Playing for Keeps (20 page)

"
We can hold him." Rob splashed some water on her.

Maddie didn
't open her eyes. "Yep, we can hold him with a tiny little life jacket on."

Rob chuckled
. "The water feels great. Sure you don't want to come in, Mad?"

"
Maybe, tomorrow," she murmured, and dozed off.

When she woke up, later, Rob was lifting Sam from her arms. "What are you doing?"

"
We're done swimming." He pulled the baby close to him. "And you were sleeping. Come on, you're going to bed." He lifted her by one arm.

"
I'm okay," she said disjointedly.

"
I know you are. Very okay. And very tired. You're going to bed."

"
But, Sam…" she complained as Rob took her to their room. He stopped to put Sam in his bed, then came back to Maddie.

"
Sam's fine. I'll bring him in to you when he wakes up, then put him to bed after that. You need to rest while you can. You're exhausted." He pulled her shirt and shorts off, and tucked her in bed in her underclothes. "I have no idea where your nightgowns are."

"
Have to unpack my stuff," she muttered.

"
Tomorrow," he whispered, and brushed back her hair. He kissed her softly and said "Sleep, now. I love you."

"
Love you," Maddie repeated, and fell asleep.

She woke when Rob brought her the baby in the morning. "Oh geez, I didn't even hear him."

Rob smiled and handed Sam over.
"You were tired. So was he. He slept straight through after I brought him in at eleven."

"
What time is it?"

"
Seven. He slept almost eight hours. Country life must agree with him."

Maddie smiled as she nursed Sam.
"Good! I could get used to this eight hour business."

Rob put his head on her stomach and watched her feed the baby.
"He's so beautiful, Mad. You do good work."

"
I had help."

"
Okay, I'll take some credit, too. We do good work."

"
I hope so." Maddie smiled at him as she switched sides. "With this new 'no condom' kick you're on, we may be testing that theory sooner than later."

"
Good!" Rob grinned. "I want a little girl with red hair and freckles, just like her mama."

Maddie yawned.
"I want a nap!" She chuckled as Rob tickled her, and she passed Sam over to be burped while she adjusted her nursing bra.

"
Don't worry about fastening that." He leered over his shoulder at her as he carried Sam off to his bed.

"
I'm sleepy!" she called after him.

"
Then you can just lie there." Rob winked.

Maddie smiled.

She
rested up during the day. Later, Rob helped her unpack her things and took her suitcases to the garage. "They don't have to go under the bed anymore?" she teased.

"
You won't need them until we go on a vacation, and that might be a while. I'm not even sure we're going to get a honeymoon."

"
I don't need a honeymoon." Maddie looked around their house. "This place is as close to heaven as I can imagine. I'm happy, right here with our family."

"
God, you're easy." He grinned and hugged her from the side. "A real cheap date."

She chuckled.
"Isn't that why you asked me out to begin with?"

He smirked
. "If I'd wanted easy, I would have asked out Rosa. She had a more desperate look than you did."

"
I had a more horny look, wouldn't you say?"

He laughed and hugged her again.
"Of course. That's why I chose you."

"
I knew it!" She shook her head.

"
We both knew it, remember? The first time we met, there was a spark. I couldn't wait to get back and see you at the end of the day."

"
I remember. I felt the same way. I floated around for a week."

He chuckled.
"I'm not sure if it was love at first sight, but as Kenny Rogers would say, something damn sure like it."

She faced him and slid her arms around his waist.
"It's love now, buddy. No doubt about that."

"
No doubt." He kissed her, and they held each other tight.

A little while later, he asked, "So, I was thinking about driving over to Smoky's, but we barely have a vehicle to fit all of us."

"
We can take my car."

"
That'd be great, if my legs were retractable," he teased. "We need something bigger. I'm wondering if we get an SUV, do you want to keep your car or trade it in?"

"
Trade, please! I'd love to drive an SUV. Got anything in mind?"

"
Why don't we go to town and look? I'd like to find something in-stock, but if we have to order I want to get it done, ASAP."

"
Ooh, goodie. I never get to car shop."

"
Well, gather up the crew and let's go see what we can find."

They found exactly what they were looking for at the dealership Rob liked to deal with. A black Ford Expedition with room for eight, low mileage and in excellent condition.
"What do you think?" he asked Maddie while they test drove it.

"
I love it. What do you think?"

He pulled over and
stopped. "I do, too. But I want you to drive it and make sure. Let's switch."

"
Oh, I can't!" Surprise tingled through her.

He dragged her to the driver
's side and buckled her in. "Well, you'll have to if we buy it."

"
It's so much bigger than my car."

"
Yep, you'll get used to it. Come on." He buckled himself in the passenger seat and told the kids, "Hang on back there!"

Maddie shot him a look and started driving.

"See, it's not so bad."

"
No, it's great." To her amazement, she got the hang of it quickly.

"
We could order a new one, if you want to wait."

"
I don't need a new one, this is perfect."

"
I think so, too." Rob checked it out, and nodded.

They waited inside as the dealer had the SUV detailed and got the paperwork in order.  A couple
of hours later, they drove it off the lot. "This is so cool," Rob grinned, and Maddie had to smile at his enthusiasm. She loved it when he looked like that, so much like a little boy.

