not three years old. We're just being careful with her."
Maddie didn 't like the 'we' business, and tried to steer Rob away from it. "I hope you realize that the macaroni and cheese you fix her has processed cheese in it."
He stood up and deposited Sophie on the floor. "I know that. But when I cook for her, I can control things somewhat. Like adding real cheese to the powdered stuff."
Maddie smiled. "You think you're pretty smart, don't ya?"
He pulled her close to him. "Look who I have in my arms? Yeah, I guess I do." He looked from Maddie to Sophie. "Why don't we order pizza?"
" Yay!" Sophie hopped up and down.
Maddie gave him a quick kiss. "A good parent is flexible. You're a smart man."
He snorted and they went to the kitchen to look for pizza menus.
" The sprinkler was fun," Sophie announced later as they ate. "But I wish we had a pool."
Maddie 's eyes lit up. "A pool would be great. I love to swim." She gave Rob a seductive look, suggesting some other things she liked to do in a pool.
He shook his head at both of them. "You guys think I'm made of money? A pool is expensive, and a pain in the butt to install. Behave yourselves, and maybe we'll go for a swim in the lake one of these days."
" Ooh, the lake is good." Maddie looked at Sophie. "Have you ever been there?"
" Once, I think," she said thoughtfully.
Rob nodded. "Once, maybe. We should go again."
They agreed to that plan, and cleaned up the dinner dishes together. Sophie wanted to play a game, so they lay on the floor and played Candy land. Rob won every time, the girls suggested he cheated, and the tickling began again.
It was just past eight-thirty when Sophie yawned for the last time, and let her father and Maddie tuck her into bed, Bo on the floor by her feet. Rob pulled the door shut part-way, and turned on the night light in the hall. He made sure the house was locked up, as Maddie turned out the lights. He extended his hand to her and asked , "Ready to go to our room?"
" Our room," she repeated, liking the sound of it. "Oh boy, am I ever ready."
Maddie went to her house alone the next day to pick up some things for the week. She packed two suitcases, wanting to take enough clothes, but not so many to turn Rob's face green again. She could always come back for more. She'd stop by a couple of times during the week for her mail and to water her flowers, anyway.
Before she left, she sat down on her bed and dialed Rosa's number. "Hey, guess what I'm doing?"
" Taking a break from Keith Urban, it would seem, considering this is the first time you've called me all weekend."
" He does not look like Keith Urban," Maddie protested, although she mulled over the idea.
" Uh, yeah, he does. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that! I'm just more of a Toby Keith girl, myself."
Maddie chuckled. "So, do you want to know what I'm doing?"
" Spill it already! I know you're dying to tell me."
" Packing my bags to go stay with him and Sophie."
Rosa squealed excitedly. "You're moving in with him? You slut! You've only known him, what, like two weeks?"
Maddie sighed. "Two fantabulous weeks, yes. But we're not calling it 'moving in together' just yet. He gets a little nauseous when we say that. I'm just staying there so he can go to work earlier, and get off earlier, to beat the heat, you know?"
" Yeah, the construction worker summer schedule. Good excuse. You talk him into that?"
" You're a pain in the ass, you know?" Maddie teased her friend.
" Always have been," Rosa agreed. "But now I'm a jealous pain in the ass. Give me a little somethin' to tide me over. A little morsel, any little sexual tidbit will do."
" No way!" Maddie squealed. "He'd kill me."
" It's not like I'm going to walk up to him and say, 'I hear you have a tongue that would melt frozen butter'."
Maddie laughed . "Ooh, good one! And you didn't hear it from me, but, oh my God , he does! Bye Rosa."
Rosa groaned. "Bye Mad." And they hung up.
Chapter
Maddie didn 't like the 'we' business, and tried to steer Rob away from it. "I hope you realize that the macaroni and cheese you fix her has processed cheese in it."
He stood up and deposited Sophie on the floor. "I know that. But when I cook for her, I can control things somewhat. Like adding real cheese to the powdered stuff."
Maddie smiled. "You think you're pretty smart, don't ya?"
He pulled her close to him. "Look who I have in my arms? Yeah, I guess I do." He looked from Maddie to Sophie. "Why don't we order pizza?"
" Yay!" Sophie hopped up and down.
Maddie gave him a quick kiss. "A good parent is flexible. You're a smart man."
He snorted and they went to the kitchen to look for pizza menus.
" The sprinkler was fun," Sophie announced later as they ate. "But I wish we had a pool."
Maddie 's eyes lit up. "A pool would be great. I love to swim." She gave Rob a seductive look, suggesting some other things she liked to do in a pool.
He shook his head at both of them. "You guys think I'm made of money? A pool is expensive, and a pain in the butt to install. Behave yourselves, and maybe we'll go for a swim in the lake one of these days."
" Ooh, the lake is good." Maddie looked at Sophie. "Have you ever been there?"
" Once, I think," she said thoughtfully.
Rob nodded. "Once, maybe. We should go again."
They agreed to that plan, and cleaned up the dinner dishes together. Sophie wanted to play a game, so they lay on the floor and played Candy land. Rob won every time, the girls suggested he cheated, and the tickling began again.
It was just past eight-thirty when Sophie yawned for the last time, and let her father and Maddie tuck her into bed, Bo on the floor by her feet. Rob pulled the door shut part-way, and turned on the night light in the hall. He made sure the house was locked up, as Maddie turned out the lights. He extended his hand to her and asked , "Ready to go to our room?"
" Our room," she repeated, liking the sound of it. "Oh boy, am I ever ready."
Maddie went to her house alone the next day to pick up some things for the week. She packed two suitcases, wanting to take enough clothes, but not so many to turn Rob's face green again. She could always come back for more. She'd stop by a couple of times during the week for her mail and to water her flowers, anyway.
Before she left, she sat down on her bed and dialed Rosa's number. "Hey, guess what I'm doing?"
" Taking a break from Keith Urban, it would seem, considering this is the first time you've called me all weekend."
" He does not look like Keith Urban," Maddie protested, although she mulled over the idea.
" Uh, yeah, he does. But hey, there's nothing wrong with that! I'm just more of a Toby Keith girl, myself."
Maddie chuckled. "So, do you want to know what I'm doing?"
" Spill it already! I know you're dying to tell me."
" Packing my bags to go stay with him and Sophie."
Rosa squealed excitedly. "You're moving in with him? You slut! You've only known him, what, like two weeks?"
Maddie sighed. "Two fantabulous weeks, yes. But we're not calling it 'moving in together' just yet. He gets a little nauseous when we say that. I'm just staying there so he can go to work earlier, and get off earlier, to beat the heat, you know?"
" Yeah, the construction worker summer schedule. Good excuse. You talk him into that?"
" You're a pain in the ass, you know?" Maddie teased her friend.
" Always have been," Rosa agreed. "But now I'm a jealous pain in the ass. Give me a little somethin' to tide me over. A little morsel, any little sexual tidbit will do."
" No way!" Maddie squealed. "He'd kill me."
" It's not like I'm going to walk up to him and say, 'I hear you have a tongue that would melt frozen butter'."
Maddie laughed . "Ooh, good one! And you didn't hear it from me, but, oh my God , he does! Bye Rosa."
Rosa groaned. "Bye Mad." And they hung up.
Chapter
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