Page 44 of The Bitter Heir and the Beauty

Yup. Still thinking about Maddock and talking to myself. I think he’s bad for my health. But I don’t need an antihistamine. More like a Maddock inoculation.

Just before I head outside, I double back and grab the carton of eggs that I took from the restaurant earlier. I have a recipe I can make that’s even better than crème brûlée.

Maddock has Leonie and her assortment of gear loaded into the truck, and I hop in the police SUV with Jesse and I follow right behind them with the rest of our stuff.

“She’s so small, yet she requires so much stuff,” he says.

Since he and Tallula are expecting, I say, “You’d better get prepared.”

Overhead, the canopy of trees over the road that leads to the chateau whips and snaps in the blustery wind as rain splatters the windshield making for slow going.

I say, “Thanks for helping me out.”

“The last time we were in a police cruiser together was after the drag race when Willy Spellman went in the ditch.”

“Yeah, but we were in the backseat.”

“That sounds?—”

I interrupt, “It sounds bad no matter how far your mind is in the gutter.”

“Thanks to Sawyer’s community service, Hogwash’s gutters are clear, which means we shouldn’t see much flooding. It’s thewind that’s the problem. Your house should be okay. This is just a precaution.”

And I should proceed with caution because Jesse is wrong. It isn’t only the wind that’s the problem. Maddock makes me feel like I’m caught in a hurricane, blowing this way and that, hot and cold air clashing, sending me into the center where it’s calm before thrusting me back into a storm of emotions.

“When you think about it, we both turned out okay,” he says, oddly sentimental. “It’s like God picked us up and turned us right around.”

“You did take a tumble in a graveyard,” I say.

“We call it an accident, but I think of it as an on-purpose because I found my purpose.”

“Senior year, I think you were voted least likely to become a police officer.”

He chuckles. “You mean most likely to go to jail. Who’d ever have thought you’d become a mother?”

“That was also an accident.” I stop myself, belatedly realizing his meaning. “I mean, for my cousin. Probably. You remember her.” Being Leonie’s mom feels very purposeful. A blessing even though times like these are hard.

“Ah yes. The Queen of Hearts. She was worse than the two of us combined. Leonie got lucky with you.”

“Yeah. An on-purpose.”

“Funny, I noticed when we were at your place, her eyes are so much like Maddock’s. What are the chances? You never know when some things are just meant to be.”

I shake my head because she doesn’t. Jesse is probably just playing matchmaker to take some of the pressure off of feeling obligated to look after me—Hogwash’s single mom charity case. No one knows how Leonie came into my care. I’ve even let Molly speculate. If my cousin wanted anyone to know, she would’ve broadcast it. She has a big enough mouth. My mother has herto thank for winding up in jail. Neither one of them has any allegiance—not even to their own kin.

But Jesse is absolutely right. God must’ve had a hand in this. It’s an on-purpose, and we both ended up with the better lot if you ask me.

I thank Deputy Lawson and am practically shoved inside the chateau—by the wind, not him. At the last moment, I catch the door behind me, keeping it from slamming and startling Leonie.

The scene in front of me takes my breath away.

There’s Maddock, hair dripping wet, his hulking figure poised over Leonie who rests safely on a blanket on the table, legs and arms waving happily. He’s like the Beast, only, his hand presses against his heart and liquid forms in his eyes.

Chapter 10

The T-shirt

Until now, I hadn’t properly made eye contact with the baby. But when we got inside, she was fussing. I can’t claim to have any idea how to change a diaper, but I figured I’d get things ready for when Honey got here.

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