“So where is he taking us for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Some place fancy I assume since he insisted we dress to the nines tonight.”
“He’s paying?”
Ryn nodded as they walked down the stairs with Gunner in tow.
“Is he rich?”
“I don’t know anything about his bank account.”
“Well he teaches piano lessons for God’s sake, he can’t be that rich.”
“Money isn’t everything, my dear child.”
“Clearly it isn’t to you, or you wouldn’t have left Dad.”
Another dig that kept getting harder to ignore.
“Oh my God, Mom!” Maddie called looking out the front window. “It’s not just a PT Cruiser … it’s a purple PT cruiser with wood panels. It’s totally like Barney meets National Lampoon’s Vacation.”
“Be nice, please.” Ryn grabbed her purse and kissed Gunner on the head.
“Oh. Fuck …”
“Madison!” Ryn scolded.
“Sorry but … he … he just got out. No way … no freaking way.” Maddie plastered her face and both hands to the window.
Ryn opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. Jackson grinned as he met her with a dozen red roses.
“Happy birthday, beautiful.” He bent down and kissed her, keeping it PG … maybe PG-13.
“Thank you.” She smiled back, reaching up to rub the pad of her thumb along his lips to wipe off the transfer of lip gloss. “Let me just put these in water. Maddie!” She jerked her head toward the door when she saw her daughter still gawking in disbelief out the window.
Maddie peeked around the door.
“Maddie, this is Jackson Knight. Go say hi and be nice while I put these in a vase.”
“Nice to meet you, Maddie.” Jackson offered his hand.
Maddie took it and whimpered a little when the arm of his suit coat rode up enough to share a glimpse of a tattoo. “H-hi,” she stuttered.
He released her hand, but hers stayed frozen in midair for a few seconds.
“You look beautiful in your dress as well, and you have your mom’s eyes.”
She nodded. It seemed as if that’s all she could do. Maddie looked like a younger version of Ryn except with her dad’s dimples. Maddie’s pin-straight blond hair cascaded to her butt. She looked and carried herself with a model’s posture, yet Jackson’s eyes stayed on Ryn. Falling never felt so good.
“Ready?” Ryn asked, shutting the door.
Jackson offered one arm to Ryn and the other to Maddie, escorting them both to the car.
“Maddie’s disappointed you’re not balding or wearing a bowtie and fedora.”
“Mom!” Maddie shrieked as Jackson opened the back door for her.
He chuckled. “At one time I had my head shaved. I considered getting a tattoo on the back of it, but it never happened.”
Ryn had never seen her daughter stunned into complete silence. It was kind of nice for a change. Jackson shut Maddie’s door and walked Ryn to the other side.
“Your dress is going to put an end to my celibacy,” he whispered in her ear before opening her door.
She gulped, thankful for the pantyliner she decided to wear because only the hottest women wore them on dates.
“So be prepared.” He pecked her cheek.
“O-kay.”
That one word stutter of a response brought a seductive grin to his face as he opened her door. She couldn’t stop thinking about that promise—a promise of sex—her age, her body, his past, his expectations, her minimal experience, his expertise. It overwhelmed her.
“So, Maddie, what made you want to become a lawyer?” Jackson asked.
After a few seconds of silence Ryn looked over her shoulder at Maddie in the backseat. “Maddie, he asked you a question.”
She closed her unhinged jaw and swallowed, eyes still glassy. “Uh … money. And I like to argue.”
Her mother smirked. “She won quite a few awards on the debate team in high school.”
“I thought about law school at one point,” he said.
“And you chose piano instead?” Maddie asked with a condescending edge.
“In college it’s called music, but I didn’t get a degree in music. It’s just a hobby. If you don’t have passion about your pursuit in life, it will never take you where you want to go.”
“Pfft … if I followed my true passion I would be in medical school at Harvard.”
“Why aren’t you?” Jackson looked at her in the rearview mirror.
“My dad won’t pay for my college because somebody pissed him off. But I’m not mad at him … my dad’s the best and he still sends me a nice allowance for other things.”
Another dig at Ryn. Jackson rested his hand on her leg, she returned a weak smile. Just because she’d learned to tolerate it, even expect it, didn’t make it hurt any less.
Seeing the restaurant parking lot filled to capacity, Jackson let the ladies off at the front door and searched for a parking spot down the street.
Ryn’s parents were already seated.
“Happy birthday, baby girl!” Her mom hugged her and so did her dad.
“Thank you.”
“Where’s this mysterious guy?” her dad asked.
“Oh my God.” Maddie plunked down in her chair and rolled her eyes. “Wait until you meet him. He’s so out of her league. No offense, Mom. But seriously, guys like him don’t date women in menopause. There must be something wrong with him … like maybe he just got out of prison and he has mommy issues or—”
“Madison!” Ryn warned and Maddie jumped. “That’s. Enough.”
She wasn’t in menopause yet, even if her hormones hadn’t received that memo.
Maddie sank in her chair while messing with her phone. “Christ, Mom, you don’t have to reprimand me like a child.”
“Then stop acting like one.”
“Okay, this is supposed to be a celebration. Let’s all calm down a bit.” Ryn’s mom smiled as Jackson approached the table.
The birthday girl staving off anger to the point of near tears, forced a smile. The knowing look on Jackson’s face confirmed she wasn’t hiding it well.
“Jackson, these are my parents, Ryan and Lynn.”
“Bet you can guess how my mom got her name,” Maddie mumbled, still staring at her phone.
“Nice to meet you.” Jackson offered his hand as both of her parents stared.
“Mom, Dad!”
They shook their heads. “Sorry, uh … nice to meet you too. Thank you for inviting us to dinner,” Lynn said as they took their seats.
“My pleasure. I’m quite fond of your daughter.”
They nodded. Of course they wouldn’t be as bold and inconsiderate to ask why, but Ryn could still see that question on their faces. In all fairness, she still pondered it too.
“We just want her to be happy.”
“Done.” Ryn smiled, looking over her menu. “Maddie, your friends can wait. Please put your phone away.”
Maddie rolled her eyes again. The waitress took their drink orders, ending with Maddie.
“I’ll have your most expensive scotch.”