Say It with Roses Read online

  Madison accepted and watched as her older sister’s face suddenly appeared on the screen. “Hey there.”

  “Hey back at you,” Bianca said. “What’s going on?”

  “Same old, same old,” Madison responded, thinking of how much they looked alike, aside from the fact that Bianca had now gone totally blonde and had thinner brows. “Just trying to keep up with my workload.”

  “I hear you,” Bianca said. “There’s been a lot of newsworthy stuff happening at the casinos. I’ve had to put in extra hours at the paper.” She sipped from a glass of wine. “I wish you had moved here instead of Portland. I’d love to have my kid sister around to hang out with.”

  “I doubt that,” Madison said, smiling. Though things were good between them now, it hadn’t always been that way. They were both stubborn and seemed more interested in butting into each other’s lives than not. “I’d never be able to keep up with you. Besides, I like Portland and the job that brought me here.”

  “Fair enough. I’m sure there are some hot men in Portland to take your mind off you-know-who.”

  “It’s already off him,” Madison insisted. “That’s over and done with. As for hot men in Portland, I wouldn’t know, as I’ve been too busy to notice.”

  “Didn’t you say Holly’s brother lives there?” Bianca probed.

  Damn, she has too good a memory, thought Madison, tasting her wine. “Yes, he lives here.”

  “And...?”

  “And nothing,” Madison said. “We’ve run into each other, but that’s about it.”

  “He’s single, right?”

  “Yes, as I understand it, and he has two young children.”

  “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a ready-made family, if the man is a good fit,” Bianca told her.

  “Never said there was,” Madison responded tightly. “And the man’s not a good fit.”

  “Why not?” Bianca pressed. “Not hot enough for you?”

  “He’s nice-looking,” she admitted. “But—”

  “But he’s Holly’s brother and she’s involved with your ex. Am I right?”

  Madison saw no reason to deny it. She sighed. “Let’s just say that’s not a road I care to go down. And, for that matter, I’m not really interested in pursuing anyone or being pursued by anyone right now.”

  “Okay, okay, I won’t push it,” Bianca said, leaning back in her chair. “When you’re ready, you can put yourself back out there. Just remember that one mistake does not a lifetime make. I’ve made a few mistakes in the male department, but I refuse to allow that to keep me from taking new chances at love and happiness.”

  “I’ll try to remember that.” Madison had always prided herself on trying to keep an open mind. But, for now, she preferred to put that on the back burner and focus on work and staying active. Whatever the future brought her way, she would deal with it then.

  Chapter 2

  Stuart took the girls to the Oregon Zoo, knowing how much they loved seeing and hearing the animals, as he had as a kid. While part of him wished they had a mother figure to accompany them, he was just happy to be there for them himself.

  After they had seen polar bears, elephants and cougars, with the girls even taking digital pictures of their favorite animals, Carrie blurted out, “Can we go on the train ride now, Daddy?”

  “Yeah, let’s,” Dottie said.

  “Two against one,” Stuart said, chuckling. “You win. Let’s go for a ride on the Washington Park and Zoo Railway. It’ll be fun.”

  Ten minutes later, they were on the recreational railroad aboard a diesel-powered train that took a one-mile loop around the zoo. Stuart took delight as the girls giggled at the various sights and sounds they passed.

  Before long, the ride was over, and they all got off the train. “Next time, we’ll come in the summer and take the train that runs from the zoo through Washington Park,” he promised, knowing they would enjoy the ride through the park forests to another station where they could disembark and visit the Rose Garden, Portland Japanese Garden and children’s park.

  “Promise?” Dottie asked.

  “I promise,” Stuart said. “Now let’s head over to the Cascade Grill and get something to eat.”

  The girls smiled in agreement.

  They enjoyed chili dogs and chips before going to see monkeys, zebras and black rhinos.

  At one point, Stuart thought he spotted Madison Wagner. Was it his imagination? He thought he saw her by one of the exhibits, but she left before he could be sure it was her.

  Maybe that was a good thing. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. Or try to explain to the girls that she was once their Aunt Holly’s friend till things changed.

  * * *

  On a Saturday afternoon in early February, Madison sat at the coffee shop reading a book she would review. She was halfway through it and found the book was only so-so.

  She hadn’t seen Stuart on his bike of late and imagined he had been busy between writing and raising two young children.

  She flipped another page of her book and then heard a deep and resonate voice say, “Must be a pretty good book you’ve got there.”

  Looking up, Madison saw Stuart standing there, holding a paper coffee cup. “Not really,” she told him. “I’m reading it for work.”

  He peered at her. “Aah, yes, I think Holly mentioned something about your being a book reviewer.”

  Madison wondered just how much Holly had told her brother about her. She was sure he knew all the ins and outs of her disaster with her former beau, which made this conversation all the more uncomfortable. “I’m working for Rose Petals.”

  Stuart nodded. “Good magazine.” They had been fairly kind to him with some great reviews, including a five-star review for his latest book.

  “It pays the bills,” she said succinctly, hoping he would leave it at that.

