Playing for Keeps (24 page)

Maddie
's eyes popped open and she took a step forward. "That would never happen! You know how much Rob loves Sophie. And, like it or not, I love her, too. I'm sure you don't want to hear that, but it's a fact. Sophie is a wonderful, special person, and no matter how many children we have, she'll always be treated with love and respect in this house."

Rob looked at Dionne.
"You know that, Dee. You know me."

Dionne wiped a tear from her face
. "Yeah, but I needed to hear it." She pulled some papers from her purse and handed them to Rob. "This is the revised custody agreement. I get her every other weekend, we'll alternate holidays, and I'll take her for two weeks in the summer, unless I can get more time off.  I'd appreciate a little flexibility."

Rob took the papers and stared at them.

Maddie saw a shocked expression on his face.

Dionne continued
, "You'll need to sign them in front of a witness and have your lawyer file them. And there's just one other thing."

"
What?" He glanced at Maddie and they both looked at Dionne, waiting for the bomb to drop.

Dionne was crying as she said
, "You'll have to tell Sophie. I couldn't bear to have her think I was a bad mother, who gave her away."

No bomb
. Maddie inhaled and released the breath slowly.

Rob took a step
toward Dionne. "No one will ever call you a bad mother. You're doing what we all think is best for Sophie."

She nodded, tears still
streaming down her face. "But, if somewhere down the line, it isn't the best thing for Sophie, can we agree to re-evaluate?"

"
Of course. We'll never keep her from you, Dee."

Maddie stepped
closer. "And we'll never utter an unkind word about you in this house. You're not a bad mother. You're being a very good mother."

Dionne
swiped at her tears. "Will you promise to be a very good mother to my Sophie?"

"
Of course, I will. I promise with all my heart."

Rob put his arm around her.
"That's a pretty big promise, Dee."

The woman
nodded. "I know it is. All right, then." She took a step toward the door.

Maddie
glanced at Rob. She'd understand if he gave Dionne a little hug or a kiss on the cheek before she left, but he didn't budge from her side. He simply said, "Thank you."

Dionne nodded.
"Call me to arrange to get her stuff. We'll need to decide what she'll want to bring here from my place."

"
I'll call you." He nodded, and they watched her go. He looked at Maddie with wonder in his eyes.

She smiled up at him.
This is a wise man I'm marrying, a very wise man.

"
Can you believe it?"

"
Not really. I was getting all set to have my heart broken again."

He gave her a look.
"You should have told me when she got here. I don't expect you to deal with her."

Maddie slipped her arms around his waist.
"I can deal with anything. I feel invincible right now."

He smiled.
"And how is your heart?"

"
Good.
Very good
. The super glue is holding quite nicely."

He rubbed his thumb over her cheek.
"I can't believe you ever thought—"

"
Shh." She put a finger to his lips. "Never mind. I told you, when I'm pregnant, I think crazy thoughts."

"
We'll chalk it up to the pregnancy, then."

"
Yes, we will." She stared into his eyes dreamily.

"
You look beautiful." He admired her.

"
So do you." She ran a hand over his stubbly face. "And by the way, after what you said in here today, we don't need to recite vows. Just say 'eh, I'll take her' and that'll be good enough for me."

He chuckled.
"I'll try to memorize that.'Eh, I'll take her'." He leaned in for a kiss, but Fred interrupted them.

"
Excuse me," he said sheepishly. "Everything okay in here?"

"
Everything is perfect." Maddie put her head on Rob's shoulder.

"
Dionne gave us custody of Sophie!" Rob said, still sounding amazed.

"
Wonderful! I'm happy for you. But there are a couple of things going on out here that you should know about. First, the judge is here."

"
Good!" Rob looked at Maddie. "We have a wedding to get to."

"
Second," Fred continued "Coop Senior and the Mrs. just pulled up out front. They aren't alone. Thought you might want to know that."

"
Jesus H. Christ!" Rob muttered and went to the front window to look out. "They couldn't have just phoned in their congratulations?"

Maddie looked
through the window over Rob's shoulder. She watched Mr. and Mrs. Cooper get out of their Lincoln and glance around. He was dressed nicely in a dark suit and tie. Rob's mother wore a fashionable blue dress. "Maybe we should have put 'casual' on the invitation."

"
Who is that?" Rob tried to see who got out of the back seat. Another man in a suit and a woman in a dress.

"
Oh my God!" Maddie squealed. She grabbed Rob by the hand and pulled him out the door after her. "Mom!" Maddie let go of Rob and hugged her mother.

"L
ook at you!"  Her mother hugged her tightly.

Maddie tried to blink back her tears, but it wasn
't possible. She hugged her mother and felt six years of absence between them slip away.

Her father stepped forward
. "I almost wouldn't have recognized you."

Maddie moved from her mother
's arms to her father's, and he hugged her in his strong grasp. "But it's really you, isn't it? My baby, my little Maddie."

She sniffed and pulled back.
"It's really me, all right." She smiled at her father. He looked well. His thick wavy hair was gray at the temples, but it suited him. He looked trim and well-dressed and Maddie hugged him quickly one more time.

H
e finally got her at arm's length and said, "You look as beautiful and as happy as I've ever seen you." He smiled at Rob. "I presume I have you to thank for this?"

