Rush to the Altar (7 page)

Maddie nodded and took Sasha’s arm. “We’ll be all right.”

Randy nodded, his relief obvious. “You look great, by the way. Both of you.”

“Thanks.”

Maddie led Sasha into the darker, adjoining room, where a dance floor, a stage, and a long, low-lit bar had been set up. “Come on, let’s see if we can talk some sense into these guys.”

“I can’t talk to them yet,” Sasha whispered, wide-eyed and suddenly nervous. “I pictured myself nicely inebriated before talking to any of the players. And ‘Hart’ means Jake Hart, right? I’m about to meet Jake?”

Maddie rolled her eyes and laughed, pulling her friend along. “Their size is worse than their demeanor. Now show some backbone. Come on.”

Sure enough, as they came closer to where the two men sat, Jake’s voice rang out, slightly slurred, “Would you look at that, Marcus. A witch and an angel, comin’ to visit us.”

Marcus whistled. “I’ll take the witch over an angel any day.” Then louder, directed to them. “Well hello ladies, come on over and have a drink.”

Maddie and Sasha came up to them, Sasha standing right in front of Jake. “I’ll have a drink,” she said, ignoring Maddie’s shocked stare. “Cosmopolitan, please.”

Jake grinned at her, turned to the bartender to order her the drink and then swung back suddenly to Maddie with the question “What’ll you have, angel?”

“I’m not an angel. I’m a fairy. And I won’t be drinking anything.”

“Wait a minute.” His eyes squinted in the dim light as he stared at Maddie’s face. His head nodded up. “You’re that girl. Working for the foundation.”

Maddie gave him a single nod. “Yes, I am. Now Mr. Hart, I’ve put a lot of time and effort into this event and you are supposed to say a few opening remarks, remember?”

“Of course I remember.”

Maddie backed down at his tone. “Well, you seem a little…um, inebriated, to be precise, and I’d like to help you sober up before your speech.”

Jake’s gaze took on a sudden disenchanted sheen. “Oh yeah? How are you planning to do that?”

Maddie fiddled with her skirt, not meaning to draw attention to the clingy sheath of white satin. “Coffee, maybe? Have you eaten anything? Could I get you some appetizers?”

Jake laughed, low and dark. “Sure, let’s go up to my room and have an appetizer together. Why not? I’ve seen you in your costume and I know how good you can move.” His sarcasm was like a slap in the face.

Maddie took a shocked breath. “What are you talking about?”

“Halftime, at the game. You know, you had yourself sashaying all over that floor. Best girl there,” he laughed, “not that any of them were much to watch.”

Maddie felt sudden, angry tears gather in her eyes. Why was he attacking her like this? “Fine. Give your speech and make a fool out of yourself. It will only reflect badly on you, not me.” She turned, choking over her shoulder to Sasha, who looked equally color-drained, “Come on, Sasha. You can’t possibly have a crush on this jerk now.”

Maddie stopped and turned back toward Sasha, wondering why she wasn’t right behind her. She watched in suspended horror as Sasha grabbed her drink from the bar and said to Jake with a low, hissing voice, “You have no idea what you’re talking about or who you’re talking about. Maddie is the best person I know and was begged to dance that night, replacing someone who was sick at the last minute. She didn’t want to do it. She didn’t even know the routine. She did it for the kids at Colburn Place.”

Maddie cringed when Sasha squinted her eyes until they were slits of anger. “You’re not worthy to kiss the soles of her shoes, you, you, cad.” With the look of a sudden decision, Sasha threw the red drink in Jake’s face.

She turned, leaving two shocked, slack-jawed men in her wake, catching up to Maddie and rushing with her to the ladies room to freshen up.

“Oh, Maddie, how horrible was he?”

Maddie clung to Sasha’s shoulder. “Why? Why would he say those terrible things about me? What have I ever done to him?”

Sasha handed her some tissue. “Who knows? What a conceited monster! I can’t believe I wasted hours of my life daydreaming about him. Are they all that awful?”

Maddie shook her head, blowing her nose. “I hope not. I’ve only met a few. But it’s so strange. He was so nice in the elevator my first day.”

“Elevator? You didn’t tell me about any elevator encounter with Jake Hart. What happened?”

“I didn’t tell you because I knew you would be mad that I didn’t get his autograph for you. He was helping me get past the ex-wife to my interview. Remember? I said one of the players escorted me back to Jordan’s office?”

