MADISON PACED HER back porch Saturday morning, tripping over the trio of cats. Her friends had ambushed her with breakfast and support. They’d sat at her table sipping coffee while she’d poured out the whole story, holding nothing back. And they were still here.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Piper asked.
“You don’t owe the Drakes anything,” June added. “Not after the way that hag’s behaved.”
For two days Madison had been trying to work up the courage to make the phone call she needed to make. Her conscience wouldn’t leave her alone until she did. “I keep my promises. It’s only two more weeks.”
“Two more weeks of hell,” June interjected. “I’m sorry now that I encouraged you to sample your brother-in-law’s wares. I never intended for you to get your heart broken.”
That pretty much summed it up. Her heart hurt. She couldn’t sleep. Every moment of every day she missed Adam. Not even her animals filled the void.
“Adam is—” What could she say? That she loved him and ached without him? “He’s a very good person and deserves to be happy. I have no regrets.”
That much was true. Even knowing how it would end, she wouldn’t forfeit those precious hours of getting to know him and falling in love with him.
All week she’d wrestled with her dilemma. She’d promised Danny eight weeks. But keeping her promise meant risking another painful encounter with Adam. How could she look at him, loving him the way she did, and leave him again? She could play it safe and run from her problems, as he’d accused her of doing, or...she could prove him wrong. If she wanted to be able to live with herself, she had to do the latter.
Her decision had nothing to do with Adam’s accusation of cowardice and everything to do with her integrity. Okay, that might not be the whole truth. Adam’s opinion counted. Too much. She wanted him to think well of her even if they couldn’t be together. She wanted him to remember her as someone who always did the right thing even if the right thing was the hardest thing.
June rose. “If you insist on making the call alone, we’ll hang out at my place. Shout if you need us, you hear? We’ve got your back, Madison. No matter what. Even if I have to carry a can of whoopass down to Georgia.”
A surprised laugh burst from Madison, but her eyes stung, too, because they meant it. “Thank you. Thank you both. For understanding and for being here for me.”
“You did the same for me,” Piper said and gave her a hug.
Then they headed across the lawn toward June’s cottage. Madison waited until they were inside, then took a deep breath and pushed the call button before she found another excuse to delay her.
“Hello.”
Her heart stalled. Danny’s deep voice sounded so much like his son’s. Like Adam’s.
“Hello,” he repeated.
“Danny, it’s Madison.”
“Maddie, my girl, I’ve been thinking about you. How are you?” His concern came through loud and clear. But if she wanted to make it through this call without breaking down, she had to steer clear of emotions and stick to business.
“Have you hired a substitute vet for Monday and Tuesday?”
“No.”
“Then I want to come back. I promised you eight weeks and I keep my promises.”
“I know you do, Maddie. And you’re welcome here anytime.”
“But I have conditions.”
His chuckle filled her ear. “I suspected you would. You always wanted to clearly understand the procedure before picking up the instruments. What are your requests?”
“I need a place to stay. A hotel this time. Not Adam’s or your place.”
“Done.”
“And I won’t come by the house. If you want to talk shop, call me.”
“I understand. I don’t like it. But I understand.”
“And one final thing...” This was the biggie. “Don’t tell Adam I’m coming.”
“Now, Maddie—”
“That’s nonnegotiable. Those are my requirements. Take them or leave them.”
“I’ll take ’em. And, Maddie, I don’t like the idea of you on the highway in that old truck. I’ll get you a rental car.”
“You don’t have to—”
“For my peace of mind, I do. Would it be okay if I come in a couple hours each morning and work with you?”
“Danny, I don’t think—”
“I promise I won’t try to change your mind and persuade you to stay.”
Her stomach churned. He did need to ease back into the office. It made sense. “Okay.”
“I’ll text you the arrangements once I’ve made them. And, Maddie, thank you. Thank you for everything you’ve done. I couldn’t have made it through these past six weeks without you. Helen knows that. And so does Adam. We all miss you.”
The words rocked her. She hardened her heart. “Don’t make me regret coming back.”
“I won’t. You have my word.”