Maddie wiped at her tears
. "Daddy, this is Robert Cooper. Rob, these are my parents Michael and Megan Stewart."

Rob extended his hand
. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Sir. Maddie's told me good things about you."

"
She has?" He looked at his daughter questioningly.

"
Absolutely," Rob added quickly. "And we're honored that you came all this way to be with us tonight."

Maddie
's mother added, "Of course we'd want to be here. Our only daughter is getting married, and we received such a delightful invitation."

"
Meg." Michael Stewart put a hand on his wife's arm.

Maddie looked at her mother. Time had not been cruel to Meg, she looked better than ever with her mid-length red hair brushed away from her face. Maddie smiled
. "I'm sorry we didn't have proper invitations. We've been a little busy this summer."

Andrea Cooper stepped forward
. "They got the same amusing little note we received. This is how it is, like it or leave it. Quaint, Robert."

"
Hello, mother." Rob smiled at her sarcastically. "You remember, Maddie."

"
No, I really don't." Mrs. Cooper looked Maddie up and down. "The tattoo I remember, but the rest looks different."

"
Tattoo?" Meg Stewart hollered.

H
er husband steadied her with his arm.

Maddie
's hand flew up to cover the little heart, but Rob stepped behind her and pulled her hand away. He ran a finger over the tattoo. "I like it." He drew her into his arms. "She's become so respectable with her grown up haircut and the children. The tattoo reminds me of her fun side." 

Meg took a step forward and inspected the heart.
"That's not so bad," she admitted. "Is that what people do here in Oklahoma?"

Maddie smiled.
"Actually, I got the tat when I was at Harvard. I suppose people in Oklahoma get them, too."

Edward Cooper stepped forward and extended his hand.
"A pleasure to see you again, Madison."

"
Thank you, Sir." She shook his hand.

His wife stepped next to him and extended her hand as well.
"I meant it in a nice way. You look much different than the last time we saw you. You're a very beautiful girl."

"
Thank you." Maddie smiled and shook her hand. "That night was not my finest hour. Meeting Dionne threw me off, I'm afraid, but with good reason."

Rob
said, "That's all settled now. Dee just left here. Did you know she's giving us custody of Sophie?"

"
Full time?" Andrea exclaimed.

"
Yep." Rob grinned, and looked at Maddie's parents. "My five year old. Her mother lives in Oklahoma City. Now Sophie can go to kindergarten here, and be home with Maddie instead of in a daycare every day."

Meg looked at her daughter.
"You're not working anymore?"

Maddie shook her head.
"Rob swept me off my feet and took me away from all that. I get to stay home and be a mommy." She touched her stomach reflexively, and her mother exchanged a glance with Rob's mother.

"
Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Meg asked Andrea.

Rob
's mother nodded. "She's not showing yet, so she can't be very far along. Maybe a month or two?"

Maddie looked
over her shoulder at Rob. "Have I got something written on my forehead? This is the third time today someone's guessed I'm pregnant, and I know I'm not showing yet."

"
You're positively glowing," her father said.

Edward added
, "A phenomenon I've heard about, but never really seen before. There's definitely something to it."

"
Just complete happiness." Maddie leaned back into Rob. "Hold me down so I don't float away."

"
I'm not letting go of you, don't worry." He tightened his grip on her.

Fred called from the side of the yard
, "Coop? Judge is wondering if there's still going to be a wedding tonight?"

"
Yes, there is!" Rob yelled back. "Don't let him get away, we'll be right there."

"
I need to fix my face." Maddie stepped aside.

"
You look beautiful," he assured her.

Meg stepped forward.
"You have prejudiced eyes. Thank God you do, but she does need to fix her face. Can we go inside and I'll help you, honey?"

"
Sure." Maddie smiled at her mother.

Andrea Cooper stepped forward
. "I know we need to get the wedding started, but we were really hoping to meet our grandson."

Rob
nodded. "Why don't you all go inside? I'll ask the judge to give us a few more minutes, and bring Sam in. He's gorgeous, just like his mama."

"
Thanks, baby." Maddie headed into the house. "Come on in, everyone." She stopped in the living room. "This is the house that Rob built. It's so beautiful, we just love it. In fact, he's starting an addition in August. Two more bedrooms, a family room, an office and a bathroom."

"
He has an office," Andrea remarked, and they all looked up as Rob carried in Sam.

Maddie smiled.
"Samuel Robert Cooper ousted his father from his office. Hey, baby boy, meet Grandma and Grandpa Cooper and Grandma and Grandpa Stewart."

"
Oh my word." Andrea looked over the baby, and Rob offered him to her. She took him gently and held him so they all could see. "He's just beautiful."

"
Look at that blond hair," Michael commented. "Matthew's girls both have red hair and freckles."

Maddie looked at Rob.
"My brother," she explained.

He smiled.
"I want a girl with red hair and freckles! Promise me we'll keep trying until we get one."

She chuckled.
"No promises. But the odds seem pretty good in your favor."

"
He's just adorable." Meg Stewart took Maddie by the arm. "But we need to get you ready, now. Show me where your things are."

Maddie nodded and glanced at Rob one last time.
"Sure you want to go through with this?"

He gave her a look and she laughed. She kissed him
. "Then, get out there. I'll be the one walking down the aisle."