“Oh, yeah, you just didn’t mention who. I wouldn’t have been mad. Gosh, especially not now. If I had his autograph, I’d staple it to his forehead and throw darts at it.”

Maddie giggled, imagining it. “Thanks for sticking up for me. I—I didn’t know what to do.”

Sasha dug into her tiny black-sequined bag and held out a pale pink lip-gloss. “Here, get some makeup back on and we’ll get right back out there and ignore him and his friend for the rest of the night.”

Maddie nodded. “You’re right. I have to get back out there and pretend it didn’t really upset me.” She grimaced when she looked at her blotchy face and smeared mascara. “Men,” she muttered as she reapplied the eyeliner, cleaning up the smudges under her eyes. “My makeup was perfect.”

“Hurry. We don’t want to be missed.”

After fixing Maddie’s face, they turned and rushed out the door. Maddie was shocked into stillness to feel a hand on her shoulder and a tall presence looming at her back.

“Maddie?”

She turned slowly to see Jake Hart, devastatingly handsome in black tie, even with the cranberry-colored wet spots on his white shirtfront from Sasha’s drink. He looked from Maddie’s surprised face to Sasha’s and then back again, a frown between his brows.

“I came to apologize. I, um…” He seemed completely sober now. “Seems I jumped to some conclusions about you. And I’m sorry.” He looked to Sasha again. “You were right. I really don’t know her at all. Thanks for setting me straight.”

Sasha visibly gulped.

Maddie could only stare.

“Will you forgive me?” His voice was so deep and quiet and sincere. Maddie felt herself go warm all over and found that her head was nodding and shaking at the same time. “Of course,” she managed out of a tight throat.

“Will you save me a dance? I’d like to get to know the real Maddie Goode.”

Maddie thought she might faint, but took a deep breath instead. “Okay, I guess.”

He smiled, a real, warm, inviting smile that made her head swim like the time she had a terrible cold and a touch of vertigo.

“Good.” He lifted her hand to his lips and brushed a kiss across the back of her fingers. “I still think you’re an angel…no fairy looks this pure.” Then he was walking away with his long-legged stride down the hall. He turned at the entrance to the men’s room and grinned at Sasha, teasing, “You think I can get this stain out of my shirt before my big speech?”

Sasha grimaced. “Sorry,” then she shrugged, a half-pained, half-happy expression on her face. “But you did deserve it and I’ve always wanted a good excuse to do that.”

Jake laughed and disappeared into the men’s room.

They turned toward each other, both wide-eyed and staring.

“I can’t believe it. A monster one minute and a prince the next. Do you think that was real?” Maddie questioned.

“Wow. If it wasn’t, he’s a very good actor. Maddie, he asked you to dance!”

Maddie brushed back her hair nervously. “I know. Do I know how to dance?”

“Of course you do, you’re a great dancer. Now let’s go mingle and get some food. Best thing to do is act like it was no big deal. Let’s ignore him for a while.”

Maddie nodded with a tight smile. “Okay. I’m so glad you’re here, Sasha. I truly think I would ruin my life without you.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

A
fter cocktails, there was a four-course dinner. A bowl of either French onion or cream of artichoke soup made up the first course, followed by a finely chopped salad with creamy parmesan dressing. Maddie had agonized over the main course, finally settling on a choice of roast beef or salmon, steamed veggies, asparagus with mustard cream sauce, twice-baked potatoes loaded with anything they could want on a potato and huge yeast rolls. Dessert consisted of vanilla flan with amber-colored caramel sauce or creamy chocolate mousse, all of which Maddie had gotten to sample before choosing a caterer. That had been a great two weeks, sampling food and being acquiesced to as the Racers representative.

Now she hung back, overseeing the guests, a few she recognized, many she did not, but knew them mostly to be distinguished community leaders. The mayor and his lovely wife sat at one of the round tables in the center toward the front of the room with another politician, a university president, a doctor who was a close friend of the mayor’s family and a local celebrity, the current Miss USA. She was gorgeous in a sequined gown, Miss USA sash and tiara, which Maddie presumed was the costume of a beauty queen.

“Must be nice to look like that all the time,” Sasha had whispered to Maddie when they’d first seen her.

Their table looked happy—plenty of food and a handsome waiter at their beck and call. Her gaze roving, she spotted a gentleman growing loud and animated. Gliding near the table she casually studied him, waved over the waiter for their table and whispered, “Water down Dr. Sinclair’s next vodka tonic a bit, yes?