* * *
ADAM SETTLED ACROSS the motor home table from his father Tuesday night. The atmosphere wasn’t the same without Madison. He’d enjoyed hearing her talk shop with his dad in a way he’d never enjoyed the same with Andrew. Probably because she focused on the patients rather than her prowess, and the intelligence and excitement in her eyes for her job was a turn-on.
“We missed you last night,” his mother said as she set a plate in front of him. She was still a little stiff. None of them had forgotten her part in this.
He nodded his thanks. “I was searching job advertisements for a position closer to Madison.”
“About that...” His father sounded less than his usual confident self. “Your mother suggested I put out feelers to try to find a buyer for Madison’s practice.”
“Why?”
“Because I still want Madison taking over my practice, and you’ve put a lot of effort into turning Mercy into a top-rated facility. I’d hate to see you walk away from all that hard work before you reap the rewards.”
More approval. He soaked it in, but in the end, it didn’t matter. “Madison is as possessive of her clientele as you are of yours—for different reasons. They’ve become her family. If I have to make a lateral or backward move to be with her, it’ll be worth it.”
Looking resigned, his father nodded. “Just as well. I’ve had no luck with my search. Her practice doesn’t make enough money to tempt anyone I contacted.”
“I appreciate the effort, but there are several good hospitals within an hour’s drive of Quincey. I’m optimistic. How did the substitute vet service work out?”
His father took a sudden interest in his chicken pot pie. Adam’s neck prickled a warning. “Dad.”
“I didn’t call them.”
Adam lowered his fork. His father had never shut down for a full week—not even to spend time with his sons. Usually Adam’s mother had taken the boys on vacations and their father joined them on the weekends.
“You kept the office closed?”
“No. Madison came. I went each morning to help.”
A bolt of energy shot through Adam. “Then why isn’t she here for dinner?”
His father shot a lowered-brow gaze at Adam’s mother. “She refuses to come to the house.”
No surprise there. “Why didn’t you tell me she was in town?”
Danny sighed. “Madison made me promise not to. It was a condition of her returning.”
A stab of pain hit Adam square in the heart. Madison had been in town for two days. And she’d chosen not to see or speak to him. It made him wonder if he was wasting his time searching for a job in North Carolina. Could she have forgotten what they shared so easily?
Adam swung his gaze to his mother. “Did you know about this?”
“No.” The shock on her face was too genuine to be faked. “I knew your father went into the office, but nothing else.”
“Where did she stay if not here?”
“A hotel. And I rented a car for her. I didn’t want her on the road in Andrew’s old truck. And I sent a mechanic to the rental agency to repair the truck. I’m looking out for our girl until you can take over. I want her back in the family, son—just as much as you do. And I’ll do whatever it takes.”
But his father wanted her here. He refused to accept that wasn’t going to happen. Getting Madison back meant giving instead of taking—something at which his family wasn’t adept.
* * *
HELEN QUICKENED HER steps, trying to outpace her worries.
It had been an uncomfortable week. Both men were still angry with her. Adam was cranky and kept his visits short. Danny kept his nose buried in a book or his computer rather than talk to her.
He was never going to find anyone to buy Madison’s practice. Nobody wanted to work for vegetables and auto maintenance like Madison did. Who wanted a practice that could easily be managed in three days and leave you twiddling thumbs the remainder of the week?
Danny needed to find someone who wanted and could afford to semiretire. Someone who had other hobbies and liked having time on his hands to pursue them. They needed to find someone whose wife wouldn’t mind having him underfoot more days than not. She missed a step and caught herself before taking a pratfall on the asphalt.
Her heart pounded and her chest tightened as an idea sprouted. Was the answer right under her nose? Was Danny the veterinarian they needed to find?
No. That would mean moving away from Adam and the house that held all of her happy memories of her boys. She couldn’t do that, couldn’t leave the notches in the doorjambs marking their growth, the handprints the boys had left in the concrete when they’d poured the patio and countless other precious mementos.
The yammer of female voices broke into her concentration. She looked up and spotted the women she always tried to avoid. How sad was it that she couldn’t even go out for a walk without encountering unpleasant people. And then clarity struck.
