“I’m sorry.” Val patted Madi’s leg as Brett and the men moved to the ocean to wash the sand off the boys, so Val could reapply their sunscreen. “We can go if they’re bothering you. Sky told me about…”
Madi wiped the tears that ran down her face and vigorously shook her head. “No! Don’t you dare. They’re wonderful. I’m so glad y’all are here. They make me laugh and…”
“And cry!” Val stated pointing to her face. “C’mere you.” Valeria pulled Madi in for a tight hug and kissed her cheek when she pulled back. “I’m sorry you aren’t pregnant, Mad.”
Madison shook her head and smiled at a frowning Skyla. “It’s ok. Really. I’ll be fine. I’m still on my period, so that doesn’t help with these emotions.” Madi fanned her face, trying to breathe.
“Why don’t you ask Brett if he’ll do the deed?” Sky winked over at Madi. “I don’t think he would mind at all giving you a child.” She looked over to Brett then, who was frowning back at Madi. “I swear, they have a language all their own.”
“So, I’ve noticed. How long have you two been in love, Madi?” Val asked.
Madi literally scoffed. “What are you talking about?”
Sky rolled her eyes beneath a big straw hat planted atop her wavy, red hair, “Please! That man only sees you. How can you be so blind?”
“No, it’s not like that. It’s—”
“But it is like that. It always has been, hasn’t it?” Val asked and patted Madi’s arm. “It’s alright. He’ll confess in time, love. I’m sure he’s simply biding his time.”
“Want us to get you drunk so you can make your move on him? He’s just itching for a reason to hike that sorry excuse for a skirt up and take you. Trust me, I know that look all too well.” Sky bit into her lip as Travis made a kissy face back at her, his chiseled muscles rippling as he swung Lennox around like a rag doll.
“Gross,” Madi feigned disgust, “I hope you two Lysol-ed the counters off after you defiled them.”
“Of course, the table too. The couch was a bit harder to clean though.” Sky winked and put her finger to her lips in a shush gesture.
“Wow, so it is true what they say about redheads,” Val smirked over at Sky, who bobbed her brows.
“I dunno, blondes are supposed to have more fun,” Sky stated back, flicking Val’s blonde pony-tail, and they all laughed, even Madi.
“Seriously though, let’s get them drunk so they can bone,” Val insisted and handed Madi a pre-mixed margarita from the nearby Yeti cooler. “That’s exactly what this Sheila needs. A good shag in the worst way.”
“We could at least wait til she’s off her period, Val.” Sky wrinkled her nose. “But there is always shower sex.” Sky rubbed her chin thoughtfully.
Madi couldn’t remember the last time she’d had shower sex. The last several times she’d even done it, she’d had to monitor her temperature, ovulation, cycles, and plan it out like a football route. It had felt more like a trial for a lab than a sexual encounter. Madi frowned and looked down. “I dunno. It’s not like it’d matter,” she grumbled.
“What do you mean?”
“In college, I made a move on him. He didn’t…” she gulped the disappointment down.
“Come again?” Sky asked, surprise lacing her voice.
“He, uh, well…we made out. It was hot. Really hot but then…he stopped.”
“Well, there had to be a damn good reason for it,” Val insisted, brows shooting up beneath her dark sunglasses.
“Well, I mean, I made him think I was drunk.” Madi felt her cheeks flush as red as Sky’s red bikini then.
“Why?” she asked and pulled at Madi’s hand so she’d look at her.
“I was trying to get us away from the party. I wanted him alone,” Madi confessed.
“Well, that’s why he stopped, silly. He thought he was taking advantage of you.”
“I dunno,” Madi argued.
“Madison Thomas, look at me. As much of a gentleman as Brett is, he would never take advantage of you. I bet he always opens the door for you, holds an umbrella over your head, walks to your outside. He’s probably even leery about his language in front of you, am I wrong?” Sky asked, and Madi shook her head. “There, ya see. He would never publicly grope you and, even behind closed doors, he wouldn’t force himself on you if he thought you were shit-faced drunk!”
It all made sense; Sky was right. How had she ever been so stupid? She’d been so sure of how Brett felt about her that she’d underestimated his moral code. Of course he wouldn’t allow their first time together to be a drunken roll in the hay.
“So, he’s a good kisser, huh?” Val asked and shoved at Madi’s shoulder.
“Oh, stop it. She’s a recent widow; she needs some time.”
And it was true; as handsome as Brett was, she wasn’t ready to jump right into another relationship. It was too soon. The death of her husband was too new. She was still mourning him and would be for a while longer. But that didn’t dampen the fact that there was hope for a future with Brett.
Madi smiled big for the first time in a long time. Her life wasn’t over, as much as she’d told herself it was in the beginning. She wasn’t going to be alone. She was going to be okay.
Much to Brett’s dismay, they left Cancun sooner than he thought Madi needed to. But her spirits seemed high and she seemed really excited to meet Quillan Layton, their potential new TE at week’s end. Langley had seen him on television and called Brett, worrying about his position. Brett had reassured him; besides, it was out of his hands anyway. Just because Brett was the QB didn’t mean he got to call the shots. Even Madi, as CEO, didn’t have full run of everything—nor did her dad, the owner. Although they each had a fair amount