The waiter nodded, understanding and a slight smile of respect lighting his eyes.

Maddie turned to circle the room one last time before sitting down to her own dinner and nearly walked into a wall of muscle.

“Oh,” she exclaimed, stepping on his foot with her silver sandal. “Excuse me.”

Low male laughter. “That wasn’t how I envisioned getting you back into my arms, but I suppose it will do.”

Maddie’s head jerked up to look into the eyes of someone familiar, though at first she couldn’t quite place him. The lighting was low, candles everywhere, reflecting the colors Maddie had chosen of gold, yellows and reds, making it difficult to see the man’s face, standing in the shadows as he was.

Suddenly it clicked. “Greg? Greg Foreman?” She took a step back.

“Maddie. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you. What are you doing here?”

“I…I work for the Racers.” Incredibly, he looked better than he had in college.

“Really? Wow. What do you do?”

“I am a coordinator for the Racers Foundation. How are you? I saw all the names on the guest list but don’t remember seeing your name.”

“Really? Well, I
was
invited.” He was sounding a little heated.

“Of course, you were. It’s a wonderful party, is it not?” Her gaze swept the elegant room.

“Maddie…you’ve changed so much, I hardly recognized you. You look really… spectacular.”

Maddie wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. She smiled, knowingly, remembering his smooth talk. She
had
changed a lot since their brief stint of dating in college and wasn’t quite so naïve. “Thank you. What are you up to these days?”

“I’m an orthodontist. I have a practice in Carmel. It’s very…” He pretended humility with a shrug. “…Successful.”

Maddie laughed, unable to help it. “Well, your teeth look wonderful. How about personally? Are you married?”

Greg ground his teeth. “I should be.”

 “What do you mean?”

“Divorced.” He sighed heavily. “I found her…in bed with another man.”

Maddie didn’t know whether to believe him, he was acting so strange. “I’m sorry. How terrible for you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think I would get through it, but I did. Meeting sweet women like you puts the game back in me. You taken?”

Maddie didn’t want to go into that. “I’m in a relationship.”

“Anyone I know? Wait, it’s not one of the players, is it?” He asked it like it was an impossibility and though Maddie knew she shouldn’t, she couldn’t quite help herself.

She shrugged delicately.

“No kidding. Who?”

Maddie allowed her gaze to wonder over to Jake. It wasn’t as if she was out-and-out lying, not really. Just leading a cad to think something that might buy her some peace tonight.”

“No way. Jake Hart? I should have snatched you up when I had the chance.”

Maddie wanted to roll her eyes but feigned neutrality. “We both know that wouldn’t have worked out. I’m sure you will find someone, Greg.”

“Sure I will. I’ve found lots of someone’s, but I’m looking for someone really special. Someone like you.”

Could the malarkey, as her Irish grandfather always called it, get any thicker? Maddie pasted a smile on her face, tilted her head to one side and remarked. “You didn’t think I was so special when you dumped me via email during our sophomore year. What makes me so different now?”

“Look at you!” Greg gushed. “I hardly recognized you, you look so good.”

Again the backhanded compliment. Maddie was getting bored. “Greg, it was so good to see you again, but I have to go.” She smiled a tight smile at him. “I’m working, remember?”

An angry yet panicked look flashed across his face. “Can I call you?”

Maddie shook her head. “I’m sorry, Greg. I think we can both agree that it wouldn’t work out. Take care.”

She glided away toward her table, where she could hear Sasha laughing at something the handsome, successful owner of a retail chain was saying.

At least someone was having fun.

~~~~~~

Jake’s gaze slid over to Maddie again. Who was that she was talking to? And why did he care so much? He looked purposefully away but it wasn’t long before his eyes sought her out again. He just couldn’t seem to help it. He couldn’t get her out of his mind. Every time he tried to turn his attention to someone else, someone bright and glittering at his table, he would sense Maddie’s presence, know just where she was standing in the room, who she was talking to, trying to place the decent-looking guy she was talking to right now. Was that a flirtatious laugh? Did she know him? He watched her touch his sleeve with familiarity and had to stop his feet from marching over there and taking the guy by the collar. He turned away, taking a long gulp of his drink. This was ridiculous! He had never wanted a woman to notice him this badly and he was determined to disregard it. It wasn’t sane.