The world and her neighborhood had changed. But she’d remained frozen in the past. This wasn’t the family-oriented place it had been when her boys were small and she’d been friends with their playmates’ parents. The area had been overrun by the very types of career-driven, catty women she detested.
Quincey, on the other hand, was like this place had been in its glory days. Neighbors dropped by to say hello. They exchanged food and friendship. Everyone they’d met at Madison’s had been so kind. Nosy? Of course they were, but only because they cared about Madison. Not one of her and Danny’s neighbors had even stopped by or called to ask if she or he needed anything. Their friends had downsized after becoming empty nesters, and they’d lost touch.
But if she and Danny moved to Quincey, she’d have to sell the house and leave her memories behind. No, they were embedded in her heart and her head. They’d move with her.
Could she do it? Could she leave everything familiar and dear and start fresh somewhere else? Yes, she could. Would Danny agree? Doing so would give him and Adam their heart’s desire. Madison. In Norcross. Heading up Drake Veterinary Hospital. But Danny wouldn’t be working with her. That might be a sticking point. She’d have to persuade him. And maybe if she had more of Danny’s time, she could save their marriage.
Eager to run her idea by him, she kicked her walk into high gear and passed by the women without wasting her breath on a greeting they wouldn’t appreciate anyway. Adam’s car was gone when she reached home. Perspiring and out of breath, she barged into the RV. The den was empty as was the bedroom. She found Danny in the shower. She jerked open the glass door, snatched the towel off the rail and threw it at him.
“What in the hell, Helen?”
She wouldn’t let his harsh tone put her off. “I figured out a way to give everyone exactly what they need. Madison. Adam. You. Me. I have a plan.”
“You’re not making sense.”
“Are you going to dry off and listen or just stand there?”
“Hold your horses.” Scowling, he toweled dry.
Helen could barely contain herself. She had been the one to make a mess of everything, and if this worked it would set her world right again. “Where’s Adam?”
“He’s flying up to see Madison.”
“Perfect. Get dressed. I’ll tell you what I’ve come up with on the way.”
“On the way to where?”
“Madison’s.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Are you crazy?”
She stopped and took a deep breath. Was she? “No. Danny, for the first time in a very long time I’m seeing clearly. I’ve wronged Madison. You have no idea how badly. I owe her an apology—a big one. I’m going to pray the whole way that she accepts it and forgives me.”
He studied her for so long she thought he’d refuse, then he padded into the bedroom, picked up the Corvette keys and tossed them to her. “Pack us a bag and load her up. If I’m going to ride all night I’m going to need more legroom than your sedan offers.”
She frowned as he pulled on his clothes. “Are you up to driving seven hours?”
“No. But you are.”
“You’re going to let me drive your Corvette?” He barely let her sit in it.
“It’s about time I let you see how well she handles. But don’t go getting attached. You won’t be taking any joyrides without me.”
* * *
MADISON PULLED HER truck into the lean-to and automatically scanned the cages in the dark. No guests. Good. She was too exhausted from the long drive to deal with newcomers.
Ol’ Blue had started with nary a hiccup when she’d picked it up at the rental car place, and for that she was thankful.
She grabbed her bag from the passenger seat, threw open her door and made her way to the house with her gaze on the ground, watching for unexpected guests in the grass. A squeak on her back porch brought her eyes up. A shadow rose from the chair.
Her heart stalled, and all of Adam’s cautions about strangers came rushing forward. She backed toward the truck.
“Madison, it’s me.”
Adam. Her heart did a crazy leap at the sound of his voice. “What are you doing here?”
“We need to talk.”
“It’s one in the morning, Adam.”
Frustration crossed his face. “Give me five minutes.”
They stood awkwardly on the porch. She ought to send him away. But she couldn’t. She wanted to brush the worry from his brow and take him to bed. Most of all, she wanted to just hold him. But that would only add new lacerations to her already bleeding heart.
“You could’ve waited inside.”
“I’m not entering your house uninvited even if you did leave the door unlocked again.”
She bristled at the chastisement. “Quincey’s safe. I told you that.”