  Stuart was never much at small talk, especially with someone who didn’t seem all that interested in speaking with him. But he couldn’t stop himself from wanting to reach out to the attractive woman. Seeing her in this casual setting, without the bike helmet that had covered a good part of that gorgeous hair, made her even more appealing to him. He wondered how her ex could have let her get away.

  Stuart also wondered how the same man had been smart enough to woo his sister. By all accounts, they were madly in love and planning a Valentine’s Day wedding. He doubted Madison was on the invitation list.

  “So how have you been doing now that you’ve settled in?” Stuart tossed out, sipping his coffee.

  Madison had zeroed in on Stuart before he asked the question. She couldn’t help but be attracted to him. He seemed to be all muscle and about six-three. His features were classically masculine and she liked his closely cropped, curly black hair.

  But...she still felt it was better to steer clear of him right now, all things considered. “Look...” she began deliberately. “I’m sure you’re just trying to be friendly, but I’m actually rushing to make a deadline right now.”

  Stuart’s brow furrowed. Suddenly it had gotten frostier in the coffee shop than it was outside. “Got it. Then I’ll leave you to it.”

  Madison offered him a strained smile and turned back to the book. But she noticed that Stuart was still standing there, prompting her to look up. “Is there something else?”

  “Actually, there is,” he said. “I know all about the situation with your ex and Holly. But that’s between you and them, not me.”

  “I never said it was about you,” she responded, blinking in surprise but attempting to downplay it. “That’s over and done with.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Stuart said honestly. “Seems to me you still have a chip on your shoulder, and you’re somehow taking it out on me by association.”

  “T
hat’s crazy!” Madison refused to admit he was right. At least not while he had her on the defensive.

  “Is it? I’m pretty good at reading people, especially when they seem to have a one-track mind.”

  She shot him a dismissive look. “You don’t know anything about my mind. Just because you’re a writer doesn’t give you the right to psychoanalyze me.”

  Stuart’s head snapped back as though he had been hit in the face. “You have a good point there. Maybe I’m misjudging you. Just seems like I keep getting the brush-off when I’m trying to be friendly.”

  “Well, maybe you should stop trying so hard,” she tossed back at him. “I’m sure there are other women in town you can strike up a conversation with. But right now I happen to be busy doing my job. If that somehow offends you, I can’t do anything about it.”

  “No, I suppose you can’t,” Stuart said, deciding to cut this short before saying something he couldn’t take back. “I’ll let you get back to it and try not to bother you anymore.”

  He waited for a second or two, as if to see if she would try to get the last word. But there was no comeback. Apparently she was satisfied that she could declare victory over him.

  Stuart knew this was a losing battle. And since he didn’t like to lose, he saw no reason to torture either of them further. He turned and headed for the door.

  Madison watched as he was leaving. She had a mind to call him back, air out some of their differences, but thought better. What was there to say, really? He seemed like a nice guy and was certainly very good-looking. But that didn’t mean they had to be friends.

  Especially since it wasn’t what she wanted. Not when his presence made her feel unexpectedly giddy and nervous. She was still trying to put past regrets behind her.

  She sipped more coffee and turned back to the book. Suddenly it became more laborious to read than ever.

  She wondered how much Stuart Kendall had to do with that.

  * * *

  That night, after tucking the girls into bed, Stuart stretched out on the living room sectional and video-chatted with Holly on his iPad.

  “Hey, sis.”

  She flashed him a big smile on a beautiful face that reminded him of their mother’s. “Back at you, big brother. Or maybe I should say lean and mean brother of mine.”

  He chuckled. “Whatever works. How’s the wedding planning going?”

  “Great, although it’s much more work than I thought it would be. How are the girls?”

  “Growing up way too fast,” he said honestly. “I know they’re only seven, nearly eight, but next thing you know, they’ll be eighteen. I don’t even want to think about them dating and all that.”

  Holly laughed. “It’s an inevitable part of life. You’ll get used to it when the time comes.”

  “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” Stuart paused thoughtfully. “So what’s the deal with your old friend, Madison?” He already had a pretty good idea, but he still wanted to try to gain a little added insight from Holly.

  “Why, did she say something?” Holly’s black eyes grew wide.

  “Actually, it’s just the opposite. She hasn’t said enough,” he complained. “I’ve tried to be there if she needed someone to help her get acclimated to Portland, since she was once your friend and all. But she clearly isn’t interested in being friendly with me.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” Holly said. “But it’s understandable. She’s probably feeling a little weird right now, knowing that her ex-fiancé is my current fiancé and that we’re about to walk down the aisle. You’re my brother, and she probably sees that as an extension of me.”

  “But I thought you said things were cool between the two of you when she left Houston?” Stuart asked.

  “They were—are.... But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still hurt feelings. She probably needs a period of adjustment to fully accept the reality that Anderson and I are together.”

  “So during this adjustment, am I supposed to just avoid her? Or risk being shot down every time I attempt to engage her in some conversation?”

