Page 33 of Madden

"No charge, Officer." The kid waves me away as I open it.

"No way, that's a lot of food." I shake my head.

"We insist," the owner says from where he's standing in front of their prep table. "Thank you for what you're doing at the elementary school. My daughter talks about you all the time."

I'm beyond humbled. "I appreciate it." Reaching in, I grab the only cash I have, which is a ten-dollar bill. "A tip, thank you, again. I'll see you out on the court soon."

Mickand I have just finished getting all the food out and on the table when two cars pull into my driveway. I watch as Stephanie and Bec meet in the middle. Stephanie hands her two bags, they hug, and then she waves at me from where she stands. I wave back at her, walking out onto the porch, and toward Bec.

She glances at me, tears in her eyes, and from there she runs at me, throwing her arms around me. I grab her up in my arms and hold her tight. "Hey, what's going on?"

"I had the worst day - seeing Trey. He's refusing to do anything that's going to help Mick." She sniffs. "And it hurts my heart. I thought for sure he'd want what's best for him," she whispers in my ear, emotion clogging her throat. "Let me get my shit together before we go inside. I don't want him to see me crying."

"Take your time." I lean my head down so that it's resting on top of hers, my arms wrapped tightly around her. "We're not going in until you feel you're in a space that's good. We can stay out here for an hour if need be."

She sighs, allowing me to hold her up, and put back together the parts that Trey broke.

CHAPTER 22

BECCA

Sittingaround the table with Madden and Mick at my sides, Donut at my feet is a dream I never thought would happen. Not when I thought about what my future was going to look like. It seemed like one of those things I only saw in the romance novels I read, but here I am. Everything I thought would never come true; is. Except for getting Trey to let me take care of Mick fully, while he can't.

"Did you see dad today?" Mick asks, after he swallows a large bite of chicken. "I heard you talking to Stephanie about it."

It will do no good to lie to him, so many others have already done that. What he needs is the truth. "I did."

"Did he mention me?" His voice so hopeful it crushes a piece of my chest.

"He did," I say carefully. Not in the way Mick is hoping, but he was definitely mentioned.

A smile spreads across his face. "Good. I miss him, and I was hoping he misses me too."

God, this breaks my heart. The love he has for Trey, and the way Trey wants to use him like a pawn in a game of chess. I hate it, but I don't want Mick's heart to break the same way mine is."I'm sure he does." I smile, although it's wobbly, and not at all full of confidence.

When we finish, Madden clears the table, and encourages me to go take a bath. "You look like you could use it," he says, pushing my hair back from my face. "Depending on how long you take, I can get Mick into bed."

"He'll need a shower," I protest.

"There's another bathroom connected to the second bedroom. I'll take care of it. All you need to do is go relax."

No one has ever taken care of me like this, and I'm not sure how to react. "Thank you."

"That's all you have to say." He smiles, turning me toward what I assume is his room.

When I enter, I smell him. A mixture of the woods, and cologne. It's heady, and I want to have this scent in my nose all the time. At some point when we came in, he set my bag in here, and he must have taken Mick's to the room he'll be staying in. Entering the bathroom, I groan loudly, seeing the soaking tub that's probably wasted on that man out there. Five bucks says he takes a shower and he's in and out within ten minutes. There's no way he can appreciate this like I can, and I'm going to do a lot of appreciating for the next hour.

My body is jellyby the time I get out of the warm water and stumble into the living room. Madden's hair is wet from what I assume is a shower he took, and he's laying on the couch, flipping through channels on the TV, but I don't see anyone else.

"Where's Mick and Donut?"

"Mick is asleep in the other room, and that traitor Donut decided he wanted to sleep with him. So it's just me and the TV."He slaps the couch next to him. "Or I can scoot on over and you can join me."

I make a motion for him to move. "I'd love to."

He opens his arms, welcoming me into the circle of them. I sink down, and against him, inhaling deeply. He's got his shirt off, and I'm snuggling into the warmth. He drops a kiss onto my forehead. "Did you have a good bath?"

"Yes, it was exactly what I needed. Thank you."

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