“For my sake, would you please exercise a little caution?”
For his sake? Did that mean he still cared? And did it matter if he did? The same problems still kept them apart.
She pushed open the door and gestured for him to precede her. “Why are you here, Adam?”
“There’s an opening at one of the hospitals in Raleigh. I’m hoping to talk to the hiring supervisor tomorrow and see if I can get an interview for the position.”
Confused, she scanned his face. “Why leave Mercy? For more money?”
He crossed the kitchen and stopped in front of her, then he lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. Her insides swooped like a barn swallow. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning into his touch and greedily gobbling it up. The look in his eyes stole her breath.
“For you. I tried to let you go. But I can’t.”
His words weakened her resolve to do the right thing. “One person sacrificing his or her happiness for the other doesn’t work, Adam.”
“I won’t be sacrificing. I loved the challenge of turning Mercy around. I can find that challenge elsewhere. Madison, I’m in love with you. I want to marry you.”
Her knees nearly buckled. She was so tempted to say yes, to forget the cost if she did. “You can’t. You don’t know the whole story.”
“Then tell me.”
Her mouth dried and her pulse pounded her eardrums. “The night of the wreck, my last words to Andrew were that I wished I’d never married him and never gotten pregnant. If he had survived I would have divorced him.”
“As you should have after what he’d done. He betrayed you, Madison. My family, myself included, seems to have spent a lot of time hurting you.
“Now let me tell you my story. At first I was blinded by deceit. Then I became intrigued with a woman who cried with a stranger over the loss of an old dog. I was fascinated by one who’d risk getting struck by lightning to shower her love on a bunch of rejects nobody else wanted. I learned to respect her when she repeatedly ignored a firestorm of negativity to help a man to whom she owed nothing. But I fell in love with a woman who bottled up all the pain she’d been dealt just to keep from hurting others. You’re a very special lady, Madison Monroe, and I don’t want to contemplate a life without you.”
He was saying all the right words—words that filled her heart so full of hope it almost burst. Then denial kicked in. So she squashed the hope. “You can’t turn your back on your family. The day will come when you’ll resent me for coming between you.”
“This is not about my family. This is about you and me. You never have to see my mother again if you don’t want to. I won’t expose you to her venom.”
He didn’t know what he was saying. She shook her head. “The first rule of veterinary medicine is that a cornered or hurt animal often strikes out at anyone close by—even someone trying to help them. Your mother was hurt and striking out. I was the closest target. I don’t have to like it, but I do understand her behavior.”
“You’re being more generous than she deserves.”
“She’s your family, Adam, and family is important. You’ll never know how important until they aren’t there to love, to hate, to argue with, to hug. Never willingly cut those ties. They may not be there when you wake up and want to go back.”
“Like yours wasn’t?”
She nodded.
“Madison, I need to know if you feel anything for me or if I was just scratching an itch for you.”
The insecurity in this usually confident man’s face was hard to take. And she’d put it there. She had to ease his mind, even if it opened her up to more pain.
“No, Adam, you weren’t just scratching an itch. I tried to convince myself that was all it was. Neglected hormones running amok, or something like that. Then I blamed the attraction on your resemblance to Andrew. But it was neither of those. What I feel for you is so much more.
“I admire your integrity and the way you put your family first.” She took a deep breath. If she said it, she couldn’t unsay it. But it was a risk she had to take. “And I love you too much to take you away from them.”
Air hissed between his teeth. “You love me?”
She stared into those hope-filled blue-green eyes and prayed he could see the truth in hers. “Yes, Adam, I love you. But even if we could work out our family issues, you’ve invested your heart and soul into Mercy. I would never ask you to walk away from that.”
“Where I work doesn’t matter as long as I can come home to you each night. We’re a team, Madison. We’re best when we work together.”
She stared at him, soaking up the words and the conviction behind them and the serrated edges of her heart started to seal, giving her a sense of hope. And then the realization that she was the problem, not his family, sent her into a mental spin.
The only way she could have what her heart most desired was by leaving Quincey. She tested the idea and it didn’t fill her with panic. Instead, it filled her with a sense of freedom. Then she figured out why.
