to Dionne. The timing didn't seem quite right. I've been debating ever since, when I should tell you. Frankly, I was afraid to get into a confrontation with you and Dionne on one side and me on the other. I didn't think I was strong enough for that, her being a lawyer and all. I wasn't sure what would happen. I barely survived losing you. Losing Sam would kill me."

Rob looked from
Sam's face to Maddie's. "I would never do that to you."

She shrugged.
"I wasn't sure what you would do, especially if you were under Dionne's influence. I was scared. I wanted to call you, I really did. Especially when I went into labor. I was really scared then."

"
I'm so sorry you had to go through it alone." Rob held Sam to him with one arm and touched Maddie's face briefly with his free hand.

"
I've been lonely," she admitted. "I thought when the baby came, it might get better, but it's a different kind of lonely. I missed you so much."

He nodded.
"I've been miserable. I went back to my house and my old job, but nothing was good for me anymore. I missed you, desperately. You were right. I walked away from the best thing I ever had. And I regret it every day."

Maddie chuckled.
"I had quite an ego to say that. I promise you, my ego has been properly deflated and put in check."

Sam squirmed and Rob looked at him.
"Oh Jesus, we have some decisions to make, don't we?"

Maddie
nodded. "Would you like to go to my place and talk? I'm sure I can leave."

He smiled.
"Yes, I would. But I don't want to put this baby down."

She squeezed Rob
's arm. "I'll gather up his things." She got Sam's car seat and diaper bag, and signed him out. They walked back to Maddie's room and Sophie ran over to them.

"
Look at the baby! He's so cute!"

"
Isn't he?" Rob held Sam so Sophie could see him.

Maddie smiled at them. She said to Rob
, "Would you like to strap him in his car seat? Then you can carry the seat, I promise."

He grinned
.

S
he showed him how to fasten Sam in.

Rob stood
, but before picking up the baby asked Sandy, "Where is that director lady?"

"
I can get her." Sandy exchanged glances with Maddie, who shrugged. She left and returned quickly with Suzie.

"
Oh, Mr. Cooper, you're back. Did you have a question?"