Page 108 of Waiting to Lose
There was a collective sigh from everyone in the room as Jake furrowed his brows. Madi’s mother smacked Michael’s arm as she spoke. “We told you what Madi said, Michael. Now dammit! Don’t you dare ruin this holiday before it even starts.”
Kendra took a gulp of wine. “Yeah, it was going along swimmingly before you showed up!”
“Aww, shit, who the hell invited her?” he asked as he pointed to Kendra.
Rob quietly huffed in amusement and Madi could tell there was an immediate bond between them. Michael had avoided Kendra like the plague since she turned him down two years ago. He turned to Rob as he snickered. “Who are you?” he asked.
Madi interjected, “This is Kendra’s boyfriend, Rob.”
Michael glared from Kendra, guzzling her wine, to Rob, who sighed as he nodded. Michael snorted as his voice rose. “Boyfriend? You poor son of a bitch!”
“Michael!” Madi’s mother shouted. “Kendra’s family, now knock it off! Take your stuff up to your room and come down with a better attitude.”
“Yes, Mom.” Michael crinkled his nose at Kendra and she mimicked him back.
“How’s the secretarial work going, Mikey?” Kendra asked. “Is it tough bringing coffee back and forth to your bosses and filing reports? Let me know if you need to borrow some of my heels. I heard you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have.”
“You know damn well I’m an administrative assistant!” He turned to Jake, explaining, “I’m an admin, not a secretary. There’s a difference.”
Jake nodded his head in agreement as Kendra hit her leg, laughing. Michael flipped her off before heading up the stairs.
Madi sighed as she turned to a smiling, consoling Jake. “Welcome to the Ryans’. And Collin isn’t even here yet.”
Jake sat at the kitchen table, flipping through an old photo album of Madi at age six. Madi sat on his lap with one arm draped around his neck. Rob was still watching the game with Madi’s father, Kendra was in the other room on her cell, and Michael hadn’t come down from his room. Apparently, his attitude had yet to improve.
“You were adorable, even then,” Jake said as he bent slightly to get a look at a picture of Madi on Santa’s lap.
“She was such a worrier,” Madi’s mom responded with a shake of her head, taking the potatoes out of the oven.
“Still is,” Jake replied as he kissed the area below her ear, causing Madi to shift on his lap.
Jake took a sip of his beer and Madi moaned lightly at the smell of him. He was a heady combination of cologne, mint and beer… It was intoxicating. The more she focused on the way he smelled, the more her body reacted to it.
“Are you feeling uncomfortable?” he whispered in her ear.
Madi pushed down into his waist. “Are you?”
He brought the bottle back to his lips and nodded lightly. “Touché.”
Madi’s fingers curled into the hair at the base of his neck, and Jake took a deep breath. His blue eyes flickered with longing.
The front door opened and Madi turned. A smile crept across her face. Her oldest brother, Collin, stomped the snow from his feet, and her eighty-eight-year-old grandmother, Dee, removed her hat.
Madi whispered to Jake, “Collin and Grandma Dee.”
Jake nodded appreciatively.
Madi and her mother both rushed toward the door. Madi went straight for her grandmother.
“Hi, Grandma!” Madi kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly.
“Hello, Madison. My goodness, look at you! So grown up! Are you still in high school?” she asked.
“No, Grandma. College.”
“What?” she asked, straining to hear.
“College, Grandma.” Madi shouted, turning to Jake, who leaned on the railing near the stairs. “Grandma, this is my boyfriend, Jake Morgan.”