  “Don’t avoid her,” Holly stressed. “Madison is really a nice person to get to know, just as you are. Give her some time to come around. My sense is that she could use a friend like you there, and she’ll come to realize that, if she hasn’t already.”

  “I doubt that she has yet,” Stuart said with a little chuckle. “But I’ll take your advice.”

  “That’s what little sisters are for,” she told him. “You two will be best buds, and maybe even more, before you know it.”

  “Let’s just stick to best buds right now, if it ever happens. I’m not looking for romance. Been there, done that and you see where it’s gotten me.”

  “It’s gotten you two beautiful, precious little angels who I’m sure you wouldn’t trade for the world,” Holly said.

  “Very true,” he conceded. He couldn’t imagine his life without Carrie and Dottie.

  “So let’s not allow Fawn to spoil that any or keep you from finding someone right to share your life with.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said. That didn’t mean he was anywhere close to being ready to throw himself back into the dating game. And certainly not with Madison, who obviously had her own demons she was busy wrestling. Stuart eyed his sister. “At least you’ve found someone to love you. I’ll settle for that for the time being.”

  “You can be so sweet at times,” Holly said, blushing.

  “Just at times?” he teased her.

  “How about the majority of the time?”

  “I’ll go with that and not press my luck.”

  She laughed. “Good answer.”

  Stuart laughed, too, feeling better about things now.

  Chapter 3

  It was the night of Valentine’s Day, and Madison was visiting her next-door neighbor Jacinta Poole. She and Jacinta had become good friends in recent weeks and Madison welcomed having a female friendship in Portland.

  Jacinta was a year older and divorced. She was a professor of liberal arts at Portland State University and a longtime resident of Portland. Jacinta handed Madison a goblet of wine and the two sat at the table in the breakfast nook.

  “Thanks for inviting me over,” Madison said as she reached for the glass.

  “I figured you could use some company,” Jacinta said, brushing her Senegalese twists to one side of her head. “This is the day your ex is marrying your friend, right?”

  “Yep, as far as I know.” Madison gave her a thoughtful look. She had poured out her heart to Jacinta last month, expressing both sorrow and relief that her life was headed in a different direction. Now that her ex, Anderson, had made it official with Holly, it truly was time to put this behind her once and for all. After all, why should the two of them be happy and not her? She deserved to find a man who could truly appreciate her.

  Jacinta seemed to read her mind. “Don’t let it weigh you down, girl. If he chose to marry someone else, that’s on him, not you.”

  “You’re right,” Madison agreed. “Guess it really hit home now that there’s no turning back.” Not that she had seriously considered going back to him since the moment things soured between them. She had too much self-respect to want to be with someone who couldn’t and wouldn’t commit to her.

  “Honestly, I wish I’d known before I walked down the aisle that my ex would turn out to be a jerk,” Jacinta said with a laugh. “Believe me, I would’ve run in the other direction as fast as I could.”

  Madison couldn’t help but laugh. “Guess it really is better to avert disaster before it happens.”

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Jacinta said. “This is a day for you to celebrate that you avoided what could have been the biggest mistake of your life.”

  “You’re so right.”
r />   They clinked glasses to toast the moment.

  “You’re in the right city to find a real man,” Jacinta said. “Portland is swarming with eligible bachelors.”

  “Oh, really?” In fact, Madison recalled reading something once about Portland being ranked as the first or second city in the country with the most single men. She couldn’t help but think of Stuart as one of those eligible men. Or was he spoken for? Holly had suggested months ago that he was still dealing with his ex-wife who left him. Was that still the case?

  “Some of them just happen to teach at PSU,” Jacinta told her. “I’d be happy to introduce you around.”

  “Though the idea is tempting,” Madison said, “right now, I think I’d rather let him come to me than go after him.”

  “Okay, I can respect that,” Jacinta said. “Especially since I’m kind of in the same boat.”

  Madison chuckled. “Didn’t I see you come home the other night with a good-looking guy?”

  “Yes, I’m seeing someone,” Jacinta admitted, “but it’s pretty casual and I think we both know it’s going nowhere in the long run. And, really, that’s just fine right now, since I’m way too busy to become too emotionally invested in a man.”

  Madison wondered what her excuse was. She’d love to become emotionally involved with a man, but only if he would truly appreciate her, unlike Anderson. She just wasn’t sure such a man existed. At least not in her universe.

  She would simply have to bide her time and not put herself out there only to get nothing but heartbreak in return.

  “Let me refill your wine,” Jacinta said, “and we can watch a DVD.”

  Madison smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” It certainly beat sitting alone at home, with only a stack of books to review as her constant companion. She hoped that maybe by next Valentine’s Day she would have someone in her life to share the joys of romance.

  * * *

  Stuart watched gleefully as the girls played with Grace in the park. She had a way with them, and he had no doubt that someday Grace would be a fine mother to her own children. He only wished Dottie and Carrie had a real mother around who they could count on to be there day in and day out. In spite of them being well-adjusted and seemingly content with their real mother long out of the picture, he still felt that maternal affection was something all children needed. But he was doing his best to try to be everything they needed with some help from Grace.