“Quincey is my hidey-hole, my safe spot where I curled up to lick my wounds and heal. Thanks to you, I don’t need to hibernate anymore. I think I’m ready to rejoin the world. If I move to a bigger practice I can help more animals...but I can’t leave my clients here in a lurch.”
“Madison, I’m not asking you to move. I’m telling you I will.”
“It’s because you’re not asking that I’m volunteering. There’s bound to be another small-town vet like me who’s struggling to make ends meet and won’t mind coming in a few days a week to supplement his or her income and care for my patients. As soon as I have Quincey’s pets covered I’ll join you in Norcross, and you can stay at Mercy.”
“But you love it here. What about your friends and your critters?”
“Adam, one thing I’ve learned is that when you find love you need to hold on tight and never let it slip away. I’ll visit Piper and June, and I’ll find homes for my critters. And then you and I can be together.”
A slow grin spread across his mouth. “You’re a very smart lady, Dr. Monroe. I love that about you.”
“And you’re a very generous man. I love that about you.” She stepped into his arms, ready to face tomorrow and determined to find a way to make this work.
“I’ll make you a deal. You look for your veterinarian. I’ll look for a job closer to Quincey. We’ll take the first opportunity we get. Either way it’s a win-win situation if we get to be together.”
He was willing to make sacrifices and so was she—they’d be equal partners in love and in life. And that was exactly what marriage should be.
“Then, yes, Adam, I’d love to marry you.”
* * *
POUNDING WOKE MADISON from a deep, satisfying sleep. She stirred and it all came rushing back. Adam on her porch. His proposal. Making love.
The knock sounded again, harder this time, clearing the remaining fog from her brain. At her front door. Friends came to the back. She checked the clock. 6:00 a.m. Then she eased out of Adam’s arms. Cool air from the ceiling fan teased her bare skin.
“What is it?” he asked in a sexy, sleepy voice that made her warm and tingly all over.
“Probably a client with an emergency patient.” She pulled on the first clothes she could find—the scrub suit Adam had removed last night.
He sat up, scrubbing sleep from his eyes like a two-year-old. “This happen often?”
The sheet fell to his waist and her mouth watered. “Often enough. Go back to sleep. I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
Finger combing her hair, she shuffled to the front door and interrupted the third set of knocks by yanking it open. Helen—the last person Madison expected to see—stood on her welcome mat with Danny behind her.
Only a disaster could bring them to her doorstep again. “What’s wrong?”
“We need to talk to you,” Helen said, then her gaze went over Madison’s shoulder. “Both of you.”
Madison turned to find Adam had followed her. Thankfully he’d put on his wrinkled clothes. She stepped back and opened the door. “I’ll start the coffee.”
“Why are you here?” Adam asked.
“Because I have the answer to all of our problems.” Helen looked quite smug when she said it, but there was also a light of excitement in her eyes and none of the animosity Madison had expected.
No one spoke while Madison bustled through getting the brew started. She was grateful for the busywork. Helen and Danny sat at the table. Adam leaned against the door frame, arms folded, his face an unwelcoming mask.
“So...what brings you here so early?” Madison prompted.
Danny grimaced. “We would have been earlier if I hadn’t insisted Helen pull over at the rest area for a couple hours. She’s a little too fond of driving the ’Vette.”
Adam straightened. “You let her drive the ’Vette?”
His father nodded. “Might want to sit down, son. She has a lot to get off her chest and a doozy of an idea that’s so crazy it might work.”
Adam remained standing. The room went silent.
Helen shuffled in her seat and studied her hands, then took a deep breath and looked up. “I owe you a huge apology, Madison. More than one. I need to back up to before you became pregnant.”
Madison didn’t want to rehash those bad days. “Helen, I don’t think—”
“Please, this is important. I can’t live with this on my conscience a moment longer.” Desperation clouded Helen’s eyes.
Madison gulped and nodded for her to continue.
“Andrew always came to me with his problems. And...he thought you’d become one of them.”
“He lied,” Adam stated starkly.