He took them to McDonald
's for dinner before they headed to Smoky and Rosa's house. "Come on, Soph. You two stay in here," Rob said to Maddie. "I'll wave when you should come out."

She nodded. She brought Sam to her lap, hummed softly to him as she watched Rob and Sophie ring the doorbell. Maddie cracked her window a bit so she could hear
the conversation.

"
Hey, look who's here!" Rosa smiled at them. "Leonard, Coop and Sophie are here," she called into the house.

"
Hey!" Smoky met them at the door. "What are you guys up to?" He glanced at the SUV.  "Jesus, are you driving that, Coop? You didn't get rid of your truck, did you? I might faint dead away!"

Rob smiled.
"Of course, I didn't. But I just needed something with a little more room." He waved to Maddie, and she got out of the SUV with Sam.

"
Oh my God!" Rosa squealed and ran out to Maddie. "What in the world—?"

"
Hey, sweetheart." Maddie smiled as Rosa hugged her. "I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. I've been a little busy."

"
Obviously! Look at him! Oh, Leonard, look at him!"

"
Well what do you know?" Smoky smiled at Rob.

"
Surprised the shit out of me," Rob told him out the side of his mouth. "But, it was a good surprise. Meet, Samuel Robert Cooper. Sam."

"
Come inside, you all." Rosa motioned, and led Maddie in. "Oh, Maddie, can I hold him?"

"
Sure." They got inside and sat down. She handed Sam to Rosa, who cradled him gently with Smoky looking over her shoulder.

"
Why didn't you tell me?" Rosa scolded Maddie, but continued smiling at Sam.

"
I wasn't sure how to go about that. I'm just so thankful Rob finally got up the nerve to come looking for me."

"
What are you talking about?" Rob puffed out his chest. "I wasn't nervous."

They all looked at him and burst into laughter. He joined them.
"Okay, I was nervous as hell. Then, when I found her, she was wearing this wedding band. I thought I was going to die."

"
It was for respectability," Maddie said. "But now I have a real one." She held up her left hand, flashing her ring.

"
Oh, Maddie, it's beautiful!" Rosa smiled at her. "And, so is this baby! How old is he?"

"
About two months. He's a sweetie, isn't he?"

"
The sweetest." Rosa looked at Sophie. "What do you think, Soph? A new little brother for you!"

"
He's nice," she agreed. "Sometimes he smells funny. But mostly he's good."

They chuckled at her accurate assessment.

Maddie looked at Rosa and said, "I'm so sorry I haven't kept in touch. It was so weird for me. But Rob told me you got married."

Rosa
smiled at Smoky and nodded. "A couple months ago. It was a small ceremony. I thought about calling you…" she trailed off, and Maddie knew Rob had been at the wedding.

"
Its fine, Rosa. I'm so happy for you both. Really."

"
And look at you guys!" Rosa smiled at Sam once more, but he started to fuss.

"
Come here, buddy." Rob reached for his son, and Sam quieted in his arms.

"
Wow, you've got the touch." Rosa grinned.

"
Yeah, Sam definitely loves it here." Maddie smiled at Rob. "He slept eight hours last night, for the first time ever. And I've got to admit, it's wonderful having help with him."

"
Things are good." Rob smiled back. "Very, very good."

"
We're happy for you," Smoky told them.

"
We wanted to tell you in person, before word got out," Maddie told them. "We appreciate you guys, and your friendship means a lot to us."

"
Don't make me cry!" Rosa hugged Maddie, and walked them to the door. It was a good visit, and Maddie was glad they went.

Things went the same with Fred and Emma, who were pleased but not surprised that Rob and Maddie were back together. They were thrilled with Sam, and gave Sophie milk and cookies while they all talked. It was dark when Rob carried Sophie to the SUV, and Maddie buckled Sam in
to his seat.

"
I'm beat." Rob yawned as he drove toward home. "But it was a good day."

"
Yeah." Maddie settled into her seat comfortably. "Your friends are so nice."

"
Our friends, Mad." He squeezed her hand. "They love you. They're happy to have you back in my life, just like me. Well, maybe not as happy as I am, but you know what I mean."

She chuckled. It was easy to talk in the dark, and Maddie broached a touchy subject.
"What do you think is going to happen with your parents, Rob?"

"
I haven't stopped to think about that, yet. I don't know."

Maddie checked to be sure Sophie was still asleep.
"I haven't told you, but I called my parents one night. It was one of those bad times, like the haircutting night."

Rob chuckled.
"I want to hear about your phone call, but I have to ask, did you really cut your own hair?"

"
I cut the braid off one night watching a movie. This guy kept running his hands through this woman's hair, and I just couldn't take it anymore. I got the scissors and whacked."

"
Then what did you do?"

"
Why, I called Rosa, of course. She's a beauty school dropout, after all, and she came over and gave me a style. I liked it, and now I have it cut every couple of months. Or I did, anyway. If you want me to grow it out again, I will."

"
No, I think you look great. I love it. It makes you seem more grown up, in a way."

She chuckled at
his assessment. "I guess, I have grown up. Having a kid will do that to a person."