“Yes, son, I know that. Now. He blamed Madison for making him look bad at work when he really needed to change his own lazy ways. You earned all those accolades because you never took shortcuts. I know this because your fondest mentor—” she nodded toward Danny “—used to tell me stories of what you’d done and how hard you worked. But back then I didn’t listen to your boss. All I did was worry about my boy and how he measured up.”
The torment in Helen’s eyes was hard to take. “Helen, you don’t have to—”
“Let me finish, Madison. Then if you want me to never speak of it again, I won’t. Andrew claimed all you cared about was your career. You put it ahead of everything, including him. I hated seeing him so upset. And then I made a critical error.” She ducked her head and fussed with the seam of her pants. “I told him that would change when the babies came along.
“And then he announced your pregnancy a few months later. From his cocky tone, I suspected even then that the surprise pregnancy might’ve been a surprise only to you.”
Shocked, Madison searched for words. “You knew?”
“I suspected. Andrew didn’t like to lose. And I hated myself for planting the seed. Then when Adam confirmed it...”
The pain in the woman’s voice was more than Madison could bear. She placed her hand on top of Helen’s. “You can’t take the blame for Andrew’s actions.”
“I knew my son and his weaknesses. If I hadn’t said what I did then—”
“No. Stop. If Andrew twisted your words to suit his purposes, that’s not your fault. Your comment to him would have been true if he’d waited the five years we’d agreed upon. In fact, that’s why I wanted to wait until I was established in the practice—so I could afford to take time off with our child. Andrew’s choices were not your fault,” she repeated when Helen’s doubtful expression didn’t change.
“How can you be so nice when I’ve been such a bi—witch?” Tears brimmed in her eyes.
Sympathy wound around Madison like a kudzu vine. “Because I know what it’s like to live with guilt. We each have different methods of coping, but we’re reacting to the same stimuli—pain and fear. You strike out when you’re hurt. I curl into a defensive ball. You pushed me away because seeing me reminded you of Andrew. I buried myself in Quincey, hoping no one would discover I was responsible for my husband’s and son’s deaths. Guilt tore me up, robbed me of sleep and appetite, and it fixed nothing.
“You have to let it go, Helen. Andrew and Daniel are gone. Nothing you or I can do will bring them back. The only thing left to do is not be afraid to move forward and live your life. And don’t be afraid to love again.” She met Adam’s gaze and found love, support and approval reflected back at her. “Adam taught me that lesson.”
He crossed the room and took her hand in his. “Mom, Dad, Madison has agreed to marry me. She’s going to find someone to operate her practice, and I’m going to look for a job up here. We’ll end up wherever the first opportunity arises.”
Danny laughed. “Funny you should mention that. Your mom has the answer.”
Excitement replaced the grief in Helen’s eyes. “I do. Madison, if you’re willing, I want you and Danny to swap practices.”
“What?” Madison and Adam said simultaneously.
“I’ve been so morose and negative since...the funeral that Danny has been hiding in his office to avoid me. Our marriage has suffered. He’s been trying to make me happy by giving me things when all I really want is time with him. I want him to cut back on his hours so that we can get back to the ‘us’ we used to be. The best way to do that is for him to take over Madison’s patients.
“And, Madison, you can quit wasting your talents here in the country and take over Danny’s practice, where you’ll be challenged. That way everyone gets what they want.
“I get my husband back and Madison gets someone she can trust to look after her patients and her family of strays. And Adam gets to keep the job he loves and have the woman by his side who couldn’t be more perfect for him if I’d picked her myself.”
Dumbfounded, Madison couldn’t speak. It was as if everything she’d ever dreamed of and more was being offered on a silver platter.
“What does Dad get out of this deal?” Adam asked.
“I get the love of my life back and plenty of time to tinker. Madison’s barn has room for me to set up a shop. What do you say, Maddie? Care to swap practices?”
Hope and happiness welled up in her throat. She looked across the room to her future husband, then to Helen and Danny and nodded. “This is what families are supposed to do. We help each other out, but more important, we never, ever, stop loving one another.”
* * * * *
Keep reading for an excerpt from REMEMBERING THAT NIGHT by Stephanie Doyle.